The board expanded, filling the air above the arena.
The first pairing appeared.
Match 1
Lu Shen — Starfall First Academy
vs
Qiao Zhen — Northriver Combat School (Second Rank)
A low murmur followed. Qiao Zhen was strong, experienced, known for his brutal close-range style—but Lu Shen was Lu Shen.
Match 2
Gu Liang — Starfall Third Academy (First Rank)
vs
Xu Kaifeng — Radiant Sky Institute (Second Rank)
"That's a real clash."
"No easy side there."
Match 3
Shen Lian — Radiant Sky Institute
vs
Zhou Ming — Starfall First Academy (Fifth Rank)
A few students from Starfall First stiffened. That was not a comfortable draw.
Match 4
Tang Wei — Starfall Fourth Academy (First Rank)
vs
Liu Fan — Starfall First Academy (Sixth Rank)
Internal Starfall conflict again. More than a few people noticed the pattern.
Match 5
Han Yue — Starfall First Academy
vs
Song Rui — Starfall Second Academy (Second Rank)
The Starfall Second section went quiet.
Match 6
Qiao Ren — Northriver Combat School
vs
He Yun — Starfall First Academy (Fourth Rank)
"That's rough," someone whispered. "Either way, someone strong is going out."
Match 7
Lin Hao — Starfall Second Academy (First Rank)
vs
Deng Yu — Starfall Fifth Academy (First Rank)
A clean, honest matchup. Almost refreshing.
Then the final line appeared.
Match 8
Zhao Chen — Starfall Tenth Academy
vs
Wei Jin — Starfall Tenth Academy
For a second, the arena didn't react.
Then it hit.
"What?"
"They're really doing it?"
"Same academy—top sixteen?"
The Starfall Tenth section fell silent.
Chen stared at the screen, then slowly exhaled. Jin was already looking at it, expression unreadable.
"So it's us," Chen said quietly.
Jin nodded once. "Looks like it."
Match 1
Lu Shen — Starfall First Academy
vs
Qiao Zhen — Northriver Combat School (Second Rank)
As their names settled on the screen, the noise in the arena shifted—not louder, but tighter. People leaned forward. This wasn't a mismatch pulled for convenience. Qiao Zhen had a reputation. Northriver Combat didn't hand out high ranks easily.
The student profiles flickered into place.
Lu Shen
Academy: Starfall First Academy
Primary Monster Gene: Crimson Horn Minotaur
Elemental Affinity: Fire — High
Rank: Three-Star Warrior [ high ]
Qiao Zhen
Academy: Northriver Combat School
Primary Monster Gene: Blacktide Armadillo
Elemental Affinity: Water — Mid-High
Rank: Three-Star Warrior [ high ]
"Defense gene," someone murmured.
"And a water type. He's built to last."
Qiao Zhen stepped onto the platform first. He was broad-shouldered, compact, with forearm guards layered like overlapping scales. A heavy gauntlet covered his right arm, faint blue patterns pulsing slowly as water-aspected energy circulated beneath the surface.
Lu Shen followed a moment later.
No armor beyond reinforced combat gear. No shield. Just a long-handled axe resting casually across his shoulder, the blade dark and dense, heat bleeding from it even before the match began.
They stopped ten meters apart.
Qiao Zhen gave a short nod. "I won't hold back."
Lu Shen didn't respond. He rolled his neck once, set his grip, and waited.
The barrier sealed.
The signal sounded.
Qiao Zhen moved first.
Water surged around his feet as he slammed his gauntlet into the platform.
[ Tidemantle Guard ]
A thick layer of condensed water wrapped around his torso and arms, flowing constantly, reinforcing his stance. He advanced immediately after, each step heavy, deliberate, meant to absorb impact rather than avoid it.
Lu Shen met him head-on.
The axe came down in a brutal arc, fire flaring along the blade.
[ Blazing Cleaver ]
Qiao Zhen raised his arm to block.
The impact detonated outward.
Fire and water collided in a violent burst, steam exploding between them. The platform shuddered. Qiao Zhen slid back half a step, boots scraping, water rippling wildly as it absorbed the force.
Lu Shen pressed in.
He didn't give space.
Another swing followed, then another, each strike heavy enough to crack stone. Flames rolled off the axe head, pressure stacking with every blow.
Qiao Zhen held his ground, blocking, redirecting, letting his gene do what it was meant to do—endure.
[ Rolling Breakwater ]
Water surged outward from his guard in a circular wave, forcing Lu Shen back just enough to breathe.
Qiao Zhen exhaled sharply and counterattacked, gauntlet driving forward.
[ Riptide Impact ]
The punch carried compressed water that exploded on contact, aimed squarely at Lu Shen's chest.
Lu Shen didn't dodge.
He stepped into it.
Fire flared violently around his body as his muscles tightened.
[ Hornflare Advance ]
The impact landed—but instead of stopping him, it fed the momentum. Lu Shen slammed his shoulder forward, smashing through the water pressure and ramming Qiao Zhen back.
The difference showed.
Qiao Zhen's feet left the ground.
He hit the barrier hard, water armor rippling erratically as he struggled to stabilize.
Lu Shen didn't let him.
