After a few minutes of intense yet irrelevant conversation with Senior Cutie, Zhao Luo found himself outside the red door.
'ahh, a heating sensation is passing through my body.'
Like the yellow and green door which calmed his mind and body respectively, the red door caused the opposite effect without messing up the calmed temperament of a person.
Zhao Luo felt excited and energized.
He could hardly wait to enter through the door and see what he could do in the training zone.
"Hopefully there are some good challenges for me to take."
Zhao Luo mumbled his wish.
Contrary to what he was going through, Zhao Luo noticed that just like before Senior Cutie couldn't feel anything at all while standing in front of the door.
'Is there some requirement to feel these sensations?'
Zhao Luo couldn't help but question this thought as he rubbed his chin.
Zhao Luo focused on the red door and found himself standing in the middle of three bright red Suns, that were pouring all their scorching heat and light on him.
But this feeling lasted only for a moment.
"Let's go in."
Senior Cutie interrupted Zhao Luo's concentration, bringing him out of his focused mood.
"Ah, Yes."
Zhao Luo nodded and looked at the door again but that imaginary field was no more.
Senior Cutie opened the door and the path to the Training Zone was in front of Zhao Luo.
'Tap, Tap.'
Both entered the training zone side by side.
'Woosh'
'Wooosh'
'Wooooosh'
Gust after gust of sharp wind would pass by Zhao Luo right after he passed the red door and entered the zone.
This went on for a while before Zhao Luo was able to open his eyes and adjusted to the sudden blows of wind coming at not only him but Senior Cutie too.
"This is where you can train the physical aspects of your body to its maximum potential."
Senior Cutie told Zhao Luo but that wasn't the end.
"Each gust of wind is strong enough to knock down an average sand lion. While training here you will meet multiple challenges which will never end. Thus while enduring the pressure of these challenges, your body will slowly reach the point which is the LIMIT."
While walking towards the inner part of the training zone, Senior Cutie explained about the air blows that were coming at them from time to time.
"I understand."
Zhao Luo only found it annoying if anything.
"This isn't even a challenge."
Zhao Luo said while looking around the training zone.
The training zone of the outer hall could be said to be a mystical place.
Under the open sky, where the clouds could be reached with just a jump, high-pressure wind blowing at them trying to knock them away, this could be said to be the optimal place for training one's body.
"MurMur."
"..."
Zhao Luo could see a crowd of disciples ahead while hearing the mixed voices of these disciples.
Zhao Luo had reached the start of the main area of the training zone thus he could see many disciples here.
"Ha."
"No, you don't."
"Eat my Fist."
"As if, check my rising dragon kick."
Multiple noises entered Zhao Luo's ear
"They are sparring."
Zhao Luo said as he watched the multiple, one versus one '1v1' fights going on ahead.
"Yes, as I have told you before, everyone's busy while training for the upcoming ranking match."
Senior Cutie told Zhao Luo.
"Are they studying?"
Zhao Luo could see a group of disciples sitting around in a circle scribbling something on the scrolls in front of them.
It was like they were writing an assignment.
"They must be improving their techniques."
Senior Cutie replied as he watched the battles ahead of him while glancing at this group of disciples.
"Everyone is lost in their own world."
Zhao Luo realized that the training zone of the outer hall was very different when compared to the training area of the trainee hall.
Unlike the training area where many disciples opted to spectate, the training zone was a place where everyone was busy trying to improve their strength in any way that could help them become stronger.
Zhao Luo looked at the fights ahead of him.
This was just the start of the main area, and yet there were around fifty stages (square rings) in front of them with each ring having two disciples.
One of the stages caught Zhao Luo's attention. It was the stage where the disciples who were having an exchange were making the most noise.
They were so noisy that the disciples on the stages around them were also spectating their fight.
"Wow."
"No way, he blocked that."
The disciples started gathering around the stage as the ones on the stage didn't seem just normal disciples the way they were shouting and the way the disciples spectating them hyping their fight.
Zhao Luo moved past many stages to reach that stage.
"Hmm, interesting."
Zhao Luo looked at the disciples. One had a brown wine flask in his hand and moved like a drunkard. His hairs covered his forehead and somewhat blocking his sight too. The badge on his chest showed that he was a level seven 'VII' outer disciple, a level below Zhao Luo.
