Chapter 9: The Sword's Vanity and the Master's Shadow
The morning sun over the Myriad Kingdom Alliance Capital was not a symbol of hope, but a harsh spotlight on a city built upon a secret foundation of blood. The Coliseum of the Heavens was packed to its absolute limit. Half a million spectators roared, their voices creating a physical vibration that rattled the banners of twenty nations.
High above, in the VIP balcony, the Alliance Leader Zhao Feng sat with a tranquil expression, his eyes occasionally glancing at the massive stone pillars surrounding the arena. To the crowd, they were ancient monuments. To Tian Mo, who had scanned the Imperial Archives, they were the "Fangs of the Siphon"—the conduit through which the youth's essence would be drained.
Tian Mo sat in the Hung Kingdom's booth, his white robes pristine, his eyes closed. Behind him stood Li Feng and Princess Ling'er. Li Feng's hand was steady on his spear, but his aura had changed; it was no longer just hot fire, it was a condensed, silent heat, like the core of a star.
"The Combat Rounds shall begin!" Teacher Mo's voice boomed. "First Match: Li Feng of the Hung Kingdom versus Jian Chen of the Serene Cloud Empire!"
The stadium went from a roar to a sharp, expectant hush. Jian Chen was not just a student; he was the "First Sword" of the Tier-1 Serene Cloud Empire. At nineteen, he had already touched the threshold of Sword Intent. He walked into the arena with a silver rapier that seemed to hum with the wind, his expression one of bored superiority.
The Vanity of the Blade
Jian Chen stopped ten paces from Li Feng. He didn't even draw his sword completely, only letting an inch of the cold steel peek from the scabbard.
"I heard you reached the 100th floor of the Tower," Jian Chen said, his voice echoing with a natural arrogance. "But gravity is a physical burden. Combat is an art of the soul. Your Master may have taught you how to carry weight, but he cannot teach you how to survive a blade that has no flaws."
Li Feng looked at the "First Sword" and then glanced back at Tian Mo. His Master hadn't opened his eyes.
"My Master taught me many things," Li Feng replied, stepping into a basic spear stance—the most common, "trash" stance taught to beginners. "But mostly, he taught me that your 'Flawless Blade' is actually a sieve of errors."
The crowd gasped. The Serene Cloud Empire's supporters let out a chorus of boos. Jian Chen's eyes turned cold. "Ignorance is a terminal disease. Let me cure you."
Zing—!
Jian Chen moved. He was so fast that his body left three afterimages. His rapier moved in a pattern called the 'Seven Stars of the North,' a technique famous for having no counter-attack.
[DING!]
Inside Tian Mo's mind, the Divine Library flashed.
> Technique: Seven Stars of the North.
> Flaws: 15.
> Critical Error: The fourth 'Star' strike leaves the left rib exposed for 0.02 seconds due to an over-extension of the wrist.
> Advice: Do not block. Strike the air three inches to the left.
>
Tian Mo didn't say a word, but through the Soul Resonance he shared with his disciples, Li Feng felt a sudden clarity. The world slowed down. The silver rapier wasn't a blur; it was a clumsy, vibrating needle.
Clang!
Li Feng didn't retreat. He stepped into the strike. He tilted his spear at an odd, almost awkward angle and tapped the flat of Jian Chen's blade.
The "unstoppable" momentum of the Serene Cloud genius was instantly redirected. Jian Chen stumbled, his elegant footwork turning into a frantic scramble to stay upright.
"What?!" Teacher Mo stood up from the announcer's booth, his eyes wide. "He broke the Seven Stars with a basic parry?"
The Master's Shadow
Jian Chen's face went from pale to a deep, insulted red. "Luck! A fluke of a peasant!"
He roared, his Qi exploding in a silver aura. This time, he didn't just use a technique; he released his Sword Intent. The air in the arena became sharp, thousands of invisible needles cutting the ground around him.
"Master, can I use it?" Li Feng whispered.
Tian Mo opened one eye. "One move. Do not waste the energy."
Li Feng nodded. He closed his eyes. He stopped using his own Qi and instead tapped into the 'Heaven's Path Art' Tian Mo had synthesized in the archives.
As Jian Chen lunged for a final, lethal strike—the 'Falling Heaven Slash'—a terrifying shadow manifested behind Li Feng. It was the silhouette of Kuro, the Shadow Sentinel.
