The next morning, the inner court selection grounds buzzed with whispers.
A wide stone arena sat at the heart of the Feng Clan's Martial Pavilion, surrounded by ascending stands filled with disciples, elders, and even a few main branch observers.
Liu Shen entered, wearing plain black robes, his expression unreadable.
Above, Yu Xuelan stood on the elder's platform, her voice ringing out clearly.
"This preliminary test is simple. You will face a single opponent chosen for you. Defeat them, and you pass. Lose… and you will not set foot in the inner court."
Simple words.
But the presence in the air was anything but simple.
---
The Opponent
From the opposite gate, a tall man walked out. His crimson-gold robe shimmered faintly with flame Qi. His long black hair was tied in a high knot, and a fiery phoenix emblem burned on his shoulder.
The crowd gasped.
"That's… Feng Zhaoyun! The Phoenix Blade!"
"He's a legacy disciple! How is this fair?!"
Yu Xuelan's eyes were cold. "The Pavilion Master himself arranged this match."
Feng Zhaoyun smiled faintly at Liu Shen.
"You're the one who came from the outer court trial alive. I was told to… measure your worth."
Liu Shen's gaze sharpened. That name…
Zhaoyun. In his past life, the Feng Clan's Phoenix Blade line had been key participants in the betrayal that brought him down.
So fate had brought one of them to him already.
---
Opening Exchange
The gong sounded.
Feng Zhaoyun moved first—a single step that closed the distance instantly. His curved blade flashed, igniting with pure phoenix flame.
"Blazing Wing Slash!"
A wave of golden fire cut across the arena, scorching the tiles as it raced toward Liu Shen.
Liu Shen didn't dodge.
He simply raised his hand, and a thin layer of black flame formed around his fingers—the Crimson Soul Flame, invisible to all but the most sensitive.
He swiped through the golden arc.
Hissss!
The phoenix fire snuffed out like a candle in the wind.
Gasps rippled through the stands.
---
A Warning in Flames
Zhaoyun frowned, then laughed. "Interesting. No one has ever extinguished my phoenix flame before."
His Qi surged, flames wrapping his entire body.
"But can you withstand its true form?"
The air shimmered as Zhaoyun activated his bloodline. Behind him, an enormous phantom of a phoenix manifested, its cry shaking the arena.
Heat rolled off him in waves, and the ground beneath his feet began to crack from the pressure.
Liu Shen remained unmoving.
"You've got power," he said quietly. "But you're still using it like a child."
---
The Counterstrike
Zhaoyun struck again, vanishing into a blur of fire.
He reappeared behind Liu Shen—only to find his blade meeting empty air.
Liu Shen was already beside him.
Crack!
A palm struck Zhaoyun's chest, Abyssal Qi piercing through his protective aura. Zhaoyun coughed blood and staggered back, disbelief in his eyes.
"What—"
Liu Shen's voice cut him off.
"You carry the Phoenix Blade bloodline… but you've never faced true death, have you? You don't understand the weight of killing intent."
The Crimson Soul Flame ignited faintly around Liu Shen's palm. Zhaoyun's instincts screamed—one touch from that, and he'd lose more than the fight.
---
The Choice
Yu Xuelan raised an eyebrow from above. "Enough."
Zhaoyun froze, teeth clenched. Slowly, he lowered his blade and took a step back.
"I concede," he said through gritted teeth.
The crowd erupted in disbelief. A legacy disciple… conceding to an outer court newcomer.
Yu Xuelan's voice rang out again.
"Liu Shen passes."
---
Aftermath
As Liu Shen left the arena, Zhaoyun's voice called after him in a low growl only he could hear.
"This isn't over. The Phoenix Blade never forgets a defeat."
Liu Shen smiled faintly without turning back.
"Good. I never forget a debt."
---
Later – Observation Pavilion
Elder Jin spoke to Yu Xuelan in a low voice.
"You saw it. His flame—demonic in nature, yet stable. That shouldn't be possible without corruption."
Yu Xuelan's eyes were fixed on Liu Shen's retreating figure.
"That's why I'm keeping him close."