The long-awaited day had finally arrived: the sparring training battle for the new outer sect disciples. That morning, the combat training grounds were filled with disciples, and on the main arena platform stood three elders: Elder Xu Feng, who would serve as the judge; Elder Liang Zhenyu, who would set up the barrier formation; and Elder Meng Qi, who would provide healing support. Elder Xu Feng began by explaining the rules, and once he was done, he announced the first match.
By the time they reached the seventeenth battle, Elder Xu Feng shook the wooden box in his hands, which contained scrolls bearing the names of the disciples. After a few shakes, a scroll emerged, and the name it revealed was Ai Xia. When her name was called, Ai Xia confidently walked onto the sparring platform. The entire audience was captivated by her presence, as if snowflakes were drawn toward still water—silent, mesmerized, and completely entranced.
With each step, a faint glimmer of frost appeared on the stone platform, vanishing as though it were a fleeting dream. A subtle mist of cold qi surrounded her, causing the air around her to shimmer and sparkle. The more sensitive cultivators in the audience instinctively held their breath, feeling the chilling aura that clung to her like a protective veil, both elegant and dangerous.
Some disciples whispered in awe, while others stared in stunned silence. A few tightly gripped their sleeves, enchanted by her ethereal beauty. Even the elders exchanged knowing glances—this was no ordinary beauty, but a formidable cultivator whose grace matched her immense potential. With eyes calm and clear like a glacier lake, she scanned the platform with quiet confidence.
Next, Elder Xu Feng shook the wooden box once more, and when the name on the scroll was revealed, it was Uchiha Madara. Upon hearing his name, Madara calmly walked toward the platform. As he moved, whispers filled the air, but for the most part, the disciples were silent, all eyes on him. When he finally faced Ai Xia on the arena platform, his thoughts were clear: he would defeat her, but he wouldn't resort to using his trump cards—techniques like Chidori, Mayfly, Wood Clone, or Nativity of World of Trees. After all, who would waste such powerful abilities just for a sparring session? It wasn't worth it.
Once both combatants were in position, Elder Liang Zhenyu stood at the northern edge of the arena. In one hand, he held a round jade disk etched with ancient formation runes that shimmered faintly. In the other, he held a white crane feather brush, its bristles glowing with strands of pale golden qi.
With a calm but authoritative voice, he chanted, "Sealing Wind, Lock Heaven — Formation, arise! "
He swept the crane feather brush in a wide arc before him. As he did, golden calligraphy symbols flowed from the brush's tip like streaks of ink in the air, each one resonating with a low hum of power. The symbols spread outward, forming an invisible grid that pulsed rhythmically around the arena.
The jade disk in his palm rotated on its own, its runes lighting up layer by layer. With each full turn, the ground beneath the sparring arena throbbed with a dull vibration. Transparent barrier walls began to rise from the earth—clear like glass yet swirling with faint traces of silver lightning and sky-blue mist.
Above them, an invisible dome sealed shut with a soft clang, like the tolling of a celestial bell. Elder Liang Zhenyu gently tapped the jade disk with the back of his brush, finalizing the formation. A final rune appeared midair, floating above the arena like a sigil—visible only to those in the Core Formation realm or above.
He turned, his gaze sharp. "The Arena Sealing Formation is now active."
---Arena Sealing Formation: Seals the arena and prevents escape or outside interference and maintains the integrity of battles and protects spectators.---
After that, Elder Xu Feng addressed the two disciples. Both Ai Xia and Madara offered each other a respectful cup-fist salute before taking their positions.
"Begin your match."
Ai Xia struck first.
With a flick of her wrist, she launched into her Snowfall Blade Dance—her movements fluid and graceful, like drifting snow. Each step left behind a hidden trail of sword energy, weaving an elegant web of death. Her footwork was precise, shimmering with practiced finesse, and each slash was a whisper of ice and steel.
---Snowfall Blade Dance: A fast, graceful sword form where the user moves like falling snow, each step and slash layering hidden sword energy into the air.---
...
"Brother, who do you think will win?" Tang Hao asked.
"I think Ai Xia will win," Long Wei replied. "She has a rare elemental affinity, and on top of that, she's wielding a mid-grade spiritual sword."
Meanwhile, the three elders stood off to the side, observing the battle. Elder Meng Qi turned to his fellow elders. "What do you think? Who will win on this matchup? " she asked.
Elder Xu Feng glanced at the profiles of the two cultivators in a paper sheet before responding. "I think the match is evenly matched. Madara has a fire affinity, and Ai Xia has an ice affinity. Ultimately, it will come down to how well they execute their techniques." The two other elders nodded in agreement.
...
Without any dramatic gesture, Madara reached into his storage ring. In one smooth motion, he drew his sword. There was no flourish—only calm precision. The blade gleamed faintly as he infused it with his silver sword intent, and the very air around him seemed to sharpen with tension. He stood there, silent and unshaken.
...
