---
The gong thundered across the basin.
The ground beneath Ria's feet glowed with sigils as the barrier opened fully, the scent of ozone and blood-thick qi spilling from the arena floor. From the other side, a tide of icy mist swept forward—blue and sharp as broken glass.
The Frost Sky Temple had arrived.
Their disciples descended the steps in silence, white robes flowing like snow, eyes bright with a cold, pale light. The air itself seemed to bow before them, freezing the dust midair into shimmering motes. At their head walked a tall youth with silver hair braided with talismans of frost. His qi pulsed cold enough to turn breath into crystals.
"The Frost Prince," Ren murmured, stretching his neck. "I've heard stories. They say he froze a river mid-battle."
Ria's gaze never wavered. "Then he's about to learn that ice still melts in fire."
A hush fell as both teams stepped into the light. The Grand Arbiter raised his staff, and the basin trembled.
"Match Twenty-Two! Cloud-Ridge Sect versus Frost Sky Temple! Begin!"
The world exploded.
Frost Sky's disciples moved first. Their leader swept his hand, and a wave of freezing wind surged forward—blades of ice shaped like crescent moons. In perfect formation, his six teammates followed, layering runes into the storm. Within seconds, the entire arena was swallowed by blinding snow and deafening wind.
Spectators gasped as the blizzard devoured Cloud-Ridge's side. For an instant, nothing could be seen but white chaos.
Then came a sound.
A heartbeat.
And then—a boom.
Flames ripped through the snowstorm, painting the mist gold. From its heart emerged Ria, her silver hair gleaming like moonlight through dawn. The ground around her cracked under the pressure of her qi—flame and water, harmony and destruction entwined.
System Sync — Active.
Team Synchronization: 100%.
Enhancement Bonus: Quadruple Growth (Cultivation + Skill Proficiency).
Skill Amplifier: Multi-Group Enhancer — Resonance Multiplied.
Her team materialized beside her, each radiating power that made the ground tremble. Ren's blades shimmered with stormlight, Mei's talismans glowed like floating suns, Jin's spear blazed with golden light, and Lian's flame-dance aura turned air into molten silk.
The blizzard cracked apart like glass struck by a hammer.
Ren grinned. "Alright, Ria. You said balance before brilliance. We've been balanced long enough."
Ria lifted her sword. "Then shine."
They moved as one.
It wasn't battle—it was art.
Ren vanished into motion, his twin blades drawing arcs of light that danced faster than sight. Mei's talismans unfolded in the air like petals, binding the Frost Sky vanguard in glowing sigil chains before they could react. Jin's spear came next, sweeping through the air in a spiral of golden wind that shattered the frozen earth.
The Frost Prince barely raised his guard before Ria appeared before him in a flash of foxfire. Her blade met his frost aura—and cut through it like silk.
The impact sent a ring of sound through the basin. Qi flared, dust billowed—and then silence.
When the smoke cleared, the Frost Sky Temple's formation was gone. Their disciples lay sprawled across the shattered tiles, frost melting into harmless mist. The Frost Prince's blade, still glowing faintly blue, lay cracked beside him.
The battle had lasted less than a minute.
The crowd erupted in disbelief.
"Did they even chant their techniques—?!"
"Was that swordplay or divine sorcery?"
"That girl—she didn't even use a domain!"
On the high terrace, several sect masters leaned forward. Lord Kaido of Emberspire cursed under his breath. "A single strike—no hesitation. Hanzo, what did you feed that disciple?"
Hanzo's lips curved slightly. "Discipline."
Even Lady Qian of Flowing Lotus, usually calm as water, tilted her head. "Her resonance isn't mortal. That's more than harmony—it's evolution."
Down below, Ria lowered her sword. The last motes of frost drifted into the wind. The system chimed softly in her mind.
Victory Confirmed — Time Elapsed: 00:54 seconds.
Opponent Power Level: +37%.
Performance Rating: SS-tier.
Reward Bonus: +4% Sword Proficiency, +4% Martial Skill Growth.
Team Bonus: Quadruple Synchronization Stability (Perfect).
