"Next match, Yu Xuan versus Jiang Chen," the referee announced with a clear, resonant voice.
Yu Xuan stepped onto the platform with calm ease. Across from him, his opponent arrived — a short, slim-built man with deep chocolate-toned skin and spiked hair jutting from his scalp like a rebellious porcupine.
He wore loose brown robes that fluttered slightly as he walked, face already scrunched in irritation.
As he approached the platform, the man immediately began arguing with the referee.
"Hey! I told you to register my name as Jason!" he snapped, voice echoing faintly across the arena. "Why'd you go with Jiang Chen?"
The referee didn't even blink. "Jason is not a proper name."
"But it's my choice!" the man barked, jabbing a finger toward the list in the referee's hand. "It's my name!"
The referee gave him a deadpan stare full of distain — the kind only a background cultivator could deliver. "I can declare you disqualified."
