"Li Xiaoqi."
Her name spread across the lakeshore, quiet but unmistakable.
It did not echo loudly, yet every disciple heard it clearly.
For Li Xiaoqi, it felt as though the sound had landed directly in her chest.
Her fingers tightened unconsciously.
Then loosened.
Then tightened again.
Slowly, she raised her head.
Elder Jian stood with his hands behind his back, his expression calm and unreadable. There was no anger, no disappointment, no warmth.
Only stillness.
Yet that stillness carried a weight she could not ignore.
"You are withdrawing."
The words were spoken plainly.
There was no emphasis.
No explanation.
No room for discussion.
For a moment, Li Xiaoqi's thoughts froze.
Withdraw?
After everything she had endured to stand here?
After months of preparation, after pushing her limits again and again—
Was it all to end like this?
Elder Jian had already turned away.
As if the matter required no further attention.
As if her struggle… was insignificant.
A surge of heat rose in her chest.
Before she could suppress it—
"Elder."
Her voice cut through the air.
It was not loud, yet it carried clearly.
Several disciples turned immediately.
Li Xiaoqi stepped forward. Her fists trembled slightly, but her gaze remained fixed ahead.
"I am not convinced."
The words came out steady.
Firm.
Without retreat.
Elder Jian paused.
The movement was slight, but enough to shift the atmosphere.
The murmurs that had lingered at the edges of the gathering faded completely.
Within the Thousand Sword Sect, a subtle tension spread.
No one spoke.
Yet many straightened unconsciously.
Because they understood.
Every person standing here had fought for this opportunity.
To lose it with a single sentence—
Even if they dared not voice it—
Few could accept it calmly.
After a brief silence, Elder Jian turned back.
His gaze fell upon Li Xiaoqi.
It was not sharp.
It was not oppressive.
Yet it carried an undeniable authority.
Under that gaze, her breathing slowed.
But she did not lower her head.
"I have prepared for this opportunity for years," she said, her voice quieter now but unwavering. "I have given everything I could."
Her hands clenched at her sides.
"How can I give it up so easily?"
The words lingered.
They did not shake the air.
But they settled heavily within it.
A soft chuckle followed.
"Elder Jian, forcing a disciple to withdraw like this… may not reflect well on your sect."
The voice came from the side.
The Spirit Beast Mountain elder stood with one hand resting on the head of a silver-furred wolf. His tone was relaxed, almost casual.
But his eyes were watching closely.
The intent behind his words was clear.
Elder Jian's gaze shifted toward him.
"This is a matter of the Thousand Sword Sect," he replied calmly. "There is no need for outsiders to concern themselves."
He paused briefly.
"Everything we do is fair."
The words were simple.
But finally.
The Spirit Beast Mountain elder only smiled faintly and did not press further.
Yet the atmosphere had already changed.
Before the silence could settle again—
A figure stepped forward.
It was Lestes.
He cupped his hands slightly in greeting.
"Since there is doubt," he said evenly, "why not resolve it through competition?"
The moment those words were spoken, a ripple passed through the gathering.
Several elders narrowed their eyes.
The disciples grew more attentive.
Elder Jian did not respond immediately.
He understood the implications.
Originally, he had no intention of allowing such a confrontation.
Within the Mysterious Poison Realm, danger would not only come from the environment.
Other sects would also be watching.
Hidden strength could become a decisive advantage.
An unseen blade.
But if that strength was revealed now—
That advantage would diminish.
After a moment, he exhaled quietly.
Then nodded.
"Very well."
The decision settled the matter.
"Luo Chen."
Feng Luo Chen stepped forward from behind Lestes.
Her expression remained composed.
"Master."
Lestes leaned slightly toward her.
His voice was low.
"End it quickly."
There was a brief pause.
"Do not reveal too much."
Feng Luo Chen's eyes flickered faintly.
She understood immediately.
"Understood."
She stepped forward.
Across from her, Li Xiaoqi adjusted her grip on her sword.
Her breathing was uneven, but her gaze remained steady.
The lakeshore gradually fell silent.
Even the movement of the wind seemed to fade.
All attention focused on the two figures standing at the centre.
Elder Jian spoke.
"Begin."
The moment his voice fell—
Li Xiaoqi moved.
Her step was decisive.
Her sword followed without hesitation.
The strike was direct, aimed cleanly toward Feng Luo Chen's shoulder. It carried no unnecessary movement, only precision and intent.
Feng Luo Chen raised her sword.
Their blades met.
The sound was clear.
But not loud.
There was no explosion of force.
No visible clash of qi.
Yet Li Xiaoqi's expression changed.
Her strike had stopped.
Not blocked with strength.
Not deflected with force.
It simply… did not move forward.
Before she could react—
Feng Luo Chen stepped forward.
The movement was small.
Almost unnoticeable.
Her sword followed.
A single, controlled motion.
Li Xiaoqi's blade was pushed aside.
Her stance broke.
She took a step back instinctively, her arm trembling slightly.
A flicker of shock passed through her eyes.
She had not even seen the movement clearly.
She steadied herself and moved again.
This time faster.
Her sword flashed in quick succession, each strike sharper than the last.
