The night lay heavy over the capital, the moon climbing high above jagged mountain peaks. Around the dense forests at the city’s edge, shadows stirred. Figures erged in silence—dozens of them, disguised in human forms they are corrupted. Their eyes glead black, pupils burning crimson, and two sharp horns jutted from their foreheads. Cloaked in tattered black, they stood like specters in the moonlight.
At their center stood a man with two black horns, his aura darker than the rest. In his hand rested a crystal orb, black as midnight. With a growl, he crushed it into shards, the fragnts scattering like falling stars. His voice thundered with rage.
"Those losers. They’re all dead."
The demons shifted uneasily. One of them sighed, shaking his head.
"Boss, I told you we shouldn’t have joined them in our team."
The horned leader’s crimson gaze cut through the night as he replied coldly.
"They were enemies of the Sanatan Fla Sect, and from the Lin-Gu family. Except Jiang Lin. The Lin-Gu family already serves our Demons. I thought they would be useful, but they disappointed ."
A bald, musclebound man with a thick black beard dropped to one knee, bowing. His voice rumbled with bloodlust.
"Boss, please allow to attack. I will destroy the city. Kill every hum—"
His words ended in a gurgle.
A sharp blue arc of light flashed through the night. His neck split cleanly, blood erupting into the air. His head fell before his body collapsed with a heavy thud.
The forest trembled in silence. The demons’ eyes widened in horror. Instinctively, they took a step back, forming a circle around their leader. Their hands clenched, ready for battle.
A gust of wind swept through the mountain woods. Amid the rustling leaves, a voice echoed—low, cold, and dismissive.
"Noisy."
The demons’ crimson eyes snapped upward.
There, standing effortlessly atop the branch of an enormous tree, was a lone figure. Moonlight poured over him, illuminating his white robes. His back reclined against the trunk casually, arms crossed, his sheathed sword resting between them.
It was Li Dong.
He glanced down lazily, eyes sharp as a blade.
The horned boss gritted his teeth, rage flaring. "He heard our plan. Kill him!"
Dozens of figures rushed forward, their demonic auras exploding, black mist spreading like a storm.
Li Dong only sighed. Slowly, he straightened, the night wind tugging at his sleeves. His body lowered into stance, left hand gripping the sheath, right hand poised on the hilt. With calm precision, he slid the blade just a breath from its ho.
A flash.
Blue lightning split the night.
Li Dong moved like a phantom. In a single step, he crossed the battlefield, his blade cutting arcs of sapphire light. The demons froze mid-charge. The sword whispered back into its sheath with a faint click.
Then, one by one, heads fell. Necks split cleanly as blue slashes carved through them. Blood sprayed into the moonlit air like crimson rain. Bodies dropped in unison, lifeless thuds echoing across the forest floor.
Landing gracefully, Li Dong gave the corpses only a side glance before vanishing into the wind.
Scene shifted.
The royal restaurant glowed with warm lantern light, contrasting the cold night outside. Within, Shaurya stretched lazily in his chair, laughter ringing around the table. His elders sat nearby, the scent of wine and roasted ats filling the air.
Elder Wu leaned forward, curiosity in his eyes. "Sect Master, what is our plan for the semi-finals?"
Shaurya smirked, tossing a pouch in his hand before catching it again. "Plan is simple. Win the semi-finals. With clear dominance."
The elders exchanged looks of confusion.
Lin Shu sighed softly. "From plan, we an—which five disciples are going to take part in the semi-finals."
Shaurya tilted his head, arms crossing. For a mont he thought, then suddenly leaned forward, both hands slapping the table. His smile widened.
"I decided. The five disciples going to take part in the semi-finals are... Su Quan, Muo Qian, Jun Hua, Lu Fang, and Sheng Lu."
His bright smile lit the room, while the elders stared in surprise.
Elder Liya frowned. "I thought Su Quan, Muo Qian, Lu Fang, and Sheng Lu were being saved for the finals."
Elder Feng Yu nodded in agreent. "Then who will fight in the finals with Wang Tian and Luo Chen?"
Shaurya laughed, his smirk widening. "You’ll soon know. But first—we have more important things to discuss."
