Eclipsed by Crimson Majesty

The arena was still vibrating with the echoes of applause for Gu Ran's victory.

Sect Master Gu Ran, looking a bit winded but radiating satisfaction, returned to our viewing box, accepting the subdued congratulations of Lyra, Urg, and Zephyr.

I settled back into my seat, a triumphant grin on my face. [Points: 5,710]. Life was good. 

King Theron, from his golden throne high above, raised a hand, his voice booming out once more. "Excellent display of power! Now, let us proceed to the draw for the second round!"

But before the Elder on the arena floor could even touch the Spirit Pot, something shifted.

King Theron's eyes, usually stern and regal, suddenly blazed with a radiant, almost terrifying golden hue.

His relaxed posture stiffened, and a look of utter horror slowly dawned on his face.

He actually stood, pushing back his golden chair with a metallic scrape that seemed to echo in the sudden, eerie silence of the arena.

My vision, being a mere Ninth Layer cultivator (and still adjusting to having Qi, honestly), was a bit blurry at long distances.

I could make out a massive, dark shape appearing above the arena in the distance, but couldn't quite discern its details.

"Huh? What's happening?" I mumbled, leaning forward, trying to get a better look.

Sect Master Gu Ran, beside me, was trembling. Not just a little shiver, but a full-body tremor.

His calm aura had shattered, replaced by raw, unadulterated terror.

Lyra's face was pale, and even Urg looked like he'd seen a ghost riding a bigger ghost. Zephyr was frozen, his eyes wide as saucers.

"It's… it's the legendary Qilin!" Gu Ran choked out, his voice barely a whisper, eyes fixed on the approaching behemoth.

A Qilin? That sounded familiar. I wracked my brain, trying to recall snippets from old Earth.

"A Qilin, huh?" I muttered, remembering some fantastical beasts from ancient Chinese magazines I'd occasionally flipped through. "Like… a mystical unicorn-lion thing?"

Gu Ran didn't even acknowledge my ridiculous question. He was transfixed.

"It's a legendary beast that can burn mountains and cities in mere moments! A Second Layer beast!"

"Whaaat???" I shrieked, my Ninth Layer Qi almost sputtering out of existence.

Burn mountains? Cities? I'd always imagined "legendary beast" meant something impressive, not something capable of turning me into a tiny, crispy crumb.

And a Second Layer beast? That was two Layers stronger than King Theron!

King Theron's voice roared, a desperate, frantic sound. "A demonic legendary beast floating above the arena! Damn it, how did a legendary beast get here?! How?!"

His hand was trembling as he pointed towards the sky. "Evacuate the area, swiftly! This beast is about to burn this entire place to ashes!"

Chaos erupted. The serene silence shattered into a panicked cacophony. People screamed. Cultivators, forgetting all dignity, began to push and shove, trying to get out of the arena. It was a stampede of epic proportions.

I looked up again, my eyes (now blessed with a hint of Qi-enhanced clarity) widening in horror.

The "Crimson Qilin" was indeed colossal. Its immense, fiery red body eclipsed the sun, casting the entire audience, the grand arena, and probably half the city into its monumental shadow. It looked like a furious, fire-breathing lion with dragon scales and a single, sharp horn. It was glorious. And utterly, terrifyingly, real.

King Theron wasn't waiting around. With a surge of golden energy, he floated up, not on Dravo, but on a glowing white sword, radiating his own powerful golden aura.

And then, as if on command, a Fourth-Layer Dragon, Dravo, materialized from the void beside him. Its immense size made breathing difficult. Dravo didn't even look scared. He looked ready to rumble.

Everyone was now running for their lives. The stands were emptying in a frantic scramble. But the Sect Masters and Grand Elders, the supposedly strongest in the realm, stood frozen in terror in their private boxes.

The strongest among them, as Gu Ran had mentioned, was only at the peak of the Fifth Layer. The mightiest Elder, clad in black robes, would need about a year of intense cultivation just to reach the Fourth Layer.

And King Theron, the realm's strongest, was only a Fourth Layer himself. This Qilin was a nightmare they couldn't possibly contend with.

King Theron floated on his sword, golden energy swirling around him, Dravo by his side. They looked like a tiny, desperate dot against the backdrop of the gargantuan, approaching Qilin.

"We need to escape!" I exclaimed, my voice hoarse, sweat pouring down my face. My [Minor Kinetic Shield] felt useless.

My [Basic Elemental Affinity (Earth)] felt like I could maybe summon a very small, very easily-burnt pebble.

Sect Master Gu Ran, still trembling, looked at me with despair in his eyes. "I thought you were smart, Alex! Do you truly believe anyone in this city can escape this Qilin? It moves faster than thought. Its flames consume all."

"Then why is the King floating now?" I asked, my voice cracking.

Gu Ran sighed, a sound filled with grim resignation.

"Because he knows the Qilin will kill us all if it chooses to. He's preparing to try and divert its attention, to buy a few more moments for as many as possible to escape. It's a suicidal move, but a King's duty."

A thunderous "RAAAAWRRR" shook the entire area.

The sheer force of the sound made my teeth rattle. The entire arena, already emptying, seemed to tremble, and everyone remaining, including me and the Sect Master, began to be flung in all directions as the shockwave hit. I felt my feet leave the ground, my body tossed around like a ragdoll.

The Crimson Qilin descended, hovering in the sky directly above the arena, its colossal shadow engulfing us all.

King Theron, with Dravo beside him, took a combat stance, a tiny speck of defiance against the immense beast.

Screams erupted from the crowd, a chilling chorus of pure terror. The Qilin opened its monstrous maw. A hellish, orange-red light gathered within it, growing brighter and hotter.

RAAAAAAAAAOWOR!

A volcano of fire, a torrent of pure, unadulterated flame, erupted from the Qilin's mouth, engulfing the entire arena from every direction. It was a literal ocean of fire, consuming everything in its path.

"My lungs burned. My vision blurred. The screams were fading now… even my own voice felt distant."

The last thing I saw was a blinding wall of crimson, felt an unimaginable heat, and heard the terrified screams of thousands.

Alex couldn't see. Alex was dead.