The sky trembled as six colossal flying ships hovered above the grand arena, each representing one of the Six Major Sects of the Vermilion Sky Nation. The air was thick with spiritual pressure, so dense that even seasoned disciples found it difficult to breathe.
At the center stood a battlefield vast enough to host armies, its surface covered in ancient formations that glowed faintly.
An elder from the Six Peaks Sect stepped forward, his voice echoing across the heavens.
"The Six Sect Competition… begins now."
Silence fell instantly.
Then the pressure intensified.
Li Hao stood at the forefront of Azure Cloud Sect, his expression calm. Behind him, Wang Lei, Su Ling, and Lin Xue stood ready.
Across the arena—
He saw her.
Xu Mei.
Bathed in golden flames, her Fire Phoenix Martial Soul spread across the sky like a divine being.
For a brief moment, everything faded.
But then—
A crushing force descended.
Zhao Kun stepped forward, a massive Xuanwu Turtle phantom rising behind him. The ground beneath his feet cracked under the sheer weight of his aura.
His gaze locked onto Li Hao.
"So… you're the one," Zhao Kun said coldly.
"And you dare look at my woman?"
The atmosphere turned deadly.
Wang Lei stepped forward instantly. "Say that again."
Su Ling's emerald flames flickered. Lin Xue's eyes narrowed.
But Li Hao didn't move.
He simply met Zhao Kun's gaze.
"She was never yours," he said.
Silence.
Then Zhao Kun laughed.
"Good," he said. "I'll crush you first."
Above them, the elder raised his hand.
"First round—Team Battle!"
"Azure Cloud Sect vs Iron Blood Hall!"
The arena lit up.
The war had begun.