Chi Yanqi then said, "I want you to continue training hard so you don't fall behind. You'll need to fight together at one point since there are team fights in both normal and special matches. So you two must train together—or at least familiarize yourselves with each other's techniques. You should go rest now; you'll have to fight tomorrow if you want to reach the silver rank as soon as possible and not fall behind Li."
Chi Aoyan nodded before heading to her room, while Chi Yanqi resumed drinking without a care.
The next day arrived, and Lin Shu was waiting for Chi Yanqi to bring him his match. After a few minutes, he spotted the master and disciple walking, so he headed toward them.
"Ah, Li, I was just looking for you. How about we go and find some matches? I already have a few deals in place—I just never said who my fighter was. Come, I'll get you a fight together with Chi Aoyan," Chi Yanqi said.
Lin Shu nodded, walking silently beside them.
"Not much of a talker, I guess. Well, you'll blend in just fine with Aoyan—she also acts like a mute."
The girl jabbed him, while Chi Yanqi laughed.
Lin Shu thought to himself, "I'll need to win every single match so I can reach the silver rank in five months. And I'll have to keep winning as much as possible there too, so I can reach the gold rank as soon as possible."
They soon arrived at a building inside the arena's open space. Fighters crowded the place, waiting to be called as they fought over limited slots for matches. Lin Shu quickly realized why having an agent was so important—without one, you could wait endlessly for a chance, but an agent would be the one pulling strings to secure the fights.
Chi Yanqi went into a room and returned shortly with two tokens. He handed one to Lin Shu and the other to Aoyan.
"These will be your tickets to the matches. They'll be starting soon, so let's head to the arena."
The arena they arrived at was divided into eight platforms, each holding ongoing battles. They reached their assigned waiting area, where Chi Yanqi told them he had important business to attend to and would meet them after their matches.
Before leaving, he said one last thing to Lin Shu: "Lin Shu, I'll have to request that you don't use any more strength than what you showed at the license match. Aoyan will explain why, since I'm busy right now. Do listen to her."
Lin Shu was confused but nodded, watching Yanqi leave.
He leaned against the wall, observing fighters in the arena, while Chi Aoyan sat beside her salamander beast, which seemed more relaxed around Lin Shu now—as if it had decided he wasn't a threat.
For a while they were silent, until Aoyan's curiosity got the better of her.
"So, what institute did you train at before coming here? Or were you a member of some sect or clan?"
Lin Shu looked at her and answered flatly, "No, I never joined anything like that."
A lie, of course. He wasn't stupid enough to reveal his institute—especially since he was wanted dead by them.
Chi Aoyan nodded, though she didn't believe him. After a pause she said, "You know there are normal and special matches that require us to fight together, right?"
Lin Shu replied, "We can train for that later. For now, the matches in the copper rank will mostly be solo unless we deliberately seek out team fights."
Aoyan shook her head, "Well, master will probably push us into some team matches anyway. He told me they're important for building reputation. Also, just because we don't choose a match doesn't mean we won't be put in one. The arena's high-ups can force us into a match once a month, as long as it's within our capabilities. Even if master chooses a match for you, he also has to give your estimated level of power—and he can't lie. If you use more than that, it'll be disclosed as a rule break, since fighting someone much weaker without disadvantage isn't allowed."
She leaned closer, lowering her voice. "That's why he told you to only use the strength you showed at the license match. Otherwise, they'll handicap you. You'll either be forced to fight multiple opponents at once, or forbidden from using your full Qi, or even restricted from using techniques above a certain level."
Lin Shu nodded and said, "Is that so?"
A thought flashed through his mind, and he asked, "Whose match is next?"
Chi Aoyan replied, "Yours."
Lin Shu's gaze sharpened. "What's the punishment for breaking that rule?"
"You'll be penalized for a period of time and won't be able to participate," Chi Aoyan explained.
"I see." Lin Shu's voice was calm. "And did your master mention what level of power he believes I'm at before arranging this match?"
"Well… yeah he said you have a strength comparable to the top notch of high stage cultivators," she answered.
"Good." Lin Shu's eyes turned cold. "After the match, I have something I want to discuss with him. Make sure he doesn't leave before I return."
Chi Aoyan wasn't certain what he intended, but a suspicion lingered in her mind.
Soon, Lin Shu's turn arrived.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" the commentator's voice boomed across the arena. "This next fight marks the official debut of a new contender. His title… is The Behemoth! In his last match, he completely crushed an opponent whose cultivation was a full stage above his own. Though The Behemoth is only at the mid stage, his strength rivals that of a peak high stage cultivator! Tonight, we promise you a spectacle unlike any other!"
The crowd stirred with excitement, their whispers swelling into roars.
"But," the commentator continued, "since The Behemoth is widely considered the strongest in the entire Copper Rank, he will face unique restrictions. In this bout, he must battle five mid-stage cultivators alone! This will be a clash worth witnessing!"
The audience erupted in cheers.
Lin Shu stepped into the arena, his expression devoid of emotion. Across from him, his five opponents entered one after another, each bearing their own killing intent.
They took their positions in silence, waiting for the judge's signal to begin.
