A Punishment of Night and Senses

  Master Daokan sighed, standing effortlessly as if the weight of the sect rested on his shoulders yet burdened him none. In mere seds, with a single, anding movement, made everyone running around sat down and with a gnce, he silehe entire room. A force of authority radiated from him, so absolute that even Ats and Bao, usually the biggest instigators of chaos, straightened like scolded children. The room froze.

  "Enough," Daokan's voice was soft, yet it carried an unmistakable edge. "You will all be silent."

  And just like that, they were.

  Even Ats, alrepared with a snarky remark, found himself instinctively l his head. Bao, who had been halfway to a nervous chuckle, swallowed it immediately.

  Then, as if his instincts were impossible to suppress, Ats performed an immediate dogeza—but, in true Ats fashion, his form was pletely wrong. His face pressed to the floor, but his rear was ically high in the air.

  The rea was immediate.

  Master Daokan twitched. His smirk disappeared, repced with sheer irritation.

  The dies in the room, however, found the sight quite amusing. Shen Xue smirked, Meyu snorted softly, and Lay, despite her deep frustration, barely held back a chuckle. Even Yuxe Wuye raised an eyebrow, hiding the smallest hint of amusement behind her sleeve.

  Daokan pihe bridge of his nose. "Ats, lower your ass."

  Ats, still face-down, wiggled slightly in fusion. "Lower it more, Master? I am already expressing my utmost humility—"

  "NOW."

  Ats flinched and fttened immediately.

  Master Daokan exhaled slowly before sweeping his gaze across the entire group. "This disaster was not caused by Ats alone. Ead every one of you tributed to this absurdity." His eyes gleamed with amusement and authority alike. "So, you all will face punishment."

  As if ohe entire room turned and gred at Ats.

  Ats, whose face was still pressed to the floor, could feel the heat of their stares.

  "Why do I feel like I am being singled out?" he muttered, his voice muffled against the ground.

  "Because you are." Lay deadpanned.

  All eyes were gring daggers at Ats.

  Ats, ever the shameless survivor, casually ducked behind Bao, peeking over his shoulder like a child hiding behind a guardian. Bao, the ever-loyal, instinctively stepped forward, crossing his arms in a protective stance.

  "We all know who's at fault here," Lay said, voice dangerously low, her hands ched into fists.

  Ats, feigning plete innoce, peeked out. "Fault? My dear Meilin, I am but a humble mert caught in a series of unfortunate events!"

  "You incited a coup in Master's sect within hours of arriving," she deadpanned, eyes burning with anger.

  Before Bao could even attempt a defense, Meyu stepped in, her maternal instincts triggered beyond reason. Without hesitation, she pced both hands on Ats' shoulders and shoved him forward.

  It was almost cartoonish, his feet skidding across the floor as he tried to resist. "Meyu! My most trusted paniorayal!"

  "Accept your punishment like a man." Meyu huffed, dusting off her hands, looking pletely unbothered.

  Ats barely caught his bance before turning back to Bao for support. "Brother Bao, surely you—"

  Bao scooted a siep away.

  Ats blinked. "Et tu, Bao?"

  "Sorry, brother, but..." Bao g Lay, whose faow radiated pure murderous i. "I value my life."

  Lay exhaled sharply, crag her knuckles. "I was supposed to leave for Silver Lotus today. Now, thanks to you, I am stuck here pying along with your stupidity!"

  "Oh e now," Ats grinned, rec swiftly, "think of it as aended diplomatic mission!"

  "I think of it as a prolonged nightmare."

  "Tomato, tomahto."

  Before Lay could unch herself at him, Master Daokan chuckled.

  "That's enough." His voice was calm, but the weight behind it silehe room immediately. "Since you all have such boundless energy, I've decided on your punishment."

  The disciples straightened, wariness creeping into their stances.

  Daokan leaned forward, his smirk widening. "The sun has set. We will train until the middle of the night."

  Ats bliilting his head like a fused puppy. "I'm sorry, I must have misheard. You said—no, surely not. My ears must be pying trie. Did you say a delightful eveni? Perhaps a restful meditation session?"

  "Until the middle of the night, yes." Master Daokan's smirk widened ever so slightly, clearly enjoying the suffering about to unfold.

  Before Ats could properly process his impending doom, Meyu smacked the back of his head with a sharp th, her expression exasperated. "Stop looking for an escape, yht this on yourself."

  "Ow!" Ats rubbed his head, pouting. "I'm just a humble mert caught in a terrible injustice!"

  Lay ignored his whining, arms crossed. "Fine. What exactly are we doing, Master?"

