To Walk The Mist 127 Bloody fifth floor

It needed no saying that the gas erupted into flames, shooting at Ed's form. Ephiom could still see Ed's form as he moved, causing him to follow with his fire.

"Idiot!" one of the fighters said. He could see the fire following Ed's shadow but not quite reaching him move fast round the table. Only two people were fast enough to activate a shield in time. Still, they barely made it, as the fire still grazed them, as it swiftly charred the other fighters to death.

It seemed that at that moment, Ephiom discovered that Ed had moved slow enough for him to see on purpose, helping him kill off the other opponents. At this, he seized his attack. What if he kills every one till he is left to face this devil alone?

"To fast!" the audience could barely see what was happening. Before they knew it, Ehiom's fire had chared the fighters.

"What is he doing?"

"He must have panicked. That rankless is fast!" another said.

"He hurt Lady Fu!"

"Her beautiful skin has been seared." many mourned for Lady Fu's skin. She, on the other hand was too scared for her life to worry about her skin. This rankless was dangerous! Till now, she could tell he moved that fast with pure physical strength! When he had slapped Hammer head back in the trajectory of the arrow, she saw that his movement was very casual. Yet... the power in that casual move.

"Are you a cultivator? Fight with your energy, then!" she challenged Ed. She hoped to provoke him to use martial skill instead of physical strength. Cultivators had great physical strength. But they never bother to train it as they are too busy cultivating. She did not believe that someone with this amount of physical strength still excelled in fighting with martial skills.

But did she really think he was so easily provoked? He wanted the fighting experience, sure. But he understood that he had five thousand years to get it. At the moment, getting to the tomb before any one else was the priority. He did not have the time to play.

With a glance, he was beside her before she could react. He mildly slapped her face and her head spun three hundred and sixty degrees three times.

"Impossible! Lady Fu!" someone in the audience screamed. The despair in that voice, it was clearly someone she knew.

The fate of the remaining two were just the same. Seeing that he could no more see the way Ed moved, Ephiom confirmed that he had been played. He helped Ed kill off his opponents.

Ed's form appeared before him like the angel of death, making him realise his ten feet doll was no where to be found. As his body took on the weight of Ed's punch and his organs melted, draining the life from his eyes, he could see the last fighter with his body snapped in half, dead on the floor. How he died, Ephiom was not sure.

On the sixth level, a man in contemplation opened his eyes at the message stone that lit up in his spatial ring. With a wave of his hand, the stone appeared before his hands and he listened to it's contents, that caused his eyes to shrink, "Lady Fu died, Brother Fu. She met a rankless and was killed."

Back in the arena, silence had enveloped the audience. This match. Was it supposed to be this easy?

"Did anyone see how it happened?" someone asked. No one had. They only understood very little of the even less they saw.

They turned their eyes to a comical 'Ho Ho Ho' from Ku Jian and gulped. All that money, gone. But, she was just one girl. They could take it back right? Before someone could approach Ku Jian, they heard Ed's voice bellow them.

"I leave now. You have five minutes to handle your match." he said and Ku Jian froze for a second, before rushing back stage.

"Curator! Curator!" she said to the man, shocking him from his book.

"Is there anyway to shorten my fight?" she asked.

"Huh?" he was confused.

"I only have five minutes to leave this level. Say, there must be a cheat right? Tell this younng Lady!" she shouted.

"The only way is if you have defeated those the tower has given you before the fight begins. That still counts as a win." As the curator spoke, those who were waiting for their fights, including Jia Lin and his crew arrived. They heard what the curator said and saw Ku Jian pause, "Are my opponents already around?" she asked.

"They are in the audience. But, just because I pushed the rankless' fight does not mean I will push yours...." the curator started to say then saw her rush out back into the audience.

"Idiot. How will she know who is who?" he said and returned to his book. The next moment, screams ensued outside. It only lasted a few seconds, before it stopped. The chill of the silence caused the hairs of those inside to stand.

Ku Jian had run out into the audience and saw Ed's leaving form. He threw her a glance and she smiled, "You go, I will be right behind you." she said and Ed walked out of the fifth floor without looking back. Nti Anem on the other hand was very suspicious of her smile. He gave her a deep look before following Ed out. The floor only regained it's rowdy nature when Ed stepped out the door. Many released breaths they did not know they were holding. Someone so powerful, they were careful not to breathe.

Ku Jian looked at the crowd the moment Ed was out the door with a cold smile. No one was sure what happened the next second. She had waved her hand in the air and a dark thorny branch appear. The next second, screams tore through the hall as it had expanded, peircing through all in the room. The amount of blood that spilled that moment, one could almost see red in this black and white world.

When done, the thorny branch returned to palm size and the curator and other below stepped out to the bloody scene, just to see Ku Jian put it away and step out of the fifth floor, her dress clean, the choking scent of blood left behind.

Chapter end