The boy's challenge was loud and clear, indicating that he wanted a life or death battle with John.
"What? He wants to challenge that loser? Why even bother?" a Bloodfiend disciple ridiculed.
"Didn't you hear? John apparently landed a sneak attack on his senior brother and injured him, and so he's trying to get revenge," another chimed up, giving clarity to the situation.
"Such a thing happened? I guess this makes sense then."
Similar discussions broke out throughout the stadium as all eyes stared at John. Chase, sitting next to John, looked at him with confused eyes.
"What did you do?" Chase asked, unclear of the situation.
"Who cares," John replied nonchalantly, as if he was uninterested in the whole thing.
"What? Are you scared? Typical for the Sect's biggest failure!" the disciple on the stage yelled out in a mocking tone.
The other disciples laughed in unison at this insult. John's many failures were known within the sect, and many considered him an omen of bad luck. Many of the people who had gotten close to him had died brutal deaths, and most of the missions he had taken as a disciple ended in miserable failure. As such, most avoided him.
"What are you going to do? Are you going to fight? Or decline and accept the punishment?," Chase asked.
"Punishment? There's a punishment for declining a life and death battle?" John asked, slightly surprised.
Chase raised his eyebrows, surprised that John did not know this. "How do you not know this?" Chase asked, but shook his head and began to explain.
"If someone in the same exact realm challenges you to a life and death battle, you have two choices. Accept, or decline. If you decline a battle against an opponent at the same or lower realm than you, you are sent to the Sect Dungeons for a month."
"Sect Dungeons? That doesn't sound too bad," John replied.
"What are you talking about?" Chase rebuked. "It's one of the punishments everyone avoids, as it's completely hellish and brutal. Some prefer death to spending a month in the dungeons, as death is also common in that place," Chase replied.
John sat there in silence for a moment. 'It seems I don't know nearly enough about this sect. My interrogation of that boy didn't cover everything. I need to find a book or something about this sect and learn more, before my ignorance betrays my false identity.'
"Well, if that's the case, there's only one thing left to do," John replied calmly as he stood up.
He pressed off the ground, jumping high into the sky. His body plummeted down to the surface below, slamming into the fighting platform. A loud boom echoed out from his hard landing, and all eyes widened slightly, surprised to see John accept the fight.
The disciple on the stage smiled as he saw John accept the fight. He wanted to kill John to avenge his senior brother, and gain favor in his eyes. Although John had landed an attack on him, it was only a sneak attack. He did not think John's combat prowess, which was known to be less than average, was something to be afraid of.
"At least you'll die with some dignity this way," the boy mocked.
The Elder looked at the two youths, and looked towards the one who had made the challenge.
"Next time, declare your challenge at the start," the Elder said in an exasperated tone, as if he was annoyed. His words seemed to already declare the boy the winner of the fight, as if he didn't consider John a possibility to win at all.
The boy bowed his head slightly.
"Apologies. I will, Elder."
The Elder looked at the two youths for a moment before his voice boomed out loudly.
"The final life and death battle for this month, between Esker and John, will now begin!"
His body flickered, leaving only John and Esker left on the stage. The crowd immediately exploded into an uproar, as words of encouragement were yelled to Esker, while words of mockery were thrown at John.
"Go on Esker, kill that useless bastard!"
"Hahaha, today is a good day. We finally get to see this bad luck charm of the sect die!"
"Embarrass him before you kill him! Don't let him off easy!"
Thousands of similar shouts erupted out, drawing the stadium in deafening shouts. John stood there with a calm, emotionless face, as he stared at the boy before him. The boy stared back, his smile filled with mockery.
"Today is the day I do our Sect a favor and remove you from it," the boy mocked. "Come on, lets see you sneak attack me like you did my senior brother!"
The boy put his arms out to the side, as if welcoming the attack. However, John could tell that the boy's guard was raised to his absolute maximum, ready to defend and counter attack at a moment's notice. Esker stood thirty yards away, plenty of time for him to switch to defense as soon as John made a move.
He clearly wanted to embarrass John as much as he could before he killed him. John shook his head as he saw this, out of pity for the boys near demise.
"What? Not going to take this opportunity to sneak attack me? We all know its the only way you can win fights. So come on, do it already!" the boy shouted out loudly in a mocking voice for all to hear.
The crowd erupted in a fit of laughter upon hearing this, and threw out similar taunts to John. They wanted to see John attempt such a thing, and fail miserably, before his opponent cut him down viciously.
"You are all truly a bunch of moronic idiots," John mumbled out loud as he shook his head in a disapproving manner. His eyes locked onto those of Esker's. "But if this is how you want to die, then I will oblige your final wish."
John slowly primed his fastest speed, activating his Limiter of Speed, as well as one of the Bloodfiend Sect movement techniques he had learned.
Esker, as well as the crowd, as if they had heard the funniest joke, began to erupt into a fit of laughter. However, that fit of laughter, from both Esker and the crowd, suddenly ceased.
The crowd stared in pure shock at the scene before them, which had happened far faster than they could comprehend. Esker, his eyes wide, looked down at his chest. An arm now pierced into it, and John stared at Esker with cold eyes.
Boom!
Esker's body suddenly exploded from within, as a surge of Qi exploded from John's hand within Esker's body. Blood, viscera, and bones exploded outwards in all directions, painting the arena for dozens of yards in each direction blood red.
Using his Qi as a defensive wall, John made sure none of the blood touched him. Esker's head, the only thing remaining intact, flopped to the ground before John. His wide open eyes, filled with absolute shock and horror, seemed to stare up at John.
"I'll be taking this," John murmured out loud as he reached down and collected the head.
Without missing a beat, John hopped off the arena and walked out of it, leaving the stunned crowd, as well as Elder, behind. Silence was all he heard as he walked away.