Losing hurt less the second morning.
Physically, anyway.
Orion stood beneath the tournament bracket with a fresh sword at his waist and enough medicinal salve beneath his robes to make him smell faintly like an herb garden.
His name had moved.
No longer within the championship bracket.
Instead—
5th–8th Placement Matches
Four names remained.
Orion Atlas — Radiant Daybreak Sect
Shen Bo — Golden Valley Sect
Mu Kai — Azure Crane Hall
Jin Haoran — Starfall Palace
Chen Rui studied the board.
“Could’ve been worse.”
Orion looked at him.
“You say that far too often.”
“This time I mean it.”
Orion’s first placement opponent was Shen Bo.
Ninth Stage Essence Gathering.
Again.
Orion sighed.
“I feel like the tournament has run out of Essence Gathering cultivators and keeps recycling the same realm.”
“Would you prefer Meridian Foundation?”
“No.”
“Then appreciate what you have.”
Orion considered that.
“Wise.”
“I have moments.”
Xuan Mei approached from behind them.
Her own quarterfinal had lasted approximately thirty seconds.
Orion had found that personally offensive.
“You recovered?”
She asked.
“Mostly.”
“Truth.”
“My shoulders hurt, my ribs hurt, my left knee makes a concerning noise, and I’m beginning to recognize tournament physicians by their footsteps.”
Xuan Mei nodded.
“Good.”
Orion stared.
“Why do you all respond positively when I list injuries?”
“Because you answered honestly.”
“Ah.”
She looked toward his bracket.
“If you win today, you fight for fifth.”
“And if I lose?”
“Seventh.”
Orion folded his arms.
“Either way I’m top ten.”
“Yes.”
The words still felt good.
Top ten.
The condition had been satisfied.
Anything from here forward—
Was simply his.
Orion smiled.
“Then let’s see what sixth place looks like.”
Xuan Mei raised an eyebrow.
“Sixth?”
“I’ve decided.”
“You haven’t fought.”
“I enjoy planning ahead.”
“Yesterday you said you were going to beat Wei Shan.”
“That plan had flaws.”
She laughed.
⸻
Shen Bo used chains.
Not normal chains.
That would have been too convenient.
Four long golden chains floated around him without physical support.
Each ended in a triangular blade.
Orion stared.
“Everybody here has cooler weapons than me.”
Shen Bo smiled.
“You could buy one.”
“I just bought a bracelet.”
“Not quite the same.”
The referee lowered his hand.
“Begin!”
The chains moved.
Orion immediately regretted complaining about spears.
One blade struck from above.
A second swept low.
Orion jumped.
The third came straight toward his chest.
His sword knocked it aside.
The fourth wrapped around his blade.
Shen Bo pulled.
Orion released the sword.
Again.
Apparently dropping his weapon had become part of his strategy.
He stepped forward.
Radiant Step.
Shen Bo’s eyes narrowed.
The chains reversed.
Orion ducked one.
Caught another around his forearm.
The golden blade cut his sleeve but failed to penetrate deeply.
Rao’s Immortal Body tightened.
Orion grabbed the chain.
Shen Bo smiled.
“Bad idea.”
Golden Essence surged through it.
The chain became scorching hot.
Orion’s eyes widened.
Heat.
Interesting.
Painful.
Solar Essence naturally responded.
The heat entering his body was foreign, but not entirely hostile.
Orion smiled.
Shen Bo’s expression changed.
“You should let go.”
“I was thinking the opposite.”
Orion pulled.
Shen Bo stumbled.
His four-chain formation broke rhythm.
That was all Orion needed.
Radiant Step.
He crossed the arena.
Shen Bo released the chain.
Too late.
Orion’s fist stopped against his chest.
Daybreak Foundation Fist.
Golden light erupted.
Shen Bo flew backward.
One chain caught the arena floor.
He stopped himself before crossing the boundary.
Orion recovered his sword.
Shen Bo attacked again.
This time—
Orion understood the rhythm.
Not perfectly.
But enough.
Chain one.
Deflect.
Chain two.
Step.
Three.
Duck.
Four—
Grab.
Shen Bo’s eyes widened.
“Again?”
Orion smiled.
“I learn slowly.”
He yanked.
Shen Bo’s stance broke.
Orion’s sword crossed the space between them.
Stopped at his throat.
Silence.
Shen Bo looked at the blade.
Then laughed.
“I concede.”
The referee raised Orion’s arm.
