The Faces of This Chapter:
Yena: Heir of Fenixia; Divine | Composed, observant, and quietly anxious.
Miao Miao: Yena's friend| a flower spirit; divine being | Playful, skilled, and resilient.
Qing Yi: Young disciple | a spirit | Proud, powerful, and unraveling.
Jin Yue: Heir of Huliya | Witty, protective, and quietly perceptive.
Shu Lin: Senior disciple | Calm, distant, and emotionally restrained.
Shen Lei: Senior disciple | Disciplined, neutral, and vigilant.
Zhang Haoran: Headmaster of the Flying Dragon Sect | Wise, observant, and emotionally distant.
Yu Chen: Senior disciple | Outspoken, reactive, and sharp-eyed.
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For a few heartbeats, neither Shu Lin nor Yena spoke. The world around them seemed to fade—the crowd, the whispers, even the arena itself—all vanished from their senses. In that suspended moment, they saw only each other.
Miao Miao gently shook Yena by the shoulder. Startled, Yena blinked, as though waking from a distant memory, and quietly stepped forward.
Yu Chen called out, "Miao Miao, get ready. The Headmaster will commence the match shortly."
Miao Miao gave a small nod but barely looked his way—her gaze still flickered between Yena and Shu Lin. Hearing Yu Chen's words, she slowly moved toward her side of the arena. Yena also turned to leave, but a voice stopped them.
Shu Lin spoke, calm and uncertain. "Have we met before? Haven't we?"
Yena paused. Her breath caught for a moment before she turned halfway to face him. "Hmm… I'm not sure. This is our first time here. We should take our leave now. I'm sure you have preparations to make as well."
Before Shu Lin could respond, Qing Yi stepped forward, looping her arm through his with ease. "We don't need to prepare that much, but you should. Wouldn't want you to regret it later." She glanced up at Shu Lin, who hadn't taken his eyes off Yena. "Shu gēge, come. Let them focus."
Without waiting for his reply, Qing Yi tugged him gently toward their side of the resting area, her voice light, but her grip firm.
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The training arena brimmed with disciples, their quiet murmurs forming a hushed canopy around the field. On one side stood Qing Yi and several sect members. Opposite them, Yena, Miao Miao, and Jin Yue remained still, watching.
Jin Yue opened his mouth to speak but hesitated, the words catching in his throat. Miao Miao, still visibly shaken by Shu Lin's sudden appearance, murmured, "I knew it. I saw him in the market the other day. I thought it was just my imagination… but it really was him." She turned toward Yena, whose face was unreadable.
Jin Yue finally asked, his voice low, "Do you know him? This is your first time here."
Yena's gaze lingered in Shu Lin's direction. "He reminds me of someone… someone I once knew." Then she turned to Jin Yue with a faint, distant smile. "But I can't say for certain."
Jin Yue didn't press further and simply gave a small nod. Miao Miao, too, understood that this was neither the time nor place to dwell on such things.
Not long after, Shen Lei stepped into the center of the arena. His voice rang clear across the crowd. "Contestants, come forward."
Miao Miao inhaled softly, steadied herself, and took a step forward. After a few paces, she paused and glanced back. Yena met her eyes and offered a quiet, reassuring smile.
Qing Yi also walked forward with a confident stride. Upon reaching the center, she glanced back toward her seniors and Headmaster. They gave her a faint, supportive smile. She knew they didn't wish for her to fight—but their concern only pushed her further. The more they hesitated, the more determined she became. She faced Miao Miao with a smirk tugging at her lips.
The tension in the arena made Yena focus solely on the unfolding match.
Yena's thoughts:["Qing Yi is young. I hope she follows the rules and doesn't lose herself during the duel. I already told Miao Miao to avoid using her divine powers—only channel magic through her dagger… But why do I feel so uneasy? I hope this ends well."]
Yena was deep in thought when a gentle nudge to her elbow brought her back.
Jin Yue leaned in. "Where are you? Don't tell me you're still thinking about that guy," he said, though there was something unusual in his voice.
Yena gave him a look. "I think you're more focused on him than I am. I'm just thinking about Miao Miao. I hope this match ends peacefully."
Jin Yue sighed. "You think too much. It's a friendly match, and Master is here. Nothing will go wrong."
Yena nodded, though distracted.
Once the rules were explained, Shen Lei asked for the cultivation levels from both participants—a formality, yet a critical one in any cultivator's match.
Qing Yi responded first, with no attempt to hide her pride. "I'm at level thirty-nine," she said, wearing a smirk.
The announcement startled Miao Miao and Yena alike.
