The arena trembled as the referee raised his hand.

  Before Liu Xin and Han Yuwei stood the ptform simple, almost humble in appearance. A ft, circur stone stage barely thirty meters across, its surface pin gray granite, unadorned by even a single carving. There was none of the grandeur of a high-tier sect arena, none of the gold-inid formations or majestic runic patterns.

  And yet…

  Four short crystal pilrs stood at equal points around the ptform's edge. As the referee circuted his qi, each pilr ignited with a soft blue glow. Threads of light connected them, weaving upward until a dome-like barrier formed overhead. Its surface rippled gently like water, quiet, unassuming, yet powerful enough to endure battles that would pulverize ordinary stone.

  A modest stage.A simple battlefield.But one strong enough to protect every spectator from whatever destruction was about to unfold.

  Silence fell over the arena.

  The air thickened, trembling with anticipation as the protective barrier hummed softly. Liu Xin stood calmly at the center, one hand resting lightly on the hilt of his sword, his expression composed and unreadable.

  Across from him, Han Yuwei rolled his shoulders, arrogance leaking from every breath he took, each movement prociming superiority.

  Before the referee could even announce the start, Liu Xin lifted his gaze and spoke lightly, almost casually:

  "You should unseal your cultivation. Return to Early Nascent Soul Realm. Otherwise, this won't be meaningful."

  A ripple of shock washed through the watching audience.

  Han Yuwei ughed, a sharp, mocking sound that cut through the silence.

  "Unseal? To fight you?" He tilted his chin upward, disdain radiating from his eyes. "I'll match your cultivation at Early Foundation Establishment Realm instead. If I go any higher, people might say I'm bullying you."

  Gasps burst from the crowd.

  Even some elders frowned.

  But Liu Xin only smiled a quiet, confident curve of his lips that felt sharper than any bde.

  "Don't regret it ter."

  The referee's hand sliced downward like a lightning bolt.

  "Begin!"

  The moment the word left his mouth, Han Yuwei vanished.

  A blur of speed. A streak of cold killing intent. He reappeared directly in front of Liu Xin, fingers curled into a vicious cw strike aimed at Liu Xin's throat, a killing move disguised within a sparring match.

  But Liu Xin didn't panic.

  He smirked.

  Steel sang.

  Cng!

  Liu Xin's sword intercepted the blow cleanly, dispersing Han Yuwei's killing intent as if brushing dust from his robe. The shockwave rippled outward, cracks fshing across the arena floor.

  Han Yuwei's face twisted. He hadn't expected such ease.

  Before he could retreat, Liu Xin twisted his wrist, deflecting the incoming force, and.

  BOOM!

  A powerful kick smmed into Han Yuwei's stomach.The impact echoed like thunder.Han Yuwei's eyes widened as blood burst from his lips, his body bsting backward like a broken arrow.

  He shot out of the stage, crashing against the barrier before sliding to the ground in a heap.

  The arena erupted in chaos and disbelief.

  The referee, momentarily shocked, quickly raised his arm.

  "Th-the winner Liu Xin!"

  The referee had barely finished announcing the result when a furious roar tore through the arena.

  "WAIT! This isn't over! I won't accept this!"

  The spectators jolted. Heads whipped toward the source of the outburst.

  Han Yuwei staggered to his feet outside the stage, face pale, blood still dripping from the corner of his mouth. His eyes burned with humiliation and hatred.

  Liu Xin slowly turned his head, expression calm, voice cold.

  "Oh?" His gaze sharpened. "You don't accept your defeat? Then unseal your cultivation if you want to beat me. Otherwise… you're just pathetic."

  The word fell like a bde.

  Pathetic.

  Han Yuwei's face twisted with fury. His qi trembled violently.

  "Pathetic?!" he roared. He spun toward his cn seating area. "Elder! Unseal my cultivation! I'll kill this trash!"

  His shout detonated through the arena.

  The arena erupted in chaos and disbelief.

  Gasps, curses, and angry voices cshed in the air.

  Even the Elder from the Han Family momentarily froze, his expression shifting from shock to dark fury. His gaze swept over Liu Xin with poisonous hostility, as though the boy very existence was an insult to their cn dignity.

  "Yuwei," the Han Elder growled, lips curling. "If you wish to restore our cn honor… then so be it!"

  He raised his hand sharply.

  A heavy wave of spiritual force burst outward.

  BOOM!

  The seal restraining Han Yuwei shattered, his aura skyrocketing Foundation Establishment… Core Formation…until it stabilized at Early Nascent Soul Realm, filling the arena with oppressive might.

  Shouts spread wildly among the spectators.

  "Shameless! They actually unsealed his cultivation!"

  "This is clearly bullying!"

  "Does the Han Family have no pride left?!"

  Even members of the Liu Family stood up angrily.