While the one he was fighting, had a robust body but a short frame and a spiky head.
Unlike the other disciple, this short one had a blood ax in each of his hands. The badge on this shorty's chest showed that he was a level eight 'VIII' outer disciple.
"They are moving", Zhao Luo said as the short one moved toward the other disciples while swinging his red axes at him.
'What will he do?'
Zhao Luo wondered how the other disciple will dodge this attack from a disciple who was a level ahead of him.
On The Stage.
The ax holder was disciple Si Mo While the drunk guy was Feng Ma.
Feng Ma watched his short senior jumping at him while swinging his red axes at his head.
'Hmph as if I will fall for these lousy attacks.'
Feng Ma thought while waiting for Si Mo to close on him.
"Drunken...DROP."
Feng Ma shouted, the moment the axes were supposed to slice through his neck, Feng Ma dodged them by dropping his body to the ground like a dead man.
For Si Mo and his axes who had lost their target in a single instant, it was a shocking moment as he was above Feng Ma and felt like Feng Ma's body had lost its soul.
'I didn't even hit him...'
Si Mo thought while looking at the lifeless body of Feng Ma, opening its mouth.
"Drunken...FLASK."
Dodging the axes that passed above him, Feng Ma raised his wine flask with an incredible speed and hit Si Mo's stomach with it.
Si Mo who was caught off guard couldn't dodge in time and was hit right in the stomach.
Before Si Mo could even come down, this collision threw him upwards once again.
Feng Ma watched his short senior with squinted eyes.
He took a step forward and jumped upwards with a wobbly posture.
"Drunken...", A word left his mouth slowly as he reached for Si Mo in mid-air.
"KICK"
Feng Ma shouted as he dropped his kick on Si Mo's stomach.
BANG!
The sound of his kick coming in contact with Si Mo's body echoed around their stage.
Thud!
Si Mo was thrown outside the stage.
'Tap.'
Feng Ma landed back on the stage and looked around.
Zhao Luo who was spectating the fight was too excited as the drunk disciple shouted the name of his finishing move defeating the short disciple.
'Clap.'
Unconsciously he started clapping his hands.
This caused everyone in the surroundings to look at Zhao Luo weirdly.
Multiple stares landed on Zhao Luo who was just showing his amazement at the fight that had just transpired.
Si Mo got up from the ground and frowned at Zhao Luo's action.
He looked at Feng Ma, "Junior, I lost this one but the ranking match will be a different story."
Si Mo said to Feng Ma with a proud face even though he had just lost.
"I will wait for that."
Feng Ma calmly replied to Si Mo who was leaving from that area.
'Hmph.'
Si Mo made a dissatisfied noise as he mixed into the crowd of disciples and went away.
"Brother."
Feng Ma said.
Zhao Luo who was looking at Si Mo suddenly heard and realized that the winner was talking to someone.
"Is the drunk guy going to challenge someone else too?"
Zhao Luo mumbled with excitement as he turned around to look at Feng Ma.
To his surprise, he could see the eyes of Feng Ma staring right at Zhao Luo.
'Those eyes even though hidden behind his hair which is acting as a curtain, see everything.'
Zhao Luo nodded as he praised Feng Ma's sharp gaze just to realize that the one Feng Ma was addressing as 'brother' was him.
Zhao Luo pointed his index finger at his chest, "Me?", and questioned.
"Brother, why are you acting? Didn't you clap just now? If you have already clapped then come up and fight me?"
Feng Ma told Zhao Luo in a powerful tone but his body contrary to his tone looked weak and shaky.
Zhao Luo was confused as a hand fell on his shoulder.
"There is a rule in the training zone."
"If a disciple claps after a fight then that means he is challenging the winner of that fight."
It was Senior Cutie, whispering in Zhao Luo's ears.
"What?"
"Shouldn't you have told me this beforehand?
Zhao Luo complained as he looked at Feng Ma.
"Oh, Brother. I get it. You are scared. RIGHT?
Feng Ma taunted Zhao Luo while moving at him with wobbly movements.
"I am scared?"
Zhao Luo replied while using the taunt as a question.
Zhao Luo covered his handsome with his right hand and closed his eyes, leaving confusion in the eyes of the drunk Feng Ma.
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