Elder Wan leaned forward. "Yes, about the demons."
Shaurya waved a hand dismissively. "Demons? No, they are not important. I’m talking about business."
The hall froze.
Lin Shu blinked. "What business?"
Shaurya’s laugh echoed as he leaned back. The scene faded.
At dawn, the sun rose over the capital, its light spilling across the coliseum.
The stadium began to fill, excitent buzzing like fire. The audience poured in, waving flags dyed a blazing orange. Upon them glead a golden Sudarshan Chakra. So carried small white banners stamped boldly with Go Sanatan Fla Sect! Others waved banners of the Situ Family.
Children and teens clutched Shaurya dolls, orange caps on their heads, each marked with the chakra emblem. Opposite them, others carried toys shaped like the Situ Patriarch.
King Tian Long sat in his royal seat, his sharp eyes scanning the crowd. For a mont, he frowned, confused by the spectacle. His gaze followed until it landed on a colossal banner unfurling from the Sanatan Fla Sect’s supporters.
Across it blazed the words:
"Unleash the Eternal Fla—Sanatan Will Burn Bright, Burn Victorious!"
King Tian Long read the line, then burst into booming laughter.
At his side, Li Dong arrived with calm steps, taking his seat. His composure remained icy, as if untouched by the morning’s feverish energy.
"Good morning, my friend," the king said, chuckling. "And thank you—for handling the demons."
Li Dong only nodded once.
Within the Sanatan Fla Sect’s VIP room, Shaurya leaned casually on his throne, tossing a large pouch into the air and catching it again with a grin.
He slid it into his storage ring before turning to the elders. "Hey, Elder Wan, how much did we earn?"
Elder Wan flipped through a small blue ledger. "Ten thousand spirit stones."
Shaurya’s laughter rang loud. Inwardly, his thoughts burned bright. One spirit stone equals ten gold coins. More than that, they’re filled with spiritual energy. I can use them in countless ways.
He rose, stepping forward. "See? I told you. This would be great business!"
The elders nodded in approval.
Lin Shu tilted her head. "Everything is fine. But why sell our rivals’ products? Doesn’t that give them unnecessary popularity?"
Shaurya brushed his hair back with practiced style, smirking. "Earning money even from rivals or enemies—that is called business."
Lin Shu stared at him with awe. The other elders murmured their agreent.
Just then, the System’s window flickered before Shaurya’s eyes.
Host, you spent 200 DP to create all this rchandise, yet you earned far more. I admit—your mind is sharp in such matters.
Shaurya’s lips curled proudly. "Of course, Systu. After all, I am a Marwadi from Rajasthan."
The elders only blinked, half in confusion, half in admiration.
The referee descended into the arena, a circular stone clutched in his hand. His voice bood across the coliseum.
"Ho ho ho! How are you all? Welco back to the third day of the Sect-Clan Tournant—the semi-final round!"
The crowd erupted in thunderous cheers.
"First, please welco our semi-finalists on stage! The Patriarch of the Situ Family—Situ Ron!"
A tall figure descended gracefully, his aura calm yet suffocating.
In the VIP room, Shaurya blinked. "Wait... I have to go there?"
Lin Shu nodded. "Yes."
"Oh... no... no... I haven’t prepared anything!" Shaurya scrambled to his feet, panic setting in. "I have to think of sothing!"
Below, the referee glanced toward him, confused. Shaurya waved his arms in frantic refusal. The referee tilted his head, perplexed. Shaurya gestured wildly in sign language: Not . Call last.
The referee remained baffled.
Just then, Wang Tian and Luo Chen arrived. Luo Chen leaned in, whispering in the referee’s ear. "Call our master at the end."
The referee stiffened. Wang Tian’s glare burned into him. "Our master will enter last. Understood?"
Sweat dripped down the referee’s neck. He nodded quickly.
Glancing at Shaurya, he received a relieved thumbs-up.
The crowd, however, only whispered in confusion.
The referee cleared his throat, wiping sweat. "Now, let us continue! Please welco Zia Han, Sect Master of the Howling Abyss Sect!"
Zia Han walked with slow steps, hands folded behind his back, his calm composure unnerving.