“Winner—Orion Atlas!”
Orion exhaled.
One more fight.
For fifth.
⸻
His final opponent was considerably less cooperative.
Jin Haoran — Starfall Palace
1st Stage Meridian Foundation
Orion stared at the cultivation display.
Jin Haoran stared back.
Then smiled sympathetically.
Orion pointed.
“Don’t.”
“What?”
“That face.”
“What face?”
“The one where you already feel bad.”
Jin Haoran laughed.
Unlike Wei Shan, he carried no sword.
Two metal rings surrounded his wrists.
Starlight Essence flickered across them.
“I watched your quarterfinal.”
“Then you know I dislike Meridian Foundation cultivators.”
“I gathered.”
The referee signaled.
The fight began.
And Orion immediately learned something important.
Not every Meridian Foundation cultivator fought like Wei Shan.
Jin Haoran was slower.
Less technically refined.
His control was nowhere near Wei Shan’s.
For the first minute—
Orion actually looked competitive.
Radiant Step let him evade the first ring strike.
His sword cut through a constellation of spiritual lights.
He slipped beneath Jin Haoran’s guard.
His fist struck.
Jin Haoran moved back.
Two steps.
The crowd erupted.
Orion attacked again.
For several exchanges—
He pushed.
He forced Jin Haoran to defend.
Then Jin Haoran stopped smiling.
The metal rings around his wrists separated.
Four rings became eight.
Eight became sixteen.
Each floated.
Orion looked upward.
“Ah.”
Starfall Palace — Falling Constellation Array.
Sixteen rings descended.
Orion moved.
One struck the ground.
Explosion.
Second.
Dodge.
Third.
His sword shook.
Fourth.
Fifth.
Sixth.
The arena became a storm of metal and starlight.
Orion’s advantage disappeared.
This was the wall again.
Meridian Foundation allowed Jin Haoran to control sixteen separate artifacts while maintaining enough Essence to fight personally.
Orion simply could not match the volume.
One ring struck his shoulder.
Another caught his thigh.
A third hit his sword.
It flew away.
Orion stumbled.
Jin Haoran appeared before him.
A palm stopped against his chest.
“Enough?”
Orion breathed heavily.
His dantian was almost empty.
Again.
He looked toward the scattered rings.
Then toward Jin Haoran.
He smiled.
“Yeah.”
The referee stepped forward.
“Orion Atlas concedes.”
Applause rolled across the arena.
Orion cupped his fists.
Jin Haoran returned the gesture.
“You are absurd.”
“Thank you.”
“I meant that respectfully.”
“I accepted it respectfully.”
Jin Haoran laughed.
⸻
The final placement board appeared that evening.
Orion stood beneath it.
Xuan Mei beside him.
Chen Rui.
Cassian.
Rowan.
Several Radiant Daybreak disciples.
Names appeared.
5th — Jin Haoran — Starfall Palace
Then—
6th — Orion Atlas — Radiant Daybreak Sect
Orion stared.
Sixth.
Out of two hundred and fifty-six.
After beginning cultivation roughly three months ago.
His grandfather placed one hand on his shoulder.
No joke.
No lecture.
“I’m proud of you.”
Orion turned.
Cassian’s eyes were suspiciously bright.
Orion smiled.
“Thank you.”
Rowan slapped him on the back.
Orion nearly fell.
“Ow!”
“Also proud.”
“You express emotion violently.”
“Family tradition.”
Xuan Mei remained quiet.
Orion looked toward her.
She smiled.
“You said sixth.”
“I did.”
“How?”
Orion considered it.
“Prophecy.”
“Luck.”
“Prophecy sounds better.”
She shook her head.
Then looked at the ranking again.
Sixth.
Her sect had demanded top ten.
They had expected failure.
Instead—
Orion had exceeded the requirement by four positions.
Xuan Mei’s smile changed.
Just slightly.
Proud.
Possessive.
Warm.
“Good.”
Orion raised an eyebrow.
“That’s all?”
“For now.”
Something in her tone made him suspicious.
Before he could ask—
The championship bracket changed.
Four names remained.
Xuan Mei — Wind Resonant Sect
Lianmo — Thousand Phenomena Sect
Wei Shan — Heavenpiercing Sword Sect
Jin Yue — Nine Radiance Palace
Orion looked from the names—
To Xuan Mei.
“Your turn.”
Her silver eyes lifted.
“Yes.”
Orion smiled.
“Go win.”