  Daokan's smirk remained as he folded his arms. "We will train in plete darkness. You will rely on your other senses—sound, touch, movement. A warrior who depends only on sight is a warrior who will not survive."

  A murmur of excitement rippled through the group. Jiang nodded approvingly, Bao grinned in anticipation, and even Shen Xue's eyes gleamed with i.

  All except Ats, who groaned dramatically. "Fantastic. My two greatest strengths: running and talking, utterly useless."

  A collective groan rose from the Silver Lotus group hearing this.

  "sider this a lesson." Daokan stood, the authority in his posture anding their silence. "Even when blinded, you must aowledge your senses. In true battle, sight alone will betray you."

  Before anyone could react, Daokan vanished. Or rather, that's what it looked like. A faint blur, an afterimage of where he had been, lingered for the briefest moment before Ats let out a startled yelp. Daokan's hand was already resting on his shoulder.

  Ats stiffened, eyes wide. "By the heavens—"

  Daokan smirked. "Even those with little Qi, if they harness enough strength and awareness, take down a master." He removed his hand and stepped back just as effortlessly, as if the movement had been no more difficult than a stroll.

  "Power alone is meaningless if you don't know how to use it."

  "You will each fae of my best." His smirk returned. "Let's see how much you rely on instinct alone."

  Daokan: "Meilin, you will fight Yan Shuren."

  Yan Shuren frowned. "Master, this isn't fair—"

  Daokan raised a hand. "It's not about fairness. Make her stronger, not shatter her."

  Yan sighed, giving Lay a look of mild . "Uood."

  Daokan: I will fight against Lin Wuye and Jiang. I hope you put up a good fight

  Lin Wuye looked at Jiang then look at Daokan: Master with all due respect, isn't it unfair to you?''

  Daokan simply answered with a sense of wisdom: ''In war, use whatever tactics to win. You will face me, the both of you.''

  Daokauro Shen Xue and Ats.

  Daokan: "As for this match..." He g his daughter, his smirk widening. "Whatever she wants."

  Shen Xue cracked her knuckles, her eyes gleaming with dangerous i.

  Ats took a step back. "Ahaha, Shen Xue, my dearest frieeemed warrior of Shrouded Peaks! Before we engage in sunecessary violence, allow me to offer my si apologies for any perceived slights. In fact, I propose an alternative—how about I gracefully cede this match? Yes! A surrehink of the efficy! We avoid the hassle of bruises, broken bones, and shattered pride—mostly mine, of course."

  Shen Xue remained silent, gripping her knuckles with a slow, deliberate motion.

  Ats gulped. "Or perhaps a promise? I stand still, you lightly tap me, and we call it a day? I swear on my fi silk robes that I—"

  Shen Xue's grip tightened around Ats' shoulder, her fingers digging in just enough to send a clear message.

  Ats stiffened. "Oh, delightful! A firm yet geouch! I appreciate the attention, but if we could perhaps—"

  His eyes darted toward Meyu, silently pleading for salvation.

  Meyu, arms crossed, simply gave him the look of 'Good luck' before turning away.

  Ats gulped. "Meyu, my dearest, most treasured ally, please don't abandon me in my hour of need!"

  Shen Xue's grip only grew firmer as she leaned in ever so slightly. "Oh, I'll decide how this goes."

  Ats sighed dramatically, already resigo his fate. "Very well, but please—go easy on my beautiful face. If it gets ruihe world loses a piece of art."

  The servants guided the group toward the training ground, their nterns flickering in the night. The air was thick with anticipation, the weight of impending battle settling over them.

  As they reached the open clearing, Master Daokan turo Lay and Yan Shuren. "Step forward. Choose a on."

  Lay ran her fingers over the sele of wooden ons, eyes lingering on the spear. It was the easiest choiot just in this life, but in her past one as well.

  Yan Shuren watched her quietly as she picked it up, twirling it in her grip. "A spear?"

  She smirked. "Old habits."

  Master Daokan gave a nod of approval. "A wise choiow, let's begin."

  The servainguished the nterns, plunging the training ground into near darkness. The only illumination came from the moon above, casting long shadows over the two warriors.

  Lay shifted into position, spear tip h just above the ground. Yan Shuren mirrored her stance, his wooden sword held at the ready.

  Then, they moved.

  Lay lunged first, thrusting her spear forward in a precise motion. Yan twisted at the st moment, sidestepping the attack with fluid grace before retaliating with a downward ssh. Lay barely mao shift her grip, redireg his strike with the shaft of her spear, the wood vibrating from the forpact.

  Yan advanced, his footwork impeccable as he closed the distaween them. Lay spun her spear, using its extended reach to force him back, eaent flowing effortlessly into the . Their ons cshed again, the resounding crack of wood eg through the clearing.

