Chapter : 12 : Xiao Ming vs Xiao Zhan: ( Part : 5 ) :
Seeing Xiao Zhan's smile every one in the crowd felt a chill go down their bodies .
Was this supposed to be a smile of someone at their age ?
This smile looked more like of a hungry beast then of a human .
Even those who were previously shouting at Xiao Zhan fell silent at this moment .
They were too afraid that they would attract Xiao Zhan's attention and he would look at them instead of Xiao Ming .
Even the senior brothers and sisters who were evaluating the match so far also felt uncomfortable at this scene because they understood very well that this was an unnatural behaviour for someone of Xiao Zhan's age .
They were experienced and have taken multiple life and death missions outside the clan so they understand the difference between a cultivator who has seen real battle and those who have not .
The difference between them was quite big .
The hungry smile that Xiao Zhan showing right now was something that they have seen facing serious opponents who would disregard everything if it meant winning the battle .
This kind of people were often one of the worst enemy any cultivator can face in a battle .
Now they seriously worried about Xiao Ming's well being and looked at the elders wanting to see their reaction .
The elders who were sitting at the VIP seat also showed a complicated expression on their faces .
Even the fourth elder who always praised and sided with his grandson now looked little worried .
As Xiao Zhan's grandfather he knew his grandson very well .
Before this Xiao Zhan was just fighting to test Xiao Ming's skills .
However now that he felt that he can no longer effort to hold back he is about to use his full strength .
Normally this would not have worried him because it only meant that he can be more proud about his grandson .
But that's smile on his face is a matter of concern even to him .
And this wasn't like this before and only started recently that whenever Xiao Zhan started to enjoy himself fighting or especially in a situation where he felt that he was humiliated he starts losing his control .
This would bring Xiao Zhan in a semi - berserk like state.
During this time his power and speed continues to increase and becomes almost the double than usual .
But this comes at a cost for his endurance and stamina .
" Second elder I think we should stop the match now . " - Xiao Mei said her voice carried a hint of worry for Xiao Ming .
She could feel from the smile that Xiao Zhan was giving that the situation was becoming increasingly dangerous for both Xiao Ming and Xiao Zhan himself .
" I agree with the fifth elder, we should stop the match . " - Xiao Fu also agreed surprising Xiao Mei .
He too was worried for both his grandson and Xiao Ming .
Wait he was worried about Xiao Ming ? Yes he was .
While the fourth elder was indeed someone with various kinds of problems but he was at the end of the day still a loyal member of the Xiao clan .
He didn't hate Xiao Ming simply because he was fighting his grandson in a competition .
No he did not even hate Xiao Yun who was Xiao Zhan's rival .
Yes he had a old rivalry and bad relationship with the clan head Xiao Fang and often saw Xiao Zhan's rivalry with Xiao Yun as something related to his past so often he encouraged that .
He also turned a blind eye to Xiao Zhan's bad attitude towards other members of the clan be it calling them weaklings or something else .
But even this had a limit to it and he would never allow his grandson to truly harm one of the members of the Xiao Clan .
Simply put Xiao Fu was someone with many problems but he wasn't a villain especially when it came to the survival of his clan .
That's why the current situation made him worried not only because for his grandson but also for Xiao Ming who was a member of his clan with a good future .
As both the fourth and a fifth elder urged the second elder to stop the battle the second elder quietly looked at the battlefield .
Then he finally raised his hand and spoke .
" No need ! I believe that the situation is still under control and this is the moment where both of them will push their limits so I believe you shouldn't stop them for now . " - Xiao Peng said with a calm voice .
" BUT ! second elder this is ... " - Xiao Mei who was surprised by the second elders decision tried to convince him once again but was stopped in middle of her sentence .
" Don't worry 5th elder if things truly start to get out of control then I will personally interfere and stop the match . " - Xiao Peng assured .
Hearing this Xiao Mei quietly stoped speaking and sat down .
Seeing this Xiao Fu could only do the same .
Location Change : Battle Arena :
" Crack . " - a sound of ground cracking was heard from the arena as a dust cloud covered the entire region .
Soon two figures came running out of the cloud of dust fighting each other one dodging and evading while the other one was continuously attacking .
To the observers it was quite clear that it was Xiao Ming who was dodging and Xiao Zhan who was attacking .
This was the pattern that followed since the start of the match .
But this time there was a huge difference.
Xiao Ming could no longer effectively dodge Xiao Zhan's attacks and was hit multiple times .
He looks ragged almost too pitiful to look at .
His clothes were already in a bad shape , his hair in a mess and a small amount of blood can be seen dripping down from his mouth .
' What in the name of the devil is this power boost all of a sudden . ' - Xiao Ming thought to himself as he once again narrowly dodged another punch from Xiao Zhan .
Just a few moment ago both of them were almost at equal and even if he was at a slight disadvantage it was nothing like this .
But right after that when that beast like smile appeared on Xiao Zhan's face it was as if the entire person had changed .
It was as if he was a man possessed by his hunger for battle .
Xiao Zhan's speed and power level sky rocketed something Xiao Ming had not expected at all.
At first when they were fighting Xiao Ming could still easily dodge most of Xiao Zhan's attacks and was hit only occasionally .
But now even when he was using all his strength and everything he learned in the evading fist technique he could only y dodge a little more than half of the incoming attacks .
