How did Bai Yumo win the first time?
Actually, the battle was extremely anticlimactic.
Because while Su Ren and Bai Yumo definitely started out fighting valiantly with their lives on the line, they ended with one poisoned and the other disappeared.
The mana Bai Yumo left in Su Ren's body that day never left him.
In fact, the growth path of his unique mana was shifted entirely for the sake of suppressing and controlling that mana so it didn't spread further and cripple him.
This was why it specialized in the spirit. It was directly suppressing whatever strange existence that mana was and keeping Su Ren alive while maintaining its external advantages.
Still, that mana was impossible to cure, even for his master.
And today, almost following the exact same flow of events…
"Keuk…"
Su Ren inadvertently coughed, his face pale.
The mana in his chest was acting up again.
Or rather, it was being excited.
He looked down at Bai Yumo hatefully, his blades still entwined with the latter's fan, and gritted his teeth in anger.
"Again, this is the strategy you use…"
Su Ren was almost certain this moment would come, but he wanted to hope it didn't.
He didn't want to lose here because of an old crippling injury. He didn't want to show this side to the people who admired him.
But he acted on his hope.
Because he wanted to see it get crushed.
Only then could he throw away the respect he once had for this man.
Swoosh!
While Bai Yumo watched, Su Ren jumped away and retreated to the very end of the arena, shocking those who thought he held the advantage in the previous attack when he vomited a mouthful of black blood.
"Apologies, but this is not a fight for our entertainment. I have already mentioned this. Our purpose is to crush you thoroughly and make sure you don't have the face to rebel anymore."
Bai Yumo's response was cold and direct.
Human emotions were reserved for humans.
There weren't many other races who could see people so individualistically and hope for their redemption regardless of hatred or opposition.
The Nox? The only such emotions they knew were negative.
Sportsmanship simply didn't exist to them, and there was no such thing as sacred in this world.
Su Ren sighed.
He exited the arena quietly without addressing anyone, turning his eyes to the Hidden Death Valley seats.
He, the Blade God, never had a chance against the man who could control his greatest weakness.
But it wasn't just him anymore.
"Do not gloat for too long. This stage…is no longer mine," Su Ren said with a smile, leaving Bai Yumo curious.
Was he saying…there was someone else?
At that moment, Bai Yumo suddenly caught his father's expression out of the corner of his eye.
'He's…grinning?'
He wasn't stupid enough to believe his father was proud of him or grinning because of his victory.
If so, then…
"So you're the Saint King I've been hearing so much about. Pretty cool powers, but you use them in the bitchiest way possible. It's almost a shame for them to be yours."
A voice came from the side of the atrium.
Damien stood up and jumped into the arena, slamming his foot on the shattered floor and spreading a wave of mana through it.
Rumble!
Instantly, it was like time reversed. The arena restored itself to peak condition within seconds, and Bai Yumo could feel a portion of the energy he used returning to him.
"This…you are?" He asked.
"Me? I'm the reason your dad brought you here," Damien responded condescendingly.
"You…?"
Bai Yumo wanted to demean Damien, but he couldn't ignore the fact that his father's smile was growing wider with every word the man said.
'Is it true?'
His father said he'd find an unexpected surprise in Luxurion, and seeing that Su Ren was still corrupted, it clearly wasn't him.
That meant this man was someone his father considered better than Su Ren.
No, his father never placed Su Ren in his eyes.
So what did this man have?
What made him special?
"You're staring at me pretty hard, huh. Did you fall in love or something?"
"Quiet."
Bang!
Bai Yumo sent an abrupt burst of mana at Damien, a burst that exploded within sparks of an instant and didn't give him any time to dodge.
However…
"Chill. You should definitely recuperate your mana before we fight. I don't want you to say I cheated later."
Damien's voice came from several tens of meters away, far closer than he was originally.
Bai Yumo almost lost composure.
He saw everyone and everything as below him except one person: his father.
His father was a great Emperor that even other Emperors feared. His father was the definition of absolute power.
Now that someone that very man respected and anticipated appeared, Bai Yumo's entire world was thrown for a loop.
How was he supposed to approach this battle?
Damien didn't plan to give him a chance to decide.
'You're a man who likes to use tricks to win, right? Then I'll show you a few tricks.'
Perhaps a few days ago he would've been wary of this fight, but now, he was no longer the same.
Hassan allowed him to reach the 2nd revolution, and though Damien didn't feel like anything had changed, he felt like his mindset and presence were gradually shifting outside his perception.
The current him didn't need to be afraid of the Saint King in the slightest!
Damien turned to the Saint Emperor with a smirk.
"Is your butler doing well?"
"Quite fine. He is thoroughly enjoying the presents you gave him last time."
"Oh? Then he should've come. I've been dying to see him again."
"Haha, I'm sure he's the same, however, today is not his day, is it?"
"I see, I see, so I should give those gifts to your dear son instead."
"Be gentle with him."
Damien rolled his eyes at the obvious sarcasm in the man's voice.
The Saint Emperor was impossible to read, and while Damien didn't want to do anything that would progress his plans, what other choice did he have?
He wasn't just avenging Su Ren, but protecting the universe's face.
'It sounds like a matter of pride, but it's much more serious than that.'
Damien glanced back at Bai Yumo, who had yet to gather his thoughts, and shook his head.
"It's a real shame for you."
The Saint King raised his head with a frown.
"What is?"
"Ah, nothing. Since I can't face your dad yet, I'm going to have to give you the beating I've been itching to give him."
"Hah!"
Bai Yumo scoffed at the audacity.
Did he think he was so great?
This human?
Laughable!
Whether it be human, demon, or a god themself, none would be able to stand before him, Bai Yumo, and act arrogantly.
This was the creed he lived by for his entire life!
The Saint King threw away his hesitation and flared his mana.
It was the same inky black mana that every Nox had, but there was something else contained within it.
Something far, far more vile, something that was the source of Su Ren's curse.
Using all his power from the start, the Saint King pushed his foot into the ground and…
BANG!
…he sent a hammer-like punch flying toward Damien's face!