  Yan's sword came sweeping low, aiming for her legs. Lay leapt bading lightly on the balls of her feet. She took a breath, analyzing his stance—he was holding back.

  She narrowed her eyes. "Yoing easy on me."

  Yan tilted his head. "I was told to make you stronger, not break you."

  "Then stop treating me like gss."

  The moment the words left her lips, the fight ged.

  Yan Shuren vanished. Or at least, that's how it felt. His movements were so fast, it was as if he cast two shadows, each shifting in opposite dires, dist Lay's senses.

  She swung her spear instinctively, but she was already too te.

  A single blow struck her midse—a mere fra of his true strength, no more than 1/10th of his power.

  Yet it felt like a hammer had smmed into her.

  Lay's body lifted off the ground, sent hurtling through the air before she crashed into the stone wall behind her with a siing thud. Dust and debris scattered around her as she slumped to her knees, blood trig from her forehead.

  Paihrough her body, her vision swimming for a moment. But she refused to fall.

  With a trembling arm, she wiped the blood from her brow and forced herself to stand. Her legs screamed in protest, but she pnted her feet firmly against the ground, spear still in hand.

  Yan Shuren watched her, his expression unreadable. "You're still standing?"

  Lay spat to the side, her breath ragged but steady. "Damn right, I am."

  Ats had seen many fights before—bar brawls, street duels, even the occasional tour matches. But this? This was something else entirely.

  Lay looked like a beginner. Her speed is slow, no overwhelming strength—only her intelligence. And intelligence alone wouldn't save her here.

  Yan Shuren moved with the efficy of someone who had dohis tless times. His wooden sword wasn't just a training on in his hands—it was a tool of precision. Every strike was measured, every movement deliberate. Lay, for all her effort, was barely keeping up.

  Lin Wuye stood at the edge of the clearing, arms crossed, eyes keenly following the fight. He could see it clearly—the vast gulf between them. Yan wasn't just stronger; he was faster, sharper. Lay could think through strategies, but against an oppo of this calliber, she had no time to apply them. This wasn't about winning. It was about survival.

  Lay gritted her teeth and lunged, her wooden spear stabbing forward in a desperate attempt to push Yan back. It redictable. Yan sidestepped effortlessly and tered with a downward strike. Lay barely raised her spear in time, the impact sending painful vibrations up her arms.

  Ats wihat was just a wooden sword, yet it looked like she had been struck by a hammer. If Yan had been using even a fraore force, she would have been on the ground already.

  Another exge. Another devastating impact. Lin Wuye kept his eyes on Yan's form, noting the precision of eaent. Yan was holding back—signifitly so. His strikes were just enough to push Lay, to force her body to learn, to make her instincts sharpen. This wasn't a fight. This was a lesson.

  Master Daokan's brows furrowed slightly from where he stood, . He had seen this before. The tree Lay struck days ago—its inner roots bed, the decay slow yet iable. Now, here it was again. Her spear trembled in her grip, the shift almost imperceptible. He remained silent, watg closely.

  Yan swung again, his wooden sword a blur in the darkness. Lay raised her spear to block, expeg the same jarring pain to shoot through her arms.

  But something ged.

  The moment her spear met his strike, a faint tremor ran along the wood. Yan's eyes narrowed slightly, sensing the shift. The force of his blow seemed to dissipate, the impact duller than before. He stepped back, studying her carefully, something gnawing at the back of his mind. Something was wrong with the wood—but he couldn't tell what.

  Lay didn't notice. She was too focused on staying upright, too lost itle to realize what had begun to take root. The maion of her qi, slow and unseen—like the creeping decay beh a tree's bark, waiting for the right moment to spread.

  Then, she moved.

  She knew she should stop. She should listen. Her body itiful, her qi reserves even worse. She wasn't strong, she wasn't fast, and she had already overstepped her limits. But that part of her—the part that refused to bow, the part that cwed and bled and fought eve was hopeless—wouldn't let her yield. She had been a queen once, and even then, she opped trying.

  Fueled by nothing but adrenaline, Lay threw herself forward, spear striking in rapid succession. Her body was battered, bruised, but she ig. The pain was sedary. She had to keep going. Had to try.

  Yan deflected her strikes with ease. Every hit she took sent her skidding back, her limbs screaming in protest, but she came back like a ghost—relentless, ceaseless, refusing to stay down.

  Lay's breaths grew heavier. Her vision blurred at the edges, a sii rising in her chest. Her Qi ushing too hard, burning through her reserves at a dangerous rate. Her body wasn't ready for this. She could feel it creeping through her veins, poisoning her from the i.

