A blinding explosion shook the entire arena. Dust and debris filled the air as everyone in the stadium stared toward the center, curiosity etched on every face. As the haze slowly cleared, two figures stood at the heart of the blast.
Shaurya and Wie Lu.
Their swords clashed, locked in a deadly dance, releasing powerful energy waves that sent violent gusts of wind sweeping across the arena. Shaurya stared into Wie Lu's eyes with a calm, confident smile. Wie Lu, however, glared back with fury and venom burning in his gaze.
"You're good," Shaurya said, his voice steady.
"You're annoying," Wie Lu snarled.
With another surge of power, they clashed again. This time, Wie Lu managed to overpower Shaurya, sending him flying backward. Shaurya flipped mid-air, performing several backflips before landing on his feet. Before he could fully recover, Wie Lu charged again, unleashing a relentless flurry of attacks. Shaurya's expression turned tense, yet a faint smile still lingered on his face.
Using aerial steps, Shaurya finally dodged a strike and countered with a powerful kick, sending Wie Lu flying back. Standing tall, Shaurya spoke coldly,
"It doesn't matter if you're a demon, a human, or anything in between. If you're evil, then you're destined to fall."
With a burst of speed, he charged again. Wie Lu raised his crimson shield, blocking the strike, and retaliated with a devastating Hyper Voice attack that sent Shaurya sliding across the ground. Blood trickled from Shaurya's lip as he dug his sword into the earth to stop himself.
"Is… is his power increasing?" Shaurya muttered.
System Notification:
"Yes, Host. You are correct. In his demonic form, his power has risen to Qi Refiner Level 8."
Shaurya's eyes widened. "Qi Refiner Level 8?! That's… too strong."
Their battle intensified, each collision releasing shockwaves that rocked the entire stadium. The City Lord continued shielding the crowd, while Wang Tian and other sect members helped evacuate civilians. The remaining sects also joined in, assisting wherever they could.
Meanwhile, the disciples of the Sanatan Flame Sect, along with Elder Wu, rushed toward the stadium.
"Disciples! Ready yourselves! We face a grave threat. It's your first time facing something like this, so you must be scared," Elder Wu called out loudly.
Despite his warning, the disciples looked confident.
"Senior Xiao Rui," one disciple said excitedly, "how about we make our entrance super cool?"
"Yes, yes! Like they did during the competition!" another added.
Elder Wu glanced back and chuckled. "Maybe I'm overthinking it. Forget it."
Back in the arena, Shaurya stood on the ground, breathing heavily. Wie Lu hovered in the sky above him, a devilish grin spreading across his face.
"You're still standing? Still acting like you're something? You weakling," Wie Lu taunted.
Shaurya closed his eyes, inhaled deeply, then exhaled slowly. A peaceful smile spread across his lips.
"Let's see if you can still talk like this after I beat you."
Before Wie Lu could respond, Shaurya appeared in front of him and delivered a swift kick to his face. A second spinning kick followed, then an upward strike to the chin that sent Wie Lu flying. Shaurya chased him mid-air and punched him hard in the gut, crashing him into the ground.
As Shaurya descended with his sword raised, Wie Lu rolled aside, narrowly dodging the strike that shattered the ground with a violent explosion. Standing again, Wie Lu sneered,
"You'll never defeat the power of demons!"
He roared, unleashing a monstrous wave of dark energy. A massive demonic spiritual figure—towering like a building—emerged behind him, its suffocating aura spreading across the arena.
Shaurya froze. Even the spectators gasped in horror.
System Alert:
"Warning. Enemy power has increased to Qi Refiner Level 12."
"What?! Level 12? Is this a joke?" Shaurya muttered.
Wie Lu raised his hand, and the demonic figure mirrored the movement. A colossal punch surged toward Shaurya. Sweat dripped down his forehead.
But then… he smiled.
Raising his sword sideways, Shaurya shouted, "Ultimate Sword Strike!"
