The morning sun rose over Qingyang City, painting the martial field in gold.
The Spirit Beast Tournament had reached its semi-finals, and the crowd was denser than ever. Disciples, spectators, and sect representatives from dozens of clans had gathered, eager to witness the young master who conquered beasts with ease.
Ye Chen stood at the center of the arena, calm and composed, his robes moving lightly with the wind. Across from him, the Twin Phoenix Sect's prodigies—brother and sister, Feng Yan and Feng Yao—emerged.
Behind them, two majestic Crimson Phoenixes circled, wings blazing like fire, aura radiating overwhelming pressure. Even the air around the beasts shimmered with heat and qi.
> "This will be… difficult," murmured one of the spectators.
---
The duel began.
The phoenixes swooped in tandem, flames trailing like rivers of molten gold. Feng Yan and Feng Yao's control over their beasts was precise, their movements a deadly combination of coordination and force.
Ye Chen closed his eyes, drawing upon the Book Realm. New tomes opened, glowing in golden light:
> "Dual Beast Resonance"
"Harmony of Intent and Flow"
He studied the phoenixes' patterns and the siblings' timing as if reading a complex piece of poetry—each flap, each strike, each breath of fire a line of the verse.
> "Two beasts, one rhythm, two masters… the key is the flow between them, not against them," he thought.
---
The first wave of flames struck. Ye Chen did not resist directly. Instead, he let his qi flow like water around him, redirecting the energy. The flames twisted, forming arcs that split harmlessly into the air.
The phoenixes screeched, the siblings' eyes narrowing in disbelief.
> "Impossible… how does he move so effortlessly?"
Ye Chen recited softly, a verse under his breath:
> "The wind bends, the river yields;
Where chaos strikes, the calm prevails."
He extended a hand. Golden threads of qi reached into the minds of the phoenixes, not to dominate, but to resonate.
For a heartbeat, the fire faded. The beasts circled him, calm and attentive. Then, slowly, they lowered themselves to the ground.
---
Feng Yan and Feng Yao staggered back, shocked.
> "He… he subdued them without harming them!"
Ye Chen bowed politely:
> "Every being has its rhythm. Every master leaves traces. One only needs to read them."
The crowd erupted into cheers and gasps. Even the Patriarch's eyes were wide with astonishment.
---
Later that night, as Ye Chen walked beneath the moonlight, he entered the Book Realm again.
A new tome floated toward him, its pages glowing with ancient light:
> "Codex of the Saintly Path – Step One: Comprehension Beyond Strength"
A whisper echoed through the void:
> "The path ahead is no longer measured by brute force.
Rivals, guardians, and the storms of the Jianghu await.
Only one who reads the world truly conquers it."
Ye Chen's eyes gleamed.
> "Then I will read every challenge, understand every pattern, and turn the storms into my pages.
Let the Jianghu watch… for the Saint's path begins with understanding."