"Next—Liu Xiang, Sect Master of the Jade Phoenix Sect!"
The audience erupted in cheers.
Suddenly, a piercing growl split the air.
A colossal purple eagle descended from the heavens, its wings blotting out the sun. The crowd shrieked in shock as its screech shook the stadium. Upon its back stood a tall figure, clad in black and crimson robes, hair and beard as dark as night. His crimson pupils glowed with nace.
Liu Xiang.
He leapt from the eagle, aura crimson and suffocating. Dust exploded as he landed, standing tall with a mocking smile. The stadium roared in awe.
Zia Han and Situ Ron stepped aside, grim-faced.
Liu Xiang laughed. "Oh, sorry. I hope I didn’t scare you."
The two clenched their teeth but held their silence.
The referee glanced nervously at the Sanatan VIP room. Shaurya was gone. Lin Shu nodded discreetly, signaling him to proceed.
But when the referee looked down, he froze. Wang Tian and Luo Chen’s cold eyes bored into him. He trembled. Behind them, the Single Mingle Gang lifted a banner.
Across it read:
"Call Him—Hero of This Kingdom, Most Handso, Charismatic Young Prodigy. Otherwise..."
A skull symbol was drawn beside it.
The referee paled. Gulping, he raised the stone and shouted with forced bravado.
"Please welco... my personal favorite! Hero of this Kingdom! Most Handso, Charismatic Young Prodigy—Shaurya, Sect Master of the Sanatan Fla Sect!"
The coliseum fell silent. Jaws dropped. Elders turned in disbelief.
Even the other sect masters looked baffled.
Then the sky darkened.
Clouds rolled in, thick and stormy. A sapphire tornado of fla spiraled down, descending to the edge of the arena. It struck the ground with a thunderous explosion, fire bursting outward like a blooming lotus.
From the flas, a lone figure erged.
Shaurya.
Hands in his pockets, a calm smile played across his lips. Sapphire flas clung to his body, swirling like his aura.
The audience erupted in deafening cheers.
Lin Shu’s cheeks flushed crimson. The disciples of the Sanatan Fla Sect scread his na, their cheers shaking the coliseum walls.
Even King Tian Long laughed heartily. Beside him, Li Dong tilted his head, a faint look of intrigue softening his usual coldness.
Situ Ron and Liu Xiang ground their teeth, jealousy burning in their eyes. Zia Han rely stroked his beard, smiling faintly.
Wang Tian turned quickly toward Luo Chen and the Single Mingle Gang. "Quick! It’s our turn."
Above the arena, Shaurya halted a short distance from the other three sect masters. The flas receded, vanishing into his skin.
Turning, he faced the royal stands. His gaze swept over the king, then the audience. He spread his arms wide in a T-pose, voice ringing proudly.
"Namasté. I hope you all know . Of course you do. I am the strongest person in this kingdom—the Sect Master of the greatest sect in this kingdom."
Then, with theatrical grace, he widened his stance. His left leg bent, body lowering slightly, left hand dropping, while his right arm raised skyward. Only his index and little finger stood extended as his head dipped.
His voice thundered.
"Shaurya the Great!"
Suddenly, lotus petals cascaded from the heavens, drifting gently down around him.
The crowd gasped, eyes glistening.
King Tian Long and Li Dong both looked upward in surprise.
High above, Wang Tian, Luo Chen, Xiao Rui, Lee Bie, Zong Bu, and Cheng Fang stood holding baskets, flinging the petals into the wind.
The scene was divine.
Shaurya’s lips curved faintly, his posture unmoving. He let them admire him, standing like a deity descending upon mortals.
Applause erupted. Cheers shook the very foundations of the coliseum. The scene spread across the kingdom, transmitted to every corner of the realm.
King Tian Long clapped, his booming laughter filling the air. Beside him, Li Dong whispered, intrigued. "This guy... is interesting."
Lin Shu’s eyes sparkled, her cheeks afla. "So handso..." she whispered, her voice soft with admiration.
Shaurya, still holding the majestic pose, smirked inwardly. Just as I thought. It’s good I prepared everything in ti. My disciples arranged everything so well. I look majestic right now. Whoa... I’m falling for myself.
To be continued...
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