Chapter 40

  High above the stadium, in a luxuriously adorned pavilion lined with celestial silk curtains and engraved jade furnishings, the Princess of the Imperial Line slumped in her seat.

  Her arms crossed, gaze bored, and lips slightly pouting, she sighed loud enough to be heard over the muffled cheers of millions below.

  “Why exactly did you bring me here?” she asked flatly, looking between her older brother, the Crown Prince, and their calm, ever-serene aunt Zhou Yanyue, the Enlightened One of the imperial court and the Violent Mirror Sect.

  The Crown Prince smiled, not unkindly. “You’re part of the royal family, sister. You have responsibilities. This tournament is sponsored by our house—you should at least look like you care.”

  “Oh please,” the princess scoffed, waving a hand. “I already declared in court—and to every one of our oh-so-loyal relatives—that I want nothing to do with the throne. You’re the Crown Prince. Everyone knows that. I can’t even take the throne.”

  Zhou Yanyue gave a soft chuckle, sipping her tea.

  “That may be true,” she said, voice smooth and composed, “but it doesn’t stop others from hoping—or scheming. As long as you carry the main bloodline, you’ll always be a possibility in someone’s plan. That’s the truth of power, my dear. You can’t just walk away from it… unless—”

  “Unless what?” the Princess snapped, her irritation rising. “Unless I get married off to some ‘neutral faction’ boy who isn’t interested in politics? You know I only care about cultivation.”

  She crossed her arms, voice cold. “And don’t even bring up those soul-binding vows they use in political marriages. I’m not tying my soul to someone just to become a pawn on their game board.”

  Her eyes burned with a rare intensity. “I’ve already reached Core Formation—at three hundred, no less—with a Grade 5 Elemental Synchronization. I’ve worked for every step. And if I ever have to marry someone, it’ll be someone I choose. Not some walking diplomatic tool with a nice smile and hidden daggers.”

  Zhou Yanyue met her eyes. Her gaze wasn’t harsh, but it wasn’t soft either.

  “You cultivate because it grants you freedom. Because power gives you choice—and you crave that. I admire it. But others? They resent it. They want you on their side, in their bed, or locked away in their plans.”

  The Crown Prince interjected gently, “That’s why we brought you here. Not just for royal appearances. But because… the three major sects—Grand Harmony, Void Pillar, and Heavenly Flux—have all made it clear they want no part in the current succession politics.”

  He looked at her meaningfully. “That makes their disciples ideal candidates. No bloodline loyalties. No noble houses. Just strength, reputation, and neutrality.”

  The Princess narrowed her eyes slightly, picking up the subtle implications.

  “You brought me here… to find a spouse?” Her voice was low, incredulous.

  Zhou Yanyue raised her hands innocently. “That’s just the last item on a long checklist. We’re here for many reasons. Yours just happens to be at the bottom.”

  “You’d better not be planning to parade young masters in front of me again,” she muttered.

  Zhou Yanyue gave a serene smile. “Just don’t humiliate anyone this time. We still get letters from that poor clan.”

  “That was because he acted like a pompous idiot,” the princess shot back. “He came in thinking he’d impress me with empty titles and an ego larger than his cultivation base.”

  She stood, flicking a strand of hair behind her ear. Her irritation was morphing into something more mischievous.

  “You know what?” she said, cracking her knuckles.

  “You want me to choose someone, right? Fine.”

  She turned toward the viewing mirror, which began displaying the starting groups in the tournament.

  “I’m going to bring a little drama.”

  “I’ll test whoever you have your eyes on. Tear into him in front of the crowd. If he shatters, he was never worth it. But…” Her smile turned sharp. “If he can handle me—humiliation, pressure, and all—then maybe he’s someone I’ll look at twice.”

  Zhou Yanyue sipped her tea again, unbothered. “I expected no less from my niece.”

  The Crown Prince simply chuckled. “Just don’t burn down the arena.”

