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174: The Seventeenth-Ranked Flame
The arena fell quiet.Wei Zhan stood with one arm extended, the dark-red mark beneath his sleeve pulsing like a second heartbeat. The steady force he had shown earlier was gone. In its place, a cold, sinister aura crawled outward from his body.Ken narrowed his eyes. He could sense the Demon Qi tangled through the elder's spiritual energy, and beneath it, something else.A flame.Wei Zhan opened his palm, and black fire slid out between his fingers. It did not burn like ordinary fire. It moved like a living shadow, coiling around his wrist, and wherever it passed the air turned bitterly cold.Several elders shot to their feet."Dark Shadow Flame!""The seventeenth-ranked flame!"Excited whispers swept the stands. The Dark Shadow Flame devoured light and weakened spiritual energy, and it struck through shadows, which made it brutally hard to guard against.Wei Zhan lifted his chin. "Do you understand what you're facing, boy? Even veteran cultivators fear how it devours their spiritual
173: The Mark Beneath the Sleeve
"Let's finish what we started."Ken's words settled over the arena like a blade laid on a table.Second Elder Wei Zhan stood opposite him, hands clasped behind his back. His face was calm, but the irritation in his eyes had not faded."You made everyone wait long enough, Le Ken. I hope you've finished attending to your family matters.""My family matters are the reason we're here," Ken said.A murmur rippled through the spectators. The examiner stepped between them and raised his hand."The duel resumes under the previously established terms. The Seven Peaks Academy representatives and the Le Clan elders will witness the result. No outside interference. Begin!"Wei Zhan moved first. His figure blurred, spiritual energy surging ahead of him, and his palm cut the air."Mountain Crushing Palm!"A massive palm of force descended from above. Ken drove energy into his legs and slid sideways. The blow struck where he had stood, and stone shrapnel sprayed outward as a shallow crater yawned in
172: The Bloodline of the Guldemon
BOOM!Wei Zhan's fist crashed into Ken's guard, and Ken skidded backward, boots shrieking against the stone. The crowd roared. Wei Zhan stood with one hand behind his back, looking bored."Is this what three years bought you?""You talk a lot for a man who hasn't won yet."Wei Zhan's face darkened. Spiritual energy swelled around his palm. But Ken had stopped watching it.His eyes had drifted to the VIP pavilion, where his mother gripped the railing with one hand while the other pressed against her stomach. Her expression was serene. Too serene.'Reality Perception. Look closer.'Ken looked, and his blood chilled. A dark, tangled pattern clung to her energy channels, buried under layers of suppression. It was old. Years old.'Mother...' Guilt hit him like a punch. 'I was so busy chasing breakthroughs and feuds that I missed this.'"Ken!" Patik called. "What's wrong?"Ken turned to the examiner. "I need a short break.""Already tired?" Wei Zhan laughed."Yes. Exhausted by your personal
171: The Three-Year Agreement
Ken was squinting at the competition schedule beside Patik when a familiar purple gown floated into the corner of his eye. He looked up. His fingers stopped."Mother?"Lady Le Li froze mid-step. Then her eyes went wide. "Ken?"He crossed the distance in three strides and she caught him in an embrace so tight his ribs complained. Her hand trembled against the back of his head, and Ken's grin softened."Why didn't you warn me you were coming?""I wanted to surprise you." She pulled back and frowned at his face. "You've gotten thin.""That's your opening line? Three years apart, and I get a nutrition audit?""Are you eating?""Yes.""Sleeping?""Mostly.""Taking your medicine?"Ken's silence lasted one heartbeat too long."Ken."'Of course. I walked right into it.'Patik snorted behind him. Lady Le Li bowed to the elder. "Thank you for looking after my son.""He's caused me more trouble than I can count," Patik said. "But he works hard.""Master, I'm standing right here.""I know. That's
170: The Weight of Responsibility
The drums still rolled across the competition grounds when a young attendant came sprinting toward Ken's pavilion, robes flapping, face pale."Senior Ken! Elder Patik! The Sect Master requests you. Immediately."Patik's expression sharpened. Ken glanced at the arena, then back."Did I do something wrong?""I wasn't told, Senior.""That's wonderfully reassuring.""Come along," Patik said, "and try to arrive with your face behaving.""My face has become a criminal in this academy.""Then keep it quiet."They left through a side passage where water ran in narrow channels beside the walkway. Ken laced his fingers behind his head, though his stomach felt anything but relaxed."Is this about the formation? The black distortion?"Patik stopped dead. "You saw it too?""Brief. Wrong. It didn't belong to the assessment.""Did you see who caused it?""No.""Then don't accuse anyone.""I wasn't going to.""Your face was."Ken sighed. 'Even my face has opinions now.'The administrative hall smelle
169: The Five Sects Assemble
The war drums hit Seven Peaks Academy like a heartbeat made of thunder.BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!Ken stood on the eastern viewing platform, watching hundreds of disciples flood the competition grounds. Banners snapped above the arena, formations shimmered along the walls, and servants hurried refreshments toward the guest pavilion. The whole academy had transformed overnight.He adjusted the collar of his dark robe. His breakthrough to Level 52 King Realm had strengthened his foundation, but his body still ached from the strain, like a house with new walls and old plumbing."Look carefully," Patik said beside him. "Not everyone arriving today is your enemy. Some will become allies. Others will become enemies before this is over.""You make it sound like a war.""Sect competitions rarely concern trophies. They decide resources, reputation, and who gets opportunities in the cultivation world.""That sounds exhausting.""You're free to lose your first match and go back to bed.""Absolutely not.
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