Chapter 33 - It Begins

Moments passed.

....

The dueling platform grew quiet.

Two figures stood facing each other beneath the morning sun. One wore crimson red hanfu, tall and broad-shouldered, his gleaming spear resting lazily across his shoulder. His stance was relaxed, but his eyes were sharp and filled with mockery.

The other was a slim youth in white-golden hanfu, his posture calm, almost indifferent. His expression gave little away, as if he wasn't particularly interested in the match at all.

Feng Zhan twirled his spear once, letting the wind catch it just enough to stir a faint gust across the stone tiles. A half-smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

"So, you really crawled out here," he said, voice dripping with scorn. "Did you really want to die?"

Lao Xie didn't answer right away. His gaze swept over Feng Zhan in a slow, bored motion, as if weighing his worth.

Feng Zhan clicked his tongue, clearly annoyed. "I've seen you around before. Hiding in the shadows like a stray dog. You're not even at the Body Tempering stage, are you? You think you're going to scare me with that empty stare?"

Finally, Lao Xie spoke, his tone light and flat. "You talk too much for someone who only knows how to charge forward."

Then he added with a faint smile, voice dropping just a little, "Or are you hoping I'll flinch before you get a chance to embarrass yourself?"

Feng Zhan's expression twitched. "You've got a mouth on you. How about this? I'll give you one chance. Kneel now and surrender. Otherwise, don't blame me if you leave the stage on a stretcher."

Neither of them moved.

A quiet tension filled the platform. Elder Mu, standing between them, raised his hand.

"Match Seventeen, begin!"

The moment his hand came down, Feng Zhan moved like a bolt of lightning.

A blast of qi erupted from beneath his feet as he launched forward, spear outstretched, aiming directly for Lao Xie's chest. The force cracked the ground beneath him. His attack was sharp, fierce, and fast just as one expected from a High Body Tempering realm cultivator.

Some of the disciples in the crowd stood up in surprise.

"He's already going in?!"

"Look at that speed!"

But Lao Xie didn't move.

He simply watched the incoming strike with calm eyes, his body still and steady, like a figure carved in jade.

A smooth sidestep. Clean, effortless. His movement was so natural, it almost seemed slow until the crowd realized that it wasn't.

As the spear passed by, Lao Xie gently tapped the shaft with two fingers, just enough to knock it off-center. That single touch disrupted Feng Zhan's aim, causing him to rush right past his target.

A brief gust followed after him, but the white figure remained untouched. Not even the hem of his hanfu fluttered out of place.

The crowd stared.

"…Wait. What just happened?"

"Did he… dodge that?"

"What the hell is that?"

"He didn't even draw a weapon…"

Feng Zhan came to a sharp stop a few steps away, his boots dragging roughly against the stone floor. He spun around with a scowl, eyes narrowing.

"Huh?"

Lao Xie didn't speak. He simply turned his head slightly to glance at him over the shoulder with a faint smirk.

Feng Zhan's eyes narrowed further.

That smirk. That calm look.

It wasn't just ignoring him, it was mocking him.

"What did you just do?" he muttered, voice low and confused. He tightened his grip on the spear, turning his body fully back toward Lao Xie. His stance lowered, wariness replacing the cocky swagger he had shown earlier.

The crowd was still murmuring. Some tried replaying the scene in their heads, while others leaned forward, hoping they'd missed something.

"That wasn't just luck…"

"Did he time it that well?"

"But his cultivation… there's no way…"

Feng Zhan clicked his tongue. He wasn't interested in whatever the others were whispering.

"You really think dodging one strike means something?" he said, pointing the spear at Lao Xie. "You just got lucky. Try standing still again. Let's see how long that attitude lasts."

Lao Xie turned fully back to face him, arms still resting by his sides. He tilted his head slightly, as if considering something.

"I didn't dodge to show off," he said quietly. "I just didn't feel like being touched."

"... at least by you." he added with a flat tone.

His tone wasn't proud, or mocking... It was too calm for that. But that only made it sting Feng Zhan more.

Feng Zhan clench his jaw.

"Oh, you think you're funny, huh?" he growled. His qi began to rise again, this time with a sharper edge.

His aura spread wider across the stage, hot and aggressive, like a rushing storm trying to drown out the calm at its center.

Lao Xie remained as he was, his stance relaxed and unguarded. As if the pressure meant nothing.

Back in the stands, some disciples leaned in closer.

"What's with this guy…?"

"He really hasn't even drawn a weapon…"

"…Is this some kind of hidden technique?"

"What the hell hidden technique? he was supposed to be a mortal, remember?"

Feng Zhan didn't care about their chatter anymore. He had never needed a second strike in most of his previous matches. But now, someone had not only dodged his first move, he had done it while barely moving at all.

That was not something he could let slide.

"You asked for it," Feng Zhan muttered, tightening his grip. With a sharp breath, he pushed off the ground and leapt forward once again, spinning mid-air as he brought his spear down in a wide arc.

This time, he wasn't aiming for precision. He simply wanted to overwhelm.

The spear whistled through the air as it descended. Dust scattered beneath the force of his movement, and the sharp clang of metal against wind rang across the arena.

From the stands, several gasps broke out.

"He's coming from above now!"

"That's a heavy swing!"

"Lao Xie's done for if he takes that head-on!"

But on the platform, Lao Xie remained still.

His gaze followed the descending strike with quiet focus. There was no alarm in his expression. No tension in his shoulders.

Then, just as the spear reached striking range, he shifted his weight to the side.

Not a grand motion, not some explosive burst of qi, but a half-step to the side and a turn of his shoulder which is just enough to let the spear rush past him once more.

The moment the weapon scraped the air beside him, he reached out, two fingers catching the edge of the spear's red tassel. His hand twitched slightly, redirecting the momentum again.

The spear tip struck the ground behind him, carving into the tiles and sending stone fragments flying. A deep fissure spread outward from the point of impact.

Feng Zhan landed with a grunt, one foot braced against the platform as dust billowed upward.

But Lao Xie stood untouched, right behind him.