And it was not like that only the frequency of the attacks increased but the strength behind each punch and kick that Xiao Zhan throughed also increased.
Looking at the opposite section of the ground where they were just fighting a few moments ago he saw a clear crack on the ground .
' And here I was starting to believe that I could actually defeat him . ' - he thought to himself bitterly .
But what surprised him even more was that he had not seen or experienced anything like this in his previous life simulation .
And it was at that time that he understood that he had actually made a grave miscalculation .
In his first life simulation he did not have the mid yellow grade technique or the body refinement pill .
He was much weaker like the original version of himself before the systems arrival so obviously he lost quite quickly and easily in front of Xiao Zhan in that life simulation .
So that meant in the life simulation scenario Xiao Zhan was never pushed to the point where he would have to use his strength to this extent .
But after Xiao Ming gained the rewards from the system his power increased which changed the scenario .
He was no longer the same person as he was in the life simulation so he was foolish to think that the future would remain exactly the same .
( Author's Note : Hello guys I hope all of you are doing well so before continuing any further I would like to have some of your time to explain the logic behind the discrepancy between the life simulation and the current reality .
You all must be wondering why is Xiao Zhan suddenly fighting this strongly when no such scenes or described where shown in Xiao Ming's first life simulation ?
This is because the first life simulation showed a timeline where the main character was in his original strength without the power of the system and its rewards .
Hence when he fought Xiao Zhan in that timeline he lost pretty quickly and Xiao Zhan was never forced to use most of his power .
However now after Xiao Ming took the rewards he had become far stronger then he was in that life simulation which directly forced Xiao Zhan to use his full strength in this real fight that he didn't have to use in that life simulation .
And as I have already said before the future shown in the life simulation are not set in stone and they can change because of various butterfly effects .
And if the life simulation was 100% accurate despite all the butterfly effects then the main character would just be following a pre written script and there will be no real tension or any kind of interest in the story .
The life simulation in this story isn't about telling the perfectly accurate future it's about showing future possibilities and gathering informations .
Wait then does it make the life simulations less useful ?
Not at all . Without the life simulation Xiao Ming would have walked blindly into this fight and more than that he would have faced the same future as he did in the life simulation where his journey permanently ended in just a few days .
The life simulation gave him the tools and the methods to stand on his own and now it depends on the Xiao Ming intelligence to use those tools to stand up for himself .
The life simulation can give him a map and show where the roads are but Xiao Ming will have to choose which road to walk .
So I hope you will understand what I am trying to say here and the logic behind all of this .
And if you have any comments on the matter please do tell me in the comments section . )
On the stage after running around left and right suddenly Xiao Ming stopped .
His breath heavy , face swollen and blood tricking down his lips as he struggled to properly take the defensive stand of the evading fist technique as he looked at Xiao Zhan coming towards him .
Why did he stop you ask ?
He didn't stop because he finally wanted to fight Xiao Zhan head on .
He stopped because he had reached the end of the arena and if he made took a single mistep from here he would directly fall out of the arena which would mean direct elimination from the competition .
" What's this can't run away anymore ? "
Xiao Zhan who now cought up with Xiao Ming said his face showing the same but even brighter hungry smile as if he has finally pin down his elusive hunt .
Seeing this even the crowd watching the match felt the tension .
" Oh no ! Xiao Ming is trapped . "
" Sigh ! It seems this is the end despite all his efforts Xiao Ming can't win this match afterall . "
" No ! Xiao Ming you don't need to win this anymore just withdraw and save yourself . "
" Yes ! We don't care if you win or lose you have already shown your strength . "
At this moment seeing Xiao Ming's pitiful state and his conditions everyone in the crowd from both his generation and even the seniors felt sympathetic towards him .
Now many of those who previously shouted for him to give it all and defeat Xiao Zhan, wanted him to withdraw .
It was not because they wanted him to lose .
It was because they did not want him to suffer anymore .
They knew that the fight was over and they just wanted Xiao Ming to stop fighting .
This was truly different from anything one might expect .
It was a situation where the crowd was voting not for the one who was about to take the victory but for the one who was about to lose .
Xiao Ming's strength his actions not only in this fight but in every fight he fought in the tournament created a image in the minds of those watching .
Even though he didn't say anything to them he was already someone far better than Xiao Zhan .
Someone close , someone they respected in this competition .
So now they did not care if he lost the match because to them he was already the victor .
Now the only thing they wanted was for him to be safe even if it meant losing the match .
On the battle arena both Xiao Ming and Xiao Zhan could hear everything .
" It seems even those little fans of yours want you to give up . " - Xiao Zhan said with a mocking smile on his face .
" So are you going to give up ? Think carefully this is your last chance . " - Xiao Zhan said .
Xiao Ming felt silent for a moment as took deep breaths .
Then he looked at his condition and then he looked at the crowed .
Then he shifted his gaze towards the VIP seat making a brief I contact with the second elder .
And then finally he looked at Xiao Zhan his breath still heavy but his eyes still held the same intensity as before .
" You speak too much Xiao Zhan . " - Xiao Ming finally spoke his words shocking not only Xiao Zhan but audiences and the elders as well .
" I said it before didn't I . " - he said as he once again took his battle stand .
" We are just getting started . "
To Be Continued .