The arena had never been this full.
Even outer sect elders stood at the edges of the viewing platforms.
The finals.
Lin Kai stood at the center of the stone stage.
Stage 8.
Freshly stabilized.
Across from him stood the final opponent—
Wei Jian.
Ranked first among inner disciples.
Peak Stage 9.
Half-step Foundation Establishment.
Calm.
Sharp-eyed.
His aura wasn't explosive like others.
It was refined.
Deep.
Like a blade hidden in silk.
The referee announced:
"Final match of the Grand Tournament… begin!"
Wei Jian moved instantly.
Faster than anyone before.
A silver flash crossed the arena.
Lin Kai barely blocked in time—
Clang!
A thin sword pressed against his forearm, sparks scattering.
Wei Jian's voice was calm.
"You improved quickly."
Their bodies separated.
Wei Jian's sword danced through the air.
Not wild.
Precise.
Every strike aimed at vital points.
Lin Kai dodged narrowly.
This was different.
No wasted Qi.
No arrogance.
No emotional attacks to exploit.
Wei Jian's blade technique flowed seamlessly.
"Silver Cloud Thirteen Forms!"
A barrage of sword shadows filled the stage.
Lin Kai's sleeves were sliced.
Blood traced faint lines along his arm.
The vortex stirred.
It could sense it—
Wei Jian's Qi was unbelievably pure.
Dense from years of refinement.
Devour him.
Just one solid grasp—
And Foundation Establishment might be within reach.
Lin Kai clenched his teeth.
Not yet.
He focused instead on defense.
Observing.
Wei Jian pressed harder.
"You hesitate."
His sword thrust forward like lightning.
Lin Kai caught the flat of the blade between his palms.
Shockwaves rippled outward.
The vortex activated slightly—
Just enough.
A thin strand of Qi was siphoned.
Wei Jian's eyes narrowed.
"So it's true."
He pushed back and leapt into the air.
Silver light condensed above him.
A massive sword phantom formed.
"Cloud Piercing Descent!"
The arena trembled.
This attack was far beyond previous techniques.
High above—
The robed elder in the shadows smiled faintly.
Now.
The moment.
As the giant sword descended—
Something changed.
The spiritual energy in the arena shifted unnaturally.
Dense.
Distorted.
Lin Kai felt it instantly.
Not from Wei Jian.
From beneath.
The spirit vein.
The vortex inside him reacted violently.
Hungry—
But confused.
The energy surging upward from below was unstable.
Corrupted.
Wei Jian's descending sword collided with Lin Kai—
BOOM!!!
Dust and shockwaves exploded across the arena.
Cracks spread through the stone stage.
When the smoke cleared—
Lin Kai stood kneeling in a crater.
Breathing heavily.
Stage 8 aura trembling.
Wei Jian landed gracefully a distance away.
But before the referee could speak—
The ground split open.
A dark surge of spiritual energy erupted from beneath the arena floor.
Disciples screamed.
"What is that?!"
"It's coming from the spirit vein!"
The entire mountain shook violently.
High above, Sect Master Liang shot to his feet.
"Impossible… the spirit vein is destabilizing!"
In the chaos—
Only one person remained calm.
The robed elder stepped forward from the shadows.
His hood fell back.
Elder Mo.
A senior elder rarely seen in public.
His eyes locked onto Lin Kai.
Cold.
Interested.
The dark energy surging from the cracked arena spiraled toward Lin Kai specifically.
The vortex inside him began spinning uncontrollably.
It recognized the energy.
Resonated with it.
Not natural spirit vein Qi—
But something altered.
Fed.
Tempered.
Prepared.
For him.
Lin Kai's eyes widened.
"This was planned…"
Elder Mo smiled faintly.
"Your technique is extraordinary, Lin Kai."
His voice echoed across the trembling arena.
"So I helped it grow."
Shock rippled through the sect.
"You tampered with the spirit vein?!" Elder Xu roared.
Elder Mo's gaze never left Lin Kai.
"I merely refined a portion of it."
The corrupted energy surged higher.
The vortex inside Lin Kai roared in response.
Devour.
Devour.
Devour.
If he absorbed this surge—
He would break through instantly.
Perhaps even beyond Stage 9.
But—
The energy felt wrong.
Chaotic.
Wild.
If he took it all—
Control would shatter.
Wei Jian stepped back warily.
Mu Xue drew her sword below the stage.
The entire sect watched.
Lin Kai stood at the center of the erupting arena.
Dark energy swirling around him.
The vortex inside him spinning faster than ever before.
Elder Mo raised a hand calmly.
"Show me."
"Are you master of the abyss…"
"Or its slave?"
The energy storm descended.
And Lin Kai had one choice—
Devour everything…
Or destroy it.