The crowd's roar was a living tide that crashed against the stone walls of the arena, but Lin Shu stood unmoved at the center, his cold eyes unblinking. His five opponents spread out in a semi-circle, blades drawn, their Qi already swirling in anticipation of drowning him beneath sheer numbers.
Lin Shu's breath slowed, his heart steady. His mind whispered, "Five against one… but five bodies only mean five weaknesses."
The instant the judge's arm fell and the command rang out, "BEGIN!", they charged.
The first came straight for him with a cleaving strike, the second circled to his flank, and the other three moved to smother him from every angle. Their strategy was simple: encirclement and pressure, no room to breathe.
Lin Shu's hand flicked upward, and with a sharp pulse of Qi, ivory erupted from the ground, pure and white, but the surfaces glistened as he coated them with a thin layer of condensed steel Qi. What emerged was no crude defense—it was art: long, curved blades and a pair of massive gauntlets snapping into place around his fists like they had grown from his own body.
The first attacker's sword came down like thunder, but Lin Shu raised his gauntlet and caught the strike. Steel rang on steel, sparks flying. The man's face contorted with surprise—he had not expected Lin Shu's ivory to hold such weight. Lin Shu twisted his wrist and shoved the blade aside, then slammed his gauntleted fist into the man's chest.
Bone cracked. The cultivator stumbled back, coughing blood.
Already, two others lunged at him. Lin Shu didn't retreat; instead, he pivoted on his heel and let their momentum betray them. As one slashed high, Lin Shu ducked low and angled his ivory blade upward like a scythe—the weapon's steel-coated edge tore through the man's thigh. He screamed as he fell, clutching his ruined leg.
The second tried to capitalize, stabbing forward, but Lin Shu deliberately sidestepped, allowing the attacker's blade to pierce the shoulder of his falling comrade. The crowd gasped at the spectacle.
Lin Shu's thoughts were sharp as blades. "They fear me more than they trust each other. All I must do is turn their strength inward."
With a surge of Qi, he launched forward, his gauntlet smashing across the jaw of the stunned second opponent. Teeth flew into the dirt as the man collapsed.
That left three.
The air shifted as the remaining cultivators grew more cautious. They spread apart, circling like wolves. One hurled a blast of condensed Qi, a shimmering wave aimed to pin him. Lin Shu raised an steel coated ivory shield, steel sheen spreading across its surface. The impact rattled the arena floor but left him untouched.
Lin Shu lunged at the quickest of the three, his ivory gauntlet trailing arcs of sparks as he pummeled downward. The opponent managed to parry with twin daggers, but Lin Shu's sheer force overwhelmed him. With his free hand, he shaped an ivory spike and drove it like a hammer into the man's knee. The dagger-wielder screamed as his leg bent unnaturally, snapping beneath the weight. Lin Shu shoved him aside like discarded trash.
"Two left."
The fourth and fifth fighters steeled themselves, desperation flickering in their eyes. They charged in tandem, one unleashing a spear thrust while the other prepared a sweeping blade slash to cover his brother-in-arms.
Lin Shu advanced instead of retreating. His ivory gauntlets clamped down on the spear, holding it immobile. He yanked hard, dragging the wielder forward off balance. With perfect timing, he pivoted, spinning the man into the arc of his own comrade's sword. The blade carved deep into the spear-wielder's back. The man screamed and collapsed, writhing in his own blood.
The swordsman froze for a heartbeat, realizing what he had done. That heartbeat was all Lin Shu needed. His ivory blade sang through the air, striking down on the man's forearm with devastating force. Bone shattered. The sword clattered to the floor, followed by a howl of agony.
The arena fell deathly silent for a moment. Four men lay broken, moaning, writhing, defeated. Only one remained standing.
Lin Shu's eyes locked onto him.
This last opponent trembled he had just recovered from Lin Shu's beating, and rage flickered across his features as he forced himself upright. Blood stained his lips, but he gathered what Qi he could muster, pressing his palms together as a glow of condensed lightning sparked between them.
The crowd gasped. A finishing technique.
The man screamed as he thrust his palms outward, a violent arc of lightning crackling forth.
Lin Shu didn't flinch. His own Qi surged, veins blazing with the restrained storm within. He raised his ivory-clad arm, and in a flash, a thunderbolt arc erupted from his palm, sharper, heavier, more devastating than his foe's desperate strike.
The two arcs collided midair with a deafening crack, lightning exploding across the arena. Dust and sparks consumed the stage.
But only one figure was left standing when the light cleared.
Lin Shu's thunderbolt had carved through the lesser arc and slammed into the last man's chest. The cultivator screamed as he was lifted off his feet, his body convulsing violently before being hurled across the arena. He crashed into the barrier with a sickening thud, smoke rising from his scorched flesh.
Silence.
Lin Shu stood unscathed in the center, ivory gauntlets gleaming faintly, his masklike face untouched by strain or mercy. He looked at the fallen without a shred of pity.
He turned, the ivory receding back into his skin, gauntlets dissolving into nothingness. Each step he took echoed in the stunned stillness of the arena.
Not a drop of his blood had been spilled.
The Behemoth walked out of the arena unscathed.
And behind him, five broken bodies bore witness to the truth: in this world one man was worth more than an army.