The massive arena fell silent.
Thousands of cultivators watched from every direction.
The representatives of the three families sat within their designated areas while countless spectators filled the surrounding seats.
The atmosphere had gradually reached its peak.
Everyone had waited weeks for this day.
Now it had finally begun.
At the center of the arena stood the referee.
An elderly Foundation Establishment cultivator with decades of experience serving as an adjudicator for disputes and competitions throughout Jade Haven City.
His gaze swept across the crowd.
The arena formations hummed softly beneath his feet.
After ensuring everyone's attention was focused on him, he spoke.
His voice wasn't loud.
Yet aided by spiritual qi, it spread clearly throughout the entire arena.
"The rules remain the same as previously announced."
"Each family will send five representatives."
"The competition shall continue until one family achieves an insurmountable advantage."
"No killing."
"No interference."
"Violation of the rules shall result in immediate disqualification."
The crowd listened attentively.
Most already knew the rules.
That didn't stop them from paying attention.
The referee continued.
"Victory shall be determined through surrender, incapacitation, or inability to continue fighting."
"Any disputes will be judged by the arena elders."
After several more reminders, he finally nodded.
The arena became even quieter.
Then—
"The competition begins."
A roar immediately erupted throughout the audience.
The spectators cheered loudly.
Some shouted the names of the families they supported.
Others simply celebrated the opportunity to witness a gathering of geniuses.
After all—
The competitors were not ordinary cultivators.
Whether Foundation Establishment or Xuan Gang, every participant possessed exceptional talent.
Many people might never witness such battles again.
The referee raised his hand.
"The first match."
His gaze shifted toward the family representatives.
"Qian Family."
"Wu Family."
"Please send one representative each."
Immediately, movement appeared on both sides.
From the Qian Family delegation—
Qian Ying stood.
A confident smile rested on his face.
The scar beside his eye made that smile appear somewhat sinister.
His robes fluttered gently as he stepped toward the arena.
Meanwhile—
A young man carrying a long spear rose from the Wu Family side.
His aura was stable.
Foundation Establishment.
His movements carried a sharpness similar to his weapon.
The moment he stepped onto the platform, many spectators nodded.
Clearly someone recognized him.
Neither cultivator spoke.
Both simply stared at each other.
The arena formations activated fully.
Layers of barriers appeared around the battlefield.
The referee glanced at both participants.
"Begin."
The moment his voice fell—
Qian Ying moved first.
Spiritual qi erupted around him.
His hands formed seals with astonishing speed.
A series of incantations flowed from his mouth.
The surrounding wind suddenly became violent.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Dozens of translucent wind blades materialized around him.
Then dozens became hundreds.
The sharp screeching sounds immediately caused many spectators to narrow their eyes.
The attack wasn't weak.
Not weak at all.
"Go."
Qian Ying waved his hand.
The countless wind blades surged forward.
Like a storm.
Like a tide.
They completely covered the battlefield.
Many spectators immediately focused their attention upon the Wu Family representative.
Faced with such a large-scale attack—
How would he respond?
The answer came quickly.
A pale blue light enveloped his body.
A movement technique.
His figure instantly blurred.
The spear cultivator transformed into a streak of afterimages that darted throughout the arena.
The incoming blades continuously missed.
One after another.
The crowd erupted into cheers.
His footwork was elegant.
Precise.
Fast.
Even Lin Sheng observed it carefully.
The technique wasn't extraordinary.
Yet it had clearly been cultivated to a very high level.
The spear cultivator continuously evaded.
Five breaths passed.
Ten breaths passed.
More than eighty percent of the wind blades failed to touch him.
Several spectators from the Wu Family side began smiling.
It appeared the situation was stabilizing.
Then—
Lin Sheng's eyes narrowed slightly.
Interesting.
The remaining wind blades suddenly changed direction.
The spectators noticed it almost immediately.
The blades weren't disappearing.
They were circling.
Like wolves surrounding prey.
