The arena roars with life, its stands packed with people waving banners and shouting until their voices break. Dust swirls under the bright afternoon light as Zhao Lianhua's spear stops an inch from her opponent's neck.
The referee raises his hand, and the crowd explodes in cheers. The announcer's voice booms across the arena, "Victory—Zhao Lianhua of the Wuya Escort Agency!"
He waits for the noise to settle before continuing, "Current scores—Wuya Escort Agency: seven points. Bronze Sparrow Escort Agency: three points!"
Excitement ripples through the stands as he adds, "The next and final round will decide everything! Worth five points, this match could change the entire outcome. If the Bronze Sparrow Escort Agency wins, they will turn the tide and claim victory!"
He lifts his scroll and announces, "Representing the Bronze Sparrow Escort Agency—Ke Xin!"
An old man with a weathered face steps into the arena, halberd in hand, his aura sharp and heavy.
"And representing the Wuya Escort Agency—Kong Wuya!"
A murmur spreads through the crowd as Kaelan, known in the demon world but hidden here under his human name, strides into the arena.
The silver sword gleams in Kaelan's hand, catching the sunlight as he moves with calm, lethal grace. He stops opposite Ke Xin, their gazes locking across the arena's dusty floor.
Ke Xin's grip tightens around his halberd, his eyes sharp with the weight of desperation. For him, this competition has turned into a matter of life and death—for his honour, his agency, and his standing in the kingdom.
"You're the one behind the Wuya Agency," he says, his voice edged with defiance. "You must've just broken through to the Ultimate Realm. Don't worry—I'll go easy on you."
Kaelan's lips curl into a faint smile. "Let's see who goes easy on who."
The referee raises his arm, glancing between them. "Are you both ready?"
They nod.
"Begin!"
In the next breath, both blur forward. Sword and halberd clash, a thunderous echo splitting the air. Once. Twice. Then again—steel meeting steel in a storm of sparks.
Neither unleashes their full Ultimate Realm power yet; both fight at the peak of the Supreme Martial Art Realm, testing each other's rhythm and precision.
Their weapons weave through the air in arcs of light and shadow, the clash of their techniques sending shockwaves across the arena as they circle and strike, matching skill for skill, strength for strength.
Dark energy seeps from Kaelan's body, rippling through the arena like living smoke.
His silver sword hums, shadows gathering around its edge as the ground beneath his feet darkens.
Across from him, Ke Xin's halberd flares with molten light, the glow shifting between gold and crimson as streams of metal and fire element energy swirl around his weapon.
The two clash again—sword of shadow against halberd of flame and steel.
Every strike shakes the stage, every collision fills the air with crackling sparks and echoing thunder.
Kaelan's movements grow sharper, his sword trailing streaks of darkness that devour the light they pass through.
He hides his death element, allowing only the pure darkness to manifest—an energy deep and consuming, yet still within human comprehension.
Through it, he touches the threshold of Ultimate Martial Art, his presence vast and suffocating.
From the stands, a spectator leans forward. "He's using both metal and fire? How's that possible for a martial artist?"
An older cultivator beside him answers, eyes narrowing. "Once one reaches the peak of the Ultimate Realm, they've touched the limit of martial mastery. To push further, they try to comprehend new elements to balance or strengthen their techniques. It's a way to seek another breakthrough, though few ever succeed."
Back on the stage, Kaelan and Ke Xin press harder.
Sword shadows and fiery arcs twist through the air, black smoke mixing with golden light, the ground breaking beneath their feet.
The fight reaches its crescendo—then, as if by silent agreement, both halt mid-motion and leap back.
Dust drifts between them as they stand several meters apart, breathing steady, eyes locked—each measuring the other, knowing the next exchange will decide everything.
Ke Xin exhales slowly, his grip tightening around the halberd. "Let's get serious."
Kaelan's eyes glint, a faint smile forming. "Agreed."
In the next instant, the air trembles. Dark energy bursts from Kaelan's body, rising like a tide of shadow. His feet lift from the ground as the darkness swirls beneath him, his presence vast and heavy, devouring the light around him.
Opposite him, Ke Xin's body flares with blinding brilliance—metal energy coating his skin in shimmering gold while tongues of molten heat flicker between the cracks of his aura.
They move.
The two streaks—one black, one gold—collide with a deafening roar. The impact tears across the arena, sending a violent shockwave that ploughs trenches through the stone floor.