Luo Feiyan, watching from the sidelines, was left in stunned silence. "His sword intent... It's stronger compared to…" Her gaze shifted toward Shen Xiu in the distance, who stared at Madara with a focused intensity, his expression serious.
...
She flurried strikes came at him, but with a single, almost imperceptible step, Madara slipped past her blade—his movement so subtle it seemed as though he hadn't moved at all. The attacks missed him completely.
Before Ai Xia could recover, she transitioned into her Glacial Lotus Sword technique. Blades of frost bloomed into lotus flowers, each one detonating in mid-air, sending deadly ice shards streaking toward him.
---Glacial Lotus Sword: With each sword strike, a lotus of ice blooms in the air, exploding into sharp shards that bombard enemies.---
Still composed, Madara stepped forward. His sword flashed—once. A Sword Qi Slash tore through the air, cutting through the ice lotuses with surgical precision. The deadly shards dissolved before they could reach him, falling harmlessly to the ground like melting snow.
Ai Xia's expression tightened. With a burst of qi, she launched her Frostbite Slash, her blade sweeping forward with icy force. The frost surged along the ground, aiming to freeze Madara's limbs and block his qi channels.
---Frostbite Slash: A sword slash that freezes anything it touches. The frost seeps into the opponent's meridians, slowing their movement and qi flow.---
But once again, Madara barely moved. With a slight twist of his body and a precise parry, he deflected her blade, causing the frost to disperse harmlessly. He flowed into a new stance, as though the attack had never happened.
...
From the stands, many disciples were left awestruck. "Is this really a fight?" some whispered, unable to comprehend the exchange. But the elders weren't fooled. Their eyes narrowed, recognizing the subtlety of his movements. They saw it clearly: every action, every step, every parry, and every pause were perfectly timed and calculated, like the ticking of a clock.
...
Refusing to give up, Ai Xia's aura surged with determination.
With a cry, she summoned her ultimate technique: Icy Heaven Severing Strike.
The skies above darkened, and a massive glacier began to descend. Its cold presence pressed down on the arena, like a mountain falling from the heavens. The crowd shrank back, their eyes wide with awe and fear.
---Icy Heaven Severing Strike: A devastating heavy sword technique that creates a descending glacier from the sky, cleaving enemies and mountains alike.---
Madara calmly looked up, his expression still unwavering. He inhaled deeply, and with a powerful exhale, unleashed a roaring Great Fireball Technique. A blazing inferno erupted from his mouth, surging toward the descending glacier. Fire and ice collided in a violent explosion that shook the arena.
The glacier shattered midair, disintegrating into harmless mist that rained down over the platform like soft snow.
Silence fell.
Ai Xia stood frozen, stunned. Her strongest technique shattered. Before she could even react, Madara vanished from sight. In the blink of an eye, he reappeared in front of her. With a soft but deliberate motion, he disarmed her, knocking the sword from her hand. The tip of his blade now rested lightly at her throat. She hadn't even realized what had happened. Her body locked in place; her breath caught in her chest.
The entire arena fell into utter silence. Not even a whisper could be heard.
...
Because of Madara's incredible display, a realization dawned on Luo Feiyan—she now understood what it truly meant to be a sword cultivator. She noticed that Madara hadn't relied on sheer speed or brute force. He had dismantled Ai Xia's techniques through refined maneuvering, flawless footwork, and impeccable timing. He read her like an open scroll, reacting only, when necessary, never making a wasted move.
To the disciples watching, it looked effortless—like a veteran casually swatting away the wild strikes of an inexperienced fighter. But to the elders, it was something far deeper. They recognized the immense composure, foresight, and control required to counter Ai Xia's blindingly fast techniques with such precision.
There was no luck involved—only mastery. To perform like that under such pressure… was far more difficult than any brute-force confrontation.
...
"I surrender," Ai Xia said softly.
Upon hearing this, Madara lowered his sword and gave her a respectful nod.
Gong!
The sound echoed across the arena—the match was over.
"The winner of this match is Uchiha Madara," Elder Xu Feng announced.
Madara offered a cup-fist salute to Ai Xia, then turned and gave the same respectful gesture to the audience before calmly stepping down from the arena platform.
...
Sword Intent Level: 31% Mid-Stage Basic Sword Intent
Sword Qi Slash >> Perfection Stage
Wood Clone Technique >> Advanced Stage
Mystical Palm Technique >> Advanced Stage
Yin-Yang Qi Absorption Technique >> Advanced Stage
Great Fireball Technique (Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu) >> Advanced Stage
Chidori (One Thousand Birds) >> Foundation Stage
Mayfly Technique (Aburano no Jutsu) technique used by Zetsu/White Zetsu >> Foundation Stage
Wood Release: Nativity of a World of Trees (Mokuton: Jukai Kōtan) >> Foundation Stage
Sword of Kusanagi: Longsword of the Sky (Kusanagi no Tsurugi: Kū no Tachi) >> No Progress