The board adjusted once more, names sharpening as academy titles slid in beneath them.
That only made the noise louder.
Everyone leaned forward now.
Top 8 Matchups
Match 1
Lu Shen — Starfall First Academy
vs
Gu Liang — Starfall Third Academy
Match 2
Shen Lian — Radiant Sky Institute
vs
Tang Wei — Starfall Fourth Academy
Match 3
Han Yue — Starfall First Academy
vs
Qiao Ren — Northriver Combat School
Match 4
Lin Hao — Starfall Second Academy
vs
Wei Jin — Starfall Tenth Academy
That did it.
"Lu Shen's still the favorite."
"Yeah, but Gu Liang's not weak. That last fight took a lot out of him though."
"Shen Lian versus Tang Wei is the real technical match."
"No way. Han Yue and Qiao Ren—that's going to be brutal."
"Lin Hao got Jin… unlucky draw for the tenth academy."
Above the arena, a projection flared to life—live prediction poll updating in real time.
Win Probability Poll
Lu Shen (Starfall First) — 25%
Han Yue (Starfall First) — 13%
Lin Hao (Starfall Second) — 13%
Shen Lian (Radiant Sky) — 12%
Qiao Ren (Northriver Combat School) — 12%
Gu Liang (Starfall Third) — 10%
Tang Wei (Starfall Fourth) — 10%
Wei Jin (Starfall Tenth) — 5%
A few people scoffed when Jin's number showed up.
"Five percent? That's polite."
"He already went further than anyone expected."
"Lin Hao won't even break a sweat."
A student in a Starfall First uniform leaned back, arms crossed. "He beat someone from his own academy. That doesn't mean anything."
Another scoffed. "Exactly. Don't compare internal matches to real pressure. Lin Hao isn't Zhao Chen."
"Low academies always overestimate one decent performance," someone added. "Once he meets a real core academy student, it ends."
Heads nodded. To them, this wasn't debate—it was common sense.
But on the lower-academy side, the reaction was completely different.
"That's bullshit," a Starfall Eighth student said immediately. "Did you even watch his last match?"
"He didn't panic once," another said. "And that skill at the end—do you think anyone can just use something like that?"
A student from Starfall Ninth clenched his fists. "Five percent? He dominated Chen, and Chen beat a First Academy student."
Someone else chimed in, voice sharp with frustration. "They said the same thing before Phase Two. Said the Tenth wouldn't clear Stonefang at all."
A short silence followed.
Then, quietly, "And look how that turned out."
The two sides talked over each other now.
"Luck runs out."
"Skill doesn't disappear overnight."
"Lin Hao is built different."
"So was Lu Shen—until someone proves otherwise."
From the higher seats, a Radiant Sky student shook his head. "You're comparing academies that don't even train at the same level."
A lower-academy teacher snapped back, "Then explain why he's still here."
No one answered that.
The arena lights dimmed slightly as the central platform expanded.
"Match One," the announcer's voice echoed through the stands.
"Lu Shen — Starfall First Academy."
"Gu Liang — Starfall Third Academy."
The noise rose immediately. Even before the fighters appeared, most eyes were already on one side of the platform.
Gu Liang stepped out first.
His boots struck the floor with a dull, heavy sound, as if the ground itself recognized his presence. Faint stone-colored patterns crawled along his forearms and neck, scales half-formed beneath his skin. He rolled his shoulders once, slow and deliberate, letting the earth-aspected energy settle into his body.
Across from him, Lu Shen walked out calmly.
No rush. No tension.
The faint red glow of his Crimson Horn Minotaur gene pulsed beneath his skin, heat rolling off him in subtle waves. He cracked his neck once and stopped at the center of the platform, eyes lifting to meet Gu Liang's.
Gu Liang didn't look away.
The barrier sealed.
The signal sounded.
Gu Liang moved first—not forward, but downward.
[ Stonebind Domain ]
The platform trembled as dense earth energy spread outward from his feet. The ground hardened, weight pressing down unnaturally, turning each step into resistance.
Lu Shen felt it immediately.
"Tch."
He stepped forward anyway.
Gu Liang's hands slammed together.
[ Basilisk Scale Guard ]
Stone plates layered over his torso and arms, thickening with each breath. He advanced steadily, fists low, stance grounded. This wasn't a charge—it was a slow collapse of space, forcing Lu Shen to meet him head-on.
Their first clash was heavy.
Lu Shen's flaming punch crashed into Gu Liang's guard, fire bursting outward. The impact echoed through the arena—but Gu Liang didn't move more than half a step.
The crowd stirred.
"He blocked that?"
"That was a clean hit."
Gu Liang countered immediately, driving his elbow forward.
[ Earthspine Elbow ]
Jagged force erupted at close range, slamming into Lu Shen's ribs. Lu Shen slid back several meters, boots scraping, heat flaring to absorb the shock.
He laughed softly. "You're solid."
Gu Liang didn't answer.
He pressed.
The platform became Gu Liang's territory—stone spikes rose to limit movement, pressure weighed down Lu Shen's legs, every exchange demanding more effort than the last. Gu Liang wasn't faster. He wasn't stronger.
But he didn't break.
Minutes passed like that. Exchange after exchange.
And slowly, cracks began forming in Gu Liang's stone armor.
Lu Shen adapted.
His movements sharpened. Fire condensed instead of flaring, each strike carrying more intent, more precision. When Gu Liang overcommitted, Lu Shen punished it. When Gu Liang tried to lock him down, Lu Shen tore space open with sheer force.
A final collision sent Gu Liang skidding backward, armor fractured, breath heavy.
The arena thought it was over.
Gu Liang straightened.
Blood ran down his chin. His breathing was rough. But his eyes were still steady.
"So this is the gap," he muttered.
Then the earth beneath him changed.
It didn't rise.
It didn't spike.
It sank.
[ Basilisk Gravebound ]
The ground around Gu Liang collapsed inward, stone flowing like liquid and then snapping solid again, dragging all gathered earth energy into his body at once. The scales across his skin darkened, turning almost black, lines of power locking into place.
A rare++ skill.
The pressure spiked instantly.
Lu Shen's expression shifted—not alarmed, but focused.
Gu Liang moved.
For the first time, he was fast.
His fist slammed forward, carrying compressed earth force dense enough to distort the air. It struck Lu Shen square in the chest.
The sound was dull.
Heavy.
Lu Shen was thrown back—hard—skidding across the platform before planting his foot and stopping himself.
A thin line of blood ran from the corner of his mouth.
The arena went silent.
Gu Liang exhaled shakily. "That's… everything I have."
Lu Shen wiped his mouth once, glanced at the blood on his thumb—and then straightened.
The fire around him surged.
Not wildly.
Controlled.
His aura rolled outward, crushing the remaining stone pressure like dry clay.
"Good," Lu Shen said simply. "That was worth seeing."
He stepped forward.
Once.
Twice.
Gu Liang tried to raise his guard again—but his body didn't respond.
The medic signal flared before Lu Shen even threw the finishing blow.
[ Match Ended ]
Winner: Lu Shen — Starfall First Academy
Gu Liang collapsed to one knee, chest heaving, staring at the ground.
Lu Shen turned away without another word.
The crowd erupted.
Gu Liang hadn't embarrassed himself.
He'd forced Lu Shen to acknowledge him.
And that alone set him apart from most of the arena.
Gu Liang didn't lose because he was weak.
He lost because his opponent was Lu Shen.