The final day of the tournament dawned beneath a thin veil of mist. The arena, usually vibrant with cheering voices, carried a dreamlike stillness. Even the elders spoke in hushed tones—today, a champion would rise.
Qin Su vs. Lian Feng.
Lian Feng, daughter of the Lian Emperor, stepped onto the stage with frost-blue robes dancing behind her. Her expression was calm, but her pride flickered like ice beneath moonlight.
Qin Su walked up opposite her as if he had wandered here by accident—hands behind his back, relaxed, almost bored.
The referee signaled the start.
Lian Feng exploded with icy qi, frost petals spinning into hidden blades. She sent them forward in a shimmering wave—
—but Qin Su stood still.
A ripple of his qi melted every shard before they touched him. Gasps burst from the stands.
Lian Feng gritted her teeth and unleashed her ultimate technique—Glacial Heavenfall. Frost clouds materialized above them, spiraling downward.
Qin Su stepped once.
Just one.
The air boomed, and Lian Feng's technique shattered like glass. Panic flashed in her eyes as she stumbled back.
"How… strong are you?"
Qin Su appeared before her, gentle.
"Strong enough to win. But not strong enough to disrespect someone like you."
He tapped her forehead lightly.
A soft ring of qi sent her three steps back, forcing her to kneel.
The referee raised his hand.
"Winner—Qin Su!"
Shock froze the entire arena…Except Lian Feng, who flushed as she looked at him.
"…I lost. But somehow… I don't hate it."
In the stands, Yuan Ai's thoughts spiraled far away from the battlefield.
He won… then that surprise… but will it even fit…? He's too large… what if—
Her face turned crimson.
Qin Su simply stood with quiet dignity, unaware of the chaos he caused.
But then—
BOOOOOOM!
A crushing shockwave slammed into the arena from above, shaking the heavens. Roof tiles cracked. Disciples collapsed to their knees.
A voice thundered over the sky:
"So this is the tournament that dares to defeat my daughter?"
Clouds split apart.
A colossal figure descended like a falling star—wrapped in gold robes crackling with lightning, crown forged from thunderstone.
The Lian Emperor.
His presence bent the world itself. Even the mist fled his aura.
Lian Feng paled.
"…Father."
He didn't even glance at her.
His eyes blazed with disdain as he swept them across the arena.
"My daughter—my jewel—defeated so miserably. Majest Sect's pride… trampled."His voice dripped venomous disappointment.
From the sky's opposite end, another figure appeared—gliding like moonlight.
The Ren Empress.
Beautiful, cold, and furious.
"Must you shame our daughter publicly?" she demanded.
"She fought well."
The emperor scoffed, thunder rolling in his breath.
"She lost. That is the only truth that matters."
Qi ripples clashed in the sky, invisible but suffocating the crowd below.
Whispers erupted:
"They say the Empress is from another continent—""—her clan wanted her back—""—but the Emperor took her by force—""—no one could resist him…"
The emperor dismissed her with a contemptuous wave.
"I didn't come to quarrel with a woman. I came for one thing."
His aura swelled, cracking the arena floor.
"The mysterious individual. Show yourself. Or I'll reduce every stone in this stadium to dust."
Gasps.
Everyone knew the stories—
The Lian Emperor, a supreme genius…but unstable, arrogant, half-mad from ambition.
Two Spirit-Shattering Realm elders rushed in.
"Emperor Lian, restrain your aura—!""You'll destroy everyone—!"
Ignored.
Yuan Ai and Qin Wei shot forward, raising protective seals. A brilliant barrier shimmered—
BOOM!
The emperor's aura smashed through it like a giant's fist.
Yuan Ai coughed blood and flew backward.
"Mother!" Qin Wei screamed.
A blur.
Qin Su caught her before she hit the ground.
His eyes were burning. Not attacking.But trembling with restrained fury.
The Lian Emperor smirked.
"Oh? So the brat has fangs after all."
But then—
A second aura dropped from the sky.
Dark. Boundless. Ancient, like the whisper of forgotten gods.
The world fell silent.
A figure in a demon-mask descended slowly, each step warping the air. The earth cracked beneath his landing.
Mei's heart trembled.
"…Master."
Even the mad emperor paused—if only for a breath—as the masked figure's shadow swallowed his thunderous aura whole.