Lianmo’s opponent used fire.
That was his first mistake.
His second was assuming Lianmo cared.
Orion stood beside Xuan Mei in the viewing gallery the following morning.
Bandages remained beneath his robes, although the tournament physicians had cleared him to move normally.
His fourth-round match wouldn’t occur until evening.
Which meant—
For once—
He could simply watch.
The crystal above the arena displayed the competitors.
Lianmo — Thousand Phenomena Sect — 20 — 5th Stage Meridian Foundation
Orion blinked.
“Fifth Stage.”
Xuan Mei nodded.
“You didn’t know?”
“I didn’t know her name until now.”
Xuan Mei looked at him.
“You’ve mentioned her twice.”
“I said ‘green-haired woman.'”
“Twice.”
“She stands out.”
Xuan Mei stared.
Orion slowly looked toward her.
“Is this dangerous territory?”
“Possibly.”
He smiled.
“You’re prettier.”
Xuan Mei immediately looked back toward the arena.
Her ears turned pink.
Orion considered that a successful retreat.
Below—
Lianmo’s opponent was introduced.
Han Zuo — Blazing Banner Sect — 2nd Stage Meridian Foundation
A strong cultivator.
Against most participants, dangerous.
Han Zuo raised both arms.
Fire Essence gathered.
The temperature across the arena climbed immediately.
Lianmo stood opposite him.
Bright green hair rested just beyond her shoulders.
Yellow robes shifted gently in the heated air.
Her neon-yellow eyes remained calm.
Focused.
Almost analytical.
No weapon.
Orion leaned forward.
“What does she use?”
Xuan Mei’s expression became more serious.
“That’s the interesting part.”
The referee dropped his hand.
Han Zuo attacked immediately.
Flames erupted.
A dragon-shaped torrent crossed the arena.
The crowd reacted.
Lianmo raised one hand.
The flame dragon stopped.
Orion blinked.
Not dispersed.
Not blocked.
Stopped.
Its head hung less than two meters from her palm.
Fire twisted through the air, frozen as though someone had turned the world into a painting.
Orion stared.
“What?”
Lianmo rotated her wrist.
The dragon turned.
Han Zuo’s eyes widened.
His own technique came screaming back toward him.
He crossed his arms.
Fire exploded.
The arena vanished beneath smoke.
The audience erupted.
Orion looked at Xuan Mei.
“That’s ridiculous.”
“Yes.”
“You’re saying that calmly.”
“I’ve fought her before.”
Orion turned.
“You have?”
“Once.”
“Who won?”
Xuan Mei remained silent.
Orion grinned.
“Interesting.”
“It was three years ago.”
“More interesting.”
“I was injured.”
“Extremely interesting.”
She elbowed him.
Below—
Han Zuo burst from the smoke.
Flames covered his fists.
He crossed thirty meters in seconds.
Lianmo did not move.
Han Zuo punched.
His fist stopped ten centimeters from her face.
His expression changed.
A translucent ripple spread through the air.
Not a barrier.
Something else.
The force behind his body simply—
Vanished.
Lianmo studied him.
Then tapped two fingers against his fist.
Everything returned.
All at once.
Han Zuo shot backward like he’d been launched from a siege weapon.
He crashed into the opposite barrier.
The entire arena shook.
Xuan Mei smiled.
“Still think my sword arts are frightening?”
“Yes.”
He pointed downward.
“But now there’s competition.”
Han Zuo fell to one knee.
Lianmo walked forward.
Slowly.
Her robes barely moved.
Chunks of broken stone rose from the arena around her.
One.
Five.
Twenty.
Each hovered.
No visible Essence connected them.
No formation.
Only control.
Han Zuo roared and unleashed another wave of fire.
Lianmo extended her hand.
The stones accelerated.
Not wildly.
Precisely.
Each struck a different weak point in the technique.
The fire collapsed.
Han Zuo froze.
Three stone fragments stopped around him.
One at his throat.
One behind his head.
One above his dantian.
Lianmo’s voice remained calm.
“Yield.”
Han Zuo stared.
Then lowered his hands.
“I yield.”
The referee declared victory.
The entire fight had lasted less than a minute.
Orion exhaled.
“Okay.”
Xuan Mei raised an eyebrow.
“Okay?”
“She’s terrifying.”
Xuan Mei looked suspiciously satisfied.
“Good.”
“Why good?”
“Now perhaps you’ll stop acting like I am uniquely unreasonable during training.”
“You are uniquely unreasonable.”
She ignored him.
⸻
Lianmo left the arena.
Her sectmate met her near the tunnel.
“Another effortless win.”
