I alone am the Honoured One!

567  A matchup [1]

After having breakfast with Yao Jing, Zhao Tian made his way to his room, and as usual, he saw Li Jia standing outside his room, waiting for him.

Walking to the door, Li Jia smiled softly, "Good morning, Tian."

Zhao Tian didn't reply with words, and instead, his hand reached out, grasping her hand firmly.

In one smooth motion, he pulled her into his room, the door shutting behind them with a resonating *thud*

Before Li Jia could even process what was happening, she found herself pressed against the wall, his arms caging her in place. "Ahn~?" she gasped softly, but there was no real fear in her expression, only surprise, and something she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to admit. Zhao Tian leaned in, his lips brushing against her cheek in a feather-light kiss that made her skin tingle. "A very good morning," he uttered, his lips tracing to her ear.

Li Jia's heart raced, her body momentarily betraying her as heat flooded her cheeks.

Despite this, she tried to maintain her composure. "Bastard, take your hands off me." Zhao Tian only smiled, "Do you really want me to?" he asked, his voice dripping like a devil's whisper as his lips trailed closer to her ear.

Before she could respond, he opened his mouth slightly, gently nibbling on her ear.

"Ah." A soft gasp escaped her lips, her hands instinctively reaching for his shoulders as if to push him away, but instead, they lingered there, gripping his robes tightly. "Mm... idiot," she murmured, her voice faltering as a shiver ran down her spine. Zhao Tian's arms tightened around her waist, pulling her closer, and his lips moved to her neck, grazing her skin with teasing nibbles and kisses that left a trail of warmth. Li Jia's lashes trembled as she tried to regain her composure, and the flush on her face deepened, but she forced herself to focus. "I came here to tell you an important message... idiot," Zhao Tian's lips continued to kiss along her neck, his warm breath sending goosebumps down her skin. "What could that be?" Li Jia inhaled gently, her hands clutching his shoulders tighter as she fought to keep her thoughts from scattering. "In the tournament tomorrow..." she began, her voice faltering as his lips traced her collarbone.

"The match... it's between us." He pulled back slightly, just enough to look Li Jia in the eyes as he mumbled "between us, huh..."

Not being able to withstand his gaze, Li Jia's cheeks flushed, and she quickly averted her gaze, her hands instinctively pressing against his chest as though trying to put some distance between them.

"Don't look at me like that,"

Zhao Tian tilted his head, his smile returning as he leaned closer, the tip of his nose brushing against hers. "Why not? You look so adorable when you're flustered,"

Before she could retort, his lips found her cheek, planting a soft kiss there before trailing slowly down to the corner of her mouth.

Li Jia froze, her breath hitching as his lips inched closer to her lips "Tian,"

"Yes, dear?" he whispered against her skin, the warmth of his breath sending tingles down her neck.

Li Jia tried to maintain her composure, her hands pushing gently against his chest. "I told you... I came here to deliver the message, not to cuddle with you like this."

Zhao Tian retracted his hands from his body "Ok then... Tomorrow was it, the match?"

...

Next day-

*woosh* Li Jia leaped forward in the arena, her sword gleaming as water began to swirl around her.

*fwoosh* Her movements were fluid and elegant, her feet barely touching the ground as she dashed toward Zhao Tian.

'Water Blade Slash.' n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

A crescent-shaped wave of water erupted from her sword, cutting through the air with a sharp hiss as it hurtled toward Zhao Tian. Boom!

The wave collided with the ground, sending up a spray of sand and water, but Zhao Tian was no longer there.

*flick* He appeared behind her in a blur of speed... as he reached out and tapped her shoulder lightly.

"Too slow..."

Li Jia spun around, her sword slashing through the air, but Zhao Tian caught the blade with his bare hand, his fingers wrapped around it like it was a mere twig.

Before she could react, Zhao Tian twisted her sword away, sending her stumbling back.

 He didn't press the attack, and stopped there, looking at her with a faint smile.

Li Jia's lips twitched in exasperation. 'This bastard is really powerful...'

She raised her hand, and streams of water erupted from the ground around her, coiling into serpentine shapes before launching themselves at Zhao Tian.

'Water Serpent Strike.'

The water serpents twisted and writhed, their sharp fangs aiming straight for him.

 Zhao Tian tilted his head slightly, dodging the first serpent with ease before grabbing the second one mid-strike.

He clenched his hand, shattering the water serpent into droplets that fell to the ground and walked to her.

Li Jia sighed in her heart, sweat forming on her brow as she summoned even more water, creating a shimmering wall that surrounded her.

'Water Barrier'

The barrier glistened like a solid sheet of crystal, and she glanced at Zhao Tian from behind it. *flick* In an instant, he vanished from her sight.

"Where-"

Before she could finish her thought, Zhao Tian appeared inside her barrier, standing right in front of her.

Her eyes condensed, but he raised a single finger and gently flicked her forehead.

"Augh!" The force sent her stumbling backward, the water barrier shattering like glass around them.

The crowd gasped as Zhao Tian casually closed the distance again, his movements so fast that Li Jia barely had time to react. Desperate, she thrust her sword forward, aiming for his chest, but Zhao Tian sidestepped the attack effortlessly.

Grabbing her wrist, he twisted it just enough to make her drop the sword, which clattered to the ground.

"Oh dear, you should grip your sword tightly."

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I hope you guys liked this chapter!