The Azure Cloud Sect's Martial Arena was a cauldron of noise and cheering. Tens of thousands of disciples packed the stone bleachers, their voices merging into a constant, thunderous roar that echoed off the surrounding mountains.
The air crackled with spiritual energy and the scent of incense.
On the central platform, the presiding Elder, a stern-faced woman with silver hair tied in a severe bun, raised her hand. The crowd's roar subsided to a murmur.
"The second round of the New Disciple Examination shall now commence!" Her voice, amplified by Qi, boomed across the arena.
"Fifty remain. Twenty-five shall advance. The rules are unchanged. Victory by surrender, unconsciousness, or death. Begin!"
A massive crystal screen shimmered into existence above the arena, displaying the matchups. Tianmo's name appeared alongside 'Disciple #27'.
His opponent was a hulking brute from the inner disciple courtyard, a disciple named Kang who had reached the eighth stage of the Qi Refining through pure body tempering. He also possesses first-grade spirit root, directly accepted as an inner disciple.
He stood nearly seven feet tall, his muscles bulging like knotted tree roots, and he carried a massive, two-handed mace that looked like it could crush a boulder.
Tianmo walked onto his assigned platform, his white hair and black robes making him stand out like a ghost among the vibrant colors of the other disciples. He didn't even glance at his opponent.
Kang, however, stared at Tianmo with a predatory grin. "White-haired pretty boy," he sneered, hefting his mace onto his shoulder. "I saw your first match. You have a tough body. Let's see how tough it is against my 'Mountain-Shattering Mace'!"
Tianmo finally glanced at him. "Your mace is made of pig iron. It will shatter before I feel a thing."
Kang's face turned purple with rage. "Arrogant bastard! I'll smash you into paste!"
The Elder overseeing their platform shouted, "Begin!"
Swish!
Kang roared, his Qi erupting around him in a brown, earthy aura. He charged, each step cracking the stone beneath his feet.
He covered the fifty-meter distance in three bounds, his mace swinging in a devastating arc aimed directly at Tianmo's head. The air whistled as it split.
The crowd held its breath. This was no technique; it was raw, brute force meant to overwhelm the opponent with sheer brutality.
However, Tianmo didn't move.
He stood perfectly still, his hands clasped behind his back, his white hair not even stirring in the wind generated by the massive weapon.
CLANG!
Tinggggggggggg!!!!
A sound like a giant bell being struck reverberated across the arena.
Kang's mace connected with Tianmo's head. Or rather, it connected with an invisible barrier an inch from Tianmo's skull.
A shimmering, golden light had flared around Tianmo at the moment of impact. It was a Qi barrier—a simple technique created by manipulating Qi, nothing profound.
And the mace didn't just stop; it rebounded heavily. The shockwave traveled up the weapon's haft and into Kang's arms.
CRACK!
Both of Kang's arms snapped at the elbows, the bones jutting out through the skin in a gruesome display. The mace flew from his grasp, spinning end over end before embedding itself in the arena wall fifty meters away.
Impossible! Not possible.
Kang stared at his ruined arms, his face a mask of shock and pain. He opened his mouth to scream but, Tianmo moved.
It wasn't a footstep step, but a blur.
One moment he was five meters away. Next, he was directly in front of Kang. The crowd didn't even see him move; they only saw the afterimage fading.
Tianmo's right index finger glowed with a condensed, sun-bright light for a fraction of a second.
"Heavenly Finger."
He tapped Kang's forehead.
It was the lightest of touches, like a butterfly landing on a leaf.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then, a pinpoint of golden light appeared on Kang's brow. It spread, spiderwebbing across his skin like cracks in porcelain. His eyes widened, his scream dying in his throat.
Pfft.
A soft sound, like a bubble popping.
Kang's body went rigid. Then, from the point of contact, his entire form disintegrated into a fine, golden dust that scattered in the wind.
Silence!!!! Absolute, deafening silence gripped the arena.
What happened?
Did that guy die? Just like that?
