"Next duel!" the judge announced."Yun Xi of the Twilight Shadow Sect versus Feng Ziran of the Azure Glyph Pavilion!"
Feng Ziran floated onto the arena with his nose in the air, robes stiff with starch and smugness.
"Let us not waste time. I've studied over three thousand formations. How many have you read, country girl?"
Yun Xi blinked slowly.
"Twelve. But I understood them."
Gasps from the crowd. Shen Mo sipped tea in the stands and whispered:
"Rip him apart."
The Arena Shifts
As Yun Xi and Ziran stepped forward, the floor beneath them morphed into glowing glyph tiles.
"This is the Logic Array Arena," the judge explained. "Disciples must control array tiles with correct formations while disabling their opponent's."
"So it's like… formation chess?" Han Li asked.
"More like formation warfare," Ziqing muttered.
Moonchick had already stolen a judge's scorecard.
[System Notification:]
Match Begins: Yun Xi (Level 6 Martial Disciple) vs. Feng Ziran (Level 6 Martial Disciple)
Arena: Logic Array Puzzle Grid
Objective: Control 3 key formationsTime Limit: 10 turns
Risk: High—Losing control of the array may cause mental backlash
Turn 1: Ziran
He summoned a Perfect Grid Formation.
"You see, cultivation must be clean. Predictable. Emotions distort the array."
"You're wrong," Yun Xi said, stepping onto a chaos tile.
She activated a lopsided spiral rune with her feelings.
The grid warped.
Ziran's formation cracked at the corners.
Turn 3: Yun Xi
She sketched lines midair, guided by breath and intent.
"Pain anchors memory. Memory binds meaning. That's what makes a formation real."
"You're sabotaging the array with nonsense!"
"No," she said softly. "I'm speaking with it."
Ziran's perfect grid trembled.
The Crowd Reacts
Elder Qian Mu frowned.
"She's not just using formations—she's talking to the qi flow."
Lin Fan: "Yun Xi, formation whisperer confirmed."
Moonchick: Peck peck. (Translation: "Stomp him.")
Turn 5: Ziran Panics
He overextends. Tries to reassert logic. Forces a suppression script over Yun Xi's runes.
She… laughs.
"Emotion isn't your enemy. Your ego is."
She sends a Sympathy Ripple through the arena.
Ziran's tiles recognize her intent as more "harmonious."
His formation fails.
Final Turn
Yun Xi walks calmly across the arena. Her footfalls align with runes.
She claims the third keystone.
The formation glows.
Ziran falls to his knees.
"This isn't fair…"
"No," Yun Xi says gently. "But it's true."
[System Notification:]
Match Winner: Yun Xi
Reward: +1 Sect ReputationUnique Title Earned: "Array Poet"
Trait Progression:Sympathy Arrays → Emotive Constructs (Formations grow stronger when driven by deep intent)
After the Match
Ziran sulked off muttering about irrational geometry.
Yun Xi bowed to the audience and returned to the stands, where Shen Mo gave a faint nod.
"You've gone beyond theory," he said. "You've made it personal."
"He called me a country girl."
"And now he's a confused dot on the floor."
Backstage – Meanwhile
Mei Lian, the cursed healer, watched from a shadowed balcony.
"She uses emotion in battle. That sect… isn't what the rumors say."
"Then why are you interested in the demon king?" her shadow-guard asked.
"Because," she said, her single visible eye glowing faintly,"his thread is twisted around everyone's. Even mine."
[System Notification:]
Yun Xi Reputation Among Array Sects: +++Celestial Blade Sect Impression: "Unpredictable"
Rival Formation Cultivator – RemovedMei Lian Interest in Sect: ↑Shen Mo Mystery Thread Progress: 3% Unraveled