Feng Li's staff cut through the air with smooth, practiced movements.
Kai stepped back, his sword rising to block. The impact sent vibrations up his arm—Feng Li's qi enhancement was solid, refined through years of cultivation. This wasn't the wild, desperate fighting Kai had experienced during the transport ambush. This was proper technique.
"Good defense, Brother Kai!" Feng Li's staff spun into a second strike, then a third. The three-strike combination Lin Wei had warned him about.
Kai blocked the first two, but the third caught his shoulder. Not hard enough to cause real injury, but enough to make him stumble back. The crowd murmured—first blood went to the experienced fighter.
[HP: 94/100]
[COMBAT ANALYSIS: Opponent's technique refined, predictable patterns]
[RECOMMENDATION: Counter-attack during recovery phase]
Kai circled to the left, assessing the situation. His Death Vision showed Feng Li's spiritual energy flowing smoothly—no weaknesses, no openings. Just solid, competent cultivation and well-practiced technique.
In a fair fight between two Second Stage cultivators, Feng Li would win through superior experience.
Good thing Kai wasn't planning to fight fairly.
"You're better than I expected, Brother Kai," Feng Li said, resetting his stance. "Most new disciples panic under pressure. But you're staying calm."
"This junior has experience with life-threatening situations, Brother Feng."
Feng Li nodded and attacked again. This time his pattern changed—instead of the three-strike combination, he used a sweeping low attack meant to knock Kai off balance.
Kai jumped back, but Feng Li had anticipated that. The staff reversed mid-swing, coming up toward Kai's chest in a move that would have been devastating if it connected.
Instead, Kai twisted his body at the last possible moment. The staff passed inches from his ribs, and Kai's sword lashed out in a precise counter-strike that caught Feng Li's forearm.
Not deep—just enough to draw blood and disrupt his grip.
[FIRST STRIKE SUCCESSFUL]
[OPPONENT STATUS: Minor injury, technique disrupted]
Feng Li's eyes widened slightly. That counter had been faster than a normal Second Stage cultivator should manage. Not impossibly fast, but noticeably quick.
"Interesting, Brother Kai. Your sword work is sharper than your reputation suggests."
They separated again, both reassessing. The crowd's murmurs grew louder. This wasn't the one-sided match many had expected.
Kai kept his expression focused but not confident. He needed to win, but not dominate. Show skill, not superiority.
The next exchange lasted longer. Feng Li tested with careful strikes, probing Kai's defenses. Kai responded with basic sword forms—nothing fancy, just solid technique executed well. They traded blows back and forth, neither gaining significant advantage.
To the watching disciples, it looked like an even match between two Second Stage cultivators.
To Kai, it was carefully calculated performance. Every block, every strike, every movement—he was holding back approximately forty percent of his true speed and power. Enough to win, not enough to dominate.
[COMBAT ASSESSMENT UPDATE]
[PERFORMANCE: Calibrated for believable victory]
[SHADOW ENERGY: Unused - Maintaining deception]
[VICTORY PROBABILITY: 78%]
Then Feng Li made his move.
He faked a high attack with his staff, drawing Kai's sword up to block. But the real attack came from below—a spinning sweep that caught Kai's legs and sent him crashing to the arena floor.
The crowd gasped. Feng Li's staff came down toward Kai's chest, a finishing blow that would end the match.
Kai rolled sideways, the staff slamming into stone where his head had been. He came up in a crouch, sword extended defensively.
"Almost had you, Brother Kai," Feng Li said, breathing harder now. The extended fight was wearing on him. "But you're more slippery than expected."
Kai said nothing, just adjusted his grip and advanced.
Time to end this.
He came in fast, sword moving in patterns Feng Li had seen before. The experienced fighter's staff rose to block, following the predicted sequence.
Then Kai broke the pattern.
Instead of the expected overhead strike, he twisted his wrist and went for a low thrust. Feng Li's staff was out of position. The sword slipped past his guard and pressed against his chest—not piercing, but clearly capable of it.
Match over.
"Yield," Kai said quietly.
Feng Li looked down at the sword against his heart, then up at Kai with surprise and respect.
"I yield."
The administrator's voice echoed across the arena. "Winner: Kai Chen!"
Applause rippled through the crowd—not overwhelming, but genuine. Kai had fought well, shown skill, and won through a clever final move. Exactly the performance he'd aimed for.
He bowed to Feng Li, who returned it with good grace.
"Well fought, Brother Kai. Your sword technique in that final exchange was excellent. I didn't see it coming."
"Thank you, Brother Feng. This junior learned from your superior staff work."
They left the arena as the next match was called. Lin Wei met Kai at the edge of the platform, grinning widely.
"Brother Kai! That was excellent! The way you reversed your pattern at the end—very clever!"
"This junior got lucky, Brother Lin. Feng Li was clearly the more experienced fighter."