  She was losing. But she wouldn't stop.

  Yan parried arike, his expression unreadable. He saw it now—the reckless overexertion, the way her movements were beiic. This wasn't just determination. This was desperation.

  Then, it happened.

  The Qi poison hit her like a truck, her body freezing mid-strike as an unbearable wave of nausea and pain ed her. Her breath hitched, her vision flickered, and her legs buckled beh her. But before she could colpse, Yan's final strike nded.

  His wooden sword crashed against her, sending her hurtling through the air. She smmed into a stone pilr, the impact crag it, dust and debris scattering in all dires.

  A deafening silence followed.

  Before Lay could hit the ground, Shen moved. In a blur of motion, matg Yan's speed, she caught Lay just before impact, cradling her limp form with surprisileness. Without hesitation, she rushed toward Master Daokan, her expression unreadable, but the urgen her movements unmistakable.

  Yan's grip on his sword faltered as he turo watch. He felt it—a slow, creepiion. He looked down.

  The wood of his sword had begun to b.

  Eyes widening, he instantly let go, the on dropping to the ground with a dull thud. His fiingled, a faint numbness creeping through them.

  Master Daokan stepped forward, his voice calm but firm. "Now, you see it. The decay."

  Yan stared at the sword, then at Lay, realization dawning on him. "What… is this?"

  Master Daokan's gaze remained on Lay as Shen id her down before him. Before he could begin, Lin Wuye stepped forward, his face set in a deep frown. "What is happening to her?" His voice was tense, edged with somethiween and demand.

  Master Daokan exhaled slowly. "Her Qi doesn't attastantly. It lingers, spreads, rots from within. And right now—she is pletely ed by it. If I do not intervene now, it will e her entirely."

  Lin Wuye's fists ched at his sides. "That is my daughter's body. I demand answers, Master Daokan. What is happening to Meilin?"

  Within Lay's sciousness, darkness swirled. She could feel it—the strange, fn qi that wasn't hers. It moved, pulsed, whispered in the void. A voice, vague and distant, called to her, its preseh haunting and familiar.

  "You are not from here," it murmured.

  Lay hesitated. "Who are you?"

  "A presence," it whispered. "A truth hiddeh your own."

  Lay's breath caught. "You… you know who I am?" The figure's firailed along Lay's essence, a figure so dark it is devoid of anything, making her shudder.

  "Oh, I know much more than that…"

  The voice chuckled. "I know you were a ruler. I know you held power. And I know you thought your Qi was ordinary. But it isn't, is it?"

  Lay shivered. "What do you want?"

  "Oh, don't worry. I won't reveal you're a fake. You adapted well, for being a fraud. You led a battle to victory when the Silver Lotus should have lost. You defeated Shen Mu—though only by luck, and Master Daokan's intervention. But you did it, Lay. Or should I say… the ruler of Eternal Crest, Queen Lay al-Zahira."

  Lay's breath hitched. The darkness curled arouhe figure's presence suffog yet eerily intimate.

  "Who… what are you?" she whispered, her voice trembling.

  The figure chuckled softly, firag an unseen path along Lay's very essence. "Names are trivial, fleeting. I am what lingers. What festers. What watches. And you… you are far more iing than I anticipated." Lay shuddered, uo move, her sciousness seemingly suspended in this abyss.

  "What do you want from me?"

  The figure tilted its head, sidering her. "Want? Oh, Lay, this isn't about what I want. This is about what you are being. A queen once more? A warrior? Or just another lost soul grasping for purpose?"

  Lay ched her fists. "I am not lost."

  "Aren't you? You wear another's face, live another's life, yet your heart still beats to the rhythm of a fallen throne. How long will you pretend, Lay? How long before they see you for what you are?"

  The words cut deep. Lay recoiled, but the figure only drew closer, its touch grazing the edges of her soul, a suffog weight pressing down.

  "Enough!"

  Lay forced the word out, her very being shaking. "Leave me be!"

  The figure sighed, amused yet indulgent. "Very well. For now. But know this—I am watg. And one day, you will have no choice but to let me in."

  As the figure withdrew, its presence dissipating like mist, Lay gasped for air, though ruly existed in this realm. Darkness faded, and slowly, painfully, she felt herself slipping away…

  —

  Master Daokan exhaled, his palms h above Lay's chest as the st of his Qi sealed the raging storm withihe glow around her flickered before settling into an uneasy stillness.

  He pulled away, sweat lining his brow. "She is stable for now."

  Lin Wuye watched ily, arms crossed, but there was no mistaking the in his gaze.

  "She needs proper care. We should seo the physi immediately."

  Master Daokan nodded and motioo the waiting servants. "Take her to the physi's quarters. See that she is treated well."

