Against Heaven's Will

"Quick, quick! Set up the screen! Our Goddess wants to watch the tournament!" 

With Yiren's sudden request to join the young boy watching the tournament, the Village Elder quickly went off, changing the plans of the Celebration. Instead of dancing and singing, it changed into a watch party with food. While the latter was being prepared, the stand with a big screen was set up for everyone to watch. 

"Don't worry Grandpa! The first battle shouldn't have started yet. We still have time. The last time I saw it, they didn't even announce the rules, and participants were coming up on the stages," Feng'er explained as he sat down next to two Goddesses. 

"How come you can see what is happening in Water Land? Isn't it far away from here?" Yiren wondered. 

"Goddess Yiren, the distance doesn't matter. The broadcast covers the whole Heaven Realm. Their Communication Crystals are extremely powerful. All we do is set up ours and catch their signal. The rest is just displaying it on the screen but all you need is some Spirit Stones and the Projecting Artefact," Feng'er explained happily as his legs moved back and forth, not even touching the ground because of his short height.

"Oh! You are really smart," Yiren praised as she patted him on the head. "How old are you?"

"I'm six!" Feng'er replied proudly with a grin on his face. "Once I become older, I will take over the world and have the most beautiful wife, just like Goddess Yiren and Lisa." 

"Hehe, you are really sweet. You remind me of someone. That person is also named Xuefeng and he is also really sweet," Lisa pointed out. 

"Hehe, all Xuefeng's are cool guys! Even the one in the Tournament is bad-ass! I love how savage he is!" Feng'er called out excitedly. "He was in the main arena so we should be able to see his battle!" 

"I hope he is as cool as you say," Yiren spoke with a smile, gazing at Lisa next to her. They both held each other's hand, wishing really hard it was the person they both loved. 

"Ladies and gentlemen, the Tournament is ready to set off and your favorite Commentator is back! I will join you today as we analyze the most intense and ferocious battles. Let's enjoy plenty together!" 

The girls were woken up by the announcement and gazed at the screen with expectations in their eyes. To their disappointment, all they saw was the camera skimming through the crazed crowd at the stands. They still didn't lose hope though. 

"It's starting!" Feng'er called out, his eyes staring at the screen without blinking. 

They had the best seats, right at the front of the screen. The quality was crisp and the sound was perfectly replicated. Yiren still wondered how was that possible but when the camera moved, she regained focus, thinking only about Xuefeng she wanted to see. 

"I just received the confirmation that we are one minute away from the launch! Let's use that one minute well. For those who weren't listening before, let's rewind a bit and talk about the Tournament as all participants get ready," the Commentator began the build-up. 

"We have one thousand and twenty found participants, only one hundred and twenty-eight will reach the final round! To do that, they need to battle three times and win every, single, time! No loser brackets, only one chance of victory! Pretty straightforward, right? Just like my wife when I return home late at night. 'I will kill you!' she yells. Thank Heaven I run faster when I'm drunk else you would need another Commentator." 

"Haha!" the male crowd chuckled only turn silent when they looked to the side at their wives. 

"Cough, let's hope my wife isn't watching… Anyway! The first battle is about to start! As per usual, we commentate all the battles from the Main Stage! I guess all of you expect to watch our favorite Li Wei, but there has been a change of plans! I'm sure you can see who stands tall and confident on the Main Stage. Let me hear his name!!!" the Commentator cried out and the crowd follow with the same intensity. 

Xuefeng! Xuefeng! Xuefeng!

Feng'er shouted with similar fervor while the two ladies on his side sat dumbfounded, staring at the screen while clutching onto their chests. The face of the man they yearned for so many days appeared on the screen, all handsome and healthy as he looked at his opponent. Their hearts couldn't help but skip a beat, banging like a hammer against the iron. 

Just as they did, Xuefeng on the screen frowned and looked down at his left arm with a worried expression. He clutched onto his bracelet and rubbed two round crystals as if trying to calm it down. Not many noticed these gestures but Lisa and Yiren knew the truth. 

Their hearts melted immediately. They didn't even need to think twice as they forced themselves to calm down. The worst thing they could do was distract Xuefeng with their emotions and cause him to lose the battle. 

