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Down in the arena, the judge raised his hand.
"The first match!"
The judge shouted loudly.
"Princess Cang Yue of the Royal Family, against Fen Jue of the Burning Heaven Clan!"
Cang Yue stood up from her seat.
She walked calmly to the center of the stone stage.
Fen Jue walked up to meet her. He held a large blade and smiled with way too much confidence.
"Princess,"
Fen Jue said, shaking his head.
"This is no place for you. You should surrender now. I really do not want to leave a scar on your face."
Cang Yue did not look angry. She just looked at him with plain pity.
"You talk too much,"
Cang Yue answered simply.
"Show me what you can do."
Fen Jue frowned. He felt deeply insulted.
"You asked for it!"
He yelled.
He dashed forward and swung his blade right at her shoulder.
Fire wrapped tightly around his weapon.
Cang Yue did not draw a sword. She did not even step out of the way. She just raised one hand.
*Bang.*
She caught the sharp blade with her bare fingers. The fire on his weapon died out instantly.
Fen Jue's eyes went perfectly wide.
He pulled with all his might, but the sword would not move.
It was stuck in her grip like it was caught in a mountain.
"What... how?"
Fen Jue gasped, sweat forming on his face.
"My turn,"
Cang Yue said.
She pushed her hand forward.
A burst of raw, heavy energy hit Fen Jue directly in the chest.
He flew backward through the air and crashed hard into the stone wall of the arena.
His sword clattered to the ground.
He coughed once and fainted.
The entire arena went completely silent.
No one cheered. No one even breathed.
"The match is over,"
Cang Yue told the shocked judge.
"Call the next opponent."
Up in the stands, the leaders of the major sects jumped out of their seats.
"Did you see that?"
One sect leader yelled, his voice shaking.
"She defeated him in one move!"
"That energy..."
An older master gasped, gripping his chair.
"She must be in the Sky Profound Realm! How is this possible? She is stronger than most of us!"
They all stared down at the young woman on the stage.
For years, they had thought of Cang Yue as a weak, scared girl who hid behind castle walls.
They used to laugh at the royal family.
Now, she stood there like a fierce, dominant queen. And no one was laughing anymore.
Sam watched her from his seat and took a slow sip of his tea.
"She did well,"
Sam smiled.
"She didn't waste any energy."
"She fights with a clear mind,"
Jean agreed, nodding her head.
"The other sects are starting to panic. They realize they cannot bully her anymore."
Xia Qingyue watched Cang Yue's steady posture.
"She used to doubt herself,"
Xia Qingyue noted softly.
"Now, she owns the stage. No one here stands a chance against her today."
Up on the high balcony, Ling Tianni stood completely alone.
He watched the Princess easily overpower the next two fighters who stepped up to challenge her.
His wife was gone.
His sect's wealth was walking out the door.
And now, the weak royal family he used to ignore was taking total control of his own tournament.
Ling Tianni finally realized how much the world had changed, and how he had been left completely behind.
A man in a dark robe walked into the main viewing area.
His name was Ling Kun.
He was an elder from the Sun Moon Divine Hall, one of the Four Sacred Grounds.
He came here to be an official witness for the tournament.
Usually, these local games bored him completely.
But today, his eyes were not on the fighting stage.
He was staring directly at Sam's seating area.
More specifically, he was staring right at Xia Qingyue.
"Impossible,"
Ling Kun whispered to himself.
He stepped closer to get a better look.
His heart started to beat faster.
"Guard,"
Ling Kun called out without turning his head.
"Who is that young woman in white?"
"That is Xia Qingyue, Elder Ling,"
The guard answered quickly.
"She belongs to the Frozen Cloud Asgard."
"A small sect in this weak empire produced a Nine Profound Exquisite Body?"
Ling Kun murmured.
"This is a massive discovery."
He did not wait another second. He walked straight toward their seats.
Sam noticed the man approaching.
He placed his teacup on the table.
"We have a visitor,"
Sam told his family.
Ling Kun stopped in front of them.
He completely ignored Sam, Jean, and the others.
He only had eyes for Xia Qingyue.
"Young lady,"
Ling Kun said, putting on a polite smile.
"My name is Ling Kun. I represent the Sun Moon Divine Hall."
Xia Qingyue looked at him. She did not stand up.
She did not bow.
"Hello,"
She answered simply.
Ling Kun was taken aback.
Anyone else in this empire would be on their knees begging for his favor right now.
"You possess a very rare and special body,"
Ling Kun told her.
"Staying in this tiny place is a complete waste of your talent. Come with me to the Sacred Grounds. I will make sure you receive the absolute best resources in the world."
Xia Qingyue blinked slowly.
She glanced at Sam, then looked back at Ling Kun.
"Thank you for the offer,"
Xia Qingyue said.
"But I must refuse. I already have the best teacher."
Ling Kun frowned.
He finally turned his attention to Sam.
He scanned Sam from head to toe but felt absolutely no profound energy.
"Him?"
Ling Kun asked, his voice filled with doubt.
"Child, do not make a foolish choice. The Sacred Grounds rule this world. No one here can teach you better than we can."
Sam laughed.
He leaned back in his chair and looked up at the elder.
"You have a very high opinion of yourself,"
Sam said easily.
"But she already gave you her answer. You can go back to your seat now."
Ling Kun narrowed his eyes.
He did not like being dismissed by a mere mortal.
"You do not understand who you are talking to,"
Ling Kun warned Sam.
"I can give her the sky. What can you give her?"
"I can give her freedom,"
Sam replied, his voice losing its playful tone.
"Your sect only wants to use her as a tool. Now, step away from my table."
Ling Kun's face turned completely red.
He was furious.
No one had ever spoken to an elder of the Sun Moon Divine Hall with such disrespect.
"You dare to insult my sect?"
Ling Kun hissed, stepping forward.
"You are just a blind mortal. I will teach you how to speak better."
He grabbed the handle of his sword.
He prepared to draw the blade and teach this arrogant man a painful lesson.
He pulled up.
But the sword did not move.
Ling Kun blinked.
Before his brain could even process what had just happened, Sam was already standing right in front of him.
No one saw Sam get up from his chair. He had crossed the distance in a fraction of a second.
Ling Kun looked down.
Sam had his hand raised. He was pressing just one single index finger against the top of the sword's handle.
"Let go!"
Ling Kun growled.
He pushed his profound energy to the limit.
His arms shook violently. He pulled with all the strength in his body, trying to free his weapon.
The sword stayed perfectly still.
Sam's single finger held the weapon down like a massive iron mountain.
He did not even look like he was trying.
"You should leave that in its shell,"
Sam told him.
Ling Kun stopped pulling.
A cold drop of sweat rolled down his neck.
The anger in his chest was quickly replaced by a creeping, heavy fear.
"What... What kind of trick is this?"
Ling Kun stammered, his voice losing all its prior confidence.
"It is not a trick,"
Sam answered softly, looking right into the elder's eyes.
"It is a warning. If you pull this sword out, you will not leave this mountain with your arms attached to your body."
Sam slowly removed his finger from the sword.
He patted Ling Kun gently on the shoulder.
"I told you to step away from my table,"
Sam said, his voice quiet but incredibly firm.
"I suggest you do that right now. Go back to your seat and watch the tournament."
Ling Kun's hands were shaking.
He looked at Xia Qingyue, and then back at the terrifying man standing in front of him.
He finally realized he was not a mortal.