The hum of voices filled the training yard long before Ye Tian arrived. The morning light was thin, slipping through high clouds, turning the wet stone paths a dull silver. The air held the smell of old rain mixed with sweat, oiled steel, and the faint tang of incense drifting from the practice halls.
The usual sounds of the sect... distant bells, sandals against stone, the clack of wooden training swords... all faded toward the center. The noise here was different. It was tight, restless, expectant.
Disciples pressed in around the dueling platform, outer and inner robes brushing together. Ranks forgotten for the moment, all eyes drawn by the same story... the outer disciple who made Su Jian fall and left the yard whispering his name.
Ye Tian's pace was unhurried. The crowd shifted for him without being asked, though not always with respect. He could feel the measure in their stares... some sharp, some cautious, some searching for the flaw they were certain must exist.
"That's him."
"He doesn't look nervous."
"This will be different. Luo Kai isn't Su Jian."
The weapon racks stood near the platform. Sunlight found the polished lines of spears, the clean edges of swords, the heavy glint of axes. A few finely curved bows leaned in the far corner, their strings tight enough to hum if touched.
Most duelists reached for a sword. Safe. Respected. Tradition.
Ye Tian walked past without pause. His eyes moved over the racks until they settled on a plain iron staff. The wood was dark with age, capped with steel worn smooth by years of hands.
Gasps and low laughter broke from the crowd.
"A staff? Against Luo Kai's spear?"
"He's mocking the duel."
"First Su Jian, now this."
Ye Tian let the noise pass. The staff had weight that felt honest, its balance even across his palms. It wasn't built to impress. It was built to be used.
From the far side of the platform, Luo Kai stepped into view. Tall, lean, his frame coiled with the kind of strength that came from years of disciplined training. The spear in his hand was polished to a sheen, the iron head catching the light as he spun it once in greeting.
"You chose wrong," Luo Kai said, his voice carrying just enough to reach Ye Tian over the noise.
Ye Tian tilted his head. "We will see."
The dueling platform's boundary marks lit in a thin ring of pale gold. The protective array hummed in the air, faint but present.
The bell rang.
Luo Kai moved first. His spear darted forward, a sharp thrust aimed at Ye Tian's shoulder. The staff came up to meet it, the steel cap catching the blow with a dull ring. The shock ran through Ye Tian's arms, but he used it, turning the recoil into a pivot that swept the other end low toward Luo Kai's legs.
The spear slipped back in time, Luo Kai's eyes narrowing.
The exchange quickened. Spear and staff struck and slid, the boards underfoot creaking with each step. The staff's reach and weight let Ye Tian press forward in bursts, but Luo Kai's footwork kept him just outside the decisive range.
"He's making Luo Kai move."
"No, he's just lucky."
"Watch his hands. That's not luck."
[Target locked]
[System detected: Low Grade Weapon Mastery]
[Extraction possible upon sustained contact]
Ye Tian almost smiled. He could take it now, but not yet. A rushed hand came back empty.
Luo Kai's spear flickered in a sudden flurry, forcing Ye Tian toward the edge of the platform. The thrust that followed blurred in the air.
Ye Tian's staff turned, catching the shaft and guiding it past his side. The motion pulled Luo Kai forward, just enough to close the space between them.
[Extraction window opening…]
Not yet.
Instead, Ye Tian drove the staff's end into Luo Kai's shoulder. The strike forced him back, his stance tightening, his spear lowering a fraction.
The crowd's mood shifted. The early smirks had faded. People leaned forward now, tracking every small shift in footwork and grip.
Somewhere in the shade of the high walkway, an elder leaned on the rail. The long sleeve of his robe swayed once, almost idly. His gaze did not waver from the fight.
Luo Kai circled, looking for the break. Ye Tian mirrored him, the staff's ends moving in small arcs that made the space between them feel narrower than it was.
"Your reach is shorter," Luo Kai said, his voice tighter than before.
"Only if I let it be," Ye Tian replied.
A sudden upward strike forced Luo Kai to block high. The ring of metal on metal cut across the yard.
[Opportunity building — 72 percent alignment]
Ye Tian pressed harder. A feint at the knee drew the spear aside, slowing Luo Kai's recovery.
[Extraction window nearing — 93 percent]
The crowd felt the moment coming, even if they did not understand it. The noise thinned.
Ye Tian stepped into the next exchange. The staff turned with a small, precise movement that drew the spear's haft into his reach. Contact held for just long enough.
[Seizure complete]
[Acquired: Low Grade Weapon Mastery]
[Integration: 0 → 36 percent]
Luo Kai's eyes flickered. Surprise. Real, this time.
Ye Tian advanced, the staff moving faster now, smoother. The strikes came at angles that forced Luo Kai's feet into less certain ground. The spear's head faltered once, twice.
[Integration: 61 percent]
Another clash... staff biting against spearhead, and Ye Tian shifted his grip. The iron cap tapped the back of Luo Kai's knuckles. The spear dropped just enough for Ye Tian to step inside and turn the shaft against him.
A quick pull, a sharp pivot... and the spear left Luo Kai's hand entirely, landing on the platform with a hollow thud.
The crowd made a sound that was not quite a cheer and not quite shock.
Luo Kai stood empty-handed, breathing harder now, his stance holding only because of habit.
[Integration complete]
[Weapon handling speed and accuracy increased. Recovery after exchanges improved.]
Ye Tian lowered the staff. "Reach," he said quietly, "is just a measure of who moves first."
From the walkway, the elder's sleeve swayed again. A shadow beside him shifted, then stepped back out of sight.
The bell rang once more, ending the duel.
Ye Tian turned from the platform, the iron staff balanced easily in his hand. Behind him, Luo Kai retrieved his spear in silence. The crowd's whispers chased him toward the racks.
[Devotion +7]
[Status: Reputation rising, targeted attention confirmed]
The staff slid back into its place. Ye Tian's fingers brushed the next shelf down, where a pair of closed iron fans waited.
Not yet.
He left the yard without looking back.
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