"That's right! Our first battle will involve Liu Xuefeng! The handsome Angel of Death! Let's see if he can live up to his name! If I could, I would definitely bet my money on our Angel but unfortunately, management doesn't want to lose on this fight, so the betting wasn't opened. The odds in favor of Liu Xuefeng's win were too big to risk it and I understand it. Who would bet against the Elemental Bracelet Owner?!" the Commentator called out excitedly, shocking the girls. 

"How do they know…? Something must have happened…" Lisa whispered into Yiren's ear who nodded worriedly, watching closely. Her elbows were already on the desk, wanting to see everything more clearly. 

"Anyway, I got confirmation that everything is prepared so let's head down to the Main Stage! They can't hear us, but we will hear them clearly. Naturally, the barrier around the stages protects us from unexpected projectiles, so you don't have to worry about getting hurt," the Commentator assured when they suddenly heard a voice directly from the Main Stage. 

"Are you both ready?" Sir Liu questioned, gazing at two opponents while the Commentator introduced, "Against Liu Xuefeng, we have a twenty-four years old Master of a Spear. With the rank of three hundred and ten, he should be a worthy opponent to start this tourna—"

The Commentator suddenly paused as there seemed to be some issue on the stage. Xuefeng wasn't replying to the Main Judge, his eyes closed.

"Is Liu Xuefeng calming himself before the battle or is he preparing some powerful art to showcase his power?" the Commentator questioned but Xuefeng didn't provide any information as his mouth opened. 

"Give me a few seconds." 

Ba-dum! Ba-dum!

Only Yiren and Lisa could understand him, tears spoiling their eyes as emotions overwhelmed their minds. His usual heartbeat suddenly sped up, causing their rings to vibrate quicker. Even on such an important day for him, he was prioritizing them over anything else. He didn't even know they were watching him. 

He was basically saying: I'm there for you, fight and win for me. I will always think of you and I will be waiting for you. At least, that's what the girls thought as they held their rings tight. If anyone wondered how did Xuefeng keep them so high in love, this would be one of their answers. 

"I'm ready," Xuefeng announced a moment later, his face remaining as tranquil as still water. 

"Good luck Xuefeng…" Yiren whispered, wiping her tears secretly and continued to watch patiently. She didn't want to miss anything. 

"Perfect! Look at the change on his face. Our Xuefeng is like a completely different man, all calm and collected. I knew he was a serious man once the battle starts," the Commentator called out excitedly. "Let the games begin!" 

———

'Stay strong…' Xuefeng thought as he finally released the bracelet, gripping onto his sword instead as he gazed at his enemy with merciless eyes. He couldn't afford to lose. He had to win, get stronger, and save his wives. He couldn't mess up. 

Xuefeng has never been more serious in battle than that day. 

'I forgot to tell you but eight out of nine top seeds are Fate Holders as well. Thankfully, you won't need to face them till the final but we should later observe their battles to see what abilities they have. We currently know nothing about any of them,' Ling informed before the battle but Xuefeng remained calm. 

'Don't worry, we are not going to lose. I can't lose,' Xuefeng replied confidently. 'Let's end all battles fast. Leave no mercy. If they want to kill me, I will kill them back.'

'Mhmm… Let's do it.' 

"Alright. The rules are simple. If you can't fight anymore, you lose. Every trick are available. Once I see one of you is unable to fight, I will end the match immediately. Naturally, if your opponent kills you in one hit, I can't really help it. Deaths are allowed in the Arena, so you don't need to worry. Use all your strength to kill and leave the rest to me," Sir Liu explained. "Are we clear?" 

Both Xuefeng and his opponent nodded. It was quite obvious that the proclaimed Master of the Spear was anxious, gripping the spear in his hands. No one blamed him. It was respectable he even stood up to fight after knowing about Xuefeng's Elemental Bracelet. 

"Do you want to tell each other anything before the battle starts?" Sir Liu called out, giving them the chance and the two finally gazed into each other's eyes, staring for much longer. 

"Yes," Xuefeng nodded and warned Master of Spear, "I'm giving you a chance to surrender. You can't win. If you proceed with the battle, I will kill you. I won't hesitate and Sir won't be able to save you either. Drop now if you want to live." 

The Master of Spear frowned at that, only to sneer at his warning. 

"Tsk, you wish. I already accepted I can die in the tournament. Do you think you can scare me? Just because you have a powerful Artefact, it doesn't mean you are skilled enough to win. You only have the power of one element. I have eight more to beat you. I don't need your warning." 

"Fine by me. Your fate is sealed then. Good luck."