The sparring arena of Azure Sky Academy was alive with sound.
Stone tiles bore countless scars from years of combat, faint cracks spreading like veins across the ground. Training banners fluttered high above, snapping in the wind, while rows of senior disciples stood along the edges, watching intently.
At the center of the arena stood Jian Wu.
Her posture was relaxed, almost casual, yet there was a sharp stillness around her like a drawn blade waiting to fall. Her cultivation radiated steadily: Eight-Star Dou Ba, refined and stable.
Opposite her were three figures.
Feng Jian, a Three-Star Dou Kuang, sword in hand, breathing steady but eyes tense.
Lei Hu, One-Star Dou Kuang, fists clenched, muscles coiled like springs.
Ling Xue, Peak One-Star Dou Kuang, light on her feet, gaze calculating.
Around them, murmurs rippled through the crowd.
She's fighting three at once again…
"very time… and she still dominates.
Jian Wu finally spoke, her voice calm but carrying clearly through the arena.
Alright. That's enough warming up.
She glanced at them, eyes sharp. This is our three hundredth match. Don't disappoint me.
Feng Jian stepped forward, gripping his sword tightly.
Senior Sister, he said firmly, i won't hold back.
The moment his words fell, he struck.
Steel flashed.
His sword aura through the air in a clean arc but Jian Wu had already moved. Her body shifted just half a step, the blade aura past empty area . Wind brushed her sleeves, but she remained untouched.
We'll win this time! Feng Jian shouted through clenched teeth.
Ling Xue and Lei Hu moved together, attacking from opposite sides. One aimed low, the other high, timing their strikes perfectly.
Yet Jian Wu flowed between them like water.
She slipped past Lei Hu's punch, pivoted around Ling Xue's kick, and said calmly, almost casually,
Use techniques. This won't teach you anything.
Feng Jian gritted his teeth, sweat dripping down his jaw.
No techniques? Fine. Hand-to-hand only!
Jian Wu nodded once.
As you wish.
In the next instant, she vanished.
Gasps rippled through the arena.
She reappeared behind Feng Jian. Two fingers tapped three precise points along his back.
His body stiffened.
Before he could even gasp, Jian Wu was gone again appearing behind Ling Xue, striking lightly but decisively at her shoulder. Ling Xue collapsed to the ground, breath knocked from her lungs.
She's too fast… Ling Xue muttered, grimacing.
Lei Hu barely had time to turn before Jian Wu's foot struck his side. The kick sent him sliding across the stone floor, stopping only when he hit the arena's edge.
Jian Wu stepped back, sword still sheathed.
Your footwork is flawed, she said evenly.
Your Spirit Steps lack harmony. Sword and qi are separate, you haven't merged them yet.
Feng Jian forced himself upright. Energy surged through his body as he hastily formed hand signs. The shattered pressure points healed, qi flowing again.
He exchanged a glance with Ling Xue and Lei Hu.
Ling Xue smiled bitterly.
We have no choice. Use Spirit Steps.
Their qi ignited.
Flames wrapped around their feet, wind spiraled beneath them, and their speed exploded. Shadows blurred, serpentine currents trailing behind their movements as they attacked from all sides.
Jian Wu drew her sword again and her voice soft and says I'm surprised because i thought you don't have learnt spirit steps completely but no matter how hard you all try to defeat me, that goes in vain.
And her blade spun, and suddenly, hundreds of sword phantoms bloomed outward like a silver storm. They chased the three cultivators relentlessly, cutting off every path, every angle.
The fight ended before most spectators even realize what had happened.
Silence followed.
Then a familiar voice echoed through the arena. Excellent. You've improved a lot.
Everyone shocked.
Jian Wu's breath caught. Her sword trembled slightly in her hand. F…Father, she whispered.
The surrounding students dropped to one knee instantly.
Greetings, Headmaster!
Jian Wu's gaze drifted unconsciously through the arena.
Is Mike back…? Or has he left somewhere?
The thought lingered, heavy and unwanted. She turned away, her steps quickening as she left the hall.
Outside the arena, the academy gardens were quiet.
A small pond reflected the blue sky. Butterflies danced above flowers, and fish rippled the water's surface. Jian Wu sat alone at a stone table, hands resting lightly on her knees.
Jian Dao appeared behind her. My daughter, he said softly. You've grown.
She stood immediately and turned, eyes bright. Father… you're finally back.
I won't stay away so long again, he replied. Then he extended his hand. A seed sized yellow flame floated above his palm.
Her breath caught. Dad… this is… A Lower-Rank Yellow Flame, Jian Dao said. Seed form. Easier for your body to refine, but be careful.
