Outside, a modest carriage waited for him, Ruo jin at the drivers seat,its wheels marked with sealing runes. Han Qing followed reluctantly, muttering under his breath they were going to be late again. "If we get thrown out before your match, I'm not taking the blame you are."
Zihan smiled. "Then don't. Blame fate."
The road to the Flame Sovereign's Grand Arena wound through flaming molten hills and flaming river of molten rocks. Disciples marched in groups, proudly displaying their banners that glowing faintly. Distant volcanoes rumbled as though cheering for more blood.
Zihan's carriage rolled alone, unguarded, drawing stares from passing sect members. Murmurs rippled through the crowd as he passed.
"Isn't that the Yue prince?"
"He looks… too calm for someone who killed assassins."
"I heard he bribed the judges."
" He's a prince after all,"
"No, no he's blind, didn't you see the silk? Maybe it's pity that keeps him in."
Zihan heard every word and smiled faintly behind the blindfold. "It's good when they underestimate you. It makes cutting them down more efficient."
[System]: You know, if I had a coin for every time you said something mildly terrifying"
Zihan: "You'd have your own sect by now."
[System]: Precisely."
The arena soon came into view an enormous ring of blackstone suspended above a molten river. Flame banners streamed in the wind. The seats were already filled with nobles, elders, and cultivators, their auras crackling like fire in a storm.
As the carriage rolled to a stop, silence spread. Every eye turned toward him.
The youth stepped out slowly, fan in hand, white hair catching the light, blindfold gleaming faintly. For a heartbeat, the crowd said nothing. Then the murmurs began again.
"He actually came."
"And still late!"
"Arrogant prince."
" I thought he'd be hiding in his room after the assassination."
Zihan ignored them all, walking toward the preparation platform where sect representatives gathered. Chu chen stood there, arms crossed, sneering. "How considerate of the Yue prince to grace us with his presence. Did your royal nap delay you?"
Han Qing bristled beside him, but Zihan merely smiled faintly. "No. I just didn't think the competition would start without me."
Laughter rippled through the spectators half mockery, half disbelief. Even the Flame Sovereign himself arched an amused brow from his elevated throne.
[System]: Attention ratio ninety-eight percent. Everyone's watching you.
Zihan: "Good."
Because beneath his calm exterior, the chaotic qi within him surged like an awakening beast. The fourth day had begun and Yue Zihan was done watching from the sidelines. This people took him for a joke were getting equally ridiculous.
. ….
The arena blazed with life. The sun hung high above the Flame Sovereign's territory, turning the sky into a sea of gold and crimson. The fourth day of the grand tournament had begun crowds roaring, sect banners flaring, and the sound of spiritual energy clashing echoing through the valley.
Yue Zihan stood at the edge of the platform, fan closed in his hand, robes swaying lightly in the heated air. Around him, disciples prepared for the morning duels, some sharpening their blades, others meditating. His blindfold reflected faint runes under the sunlight red and blue, pulsing gently, like twin hearts beating in rhythm.
Han Qing leaned close, voice low. "The first match is between the Saintess of the ice Lotus Sect and the Iron Flame Disciple from the Red Scorch Pavilion. That guy's brutal he nearly broke someone's spine yesterday."
His eyes looked a worried.
Zihan hummed softly, not taking his eyes from the arena. "She'll manage."
[System]: Host, emotional tone neutral. Yet heart rate increased by 12%. Possible interest detected.
Zihan:"You're malfunctioning again."
[System]: Possible denial detected.
The Saintess stepped into the ring like a drifting snowflake, her white robes gleaming, silver qi curling around her slender form. Across her, the Iron Flame Disciple cracked his knuckles, molten qi blazing around him like a living inferno.
When the referee signaled the start, the ground exploded. Fire met frost in a violent storm.
Lan Xueyin sword danced in a blur of frost petals, every movement elegant yet deadly. But the Iron Flame Disciple was ruthless his attacks shook the ground, each strike fueled by brute strength and explosive qi, filled with killing intent. The air turned into a battlefield of steam and sparks.
From the stands, sect members cheered. Bets were shouted. Elders watched with narrowed eyes.
Zihan's fan flicked open slightly, his expression unreadable.