  —

  The scene shifted back to Adam and his team—Xiaoyan, Mu Qing Li, and Li Fan—as they stood on a rocky outcrop overlooking dense forest. Their surroundings buzzed with Qi, the faint rumble of distant clashes hinting that the tournament was already well underway.

  Mu Qing Li took a step forward, her gaze steady. “We should start planning. We can’t afford to just wander around aimlessly.”

  She naturally took the leader’s position, while Li Fan, ever calm and analytical, adjusted his robes and nodded.

  “I’ll handle the strategy,” Li Fan said. “There are 30 teams in this match. Ten of them, including us, are from the major sects. Most of those teams, like ours, are composed entirely of dual-dantian users.”

  He glanced at Adam. “You, and two other cultivators from different teams, are the only ones with triple dantians. That gives you a significant advantage in raw Qi reserves and versatility.”

  Xiaoyan folded his arms. “That means when major sect teams clash with minor ones—where most disciples only have a single dantian—it’ll be a slaughter.”

  “Exactly,” Li Fan continued. “Which is why I believe the major sect teams won’t waste time hunting for tags. They'll likely aim for the hidden quests instead. Completing one of those guarantees advancement for the whole team, and it avoids unnecessary fighting.”

  Xiaoyan added, “But there’s also a real chance that some ambitious minor sect teams might try to snipe the quests. Either by stealing the rewards, or ambushing the victors once they’re weakened.”

  Li Fan smiled slightly. “Good observation. That opens up a different strategy for us. We can target minor teams that are already in the middle of a fight, swoop in as third parties, and take their accumulated tags. Less effort, higher gain.”

  Adam nodded thoughtfully. “And if some of those major sect teams end up getting injured from back-to-back fights with these opportunistic smaller teams, maybe we’ll have a shot at taking them down too.”

  Mu Qing Li’s expression remained calm but serious. “And what if some of the minor teams form alliances to gang up on the major sects?”

  Adam gave a casual shrug. “Then we don’t fight them head-on. We set traps—guerrilla tactics. Isolate one or two of them, bait them away from their groups, then ambush them together. Turn the numbers in our favor, 4-on-2 or even better.”

  Li Fan chuckled. “Risky, but I like it. Definitely better than taking on fifteen at once.”

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  Mu Qing Li turned toward Adam, narrowing her eyes. “And if we run into another major sect’s team?”

  Adam didn’t hesitate. “Then you three retreat, and I’ll hold them off.”

  Xiaoyan and Li Fan both looked at him, startled. Mu Qing Li didn’t speak for a moment.

  “Are you sure you can escape something like that?” she asked coldly.

  Adam grinned. “Escape? Who said anything about running? I’ve got a large-scale area-of-effect spell. If I time it right, it’ll mess with their coordination, maybe knock a few out if they’re caught off guard. Enough to give you time to regroup or get away.”

  Mu Qing Li stared at him for a moment, assessing his confidence.

  “…Just don’t die doing it,” she finally muttered.

  Adam gave her a thumbs-up. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

  The four nodded to one another. They didn’t need to say it aloud—they weren’t just fighting to win, but to represent their sect with pride. And if they could do it with cleverness rather than brute force, all the better.

  Adam, Xiaoyan, Mu Qing Li, and Li Fan all felt it—a subtle fluctuation in the Qi around them, sharp and aggressive.

  Without a word, they leapt into the upper tree canopies, moving like shadows and making sure to stay hidden beneath the foliage.

  A moment later, they spotted it—a lone disciple rising above the canopy, lifted by some force.

  Adam squinted. “Is that guy using an elemental flight technique?”

  Li Fan narrowed his eyes. “Definitely. Flying artifacts are prohibited, and no one’s reckless enough to pull one out with the whole match under surveillance. He’s probably using his element to propel himself. Judging by those fiery bursts under his boots, I’d say fire-type propulsion. But he’s burning through a lot of Qi to stay airborne.”

