The sky above the tournament arena burned crimson, rippling with Qi so dense it made the air hum.
The crowd roared as two figures crashed into each other midair — lightning and ice colliding in a shockwave that split the clouds.
Li Ming landed first, sliding backward across the cracked stage, his sword sparking with residual thunder.
Across from him, Xue Yan flipped gracefully, her frost-colored hair swaying as her spear struck the ground, leaving a trail of frozen dust.
Her lips curled into a smirk. "Admit it. I almost had you."
Li Ming wiped a bit of dust from his cheek. "Almost."
"’Almost’ still counts," she said, spinning her spear and pointing it at him. "Besides, you’re supposed to be my teammate, not my moving target."
Before Li Ming could answer, Bai Guo swooped in human form, yelling, "Both of you, save your flirting for after we win!"
Li Ming’s face darkened. "Who’s flirting?!"
Lan Yue sighed from the sideline. "Focus. We’re still in the middle of the second round."
The referee’s voice echoed through the arena.
"Azure Sky Sect versus Iron Serpent Sect — Final Round of Match Two! Begin!"
The opposing team surged forward instantly, blades flashing.
Xue Yan’s eyes gleamed. "My turn."
She stepped forward — and the temperature dropped.
Her Qi flared, forming a ring of ice shards that floated around her.
An enemy cultivator lunged at her with a flaming saber.
She flicked her wrist, and her spear turned white with frost. The next second —
The saber froze mid-swing, then shattered like glass.
She smirked. "You should’ve brought a coat."
Another enemy came from behind, but Li Ming was already there, his palm glowing with thunder.
The blast threw the attacker back, smoke curling around him.
Xue Yan glanced sideways. "Not bad."
Li Ming grinned. "You too."
Bai Guo shouted from above, "You two done complimenting each other or should we bring a dinner table?"
"Bai Guo!" both yelled.
The battle intensified.
Wu Jian, flames coiling around his arms, blasted two opponents at once.
Lan Yue’s blade moved like a whisper, silent but precise.
And Li Ming and Xue Yan fought back-to-back — lightning and ice weaving together in perfect rhythm.
"Left side!" Li Ming called.
"I see it!" she replied, slamming her spear into the ground. Ice erupted in a sweeping arc, freezing a line of enemies solid.
Li Ming dashed forward through the mist, his lightning slicing through the air and shattering the frozen cultivators in a burst of sparks and snow.
The audience exploded in cheers.
The Sect Master from the stands nodded. "Those two... they’re in perfect sync."
Minutes later, the last Iron Serpent disciple hit the ground. The referee raised his hand.
"Azure Sky Sect wins the second round!"
The crowd went wild — banners waved, drums pounded, and disciples shouted Li Ming’s name.
Xue Yan leaned on her spear, breathing lightly, not a trace of exhaustion on her face.
She turned to Li Ming. "You fight well."
He smirked. "You too. You didn’t even break a sweat."
"I try not to ruin my makeup in battle," she said, completely serious.
Bai Guo snorted. "Finally, someone who fights with priorities."
Lan Yue crossed her arms, expression calm but eyes flicking between the two. "Both of you did well. But don’t get careless — the next round won’t be this easy."
Wu Jian nodded from the side, fire still smoldering faintly in his hands. "She’s right. The next opponents... won’t hold back."
Li Ming glanced up at the sky, still streaked with red.
Something in his chest thrummed — not just excitement, but purpose.
He looked at Xue Yan beside him, spear glinting under the light.
"Then," he said quietly, "let’s make sure they remember our names."
Xue Yan smirked. "I was already planning to."
Night fell over Azure Sky’s temporary camp near the tournament grounds.
The arena had gone silent, but the air still carried traces of battle Qi — sharp, electric, alive.
Disciples sat in groups, patching robes, eating, or bragging loudly about their victories.
Li Ming sat by the fire, poking a stick into the flames. Bai Guo snored nearby in human form, his hair sticking up like a chicken’s crest.
Lan Yue walked past, carrying a scroll. "You should rest. Tomorrow’s match is against Thundercloud Sect."
