The punch of a young man in the highest levels of the Qi Acclimation Stage reached a boy who had just begun his Cultivation journey, one that was thrown away like a doll by someone much weaker mere minutes earlier.

  But Chang Heng wasn’t just trying to survive this time, nor did he find himself incapable of putting on his best defence. Instead, he had taken the time to fully empower himself with his reliable [Three Layers Defence] and his new, unnamed Technique, channelling all the Stamina and Qi he had into his body with purpose.

  He felt the hit before seeing it. His tiny arms slowed it down just a bit, a crack sound being let in the air, and his ribs did the same. But his positioning was good; his new Technique was working; the remaining power of the impact descended through his body, leaving small, internal and external damage where it passed, until what remained of it passed through his feet and was dispersed on the ground.

  Chang Heng didn’t move a single inch back, despite this being the strongest attack he had endured.

  Xie Shun could keep his attacks coming, grab him and slam him on the floor, do anything and everything to him. But he turned and looked back at the boy lying at his feet.

  Xie Mo was fine, unharmed.

  Relief washed over him, making his body relax- or maybe it was the absolute exhaustion and pain he was put in, who knows. No attack came with it, no follow-up to the barely parried hit. Instead, the Qi in the air started vibrating.

  It was responding to a call, trying to come to the aid of Chang Jian; it was excited, wanting to be a part of the impossible feat he was going to make.

  It was scared, wanted to go away, afraid of a taboo being broken, of violence being unleashed from the one who knew it best.

  Chang Jian grabbed the hilt of his katana, and the energies that permeated the whole world started screaming.

  Xie Shun felt it deep in his soul: he had to dodge, or he was going to die. He didn't care about the boy who humiliated his brother, not in front of survival.

  He tried running away. Only one and a half steps away, he realised he was faster, sure, but still not fast enough. He activated his Movement Technique, and the redhead followed, started burning more of his Qi and Stamina, and the other did the same.

  But at the last moment, right when Chang Jian was going to unsheathe his sword and cut him in half, he changed direction in the blink of an eye, jumping in the air out of the incoming sword’s reach.

  The Qi in the air shouted one last time before it calmed down like a serene pond in less than a breath.

  The monster missed! He thought. I did it, I made it-

  A hand grabbed his ankle. He looked down. The blade had never moved out of its scabbard, and the boy had never attacked. The arm holding him swung him, shoving his face in the dirt with a tud, then it made him spin around, and again slammed him on the ground…

  Once, twice, thrice, and more, Chang Heng saw his cousin slam the huge, young man on the floor, treating him more like a toy than a threat.

  “Aw, come on! That wasn’t a good move!” Chang Jian told him, his voice like that of a disappointed parent. “Did you really believe in such an obvious bluff? You shouldn’t… jump to conclusions!”

  Chang Jian played with him some more, then threw his body away like a sack of garbage.

  He fixed his dishevelled clothes and regained his usual composure. In the distance, Xie Shun could barely stand on his two feet. It was clear who had won the encounter. Chang Heng looked at the scene with relief, ready to fall on the floor and pass out just like his opponent had done. But he didn’t have the time to.

  The crowd screamed and cheered only for an instant before it was submitted into silence.

  An unbearable presence forced the thousands of people to close their mouths and lower their heads.

  Elder Lung Rong of the Sacred Wave Sect had descended into the arena, the overwhelming weight of her aura making itself noticeable.

  Chang Heng wanted to pass out, but in that moment, he knew that it would register as an insult to her. The audience didn’t dare blink. She had deigned them of her presence, her attention, who were they to refuse it, even for an instant?

  Lucky for them, City Lord Liu Peng lifted his own aura, protecting them from part of the pressure, but even his help wasn’t enough. No one dared raise their head.

  “You have been accepted into the Sacred Wave Sect.” She declared, looking straight into Chang Jian’s eyes. He was the only one who hadn’t looked down, but despite his confidence, his height, and her average stature, she still managed to look down on him. “You won’t need to take any exams or tests to do so, but your rank will be decided only after meeting the other Elders.”

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  The boy clasped his hands and bowed.

  “Thank you, Elder Rong. I accept your offer and will make sure you won’t come to regret it.”

  His words could seem respectful, and for someone of a slightly taller position, they would have been respectful enough, but to an Elder of such a prestigious Sect, of such great power, they could almost be considered an insult. Still, she didn’t chastise him, and just nodded in acceptance.

  For the second time, a figure in black walked into the Colosseo’s arena. It was Xie San, the old Elder of the Black Fist Sect, grandmother of Xie Mo. She didn’t even look at Chang Heng, but he could feel how much she despised his very being with the smallest of her movements.

