The Samsara Jade

Chapter 44

Li Chen threw his Void Shattering Fist directly into the massive, roaring wave of bloody fire. 

The crowd outside the red Blood Barrier screamed, expecting Li Chen to be instantly melted into a pile of grey ash. The Blood Demon Firestorm was a 6th Level magical attack. It was so hot that the stone floor of the arena was turning into bubbling orange lava. 

But the moment Li Chen’s fist touched the dark red flames, the impossible happened. 

Li Chen did not burn. Instead, the terrifying, ancient black Qi wrapping his fist acted like the open mouth of a starving god. 

WHOOSH! 

The massive tsunami of bloody fire did not explode. It did not push Li Chen backward. It was violently, instantly sucked into the pitch-black void surrounding his hand. The Primordial Chaos Root swallowed the deadly 6th Level magic as if it were a tiny, weak candle flame. 

In less than a single second, the entire stage was completely clear of fire. 

The heat vanished. The blinding red light disappeared. Only Li Chen remained, standing perfectly still, his iron-grey skin completely untouched by the flames. 

Zhao Feng stared in absolute horror. His eyes bulged out of his head. His mouth hung wide open. His ultimate, secret, forbidden attack was gone. It had been eaten alive. 

But Li Chen’s punch was not finished. 

The pure, brutal physical force of the Void Shattering Fist continued forward through the empty air. It created a massive, invisible shockwave. 

BANG! 

The shockwave slammed directly into Zhao Feng’s chest. 

"AGH!" Zhao Feng screamed. He vomited a huge mouthful of bright red blood. He was lifted entirely off his feet and launched backward through the air. He smashed violently against the glowing red wall of the Blood Barrier. He slid down to the ground, clutching his chest, his expensive blue robes torn and covered in his own blood. 

Li Chen lowered his fist. His pitch-black eyes locked onto the bleeding boy. 

"I told you," Li Chen whispered, his cold voice echoing inside the red dome. "I am going to make you crawl."

Li Chen took a slow, heavy step forward. He prepared to grab Zhao Feng's neck and end his life. 

"STOP!" a massive, booming voice roared from the sky. 

Suddenly, a giant, golden sword made of pure, blinding Qi slammed down from the VIP balcony. It crashed directly into the top of the red Blood Barrier. 

CRACK! SHATTER! 

The Blood Barrier, designed to lock the fighters inside until death, exploded into a million glowing red pieces. The pieces rained down like broken glass and faded into nothing. 

An old man floated down from the sky and landed squarely on the stage, standing between Li Chen and Zhao Feng. 

It was Elder Zhao. His golden robes fluttered wildly. His face was twisted with panic and fury. He pushed his massive, Inner Sect aura outward, trying to crush Li Chen with pure spiritual pressure. 

But Li Chen did not bow. The heavy dark Qi inside his stomach easily blocked the elder's pressure. Li Chen simply stood tall, his long black Enforcer coat blowing in the wind. 

"You dare interfere?" Li Chen asked, his voice completely flat. "A Life and Death Contract was signed."

The Outer Sect Leader ran up the stairs and onto the stage. He looked furious. "Elder Zhao! What is the meaning of this? You broke the sacred Blood Barrier! You broke the laws of the Azure Sword Sect!"

Elder Zhao pointed a shaking, wrinkled finger at the referee. 

"The contract is invalid!" Elder Zhao shouted, his face turning red. "The referee made a terrible mistake! Look at the official tournament bracket! Zhao Feng is the reigning champion of the Outer Sect. According to the ancient rules, the champion is automatically placed in the Grand Finale!"

The Sect Leader frowned deeply. "What are you talking about?"

Elder Zhao reached into his robes and pulled out a piece of parchment. "This boy, Li Chen, only fought in the Quarter-Finals! He skipped the true Semi-Final match! The referee called Zhao Feng down too early because of the crowd's excitement! Li Chen cannot fight the champion until he defeats the actual Semi-Finalist!"

The crowd went completely silent. Everyone knew exactly what Elder Zhao was doing. He was using a cheap political trick and a forgotten sect rule to save his grandson’s life. Zhao Feng had been beaten in one move, and his grandfather was rescuing him. 

The Sect Leader gritted his teeth. He hated dirty tricks. But as he looked at the official rulebook in Elder Zhao's hand, he knew the old man was technically correct. The tournament had to be followed in order. If they broke the rules of the bracket, the Inner Sect would punish them all. 

"Fine," the Sect Leader spat angrily. He looked down at Zhao Feng, who was coughing up blood on the floor. "Take your grandson away, Elder Zhao. The Life and Death match is paused."

Elder Zhao let out a long breath of relief. He quickly picked up Zhao Feng by the arm and dragged him away from the stage, heading toward the healing tents. As Zhao Feng was dragged away, he looked back at Li Chen with eyes full of terror and pure hatred. 

The Sect Leader turned to face Li Chen. 

He expected Li Chen to be furious. He expected the boy to shout about unfairness. 

But Li Chen looked completely calm. The black void in his eyes did not change. 

"I apologize, Li Chen," the Sect Leader said carefully. "The rules of the sect must be upheld. You must fight the official Semi-Final match first. If you win, the Blood Contract with Zhao Feng will resume immediately in the final round."

Li Chen wiped a tiny speck of dust off his black leather coat. 

"It does not matter," Li Chen said softly. His voice carried across the silent arena, sending chills down the spines of the thousands of disciples watching. "One more bug to step on makes no difference. Bring me the Semi-Finalist. Then, I will kill the grandson. You cannot hide him forever."