"What a monster!" Gojo chuckled as he watched Xiao Wusheng calmly return to his seat. Despite the chaos he had just unleashed, the young man moved like a drifting leaf, utterly unbothered. Gojo shook his head and glanced skyward, and froze.
The oppressive storm clouds that had earlier plunged the arena into gloom now shimmered with an eerie crimson light. The sun, obscured for so long, seemed to bleed into the horizon, dyeing the sky in shades of fire.
It took the crowd a long moment to snap out of their daze. When they did, all eyes darted to the ring, where Zhu Feng's unconscious body lay twisted in defeat. Xiao Wusheng was already seated, arms folded, like nothing had happened.
"D-Did you guys see that?!"
"I told you! Xiao Wusheng is a monster!"
"How the hell is he that strong?! That wasn't even a fight, it was a massacre!"
A buzz of voices swelled like thunder.
"Forget Ma Kui or Li Tianheng," a burly disciple muttered. "The real contenders for first place are Su Qingshi, Xiao Wusheng, and Chen Zhen."
"Su Qingshi? Please. She's not even making it past Ma Kui."
"You don't know crap. Word is, she's awakened a Sword Intent. A real one. She's saving it for the finals."
The debates spiraled, fierce and loud. Above them, the Sect Master and his elders shared a soft round of laughter.
"Second Elder, come on," one teased. "Is that kid really just at the Early Earthly Yuan Realm?"
"Yeah," another added. "With that firepower, even Late Earthly Realm cultivators wouldn't stand a chance."
The Second Elder just facepalmed and sighed. Why can't this kid just stay low for once...
Meanwhile, the First Elder, having returned from his break, observed with a thoughtful nod.
"That Wusheng brat… not bad at all," he muttered. "He might just be the perfect challenge for that space-controlling rascal."
The Punishment Elder scoffed, but the Sect Master smiled wide. From "this batch is the worst" to this… perhaps the younger generation wasn't doomed after all.
More duels came and went, warriors rising and falling. Nearly a dozen disciples had been eliminated when the next highly anticipated battle was announced.
Gojo rose from his seat at last. He stretched, rolled his shoulders, and offered MeiYing a cocky smile.
"If you come back with one more injury…" she warned, eyes narrowed.
"I'll buy you dinner?" he grinned.
Du Yun gave a firm nod, patting his shoulder. With that, Gojo stepped into the ring, his silver-white hair swaying, the crowd roaring at his approach.
"This battle's going to be legendary!"
"Senior Brother Lu Changqing will win! Just watch!"
From the opposite side emerged Lu Changqing, a vision of nobility and quiet power. Dressed in golden phoenix robes, his long red hair tied neatly, he walked as if carried by the wind. At his side, a sheathed katana. His right hand rested gently on its hilt, his eyes closed in focus.
"Isn't he from the Royal Magistrate's Clan?"
"He is. A prodigy of the Blade Dao. Some say his Coiling Dragon Blade Arts rival the Five Elemental Origin Scripture."
The Elders exchanged subtle glances. Lu Changqing stepped onto the stage without a word. His eyes fluttered open, calmly taking in Gojo's presence.
"Nice to meet you too, buddy." Gojo smirked, hands in his pockets, blindfold still on. 'The aura farming has got to stop at this point. These guys are out here acting like Vergil from
DMC!' Gojo sighed inwardly. He was an avid movie and anime fan in his previous life..
He tilted his head. "You know, it's gotta be exhausting keeping that stone-faced, 'I-am-profound' expression all the time. Relax, man. Might even add a year to your life."
Lu Changqing remained silent. Then, in a voice barely above a whisper:
"I've seen what you can do."
Gojo raised a brow beneath the blindfold.
"But it won't matter. One of us walks away victorious today, and it will be me."
A blinding roar of golden energy erupted from Lu Changqing. Behind him, a majestic golden dragon coiled into the sky, its breath stirring the wind itself.
Gojo grinned, the blood in his veins beginning to boil. This guy… he's not like the rest.
"You're right." He tugged down his blindfold slightly, revealing a single, glowing azure eye.
CRACK!
The ground fractured beneath him. Silver Yuan Power exploded in waves, the fabric of space splintering like glass as spatial shards swirled around him.
"Let's dance."
He launched forward, fast as light. His fist reeled back, energy humming. But just as he struck...
"Coiling Dragon: Soaring Slash."
Lu Changqing vanished.
A streak of gold tore across the sky like a divine dragon. Gojo froze, caught mid-motion.
SHHHNK!
The world caught up. Invisible blade slashes ripped across Gojo's body. Blood arced through the air as he staggered, eyes wide. Lu Changqing now stood behind him, serene and composed, slowly sheathing his katana.
"What just happened?!"
"Lu Changqing landed it! He got Chen Zhen!!"
Shock gripped the crowd. MeiYing clutched her armrest, knuckles white. Du Yun leaned forward, heart pounding.
Then..
"Hah…" A soft chuckle.
Gojo straightened his posture, blood running down his chest, eyes burning bright.
"That was something… but you haven't mastered it, have you?" He cracked his neck, spat out a clot of blood. "You built up all that power for that? C'mon."
Lu Changqing narrowed his eyes, stepping back into his stance.
"Trying to end me with a half-baked move?" Gojo chuckled darkly. "You'll need better."
With a glow, the Earthly Titan Rune on his chest ignited.
BOOM!
He burst forward again.
This time, Lu Changqing didn't hesitate. His katana screamed from its sheath, his entire figure engulfed in golden light as he charged like a thunderbolt.
BANG!
They collided, space cracked, shockwaves flattening the arena walls. Gojo's fists were wrapped in dimensional energy, punches fired like cannons. Lu Changqing parried with grace and precision, blade dancing with savage elegance.
Slash. Parry. Twist. Strike.
Their clash was like a storm within a storm, unrelenting and beautiful.
Gojo gritted his teeth. "He's fast." Faster than him at 70%. The Six Eyes were the only reason he could keep up at all.
Lu Changqing's style was elegant death, no wasted motion, every stroke aimed to kill.
Gojo shifted through martial arts from lifetimes past, Jujutsu, Muay Thai, Bajiquan, trying to crack his defense. But nothing worked. Lu Changqing anticipated everything.
SWISH!
A blade came at his side, Gojo raised an arm, caught the strike, but a gash ripped down his chest.
He laughed through the pain. High IQ combatants like this fella were a pain in the eyes to fight. But their one way focus on attacking was their weakness. Once caught in a tight space, there's nothing they'd be able to do.. "Gotcha." Lu Changqing's eyes widened.
A surge of spatial energy burst from Gojo's palm, folding dimensions collapsed like a black hole, and a blast of compressed space slammed into Lu Changqing, tearing through his armor and hurling him across the stage like a ragdoll.
A/N: Happy Sunday. I've noticed lowered interactions for this book over the last two weeks. Please guys. Comment and review in addition to your donations. Have a wonderful day.
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