Her teammates were breathing hard, but not from exhaustion—rather, exhilaration. The connection between them pulsed bright as a sun.
Ren laughed, spinning his blades. "Fifty-four seconds. I vote we make the next one faster."
"Let's not brag," Mei said, though she couldn't hide her grin. "There are still hundreds of sects left."
Ria sheathed her sword, her aura slowly dimming. "The battle isn't over until the last ember fades."
The Grand Arbiter's staff struck the ground. His voice, calm but edged with awe, echoed through the basin.
"Victory — Cloud-Ridge Sect! Advancement to Rank 72!"
The crowd roared.
Some cheered, others whispered, and more than a few glared in thinly veiled envy. The Cloud-Ridge Sect, once mocked as a minor eastern sect of "quiet foxes," had just shattered that reputation in under a minute.
As Ria and her team stepped back into the waiting grounds, disciples from other sects gave them wide berth. The air itself seemed to ripple around them, their combined qi forming a quiet, invisible current that others instinctively avoided.
Ren sighed dramatically. "I kind of miss being underestimated."
"You still will be," Jin said with a smirk. "Until they realize you're serious."
"I'm always serious about being lazy," Ren shot back.
Lian rolled her eyes. "Try not to joke your way into the next fight."
Ria barely listened. Her gaze wandered across the basin as the next sects took the field. Already, new banners were rising—Stormveil Sect, Azure Mist Valley, Ironheart Fortress, and dozens of others. The Grand Battle Royale would last for days; today was only the first wave.
She could feel the intensity rising. Every sect that entered after them fought harder, faster, desperate to prove they could match the foxes' speed. Spells collided midair, lighting the basin in every color imaginable. The ground split, the sky rumbled, and still the crowd screamed for more.
System Notification:
Observation Level — Rising. Hidden Entities Watching: 3.
Note: Your growth curve has drawn attention beyond mortal sight.
Her eyes narrowed slightly, looking toward the mountains where the horizon shimmered faintly. She didn't know what watched them—but she could feel its weight.
Ren noticed her expression. "Something wrong?"
"Not wrong," she murmured. "Just… beginning."
He tilted his head. "That tone never means something easy."
"No," she admitted softly. "The strong never stay silent long."
Above, Elder Hanzo folded his hands behind his back. The other sect masters argued loudly about power levels and system anomalies, but he simply smiled faintly, his eyes fixed on Ria's still form below.
"Do you see it now?" he said quietly to Instructor Kao beside him. "The fox's fire is not destruction—it's renewal. Every time she fights, she refines the world around her."
Kao nodded slowly, awe flickering in his gaze. "And if that renewal burns the heavens themselves?"
"Then," Hanzo said softly, "the heavens will simply learn to shine brighter."
The day stretched long. One by one, more sects fell, and others advanced. But none moved as fast or cleanly as Cloud-Ridge. Their single match had become the talk of the basin. Whispers followed them wherever they went—rumors of divine systems, of reincarnated beings, of forbidden cultivation arts.
By the time the sun dipped low, casting long golden shadows across the arena, Ria's team had already returned to meditation. They sat in a circle, their qi blending in calm pulses as they recovered.
The faint scent of fire and frost lingered around them—a memory of the storm they'd just ended.
Ren cracked one eye open. "You know, if we keep winning this fast, they'll make us fight multiple rounds tomorrow."
Ria smiled faintly. "Then we'll just keep adapting."
"Typical," Mei said softly, laughing. "The fox never rests."
"The fox evolves," Ria corrected, opening her eyes to the setting sun. "And this is only the first night."
Far above, the Grand Arbiter lifted his staff once more.
"Round Twelve — Prepare the next sectors!"
The basin flared alive again, banners whipping in the evening wind. But every spectator knew one thing now —
the Cloud-Ridge Sect had set the standard.
And when the next dawn came, every disciple would measure themselves against the silver-haired fox who had ended a battle in a minute.
Ria stood slowly, her eyes glowing faintly under the falling light. The world's qi moved differently now, sharper, faster—responding to her presence like a tide to the moon.
She turned to her team, voice quiet but firm.
"Rest well," she said. "Tomorrow, we make them remember."
---