Lin Mu, who had been seated quietly with the other examiners, looked up in surprise.
"You wish to spar... with me?" he asked, genuinely caught off guard.
"Yes," High Elder Yan Dao said, stepping down from the elders' section and slowly approaching the center of the arena. "But not like the others. No handicaps. No dull blade. No restrictions. I want you to use everything—your body, your qi, your sword intent. Fight me as you would fight a true enemy."
Another wave of murmurs swept through the crowd.
Was this truly happening?
A High Elder challenging Lin Mu—without restraint?
Lin Mu stood, his long robe billowing gently in the breeze. He thought for a moment, then gave a respectful nod.
"Very well. I accept."
Lin Mu stood with his hands behind his back, calm as a still lake beneath a moonlit sky. His two swords—Afternoon Pine and Ocean Raker—remained sheathed at his side. Across from him, Elder Yan Dao waited with the poise of a seasoned warrior.
