Chi Yanqi lounged back in his seat, legs crossed, while Aoyan sat beside him. Lin Shu took a chair off to the side, calm and silent. Kai remained standing, posture straight and expression unreadable.
Yanqi clasped his hands. "Now then, Kai. If you have any questions, ask me."
Kai pondered for a moment before speaking. "Why are you forming an arena team? I doubt whatever you earn from us will compare to the profits you already make as an Aether-rank elder."
Yanqi nodded, unsurprised. "Good question. You know what the patriarch said, yes? He will test all the possible heirs — and whoever achieves something grand enough will receive the main heir's position. He doesn't just want his heir to defeat the competition. No… he wants brilliance. Strategy. A legacy. Something that makes the clan bow to them willingly."
He leaned forward, eyes glinting.
"And that's why we're here. The Valor Arena is erupting in popularity. Clans resolve grudges here. Tournaments are held here. Fighters rise and fall here. Everything is happening in this arena — and I want us to dominate it. I want you, Kai… and you, Li"—he nodded toward Lin Shu—"to help Aoyan crush every ranking and carve her name into the arena itself."
Yanqi's tone sharpened. "To do that, Kai, I want you to step down from the race for heir. Your blood gives you the right, but I want you to abandon that right — and support Aoyan instead."
Kai didn't move. His face stayed blank, but inside his mind was racing.
"If I help him, the other heirs will target me. But they already do. Competing for the heir seat? Impossible — that woman would kill me instantly. And if I refuse Yanqi, he sends me back and I'm chained again. But if I help him… I get protection. Maybe even enough wealth to disappear after they're done with me."
He exhaled. Decision made.
"Fine," Kai said. "I agree."
Before he could add another word, Yanqi tossed him a small box. "Good. That contains five Bluesky Aether Shards. A little motivation."
Kai caught the box, eyebrows lifting slightly, and stored it in his spatial pouch.
Yanqi stood. "Now, three members is enough for Bronze rank. I'd prefer two or three more fighters, but this will do for now. Later, I'll find someone from Silver rank—someone worth the trouble."
Kai raised a hand lightly. "Can you explain the ranks? Bronze, Silver… I don't know much about how the arena divides them."
Yanqi gestured to Aoyan. "You explain. I'm tired."
Aoyan sighed and began.
"Bronze is the lowest league. Then Silver. Then Gold. And the highest is Aether. We're in Bronze right now. To move up, we need to win a streak of matches and then challenge someone from the higher league."
She continued, pointing to kai.
"There are personal ranks and team ranks. Your personal rank determines your individual fight invitations. But team rank depends on the lowest-ranked member."
Kai blinked. "Explain."
"If all three of us reach Silver, we're a Pure Silver Team," Aoyan said. "If one of us is still Bronze, we're an Impure Silver Team — still allowed Silver matches, but not considered stable. And if one member is too high above the rest, the team becomes an Unbalanced Team. Their matches become harder as punishment… but if they win, the popularity boost is huge."
Yanqi yawned. "Basically, it's trouble unless you're planning something flashy. Don't worry about it for now."
He clapped once, cheerful again. "Now, we need to register Kai officially. Quick question—what do you want your arena title to be?"
Kai looked puzzled. Lin Shu leaned forward to explain.
"You need a title. It increases popularity, which gives you bigger audiences. Bigger audiences means better opponents, higher rewards, and faster climbing."
Aoyan added, "Pick something that matches your fighting style, your core technique, your weapon… or even your appearance or personality. Something people will remember."
Kai lowered his gaze thoughtfully.
He began to think.
Kai thought for a long moment. Then he said quietly, but firmly:
"Detonator."
Yanqi's face lit up instantly. "Perfect! With your techniques, that title fits like destiny! Hahahaha! Good—very good. Now then, Detonator, let's go get you registered. I'll arrange a fight for you right after. With the officials making things harder for my team, having you ready immediately is ideal. Come along."
Kai nodded.
The three of them walked only a short distance before Yanqi suddenly stopped. His expression changed—subtle, but sharp—and his cheerful air vanished.
"Actually," he said calmly, "I have other matters to attend to. Aoyan and Li will handle the registration."
Aoyan's eyes narrowed slightly. She could always tell when her master's mood flipped like this. Yanqi noticed her stare and ruffled her hair with a carefree grin before turning away.
Aoyan smoothed her now messy hair, glaring faintly. Lin Shu didn't care—he simply motioned for Kai to follow him. "Come on. Registration is this way."
Aoyan cast one more look at her master's retreating back before following the two boys.
---
Outside the arena, Chi Yanqi walked slowly, expression unreadable.
Before him stood a woman with crimson hair cascading to her hips, every step radiating barely-contained fury. Her eyes locked onto him like a predator.
Yanqi spoke before she could release the fire in her throat.
"You can turn around and leave, Chi Ning. That boy is under me now."
Chi Ning approached, each step sharper than the last. "You're walking on a thin line, Yanqi. First you start fights with the elders, and now you take that boy? The patriarch's wives wanted him executed at the very least—and you brought that problem into your own home."
Her voice trembled with restrained outrage.