  As they carefully lifted Lay's unscious form, Master Daokan lingered, eyes narrowed in thought. He had felt it—something beyond the decay, beyond the poison corrupting her Qi.

  Something had touched her soul.

  And whatever it was… it had not let go.

  Master Daokan exhaled sharply and turoward Yan, his expression shifting from grave ption to mild irritation. With a swift movement, he flicked his knuckles against Yan's forehead.

  "Ow!" Yan rubbed the sore spot, scowling. "What was that for?!"

  "That," Master Daokan said dryly, "was foing too hard on her. What were y to do? Kill her?" His voice carried a hint of amusemee his serious tone.

  Yan huffed, crossing his arms. "She kept getting up. It's not my fault she doesn't know when to quit."

  Master Daokan smirked. "And now she doesn't have a choi the matter, does she?" He shook his head before l his voice.

  "Take that rotted wooden sword and bring it to my informants. I o know what this corruption truly is."

  Yan bli the sudden shift in to nodded, pig up the bed on carefully. As he did, Master Daokan leaned in slightly, his voice a near whisper. "And keep your ears open about Meilin. Something about her disturbance does not sit right with me. Not a word of this to anyone else."

  Yan's eyes darkened slightly, but he gave a firm nod before stepping away.

  Master Daokan straightened, rolling his shoulders before addressing the rest of the gathered warriors.

  "Enough stalling! The fight resumes! This time…" His lips curled into a knowing smile.

  "It will be me against both Jiang and Lin Wuye. Let's see if either of you are up to the challenge."

  He raised a hand before they could prepare. "I will handicap myself—I will not use a on." His gaze swept over them as Jiang and Lin Wuye exged looks before pig up their wooden ons of choice.

  Without another word, the battle began.

  The air cracked with force as Jiang lunged forward, swinging his wooden staff with precision, only for Master Daokan to sidestep effortlessly. Lin Wuye followed, his wooden sword striking at an angle meant to catch the master off guard, but Daokan twisted, dug beh the blow with unnerving ease.

  Their strikes were precise, fast, deadly even for wooden ons—but Master Daokan moved as though he had all the time in the world. Not a single wasted motion, not a siep out of pce.

  Jiang was the first to falter. His breath bored, his form a fra too slow. A single, open-palmed strike from Daoka him reeling, his body ung across the courtyard. The impact against the stone pilr was deafening, and Jiang crumpled to the ground, momentarily stunned.

  Lin Wuye gritted his teeth, adjusting his stance. He knew better than to hesitate.

  Their exge resumed, but it was clear to all who watched—Master Daokan's strength was overwhelming. His strikes weren't just powerful, they were precise, aimed at openings that barely existed. He trolled the rhythm, dictating every move, f Lin Wuye to react rather than act.

  The fight was dazzling. Blows cshed like thuheir movements a blur, but no one—no matter how skilled—could keep up with Master Daokan.

  And it was only a matter of time before Lin Wuye realized it too.

  Jiang groaned, shaking his head as he pushed himself up. Unlike Lay, there was no blood dripping from his lips—only the bruising ache spreading across his back. He ched his fists, exhaling sharply, then darted forward once more, his movements sharper, quicker. If he couldn't match Master Daokan alohen he would have to match Lin Wuye's pastead.

  "Don't fall behind." Jiang muttered under his breath as he reached Lin Wuye's side, his stance shifting, ready to move in sync.

  Lin Wuye spared him a quice but gave a small nod. "Then keep up."

  From Lin Wuye's perspective, the battle had bee a war of survival. Master Daokan wasn't just fast—he was absurdly strong. Each blow Lin Wuye mao parry sent jarring force through his arms, his bones rattling as if he had just stopped the charge of an enraged war elephant. And this was Master Daokan holding back.

  Lin Wuye gritted his teeth, adjusting his footwork. He o shift the flow of battle. His mind raced, recalling the teiques drilled into him back at the Silver Lotus Sect. Their style wasn't about brute force—it was about speed, precision, and trol over the winds themselves.

  He inhaled deeply. The air around him shifted.

  Master Daokan's eyes flickered with i as Lin Wuye's wooden sword became a blur, his movements suddenly weightless, as if carried by the breeze.

  "Ah," Daokan mused, dodging a swift strike, "now yetting serious."

  Lin Wuye's steps became sharper, more precise. He activated the Steps of the Gale, a teique of 30 intricate steps. Even a siep pced immerain on the body, draining Qi at an arming rate if one's Qi wasn't trained.

  Step One: Whispering Breeze. Lin Wuye's movements became elusive, his body gliding like a wisp of air. His first strike came from an aoo difficult to read, but Daokan deflected it effortlessly.

