Zhao Luo was the only one left standing on the ring platform.

His victory was already visible to everyone.

“Zhao Luo won against Senior Mite…”

“Am I dreaming? Can someone hit me?….. Ouch.”

A disciple doubtingly said as he cried when another disciple had hit him just to confirm the situation.

These disciples were sitting on the spectator’s seats closest to the ring where the fight was going on. So they could see everything.

The spectating disciples started making a ruckus.

Before it was just fun to watch the fight and everyone had their favorite between Mite and Zhao Luo.

No matter how many times, Mite failed they still thought that the final winner will be Mite.

It was because Zhao Luo was just a new disciple who had been in the Sect for only two days. While Mite was already a veteran disciple. An outer disciple who was here to test them and help them in advancing to an outer disciple.

‘So how did an outer disciple who had been in the Sect for years lost to a trainee disciple who joined the Sect just two days ago? HOW?”

One of the disciples questioned himself while looking towards the ring where Zhao Luo was standing in front of Mite who was not even able to stand.

“Do you surrender?”

Zhao Luo asked Mite as he could see that there was no point in taking this any further.

They were already using weapons so what next?

‘Would we be aiming towards ending each other’s life next?’

Zhao Luo though as that outcome would be quite possible if the fight didn’t end now.

‘I will have to end it immediately.’

Zhao Luo decided as he tightened his grip over the ifrit and started moving towards the quiet Mite.

Zhao Luo wasn’t going to kill him but instead just knocking Mite out, for now, would be the best outcome. 

“WAIT.”

Mite shouted. His shout caused Zhao Luo to stop right in his tracks.

“I…give…..up. You win.”

Mite hardly completed his sentence announcing the end of the fight as he had accepted his defeat by surrendering to Zhao Luo.

Zhao Luo’s hair ruffled as a sudden gust of air blew past him.

It was his first real fight against a disciple of the Xin Sect. Also Zhao Luo’s first victory.

‘I won.’

Zhao Luo thought as the battle had finally ended. He had a smile on his face, unlike Mite who looked like someone had eaten Sh*t at breakfast.

“Zhao Luo~”

“Zhao Luo~”

“Zhao Luo~”

A wave rose as everyone started shouting Zhao Luo’s name again even those who had supported Mite during the fight were now cheering for the victorious Zhao Luo.

The conquer, the challenge, the outcome, and the support, everything had been a little overwhelming experience for Zhao Luo.

“Let’s go back.”

Zhao Luo while looking down the ring towards Feng Mei and Yan.

In the end, everything was still tiring for Zhao Luo. He just wanted to go back to his room.

‘Nod.’

“Yes, Brother.”

Feng Mei replied to Zhao Luo while looking at her brother in a caring manner.

Feng Mei nodded as she waited for Zhao Luo to get down the ring.

To her and Feng Mei’s surprise, Zhao Luo had stopped in his tracks.

His back was facing Mite while he was facing Feng Mei and Yan.

Zhao Luo grabbed his chest.

‘This pain..’

Zhao Luo was in agony as the burning sensation was getting hotter than he could handle.

The same sensation which was giving him a sense of comfort before was now making him endure an unimaginable amount of pain.

‘What did Senior do to me?’

Zhao Luo wondered while handling the pain that was making him suffer as he fell on his knees.

Zhao Luo questioned about the last interaction with Bellum.

The burning sensation had started when Bellum had touched Zhao Luo’s chest with his palm before opening the exit of that World.

But it had to act up now.

‘Phew. Ahhh.’

Zhao Luo felt relieved even though the pain was there.

If this burning sensation had overwhelmed him when he was fighting Mite then he may have lost the fight.

‘At least the timing isn’t bad.’

Zhao Luo thought as he looked at Feng Mei and Yan jumping up the ring and running at him while screaming something.

They were saying something but Zhao Luo couldn’t hear it.

“Why are you…..crying?”

Zhao Luo said lightly as he saw tears rolling down Feng Mei’s face.

The ring was quite big and Zhao Luo’s last strike had caused Mite to fall on the other edge and he had walked towards him before Mite surrendered. 

Zhao Luo was now on his knees right around the middle of the ring platform way far from Feng Mei or Yan then Mite who was sitting around the edge of the ring behind Zhao Luo.

