The day of the formal sect duel arrived under clear skies.
Regional sects gathered outside Heavenly Ember's gates.
Not inside.
Crimson Blade insisted on neutral ground just beyond the boundary line.
They did not want to fight inside the formation.
That alone told Lian Zhou something important.
They had confirmed its effectiveness.
Good.
The duel platform was constructed temporarily on open ground.
Three disciple matches.
One sect master match.
Rules enforced by Green River Sect elder as neutral witness.
No external interference.
No killing.
Clear victory conditions.
Crimson Blade arrived in formation.
Disciplined.
Confident.
Their elder walked at the front.
Foundation Late disciple stood behind him.
Two Foundation Mid disciples followed.
Their strength was obvious.
On paper, superior.
Heavenly Ember walked out calmly.
Chen Wei.
Xiao Rin.
Mu Jian.
Yan Shu stood behind Lian Zhou.
Not fighting.
Observing.
Green River's elder stepped forward.
"First match," he announced.
"Foundation Mid vs Foundation Mid."
Crimson Blade's first disciple stepped forward.
Sharp aura.
Battle-tested.
Chen Wei stepped forward without hesitation.
The moment the barrier activated—
The Crimson Blade disciple attacked first.
Fast.
Aggressive.
Heavy palm technique reinforced by blade energy.
Chen Wei did not counter immediately.
He absorbed.
Redirected.
Maintained breathing rhythm.
The crowd watched closely.
This was not flashy.
This was technical.
Thirty exchanges passed quickly.
Neither gained clear advantage.
The Crimson Blade disciple pressed harder.
His aura surged slightly.
He wanted dominance.
Chen Wei adjusted.
He stopped matching force.
He disrupted rhythm.
Every time the opponent committed fully—
Chen Wei shifted angle.
Small deviations.
Minimal energy waste.
By exchange fifty—
The Crimson Blade disciple's breathing grew uneven.
Chen Wei's did not.
The opponent realized it.
He attempted a finishing strike.
Full-force palm.
Chen Wei stepped inside.
Palm to shoulder joint.
Followed by second palm to chest.
Clean.
Controlled.
The Crimson Blade disciple flew back and hit the barrier.
He stood.
But the elder raised his hand.
"Match concluded."
Victory: Heavenly Ember.
The crowd murmured.
That was clean.
Calculated.
Not lucky.
Second match.
Foundation Early vs Foundation Early.
Crimson Blade sent a disciple who was clearly near Mid breakthrough.
Confident.
Strong.
Xiao Rin stepped forward.
His presence felt calm.
Contained.
Not explosive.
The barrier activated.
The opponent attacked first.
Heavy strike.
Xiao Rin blocked directly.
Flame Qi compressed tightly.
The clash echoed loudly.
The opponent stepped back.
Surprised.
The fight escalated quickly.
Crimson Blade disciple unleashed rapid blade techniques.
Xiao Rin did not chase him.
He waited.
Controlled flame circulation.
Then—
He increased output slightly.
The temperature within the barrier rose.
Metal reinforcement began weakening.
The opponent noticed too late.
Xiao Rin released a focused flame strike.
Not wide.
Not flashy.
Direct.
The opponent's guard shattered.
He fell backward.
Barrier caught him.
Second victory.
Crimson Blade's elder's expression darkened visibly.
Two matches lost.
They needed this third one.
Third match.
Foundation Early (Heavenly Ember) vs Foundation Late (Crimson Blade).
Gasps spread.
Crimson Blade skipped Mid.
They wanted certainty.
Mu Jian stepped forward.
Foundation Early.
Stable.
Heavy presence.
The Crimson Blade Foundation Late disciple smirked slightly.
"Overconfident," he muttered.
Barrier activated.
The opponent attacked immediately.
Full power.
Heavy palm strike.
Mu Jian did not dodge.
He received it.
Impact echoed.
Dust rose.
Mu Jian did not move.
The crowd froze.
The Crimson Blade disciple attacked again.
This time with greater force.
Mu Jian's body shifted slightly—
But did not collapse.
The ground beneath him cracked.
His structure absorbed and dispersed force.
The opponent frowned.
This was wrong.
Mu Jian stepped forward once.
Just once.
His palm strike landed on the opponent's ribs.
Not overwhelming.
But dense.
Foundation Anchor path released compressed stability outward.
The Crimson Blade disciple staggered.
He attacked again.
Mu Jian received again.
No retreat.
No instability.
By exchange forty—
The Foundation Late disciple was breathing hard.
Mu Jian was not.
Yan Shu whispered quietly behind Lian Zhou.
"His force output drops by 3% each exchange."
Lian Zhou nodded slightly.
Calculated.
The Crimson Blade disciple attempted one final burst.
Mu Jian stepped forward into it.
Palm strike to sternum.
The opponent flew back.
Hit the barrier.
Collapsed to one knee.
The elder hesitated—
Then raised his hand.
"Match concluded."
Three victories.
Heavenly Ember.
Complete sweep.
Silence hung heavy in the air.
Crimson Blade had not expected this.
They expected at least one win.
At least.
Instead—
They were outmatched structurally.
Green River elder announced calmly:
"Disciple rounds concluded. Heavenly Ember leads."
All eyes turned toward the final duel.
Sect master vs sect master.
Lian Zhou vs Crimson Blade Elder.
Foundation Early vs Core Formation Early.
On paper—
Hopeless.
The Crimson Blade Elder stepped forward slowly.
Aura released.
Core Formation pressure rolled outward.
The air grew heavy.
Disciples from minor sects staggered slightly.
Lian Zhou stepped forward calmly.
No rush.
No anger.
Just measured breathing.
The barrier expanded.
Final match began.