The wind over Heaven's Ring Platform howled like a beast. The tension clung to every cultivator present.
> "A Master fighting a Grandmaster?"
"Hasn't happened in decades..."
"The last time it did — that cultivator is a Perfect Half-Immortal now: Peak of the World."
Another voice whispered:
> "The gap is too wide. Master vs Grandmaster? That's like a child slapping an iron wall."
And yet, Ren Wei stood there — arms at his side, expression calm.
On the opposite end of the platform, Bai Hengen stepped out from beneath a pale banner embroidered with twisting black serpents — the sigil of Shadowheart Pavilion. His eyes were hollow, as if his soul had drowned long ago.
The announcer's voice boomed:
> "From the Shadowheart Pavilion — Bai Hengen."
"From Han Crest — Ren Wei."
The contrast was striking.
Bai Hengen's spiritual pressure oozed like a toxic mist, seeping over the ring like a plague.
Ren Wei?
He looked… human. Unremarkable. Mortal.
Until his hand moved.
From thin air, the Flame-Eating Saber materialized in his palm — the glow along its jagged edge pulsing like a heart made of fire.
Gasps echoed across the arena.
> "Where did that come from?" "Is that a spatial artifact?" "No… it responded to him."
Bai Hengen didn't speak. He merely raised a single finger, shadow Qi condensing into claws above him.
Then he attacked.
Shadow streaks flew like razors — twisting, wild, intangible.
Ren Wei's body lowered into a stance.
> "Ash Vein Fang," he muttered.
"Form One — Embers to Silence."
The saber cut once.
Clean.
Precise.
The shadow Qi dispersed instantly, torn apart as though sliced by a flame that remembered every scar it ever caused.
The crowd fell deathly silent.
Bai Hengen's step faltered — just one. But enough.
> Ding!
Flame-Eating Saber – Resonance Level: 42%
Passive Effect Unlocked: Shadow Cleanse – Shadow Qi effectiveness reduced by 15% when blocking or clashing.
Ren Wei lowered his saber.
He didn't chase.
He didn't speak.
He simply stared, as if watching a candle flicker before a storm.
Bai Hengen's brow twitched.
The whispers returned — stunned, hushed.
> "That… wasn't luck." "He parried a Grandmaster."
The murmurs hushed like a breath held too long. Bai Hengen's strike had met steel— and stopped.
> CLANG—!!
Their weapons rebounded, sparks dancing as Ren Wei slid half a step back. His boots ground the arena tiles, knees bent, eyes calm.
Bai Hengen's eyes widened. That shouldn't have been possible.
> "You—"
> "Shadowheart Descent?" Ren Wei said, voice low. "If that's your best… then I'm disappointed."
> FWOOOOSH—
Ren Wei's Qi surged. The temperature spiked.
[Ash Vein Fang: Form 2 – Hollow Cinder Spiral]
A spiraling slash that draws in enemy Qi, weakening their next attack and amplifying the next blow.
Crimson flames twisted into a spiraling vortex around Echo Fang, dragging Bai's spiritual energy inward. His stance faltered. His next technique—broken before it began.
> "W-What kind of saber art—"
"One meant to burn pretenders."
Ren Wei stepped forward in a blur. The ground beneath him cracked as the spiral momentum exploded.
> BOOM—!
Echo Fang came down with a burning roar—
And just before it landed—
> CUT—!
Scene fades to black mid-clash.
---
> "He's… actually going for the kill!"
"Did that saber just scream?!"
The audience erupted. Cries of disbelief clashed with cheers of awe. The name Ren Wei flickered through the air like wildfire.
> "A Qi Refinement brat… pushed a Grandmaster this far?!"
"No—look at Hengen's stance. He's not a real Grandmaster. Pills… it must be pills!"
"He's been exposed—!"
Sheng Lian stood in the shade, arms crossed, eyes narrowed.
> "Hmph. Burn brighter, little ghost."
---
> Ding!
Technique Advancement: Ash Vein Fang – Form 2: 83% Mastered
Hollow Cinder Spiral damage increased. Qi disruption efficiency +12%.
> Audience Perception: 'Ren Wei – A Monster Masquerading as Mortal'
Reputation in cultivation world increased.