  She walked up to the other Elder, put a fist into a palm, and bowed down to her waist.

  “This Xie San greets you, Elder Lung Rong.”

  She responded with a quick, uncaring look and a single word.

  “Speak.”

  “I am here to ask you to take into consideration my youngest grandson's acceptance into your great Sect. I understand he hasn’t won enough fights in the tournament to even be tested, but I promise his talents will be on par with the Sacred Wave Sect’s standards, and what treasures he and the humble Sect that backs him can offer will be of use.”

  “The Sect does not accept bribes, San. He will not be accepted just like that, even with his above-average talents. We will discuss this matter later, and if what you can offer me-” how she failed to mention the sect didn’t escape no one’s ears “- can be considered of good use, he may be taken for our testing despite his loss.”

  “This Xie San thanks you, Elder Sung Rong. If I may ask, how come the talents of my grandson are valued so low, and those of Chang Jian, who awakened two years later, aren’t?”

  She looked at the old woman as if she were a fool. Whether it was for her question or because she asked it after offering a bribe, Chang Heng didn’t know.

  “He did what none should be able to: affect the world while still in the Qi Acclimation Stage. There are many “impossibles” in this journey, and he surpassed one of them. Even in the long history of my Sect, only a few managed to achieve such a feat.”

  “I understand, and thank you for your answer. But my grandson was able to do it too, how come there is such a difference in treatment?”

  Elder Lung Rong’s gaze started to grow annoyed at the questions of the old woman. She was just one weak Elder of one random, weak Sect from a weak region.

  “Your grandson didn’t do it, old lady. Using some trick isn’t the same as breaking an almost universal rule of Cultivation.”

  Xie San, noticing her annoyance, bowed deeply and stepped back, her voice kept only for herself. There was another person who didn’t do the same right in that same arena, though.

  “Oh, come on! My brother did it, he broke the damn rule just like that Chang scum, treat him with respect! You didn’t even know him, how in the Nine Hells can you judge him like that, you failure of an Elder?! Just open your eyes!”

  It was Xie Shun. Humiliated as he had been, his injuries weren’t severe, and his anger was more than enough to push through the pain. The Elder from the Sacred Wave Sect didn’t even acknowledge his existence, while the other looked at her descendant as if he was antagonising the Heavens themselves.

  “Don’t look at me like that, ancestor! You heard how unfair this damn outsider was, how can you accept it so easily?!”

  “Shun, in the name of the Heavens, just stop-”

  “Open your eyes, and recognise my brother!” He didn’t let Elder Xie San finish, before he called out the other woman again. “You think yourself so great, just because you come from some famous Sect?!” He still got no reaction, as she calmly walked away. “Are you running away because you know how wrong you are, Sung Rong?!”

  She looked back with surprise, as if she hand't noticed him screaming at her all those things.

  “Are you… talking to me?” She asked, unsure, her beautiful grey eyes more curious than anything.

  “YES, OF COURSE I-”

  “Oh. I did not expect that.”

  Xie Shun’s head vanished.

  Elder Sung Rong of the Sacred Wave Sect resumed her calm stroll to her seat.

  Droplets of blood fell on the ground only a few seconds later, together with the dead body. One drop splattered on Chang Heng’s cheek.

  Just like that, the young man died in front of him.

  He had barely had the time to learn his name, see him fight, and have his arms and ribs crack from a single punch before he was gone, just like that. He hadn’t even seen how he died. Whatever she had done, was so fast he couldn’t perceive it, not even the Qi motes in the air having the time to react to it, and it came so easy to her that she barely looked in his direction before he was gone.

  His legs gave way under him.

  The shock of the pain that came as soon as he moved was enough to distract him from the death, and before he was done screaming, it, together with the exhaustion, claimed his mind into darkness.

  …

  While he was asleep, a few things happened.

  The referee was released from the golden barrier that held him when the two other boys had intervened, and announced Chang Heng as the winner.

  After that, he was brought to the infirmary, something that was never done in the earlier fights, but not because they didn't need to.

  Chang Jian was allowed to sit in the richest booth, where the most powerful men and women of the city were. His seat was positioned behind and to the side of Elder Rong, with Chang Guang and Chang Ling being allowed to stay by his sides, the closest place to her and the City Lord among those in the booth.

  A woman was called by the City Lord to work in the hidden depths of the Colosseo.

  The old Xie San had the Black Fist Sect mobilise, gathering its hidden resources, be they for the great Sect or their young promise.

  Two people sneaked out of their seats, taking advantage of the various ongoing distractions.

  As soon as he could, Chang Ling left the booth.

  A corpse was brought away from the arena, the people who carried it showing no respect to it, as a sign of reverence and fear to the woman who made it.