The protective barrier surrounding the arena shudders, rippling under the force like a disturbed lake, and the spectators gasp as wind and light explode outward in every direction.
Kaelan and Ke Xin vanish into a blur of motion, their figures reappearing in the air above the stage. The clash continues midair—Kaelan's dark sword slashing through waves of metallic light, Ke Xin's halberd spinning arcs of molten gold.
The energy dome crackles, barely containing their power, as they fight across both ground and sky, each strike shaking the entire arena like thunder trapped inside a cage.
Their movements grow faster, sharper, each strike heavier than the last.
Kaelan's dark aura swells like a storm, twisting into spirals that eat through the air itself, while Ke Xin's body burns brighter, the metal light around him turning blinding white.
Every collision sends waves of force crashing against the barrier, the sound deep and thunderous, shaking even the spectators' bones.
Kaelan descends in a sweeping arc, his sword blazing with condensed darkness. Ke Xin meets him head-on, his halberd cleaving upward in a trail of molten sparks.
The explosion that follows rattles the entire arena—the ground splits open, dust and stone flying skyward as their energies explode outward.
The two figures vanish again into the haze, appearing and vanishing in flashes of gold and black. Kaelan's blade slashes through afterimages, his strikes smooth and flowing like shadow water.
Ke Xin's halberd meets every blow, each swing heavier, faster, until the air hums with metallic pressure.
Their auras crash again and again, filling the dome with chaos and light, until both seem to blur into streaks of raw power.
Then, an ear-splitting crack rings out.
Ke Xin's halberd meets Kaelan's sword with overwhelming force, a single strike wrapped in the full might of his dual elements.
The air shatters with a metallic scream as Kaelan's silver sword breaks apart, fragments scattering like shooting stars.
The shockwave hurls both of them backwards.
They land several meters apart, boots grinding into the shattered stone, dust curling between them.
The roar of the crowd fades into a tense, trembling silence.
Both men breathe steadily, their auras still raging behind them, eyes locked once more—two storms poised to collide again.
Kaelan looks down at his broken sword and sighs softly. It was inevitable; he had known before the fight that the risk was there. The blade he carried was only a peak-rank spiritual weapon—not a true spiritual artefact like his golden sword. Meanwhile, Ke Xin's halberd was half a spiritual artefact, forged to endure the power of ultimate martial arts.
From the stands, the announcer's voice echoes through the arena. "Is the battle coming to an end?"
The crowd erupts, voices surging in waves as they chant Ke Xin's name, drowning out the few that shout for Kaelan.
Ke Xin steadies his breath, points his halberd toward Kaelan, and says coldly, "Surrender. I don't want to hurt you. You have no chance of winning."
Kaelan exhales and shakes his head. "I wanted to keep it hidden for later… but it seems I'll have to show it now."
A faint frown creases Ke Xin's brow. His instincts flare, warning him of danger. Not daring to take chances, he tightens his grip on his halberd and roars, his aura bursting outward as he charges straight at Kaelan.
But before he can close the distance, a violent surge of dark energy erupts from Kaelan's body.
The shockwave slams against Ke Xin, forcing him back as he struggles to push forward through the suffocating pressure. The air thickens, trembling under the force of Kaelan's power.
Then, before the stunned eyes of the crowd, Kaelan's dark energy condenses above him—taking shape, forming wings, claws, and a long beak.
A figure of black mist materialises: a being with a crow's head, dark wings unfurled, and human limbs wreathed in shadow.
Gasps ripple through the stands. The announcer's voice cracks with disbelief. "W–what is that!?"
Ke Xin's eyes widen in horror as the crow-headed phantom raises its clawed hand and slams its palm forward. He braces his halberd across his chest, but the blow crushes through his defence, launching him backwards like a rag doll.
He crashes into the arena wall with a thunderous crack, blood spraying from his mouth as his body crumples to the ground. The phantom slowly fades, dissolving into motes of dark light that sink back into Kaelan's body.
Ke Xin coughs, trembling, his vision blurring. "W–what… was that?"
Kaelan's calm voice reaches him through the silence. "The next realm of Wizard–Martial Art cultivation… the Holy Fetus Realm."
Ke Xin's eyes widen once more before rolling back as he loses consciousness.
The arena falls deathly silent for a heartbeat—then erupts in a roar.
"The winner," the announcer shouts, voice cracking with awe, "is from the Wuya Escort Agency—Kong Wuya!"
"The Wuya Escort Agency has won the competition—and secured the Mi Rice House contract!"