The commentator's voice, clear and solemn, echoed across the vast fighting grounds.
"The first teams to step forward: Team Thirty-Six and Team Two!"
A ripple of excitement ran through the audience. Eyes sharpened, breaths quickened. Everyone turned their attention to the center of the ring as four figures floated onto the platform, their clothes fluttering lightly under the charged spiritual air.
The first match was about to begin.
On one side, Team Thirty-Six — a fierce pair — an array master and a fighting combatant skilled in spiritual force. Their steps were steady, their gazes sharp, as if carved by countless battles. On the other side stood Team Two — one of them an alchemist, delicate in his movements but with deadly precision, and the other, a master of arrays, his fingers constantly weaving subtle spiritual patterns in the air.
As the bell chimed, the entire arena seemed to still for a breath.
Then — boom! — the stage erupted.
The alchemist from Team Two was the first to move, flicking out vials of explosive spiritual powder, creating a dazzling mist that sought to obscure the battlefield. Their array master partner quickly followed, his hands moving at lightning speed, forming a massive net of spiritual energy meant to entrap Team Thirty-Six.
But Team Thirty-Six moved like wolves that had smelled blood.
The fighting combatant surged forward, a fierce grin splitting his face as he smashed directly through the mist with a punch wrapped in condensed spiritual qi, shattering the trap before it could fully form. The impact made the air vibrate. Several spectators in the stands gasped, feeling the tremor in their own chests.
Simultaneously, his partner — the array master — summoned glowing sigils beneath their feet, igniting them with a stamp. The sigils burst upward, forming sharp spiritual spears that pinned Team Two's movement paths.
The fight became a storm of blinding movements and raw force.
The alchemist from Team Two struggled to stabilize his footing, trying to create a barrier pill on the spot, but the fighter from Team Thirty-Six didn't give him a chance. With a roaring war cry, the combatant spun, sending a spiraling kick toward the alchemist's chest.
Bam! The alchemist was thrown from the center of the ring, coughing blood midair before crashing outside the boundary.
The array master of Team Two clenched his teeth and tried to retaliate, pulling forth another sealing array. But it was too late — Team Thirty-Six's array master had already flanked him, trapping him within a mirror illusion array that sapped his strength, and with a joint attack, the fighter punched through the barrier.
The crowd erupted into cheers.
In barely two minutes, Team Thirty-Six had completely crushed their opponents.
The commentator raised her voice above the roar: "Team Thirty-Six wins!"
Yue Ling, sitting among the waiting participants, kicked her feet against the ground, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Wow, so intense," she muttered to Princess Mei beside her, who only gave a quiet nod, her eyes flickering with rare amusement.
Without giving anyone time to catch their breath, the commentator's voice sounded again.
"Next match: Team Twenty-Five and Team Fifteen!"
The four fighters stepped up — this time, all four were fighting combat specialists, qi swirling dangerously around their bodies, promising a fierce brawl.
As the bell rang, they didn't waste a second.
They charged.
Team Twenty-Five's fighters attacked first, moving like twin shadows, their blades glinting silver under the sun as they executed a synchronized cross-slash meant to end the fight quickly.
But Team Fifteen was ready.
The ground cracked beneath them as they responded with explosive force. One fighter ducked low, avoiding the slashes with inhuman flexibility, and delivered a vicious palm strike into the stomach of his nearest opponent. The smack echoed loudly, and the victim staggered backward.
Meanwhile, the second fighter from Team Fifteen twisted midair, flipping gracefully over a sword strike and countering with a series of rapid kicks that battered his opponent into retreat.
Within two minutes, the battlefield had become a blur of fists, blades, qi bursts, and grunts of exertion. Dust and spiritual energy filled the air, making it hard to even see the fighters clearly.
And then — a loud crash.
Both members of Team Twenty-Five were knocked out of the ring, their bodies skidding across the dirt. The crowd roared in approval, their blood pumping wildly.
"Team Fifteen wins!"
Before the cheers even died down, the next announcement boomed:
"Team Twelve and Team Thirty, prepare yourselves!"
Gasps whispered through the crowd — everyone knew about Team Thirty. The infamous yin-yang twins — Jia and her brother, the two who wore black and white respectively, moving like mirrored shadows on the battlefield.
As they entered the stage, the air seemed to thicken with expectation.
Their opponents, Team Twelve, were not weak either — one an alchemist, the other a combatant skilled with qi — but compared to the twins, they seemed... heavier, less fluid.
The bell rang.
Instantly, Jia moved, her black robes flashing as she unleashed a precise qi strike directly at the alchemist. Her brother, in white, flowed in perfect harmony beside her, targeting the fighter with a weaving array that slashed across the ground.
Their coordination was terrifying. It was as if two bodies shared one mind.
The alchemist tried to summon a defensive barrier, but Jia, with a wicked grin, broke through it with a series of rapid-fire strikes that left the alchemist coughing blood.
Meanwhile, her twin brother Chen used a sweeping leg attack to unbalance the fighter, who tried to stabilize with qi bursts, but the combination of an array suppressing his movement and a physical assault was too much.
Within one minute, Team Twelve was sent flying out of the ring, their faces filled with disbelief.
The twins landed gracefully, hardly out of breath, standing side by side like figures from a painting.
"Aaaaaahhhh!" the crowd exploded, some on their feet, cheering wildly.
Meanwhile, Yue Ling, who was supposed to be resting for her upcoming fight, pouted as she watched the intense battles unfold.
"Hmph," she muttered under her breath. "All this excitement and I have to sit still? So boring!"
With a cheeky grin, she crossed her legs and closed her eyes. Quietly, she began to draw in the spiritual qi around her, absorbing it into her core and sending it through her spiritual consciousness. A faint glow appeared around her, soft and pulsing like a heartbeat.
Unknown to others, Yue Ling's qi absorption speed was abnormal — a secret she had kept tightly hidden.
Beside her, Princess Mei peeked at her for a second before pretending not to notice, though a small smile tugged at her usually cold lips.
The competition continued, but for Yue Ling, it was time to quietly grow stronger — readying herself for the storm that would eventually befall them all.