The crowd stirred as the elder raised his hand for silence. His voice rolled through the courtyard, steady and sharp.
"The brackets continue. Witness carefully — these battles will decide who earns the right to walk the path toward the Heavenly Dragon Sect."
Excitement buzzed through the gathered disciples. Whispers filled the air as two figures stepped forward — and this time, they were not faces familiar to most of the academy students.
The first wore robes of shimmering azure silk, trimmed with gold thread. His movements were refined, his posture regal. Even without announcement, the deference in the air was palpable. Several attendants bowed subtly as he passed.
"Is that—" someone gasped from the stands.
"The Third Prince, Jian Tao…" another voice confirmed, hushed with awe.
A murmur swept through the crowd. Few had believed the rumors that royal blood would deign to mingle in the trials of mere academies, yet here he was — every inch a scion of the kingdom, his qi refined and luminous, like the still surface of a jade lake.
Across from him, his opponent bowed stiffly, the weight of that lineage pressing down like an invisible blade.
The fight was brief. Prince Jian's movements flowed with an elegance almost infuriating to watch. He did not simply attack — he commanded the battlefield. A flick of his sleeve, a surge of azure qi, and his foe was disarmed, knocked sprawling without even a chance to counter.
Applause broke out despite the formality of the occasion.
"So this is royal talent…" Mei whispered, her brows furrowed as she watched.
Li Wei stood silent, eyes fixed on the prince. His heart was steady, but the sight rekindled the memory of what he had thought at the beginning of all this: that among royal scions and clan heirs, how could someone like him, with nothing but sweat and stubbornness, possibly stand tall?
The next match only deepened that weight.
Xu Feng of the Ironblood Clan entered the stage. Tall, broad-shouldered, his arms bare to reveal skin etched with crimson patterns — the manifestation of his clan's bloodline. His qi burned hot, like smoldering coals, and with each breath it seemed his strength swelled.
His opponent barely lasted longer than Jian Tao's had. Xu Feng's fists crashed down like hammers, each blow ringing with the resonance of body-tempering far beyond the ordinary. When the final strike landed, his foe crumpled, coughing blood, attendants rushing to carry him away.
A low hiss spread through the courtyard.
"Ironblood physique… so the clan really sent him."
"His strength is monstrous. Even I would not dare meet a single punch."
Xu Feng spat to the side, his eyes sweeping across the remaining competitors. When they settled briefly on Li Wei, there was the faintest curl of disdain in his lip before he turned away.
Li Wei's jaw tightened, but he said nothing.
The elder's voice rang out again. "Next. Li Wei."
The courtyard shifted, attention slamming onto him as though he had stepped beneath a falling mountain.
Without hesitation, Li Wei strode into the arena. His opponent was a young man clad in embroidered crimson robes, the sigil of the Fire Serpent Clan blazing proudly at his chest. Murmurs rippled; while not as famous as the Ironbloods, the Fire Serpent Clan's unique fire arts had long been feared.
"I will enjoy this," the youth sneered. "You've made a name for yourself, academy star. But against true bloodline techniques, all your sweat will mean nothing."
Li Wei met his gaze, calm and steady. He did not waste words.
The signal was given.
Flames burst into being, coiling around the Fire Serpent youth like living snakes. They lashed forward, striking at Li Wei from multiple angles, hissing with heat.
Li Wei pivoted lightly, his sword flashing. Whirlwind Slash cleaved through two of the serpents, but a third snapped at his side. He twisted away, feeling the scorch of heat lick his arm.
His opponent laughed, pressing forward, qi surging brighter with every strike. "Do you see? Bloodline and heritage make the man! You cannot match me!"
Li Wei's breathing slowed. His qi flowed steady, fuller than it had ever been, straining against the restraint he had placed upon it. He had hidden this strength, waiting, conserving. But now — now was the moment.
As another flaming serpent lunged, his aura flared.
The change was immediate. His qi surged, denser, sharper, a tide no longer suppressed. Where before he had shown the peak of mid-stage Qi Refining, now the truth roared free: late-stage Qi Refining.
The crowd erupted.
"He… he broke through?"
"When? How?!"
"But he had no backing, no clan, no pills—how is this possible?"
Even Xu Feng's expression hardened slightly, his earlier disdain flickering into wariness. Mei's eyes widened, her lips parting in surprise before curving into the faintest of smiles.
The Fire Serpent youth staggered back a step, his flames wavering. "Impossible…!"
Li Wei stepped forward, sword raised. His qi wrapped around the blade like a living gale, the Whirlwind Slash swelling to new heights. With a single sweep, the flaming serpents shattered, dissipating into harmless sparks.
The clan heir barely had time to scream before Li Wei's blade stopped a hair's breadth from his throat, the force of the strike sending him crashing to the ground, his robes singed and torn.
Silence reigned for a heartbeat.
Then the courtyard exploded in shouts.
"Late-stage Qi Refining—without resources?"
"What kind of monster is he?"
"From the academy, of all places…"
Li Wei lowered his blade, his chest rising and falling with controlled breaths. His qi still burned within him, steady and strong. He did not look at the crowd, nor at his fallen opponent. His eyes lifted only to meet the distant gaze of the elder, who had remained silent throughout.
For the first time, the elder's lips curved — the faintest, unreadable smile.