"Lucky or not, you won. That's what matters." Lin Wei lowered his voice. "Though I noticed your speed at the end was... impressive. You've been practicing in secret?"
Kai shrugged. "This junior has been cultivating seriously since the breakthrough. Shadow qi seems to enhance speed slightly."
It was a plausible explanation. Different qi affinities did provide different advantages. Shadow qi enhancing speed and reaction time wasn't unusual.
They moved to the spectator area to watch the remaining matches. Kai paid particular attention to the higher-ranked disciples—the ones who would be his opponents in later rounds if he kept winning.
Han Feng's match was third. The tournament favorite faced a First Stage disciple who clearly stood no chance.
The fight lasted maybe thirty seconds.
Han Feng's technique was overwhelming. His sword moved with perfect precision, his qi control was flawless, and his opponent surrendered before taking serious injury. The crowd applauded enthusiastically—this was the level of skill they expected from a potential inner disciple.
But Kai's Death Vision saw something else.
[DEATH MARK ALERT - HAN FENG]
[DEATH PROBABILITY: 37% (Increasing during combat)]
[SPIRITUAL IRREGULARITY: Worsening under stress]
[ASSESSMENT: Hidden injury or sabotage affecting foundation]
Whatever was wrong with Han Feng was getting worse every time he used his cultivation. The cracks in his spiritual energy were spreading, invisible to normal observers but clear to Kai's enhanced senses.
If Han Feng kept fighting at this intensity, something would break. Probably catastrophically.
The question was when.
The morning rounds continued. Lin Wei won his match easily. Mei Ling struggled but pulled through. Zhang Hu lost to a stronger opponent but fought well enough to maintain his sect position. Little Chen won through sheer endurance, outlasting his opponent.
By midday, half the outer disciples were eliminated. The atmosphere in the sect shifted—those who'd won were relieved, those who'd lost were quietly terrified about their futures.
Kai noticed three disciples who'd lost particularly badly being escorted toward the administrative buildings. His Death Vision showed their spiritual signatures flickering weakly—they'd been injured seriously enough that their cultivation might never recover.
[DEATH SENSE ALERT]
[THREE DISCIPLES: Critically injured]
[DEATH PROBABILITY: 60-75% within 7 days]
[ASSESSMENT: Likely to die from injuries or during punishment assignment]
More death energy opportunities. Kai filed the information away.
The afternoon brought the second round of matches. Kai was scheduled to fight near the end of the day, so he spent the time observing and learning.
The Yu twins fought in spectacular coordination, defeating their opponents through synchronized attacks that were beautiful to watch. Wu Chen, the former soldier, fought with brutal efficiency that reminded Kai uncomfortably of Zhao Ming—though without the cruel pleasure.
Then came a match that changed everything.
Han Feng versus a Second Stage disciple named Cao Ming. On paper, it should have been another easy victory for the tournament favorite. Han Feng was Third Stage, talented, and well-trained. Cao Ming was competent but unremarkable.
The match started normally. Han Feng dominated immediately, his superior cultivation showing in every exchange. Cao Ming defended desperately, clearly outmatched.
Then, thirty seconds into the fight, something went wrong.
Han Feng lunged forward for what should have been a finishing strike. His sword blazed with Third Stage qi, his technique perfect.
And his spiritual foundation cracked.
Kai saw it clearly with Death Vision—the invisible weakness in Han Feng's cultivation suddenly expanded, spreading through his meridians like fractures in ice. Han Feng's qi circulation faltered. His perfect technique wavered.
Cao Ming, sensing the opening, struck back desperately.
His sword caught Han Feng's shoulder, drawing blood. Not a serious wound, but Han Feng's reaction was extreme. He staggered back, his cultivation aura flickering wildly.
"What's happening?" someone in the crowd asked.
"His qi is unstable!"
"Spiritual backlash?"
Han Feng tried to stabilize, channeling his cultivation to repair the damage. But the cracks kept spreading. His face went pale. Blood trickled from his nose—a bad sign indicating serious internal damage.
The administrator rushed onto the platform. "Stop! Medical assistance!"
Healers appeared immediately, surrounding Han Feng. Kai watched through Death Vision as they worked, trying to stabilize his collapsing cultivation base.
[DEATH MARK ALERT - HAN FENG]
[CRITICAL CONDITION]
[DEATH PROBABILITY: 68% within 24 hours]
[CAUSE: Catastrophic cultivation foundation failure]
The crowd was shocked into silence. Han Feng, the tournament favorite, had nearly died from his own cultivation backlash during a routine match.
"Sabotage," Kai heard an inner disciple mutter. "Someone poisoned him or damaged his meridians."
"But who would dare?"
"Doesn't matter. He's finished either way."
The healers carried Han Feng away on a stretcher. He was still alive but clearly in critical condition. The administrator announced a brief pause in the tournament while sect leadership investigated.