  Step Two: Rushing Wind. His speed doubled, his sword now a blur of motion. The air howled as his attacks became relentless, each strike hammering down like a windstorm.

  Step Three: Gale's Kiss. The pressure of his attacks became suffog, his strikes f shockwaves that pushed Daokan ba inch—yet still, the master remained unshaken.

  Step Four: R Tempest. Lin Wuye's muscles screamed in protest, his veins burning with exertion as the wind spiralled violently around him. Each ssh was no longer just a strike—it was a force of nature.

  Step Five: Cye's Wrath. His sword no longer just moved through the air—it a. The air pressure twisted violently, f visible arcs of wind that shed out at Daokan, f him to take his first defeep.

  Step Six: Tornado's Edge. The very grouh him cracked from the sheer force of his movements. Each step threateo break his body apart, yet he pushed forward, his qi burning away at an arming rate.

  Step Seven: Heaven's Howl. The final step Lin Wuye could ma the time. He had use until step 15th against the fight with Shen Mu. A sirike of Heaven's Howl could tear through anything in its path. The moment he swung, the very air itself seemed to be sliced open, creating a vacuum that threateo e everything before it.

  Jiang, watg in awe, ched his fists. He couldn't let Lin Wuye stand alone.

  Digging deep into his reserves, he activated the teique as well.

  Step One: Whispering Breeze. His stance shifted, his movements being light and untouchable.

  Step Two: Rushing Wind. He accelerated, syng with Lin Wuye, his strikes a dance of precision. But Jiang's body cked Lin's reserves—he had only enough Qi to sustain this. Jiang could go until step seven but it would mean sacrifig his body funality for orike.

  Ats, watg from the sidelines, was in full panic mode. "Oh no—NO—NOT AGAIN!" The gust of wind bsted into him with the force of a typhoon. His pants, already suffering from the previous impact, were finally ripped off.

  "WHY ME?!" Ats wailed, frantically trying to cover himself as his undergarments fluttered dangerously in the breeze.

  Meyu, qui her feet, lunged forward and held up a cloth, c him just in time. "For the love of the heavens, Ats, how do you always end up like this?!"

  Ats, still clutg the remnants of his dignity, groaned. "Why does every fight in this pce personally attack me?!"

  Master Daokan tinued defleg Lin Wuye's seventh step with minimal effort, his expression calm. "You, when you fought Shen Mu, how many steps did you use?" he asked, his voice steady. "I know this isn't all you're capable of."

  Lin Wuye exhaled sharply, keeping his stance firm. "I reached the 25th step," he admitted. "I never used it. That step is meant to sacrifice my entire body for orike. I almost sidered it when Shen Mu became a berserker filled with ive Qi."

  Master Daokan gave a small nod, aowledging his efforts. "Impressive. But teique alone will never be enough. Let me show you why."

  He raised his hands slightly, his stance shifting. "This is my owion—The Shrouded Peaks Teique." He took a deep breath, and the air around him seemed to press, all oxygen seemingly sucked away. The pressure was suffog, and the wind teiques Lin and Jiang had jured dissipated like mist before an oning storm. The ground trembled, cracks f beh his feet.

  First Strike: Sundering Summit. He thrust his palm forward, the force of the strike splitting the air. Even the mountains in the far distance seemed to shudder.

  Lin Wuye and Jiang had no time to react. Their bodies instinctively reinforced themselves with Qi, their ons raised in a desperate defehe impact was immediate—an overwhelming force that sent them both flying, smashing through the grand hall's solid wooden yers. Beams shattered, debris rained down, and by the time they nded, both were unscious.

  A figure stepped forward—Shen again. Kneeling beside them, she pced her hands on their foreheads, eling her Qi into their cores. Moments ter, Lin Wuye and Jiang stirred, groggy but awake.

  Shen studied them, a smirk pying on her lips. "You two are strong. Worthy of learning even more."

  Lin Wuye remained silent, staring at the ceiling in ption. Had it finally e to this? Was it time to abandon his pacifist nature?

  Jiang, notig his hesitation, turo him.

  "Don't fet," he said firmly.

  "Meiliood against Shen Mu. You nearly lost her. If you hesitate again, what will happeime?"

  Master Daokan dusted off his robes and turo the gathered crowd. " fight: Bao versus Ren."

  Ats, now fresh robes from the servants, groaned as he adjusted his clothes. "Great. A fair fight for ohen, realiziill had to fight Shen Xue, he gulped and muttered,

  "Maybe I egotiate again..."