Lianmo frowned.
“It was not effortless.”
“You didn’t move.”
“Movement is not the only expenditure.”
He sighed.
“Of course.”
Lianmo glanced toward the viewing platforms.
She found Orion without difficulty.
Dirty-blonde hair.
Radiant Daybreak robes.
Bandaging just visible beneath his collar.
Xuan Mei beside him.
Again.
Her sectmate noticed.
“You’ve been watching him.”
Lianmo looked over.
“I have been analyzing several competitors.”
“You’ve asked about one.”
“He is unusual.”
“That sounds dangerous.”
“Why?”
Her sectmate stared.
“Nothing.”
Lianmo’s brow furrowed.
Humans often said “nothing” after clearly meaning something.
It was inefficient.
She looked back.
Orion was laughing about something.
Xuan Mei hit him.
Not hard.
Orion laughed more.
Lianmo considered the behavior.
Confusing.
“His previous fight was tactically inefficient.”
Her sectmate blinked.
“Are we back to Orion?”
“Yes.”
“Naturally.”
“He accepted excessive damage.”
“He won.”
“That does not make it efficient.”
“Didn’t you say it was admirable?”
“His motivation is admirable.”
She paused.
“His method is questionable.”
Her sectmate smiled.
“You sound concerned.”
Lianmo looked at him.
“I am evaluating.”
“Right.”
“Concern would imply emotional attachment.”
“Of course.”
“I barely know him.”
“Naturally.”
Lianmo narrowed her neon-yellow eyes.
“You are behaving strangely.”
“I learned from the best.” This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
She decided the conversation no longer deserved participation.
Yet as she walked away—
She wondered who Orion would fight next.
Only for tactical reasons.
Obviously.
⸻
That afternoon, Orion finally saw Gu Yan fight.
And understood immediately why people whispered about him.
The Nine Rivers Sword Pavilion disciple stood beneath the tournament crystal.
Gu Yan — 21 — 7th Stage Meridian Foundation
His opponent was Third Stage Meridian Foundation.
A genius anywhere else.
Gu Yan drew one sword.
He never drew the second.
The referee said begin.
Three strikes followed.
The first broke his opponent’s sword technique.
The second broke his defensive barrier.
The third stopped against his neck.
Done.
No wasted movement.
No emotion.
No flourish.
Orion’s expression became serious.
“He’s strong.”
Xuan Mei stood beside him.
“Very.”
“Could you beat him?”
She was quiet.
That answer was enough.
Orion looked again.
Gu Yan turned as he left the arena.
For just a moment—
Their eyes met.
Colorless.
Cold.
Orion felt something uncomfortable crawl down his spine.
Then Gu Yan looked away.
Orion frowned.
Xuan Mei noticed.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
He watched the man disappear into the tunnel.
“Just didn’t like his eyes.”
Xuan Mei glanced after him.
Neither knew how important that feeling would become.
⸻
Orion’s next opponent appeared at sunset.
Zhao Kun — Cloudfall Hall — 9th Stage Essence Gathering
Orion stared at the board.
Chen Rui stood beside him.
“Well.”
Orion nodded.
“Yep.”
“Could be worse.”
“Don’t.”
“What?”
“I’ve learned not to challenge the heavens.”
Xuan Mei approached.
Her eyes moved toward the board.
Then toward Orion.
“Nine stages.”
“Technically eight above me.”
“That wasn’t better.”
“I tried.”
She studied him.
“You don’t have to fight.”
Orion looked at her.
“Yes, I do.”
“No.”
Her voice was firm.
“You don’t.”
Orion’s expression softened.
Xuan Mei continued.
“If you withdraw here, you still reached the final thirty-two.”
“Not enough.”
“I don’t care.”
“I know.”
He smiled.
“That’s why I’m still fighting.”
Her brows tightened.
Orion touched the bracelet around his wrist.
“I’m not doing this because I think you’ll leave if I lose.”
“Then why?”
“Because they made you defend your choice.”
His blue eyes settled on hers.
“I want to make them defend theirs.”
Xuan Mei stared.
Then sighed.
“Stubborn.”
“Frequently.”
She stepped closer.
Her hand rose.
Two fingers lightly touched the center of his chest.
“Then come back.”
Orion looked down.
“What?”
“After the fight.”
Her eyes met his.
“Whatever happens.”
“Come back.”
Something in Orion’s expression changed.
He covered her hand with his.
“I will.”
[Affection: 47%]
Tomorrow—
He would fight for a place among the final sixteen.
And for the first time—
Orion did not wonder whether he could win.
He only wondered how much winning would cost.