The moment the match began, the curly-haired man exploded with power, charging forward like an arrow with lightning speed.

’My luck is great today! Haha, I actually ran into a newbie. Time to have some fun crushing a noob again.’

’So fast!’

Lin Qi was inwardly shocked. ’This is a real person, all right. His movements are so agile and swift, clean and decisive. Nothing like the rigid actions of a bot.’

SWOOSH!

Lin Qi launched himself forward, his thigh muscles and Qi Blood erupting in unison. He charged, brandishing the Black Great Spear. With a flick of the shaft, the tip traced a circle through the air, creating a dazzling flourish.

SWISH! SWISH!

The curly-haired man swung his Great Sword, its cold gleam a menacing shroud. Afterimages of the blade shot forward as he seized the initiative, his attack as swift as the wind.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

In the center of the arena, the Great Sword and Great Spear collided in a flash. The crisp sound of metal weapons clashing echoed throughout the space.

Flashes of cold steel filled the air, thick with killing intent.

The curly-haired man’s blade became a blur of afterimages, attacking from all sides.

Shadow-Rising Technique!

’So fast!’

Lin Qi was shocked. The man was as fast as lightning, leaving no time to react. Before he knew it, the sword was right in front of him.

The swordsmanship he was using had one defining characteristic: it was fast!

"Too slow! You’re too slow!"

"Buddy, you’re this slow? How do you expect to survive in the arena?"

The curly-haired man suddenly taunted.

Lin Qi paused for a fraction of a second. ’Bots don’t talk.’

SWISH!

With a sudden thrust, the sword flashed with cold light. In an instant, it broke past the long spear’s defense and appeared right before Lin Qi’s face, a hair’s breadth from killing him.

"Rookie, welcome to the Red Realm!"

The curly-haired man laughed, and the movements of his hands seemed to become even faster!

’Retreat!’

A jolt shot through Lin Qi, and his body snapped to attention. He exploded with power, his arm swinging violently as the spear shaft blurred into motion.

CLANG!

As the long spear and Great Sword collided, the latter was knocked off course.

A flash from the sharp blade left a bloody cut across Lin Qi’s face. The stinging pain jolted his nerves, and he stumbled back instinctively.

Lin Qi frowned. ’That was too close. His Great Sword nearly took out my eye. I almost died.’

’A strong opponent!’

The curly-haired man was rather surprised. "He actually dodged it."

"You won’t be so lucky next time, kid."

With that, his figure blurred, shooting forward like an arrow loosed from its bow. He brandished his Great Sword in a series of flourishes, unleashing another deadly assault amid flashes of cold steel.

WHOOSH.

The battle offered no room for a single breath as a terrifying killing intent swept over him once more.

Lin Qi exhaled. His heart pounded in his chest, blood surged through his veins, and his eyes grew ever brighter.

He recognized his opponent’s technique. ’It’s the Swift Shadow Swordsmanship, from a Black Iron Level Sword Technique Secret Manual.’

Swift as the wind, leaving no shadow in its wake.

’His strikes are as fast as lightning. He’s proficient in his swordsmanship—his level of mastery is even higher than mine.’

’He’s really strong!’

His eyes shone even brighter as his major muscle groups tensed in unison. Qi Blood surged through him, and with a sudden explosion of power, the veins on his arms bulged.

His speed suddenly shot up. He swung the long spear, his presence overwhelming as his aura surged.

To his eyes, the curly-haired man’s Sharp Sword thrust forward. His opponent’s body moved rapidly, turning and swinging, each movement seamlessly integrated with his Sword Technique, all as fast as lightning.

Shadow Stabbing Technique!

But this time, Lin Qi saw it all clearly.

A countermeasure surfaced in his mind.

’To the left!’

He tilted his head and shifted his body, letting the Sharp Sword graze past his shoulder. Then he ducked, dodging another strike.

In a single second, he had dodged two consecutive strikes by a hair’s breadth!

Seeing this, the curly-haired man froze for an instant.

’Now’s my chance!’

In that critical instant, Lin Qi seized upon the man’s momentary stupor. Coordinating his hands and waist, he put all his power into a sudden thrust of the Black Great Spear in his hand.

Piercing Thrust!

He broke through his opponent’s Swift Shadow Swordsmanship with a single, precise thrust.