  Ats took a deep breath, straightened his freshly donned robes, and approached Sheh what he hoped was a fident stride. He cleared his throat, then pced a hand over his heart, fshing a diplomatic—albeit slightly desperate—smile.

  "Shen Xue, my dear, formidable, and incredibly wise oppo," Ats began, choosing his words carefully. "Surely, in the grand scheme of martial arts, our battle is but a minor skirmish, a tiny ripple in the vast o of bat. Would it not be more beneficial for both of us to resolve this with words rather than fists?"

  Shen Xue folded her arms, unimpressed. "You tried this st time. It didn't work."

  Ats sighed. "True, but sider this! In a world brimming with flict, must we always default to violence? Perhaps a gentleman's agreement, a pautual be—"

  "Ats."

  "Yes?"

  "If you don't fight me, I'll fight you anyway."

  Ats's hopeful grin wavered. "Right. Just thought I'd check."

  Shen Xue raised an eyebrow. "You're not getting out of this."

  Ats groaned and pihe bridge of his nose. "Okay, okay, but what if—and hear me out—we stage the fight? You hit me, I dramatically fall over, everyone gasps, and we call it a day?"

  Sheared at him, deadpan.

  "No."

  Ats threw his hands up. "What if I bribe you?"

  "No."

  "An all-expenses-paid meal at the fi restaurant iy?"

  "Still no."

  Ats crossed his arms and pouted. "You drive a hard bargain, Shen."

  She smirked. "I don't iate."

  Before Ats could attempt another desperate ploy, Master Daokan called out, "Bao versus Ren, step forward."

  Ats nearly colpsed in relief as the attention shifted away from him. He scurried back to the sidelines, whispering to himself,

  "Another day, another ce to iate."

  Bao stepped into the ring, his eyes locked onto Ren. The two warriors faced each other in silehe tensioween them almost tangible.

  Bao inhaled deeply, tering himself. Unlike Lin Wuye or Jiang, his body cked their hardened physique, but his Qi reserves ran deep. If nothing else, he could sustain his teiques lohan most.

  With a siep, he unched into the first teique of the Silver Lotus Sect—"Whispering Breeze." His body glided like a wisp of air, his movements elusive and unreadable as his fist cut toward Ren.

  Ren didn't move. At the st possible moment, he tilted his head slightly, letting the strike pass by harmlessly.

  Bao wasted no time, shifting into "Rushing Wind." His speed doubled, his fists blurring into a near-invisible flurry of strikes. The air howled as his attacks rained down iless succession.

  Ren finally responded, weaving effortlessly between Bao's strikes. He parried a punch with the back of his hand, then stepped forward, pressing into Bao's space. His movements were frustratingly simple—direct, effit—but they carried the weight of plete mastery.

  Bao grit his teeth and pushed forward. His Qi surged, allowing him to maintain his teique lohan most, but it also made him reckless. He struck out again, but Ren anticipated it, stepping just out of reach before smming a palm into Bao's chest.

  Bao stumbled, his breath hitg from the force. But he refused to fall.

  "Again," Bao muttered, resetting his stance.

  Ren smirked. "You're persistent."

  Bao unched forward, his movements smoother, more refined, as he maintained "Whispering Breeze" and "Rushing Wind" simultaneously. He was fast—faster than he had ever been before. And for the first time, Ren had to block rather than evade.

  Bao saw his opening. He twisted, driving his fist toward Ren's ribs.

  It nded.

  Ren took a siep back, a faint look of approval in his eyes.

  But in the breath, he struck back. His fist drove into Bao's stomach with the force of a colpsing mountain. The air in Bao's lungs vanished instantly. He barely registered the pain before his vision blurred, his body sent flying across the arena.

  He crashed hard, coughing violently as his limbs refused to obey him. Ren exhaled, stepping back calmly.

  Shen watched ily. "Ren isn't just strong. He's terrifying."

  Bao groaned, pushing himself up from the ground, his body screaming in protest. His limbs trembled, and his breath came in ragged gasps, but he refused to surrender. His Qi was still surging within him, and that meant he could still fight.

  Master Daokan watched from the sidelines, his sharp eyes analyzing every movement. "He's pushing his body past the limits," he murmured, his voireadable.

  "His body is weaker thahers, but his qi reserves are immense. If he maintain trol, he might still turn this around."

  Beside him, Shen smirked. "He's got heart, I'll give him that. But Ren isn't the kind of oppo who'll let him push forward much longer."

  Yue Wuye, standing with her arms crossed, observed quietly. "Even so, he's f Ren to work harder than expected. That alone is impressive."

  Bao steadied his stance, inhaling deeply. The pain dulled uhe sheer force of his will, and he unched fain, his form shifting bato "Whispering Breeze." His movements became uable, his strikes weaving through the air like the wind itself.

