Linhai's heart didn't beat — it pulsed with ambition.
By dawn, the outer rings were already alive with combat chants, stone bells, and the hiss of burning talismans. Sect disciples in embroidered robes crossed bridges overhead, their footwork elegant and swift. Below them, beggars with empty eyes knelt in rows, waiting for fortune or death — whichever came first.
Rael and Yue had moved into the third ring.
Here, rules changed.
You weren't addressed by name, but by faction, power, and bloodline. Even spirit coins weren't enough. You needed backing. Or a victory.
Preferably both.
---
Inner Registration Hall – Sect Tournament Entry
The hall was carved entirely of crimson jade, etched with glyphs older than most mortal civilizations. It glowed faintly with spirit pressure — not hostile, but suffocating in weight. Like walking into the judgment of ten thousand ancestors.
A line had formed.
Rael waited silently.
Most of the other entrants glanced at him with casual dismissal. A few sneered. One even spat toward his feet.
Ragged cloak. No sect crest. No visible qi. No clan seal. Nothing.
A nobody.
He didn't care.
Yue stood nearby, leaning against a pillar, arms crossed. She wore a veil today, hiding her face — but not the quiet pressure of her Qi presence. Some recognized it. Most chose not to provoke her.
Finally, the registrar, an old man with cloud-white eyebrows, waved Rael forward.
"Name?"
"Rael."
"Affiliation?"
"None."
Pause.
"Recommendation letter?"
Rael dropped a sealed fang on the desk.
The man raised an eyebrow. "Deadwind Crypt?"
"Four trials. Passed without loss."
The registrar took a longer look.
Then, to Rael's surprise, nodded once.
"Accepted. Preliminary matches begin in two days. Location: Stone Leaf Pavilion. You're placed in Bracket 7. Don't die."
---
Two Days Later – Stone Leaf Pavilion
The arena was a natural formation — a massive stone lotus with ten 'leaves' forming ten dueling platforms. Around it stood hundreds of cultivators, observers, merchants, and sect elders in carved seats.
Flags from every major sect waved gently in the morning wind:
✦ Severed Lotus Sect – silver on black
✦ Eastern Rain Sect – blue with cloud trails
✦ Jin Fire Pavilion – orange flame over steel
✦ Yue Clan Emissaries – a crescent moon and scroll
Rael stood barefoot on Platform 4, body relaxed, eyes closed.
His opponent swaggered in.
Tao Ren — a mid-stage Spirit Core cultivator from the White Fang Circle. Dual sabers. Known for dismemberment techniques and a cruel sense of humor.
He didn't waste time.
"So you're the shadow who sent that arrow." He drew both sabers. "I'll send you back to whichever gutter bred you."
Rael looked up slowly.
"No you won't."
The elder called the match.
Tao Ren surged forward, blades gleaming with green Qi arcs. His movement was erratic — meant to confuse. He twirled mid-air and sent three slashes in one motion.
> Wind-Shadow Step. Spirit-Saw Arc. Viper Coil Pattern.
Rael stood still.
Then moved.
Just once.
A sidestep.
One hand pressed against Tao Ren's ribs — light, almost casual.
Then—
CRACK.
The sound of breaking bones echoed like thunder.
Tao Ren flew backward, hit the pillar, and dropped like a ragdoll.
Silence.
Rael turned to the elder. "Next."
---
Later That Night – Rooftop of Quiet Bell Inn
Rael sat in silence, watching the moons rise over Linhai.
Yue walked up beside him, setting down a bamboo flask.
"You didn't use any Qi in that fight."
"I didn't need to."
She eyed him curiously. "You're learning faster than most core disciples."
Rael's gaze didn't waver. "Every technique I fight against — I absorb its rhythm. I make it mine. Not with talent. With hate."
She didn't respond. But she didn't look away.
Instead, she said softly, "The Severed Lotus Sect will be watching you now."
"I want them to."
A gust of wind lifted the edge of her veil.
She didn't fix it.
Rael noticed for the first time how tired her eyes looked — not physically, but emotionally. Like she'd been waiting for something too long.
She asked, "Do you really intend to challenge Gao Shen in public?"
"I intend to dismantle everything he's built."
Her voice dropped. "He's a protected heir of the Severed Lotus. You can't just kill him."
Rael finally turned to her.
"I don't need to kill him. I only need to show the world what he is."
---
Meanwhile – Silver Spire, Upper Lotus Court
Gao Shen reclined on an obsidian throne, dressed in moon-silk robes, sipping wine infused with dreamroot. His mask lay beside him, reflecting the light of soul lanterns.
An inner disciple knelt. "The boy won. Tao Ren is crippled."
Gao Shen smirked. "As expected. The beast has claws."
He stood and walked to the balcony, gazing down at the layered city.
"Let him come. We'll give him an audience."
He raised his hand.
One of the robed attendants stepped forward, carrying a scroll.
"Send an official invitation. Let's see if his pride makes him stupid."