There was urgency now.
A trace of desperation.
Feng Luo Chen shifted slightly.
Each movement was minimal.
Each step is exact.
She did not retreat.
She did not rush.
She moved where she needed to be.
Then her sword moved again.
Li Xiaoqi's attacks were disrupted.
Her blade was forced downward.
The impact travelled through her arm, causing her grip to falter.
Her feet slide backwards across the ground.
Dust lifted beneath her heels.
Her breathing grew uneven.
For a brief moment—
Everything slowed.
Feng Luo Chen raised her sword once more.
A faint flow of qi gathered along the blade.
It was not overwhelming.
It was not dazzling.
But it was stable.
Refined.
Completely controlled.
Li Xiaoqi felt it clearly.
A quiet understanding settled in her chest.
She could not block this.
Yet she still raised her sword.
Because retreating now was not an option.
Feng Luo Chen stepped forward.
Her movement was direct.
Her strike followed a clean line.
There was no excess.
No hesitation.
The impact came.
Li Xiaoqi's sword flew from her hand.
It spun through the air before embedding into the ground at a distance.
A cold edge stopped just before her throat.
Everything became still.
No one spoke.
The battle had ended.
Three exchanges.
No wasted motion.
No unnecessary display.
Only complete control.
Li Xiaoqi stood motionless.
Her breathing was uneven, but her gaze gradually steadied.
The difference between them was clear.
It was not something an effort alone could overcome.
Slowly, she lowered her head.
"I concede."
Her voice was quiet.
But stable.
Feng Luo Chen lowered her sword without comment.
She turned and stepped back, her expression unchanged.
Around them, the silence lingered for a moment longer before murmurs began to spread.
The Vajra Sect elder narrowed his eyes slightly.
"That was decisive."
The Spirit Beast Mountain elder observed in silence, his expression no longer casual.
The Divine Sound Valley elder watched with interest, her fingers resting lightly on her instrument.
Even Elder Jian's gaze had sharpened.
His attention shifted briefly toward Lestes.
There was more here than he had initially expected.
Within the Thousand Sword Sect formation, order gradually returned.
The outcome had been decided.
After a short while, Li Xiaoqi moved.
She retrieved her sword and then approached Feng Luo Chen once more.
"…Senior Sister."
Her voice carried a hint of restraint.
She bowed slightly.
"I have a request."
Feng Luo Chen turned her gaze toward her.
"Speak."
Li Xiaoqi hesitated briefly.
"If you enter the Mysterious Poison Realm and encounter a Ghost Face Flower… I ask that you help me obtain it."
A slight stir passed through the nearby disciples.
Feng Luo Chen regarded her calmly.
"Why?"
"My elder sister is preparing for Core Formation," Li Xiaoqi said. "She requires the Mind-Clearing Pill."
Her hands tightened slightly.
"The Ghost Face Flower is the key ingredient."
There was a brief silence.
"I cannot promise," Feng Luo Chen replied.
Li Xiaoqi's shoulders stiffened.
"If I encounter it, I will consider it."
Relief appeared on Li Xiaoqi's face.
"Thank you."
Before further words could be exchanged—
The lake trembled.
At first, it was subtle.
Then the ripples became uneven.
The surface of the water distorted, as if something beneath it was shifting.
The mist above the lake twisted unnaturally.
Spiritual energy began to fluctuate.
A faint whisper spread.
Not through the air—
But through the mind.
Some disciples frowned.
Others stiffened.
A thin crack appeared in the sky above the lake.
It spread slowly.
Then rapidly.
Like fractures across glass.
Darkness seeped through the cracks.
Not shadow—
But something deeper.
The temperature dropped.
Breath turned cold.
Then the sky tore open.
A rift formed.
Jagged.
Unstable.
From within it, an ancient aura descended.
It was not violent.
But it was overwhelming.
It pressed not on the body—
But in the mind.
Several disciples staggered.
Some felt their thoughts grow heavy.
Others sensed their emotions surfacing uncontrollably.
The lake water began to rise.
Droplets rose into the air and remained suspended.
The whispers grew clearer.
Indistinct.
Yet present.
When the aura passed through Lestes—
He stilled.
Not in resistance.
But in recognition.
Something within him responded.
A faint ripple.
Deep.
Unfamiliar—yet not entirely.
For a brief moment, his perception shifted.
The surroundings blurred.
Then returned.
His gaze fixed on the rift.
Calm.
Certain.
Behind him, Feng Luo Chen frowned slightly.
She could feel the pressure clearly.
Yet Lestes remained unaffected.
Or perhaps—
He was experiencing something else entirely.
The aura gradually receded.
The distortion stabilised.
The rift remained open.
The entrance to the Mysterious Poison Realm had revealed itself.
The atmosphere around the lakeshore changed completely.
What had been anticipation—
Was now caution.
Lestes looked toward the rift.
His expression did not change.
But his eyes held a quiet clarity.
"I was right to come here," he said softly.
After a brief pause—
"Temporal aura."
The space around the rift pulsed faintly.
As if responding.
And in that moment—
It no longer felt like they had discovered the realm.
It felt as though—
The realm had been waiting.