The brief, polite clash between the Nangong and Hua clans broke the ice. It was as if a starting gun had been fired. Over the next hour, the massive stage became a revolving door of youthful talent from the seven great clans.
A young man from the Wang Clan, boasting a burly physique, challenged a slender youth from the Bai Clan.
The Wang Clan disciple relied on brute force, his punches carrying enough wind pressure to ruffle hair.
The Bai Clan disciple, however, was like a leaf on the wind, evading with fluid grace before using a clever joint lock to send the larger boy tumbling off the stage.
Next, a fiery young woman from the Zhou Clan faced off against a calm, collected disciple from the Hua Clan. Sparks of red spiritual energy clashed with gentle waves of blue.
The Zhou girl was aggressive, her attacks like a raging fire, but the Hua disciple was like water, flowing around her assaults until he found an opening and gently guided her off the platform with a surprisingly powerful push.
Wins and losses were exchanged freely. Cheers and polite applause echoed from the respective clan sections. But beneath the surface, everyone understood the truth. These were the supporting actors, the warm-up act.
The core disciples, the true geniuses of each clan, remained seated, watching with detached interest. No one took these initial bouts too seriously; they were a formality, a display of basic strength and a chance for the lesser-known youths to gain some experience.
The atmosphere was almost cordial. Then, a ripple of subtle change passed through the crowd.
A young woman, who looked no older than sixteen, leaped onto the stage. Her movements were silent and effortless, like a falling petal. She wore the robes of the Ji Clan, and an aura of the 5th Level of the Qi Condensation Realm emanated from her. It was a solid cultivation base for her age, but nothing extraordinary among the talents present.
Her name was Ji Meili. Her eyes, sharp and cunning, swept across the audience. They paused briefly on the Lin Clan's seating area before locking onto a specific figure with unnerving intensity.
She raised a delicate hand, pointing directly at Lin Ling'er.
"Lin Ling'er," her voice was clear and sharp, cutting through the murmur of the crowd. "I've heard you're quite talented. Come. Entertain me."
A hush fell. This was no random challenge. This was a direct, targeted provocation from the Ji Clan to the Lin Clan.
All eyes turned to Lin Canghai and Lin Zhen. Lin Canghai's face was a mask of stone. He glanced at his daughter, then gave a single, curt nod of approval.
Lin Ling'er took a deep breath. Her usual playful demeanor was gone, replaced by a solemn focus. She knew this was different. With a light flutter of her yellow dress, she floated onto the stage, landing silently opposite Ji Meili.
"The Lin Clan's Lin Ling'er, 5th Level of the Qi Condensation Realm," she announced, her voice steady. "Please advise me, Sister Ji."
Ji Meili's lips curled into a mysterious, almost predatory smile. "Don't worry, little sister," she purred. "I will. You should go all out. You'll regret it if you don't."
The words were a warning disguised as advice. Before Lin Ling'er could respond, Ji Meili shot forward. Her movement was swift, a blur of grey robes.
The battle was joined.
Swoosh!
At first, it seemed like a relatively even match. Lin Ling'er was agile and clever. She met Ji Meili's initial palm strikes with precise blocks of her own, her spiritual energy flaring a soft yellow. She weaved and dodged, countering with sharp, precise jabs aimed at Ji Meili's pressure points.
For a few moments, it even looked like Lin Ling'er had the upper hand, forcing Ji Meili to take a step back under a flurry of attacks.
Lin Yun, watching intently from the sidelines, felt a knot of tension in his stomach. Something was off. Ji Meili's defense, while seemingly hasty, was too perfect. Her footwork, which appeared to be stumbling, was actually repositioning her with minimal effort. She was like a cat playing with a mouse.
His eyes, sharpened by a mind used to analyzing data, saw what others missed. The flow of spiritual energy around Ji Meili was wrong. It was too dense, too controlled for someone supposedly on the back foot.
"Her cultivation base..." Lin Yun muttered under his breath, his expression changing drastically. "She's hiding it."
On stage, Lin Ling'er seemed to have reached the same conclusion. Her solemn expression deepened. She had anticipated a trick. As she launched another combination, she held a portion of her energy back, ready for a sudden shift.
It came in an instant.
Ji Meili's retreating form suddenly solidified. The faint, pressured aura of the 5th Level vanished. A new, far more ferocious and dense spiritual pressure erupted from her body, causing the very air around the stage to tremble.
The 6th Level of the Qi Condensation Realm!
"Not good!" The Lin clansmen exclaimed when they saw this.
Ji Meili's previously neutral expression twisted into a fierce grin.
"Too slow!" she hissed.
Her speed and power doubled. Where her palm strikes were once swift, they now became thunderous. A wave of oppressive force slammed into Lin Ling'er.
Lin Ling'er had anticipated the hidden strength, but anticipating it and withstanding it were two different things. She crossed her arms in front of her, pouring all her spiritual energy into a desperate defense.
BOOM!
The collision was deafening. Lin Ling'er's defensive stance held, but just barely. The impact sent sharp, jarring pains up her arms. She was forced back three steps, her shoes scraping against the stone stage. Her breath came in a ragged gasp.
Ji Meili didn't give her a moment to recover. She pressed her advantage mercilessly. Her attacks became a storm of relentless, brutal strikes.
Lin Ling'er was completely on the defensive, a small boat in a hurricane. She blocked, she dodged, she parried, but each block sent a new jolt of pain through her body. Each dodge cost her precious energy…