The next morning, Tianlan gnawed on a freshly roasted rabbit, frowning as he pondered his next move.
By the time he finished the last bite, he had already made up his mind.
Alright then—let's do this.
After carefully concealing the entrance of his cave, he began to move stealthily through the jungle. Whenever he sensed another presence nearby, he would immediately hide until the danger passed. If he happened upon a fight, he would quietly observe from afar, taking note of the combatants' styles until a winner emerged. Of course, not every battle had a clear outcome—some contestants would simply flee the moment they realized they were at a disadvantage.
By this point, the competition was almost entirely dominated by Cang Yu, Shadowthorn, Kuang Yan, and Jin Hao.
Encountering Jin Hao wasn't too bad; he never bothered to chase after those who ran.
Cang Yu and Shadowthorn would also retreat once they successfully evaded or blocked an opponent's first strike—they weren't interested in unnecessary pursuits.
But if one crossed paths with Kuang Yan… that was true misfortune. He would hunt his prey relentlessly, and his fights always ended in death.
As for the remaining direct descendants, they rarely initiated conflict unless provoked. To them, this battlefield wasn't the true stage—their eyes were fixed on the final arena. As long as they weren't eliminated early, that was enough.
Days passed in this manner. During that time, Tianlan encountered two of the direct descendants.
The first was Xuan Ye.
When Tianlan first saw him, Xuan Ye was sitting leisurely within a barrier, reading a book.
Curious, Tianlan stopped and watched from afar. To him, magic was something completely foreign, an unfathomable art.
Suddenly, Xuan Ye looked in his direction and said calmly,
"Come out. I know you're there."
Tianlan froze in shock—it was the first time anyone had ever detected him while he was hiding. Just as he prepared to flee, Xuan Ye added,
"Don't worry. I won't attack you. I just want to ask a few questions."
Left with no choice, Tianlan revealed himself.
Xuan Ye asked, "Which clan are you from?"
Tianlan said nothing.
Xuan Ye continued, "What were you planning to do? I thought you'd leave after watching for a bit, but you didn't attack or retreat."
Still, Tianlan remained silent.
Xuan Ye sighed. "Forget it, that's not important. What I really want to ask is… do you have anything to eat?"
Tianlan blinked in surprise before replying, "Uh… yes."
Xuan Ye rubbed his neck awkwardly. "Could you… maybe share some?"
The truth was, Xuan Ye hadn't eaten for an entire day. He had tried to venture out for food, but his stamina was poor—after wandering around fruitlessly, he gave up and returned to his barrier, hoping something would wander into range. When he noticed Tianlan lingering nearby, hunger finally overpowered his pride.
Tianlan said, "Ah… I roasted a rabbit this morning. If you don't mind…"
Xuan Ye immediately replied, "That's fine! Totally fine!"
He waved a hand, opening a small hole in his barrier, and gave an apologetic but polite smile.
"Sorry, could you toss it through here?"
Tianlan blinked, then nodded. "Oh—sure, sure."
He threw the rabbit meat through the opening.
Xuan Ye caught it and began devouring it ravenously. "Th—thanks! Seriously, thank you!"
After finishing, he wiped his mouth and said, "Ah, right! I'm Xuan Ye. And you are?"
"Tianlan," came the reply.
"I'll remember this favor," said Xuan Ye earnestly. "If you ever need help, just come find me."
With that, he reopened his book and went back to reading as if nothing had happened.
Tianlan stood there for a moment, bewildered, before leaving—feeling oddly as though he'd just been robbed.
The second descendant Tianlan encountered was Jian Chen.
Normally, he would steer clear of areas with strong or violent energy signatures.
But when he heard the distant sounds of an intense battle, curiosity got the better of him.
He crept closer, hiding among the bushes.
When he finally saw the fighter, his eyes widened.
"Ah—it's him… the one from the training grounds."
Earlier that day—
A contestant wielding twin blades, Lu Zhuo, had come face-to-face with Jian Chen.
Upon seeing him, Lu Zhuo's tension was palpable—hesitation flickered across his eyes.
Jian Chen was the first to speak.
"You can walk away. There's no need to fight me. With your strength, you should make it to the finals easily."
Lu Zhuo hesitated, then finally replied with resolve,
"That may be true… but if I back down now, it'll haunt my training from here on."
With that, he drew both swords and assumed his stance.
Jian Chen gave a faint nod. "I see. Then there's nothing more to say. Come."
Lu Zhuo dashed forward—his first slash swept horizontally, followed by an upward strike so swift it blurred before the eyes. Jian Chen parried each blow with flawless precision, predicting every movement as though reading from a script.
The clashing of blades rang out sharply, sparks scattering across the ground.
Drawn by the sound, Tianlan had crept close enough to witness the duel. He held his breath, not daring to blink. This was the fiercest fight he had ever seen. When both swordsmen infused their weapons with energy—magic, though Tianlan didn't understand the term—the sheer pressure made it hard for him to breathe.
At one point, Jian Chen's gaze wavered slightly, his instincts tugging at him.
Though he couldn't see anyone, a faint intuition told him—someone is watching.
That single heartbeat of distraction was enough.
Lu Zhuo seized the moment and unleashed a Shadow Strike, his twin blades flashing.
The attack grazed Jian Chen's left arm, leaving a thin trail of blood.
Sparks erupted once again as Jian Chen steadied his stance.
Lu Zhuo didn't relent. He lunged from the side—Jian Chen countered with a sweeping horizontal cut.
Lu Zhuo sprang back to evade, just as Jian Chen had anticipated.
A split second later, Jian Chen sent a Flying Blade Slash toward him.
Lu Zhuo reversed his grip on both swords, crossing them defensively as the projectile crashed into his guard.
The air cracked with the sound of steel on steel.
Energy flared around them, dazzling bursts of light scattering like fireflies.
Every strike was measured and brutal, their footwork exact, their timing perfect.
Hidden in the distance, Tianlan barely dared to breathe, completely enthralled by the spectacle.
After dozens of exchanges, Lu Zhuo was covered in wounds, while Jian Chen bore only minor injuries.
Panting heavily, Lu Zhuo steadied his stance once more.
He said through gritted teeth, "Let's finish this."
—To be continued.