The axe rose overhead, flames condensing, heat sharpening instead of spreading.
[ Crimson Rend ]
The strike came down like judgment.
Qiao Zhen crossed both arms, pouring everything he had into defense.
The blow smashed through the water mantle, cracked the gauntlet, and drove him into the platform with a sound like breaking stone.
The barrier flashed.
The medic signal lit up instantly.
The match was over.
[ Match Ended ]
Winner: Lu Shen — Starfall First Academy
The barrier dropped.
Lu Shen lowered his axe and stepped back, breathing steady, expression unchanged. He didn't look at Qiao Zhen as medics rushed in, carefully lifting the Northriver student onto a stretcher.
Qiao Zhen was conscious. Bruised. Breathing hard.
He gave a weak laugh as he was carried off. "Yeah… figures."
In the stands, people exhaled all at once.
"That wasn't close."
"He broke through a defense build head-on."
"First Academy really is different."
Lu Shen turned and walked off the platform without celebration.
In the Starfall First section, no one cheered.
They didn't need to.
This was exactly what they expected from him.
The platform reset, scorch marks fading as fresh barriers rose.
Match 2
Gu Liang — Starfall Third Academy (First Rank)
vs
Xu Kaifeng — Radiant Sky Institute (Second Rank)
This time, the crowd didn't settle into certainty. Both names carried weight.
Starfall Third's first rank had fought his way here cleanly. Radiant Sky's second rank was known for control and patience. On paper, it was even.
The profiles appeared.
Gu Liang
Academy: Starfall Third Academy
Primary Monster Gene: Stoneback Basilisk
Elemental Affinity: Earth — Mid-High
Rank: Three-Star Warrior [High]
Xu Kaifeng
Academy: Radiant Sky Institute
Primary Monster Gene: Cloudvein Crane
Elemental Affinity: Wind — Mid-High
Rank: Three-Star Warrior [High]
"No weak side here."
"Radiant Sky doesn't send sloppy fighters."
Gu Liang stepped onto the platform first, carrying a broad-bladed saber, the spine of it thick and heavy. His movements were steady, grounded, every step measured.
Xu Kaifeng followed, light on his feet, spear resting loosely in one hand, wind curling faintly around the tip.
They exchanged a brief nod.
The barrier sealed.
The signal sounded.
Xu Kaifeng moved first, spear flashing forward as wind wrapped around his body.
[ Featherstep Drive ]
He darted in, fast and clean, the spear tip probing for gaps rather than committing fully. Gu Liang blocked with the flat of his saber, sparks jumping as metal met reinforced wind.
Xu Kaifeng didn't linger. He slid past, the wind carrying him sideways, then struck again from Gu Liang's blind spot.
Gu Liang stamped his foot.
[ Bedrock Stance ]
The platform beneath him hardened as earthen energy surged upward. His balance locked in place. He twisted and caught the spear shaft with his forearm, stone-patterned energy reinforcing the impact.
Xu Kaifeng clicked his tongue softly and disengaged.
They circled.
Xu Kaifeng pressed with speed, wind snapping around his spear in rapid thrusts.
[ Gale Thread ]
The attacks came in quick succession, light but relentless. Gu Liang absorbed them, blocking, redirecting, letting his defense do the work while he waited.
Then he stepped forward suddenly.
[ Shattercut ]
The saber came down hard. The platform cracked, stone spikes erupting upward, forcing Xu Kaifeng to leap back. Wind flared as he twisted midair, landing cleanly but breathing sharper now.
"That hit almost trapped him."
Xu Kaifeng's expression tightened. He raised his spear higher, wind condensing, no longer testing.
[ Skyfold Lance ]
He surged forward in a straight line, wind compressing around the spear tip until it screamed. The strike pierced through Gu Liang's guard, cutting into his shoulder and drawing blood.
Gu Liang grunted and slid back a step.
The crowd stirred.
Gu Liang wiped the blood away with his thumb and exhaled slowly.
"Good," he muttered.
He slammed his saber into the ground.
[ Stonewake Field ]
The platform shifted under Xu Kaifeng's feet, uneven waves of hardened earth disrupting his footing. His speed faltered for half a second.
Gu Liang didn't waste it.
He closed the distance, saber swinging in a wide arc reinforced by earth-aspected force.
Xu Kaifeng blocked—but the weight was too much.
The impact drove him to one knee.
Gu Liang followed through.
[ Basilisk Break ]
The strike landed squarely, the force rippling through Xu Kaifeng's guard and into his chest. Wind dispersed violently as he was thrown backward, hitting the barrier hard.
The medic signal flared before he could stand again.
[ Match Ended ]
Winner: Gu Liang — Starfall Third Academy
The barrier dropped.
Gu Liang rested his saber on his shoulder, breathing heavy now, the stiffness in his movements impossible to hide.
Xu Kaifeng sat against the barrier for a moment, then laughed quietly as medics approached. "Guess… I pushed you further than you wanted."
Gu Liang nodded once. "You did."
The crowd responded with genuine applause this time—not roaring, but respectful.
A close match.
Just two strong fighters, and one narrow margin.
As the platform reset again, it was clear to everyone watching—
From here on, nothing would come easy.