  Ren exhaled, mildly irritated now. "You don't know when to stay down, do you?"

  Bao ignored him, p his energy into "Rushing Wind." His speed spiked again, his strikes blurring into a tempest. He weaved and shed out, f Ren onto the defensive for the first time ich.

  Master Daokan's eyes flickered with i. "He's adapting. His instincts are getting sharper.''

  Ren clicked his toepping back, dodging each strike with ease—but there was a subtle shift in his stance, a flicker of annoyan his eyes.

  Bao saw it.

  Seizing the moment, Bao pivoted and twisted his entire body into a single, explosive punch. His fist ected squarely with Ren's jaw, sending a shockwave rippling through the air.

  Master Daokan's brows lifted ever so slightly. "He nded a hit.''

  Ren staggered back a step, toug his . He blinked ohen frowned. "That... actually hurt."

  Bao exhaled sharply, his entire body burning with exhaustion, but he stood firm.

  "I'm not do."

  Ren rolled his shoulders, his irritation noable. "Alright. I've humoured you enough."

  Master Daokan's gaze darkened. "Now es the real test."

  Ren shifted his weight, his posture subtly ging. Before Bao could react, Ren moved—too fast for the eye to follow. One instant he was standing still, the , his fist buried deep into Bao's abdomen.

  Bao's breath caught, his vision fshing white as pain exploded through his body. But something instinctive took over. His hand shot out, grabbing Ren's wrist just as the force sent him staggering back.

  A surge of pnited in his core.

  Master Daokan's eyes widened slightly. "Oh...?"

  Bao felt it—the third step.

  "Gale's Kiss."The air around them howled as Bao's qi fred wildly, reinf his battered body. Pain flooded his limbs, his muscles screaming in protest, but his qi absorbed the damage, allowing him to move again.

  Ren's expression darkened. "You're still standing?"

  Bao didn't answer. His fists ched, the wind r around him. He dashed forward, faster than before, his strikes sharper, deadlier.

  Master Daokan nodded approvingly. "He's enduring it... but for how long?"

  Re out a slow breath, his stance shifting. Then, with ation, he surged forward, intercepting Bao's strike. The impact sent a gust of wind through the arena, but this time, Ren didn't give an inch. He tered immediately, twisting Bao's arm and smming a ko his ribs. Bao gasped, but instead of colpsing, he forced himself through the paialiating with a wild, sweeping kick. Ren sidestepped ly, bringing his elbow down on Bao's shoulder with brutal precision.

  Shen clicked her tongue. "He's done."

  Yue Wuye sighed. "He sted lohan I expected. But Ren is still the better fighter."

  Bao's vision swam. His body, already battered, finally betrayed him. He dropped to one kruggling to stay upright, but Ren was already preparing the finishing blow.

  A final strike nded ly against Bao's chest, sending him sprawling across the floor.

  Master Daokan exhaled. "It's over."

  Ren stepped back, rolling his shoulders. "You put up a good fight," he admitted.

  Bao y on the ground, chest heaving, his Qi finally spent.

  Shen smirked. "Not bad, kid. Maybe ime."

  Yan Shureurning from sending Lay to the physi, frowned as he saw another battered-up child. He turo Master Daokan.

  "Why didn't you punish Ren for making a kid pass out?"

  Master Daokan remained calm, his gaze unwavering. "Because the lesson wasn't just for Bao. Strength isn't just about enduring—it's about uanding limits. If Ren had held back, Bao would never know how far he still has to go. A true warrior must experience hardship to grow."

  He goward the ring where the remnants of the battle still lingered. "Unlike yht with Meilin, which was frankly one-sided and you making Meilin like a boung ball leaving many holes in the main pound, Bao and Ren were almost equals. Their battle was a true test, not just of power but of adaptation and endurance. If I punished Ren for this, I would be undermining the very lesson Bao o learn."

  He turoward a nearby servant and spoke in a low but firm voice. "Take Bao to the physi. Make sure he's well cared for."

  The servant nodded, swiftly carrying out the order. Meanwhile, the rest of the fighters—Lin Wuye, Jiang, Lay all bandaged up and Yan Shureuraking their pces among the spectators. The air was thick with anticipation, but no one was more fused than Ats, who had been subtly edging his way toward the exit.

  Then, with a slight smirk—something rare for him—Master Daokan cpped his hands together, drawing everyone's attention. "And now, the final match of the day."

  Ats froze mid-step. "Wait, what? That was the st fight, right?"

  Master Daokan turoward him, his tone far too eager.

  "No, Ats. This is the st fight. You, against Shen Xue."