Kyrian entered the hall with firm steps, his expression calm. He was dressed in simple black clothes, but within them there was sothing that overflowed with natural authority.
The only ones who could wear that robe in the sect were two. The leader and Kyrian.
His black hair fell down his back, shining faintly under the hall’s soft light. His face, with perfect lines, as if it had been sculpted.
Too handso for a boy, but far from seeming delicate.
But that wasn’t what held everyone’s eyes. It was his eyes.
Deep green eyes that carried sothing impossible to ignore. The irises, shaped like swords, released a sensation of a hidden blade, sharp, ready to cut everything into pieces.
Imdiately, the central disciples thought the sa thing.
’A special physique.’
Feng Yuan spoke calmly, but his words were heard with full attention.
"Kyrian possesses a special physique tied to the path of the sword. Before the heritage left behind by the ancestor, in just a few minutes, he comprehended the Sword Intent."
As they listened, all of them widened their eyes. That was sothing disciples of several past generations had taken years to comprehend only a third of.
The leader shifted his gaze to Kyrian, as if giving him a silent signal.
Kyrian imdiately understood what he wanted.
Suddenly, his green eyes shone.
At that instant, all the swords in the hall trembled.
The blades of the central disciples vibrated violently, pulled as if attracted by an invisible force. The tallic sound echoed, shrill, through the hall.
"Tsk." Wu Jian gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, preventing it from escaping.
"What...?" Long Xue widened her eyes with genuine surprise.
Shen Yu rely closed his eyes, his fingers brushing his blade briefly to calm it.
Mo Xia didn’t even look at her sword, she only bit her lower lip lightly, her gaze shining with... excitent?
Mo Tianhai, in turn, almost roared, forcing his sword back into its sheath.
And then the phenonon ceased.
The silence in the hall was absolute. Utterly heavy.
Mo Tianhai then stepped forward. His voice was cold.
"So what if he pulled off that trick of stirring swords!?"
"Leader of the sect, I challenge him. Here and now!"
Everyone froze in the hall.
Feng Yuan, for a mont, looked at Kyrian. The latter, without hesitation, only nodded in assent.
"Very well. Tomorrow, in the main arena, in the inner area. It will be a simple fight. Only swords. The blade will speak for you." Feng Yuan spoke.
Mo Tianhai nodded, cast one last look at Kyrian, and after bowing lightly to the leader, left the hall. The sound of his boots rang hurriedly.
After that, Feng Yuan stood and also left the place, his expression remaining calm as if he had already expected all of this.
Once he left, the place fell silent for a few monts. Until Long Xue approached Kyrian.
Her arms were crossed, and an ironic smile curved her lips.
"Hmph. Congratulations, you are now the second most beautiful lady in the sect. Losing only to ." She said, sohow sounding irritated. Then she left the hall, not caring further.
Wu Jian took a heavy step, staring at him. Kyrian noted his height, his stature equivalent to Rurik’s.
"Wu Jian. Good luck tomorrow. You’ll need it." He greeted with few words before passing by Kyrian.
The next one only tilted his head slightly and said briefly.
"Shen Yu."
"..."
Kyrian nodded back, and he departed.
Mo Xia was the last. She approached Kyrian, in truth, coming closer to his face than necessary.
Her deep violet eyes traced over Kyrian as if assessing every detail of his features.
"I am Mo Xia. Welco, Kyrian." She said, pulling back, giving a wink, and with a strange, provocative smile on her face.
The four then withdrew completely and vanished from the hall. But the words lingered in the air.
Tomorrow, in the inner arena, Kyrian would face Mo Tianhai.
Kyrian left the hall after all the other central disciples had gone.
His steps echoed softly down the corridor. The moonlight already entered through the side openings, casting silver beams that illuminated the path and his black robe.
He walked unhurried, his eyes still cold and calm, but his mind focused on what would happen the next day.
He did not worry much, he had felt Mo Tianhai’s strength. If they faced each other, Kyrian had no confidence in winning if it depended on cultivation.
But beyond that, he feared absolutely no one.
The fight the next day would be simple, and it could not be avoided.