A few seconds ago.

It all happened the moment Zhao Luo fell while grabbing his chest.

“What’s wrong with him?”

Mite thought while looking at Zhao Luo.

Mite was still angry over the fact that he had to surrender.

After surrendering Mite had already decided about returning this humiliation to Zhao Luo sometime in the future.

But he didn’t know that the opportunity would present itself so soon.

With the leftover strength that Mite had remaining in his body, he got up and rushed towards Zhao Luo while holding the broadsword in his hand.

 Zhao Luo didn’t have eyes on his back so he couldn’t see Mite coming at him but Feng Mei and Yan could. The other spectating disciples could see the situation going on in the ring too. 

“Brother Watch Out.”

Feng Mei said as tears rolled down her eyes.

Zhao Luo who couldn’t even hear Feng Mei’s shouting was unaware of Mite who was attacking him sneakily.

“Hahaha, now taste the last attack of my technique.”

Mite shouted as he jumped while swinging his sword towards Zhao Luo’s back.

Zhao Luo was completely unprotected and unaware of the catastrophic situation that he was in.

“Nooooooo~”

Feng Mei shouted while watching the broad sword falling on Zhao Luo.

The moment before Mite’s sword could come into contact with Zhao Luo’s back, it hit something else.

“Bang.”

A loud sound resounded.

Something had blocked the attack aimed at Zhao Luo’s back but nobody could see it.

Not even Mite knew what happened.

Everyone heard a drum beating sound that echoed three times in the Training Area right after Mite’s attack landed on Zhao Luo’s ‘back’.

Mite was standing behind Zhao Luo in a shocking state with the broadsword in his hand that was crumbling apart.

A silhouette appeared between Zhao Luo and Mite.

“Smack.”

Mite felt a slap falling on his right cheek but the force behind that slap was equivalent to being hit by a boulder.

“Thud.”

Mite was thrown away by that single slap as the silhouette was now getting more visible to everyone.

It was Zi Fei who had rushed from the farthest stand in the spectator’s area.

Zi Fei had the same creepy smile on his face. Nobody could tell if their senior was angry or happy.

Even though they didn’t know about Zi Fei’s mood but they knew one thing for sure. It was that something bad was gonna happen to Mite.

“Tap, Tap, Tap.”

Mite was trembling with fear as Zi Fei kept on moving towards him.

“Brother Zi Fei, I can explain.”

Mite said with a trembling voice.

“Hahaha, ‘Clap, Clap’ good then EXPLAIN to me.”

Zi Fei started laughing with a crazy expression on his face as he clapped his hands and approached Mite.

“I was just teaching him a lesson.”

Mite said shamelessly trying to save his skin.

But he could have fooled the others but he couldn’t fool Zi Fei.

The reason was simple.

“I could see that, from the START.”

Zi Fei said suddenly increasing his volume while ending his sentence. 

Zi Fei had been spectating the fight since the start. He had seen Zhao Luo clearing the Drums of Bellum and how Mite had been taunting him.

Mite shuddered for a second before looking past Zi Fei as he could see Zhao Luo looking at them.

‘He must have tricked me.’

Mite blamed Zhao Luo for his current situation.

While Zhao Luo was just knowing the situation that he was in just a few seconds ago.

‘”If Senior Zi Fei hadn’t saved you then…”

Yan was telling Zhao Luo about the event that had transpired just now.

‘Senior Zi Fei rescued me…’

Zhao Luo thought as his respect for the creepy senior rose.

But they didn’t know the truth.

It wasn’t Zi Fei who had saved him.

They just thought it to be the case. As there was no other way to block Mite’s attack.

If it wasn’t for Zi Fei who somehow blocked it then Zhao Luo would have been in a critical state or may have even died.

That was what most of the disciple who saw the development of Zi Fei’s appearance believed including Mite and Zhao Luo’s companions.

But the truth was very different.

Inside Zhao Luo’s Mental World.

The dark space had a shine that was emanating vibration.

The cause of this shine was a big golden shield.

The shield had an image of a Lion beating a drum.

This was the parting gift that Bellum had bestowed upon Zhao Luo but without telling him of it.

There was a single word carved under the image of the lion beating the drum.

“Drion.”

The name of the shield.