"She's being too cautious," Han Qing whispered. "She's conserving qi. That's stupid against that brute"
Zihan said nothing. He could sense something an unfamiliar qi signature moving among the crowd. It slithered like a shadow, faint and poisonous. His fingers tightened slightly on his fan.
[System]: Host, that's the same energy pattern detected in the Black Pavilion hideout.
Zihan:"So they're here too."
As the Saintess struck a counter-blow, the Iron Flame Disciple unleashed a secret art Blazing Ash Palm, his qi erupting like a miniature sun. The attack tore through the frost barrier, hurling her back violently. She staggered, coughing blood, her footing sliding toward the edge of the arena.
The crowd gasped. The Red Scorch Pavilion disciples cheered.
Zihan's gaze turned cold beneath the blindfold.
[System]: Host, that level of qi she won't survive another hit.
Zihan:"Not my problem."
[System]: But that shadow energy it's interfering with her control."
Zihan: "…Explain."
[System]: A hidden needle of dark qi from the stands. Poison. Shadow Pavilion style.
Zihan's fan snapped open with a soft whirr.
[System]: I thought you weren't going to interfere unless threatened.
Zihan: "Correction I said unless I'm threatened. They just made that mistake."
A flick of his fan and a sharp, silver-edged gust of chaotic qi sliced through the air. No one noticed it moving in the crowd towards the assassin.
The shadow assassin hidden among the spectators froze mid-motion, his poisoned dart stopped an inch from release split cleanly in half. He gasped, blood spilling from his lips as an invisible force crushed his chest and his soul. He could feel something watching him but he could not pinpoint the specific directions. His core was basically pulled out of his body, it flew toward zihan, still invisible to the backed eye ,masked by the chaotic qi.
He had started collecting cores just for fun and see if they could be useful for his cultivation. They were just very beautiful.
The audience never saw what happened. One moment there was a scream, the next, silence.
Zihan closed his fan again, slow and deliberate. Putting the core in his storage ring.
"Idiots should learn not to aim near me."
Down below, Lan Xueyin steadied herself. The corrupted qi in her meridians faded resided as though it didn't exist, her eyes flashing with cold clarity , someone had been distrupting her qi and corrupting her core .
She exhaled once, frost blooming around her in an instant. Her sword became a blizzard. She had stopped being cautious.
Within three heartbeats, the Iron Flame Disciple was buried under ice, his qi extinguished.
The referee declared her victory in shock, though most of the spectators still blinked in disbelief. That had been an expected come back.
Zihan turned away from the ring before the cheers began. "She can handle the rest."
Han Qing exhaled, wiping his forehead. "You did something, didn't you?"
He looked at zihan, his eyes full with suspicion.
Zihan's smile was faint. "I sneezed."
[System]: Statistically speaking, that sneeze removed a trained assassin from existence.
Zihan: "Then I should sneeze more often. Sounds useful"
Later That Day
The sun began to dip as the last matches of the day came to an end. Zihan hadn't been called to fight again yet. He wondered why, discrimination, he thought. Instead, he had watched carefully each sect's strength, their techniques, their weaknesses.
He could feel it now the faint ripple of chaos energy in his core. His body had grown stronger, sharper. He was nearing the peak of his current realm. One more push… and he'd break through.
Han Qing noticed it too. "You're planning something, aren't you?"
Zihan's tone was calm. "After today, I'll need better materials to advance. The Flame Sovereign's vault should have what I need."
Han Qing choked. "You're going to rob the Flame Sovereign?" Looking at him in shork and disbelief.
Zihan smiled faintly, tapping his fan against his shoulder. "Not rob. Borrow with intent to forget returning."
" Are you out of your mind," Hang Qing added knowing he could not dissuade him from his set goal. He just hoped this dare devil will return safely. Ooh the pain of having reckless companions, he thought.
The [System] gave a weary sigh.
[System]: And yet I'm the one considered chaotic."
Zihan:"You should take pride in good influence."
As the day's light dimmed, Yue Zihan turned his gaze toward the horizon, where embers drifted on the wind. Tomorrow would be his turn to fight. And the Flame Sovereign's domain would soon learn .
That calm was only the surface of chaos.