Bai Ren carried a bell.
Not a large one.
That somehow made it worse.
The bronze bell fit comfortably in one hand.
No clapper was visible.
Several concentric spiritual inscriptions covered its surface.
Orion stood across from him.
His injuries had healed enough that movement no longer hurt.
Much.
Bai Ren appeared around twenty.
Shaved head.
Gray-white temple robes.
Calm expression.
The tournament crystal displayed them.
Orion Atlas — 1st Stage Essence Gathering
Bai Ren — 9th Stage Essence Gathering
The crowd was enormous.
Word had spread.
If Orion won—
He satisfied the Wind Resonant Sect’s condition.
Everyone knew.
Apparently private engagement negotiations stopped being private once several hundred cultivators found them entertaining.
Xuan Mei sat in the Wind Resonant viewing area.
Yue Ling beside her.
Cassian and Rowan occupied the Radiant Daybreak section.
Lianmo stood farther away beneath the Thousand Phenomena banner.
Orion noticed the green hair.
Green-haired girl again.
She seemed to attend a suspicious number of his fights.
Orion pushed the thought aside.
The referee raised one hand.
“Ready?”
Bai Ren bowed.
“Ready.”
Orion drew his sword.
“Ready.”
“Begin!”
Bai Ren tapped the bell.
Dong.
The sound was quiet.
Orion nearly laughed.
Then his vision blurred.
His stomach twisted.
His heartbeat skipped.
He staggered.
“Oh.”
Bai Ren moved.
His palm struck Orion’s shoulder.
Orion flew sideways.
The crowd reacted.
Bai Ren tapped again.
Dong.
Orion’s balance vanished.
Left became right.
The arena tilted.
His ears rang.
Bai Ren’s second palm hit his ribs.
Pain exploded.
Orion rolled away.
Internal vibration.
Rao’s Immortal Body could endure tremendous physical punishment.
That didn’t mean Orion’s organs appreciated being shaken like dice in a cup.
Bai Ren remained calm.
“The body is a vessel.”
He raised the bell.
“Every vessel has a resonance.”
Orion stood.
“Do you practice saying things like that?”
Bai Ren blinked.
“No.”
“Very natural talent.”
The bell rang.
Orion moved.
Radiant Step.
The sound hit.
His foot landed wrong.
He nearly fell.
Bai Ren attacked.
Orion blocked.
Palm.
Sword.
Another bell strike.
Orion’s grip weakened.
Bai Ren’s hand struck his chest.
He retreated six steps.
No blood.
That worried him.
External injuries were simple.
This wasn’t.
Another bell.
Orion felt vibration travel through his meridians.
His golden Essence rippled.
Bai Ren’s eyes sharpened.
“There.”
Orion frowned.
“There what?”
“Your resonance.”
The bell rang differently.
Higher.
Orion’s dantian shook.
He gasped.
Golden mist scattered inside him.
Xuan Mei stood.
Yue Ling’s eyes narrowed.
“Interesting.”
“Interesting?”
Xuan Mei looked at her master.
“He is attacking Orion’s Essence circulation directly.”
“I can see that.”
“Then why are you smiling?”
“Because Orion can too.”
Orion understood.
Bai Ren had identified the natural rhythm of his circulation.
Every cultivator possessed one.
Breathing.
Heartbeat.
Meridian cycle.
Bai Ren was matching it.
Then disrupting it.
Orion closed his eyes.
The bell rang.
He felt it.
A vibration traveling through the air.
Entering his body.
Meeting his Essence.
Matching—
There.
Orion changed his breathing.
The next pulse struck.
Less effective.
Bai Ren’s expression shifted.
Orion smiled.
“You found my rhythm.”
He altered the Solar Absorption Cultivation Art’s circulation speed.
“So I’ll change it.”
Bai Ren rang the bell.
Orion moved.
The vibration struck.
His organs shook.
But his Essence remained stable.
Bai Ren changed frequency.
Orion changed again.
Slow.
Fast.
Pause.
Reverse through a minor meridian.
Not something he’d do during normal cultivation.
Temporary.
Controlled.
Bai Ren frowned.
The crowd grew quiet.
They were watching a duel almost nobody could see.
Sound against circulation.
Pattern against adaptation.
Bai Ren rang twice.