So cool!!! So ruthless.
Monster!!
Many questions arose in their hearts as thousands of disciples stared, their mouths agape. The Elders on the floating platform leaned forward, their eyes wide with disbelief.
The eighth late-stage Qi Refining body tempering expert, renowned for his defense, had been reduced to ash by a single, casual tap.
Tianmo's body still emitted the aura of an early first-stage foundation realm cultivator. He lowered his hand. He didn't even look at the space where Kang had been. He turned and walked off the platform, his robes swirling around him.
The silence held for another three heartbeats before erupting into chaos.
"W-What was that?!"
"He didn't even use a technique! He just… stood there!"
"That light! It was like a sun exploded from his fingertip!"
"Monster! He's a monster!"
Tianmo ignored the uproar. He returned to his waiting area, his expression unchanged. He had just demonstrated the power of a Supreme Dao Bone combined with a perfected Heavenly Finger. This is also the reason why he first chose to unseal the supreme Dao bone located in his left arm
Surely, the defense was absolute, but the offense was lethal. There was no spectacle, no drawn-out battle. It was an execution, clean and efficient. A single attack to win.
***
The screen chose a few more matches.
And soon, the screen displayed the matchup that the crowd looked excited to witness.
One of the disciples seems to have quit the tournament, leaving 49 disciples so, Wang Tianmo had to fight twice.
Wang Tianmo vs. Li Chen.
A murmur swept through the stands. The mysterious, overpowering genius versus the dark horse who had defeated a higher-stage opponent with pure skill.
Li Chen walked onto the platform. He looked calm, but there was a sharp glint in his eyes. He had watched Tianmo's match.
He knew the gap in raw power was astronomical. But he also knew something Tianmo didn't. With his Dual Pupils, he can sense all the flaws in Tianmo's technique.
He had spent the last three days in the Beast Mountain, and he had found his fortuitous encounter.
Tianmo stepped onto the platform opposite him.
The two young men faced each other, one clad in pristine black and white, exuding an aura of cold stoic immortality, the other in simple dusty blue robes, emanating a quiet, unyielding determination.
The classic setup where the protagonist wins against all odds.
"Begin!" the Elder shouted.
Li Chen didn't charge like a fool. He assumed a defensive stance, his hands moving in a circular pattern. A faint, golden shield shimmered into existence around him. It was the same technique Tianmo had used before, but now it was denser, more refined.
Because with Dual Pupils Li Chan has fully mastered Qi Heavenly Finger's first chapter Lethality, and Second chapter Qi manipulation.
While Tianmo is merely at Early Success, Li Chen has achieved true mastery.
Oh, Li Chen also stole the Void step and has reached True Mastery. That's his cheat, one look and he will obtain absolute mastery over any technique.
"Interesting... I didn't expect you to have mastered my technique at a glance. Those eyes, I really want to pluck them..." Tianmo had a sinister smirk playing on his lips. "I will now use the same technique to kill you. I want to see if it's even possible for you to win."
Li Chen's eyes widened. Dual Pupils was his hidden trump card and he didn't want others to figure it out. However, Tianmo has no plan to reveal it here. It will only give him more protection from the sect. What if another grand elder decided to take him as a disciple? That would be troublesome.
Li Chen's pupils contracted into vertical slits, the black and white vortexes spinning rapidly. He didn't respond to Tianmo's taunts; he simply acted.
"Void Step."
The air around Li Chen distorted. He didn't move with speed; he moved with the absence of it. One moment he was standing ten meters away, the next, he was inches from Tianmo's face, his fist glowing with a blinding golden light.
"Heavenly Finger!"
Li Chen didn't use his index finger. He had modified the technique on the fly, adapting it to a punch. The compressed Qi sphere was smaller, denser, and unstable.
Boom!
The fist collided with Tianmo's chest.
A shockwave rippled through the arena, kicking up a cloud of dust. The protective barrier on the platform flickered violently.
