The raw, untamed power radiating from the spar between Li Yu and Jian had an intoxicating effect on those who watched. The clash of monsters had awakened the battlelust in the hearts of the other warriors present. The match had fired up Kael and Bai Yan as well, and a familiar, competitive fire ignited in their eyes as they looked at each other.

“It has been a long time, Kael,” Bai Yan said, her voice sharp and clear, a faint smile playing on her lips. “We were never able to settle the score between us.” Kael met her gaze, his own expression grim but filled with a new, strange kind of excitement.

“We were always interrupted or had other things to take care of,” he agreed. “And the stakes were always too high.” They had been rivals for so long, and neither could ever get the upper hand. Now, for the first time, they had a chance to fight it out without putting their lives at stake, not as enemies, but as comrades testing their strength.

“Young Master,” Bai Yan said, turning to Li Yu with a respectful bow. “I request permission to spar with my new colleague.” Li Yu saw no problem with that and nodded. “The arena is all yours.”

Kael and Bai Yan took their positions. A palpable tension filled the room, the lingering energy of the previous spar replaced by a new, different kind of pressure. This was the clash of two perfectly matched rivals. Bai Yan was the first to reveal her weapon. She slammed the butt of a massive polearm into the obsidian floor, the sound echoing like a death knell.

It was a Nine-Ringed Executioner's Polearm, a truly menacing weapon that did not match her image at all. Li Yu was surprised by such a weapon in her hands but when he thought back of her past and all of the fights she has had it seemed to fit her quite well.

The shaft was crafted from a dark, iron-bound wood, and at its end was a long, heavy, single-edged blade, wickedly curved and designed for cleaving through armor and bone alike. Nine large, thick iron rings were threaded through the dull spine of the blade, clattering against each other with an intimidating, discordant chime with every slight movement.

Kael similarly summoned a weapon that was all about raw, overwhelming power. A massive, curved blade materialized in his hands. It was a Tidal Cleaver, a weapon shaped like the wing of a giant manta ray, with a sharpened leading edge and a heavy, weighted back. It was a weapon designed not for finesse, but for wide, devastating sweeps meant to shatter defenses and crush opponents.

Their very choice of weapons was strangely similar, like they were destined to be rivals: Bai Yan’s intimidating reach and brutal efficiency against Kael’s straightforward, unstoppable force.

The fight began, and this time, it was not just a contest of steel. They immediately began using techniques that utilized their qi. Kael charged, but as he moved, he swung his cleaver in a wide arc, unleashing a powerful energy slash of pressurized water that shot towards Bai Yan like a wave.

She met it head-on, spinning her polearm and channeling her own qi into the weapon, sending out a razor-sharp crescent blast of wind energy that collided with the water slash in a shower of mist and force.

The fight became a dynamic exchange of ranged and melee attacks. Bai Yan used her superior reach to keep Kael at bay, her polearm a whirlwind of thrusts and slashes, each movement punctuated by a sharp wind blade sent from its edge.

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Kael, in turn, used his immense power to create shockwaves with every swing of his cleaver, and he would periodically send out streams of high-pressure water weapons—lances and arrows formed of pure qi—to try and break through her defense. The cavern was filled with the shriek of wind, the roar of water, and the constant, ringing clash of their powerful weapons.

As the battle raged on, it became clear that neither could gain a true advantage through technique or qi alone. The time had come for Bai Yan to use her ultimate advantage. With a sharp cry, a magnificent, spectral creature materialized in the air above them. It was her martial spirit, a Thousand-Eyed Storm Hawk.

The colossal bird of prey did not merge with her, but instead floated high overhead, observing the battlefield. Its hundreds of unblinking, golden eyes began to glow, and a flood of tactical information poured directly into Bai Yan’s mind.

The fight changed instantly. Bai Yan now possessed a form of omniscience. She could see every angle of the fight simultaneously. The hawk’s eyes fed her a constant stream of data: the subtle shift in Kael’s muscles before he attacked, the ebb and flow of qi within his body, the precise trajectory of his every energy blast.

Kael, as a beast, possessed no such martial spirit. He had to rely on his body’s raw power which was tougher and stronger than a human’s; his centuries of combat experience and his powerful qi techniques. He felt the shift immediately. Bai Yan’s movements, once merely masterful, were now perfect.

She no longer reacted to his attacks; she moved before he even launched them, her polearm already in position to counter his every feint and strike. His deceptive movements became transparent, his powerful blasts easily sidestepped. A deep frustration began to build within him as he found himself outmaneuvered.

The fight escalated to its peak. Kael, roaring in defiance, unleashed his most powerful technique, a massive vortex of churning water and razor-sharp qi that sought to engulf the entire area. But Bai Yan, guided by the all-seeing eyes of her Storm Hawk, saw the path in his technique, using a small window of opportunity and her quick movements to move to a point where the energy was weakest, enduring the attack well. She would then move to attack him afterwards.

The fighting was intense, bringing them both back to the days when they fought for their lives. Now, however, the fear of death was replaced by the pure, exhilarating joy of combat, of pushing their skills to a controlled absolute limit against a worthy opponent. The battle raged for a long period of time since they were so closely matched, a stunning display that left the spectators in awe.

Ultimately, the fight ended with Bai Yan winning. As Kael unleashed his vortex again, Bai Yan’s enhanced perception allowed her to see the flaw. With blinding speed, she reversed her grip on her polearm. She didn't try to fight the vortex head-on, but instead took a single, perfect step into its eye, a place Kael had thought unreachable.

She used the heavy, iron-bound butt of the shaft to strike the back of Kael’s knee, causing his leg to buckle and the vortex to collapse. As he stumbled, she spun the weapon around and placed the cold, sharp edge of the executioner's blade against his throat. The entire exchange was brutally efficient. As with Jian and Li Yu, they never used their killer moves. The spar was over.

The two rivals stood panting, looking at each other, not with animosity, but with a newfound respect for the other. The fighting brought them a bit closer together than they were before. Bai Yan withdrew her weapon and offered Kael a hand up, which he took with a weary grin.

“Your eyes are much sharper than I remember,” he said, his voice a low rumble. Bai Yan’s smile was sharp and victorious. “You were just too slow to notice.” They started talking like rivals, their words a friendly joust about how the other one will win next time, their old, bitter enmity slowly washing away but just a bit and replaced by a new small clean bond of respect.

They would be working together now so this was for the best. The past wouldn’t go away so quickly, it would take a long time but they were both moving forward. There will be a time they will stand together on the battlefield and knowing each others abilities would only be helpful in those situations.