The clash between Li Shen and Lin Xuan shook the arena to its core.
Their movements blurred as strikes collided in rapid succession, each exchange sending shockwaves across the platform. Stone cracked beneath their feet, fragments scattering as their power surged outward. What had begun as a clear difference in realms was no longer one-sided.
Li Shen's breathing had grown heavier, but his eyes remained sharp. His body moved with precision, each motion guided by the refined circulation of his Qi. Though he had not broken into the Qi Gathering Realm, his foundation allowed him to stand against it.
Lin Xuan, for the first time, no longer held back.
His Qi surged fully now, no longer restrained. As a Second Stage Qi Gathering cultivator, his attacks carried weight far beyond physical strength. Each strike was infused with condensed energy, forcing Li Shen to defend with everything he had.
The arena trembled again as their fists met.
This time, neither gave way.
A brief stalemate.
Then
They separated.
Both slid back several steps, creating distance.
Silence fell.
Li Shen's chest rose and fell steadily, his body showing faint signs of strain. Across from him, Lin Xuan stood upright, his expression calm, but his eyes held something new.
Acknowledgment.
"…You've exceeded expectations," Lin Xuan said.
Li Shen said nothing.
Because he knew
This fight could not continue much longer.
His body was reaching its limit. No matter how refined his foundation was, he was still within the Ninth Stage of Body Refinement. Against someone already in Qi Gathering, time was not on his side.
Lin Xuan understood it too.
Which was why
He moved again this time faster than before.
His figure blurred as he closed the distance instantly, Qi gathering in his palm as he prepared to end the fight in a single strike.
Li Shen's eyes sharpened,he didn't retreat.
Instead
He stepped forward.
Everything within him surged at once. His Qi circulated to its peak, every refined strand condensing into a single point. His body, his strength, his control all focused into one strike.
The moment they met
Both attacked.
Lin Xuan's palm descended.
Li Shen's fist rose.
Boooom
Explosion.
A powerful shockwave burst outward, cracking the entire platform as dust and debris filled the air. The force pushed both of them back violently, their figures thrown apart in opposite directions.
The arena trembled.
Stillness.
Dust slowly settled.
Two figures stood at opposite ends of the broken platform.
Neither had fallen.
Li Shen stood upright, though his body trembled slightly from exhaustion. His breathing was heavy now, his strength nearly spent.
Across from him, Lin Xuan remained standing as well. His aura had dimmed slightly, his stance no longer as relaxed as before.
For a long moment
No one spoke.
The elder stepped forward.
"…Enough."
His voice cut through the silence instantly.
"This match… ends here."
A pause followed.
"Draw."
The word echoed across the arena.
Shock spread immediately.
"A draw?!"
"How is that possible?!"
"He's only in Body Refinement!"
But the elder's decision was final.
Li Shen lowered his arm slowly, his gaze still fixed on Lin Xuan.
Lin Xuan met his eyes briefly.
He smiled faintly.
"…Next time," he said.
Li Shen gave a small nod.
"…Next time."
Neither said more because both understood that this wasn't the end but it was only the beginning.
---
High above the arena, hidden from the sight of ordinary disciples, several figures stood watching in silence.
Elders.
Their expressions were no longer calm.
"That boy…" one of them said slowly. "He has not broken through Qi Gathering."
"And yet he stood against Lin Xuan," another added.
A third figure narrowed his eyes slightly.
"…His Qi is strange."
A brief silence followed.
"And what happened in the forest," one elder said quietly. "Do you think it is connected?"
The others did not answer immediately.
But the thought had already taken root.
"…Call his teacher," the leading elder finally said.
A decision had been made.
---
Within the pavilion grounds, the woman stood quietly beneath the shade of a tree, her gaze distant as if she had already sensed something coming.
Footsteps approached.
An inner disciple bowed respectfully before speaking.
"Elder," he said, "the council requests your presence."
She did not look surprised.
"…I see."
Her eyes shifted slightly, calm yet thoughtful.
"…It has begun."
---
Back at the arena, Li Shen stepped down from the shattered platform.
The crowd parted for him without a word.
No one dared to block his path now.
No one dared to challenge him.
Zhao Feng stared at him as he approached, his expression caught between disbelief and excitement.
"…A draw," he said under his breath. "You're insane."
Li Shen didn't respond.
But deep within
Dao's voice echoed softly.
"They have noticed."
Li Shen's gaze remained forward.
Li Shen nodded
Because he could feel it.
The shift, the attention, the danger.
And yet
He did not slow his steps because this path was one he had already chosen.