I was in my usual spot at the back of the training grounds, trying to convince a particularly stubborn oak tree that growing straight up wasn't its only option in life, when excited shouts from the main path caught my attention.
"Did you hear?"
"...at the Outer Sect entrance!"
"...going to be a battle!"
A group of outer disciples rushed past my hidden training area, their robes fluttering in their wake. The oak tree took advantage of my distraction to snap back to its original position with what felt suspiciously like satisfaction.
"Well," Azure said, "sounds like the disciples are excited about sothing violent again."
I sighed, letting the wood manipulation technique fade. "Should we check it out?"
"Given how these things usually go in cultivation novels... probably wise to know what's happening, at least."
I gathered my things and headed toward the main path, where I spotted Wei Lin walking in the sa direction as the crowd.
"Wei Lin!" I called out. "What's going on?"
He turned, waiting for to catch up. "You haven't heard? So servant challenged an Inner Disciple to mortal combat!"
I nearly stumbled. "Mortal combat? Are you sure?"
"That's what everyone's saying. Co on, we don't want to miss this!"
As we hurried toward the Outer Sect entrance, I thought about what mortal combat ant in this world. The Azure Peak Sect, like most righteous sects, had strict rules about disciples killing each other. It made sense – you couldn't build a powerful cultivation sect if your disciples were constantly murdering each other over petty grievances.
The rules were simple: disciples of the sa cultivation level couldn't kill each other without proper cause. Breaking this rule ant imdiate execution.
Of course, this just ant most cultivators got creative. Why kill your rival when you could "accidentally" cripple their cultivation during a sparring match? Or arrange for them to have an "unfortunate accident" during a dangerous mission?
The only legal way to kill another disciple was through an official mortal combat challenge. But even then, there were rules. The challenger had to have legitimate grievance, and both parties had to be of similar cultivation level. A Core Disciple couldn't just challenge an Outer Disciple they didn't like – that would be seen as bullying the weak, which was beneath the dignity of a righteous sect.
"A servant challenging an Inner Disciple," I mused as we walked. "That's either soone very confident or very desperate."
"Or very stupid," Wei Lin added. "Though I heard the servant used to be—"
He cut off as we reached the growing crowd at the Outer Sect entrance. People were forming a loose circle around two figures, and the mont I saw them, I knew exactly what was happening.
Wu Kangming stood facing Zhou Ming, but he looked nothing like the pale, sickly Outer Disciple I rembered. His bearing was straight and proud, his face had filled out, and there was a dangerous grace to his movents that definitely hadn't been there before. He wore simple white robes that sohow looked more elegant than Zhou's elaborate water-patterned blue garnts.
"Oh no," I muttered. "Oh no no no..."
"Master?" Azure asked. "Your heart rate just spiked."
"Rember how I said Wu Kangming had all the signs of being a protagonist? Mysterious disappearance, cultivation crippled by an arrogant young master, lost love interest?" I watched Wu Kangming's stance, noting how he seed completely at ease despite facing soone supposedly several cultivation levels above him. "This is the scene after his power-up, the revenge scene."
Zhou Ming was staring at Wu Kangming with a mixture of confusion and disdain. "You dare challenge to mortal combat? A re servant who couldn't even maintain his position as an Outer Disciple?"
If Zhou had any genre awareness, he'd be on his knees begging for rcy right now. But of course, that's not how these scenes played out. The arrogant young master never recognized the danger until it was too late.
"Do you even qualify to know my na?" Zhou continued, his voice dripping with contempt. "I don't even know your na, I've stepped on too many insects to rember them all."
The crowd's reaction was imdiate:
"Such arrogance!"
"But he is an Inner Disciple..."
"The servant must have a death wish!"
"Fight! Fight! Fight!"
I caught Wu Kangming's eyes flickering toward a shadowed alcove near the sect gates. There, partially concealed behind a pillar, stood Wu Lihua. Her expression was unreadable, but I noticed how her fingers gripped the pillar just a bit too tightly. Wu Kangming's small smile suggested he'd spotted her too.
"This is going to be bad," I whispered to Wei Lin. "Really, really bad."
"What do you an? Zhou Ming has recently broken through to the 7th Stage of Qi Condensation. Wu Kangming was barely at the 2nd Stage before his injury, and now..." Wei Lin trailed off, finally noticing what I'd been staring at. "Is that a sword on his back?"
It was indeed a sword – a plain-looking weapon with a black scabbard. Nothing fancy or obviously magical, but sothing about it made my spiritual sense tingle uncomfortably. Wu Kangming had never shown any skill with a sword before. Hell, most Outer Disciples were still learning basic weapon arts, too focused on cultivation to master specific weapons.