The crowd gasped. "He hit him! Li Chen actually hit him!"
When the dust settled, Tianmo was still standing there. He hadn't moved an inch. His black robes were unblemished, not even a wrinkle, but a blood trickle down his nose.
A black grade technique with true mastery was no joke. Tianmo couldn't even react properly. The true mastery of the void step was instant teleportation without blur.
Li Chen stared at his fist, then at Tianmo. His eyes were spinning wildly, analyzing the data.
'Impossible. I saw the gap in his defense. I saw the flaw in his breathing. Why did he not move?'
Li Chen could see the absolute weakness, so how could this guy still stand? It makes no sense.
"Is that it?" Tianmo asked, his voice bored.
He looked down at his chest. There was a faint scorch mark on the fabric, but the skin underneath was pale and unharmed.
The Supreme Dao Bones in his body hummed with a resonant frequency, having effortlessly dispersed the kinetic energy of the blow but the pain was still there.
Indeed, one also needs to have battle experience, merely cultivating inside the room isn't enough. It's a valuable lesson to Tianmo.
"You copied my technique," Tianmo continued, taking a step forward. "You even modified it. Impressive for a monkey imitating a human."
Li Chen gritted his teeth, sweat beading on his forehead. He could feel the disparity. It wasn't just about cultivation base; it was about the quality of the energy. Tianmo's Qi was heavy, like liquid mercury, while Li Chen's was like mist.
"I'm not done yet!" Li Chen roared.
He activated his movement technique again. This time, he didn't attack head-on. He became a blur, zigzagging around Tianmo, leaving behind afterimages.
Left. Right. Above. Below.
Li Chen launched a barrage of attacks, each targeting a different vital point: the throat, the eyes, the dantian, the heart.
His movements were fluid, like water flowing around a rock. He was using the 'True Mastery' of the Void Step to its fullest potential.
To the audience, it looked like Tianmo was surrounded by a hurricane of golden fists.
"He's too fast! I can't even see Li Chen's movements!"
"Is Senior Brother Wang in trouble?"
Tianmo stood in the center of the storm, his eyes half-closed. It was troublesome. He couldn't even see Li Chen's movement.
Is this how it feels to fight a protagonist, it only excited him further.
He could hear the fists whistling through the air, the golden light painting a complex pattern around him. He focused on his breathing, letting his Supreme Dao Bones attune to the vibrations in the air.
Aim for the throat.
Aim for the eyes.
Aim for the dantian.
Aim for the heart.
The attacks came in a rhythmic, unrelenting flow. Li Chen was trying to overwhelm him with sheer quantity and precision. But Tianmo's Supreme Dao Bones allowed him to sense even the faintest change in the wind.
Every time, he would get hit, his blood would boil with pride to never lose, the pride to never bow. The arrogance of a dragon that looks down on anything and everything.
Bang! Bang!
Woosh!
Sensing danger while striking, Li Chen immediately used Void step to escape. He has already used eighty percent of his Qi Pool, if things progress like this, how can he win?
'Not good!' His sixth senses were tingling.
This much vitality...
Woosh!
Bang!
Just in the nick of time, Li Chen managed to avoid a life-threatening attack.
Grumble!
Boom!
The arena shook violently, creating a big hole.
[ Primordial Dragon bloodline 10% unsealed ]
Li Chen froze, his eyes widening in horror. He saw Tianmo's body turn into a golden aura. It was a shimmering illusion, a spectral form that overlaid his physical body. Even his dual Pupils couldn't tell the origin.
His eyes were bleeding.
The air around Tianmo seemed to bend and warp, reality itself bowing to the overwhelming pressure of his presence.
"Your eyes are interesting," Tianmo said, his voice carrying a hint of pure arrogance. "But they will not save you."
"Y-You... What are you?" Li Chen stammered, his blood running cold.
He was sure, Tianmo had used Heavenly finger but lethality wasn't directly at one point, it was pure raw, and destructive.