"I'm telling you this for your own good. Hand. Him. Over. You don't want to burn with the flames he ignited. Do not trap yourself in this collapsing ship. That boy should have known his place, but he didn't—and he angered people who don't even acknowledge his existence. And yet he still managed to offend them."
Yanqi laughed.
Not a polite laugh—not a friendly laugh.
A cold, amused, dangerously sincere laugh.
"Anger them? Hahaha… You think I care enough about them to fear their blades?"
He stepped closer, his smile all teeth.
"You should know exactly what I'm planning. They'll come for me sooner or later anyway. So why not let them come earlier? Saves me time."
His eyes darkened to iron.
"Now, Ning. For the last time. Get out of my sight. Because if you waste even one more second of my time…"
He tilted his head.
"I won't be so patient."
Chi Ning slowly backed away as the air around Yanqi grew hotter and heavier. Spectators scattered the moment they sensed his rising aura; those brave enough to stay watched from afar with trembling excitement.
Ning retreated with clenched teeth, throwing one final warning over her shoulder.
"I came only to warn you, Yanqi. It's not wise to swim against the current."
She left—furious, but alive.
Yanqi watched her go, a cold frown darkening his features. "I guess not all sisters care for their younger brothers… just like not all parents care for their children."
He turned and walked back into the arena, the crowd parting before him without needing to be told.
---
Meanwhile, Lin Shu waited as Aoyan finished registering Kai and obtained his fighter token. One person stood ahead of Kai in the line—a young man with bluish hair and a long scar running across his face. Lin Shu glanced at him, lost interest, and looked away the moment the man stepped out.
Kai returned shortly after with his token in hand, and Lin Shu and Aoyan guided him toward the arena for his first match.
Their turn came soon enough. Like most initial fights, it was a test bout—newcomers trying to secure a place, or veterans who had lost too many matches and now fought to avoid being cast out of the arena.
Kai entered the stage, his cultivation only at mid-stage. The announcer's voice thundered:
"Entering the field—THE DETONATOR!"
His opponent, another young man, gripped his sword tightly, resolve burning in his eyes. I can't lose. I need this chance. I have to stay in the arena. It's my only path to greatness.
But what the young don't know—and what the old don't admit—is that dreams are only dreams. No one is guaranteed a future.
The young man charged. Kai raised both arms—black gas coiling from one hand, sparks flickering from the other as they erupted into flames. He slammed his palms together.
A violent explosion roared forward.
Tiles shattered. Smoke engulfed the stage. When it cleared, the young fighter stood trembling on scorched legs, hair burned, clothes shredded—before collapsing face-first.
Kai's victory was absolute.
He regrouped with Lin Shu and Aoyan, only to hear slow clapping behind them. Yanqi stood there with a bright grin.
"Well done, Kai. That title suits your technique perfectly."
Kai bowed and thanked him.
"Good. Now let's go. There's something else I want you three to do."
---
Soon, Kai, Lin Shu, and Aoyan stood before Yanqi in a massive training hall.
"From today onward, you three are a team," Yanqi said. "But you have no formations, no synergy, and no coordinated strategy. We're going to spend the next few months fixing that. And when we're done, you'll function like a perfect unit."
The three nodded. Training began immediately.
---
Months passed.
Day after day, the trio refined their techniques, formations, and roles. Their teamwork grew sharper with every session.
Lin Shu became the team's anchor—both defense and offense—thanks to his powerful defense and devastating lightning fang surge technique something which he hasn't used since no opponent was powerful enough for him to need it his physical strength and speed were enough to crush everyone in his path.
Aoyan, with her beast, became their tracker and scout in any match involving pursuit or ambush and her powerful flame arts made her good for offense as well.
Kai's role was clear from the start: the detonator. His explosive techniques, ingenious creations born of mixing various arts, dealt massive damage for only moderate qi cost. But unlike refined sect techniques polished across generations, Kai's self-made ones were brutal and incomplete—every blast tore at his own body. And though they covered large areas, they lacked precision.
And while the their team was still not complete it was enough for now.
Their fame grew rapidly as they swept through the Bronze Rank. Eventually, the arena could no longer raise the difficulty without classifying their fights as Silver Rank matches—something forbidden for Bronze Rank fighters. So the arena let them bask in their glory for now.
During this rise, many new fighters caught Yanqi's eye. But most were already taken by major agencies—teams like Silver Flow, the Golden Fangs, and others. This led to many clashes between Yanqi's team and theirs. Rumors swirled of something big coming in the tournament, and Yanqi was determined to recruit anyone promising before the storm arrived.
Lin Shu himself rose close to Silver Rank. With fame came challengers—people seeking valor while trying to use him as their stepping stone, rivals trying to step on his name. Lin Shu welcomed all of it; every challenge only sharpened him.
Kai and Aoyan also grew in popularity, Kai nearly matching Lin Shu thanks to his striking appearance and terrifying techniques.
But another figure soon exploded onto the scene—a young man known as Rampage. He tore through the Bronze Rank like a tempest, his techniques, his fighting style, his title, even his arrogant aloof personality—all unforgettable.
He was the only major Bronze fighter without a team or agent. Yanqi had already attempted to recruit him, but Rampage refused. Yanqi suspected the boy was raising his value deliberately—waiting until his fame maxed out before choosing the highest bidder for himself.