This book's true ho is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
The crowd's excited chatter died as they began parting like waves revealing Senior Sister Liu, her aura alone was enough to cause weaker disciples to instinctively step back.
"A challenge has been issued," she declared. "Wu Kangming, forrly of the Outer Sect, now a servant of the Azure Peak Sect, has challenged Inner Disciple Zhou Ming to mortal combat. State your grievance."
Wu Kangming's voice was calm, almost gentle. "During the combat assessnt three months ago, Zhou Ming deliberately attacked with the intent to cripple, not test. He destroyed my cultivation base and forced from the path of advancent." A slight pause. "I am here to return the favor tenfold."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd:
"He admits he wants revenge!"
"But he's just a servant now..."
"Look at his eyes though..."
"I think he has lost his mind…"
"Zhou Ming should just refuse..."
But I knew Zhou wouldn't refuse. His face was flushed with anger, his pride stung by being called out by soone he considered beneath him. Even if he sensed sothing wrong, his own arrogance wouldn't let him back down.
"Since you're courting death," Zhou snarled, "I'll grant your wish!"
Senior Sister Liu nodded. "The challenge is accepted. All witnesses, proceed to the Combat Arena. This matter will be settled properly."
As the crowd began moving toward the arena, I fell into step beside Wei Lin and Lin i, who had just joined us.
"This is wrong," Lin i said quietly. "Zhou Ming might be arrogant, but he's still an Inner Disciple. Wu Kangming was barely keeping up with other Outer Disciples before his injury. Now he's challenging soone several realms above him?"
"Unless," Wei Lin mused, "he's not as weak as he appears."
"He's definitely not," I said, still watching Wu Kangming's sword. "Notice how he walks? That's not a crippled cultivator's gait. That's soone very, very comfortable in their own power."
The Combat Arena was a sight to behold. I'd never been here before – Outer Disciples usually trained in the smaller practice fields. This was where the real battles happened, where tournants determined advancent and challenges were settled permanently.
The arena itself was a raised platform about fifty ters across, ringed with formation arrays that glowed with protective power. Tiered seating surrounded it, currently filling with excited spectators. The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the stone surface, which showed signs of countless previous battles.
"The Outer Sect tournant will be held here in three months," Wei Lin comnted, noticing my interest. "You planning to participate?"
I considered it. With the Primordial Wood Arts, I actually had a decent chance... unless so other hidden protagonist showed up. "Maybe. Though after today, I'm thinking tournants might get more interesting than usual."
We found seats near the middle level, close enough to see clearly but hopefully far enough to avoid any stray energy blasts. The protective formations should handle those, but I'd read enough cultivation novels to know how these fights could escalate.
Zhou Ming stood at one end of the arena, going through an elaborate stretching routine that sent ripples of water-attributed qi through his blue robes. He pulled out a blue-tinted sword that practically humd with qi – clearly a high-grade spirit tool.
At the other end, Wu Kangming stood perfectly still, his plain sword still sheathed on his back. His white robes stirred slightly in a wind that seed to affect nothing else.
"You know," Azure mused, "for a bully, Zhou Ming's got so impressive numbers. His spiritual essence is around 1500 units - that tracks for 7th Stage Qi Condensation. Physical essence at 1700, soul at 1000... His Mountain Maker technique appears to favor overwhelming force."
"And Wu Kangming?"
A pause.
"Unable to get clear reading. His qi signature is... strange. Almost as if..."
I grimaced. "Let guess – his spiritual fluctuations match the patterns typically associated with possessed cultivators?"
"Not exactly possessed, but definitely not normal. There's a secondary energy signature intertwined with his own, centered around that sword."
Perfect. Not only had Wu Kangming probably found so ancient inheritance during his conveniently tid disappearance, but he might actually have a literal sword ghost helping him. That moved him from "probable protagonist" to "definitely the main character of this subplot."
"This is a mortal combat challenge," Senior Sister Liu declared from the edge of the arena. "Victory can only be achieved through death. Both participants have acknowledged these terms."
She paused, looking between the two cultivators. "Wu Kangming, as the challenger, you have forfeited any protection your forr status as a disciple might have granted. Should you fail, your death will be recorded as a natural consequence of your challenge. Do you understand?"
"I understand," Wu Kangming replied simply.
"Zhou Ming, as the challenged party, you have accepted combat with one officially beneath your station. Should you fail, the sect will record that you chose this battle of your own free will. Your clan will not be compensated. Do you understand?"
"Just start the match," Zhou growled. "I'll make this quick."
Senior Sister Liu's expression didn't change, but I sensed a flicker of disapproval in her qi. "Very well. This match will only end when one dies. Begin!"
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