The Grand Tournament Begins

The arena roared.

The opening ceremony was a dazzling display of cultivation power, with cultivators performing synchronized Qi techniques that painted the sky with light, and various sect leaders giving long, inspiring speeches that mostly blurred into a single, booming monologue about "glory" and "destiny."

I mostly just nodded along, occasionally nudging Zephyr to ask if the refreshments included more of those delicious cheese flatbreads. (They did.)

The night passed in a blur of anticipation. I tried to get some sleep, but my mind kept replaying potential tournament scenarios, imagining my disciples unleashing their system-enhanced powers.

The next morning, the real fun began.

The Grand Sect Tournament.

The arena was even more packed than the previous night. The roar of the crowd was deafening, a wave of sound that vibrated through the very air.

The sunlight streamed down onto the central combat stage, illuminating the shimmering protective formations that surrounded it.

Suddenly, a shadow fell over the arena. Not a cloud, but something far, far larger. The collective gasp of the crowd was audible even over the din.

Then, it appeared. A dragon.

Not one of those little Sky-Drakes, but a proper dragon. It was colossal, its scales gleaming like polished obsidian, its wings blotting out the sun as it circled majestically above the arena. Its roar wasn't a chirp; it was a deep, resonant thunder that shook the very foundations of the city.

And on its back, standing tall and proud, was a man. He was clad in robes of shimmering gold, his aura radiating a power that made even Sect Master Gu Ran's formidable presence seem like a gentle breeze.

His face was stern, regal, and his eyes, as he looked down at the arena, held an undeniable authority.

"Whoa," I breathed, utterly awestruck. "That's… that's a real dragon. Like, the 'hoards gold and eats knights' kind of dragon."

Sect Master Gu Ran, his gaze fixed on the man and the dragon, nodded slowly. "Indeed, Alex. That is King Theron. The ruler of this realm, and the strongest cultivator in these lands."

"The King?" I whispered. "And he's riding a dragon?" My inner child (who was still obsessed with fantasy novels) was practically hyperventilating.

"Not just any dragon," Gu Ran continued, his voice filled with reverence. "That is Dravo, the Mighty Dragon. A beast of immense power, bound to King Theron through an ancient pact.

Dravo is said to possess the power of a Fourth Layer cultivator himself."

My eyes widened. A Fourth Layer dragon? And the King, riding him? This was next level. I quickly checked my dashboard. [Points: 3,210].

Still not enough for a [Dragon Taming System], I figured. Or a [King-Level Power System].

King Theron, astride Dravo, circled the arena one last time, his golden robes shimmering.

Then, with a graceful descent, Dravo landed on a specially prepared platform at the edge of the combat stage.

The impact sent a tremor through the arena. King Theron dismounted, his movements fluid and powerful.

He strode to the center of the platform, his gaze sweeping over the assembled sects and the roaring crowd.

A profound silence fell over the arena, broken only by the occasional flutter of Dravo's massive wings.

"Cultivators of the realm!" King Theron's voice boomed, amplified by formations, carrying to every corner of the arena. It wasn't just loud; it resonated with an inherent power that commanded attention.

"Welcome to the Grand Sect Tournament! For generations, this tournament has been a testament to the strength, skill, and spirit of our realm's cultivation sects!"

He paused, his gaze lingering on each sect's viewing box. When his eyes swept over ours, I felt a subtle, almost imperceptible flicker of interest. He was probably sensing the unusual energies from my system-enhanced disciples.

Or maybe he just liked my white robe.

"Today," King Theron continued, "we gather not just to compete, but to celebrate the pursuit of the Dao, the relentless drive for self-improvement, and the unity of our realm's greatest talents!"

He raised a hand, and a golden light flared around him, making his presence even more imposing. "Let the Grand Sect Tournament… BEGIN!"

The roar that erupted from the crowd was deafening. It was a primal, exhilarating sound, a thousand voices united in anticipation. The ground vibrated. The air crackled. The tournament had officially begun.

Sect Master Gu Ran leaned back in his seat, a satisfied smile on his face. "He is impressive, isn't he? A Fourth Layer cultivator. There are only a handful of them in the entire realm. His power is truly immense."

