The arena buzzed with anticipation as the next match was set to begin. Ren Zu of the Sword God Sect stood on one side, his silver-blue robe fluttering gently, eyes half-lidded as if at any moment he would fall asleep. Opposite to him, Yun Hanfeng of the Heaven Beast Clan exuded confidence, his muscular frame adorned with glowing black gauntlets and bull-like tattoos that pulsed with spiritual energy.
Steward Yan raised his hand, signaling the commencement of the match. However, before any movement could occur, Yun Hanfeng stepped forward, raising his hand slowly.
"I forfeit this round," he declared, his voice steady and calm.
A stunned silence enveloped the arena. The audience, sect leaders, and fellow competitors were taken aback by the unexpected declaration.
"What?!"
"Is he actually serious?!"
Gasps, shouting, and confusion erupted from all directions. Spectators rose from their seats, blinking in disbelief. Some even thought they misheard. Disciples from every sect turned to look at each other, trying to process what just happened.
Ren Zu, still yawning, blinked slowly and muttered, "Huh… I was hoping for a quick nap mid-fight. Guess I'll get a full sleep instead."
Even Steward Yan, ever the composed and neutral host of the event, furrowed his brows and took a step forward. "Yun Hanfeng…. do you understand the consequences of this? Surrendering not only forfeits your match, but affects your entire team's standing."
Yun Hanfeng didn't flinch. "I know. Not just me, our entire team has decided to forfeit this round."
Silence fell once again—deeper than before.
This time, even the sect leaders exchanged glances. High above, Beast Chief Wen Tu's expression was unreadable. His jaw clenched slightly, his arms folded in front of him. Although he showed no outburst, the muscles along his neck and arms betrayed a boiling fury simmering just beneath the surface.
Whispers and theories spread like wildfire.
"They're surrendering the whole damn round?!"
"After Yun Tian's loss… is the Heaven Beast Clan scared?!"
"No way... this is a strategy. It has to be."
The audience speculated wildly, some mocking, some defending, others theorizing hidden plans. Some even suspected that the Heaven Beast Clan feared suffering more humiliating defeats at the hands of the Sword God Sect.
Steward Yan, regaining his composure, announced, "Given the Heaven Beast Clan's withdrawal, the Sword God Sect is awarded this round. Their total points now stand at five, a complete five to zero."
With that both Ren Zu and Yun Hanfeng stepped down from the arena.
Then the subsequent matches unfolded over the next few hours. Some teams fought valiantly, others chose to forfeit, recognizing the overwhelming strength of their opponents. The Twin Soul Sect, facing adversaries in the Elysian Realm, opted not to engage, understanding the futility of such battles.
After the matches concluded, Steward Yan addressed the assembly. "With the completion of the first quarter of single rounds, the standings are as follows: five teams have secured victories, while five have not. However, only one team will face elimination after the second quarter. The next set of matches will commence after a three-hour intermission."
In the Twin Soul Sect's corner, tension simmered. Guo Bohai turned to Dong Chen, eyes narrowing. "You knew about the elimination rules and didn't tell us?"
Dong Chen scratched his head sheepishly. "I might have forgotten to mention it, I guess..."
Xiang Xiaoli chuckled, "Looks like Shen Yuan's forgetfulness is contagious."
Laughter broke the tension, if only momentarily.
Then all the teams went to a hidden room for rest, the room was massive though there wasn't much decoration. The winning 5 teams sat at one end of the room and the losing 5 teams on the other corner.
Guo Bohai let out a long sigh. "We really didn't have a chance in the first round... but man, that was depressing."
The others didn't say much but could feel how Guo Bohai was feeling.
Suddenly, footsteps echoed through the hall.
Tang Jiyan raised an eyebrow and saw as the Royal Fengyue Team walked over. The prince, clad in his ornate ochre-gold robes, stopped in front of them with an arrogant tilt of his head.
"Well, well. Looks like the Twin Soul Sect isn't so mighty after all without Shen Yuan. You couldn't even fight us, you just surrendered." His voice was oozing smugness, and behind him, his team snickered.
Dong Chen's eyes narrowed. "Careful, Your Highness. Mocking someone before the second round might invite some... karmic backlash."
Tang Jiyan crossed his arms. "Besides, Shen Yuan doesn't need to be here right now. But you? You should enjoy this little break while it lasts, after all when he comes… it might be too late for you."
The prince's face twitched slightly, but he forced a smile. "I'll take that under advisement. Best of luck in the next round. You'll need it."
As the Royal Fengyue Team walked away, Guo Bohai let out a frustrated groan and turned toward Dong Chen. "Wait a minute… if the losing teams face off next, that means…"
Dong Chen shrugged lazily. "Yeah. One team gets eliminated. But only one. So even if we lose again, if another team loses worse, we survive. We just need to survive until Shen Yuan completes his domain comprehension."
Shi Meixiu then asked. "Say what do you think about….. why does Shen Yuan want a karma domain?"
Everyone was quiet then Xinag Xiaoli spoke, "None of us knows that clearly, we all know he wants power but… why exactly karma… I don't think any of us knows."
Everyone then got quiet, thinking that there must be another reason. No need to to think so hard about it, they would eventually find out.
Then three hours finally passed like a slow-moving cloud. During that time, no one spoke. Everyone stayed on their side of the room, whispering only among their own teams. The tension was unbearable. Even the strongest core disciples seemed to sense the weight of what was at stake, while some seemed oddly relaxed.
Then finally.
The bells outside the arena blew again, signaling the continuation of the tournament. One by one, the teams stepped out of the waiting hall and returned to the coliseum.
Steward Yan was already standing on the arena stage. The audience had returned, louder and more restless than ever. High above, the ten great sect leaders and the World Lord reappeared on their hovering platforms, their presence once again felt like a divine pressure washing over the arena.
After bowing once to the World Lord, Steward Yan turned around and raised his voice.
"Ladies and gentlemen. The second quarter of the solo rounds will now begin. Unlike before, this round will have only three duels per match. The rules remain the same—victory awards one point, and the team with the most wins proceeds. The team with the worst record at the end of this quarter will be eliminated."
The audience erupted in renewed excitement. Fewer duels meant higher stakes per battle. Every loss counted even more now.
Steward Yan continued. "The first matchup of the second quarter will be… Twin Soul Sect versus Heaven Beast Clan!"
And with that, the tension snapped like a bowstring.
The crowd screamed, whistled, and cheered.
In the Twin Soul Sect's group, all eyes turned forward. Guo Bohai wiped sweat from his palms. Tang Jiyan cracked his knuckles. Xiang Xiaoli's gaze was icy cold.
"Looks like we're up from the get go," Dong Chen said quietly. "Time to show them… Shen Yuan or not, we're not to be underestimated."