The sun hovered just past its peak, casting long golden lines through the streets of Violet Luminous City. Stalls bustled with noise, hawkers shouted their wares, and cultivators of all levels mingled in the flow of activity. Hand in hand, Li Tian and Lin Hua strolled through the crowd with ease—though the subtle curvature of space around them bent to Li Tian's aura, ensuring no one dared bump into them.
Lin Hua's eyes flicked across various items on display—rare ores, spirit beasts in cages, aged talismans—none worth their time, but interesting nonetheless. Her lips held a soft smile, and her grip on Li Tian's hand didn't loosen.
They passed a street vendor selling roasted spiritual crane skewers. The scent drifted to them, and Lin Hua tilted her head slightly. "It smells nice."
Li Tian stopped. "Want one?"
She looked up at him, a faint glint in her eyes. "Only if you feed it to me."
He chuckled softly, stepping over. After paying with a low-grade spirit stone, he picked one up and gently brought it to her lips.
She bit into it, chewed, and smiled. "Not bad."
As they continued down the street, Li Tian's gaze briefly swept across the crowd. His divine sense touched lightly on the dozens of cultivators around them—none worth remembering.
And then—he paused.
A familiar ripple of spiritual pressure. Weak, arrogant, poorly controlled.
The red-robed cultivator from earlier stood by a jewelry stall, surrounded by his usual gang of flatterers. He wore the same sneer, the same polished boots that never touched mud, and the same eyes—scanning for easy prey.
Li Tian's lip curled faintly.
The man hadn't noticed them yet.
"I suppose he survived the first embarrassment," Li Tian said casually.
Lin Hua followed his gaze. "That's him?"
"Mhm. Still breathing. I was merciful."
She leaned close, voice amused. "Are you going to be merciful again?"
Li Tian didn't answer.
Not with words.
They kept walking straight toward the stall.
Sure enough, as the red-robed man turned and caught sight of them, his smirk faltered—then quickly returned, forced. "You two again?" he said, raising his voice. "I see you've finally come crawling back to the market like commoners."
Li Tian stopped a few steps away. Lin Hua's expression didn't change—just serene disinterest, as if looking at a particularly slow insect.
"You've got guts," Li Tian said. "Or no memory."
"You think you're tough just because you got lucky last time?" the red-robed man barked. "This is Violet Luminous City. You don't scare me."
Behind him, his lackeys puffed themselves up, trying to look intimidating.
Li Tian's voice was calm. "Is that so?"
The red-robed man stepped forward. "We're backed by Elder Wu of the Hundred Swords Pavilion. Do you even know what that means?"
Li Tian tilted his head, then looked at Lin Hua. "I don't recall. Do you?"
She smiled faintly. "I think I stepped over someone named Elder Wu on my way into a secret realm two hundred years ago."
Li Tian hummed. "Ah. That explains it."
"You—!" the red-robed man stepped forward again.
And then stopped.
Because a single step from Li Tian sent a tremor into the ground—not brute force, not spiritual pressure, just sheer presence. It was like the air forgot how to move around him.
"Careful," Li Tian said. "I might trip and accidentally crush you."
The man's face paled.
"You think just because you're strong you can act like this?" he snapped.
"I'm not acting," Li Tian replied. "I am strong."
The cultivator's face flushed with humiliation. "I challenge you to a duel! If you lose, you kneel and apologize! If I lose, I'll... I'll leave!"
Lin Hua sighed softly. "He's really doing it."
Li Tian's fingers brushed against her waist, subtle. "Maybe he wants to die in public."
"You're enjoying this," she said, giving him a side glance.
"A little." He smirked. "It's good to stretch my legs."
She arched a brow. "You sure you're not just showing off for me?"
"Would it work if I said yes?"
She leaned up, brushing a kiss on his cheek. "Maybe."
He turned back to the red-robed fool. "I accept."
A small crowd had started to form around them now—whispers, excitement, speculation. Most couldn't feel Li Tian's cultivation level. His power was masked too deeply for the average cultivator to comprehend. But they could sense something. Something off.
The duel ring wasn't far. A circular platform used for public disputes, surrounded by protective arrays that couldn't withstand a Half-Immortal, let alone Li Tian—but useful enough for appearances.
They stepped onto the platform. The red-robed man drew his sword with exaggerated flair, spiritual energy crackling.
"I hope you're ready—"
The words cut off as Li Tian raised one finger.
The platform cracked.
The sword fell from the red-robed man's hands.
And he fell to his knees, coughing blood, unable to stand.
"You said if you lost, you'd leave," Li Tian said.
The crowd was silent.
"You have ten seconds."
The man crawled, dragging himself off the platform. His gang scattered without another word. No one in the crowd dared laugh.
"Should've just stayed home," Lin Hua said softly.
Li Tian stepped off the platform and offered her his hand again. She took it with a small smile.
"You didn't need to be so dramatic," she said.
"I'm not allowed to have fun?"
She bumped her shoulder against him. "Not when it draws this much attention."
He pulled her close, brushing a kiss to the side of her head.
"I'll behave," he murmured. "Probably."
She rolled her eyes.
They walked on, hand in hand, leaving behind the broken pride of one red-robed fool.