"By Lan Hao, you mean the one currently ranked first in the Qi Condensation Realm?" Yu Xuan asked.
"Yes, that Lan Hao," Y confirmed, eyes gleaming with the eagerness of someone ready to place bets.
Yu Xuan nodded calmly. "Indeed. I’m challenging him today."
It had been nearly four days since Yu Xuan first arrived in this town. And aside from being asked to pay sect points just to enter, writing a love letter for money, narrowly avoiding being robbed only to become rich, witnessing some of the so-called "goats" of the cultivation world, and somehow getting even richer — everything had been perfectly normal.
Totally average week in a cultivation world.
"Then we wish you luck," said X and Y in unison, as if they practiced the line.
"Thank you, seniors," Yu Xuan replied with a polite bow, before heading straight toward the underground arena.
His plan was simple from the start: enter the rankings, beat up a few people, and maybe get promoted to fight those in the next realm. Nothing complicated.
When he arrived at the familiar entrance of the arena, he immediately approached the referee — a man with thick eyebrows and a tired expression, the same one who’d officiated matches yesterday.
Hearing Yu Xuan’s request, the referee looked at him for a long moment and sighed deeply.
"I knew it," he muttered under his breath, already regretting today’s shift.
Now, the stage was set.
Soon, Yu Xuan’s match would begin, the battle that would decide who stood at the very top of the Qi Condensation realm.
Yu Xuan stood opposite the muscular, red haired, bronze skinned man, who was now watching him with serious eyes.
Lan Hao had suffered a humiliating loss before, not even going all out — and he had no intention of repeating that mistake today.
Last time, he was caught off guard by an unfamiliar opponent who wielded fist intent. But today was different. He’d watched Yu Xuan’s previous matches. He had some idea of what to expect.
Lan Hao cracked his knuckles and said, "Are you ready to lose?"
Yu Xuan looked at him like he was an idiot and replied flatly, "If you lose, give me your points."
Lan Hao’s mouth twitched. So this guy was confident, huh? He’d have to be cautious.
"No. They’re my points," Lan Hao said defensively.
Across the platform, the referee raised his hand and announced, his voice ringing with excitement:
"Now begins the match that will decide the top ranked disciple of the Qi Condensation Realm!"
The crowd stirred with anticipation.
"On one side, we have the rising dark horse Yu Xuan! And on the other, the current number one Lan Hao!"
"Let the match... begin!"
The arena erupted in thunderous cheers, the crowd’s excitement rising like a wave as the two top contenders stood face to face. Many started betting, today fortunes would be made or tommorow there will be an influx of disciples at the mission hall.
Lan Hao cracked his knuckles with a grin. "You’ve got the look of a martial artist. How about we finish this with our fists, no flashy tricks, just raw strength?"
Yu Xuan narrowed his eyes, considering the offer. Clearly, Lan Hao was thinking for an advantage. His build, aura, and presence screamed brawler, and if he possessed Fist Intent, this would tilt heavily in his favor.
’So he wants a pure fistfight... He’s likely hiding his own intent. But even so—’ Yu Xuan’s gaze sharpened. ’He’s only in the Qi Condensation realm. I’ve faced worse.’
Even Zhou, a core formation cultivator, hadn’t given him much trouble.
"No backing out, then?" Yu Xuan asked coolly, voice calm as still water.
Lan Hao smirked. That was the only answer he needed.
With a roar, he launched forward, muscles tensing like springs before release. Yu Xuan met him head-on, no weapons, no hesitation. Two fists collided with explosive force.
A shockwave rippled from the impact, kicking up dust from the platform. Both fighters were pushed back a few steps, but neither fell.
Neither appeared injured — yet Lan Hao’s expression had turned grim.
’He’s physically stronger than me... far stronger than he looks,’ Lan Hao realized, clenching his fists tighter.
Yu Xuan’s physique had already crossed the threshold of normal. Hardened by his cultivation technique and enhanced by taking bitter herb baths since childhood, his skeletal structure was reinforced beyond anything typical of the Qi Condensation realm.
Though his skin could still be scratched, his bones were like strong beyond anything — dense, durable and unyielding.
And yet, there was still one flaw: disorientation.
Yu Xuan’s rapid progress was staggering. From a mortal to mid stage Qi Condensation in mere days, his body had changed faster and he did not practice much to keep up. His control was catching up, but it wasn’t fully refined.
Lan Hao’s fist began to shimmer faintly — a flicker of red light gathering around his knuckles.
The air around his punch distorted slightly, as if it were bending to his will. The crowd gasped.
"He’s going all out!"
"Why didn’t he use fist intent the last time he lost"
"Maybe, he had his bad day."
Yu Xuan’s eyes remained steady. He’d anticipated this — he’d prepared for this.
Still he remembered a similar red haired girl using fist intent when he watched a match, ’Are they related’ he thought.
Lan Hao dashed forward with unnatural speed, footwork blurring, and came in with a powerful uppercut aimed straight for Yu Xuan’s jaw.
But Yu Xuan read the motion, sidestepped smoothly, and countered.
A punch landed cleanly in Lan Hao’s gut, driving the breath from his lungs. Yu Xuan didn’t follow up — instead, he leapt back immediately, widening the gap. Read full story at 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝⚫𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖⚫𝕟𝕖𝕥
He knew better than to stay in close range against someone empowered by intent. For now, control and patience would decide the winner — not reckless bravado.
The crowd buzzed louder, the momentum shifting.
And this match... was just getting started.