All the curly-haired man saw was the sudden, deadly flash of the spear tip.

SQUELCH!

The sharp spear tip pierced his heart, and blood sprayed into the air!

[Battle Over. "My Great Sword" has been defeated!]

"How...?"

THUD!

The curly-haired man collapsed to the ground. His vision was filled with a man in a black mask looking down on him, and beneath that mask was a pair of indifferent eyes.

"Thanks for the lesson."

"I..."

The curly-haired man tried to say something, but his body turned to nothingness and dissipated within the arena.

...

When the curly-haired man opened his eyes again, he was back in his personal Space.

"Fuck, I actually died."

He looked frantic, his face a mask of indignation.

"I actually lost to a newbie?"

"Yeah, that’s it. I only lost because I was careless."

The curly-haired man comforted himself with this excuse, eager to queue up for another match and regain his honor.

He immediately started matchmaking, burning with impatience. He couldn’t wait to defeat that "Yang Jian" and save face.

「Meanwhile」

[Battle Over! Congratulations, "Yang Jian," on your victory. Points +3]

[Record: 1/10]

[Win Rate: 100%]

[Points: 3]

Lin Qi had also returned to his personal Space, his gaze locked on his status panel.

[You engaged in a fierce battle with a strong opponent. Your proficiency with the "Mountain Shattering Spear Technique" has greatly increased. Spear Technique +2%]

[You engaged in a fierce battle with a strong opponent. Your proficiency with your Body Technique has greatly increased. Body Technique +3%]

[Spear Technique: Tier One 80% → 82%]

[Body Technique: Tier One 70% → 73%]

...

WHOOSH.

Lin Qi smiled at the stat increases on the panel, though his expression was hidden behind his mask.

’That curly-haired man was really strong. His Swordsmanship Realm is a whole level above mine. His sword was so swift, as fast as lightning. I almost lost.’

Recalling the fight, Lin Qi was still shaken. He’d never before experienced such a tense and thrilling feeling.

’My spirit was completely focused. Victory and defeat were decided by a razor’s edge. If my spear had been 0.1 seconds slower, I would have lost.’

’But the improvement after just one fight is huge. I have a new understanding of the Mountain Shattering Spear Technique now.’

’My Spear Technique and Body Technique are improving so fast. I can get stronger with every match.’

’Again!’

Lin Qi queued for another match.

Three minutes later, two figures materialized in the arena. This time, Lin Qi’s opponent was a beautiful woman in a green Combat Suit, holding a Longsword.

"Newbie, allow me to teach you a lesson!"

The woman looked at Lin Qi with a predatory smile, like a hunter eyeing its prey.

But what answered her was a Black Great Spear.

...

「An hour passed quickly.」

[Battle Over. Unfortunately, "Yang Jian," you have been defeated!]

[Record: 4W-2L]

[Win Rate: 67%]

[Ranking function unlocked. View now? Yes/No]

WHOOSH.

Back in his personal Space, Lin Qi’s face was a little pale.

’The feeling of death is really awful!’

’Even with the pain of death dialed down to 20%, it’s still unbearable.’

’My last opponent was too strong. The gap between our Realms was huge. He was probably already at Tier One 90% or higher.’

Lin Qi recalled his battles. After the first match, he played four more against opponents of similar strength. As he grew more comfortable, he won three of them.

But in the final match, his opponent was simply too powerful. Even with his sharp intuition, he was no match and was cut down in a single blow.

’Ranking function?’

"Yes!"

Lin Qi selected "Yes," and the panel changed.

[Red Realm Arena Rankings (Celestial Sea Branch)]

[Nickname: Yang Jian]

[Points: 12]

[Rank: 328]

...

Lin Qi was puzzled. ’Rank 328? Does that mean there are 328 people in the Red Dome Martial Arts Dojo who are stronger than me?’

He then shook his head. ’It’s probably related to my Points or win rate. My Points are too low, so my rank is low.’

[Friendly Reminder: Your trial time is about to expire!]

Just as Lin Qi was about to explore further, a notification popped up on the screen, showing that his trial time would end in three minutes.

’An hour went by that fast?’

Lin Qi shook his head, sighing at how quickly time had passed. Besides, his Spirit was starting to feel tired anyway.

’I should log off. I’ve gained a lot today.’ He felt grateful to Guo Heng for bringing him to experience the Red Realm.

...