247 Chapter 247: Fighting for Rice (2/2)

There was silence, and several medics came forward to help the poor unconscious mage up and into a stretcher. Dong Fang Yue Chu raised his head to look at the teachers, which included Teacher Fielding and a thin, bespectacled teacher, Zuo Teng.

”Well done,” Teacher Fielding told him, and then he nodded to a student aide. The uniformed guy quickly grabbed a sack of rice and tossed it toward Dong Fang Yue Chu, who effortlessly caught it. ”As promised, you get a sack of rice for defeating one opponent.”

”What the fuck?!” I exploded. ”Isn't this the qualifier matches to see who gets to participate in the Spiritual Road training camp?! Aren't we supposed to get points from a victory?! Why the rice?!”

”It's fine. I'm hungry, anyway. This will help me a lot.” Dong Fang Yue Chu raised a hand to stop me. ”And it's just an extra. I still get the points for winning.”

”That's right,” Teacher Fielding confirmed, keeping a straight face throughout the entire thing. I wasn't sure if I should keep up the tsukkomi role or not.

”But…if you don't mind.” Dong Fang Yue Chu faced the two teachers standing on the above alcove overlooking the stage. ”I wish to fight three people this time.”

”Heh, really?” Zuo Teng scoffed. Teacher Fielding, on the other hand, looked sternly at Dong Fang Yue Chu.

”Are you sure?”

”Yes. I believe I get triple the amount of rice…I mean points if I defeat three people.”

”You do, but…” Teacher Fielding rubbed his forehead. ”It's kind of risky.”

”I know. But I want to try.” Dong Fang Yue Chu swallowed. ”I need the points if I want to participate in the Spiritual Road training camp.”

”Okay, then.” Teacher Fielding nodded and gave his consent. Beside him, Zuo Teng barked out three names and gave them orders.

”Take to the field!”

”Hai!”

The three martial artists…I mean mages whose names were called stood up and proceeded toward the stage. As usual, Dong Fang Yue Chu cupped his hands, and the three of them bowed. Then, with a word from Teacher Fielding, they began.

”AAAAAAAAAAAH!”

With a yell, Dong Fang Yue Chu charged at them. The three of them immediately split up, but the fire mage didn't care. He tossed two fireballs at the two mages moving to flank him, forcing them to dodge, and launched a fiery punch at the opponent in the center.

Earth walls erupted from the ground and between Dong Fang Yue Chu and his intended target. Even so, Dong Fang Yue Chu's flaming fist left molten rock in its wake. Behind the earth walls, the earth mage twisted his hands to manipulate more of the earthen rock that was bursting from the ground. Dong Fang Yue Chu managed to dodge some of them while obliterating those he couldn't evade with his flaming fists.

However, the earth spells weren't the only ones he had to worry about. Ice froze across the ground and ensnared his legs, immobilizing him. Dong Fang Yue Chu cursed and tried to yank his legs out while melting the ice with a surge of fire around him, but that second of delay was more than enough for the earth mage to hit him with a pillar of stone.

”Gah!”

Dong Fang Yue Chu was hurled off his feet, but he managed to counter with a massive fireball that smashed through the earth barrier that the earth mage had conjured and knocked him off his feet. The poor earth mage shrieked in agony, his body immolated, as he rolled about the ground desperately to put out the flames.

Meanwhile, Dong Fang Yue Chu had just barely rose to his feet when the ice mage reached him. He threw his head back to dodge the ice sword that the ice mage had materialized, and then raised his flaming arms to block an ice dagger in his opponent's other hand.

Taking a deep breath, he lashed out with his leg, trying to sweep his opponent's feet out from under him, but the ice mage jumped. Abandoning his dagger, he raised his now empty hand and froze several frozen daggers in the air before launching them at Dong Fang Yue Chu.

The fire mage countered by swinging his hand and erecting a literal firewall that vaporized the icy daggers. Even as he did so, the lightning mage punched him from behind, injecting a tremendous amount of electricity into his body.

”AAAAAAAAARGH!”

Even as he convulsed and flailed violently, Dong Fang Yue Chu managed to whirl around and blast the guy with twin streams of flames. The lightning mage was sent hurtling across the ring, scorched and charred, but he crashed just upon the edge of the arena, preventing himself from being flung outward.

Even as he scrambled to safety, Dong Fang Yue Chu readied to deliver the finishing blow, but the ice mage stabbed him from behind. Blood streaming from his lips, Dong Fang Yue Chu smashed his elbow into the backstabber's face, breaking his nose and causing him to fall back. Twisting around, he kicked the guy, sending him toppling to the side.

However, he barely put his foot down when a solid pillar of rock slammed into him, causing him to cough out more blood. He was sent crashing onto the ground several meters away. Gritting his teeth, he blasted the rock apart with flames, but no sooner had his fire spell dissipated when several bolts of lightning crashed down on him.

Cursing and swearing, Dong Fang Yue Chu staggered to his feet, only for his body to end up entombed in ice. He vaporized the frozen block with his flames, but another barrage of earth spikes slammed into his body, impaling him to the ground.

He writhed and tried to melt the rock spikes that pinned him, but the lightning mage stepped up and added to the attack by bombarding him with lightning.

”All right! I give up! It's my loss!”

Dong Fang Yue Chu, realizing that his body had accumulated too much damage, wisely surrendered. Coughing out blood, he lay on the ground helplessly for a few moments as the teachers and his opponents acknowledged his surrender. The three mages returned to their positions, and the spells slowly dispersed, leaving him free again.

Humiliated and battered, Dong Fang Yue Chu slowly rose to his feet and staggered to the edge of the ring. After he stepped off the arena, he bent down and picked up the sack of rice before heading toward the exit. I watched him for a second and then proceeded to join him.

I didn't get very far.

No sooner than I had taken a step when a thunderous explosion rang throughout the coliseum. Dong Fang Yue Chu collapsed, the sack of rice spilling from his hand, after a spell from Zuo Teng struck him and exploded right in his face.