Orion stumbled.
Three times.
His chest tightened.
Bai Ren found the rhythm again.
Fast.
Too fast.
Orion couldn’t keep changing forever.
He needed distance closed.
Radiant Step.
Bai Ren rang the bell.
Orion changed direction.
Another ring.
His left leg went numb.
He continued.
Bai Ren stepped backward.
Orion smiled.
First time.
Bai Ren had retreated.
The bell rang.
Orion’s vision flashed white.
He ignored it.
Ten meters.
Eight.
Six.
Bai Ren’s calm finally cracked.
His palm struck the bell.
Hollow Bell Art — Ninefold Soul Tremor.
Nine rings sounded simultaneously.
Orion froze.
The world vanished.
For one terrifying moment—
He was back on Earth.
A truck horn.
Screaming brakes.
A red ball.
Then—
Pain.
Orion’s eyes widened.
Spiritual attack.
Memory.
Consciousness.
Bai Ren moved to finish the match.
Orion heard another sound.
Not the bell.
A voice.
Come back.
Xuan Mei.
Not now.
Earlier.
The pavilion.
Her hand in his.
The bracelet.
Sun and moon.
Orion’s consciousness steadied.
He opened his eyes.
Bai Ren was directly in front of him.
The temple disciple froze.
“Impossible.”
Orion raised his sword.
“Bad memory.”
He stepped forward.
Bai Ren tried to ring the bell.
Orion’s hand closed around it.
The bronze surface vibrated violently.
His palm split.
Blood appeared.
He did not release it.
Orion twisted.
The bell left his hand.
Orion threw it.
Not away.
Straight upward.
Bai Ren looked up instinctively.
Orion’s sword stopped against his throat.
Silence.
Bai Ren looked back down.
Orion was breathing hard.
Blood ran from his nose.
One hand shook uncontrollably.
But the blade remained steady.
The bell came down.
Orion caught it with his free hand.
Barely.
He smiled weakly.
“Good bell.”
Bai Ren stared.
Then—
Laughed.
“I concede.”
The arena erupted.
Orion’s sword lowered.
The referee raised his arm.
“WINNER!”
The sound that followed was almost physical.
“ORION ATLAS!”
Top eight.
Orion stood completely still.
He had done it.
First Stage Essence Gathering.
Two months.
Sixteen.
Eight.
Top ten.
The condition—
Satisfied.
He looked toward Xuan Mei.
She was standing.
One hand covered her mouth.
Her silver eyes shone.
Orion smiled.
Raised his bleeding hand.
And pointed toward the tournament board.
Xuan Mei laughed.
Then—
She disappeared from the stands.
Orion barely had time to lower his arm before silver hair filled his vision.
Xuan Mei collided with him.
Not hard enough to hurt.
Mostly.
Her arms wrapped around him.
The crowd became louder.
Orion froze.
Then hugged her back.
“I did it.”
Her face pressed against his chest.
“I know.”
“I actually did it.”
“I know.”
His voice became quieter.
“Nobody gets to tell you anymore.”
Xuan Mei pulled back.
“What?”
“That you’re only allowed to choose me if I prove something first.”
Her expression changed.
Orion smiled.
“It’s your choice now.”
Xuan Mei stared into those blue, star-flecked eyes.
Then lifted one hand.
And kissed his cheek.
The entire arena lost its mind.
Orion’s brain stopped functioning.
Xuan Mei stepped back.
Her face was bright red.
“Yes.”
Orion remained frozen.
“What?”
“My choice.”
Her silver eyes softened.
“That was my choice.”
Then she walked away.
Orion stood alone.
Thousands of people cheering around him.
The referee eventually leaned closer.
“Young man.”
Orion looked at him.
“Hm?”
“You’re still holding your opponent’s bell.”
Orion looked down.
“Oh.”
Bai Ren was laughing so hard he had to sit down.
⸻
High above—
Lianmo watched Orion touch his cheek.
Then watched Xuan Mei walk away.
Something about the exchange seemed significant.
Her sectmate stood beside her.
“Well.”
Lianmo looked at him.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
She frowned.
Humans were exhausting.
Still—
Her eyes returned to Orion.
He looked happier than when he’d won.
That was strange.
Lianmo stored the observation away.
For later.