Jin Yue was equally surprised. "I'd heard she had an unusual cultivation for her age—but this… How can she have reached that level?"
Yena murmured, "Mm. Her cultivation is peculiar indeed. She's the youngest here, certainly no older than forty-fifty… yet she's already at thirty-nine."
["Shu Lin is twenty-five now. If she's younger than him, how could she be at such a level?"]
Miao Miao, though surprised at first, responded with calmness, "I'm at level thirty-five."
Qing Yi, her eyes glinting with arrogance, tilted her head. "Since I proposed the duel, it's my duty to ask—would you prefer to forfeit after hearing my level? I may not be able to show mercy later."
Miao Miao's expression hardened. "I don't know if your sharp tongue will help you win, but I'm sure your level alone isn't enough. So don't go crying when I make you lose."
Qing Yi shifted on her feet, her fingers tightening around the shaft of the arrow. Her pride burned in the silence — how could someone with a lower cultivation level humiliate her so easily?
"I believe we're ready now, Senior," Qing Yi said aloud. "Let us begin."
Shen Lei looked toward the Headmaster. After receiving his nod of approval, Shen Lei raised his hand and called out:
"Begin."
Qing Yi, clearly displeased by Miao Miao's earlier response, raised her bow and fired. Three arrows shot forth at once, each crackling faintly with violet magic. The air shimmered where they passed.
Miao Miao stepped back, lifted her dagger, and swept it through the air in a swift arc. A ripple of thorned energy surged out like a wave—intercepting the arrows mid-flight and forcing them to crash harmlessly to the ground.
Miao Miao's thoughts: [Yena-ya… A sword would've looked cooler. Why do I always end up with this little dagger?]
Infuriated by the failed strike, Qing Yi gritted her teeth and leapt back. She fired again—this time launching volleys of arrows in rapid succession. Each burst released triplets from varying angles, faster than before, their paths unpredictable.
But Miao Miao moved with practiced ease. She twisted, ducked, and spun between the rain of arrows, slicing some mid-air, deflecting others with precise, graceful motion. Her dagger gleamed with subtle light, tracing arcs through the air like falling petals on a breeze.
Jin Yue and Yena, seated outside the arena, exchanged glances.
Jin Yue said, "Qing Yi is attacking fiercely. Her moves are precise but rather wild. Miao Miao, on the other hand, remains composed under pressure."
Yena nodded. "Miao Miao is balanced. What concerns me is Qing Yi—her temper will only worsen as the match goes on. I just hope she doesn't lose control."
Just then, Miao Miao rose onto one foot and ascended into the air, petals swirling around her. She spun and sent a wave of thorned blossoms toward Qing Yi. Startled, Qing Yi raised her bow and pressed the string, summoning a barrier of energy that sliced through most of the petals—yet several tore through her silk robes.
"A beautiful Petal Step," the Headmaster remarked.
Shen Lei added, "Miao Miao claimed she never received formal training, but her fluid movements say otherwise."
Qing Yi smiled. "I really underestimated you. You can pull off such tricks… but these childish illusions won't work on me. Come now—show me something real."
Miao Miao said coolly, "You talk too much. Alright then, I'll give you what you asked for."
She extended her dagger forward, conjuring a thick mist of dark red roses that veiled the arena in shadow. Qing Yi's vision blurred—and before she could react, Miao Miao appeared before her, unleashing a pulse of energy from her dagger that knocked Qing Yi off her feet.
As the mist cleared, Qing Yi lay on the ground. Gasps rippled through the crowd.
Yu Chen whispered, "If it's not too bold of me to guess… Miao Miao must have a Flower Spirit. That technique—was it Blood Rose Mist?"
The Headmaster nodded. "It was. These young women continue to impress."
Shu Lin, watching intently, murmured, "Qing Yi… She doesn't look right. Should we—"
The Headmaster raised a hand. "This is her trial. She must learn to temper her anger—not just her power. That's part of why this match is necessary."
Qing Yi stirred. Slowly, she rose, her hands clenched into fists. The arrogance she once wore had dissolved into something far more volatile. Her hair now flared with violet energy, wild and unbound. One hand grasped her bow, the other stretched toward the sky.
A breath passed. Her eyes closed. Then—
A shimmering, ethereal arrow took shape in her palm, carved from pure spirit energy. As her eyes opened again, they now glowed a deep, dark violet—an unnatural hue that hadn't been there before. Her gaze no longer held the fire of pride, but the stillness of something far older… and far more dangerous.
Yena stood abruptly. Her voice came out in a whisper.
["She's not… a commoner. She's—"]
Miao Miao gripped her dagger tighter, the floral mist around her reacting to the shift.
["…a spirit."]
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