Atlas exhaled sharply, shaking off the lingering echoes of the past. But his body disagreed. The storm within him raged stronger now, an unbearable heat pooling deeper into his core, sinking into his bones like molten iron. Every breath felt heavier, like his lungs were filling with something thick and suffocating. His fingertips trembled as they clenched around his staff, veins subtly pulsing with an unnatural glow that flickered in and out of sight.
Shen Xue noticed it first, pausing in mid-stride. Her eyes flickered to his hands, her usual smirk fading just slightly.
"Huh."
From the sidelines, Lin Wuye narrowed his eyes. "His body's reacting. The Qi inside him is still building up."
Jiang scoffed. "At this rate, it doesn't matter if he fights back—his body might break apart before he figures it out."
Atlas, meanwhile, took a shaky step forward, finally managing to parry one of Shen Xue's held-back strikes. He barely registered the motion, his mind split between the fight and the unbearable heat searing through his body.
"Oh wow, would you look at that? I blocked something. Let's all take a moment to appreciate this historic event."
Shen Xue arched an eyebrow. "You're still joking?"
Atlas forced a grin. "Of course. If I stop, I might actually process how much pain I'm in, and we wouldn't want that, would we?"
The moment his staff met her blade, something in the air shifted. A faint, invisible ripple pulsed outward, a flicker of force that Shen Xue instinctively recognized.
She adjusted her grip. "So you can parry now? Let's see how long that lasts."
Atlas groaned, shifting his stance. "Can we at least pretend I have a chance? Maybe give me an honorary warrior title? Atlas the... uh... Enduring? That has a nice ring to it."
Shen Xue lunged again. Atlas barely blocked in time, his staff vibrating violently from the impact. The pain inside him twisted, tightening like a vice. He winced but forced out another quip.
"Oh no, is that the best you've got? I expected more from the great Shen Xue!"
Atlas barely had time to react before she struck again, this time faster. He managed to block once more, but the pain in his core worsened, like the very act of resisting her was accelerating the turmoil inside him. His breath hitched as another wave of agony crawled up his spine.
Meyu frowned, watching from the sidelines. "His face is getting pale. And... is it just me, or does he look different?"
Ren tilted his head. "His aura is shifting. The more he fights, the more unstable his presence feels."
Master Daokan exhaled slowly. "His body wasn't meant to handle Qi. But right now, it's trying to adapt, whether he wants it to or not."
Atlas staggered slightly, his vision flickering. His limbs twitched with an unnatural energy, his breathing ragged. He glanced at his own hands, the veins beneath his skin glowing faintly.
"Okay. New problem. I think I might explode. And not in a cool way. More like a 'pieces of me end up in different provinces' kind of way."
Meyu covered her mouth, trying not to laugh despite the situation. "He's still talking like that?"
Lin Wuye exhaled. "It's probably a coping mechanism."
Jiang smirked. "Or a death wish."
Atlas, refusing to acknowledge the severity of his situation, wiped the sweat off his brow with a shaky hand.
"Shen, I have to say, for someone so deadly, you really do have unfair advantages. You're quick, precise, and let's be honest—frankly too good-looking for me to focus properly. This is psychological warfare. I demand compensation."
Shen Xue's eye twitched.
Layla snorted. "Oh, he's going to regret that."
Shen Xue exhaled, rolling her shoulders before gripping her longsword with both hands.
"Fine. I'll make sure you stop talking."
She moved. Faster. The blade became a blur as Qi flared around her, amplifying her strikes. Atlas barely managed to parry the first blow, the impact rattling through his bones. The second one sent him skidding back, his feet struggling to find balance. The third? He wasn't fast enough.
The longsword slammed into his side, sending a shockwave through the ground beneath him. The earth cracked under the force, a spiderweb of fractures spreading outward. His clothes tore at the edges, the fabric unable to withstand the sheer weight of the strike.
Atlas let out a wheezing laugh as he stumbled. "I... I feel like that was personal."
Shen Xue scoffed. "Oh, it was."
The pain in Atlas's core deepened. His body convulsed slightly as more Qi poured into him, absorbed upon impact. His limbs felt heavier, his breath more erratic. The glow pulsing through his veins brightened, the energy inside him reaching an unbearable threshold.
Meyu's smile faded. "His body... it's breaking down, isn't it?"
Lin Wuye's expression darkened. "He's absorbing too much, and it's not dispersing. If he doesn't find a way to let it out soon, it won't matter how much pain he's used to—his body will tear itself apart."
Layla's smirk faded as she watched Atlas's erratic movements. His attacks were no longer calculated—or as calculated as his usually sloppy combat could be. Now, they were instinctual, wild.
"Wait… he's still attacking?"
Shen Xue frowned, sidestepping another swing of his staff with ease.
"He's not thinking anymore!" Another strike came at her, and again she parried effortlessly.
"His body is moving on its own!"
The atmosphere around them shifted. Even as Shen Xue countered every move, something felt off. Atlas, despite the clear agony in his face, kept advancing. He had no technique, no form—only a desperate, automatic response to the energy wreaking havoc inside him. His body wanted to expel it, and the only way it knew how was to keep hitting her.
Shen Xue's grip on her sword tightened. "If this continues—"
"Enough" Master Daokan's voice cut through the arena, his tone firm.
"Shen Xue, do not use Qi strikes anymore. If you do, you may push him past the point of return."
Shen Xue hesitated but ultimately lowered her stance slightly. "Understood."
Lin Wuye exhaled, now focused entirely on Atlas's movements.
"We need to be ready to stop him if this gets worse. If he loses control completely, we might not be dealing with just a match anymore."
Atlas, ever the opportunist, let out a weak chuckle despite his rapidly deteriorating condition.
"Well, at least if I explode, you'll all remember me as a trailblazer in the fine art of self-destruction."
Shen Xue's grip tightened further. "Shut up and stop moving."
Atlas, of course, did neither.
Instead, his instincts took over once more. His body jerked forward without his consent, swinging the staff wildly at Shen Xue. She parried effortlessly, but he didn't stop. Every blocked strike sent another wave of agony rippling through him, the Qi inside growing more volatile, more unstable.
The wooden staff in his hands began to change.
The air around it shimmered unnaturally, distorting like heatwaves on a summer road. The once ordinary wood darkened, almost as if absorbing the same energy wreaking havoc inside him. Faint lines of glowing inscriptions—symbols no one could immediately recognize—etched themselves along the shaft.
Layla's eyes widened. "Is that... manifesting?"
Master Daokan's expression darkened. "No. It's reacting to him."
Jiang took a step forward. "That's never happened before, has it?"
Lin Wuye shook his head. "No. And considering the state he's in, we have no idea what will happen next."