Li Ming perked up. "Thundercloud? That’s a mid-tier sect, right? Not too bad."
Lan Yue raised an eyebrow. "Their leader’s son is at the eighth level of Foundation Building."
From across the camp, a teasing voice called, "Don’t worry, I’ll protect you, lightning boy."
Li Ming groaned. "Xue Yan, I don’t need protection."
She grinned, stepping into the firelight, her silver hair glowing faintly. "You sure? You almost tripped on your own sword earlier."
"That was tactical footwork."
"Looked more like tactical panic."
Bai Guo stirred, half-asleep. "If you two are going to flirt, at least lower your voices..."
Li Ming threw a pebble at him. "Shut up."
Later that night, most of the sect was asleep.
Lan Yue sat on a nearby cliff, meditating.
Li Ming found himself unable to rest, his energy restless.
He walked toward the edge of the camp and saw Xue Yan sitting alone on a rock, spear across her knees, watching the moon.
"You’re awake too," he said.
She didn’t turn. "You talk in your sleep. Loudly."
"You said, ’Don’t fry the chicken!’" she said, dead serious.
Li Ming covered his face. "I swear that was probably a dream training session."
"Sure," she said, smirking. "Dream training with Bai Guo, huh?"
He sat beside her, looking up at the stars. "You know... I didn’t think I’d get this far."
Her tone softened, just a bit. "Neither did I."
They sat in silence for a while. The wind moved gently, carrying the faint sounds of distant chanting from other sects still awake.
Then Xue Yan suddenly said, "You ever wonder why people like us fight so hard? I mean, it’s not just about rank or pride."
Li Ming thought for a moment. "Maybe it’s because we’ve all got something we don’t want to lose."
She looked at him, eyes calm but unreadable. "You’re smarter than you look."
"Wow. Thanks for the emotional support."
Her lips quirked. "Don’t get used to it."
Suddenly — the night shifted.
A deep rumble echoed from the tournament grounds below.
Lan Yue’s eyes snapped open. "Qi disturbance!"
Li Ming and Xue Yan leapt to their feet as the sky flickered red again.
Bai Guo stumbled out of his tent, feathers popping out of his sleeves. "Who exploded something this time?! It better not be you, Li Ming!"
"Not me!" Li Ming shouted back, already forming lightning in his hands.
A flare shot into the sky — not Azure Sky’s signal, but another sect’s.
Then another. And another.
Lan Yue appeared beside them, sword drawn. "This isn’t a match. Someone’s attacking the camp!" ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵※𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮※𝓷𝓮𝓽
Before Li Ming could respond, a figure crashed down from above, landing between them in a burst of dust.
The intruder’s eyes glowed faintly under the moonlight, a smirk cutting across his face. "So this is the famous Azure Sky team... you’re weaker than I expected."
Li Ming raised his sword, lightning flaring. "You’ve got a big mouth for someone sneaking in at night."
The man chuckled, flames dancing around his fists. "Let’s see if your lightning still shines in real combat."
Li Ming barely blocked the first hit — the impact sent him flying backward through a tent.
Xue Yan was already moving, ice spreading from her feet as she met the intruder midair. Their weapons collided, sending frost and fire exploding across the ground.
Lan Yue barked an order, "Li Ming, circle from the left! We’ll trap him!"
Li Ming rolled to his feet, sparks flaring around him. "Got it!"
The battle erupted — bright, fast, and brutal.
Qi tore through the night sky, shaking the mountains.
Bai Guo, watching from the side, muttered, "Why is it always us?! Can’t we have one peaceful night without explosions?!"
Li Ming charged, lightning crackling along his sword. "Because peace doesn’t like us!"
Their blades met in a storm of light and flame.
The intruder grinned, parrying easily. "Not bad, boy... but you’re not the one I came for."
Li Ming’s eyes narrowed. "Then who?"
The man vanished again — reappearing right behind Xue Yan.
The intruder’s hand glowed crimson. "Found you."
Before Li Ming could reach her, a wave of energy blasted across the camp.
Everything went white.