  Meanwhile, Elder Zhen of the Azure Spirit Sword Sect narrowed his eyes, his aura growing heavier.

  A Liu Family Elder quickly stepped forward and addressed him.

  "Elder Zhen, Liu Xin already won. He won't acc—"

  But before he could finish, a calm voice cut him off.

  "Elder."

  Liu Xin stepped forward. His eyes were steady. Unwavering.

  "I got this."

  The Liu Family Elder's expression tightened with worry."Xin'er… this isn't a simple matter. He's Nascent Soul—"

  Liu Xin shook his head once.

  Unshakable confidence radiated from him.

  Reluctantly, the elder stepped back.

  Liu Xin then csped his hands and bowed toward Elder Zhen.

  "Elder Zhen. I request permission… to fight Han Yuwei again. This time, with his full strength."

  Silence fell over the arena.

  Elder Zhen studied Liu Xin carefully. In the boy eyes, he saw no fear. Only determination as sharp as a sword edge, steady as an ancient mountain.

  Finally, the old elder exhaled.

  "Fine."

  A whisper spread among the spectators.

  "He's insane…"

  "He's only in Foundation Establishment!"

  "Does he truly intend to face a Nascent Soul cultivator head on?"

  But Liu Xin only stepped onto the stage once more, aura rising like a silent storm.

  ...

  And in the distance…Sect Master Xingjin's frown deepened, his gaze sharpening like a bde of frost.

  From the distinguished guests ptform, he leaned forward, elbows resting lightly on his knees, as though trying to decode a whisper only he could hear. His robes stirred again, this time clearly pulled by faint spiritual turbulence in the air.

  A second ripple brushed past him, subtle, poisonous.

  His eyes narrowed.

  This aura… It shouldn't exist in a disciple of the Han Family.

  Han Yuwei's figure on the stage looked perfectly composed, jaw clenched, eyes burning with indignation as he refused to accept the results of the duel. But beneath that fa?ade… the Sect Master felt it. A trace of demonic taint, cold and abyssal, cleverly wrapped beneath yers of normal qi.

  Not a complete transformation.

  Not possession.

  But a seed.

  A seed that should never have sprouted.

  The other distinguished guests began to shift uneasily. Though they cked his perception, they sensed something amiss simply from Sect Master Xingjin's expression.

  Elder Mu coughed lightly. "Sect Master… is something wrong?"

  Xingjin did not answer immediately. His gaze remained locked on Han Yuwei, observing every twitch of his muscles, every breath he took.

  Then a deeper pulse rang out.

  A thrum like a muffled heartbeat, one that did not belong to any human cultivator.

  Xingjin's pupils constricted.

  That is… pure negative emotion. Rage, envy, hatred, resentment… no, this is far too concentrated to belong to a mere Nascent soul cultivator. Someone, something has tampered with this boy cultivation.

  His jaw tightened.

  The crowd, however, remained ignorant. Their focus was on the drama pying out on the stage, not on the unseen danger coiling behind Han Yuwei aura.

  But Xingjin felt it. The dark qi slithering beneath the surface. The silent corruption trying to merge with Han Yuwei meridians.

  This could explode at any moment.

  As Liu Xin stood firm across from Han Yuwei, the Sect Master suddenly felt a knot of unease twist sharply in his chest.

  "This battle…" he muttered, voice barely audible even to the Elders beside him, "is no longer a simple duel between juniors."

  Elder Mu looked stunned. Elder Jiang's face paled.

  "What do you mean, Sect Master?"

  Xingjin did not look away from the arena as he answered.

  "Something… is awakening inside Han Yuwei. Something that should not be awakened."

  A breath of killing intent flickered behind his eyes.

  If this escated, he might be forced to intervene personally, even if it meant shattering the ptform's protective barrier.

  ...

  High above the heavens, within a silent void where clouds and spatial currents intertwined, Yue and Lin Xuan stood suspended in midair, their gazes piercing through yers of mist toward the ground below.

  From this vantage point, even the smallest change could not escape their notice.

  Yue's eyes narrowed slightly as her gaze shifted toward the distinguished guest ptform far below. Sect Master Xingjin sat there, his posture composed yet his expression had subtly changed. The faint crease between his brows spoke of unease.

  "Master," Yue said softly, her voice carrying a hint of certainty, "Sect Master Xingjin… he senses something about that vilin."

  Lin Xuan followed Yue's line of sight. When his eyes nded on Xingjin, a faint glint of understanding fshed within them. The Sect Master's gaze was sharp, alert no longer that of a mere observer, but of a hunter who had caught the scent of danger.

  "Oh," Lin Xuan muttered with a slight curl of his lips. "He noticed."

  His tone cooled as he continued, eyes never leaving Xingjin. "And now… he's become vigint about that guy."