The spear cultivator clearly noticed as well.
His expression changed.
Unfortunately—
Too late.
Five wind blades abruptly curved behind him.
Their speed increased dramatically.
The spear cultivator attempted to evade.
One.
Two.
Three.
He dodged several.
Then—
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Explosions erupted.
Wind and spiritual qi burst outward.
Dust and smoke covered part of the battlefield.
Many spectators leaned forward.
Trying to see through the smoke.
Several breaths later—
The dust gradually settled.
A figure remained standing.
Qian Ying.
His robes fluttered calmly.
A smug smile rested upon his face.
Not far away—
The spear cultivator lay on the ground.
Several bloody wounds covered his body.
Deep gashes extended across his shoulder, chest, and thigh.
Blood seeped onto the arena floor.
His spear had fallen several meters away.
Although still alive, it was obvious he could no longer continue.
The referee immediately appeared beside him.
After a brief inspection, he nodded.
"The winner."
"Qian Ying."
The crowd erupted.
Some cheered.
Others sighed.
The Wu Family supporters appeared disappointed.
Meanwhile, several healers quickly entered the arena and carried away the injured cultivator.
The battle had ended much faster than many expected.
Back within the Qian Family seating area—
Qian Ying leisurely walked down from the platform.
The smile on his face widened.
Several members of the Grand Elder's faction immediately praised him.
His expression became even more arrogant.
As he passed the Patriarch's faction, his gaze deliberately shifted toward Zhao Feng.
A clear look of provocation appeared.
The meaning couldn't have been more obvious.
Zhao Feng merely yawned.
The response nearly made Qian Ying's face twitch.
Then—
His gaze moved elsewhere.
Toward Lin Xiaolu.
A strange smile appeared.
Before anyone could react—
He actually blew her a kiss.
The surrounding spectators immediately became interested.
Several people began whispering among themselves.
Lin Xiaolu remained completely expressionless.
As though she hadn't seen anything.
As though Qian Ying didn't exist.
Her indifference somehow seemed more insulting than anger.
Nearby—
Lou Han's expression darkened.
The piece of beast meat in his hand nearly snapped in half.
His eyes followed Qian Ying.
Not because of fear.
Not because of caution.
Simply because he found the man annoying.
Very annoying.
Lin Shou noticed and smirked slightly.
"Control yourself."
Lou Han snorted.
"I'm controlling myself."
"That's your controlled expression?"
"I haven't punched him yet."
"..."
Lin Shou couldn't argue with that.
Not far away, Lin Sheng watched quietly.
His attention wasn't on Qian Ying.
Nor on the petty provocations.
Instead, he replayed the battle in his mind.
The Chip immediately produced several observations.
The wind blades themselves weren't particularly remarkable.
The interesting part was their control.
Qian Ying possessed extremely fine spiritual qi manipulation.
Enough to alter the trajectory of individual attacks midway through battle.
The spear cultivator had lost the moment he assumed the surviving blades no longer posed a threat.
It wasn't overwhelming power.
It was a trap.
A simple one.
Yet effective.
Lin Sheng filed the information away.
Every representative present possessed some level of skill.
No matter how irritating Qian Ying might be, he wasn't weak.
Otherwise he wouldn't have been selected.
Meanwhile—
Across the arena.
Wu Yuanhua's expression remained calm.
Yet several members of the Wu Family appeared slightly displeased.
The competition had only begun.
Losing the first battle wasn't fatal.
However—
No family enjoyed starting at a disadvantage.
Especially in front of so many spectators.
The referee quickly returned to the center of the arena.
His voice echoed once more.
"The first match has concluded."
"The score stands."
"Qian Family: One Victory."
"Wu Family: Zero Victories."
His gaze swept toward the representatives.
"The second match shall begin shortly."
Immediately, the atmosphere within the arena heated up once again.
The spectators became even more excited.
The competition had finally started.
And everyone knew—
The battles would only become more intense from here.