"Fourth Layer," I murmured, my mind racing. Gu Ran was a Sixth Layer. Lyra and Zephyr were Seventh. Urg was Eighth. My disciples were Seventh and Eighth. And I was… Layer-less. My systems were powerful, yes, but they didn't grant me a Layer. I was still operating on a completely different metric. It was like everyone else was playing chess with magical pieces, and I was playing a super-powered game of checkers.

"So, Sect Master Gu Ran," I asked, "who is our first disciple up? And against whom?"

Gu Ran's smile widened. "Our first combatant will be Disciple Li Wei. And her opponent… is from the Blazefury Sect. A young man named Ignis."

My eyes widened. Li Wei versus Ignis! The ultimate test! The System's favorite target!

My dashboard, still showing [Points: 3,210], flashed.

[SYSTEM ALERT: FIRST MATCH: LI WEI VS. IGNIS. HIGH STAKES. POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT POINT GAIN/LOSS DEPENDING ON OUTCOME.]

[SYSTEM STATUS: HYPERVENTILATING. GET READY FOR THE SHOW, DOOFUS!]

"Hey!" I mentally retorted. "I'm not a doofus! I'm a Sect Master!"

The System remained silent, but I could practically feel its cosmic eye-roll.

Below, on the combat stage, the first two combatants appeared. One was a burly, unremarkable cultivator from a minor sect. The other was Disciple Li Wei.

She strode onto the stage with a calm confidence, her Azure Cloud Sect robes flowing around her.

She looked graceful, powerful, and utterly ready. Her [Super-Strength Kick System] and [Enhanced Stamina System] were humming, a subtle aura of power around her.

The referee, a stern-faced Seventh Layer cultivator, raised his hand.

"First match! Disciple Li Wei of the Azure Cloud Sect versus Disciple Borin of the Ironfist Sect!"

Wait, what? Borin? Not Ignis? My mental System was getting ahead of itself. Or maybe it just wanted to see Li Wei kick someone.

The crowd roared again. The referee dropped his hand.

"BEGIN!"

Li Wei moved like a blur. Her agility, already exceptional, was now amplified by her system. Borin, from the Ironfist Sect, was a solid, defensive fighter, his Qi dense and unmoving. He braced himself, forming a heavy Qi shield.

Li Wei didn't bother with fancy swordplay initially. She moved in a flash, her leg blurring. A powerful, system-enhanced kick slammed directly into Borin's Qi shield.

WHUMP!

The sound echoed through the arena. Borin grunted, his shield rippling, but he held.

"Impressive!" Sect Master Gu Ran murmured, a proud smile on his face. "Her kick is far stronger than it should be for her Layer."

Li Wei didn't let up. She unleashed a flurry of lightning-fast kicks, each one impacting Borin's shield with incredible force.

Her [Enhanced Stamina System] meant she barely seemed to tire. Borin, meanwhile, was slowly being pushed back, his defensive stance wavering.

"This is amazing!" I whispered, leaning forward, utterly captivated. This was the power of systems in action!

Finally, with a powerful, spinning kick, Li Wei connected with Borin's shield one last time.

CRACK! The Qi shield shattered with a visible ripple. Borin grunted, stumbling backward, his eyes wide with shock. Before he could recover, Li Wei launched herself forward, her sword a silver blur, and tapped him lightly on the chest.

"Match!" the referee declared, his voice cutting through the stunned silence.

"Disciple Li Wei of the Azure Cloud Sect is the victor!"

The arena erupted. Not just with cheers, but with murmurs of disbelief.

Borin was a strong Eighth Layer cultivator, known for his unyielding defense. Li Wei had shattered his shield and defeated him in less than a minute.

Sect Master Gu Ran beamed, a triumphant smile on his face. Lyra nodded, a rare look of satisfaction on her features. Urg let out a booming laugh. Zephyr gave me another knowing wink.

My dashboard flashed.

[SYSTEM ALERT: LI WEI VICTORY! FIRST TOURNAMENT WIN! SIGNIFICANT POINT GAIN!]

[SYSTEM STATUS: DOING A VICTORY DANCE (COSMICALLY).]

Then, the glorious number: [Points: 3,710].

Five hundred points! Just for a single victory! This was going to be even better than I thought.

The cultivation world was about to learn that there was a new kind of power in town. And it kicked really, really hard.