  Xiaoyan frowned. “What’s he even trying to do, flying up like that? He’s completely exposed.”

  The rising disciple pulled a vibrant red bow from his storage ring, followed by a single arrow. Tied to it was a talisman, crackling erratically.

  He scanned the forest below, eyes sharp and focused—searching for something.

  Mu Qing Li’s expression turned cold. “He’s using the wrong dantian to activate the talisman. No wonder it’s unstable—it’s going to explode at this rate.”

  She paused, then her eyes widened.

  “…Wait. He wants it to explode.”

  The disciple loosed the arrow in a single, smooth motion. It arced downward, and just before impact, the talisman surged out of control—

  BOOM!

  A fiery explosion rocked the trees in the distance. Birds scattered. The blast radius flattened a portion of forest.

  Adam’s eyes widened. “It’s only been a few seconds… and people are already this aggressive?!”

  Li Fan adjusted his glasses, expression turning serious. “Looks like he’s got a grudge. Probably trying to take out a rival team right off the bat.”

  He turned to the others. “Either way—we shouldn't linger. If major sect teams are pulling stunts like that, we’d better move fast. Time to hunt down some minor teams.”

  The four disappeared into the trees, their silhouettes merging with the forest.

  As the group moved swiftly through the forest, leaping from branch to branch with near-silent grace, Adam broke the silence.

  “I’ll be taking a support role,” he said casually, scanning the terrain below. “I won’t be going for any kills.”

  The others paused mid-step, exchanging glances before converging on a thicker branch.

  Xiaoyan raised an eyebrow. “Why not?”

  Adam smiled faintly. “Simple. The fewer people I personally kill, the fewer enemies I make. No grudges, no long-term feuds. We’re already part of a major sect—there’s no need to paint an even bigger target on our backs.”

  He glanced at the others. “You guys might want to keep that in mind too.”

  Mu Qing Li’s gaze sharpened, her tone firm. “And how do you plan on dealing with enemies if you won’t finish them off?”

  Adam tapped the side of his temple. “I’ve got a spell—one I’ve fine-tuned. It doesn’t kill or maim. It just shuts them down completely. Think of it like… magical anesthesia. They’ll fall asleep instantly, unable to move, think, or fight back. Harmless, but effective.”

  Li Fan chuckled softly. “You really want to walk out of this with clean hands, huh?”

  Adam smirked. “I’m just trying not to give anyone a reason to remember me for the wrong reasons.”

  The group nodded, the forest rustling quietly around them as they resumed their silent pursuit—now with a plan that balanced power and subtlety.

  As Adam and his team spotted two surviving members of a minor sect, they took position in the treetops, hidden behind a veil of branches. Below, the survivors knelt near two unconscious comrades, their palms glowing with healing Qi. Nearby, a massive wooden beast — dead and mangled — sprawled across the clearing, its bark-like armor split open in several places. Clearly, the survivors had just barely won that battle.

  Adam’s gaze lingered on the scene. “They fought hard…”

  Mu Qing Li's voice was firm. “You feel bad for them. That’s good. But this is still a tournament.”

  Adam sighed. “I feel bad for the one who died. Not for what I have to do.”

  Li Fan crouched beside them, eyes scanning the area. “We need to strike fast — that beast’s death was loud.”

  The group nodded, and the ambush began.

  Xiaoyan was the first to move.

  With a flicker of flame and pressure, he activated Blazing Echo Step, rocketing from the trees toward the disciple attempting to heal. In mid-air, his blade flared to life — infused with Qi microbursts that enhanced its speed and weight.

  He raised it high overhead and brought it down in a vertical slash — a clean, brutal arc aimed to disable, not kill.

  But the other survivor reacted just in time.

  CLANG!