Arriving at the courtyard the leader had assigned him, he opened the door but did not enter imdiately. He breathed deeply, the night wind there carried the scent of ancient trees and cold earth.
It was, strangely, comforting to him.
After a few more seconds, he closed the door behind him and lay down.
He was ntally prepared for tomorrow’s duel. In his view, it would not be just a sword fight but the chance to show everyone why he had been chosen by Feng Yuan and the best way to avoid future problems.
While Kyrian rested, without noticing, his fight was already running from the mouth of every disciple in the sect.
Mo Xia had been the last of the central disciples to leave the hall but also the first to spread the news.
She made a point of spreading it discreetly on her way back. As she strolled in the inner area. A word spoken to an inner disciple, a comnt left aloud in another corridor. That was enough for the rumors to spread.
In less than an hour, the entire inner area of the sect knew.
"The newly accepted direct disciple will fight Mo Tianhai!"
"Yes! Tomorrow in the inner arena."
"Who do you think will win? I heard it would only be an exchange and not a real fight."
anwhile, in one of the many residential courtyards of the inner area, Yanyu sat quietly on her bed.
Her brown hair fell loose, draping over her shoulders. Her face still held traces of exhaustion from the past days, in which she had focused on her cultivation.
Suddenly, a knock ca at her door.
Yanyu stood, frowning. She expected no one today.
The door opened, and when she saw the visitor, her eyes widened.
Before her stood a tall girl with delicate features but a firm gaze. The strength that emanated from her was unmistakable, she was in the Qi Liberation realm.
Yanyu knew her. And if Kyrian were there, he would also recognize her as one of the five novices who had already reached the Qi Liberation realm during the test.
"You... here? Did sothing happen?" Yanyu asked, surprised.
At the sa ti, she opened space with a gesture for the girl to enter.
She stepped in with light steps.
"I ca to speak about sothing that would probably reach you one way or another. But since I haven’t seen you leaving these past days, I ca to tell you."
"There are rumors that tomorrow Kyrian will fight Mo Tianhai, in the inner area. You are the closest to him, so I thought you should know."
Yanyu’s heart beat strongly for a mont. In these few days, she had learned about the central disciples. She knew Mo Tianhai well. He was no tyrant, but he was the most relentless of the central disciples, no one dared irritate him.
His na always ca accompanied by respect and fear.
But then, as she thought, slowly her lips curved into a faint smile.
’It’s him.’
’If it were anyone else, I would even worry. But it’s Kyrian we’re talking about...’
’Is there really any chance that he’ll lose...? I doubt it very much.’
After thinking, she looked at the girl.
"Thank you for coming to tell ." She said, inclining her head.
The girl nodded, showing little emotion.
"I just thought you should know. Goodbye." Then she turned, leaving through the door.
Yanyu thought, That girl was cold, but definitely a good person.
’Perhaps just another like Kyrian, who doesn’t know how to express himself properly?’Yanyu wondered.
But it was then that her thoughts were interrupted, for sothing struck her feet hard.
Yanyu stumbled because of it, falling seated onto the bed.
The small fox with white fur and a golden stripe stood before her, little paws raised, its tail swishing in irritation. It growled low, complaining in a tongue impossible to understand.
"What is it now? I already gave you half the fruits and even so spirit stones!" Yanyu said while massaging her ankle.
Luz let out a screech, leaped again toward Yanyu’s legs, and landed another kick. But this ti Yanyu was ready, holding the fox tightly in her arms.
"That’s enough, you little pest." Yanyu complained while holding the panting fox with all her strength.
"Tomorrow, you’re coming with , and I’ll return you to Kyrian, your true master. Then you can eat whatever you want."
Luz let out a growl, still kicking its paws, but cald upon hearing Kyrian’s na.
Yanyu took a deep breath.
"Seriously... you’re impossible..."
The small fox then cald, and after a few monts lay down, staring at Yanyu with its crossed eyes.
Deep down, Yanyu imagined that Luz missed Kyrian a little. Just as she did.
Yanyu then lay down on her bed. anwhile, outside, the sect was already anxiously awaiting the duel to co.
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