"Dragon Might... That's dragon might," the Elder clad in a black robe who was overseeing the match whispered, his eyes wide with disbelief. "It can't be. He has awakened the Dragon Might. No, not awakened... he is manifesting it! How is this possible?! Could it be that, this brat has a dragon bloodline?"
Tianmo's eyes had turned completely golden, vertical pupils cutting through the irises like blades. His white hair danced around him as if caught in an invisible hurricane, and his skin had taken on a faint, shimmering quality, like the scales of a serpent.
"Heavenly Finger," Tianmo said, his voice echoing with the rumble of distant thunder. "True Mastery."
His left hand glowed with an incandescent light. It was no longer just a finger; it was a concentrated beam of spiritual energy that seemed to contain the very essence of the sun.
Li Chen didn't try to block. He knew that trying to stop this attack would be like trying to catch a meteor with his bare hands. Instead, he focused all his remaining energy into his feet, preparing to use the Void Step to escape.
But Tianmo was faster.
The Heavenly Finger attack didn't shoot out as a beam. It exploded from Tianmo's hand like a supernova, filling the entire platform with a blinding, golden light.
"Run!" Li Chen screamed, his voice swallowed by the cacophony of the attack.
He managed to teleport about thirty meters away, but the attack was too wide, too all-encompassing. The golden light engulfed him.
Li Chen's body glowed for a split second, and then it started to disintegrate from the feet up. The Heavenly Finger wasn't just destroying his physical form; it was unraveling his very essence.
Not good... Li Chen will die like this.
He opened his mouth to scream, but no sound came out. He couldn't even scream as he was being erased from existence.
He refused to die.
No, he is born with a Nine Yang physique and possesses Dual pupils, he is destined to rule above myriads of worlds.
He can't die here. He can't lose. He will never lose.
Swoosh!
The Elder in a black robe, descended and immediately created a barrier between Tianmo and Li Chen. The Heavenly finger attack struck against the barrier, shattering it instantly.
Elder's eyes widened unable to believe a foundation stage cultivator could break his barrier when he specializes in making arrays and runes.
Snap!
He hurriedly pulled out a defensive talisman from his storage ring and activated it.
Woosh!
A golden shield materialized around him and Li Chan. The Heavenly finger attack struck against it, but this time, it didn't shatter. The shield flickered violently, its surface crackling with golden veins of light, but it held.
"Haaah... Haaah..." Li Chen gasped for breath, his legs shaking. "I... I am not dead yet!"
He even peed his pants.
This time, he was sure he would have died if Elder hadn't saved him. or the first time, he felt fear of death. Is this what it means to be Peerless Talent?
"The battle ends here, Disciple Tianmo wins. Both disciples will get a token to cultivate in the spiritual vein cave."
The elder declared, looking at Li Chen. "Young Man, this old man is interested in you... If you manage to reach the foundation stage by the end of your cultivation inside the cave, this old man will take you as my personal disciple."
Li Chen was shocked. The Elder had declared the battle, but he was offering to take him as a disciple. Was he mocking him? Or is he serious?
Li Chen looked at the Elder in a black robe, his eyes were serious, and he could sense the aura of the Elder. He was at least at the Soul Formation stage, the stage where one can control the elements and bend the will of the world.
Even Wang Tianmo was shocked. There was nothing like this in the original novel. However, it is to be expected, it's nothing out of the ordinary.
It's common for Elders to take disciples from the examination, especially someone with potential like Li Chen.
However, Li Chen's pride was wounded, but he knew this was an opportunity he couldn't pass up. He needed power, more power. "This disciple will not disappoint the Elder!"
He bowed deeply, his forehead touching the ground. "I, Li Chen, swear that I will reach the foundation stage before the end of the cave's opening!"
The Elder nodded, satisfied with Li Chen's determination. "Good. Remember your promise."
With that, he waved his hand, and Li Chen felt himself being lifted into the air, transported away from the arena.
Next time, he needs to defeat this genius, otherwise his Dao Heart will start breeding heart demons.