  The defender raised his sword with both hands, catching the overhead slash. Sparks flew as steel met steel. Instead of stopping it fully, the defender angled his blade and guided Xiaoyan’s strike to the side, letting it slide past and crash into the ground with a dull whump, churning up dirt and flame.

  Xiaoyan’s footing was just a little off.

  That’s when the counterattack came.

  From the high guard position, the defender immediately swung down with an oberhau — a diagonal downward cut, fast and forceful, aiming for Xiaoyan’s shoulder.

  Xiaoyan’s instincts kicked in. He tucked and rolled sideways, narrowly avoiding the slash. As he rolled, he twisted his wrist and unleashed a wide Explosive Slash toward the enemy’s flank.

  The other team member intercepted the slash with a gauntlet, Qi reinforcing the arm. The impact blasted out a shockwave of flame and sparks, forcing the defender back a step.

  Xiaoyan rose back to his feet, sword at the ready, a small grin creeping onto his face.

  “Not bad,” he muttered.

  The sword-wielding cultivator and his gauntlet-wearing teammate dropped into defensive stances. Their eyes were sharp, their posture grounded — seasoned fighters ready for the next move.

  Across from them, Xiaoyan mirrored them… sort of.

  He assumed an unusual stance.

  His sword stood vertical beside him, blade pointed straight up, while his free hand extended forward — palm out, fingers splayed, almost like casting a spell. The stance was strange, but it carried a quiet confidence.

  Just then, behind the two enemies, hidden behind a thick tree trunk, Adam made his move.

  With a whispered chant, he channeled Death Qi through his fingertips and cast Withering Pulse — a wave of invisible, colorless Qi that radiated outward.

  The moment it hit, the two opponents flinched.

  Their hair began graying at the tips. Their skin felt a cold dryness crawling up from their limbs.

  Startled, they separated — dashing sideways in opposite directions to break the effect.

  That was all the opening Xiaoyan needed.

  “Echo Bubble!” he called out, launching a small, shimmering sphere from his outstretched hand. The bubble floated slowly — almost harmlessly — until it struck the ground near the gauntlet cultivator’s feet.

  FWOOM.

  Time warped.

  The moment the bubble popped, a distortion ripple expanded, slowing time within a fixed radius. The gauntlet-wielder’s leg froze mid-step, and he nearly toppled backward.

  Looking up, he saw Mu Qing Li descending from above — her robes fluttering as she twisted gracefully in the air, a focused expression on her face.

  Panicking, he shouted to his comrade and fired a rock bolt upward.

  Mu Qing Li responded instantly. She spun mid-air and redirected her fall using a twist of Wind Qi, narrowly dodging the attack. Her palm lit up with green light as she slammed a Wood Binding Spell toward her target.

  Vines burst from the ground and wrapped around the gauntlet cultivator, pinning him in place.

  She landed a moment later and, without pause, fired another spell toward the sword cultivator — who managed to leap back just in time.

  But Xiaoyan was already anticipating it.

  Another Echo Bubble fired, this time toward the spot the sword cultivator was mid-air heading for.

  Eyes widening, the man activated his Ice Qi, forming a slab beneath his feet mid-jump. It gave him a brief foothold to redirect — planting one foot and backflipping away, narrowly avoiding the slowed zone.

  That’s when Li Fan struck.

  From the tree line, he pointed his spear forward and unleashed a bolt of Lightning Qi toward the sword cultivator’s exposed back.

  CRACK!

  The jolt stunned him.

  Seizing the opportunity, Adam unleashed a Grave Nail — a thin, black rod imbued with Death Qi — which flew like a dart and embedded itself in the cultivator’s calf.

  “Urgh…!” The man staggered, panic flooding his face as his vitality began draining rapidly, his skin turning pale.

  Desperate, he reached to pull out the nail — but Adam was already there.

  Flash Step.

  He appeared behind the man in a blur of motion, silent as a passing shadow.

  Before the cultivator could react, Adam’s hand clamped around his neck like a vice.