The Shadow didn't attack Jian Chen. It simply looked at him.
[Silence Domain: Activated.]
The silver aura around Jian Chen's sword vanished. His Qi, which had been surging like a river, suddenly felt like lead. It refused to move. It was as if the universe had forgotten how to allow him to cultivate.
"My Qi... it's gone?!" Jian Chen screamed in terror.
Li Feng didn't use a flashy move. He simply stepped forward and drove the butt of his spear into Jian Chen's solar plexus.
THUD.
The "First Sword" of the Serene Cloud Empire was sent flying back, his body skidding across the stone floor until he hit the arena wall. He collapsed, his silver rapier clattering uselessly beside him.
Silence. The half-million people in the stadium were so quiet that the fluttering of the banners sounded like thunder.
Tian Mo stood up. He didn't look at the defeated genius. He looked directly at the Alliance Leader, Zhao Feng. He saw the siphoning pillars beginning to glow, trying to suck the "excess" Qi from the arena.
Tian Mo raised his hand, and a faint golden thread of energy shot from his finger into the ground.
[Divine Library: Feedback Loop Initiated. Redirecting Siphon...]
Suddenly, the pillars vibrated violently. Instead of draining Li Feng, the pillars began to shake, and the energy they had already collected started flowing backwards into Li Feng.
Li Feng's aura didn't just stabilize; it exploded.
1st Stage Saint Sovereign... 2nd Stage... 3rd Stage!
In the middle of the arena, Li Feng underwent a breakthrough that should have taken ten years.
The Hidden Alchemist
As the crowd erupted in a mix of confusion and awe, a figure in a tattered green cloak slipped through the shadows of the Hung Kingdom's booth.
"Don't look at me, Teacher Tian Mo," a raspy voice whispered. "Keep looking at the arena."
Tian Mo didn't turn. "Who are you?"
"I am Wei the Poison-Eater. I was the Chief Alchemist of the Alliance before I found out what they were putting in the 'Foundation Pills' they give to the geniuses."
Tian Mo's eyes narrowed. "The Demonic Essence."
"So you know," the rogue alchemist whispered, his voice trembling. "They aren't just siphoning Qi. They are 'Marking' the students. The pillars in this arena are injecting a trace of Otherworldly Demonic energy into every winner. They aren't reinforcing the seal; they are creating 'Human Vessels' for the demons to possess when the eclipse comes."
Tian Mo looked at the General, Ba Yuan, who was sitting near the arena floor, looking pale. He looked at Li Feng, who was now being cheered by the very people who had mocked him.
"They want vessels," Tian Mo said, his voice a low, dangerous vibration. "But they forgot that a vessel can also be a trap."
"Master Mo is calling for the next round," Wei whispered, retreating into the shadows. "Be careful. They know you've interfered with the siphon. The next opponent for your Princess won't be a student. It will be a 'Hunter' disguised as one."
Tian Mo stood up, his white robes catching the wind. He looked at Princess Ling'er. She was already standing, her Lightning Lizard crackling with anticipation.
"Ling'er," Tian Mo said.
"Yes, Master?"
"In the next round, do not use the 'Gentle' path. The Alliance wants a harvest. Show them that the Hung Kingdom brings the Reaper."
The Revelation of the High Seat
Alliance Leader Zhao Feng leaned forward, his eyes fixed on Tian Mo. He turned to an aide behind him.
"The siphon has been reversed. The pillars are leaking," Zhao Feng hissed. "Who is this Tian Mo? He didn't just break the formation; he hijacked it."
"He is a 3-Star Supreme Teacher from a Tier-3 Kingdom, My Lord," the aide whispered.
"No," Zhao Feng said, his gaze turning predatory. "He is a 3-Star with the eyes of an Ancient God. Activate the 'Obsidian Contingency'. If we cannot harvest these students, we will bury them in the arena."
The stone pillars around the Coliseum began to turn from white to a deep, ominous black. The air grew heavy with the smell of ozone and old blood.
Tian Mo looked at the darkening pillars and smiled. He pulled out the iron key, which was now pulsing with a fierce golden light.
"The Library is hungry," Tian Mo whispered to himself. "And this Alliance has so many 'Flaws' just waiting to be deleted."