The impact triggered a massive explosion. Shaurya was sent flying backward, crashing into the stadium wall and coughing up blood. Despite his injuries, he slowly stood up again—still smiling.
"Are you brain-dead or just insane?! No matter how many times I beat you, you keep standing and smiling!" Wie Lu shouted furiously.
Shaurya wiped the blood from his mouth. "A soul that follows Dharma will never bow to evil."
"Dharma? What's that?"
"Ah, right. You wouldn't understand. In simple words—the one who walks the righteous path never surrenders to darkness."
He whispered softly, "System, use my reward. All EXP and the major level-up."
System Notification:
"Affirmative. Major level-up and 500,000 EXP applied. Host has reached Foundation Builder Level 2."
Golden energy erupted around Shaurya. He stood tall, sword in hand, radiating a divine aura that pushed back the demonic presence.
"Now, I'll show you the power of Dharma… the power of light. My true power!"
He roared, "MY FURY!"
An overwhelming golden light exploded from his body, instantly purging the surrounding demonic energy. His five disciples stared in absolute awe.
"Is Master leveling up?" Luo Chen asked.
"More than that. This is another realm entirely," Xu Ran replied.
Wang Tian watched in shock. "Even I, an emperor in my past life, have never seen something like this."
Su Quan stood speechless. The City Lord could only gasp.
Shaurya assumed a powerful stance and roared again. The ground trembled violently. Panic flashed across Wie Lu's face as he commanded his demonic avatar to attack.
But Shaurya shifted his stance—right leg stepping back, left leg bent, his right hand pulling slightly behind him.
"DRAGON FIST!"
A radiant golden dragon burst from his fist, tearing through the demonic figure. It pierced Wie Lu, shattered the upper section of the stadium as it soared upward, and then exploded in the sky, ripping apart the dark clouds.
Elder Wu and the disciples arrived just in time to witness the scene. The entire city fell into stunned silence as golden particles rained down like stardust.
Shaurya stood tall, slightly leaning back in a victorious pose, and roared,
"I WIN!"
The crowd erupted in deafening cheers. The announcer's voice rang out with joy.
"The battle is over! Sanatan Flame Sect is victorious! Their leader not only won the competition but also saved the city!"
The cheers echoed throughout Blue Stone City.
Elder Wu rushed forward. "Leader Shaurya, are you alright?"
"Elder Wu? You're here?"
"Master! We came to help!" Xiao Rui shouted.
Shaurya gave a thumbs-up. "Don't worry. I'm fine. But you should check on the others."
The disciples spread out to assist the injured. Elder Wu smiled warmly.
"Leader Shaurya… you're amazing."
More disciples surrounded him.
"Master, you're OP!"
"Master, you're too handsome!"
Shaurya swelled with pride. "Haha! Yes! I'll train you all to become majestic warriors like me! But before that, we have something important."
He sat down on a chair, put on his OG black sunglasses, and smirked.
"Disciples' recruitment… begins."
Suddenly, a massive crowd surged toward the stadium. Swords flew through the air as people rushed forward.
"What the—?!" Elder Wu and Wang Tian shouted together. "STAY IN LINE!"
Everyone froze at their commanding voices.
Shaurya chuckled awkwardly. "These two ancient guys are way too good at discipline."
The recruitment officially began. As it did, the system pinged.
"Xiao Rui," Shaurya said, "take over."
"I knew it! Master would give me his job!" Xiao Rui laughed, collecting silver from the applicants. "Hah! I win the bet!"
He patted Shaurya's shoulder and began managing the recruitment.
Shaurya stared, stunned. "These guys… what are they even—ugh, never mind."
Walking aside, he whispered,
"System, come on. Show me what I got."
System Notification:
"Congratulations, Host."
To be continued…
Author's Note:
Thank you so much for reading this chapter! Please leave a comment about your favorite part, share your thoughts, vote, and add this novel to your library if you enjoyed it.