  A cold, colorless aura bled from Adam’s palm—death Qi, silent and suffocating—seeping directly into the man's body.

  The cultivator’s eyes widened in horror as his strength began to wither. His skin paled, lips dried, and veins darkened beneath the surface as if life itself was being siphoned away.

  A thin mist of grey vapor curled from his mouth with each shaky breath.

  He tried to struggle, but his limbs slackened.

  Adam's grip never wavered.

  Within moments, the man slumped unconscious, drained of vitality.

  The cultivator gasped, eyes rolling back as his limbs went limp. His skin turned ashen. He dropped to his knees, drained of strength.

  To ensure no surprise retaliation, Adam subtly used his memory manipulation — wiping out the last few moments and locking the man into a deep, undisturbed sleep.

  He fell like a puppet with cut strings.

  Adam stepped over to the downed sword cultivator and placed a hand on his chest. A warm glow spread as his light-based healing Qi flowed, slowly restoring color to the man’s pallid face.

  With the worst of the damage mended, Adam turned and walked toward Mu Qing Li and the restrained gauntlet cultivator, who still struggled against the vines.

  “I’m sorry about your teammate,” Adam said quietly.

  The gauntlet cultivator looked up, confused and defensive. “Why do you care? Aren’t you going to kill me too?”

  Adam gave a tired smile. “No real reason. Just thought you should know. And no—I’m not going to kill you.”

  The gauntlet cultivator’s eyes narrowed with hate. “I don’t need your damn pity!”

  With a sharp twist of his neck, he channeled Earth Qi and fired a jagged rock spike from his mouth, straight at Adam’s face.

  “Adam!” Mu Qing Li shouted.

  Without blinking, Adam circulated Metal Qi, reinforcing his skin with a silver gleam.

  The rock smashed against his face with a brutal crack, fragments scattering—yet he didn’t flinch.

  He exhaled slowly.

  “Then don’t take it as pity.”

  Before the man could react further, Adam pointed his finger at the ground. A small, dull-black nail of death Qi pierced the cultivator’s foot, anchoring him with a muted crackle. The man froze, gritting his teeth. Adam stepped closer, touched his forehead and sword arm, then pressed his own blade through the man's palm. Death Qi surged in.

  The man’s vitality drained quickly—his skin paling, breath slowing—until he slumped into unconsciousness. Adam, while maintaining the draining spell, brushed his fingers briefly along the side of the man's head and silently activated his memory manipulation. A small, subtle twist of will, hidden under the guise of the death Qi.

  Behind him, Li Fan and Mu Qing Li were already collecting the fallen team's badges. Xiaoyan, crouched near the hulking corpse of the wood beast, called out.

  “That went smoother than expected,” Adam muttered as he joined them.

  Mu Qing Li cast him a sideways glance. “Your philosophy’s starting to rub off on us… This is going to be a bad influence.”

  Li Fan added with a sigh, “Your reasons are sound, but this can’t last. Sooner or later, you’ll have to kill someone.”

  Adam shrugged. “Then I’ll deal with it when that day comes.”

  Suddenly, Xiaoyan shouted from where he knelt by the beast’s massive chest. “Hey! This thing’s special—it has a golden tag inside!”

  The group rushed over. Xiaoyan held up a shimmering golden token, still slick with sap and blood.

  Mu Qing Li’s eyes lit up. “That’s one of the quest tags! Looks like we got lucky. I’ll hold onto it until the timer’s up.”

  Before they could celebrate further, the sky dimmed slightly. A strange hum filled the air.

  They all froze.

  Above them, intricate runes shimmered into view, casting sharp, glowing lines across the canopy. A massive dome-like barrier, spanning nearly five hundred meters, erupted around them—cutting off the forest and sealing them inside.

  Li Fan’s expression tightened as he looked up. “Damn... they're already here.”

  His tone dropped like a stone.

  “How the hell did they get here this fast?”