Scene 1 — The Tournament Begins
The Inner Sect Tournament arena was a colossal amphitheater carved into the mountainside, surrounded by towering ancient pines and swirling mists.
Thousands of disciples and elders gathered, chanting the opening sutras. The air vibrated with anticipation.
Lin Xun stood on the main platform, the Nameless Blade hovering silently before him — no longer bound by Qi or rage, but by sheer will.
Scene 2 — First Opponent: Lei Hua
His first challenger was Lei Hua, a fiery Nascent Soul cultivator known for aggressive Flame Qi techniques.
Lei Hua sneered.
"Rootless? You don't even have a cultivation path. This'll be easy."
The gong sounded.
Lei Hua surged forward, flames roaring, striking with overwhelming force.
Lin Xun did not counter with raw power. Instead, he moved like water, his blade shifting shape, dissolving the flames into nothingness — not by destruction, but by conceptual negation.
Each strike carved a space where flame could not exist.
Lei Hua faltered.
Scene 3 — The Nameless Blade's Power
Lin Xun whispered:
"A blade that chooses what is possible…"
The Nameless Blade reshaped itself into a ribbon of void, weaving through Lei Hua's attacks, cutting not the body but the intent.
Lei Hua's Qi became unstable.
With a final stroke, Lin Xun severed the connection between Lei Hua's flame and his spirit.
Lei Hua collapsed, gasping, defeated.
Scene 4 — Watching Eyes
In the crowd, Su Ruyan's expression was unreadable, but her eyes followed Lin Xun closely.
Xu Mistwalker clenched his fists, muttering:
"This isn't cultivation anymore… it's something else."
Near the elders, Grand Elder Muyu nodded slowly.
"The Rootless Path is no longer bound by heaven's rules."
Scene 5 — Unexpected Challenge
Just as the crowd erupted, a shadow moved along the arena's edge.
A masked figure stepped forward — a Graveseal Cult assassin, disguised as a disciple.
She whispered a curse into the wind, aiming to disrupt the tournament's energy flow.
Lin Xun's senses flared.
With a thought, the Nameless Blade extended like ink blotting on water, erasing the assassin's dark Qi before it could take form.
The assassin's mask cracked.
The crowd gasped.
Scene 6 — A New Era Begins
The Sect Master's voice boomed:
"The tournament is more than a test of strength."
"It is the proving ground for a new age."
Lin Xun stood alone, the Nameless Blade still glowing softly.
"I will not be a pawn of fate."
"I will write my own path.