I will, she said quietly.
He nodded. Good girl. Jing Xu has returned as well. Would you like to see her?
Yes.
She hesitated, then asked softly, Dad… did Mike come back too?
Yes, of course where will he go and…
And then hurried footsteps approached.
Senior Sister Wu! Feng Jian, Lei Hu, and Ling Xue rushed over. Someone is causing trouble inside the academy! They're challenging you!
They froze when they noticed Jian Dao and bowed deeply. Greetings, Grandmaster!
Jian Dao smiled faintly. He placed a hand on Jian Wu's head.
Go. Show them whose daughter you are.
Deep within the academy forest, mist drifted between ancient trees.
Mike sat cross-legged atop a flat stone, eyes closed, sweat soaking his clothes. Spiritual energy pulsed unevenly around him. He was attempting the Second step of Jing Ying which is Essence Trial. Clear the heart. Calm the mind. But instead, illusions flooded in. Past fears. Failures. Guilt.
His breathing grew uneven. His chest felt tight.
Power isn't just techniques…
It's something else…
Then a sudden impact. A shadow burst from the mist and slammed into him. Pain exploded through his body, and his consciousness shattered. Mike lay still. For a moment, it seemed he was dead. Then his eyes snapped open. The beast stood before him. Red eyes. Clawed limbs. Stone-hard carapace. A single horn jutted from its skull, tail lashing slowly.
Abyssal beast… Mike muttered. A low-tier soldier. He remembered the texts. The Azure Sky Abyss. A sealed land of corrupted corpses and beasts. Forbidden. Dangerous.
The beast roared and charged again. Mike rose slowly, blood dripping from his lip.
You're too weak. He stepped forward and punched. The strike landed cleanly. The beast's skull shattered. Its body collapsed, lifeless before it hit the ground.
Mike exhaled, staring at the corpse. So this is the academy's abyssal threat… . He looked toward the forest's depths, where the mist thickened unnaturally. If I go deeper now, he murmured, I won't come out alive. The wind rustled the leaves above him. The forest remained silent.
After a while, The academy market stretched wide beneath an open sky, its stone paths washed in warm sunlight and streaked with shadows from tall.
Voices overlapped everywhere.
Students and disciples moved in clusters, their robes brushing against one another as they laughed, argued, and bargained. Coins clinked. Wooden boxes slammed shut.
Shopkeepers leaned forward from their stalls, throats rough from shouting the same lines again and again.
Technique on Wooden paper! Freshly inscribed!
Three thousand gold coins for it.
come, come!
Don't walk past, young master, at least take a look!
The air smelled of metal, herbs, and faint incense smoke.
Mike walked through it all quietly.
His steps were unhurried, hands relaxed at his sides, eyes drifting from stall to stall. A rack of low-grade weapons caught his attention for a moment, simple blades, slightly chipped, their handles wrapped in worn leather. He paused, leaned in just enough to look, then moved on.
He wasn't here to buy.
A small smile formed as he watched the scene around him. A pair of junior disciples argued loudly over the price of a 2 tier spiritual energy pill.
Nearby, an elderly shopkeeper pretended to turn away, only to glance back with a sharp grin when the price was finally agreed upon.
Mike breathed out softly.
Ah…
It's beautiful.
So many things. So much life.
As he passed another stall, his steps slowed without him realizing why. The shop was narrower than the others, its wooden frame darkened by age. Strange items lay scattered across the counter—bone fragments, dull crystals, things wrapped in cloth marked with unfamiliar symbols and a piece of circular metal plate.
A faint, uncomfortable feeling brushed against his senses.
Mike frowned slightly.
He turned his head, eyes beginning to focus.
Before he could take another step, the crowd behind him suddenly stirred.
A group of disciples rushed past, their excitement spilling over in loud voices.
Hey! Did you hear?
A huge fight is happening at the arena hall!
They say someone from core disciple challenged a girl!
Hey you didn't know that girl isn't ordinary and they moved quickly, robes snapping as they disappeared down the main path leading away from the market.
Mike stopped.
Big fight… he murmured under his breath.
He glanced once more toward the strange stall but the feeling had already faded, like a thought slipping away before it could be caught.
After a brief pause, he turned his body toward the wide stone road leading to the arena. The path sloped upward, lined with tall pillars carved with ancient patterns, the distant structure of the arena visible beyond them under the open sky.
Mike's eyes sharpened.
Watching their fight might help me understand more.
With that thought, he stepped forward, leaving the noise of the market behind as he headed straight toward the arena hall.