The arena had fallen into a silence so profound it felt carved from stone. Dust drifted through the air like the remnants of a shattered dream, settling over cracked tiles and collapsed formations. The echoes of the Lian Emperor's tyrannical aura still trembled in the bones of every spectator.
Two figures hovered above the ruined arena—giants among men, monsters among cultivators.
On one side—
The Lian Emperor, Lian Zhenhu
His once-regal robes were shredded by his own volatile qi. Lightning writhed around him like maddened serpents, and his eyes burned red with ambition gone feral.
On the other—
The Demon-Masked Figure
Cloaked in black, a wrath-visaged mask concealing all expression. His aura held no chaos, no thunder—only a bottomless stillness, like an ancient abyss that had forgotten the meaning of fear.
Even the wind dared not pass between them.
The silence broke with a deafening, hysterical roar.
"Hahahahahahaha—HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
The Emperor's laughter split the sky, qi trembling like a storm losing control.
"To think—YOU—would appear before me!"Lightning coiled around him, tearing apart clouds.
"After today… after THIS BATTLE—"He threw his arms wide, lightning exploding outward."—I, LIAN ZHENHU, will ascend as NUMBER ONE beneath the heavens!"
Madness curled his smile into something inhuman.
"I crave this battle! Only by defeating YOU can I surpass the heavens themselves! Hahahaha!"
Below, disciples paled. Elders fought trembling legs. Even Spirit-Shattering experts felt their hearts skip in dread.
Across from this hysteria—
The masked figure remained still.
Not a ripple of qi.Not a twitch.As if the Emperor's insanity was beneath his notice.
The Emperor's grin widened with venom.
"Oh? Silent? What is it, demon? Have you lost your edge? Have you gone SOFT? Or are you finally afraid of—"
One word.
Spoken so calmly it sliced the sky sharper than any sword.
The Emperor froze mid-sentence.
The masked figure tilted his head ever so slightly.
"You," he said, voice like a dead winter,"are a waste of breath… and a waste of my time."
A wave of shocked gasps burst through the stadium.
The Emperor trembled—not with fear, but with rage so intense the air warped around him.
"You dare—YOU—DARE INSULT—"
He never finished.
The masked figure raised a single hand.
Lazy.Effortless.As if brushing dust from a sleeve.
He pressed his palm forward.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOM—!!!
The heavens split.
A ripple of unfathomable force erupted, so ancient and absolute the world itself bent around it. Space distorted. Clouds sheared apart.
The Emperor's imperial shield—forged with spirit runes, nourished by thunder essence—
Shattered instantly.
Not fracturedNot weakenedNot pushed backShattered like brittle pottery.
The shockwave struck the Emperor's body directly.
Blood sprayed across the sky in a crimson arc. Bones snapped like dry twigs. The proud Emperor's qi core trembled on the verge of collapse.
He was hurled downward—crashing through stone, carving a trench through the arena like a meteor.
Silence followed.
A silence so heavy even the soul hesitated to breathe.
Thousands stared, mouths open, hearts numb.
One palm.Just one palm.
And the Lian Emperor—an early Spirit-Shattering titan, a mad genius feared across nations—lay broken, defeated without even touching the masked figure.
No one moved.No one spoke.Even the air seemed terrified of making noise.
High above, the masked man gave no speeches, no warnings, no threats.
He simply vanished.Like a nightmare retreating into the void.
Only when the last echo faded did anyone dare to exhale.
Two Spirit-Shattering elders rushed to the Emperor.
"His meridians—destroyed!""Stabilize him! Quickly!"
They vanished in streaks of light.
The arena erupted into whispers:
"One palm… one palm…""What realm is that masked demon…?""He didn't even try…""He could destroy kingdoms…""Is he from the Ancient Age…?"
Far beneath a forgotten mountain range lay a cavern swallowed in eternal darkness. The stench of rusted weapons filled the air—broken blades, shattered halberds, drained of all spirit, all essence, leaving only lifeless husks.
At the center sat a man.
Skin pale like congealed wax.Dried blood tracing ritualistic symbols across his flesh.Crimson smoke coiled around him—devoured by his body with every breath.
The Blood Demon.
A hidden calamity.A walking catastrophe.
A terrified servant burst in.
"M–Master! Urgent news!"
The Blood Demon inhaled; all crimson smoke vanished into him.
He opened his eyes—two voids of blood-red hunger.
"…Speak."
"T-The Lian Emperor was defeated… i-in a single strike."
Silence.
A bead of blood lifted into the air, trembling.
"Impossible," the Blood Demon whispered.
"I-It's true! A masked figure crushed his imperial shield and threw him from the heavens with one palm!"
The Blood Demon's fingers dug into the stone throne—cracks spreading like spiderwebs.
"With my current strength, I could cripple him… maybe.But one move?"
The servant swallowed.
"Rumors say… t-the masked man is connected to the Qin Clan."
The Blood Demon stiffened.
"…Avoid them," he ordered."My ascension nears. I will not provoke such an existence… not yet."
He stood.Shadows recoiled.Murderous crimson vortex erupted around him.
"I have reached Second Realm Spirit-Shattering. With the Wu Clan's essence and divine heirloom… I will break into the Third Realm."
His eyes gleamed like bleeding moons.
"Then the world will tremble."
Chaos had faded. Crowds dispersed. Elders argued in hushed fear about the masked figure. The tournament's finale had been utterly overshadowed.
Qin Su stood calmly among the fading crowds, hands behind his back.
Beside him, Yuan Ai looked at him with growing warmth—shy, flustered, but drawn to him like a moth to flame.
She cleared her throat softly.
"W-Well… no reason to rush back to the clan, is there? Perhaps a small… trip?"
Qin Su smiled.
"Just the two of us?"
Her ears turned pink.
"…If you wish."