The gong's deep note rolled through the arena, silencing the crowd into tense anticipation.
"Next match!" the announcer's voice rang out. "Edran of House Veylan — Qi Condensation, Mid Stage — versus Kaelith Dorne of the Storm Serpent Hall — Qi Condensation, Peak Stage!"
A ripple of whispers passed through the stands. Peak against Mid was considered a gulf; the advantage was obvious. But Edran's name carried the weight of his family's growing reputation, and for some, that was enough to keep their eyes fixed on the stage.
Edran stepped forward, his movements measured, each stride steady as though he were walking into a training hall instead of a battle platform. His dark hair shifted slightly in the breeze, his eyes locked on Kaelith — cold, assessing.
Kaelith smirked, spinning his saber in a lazy arc. "Mid-stage, huh? This won't take long."
Edran said nothing. His breathing slowed, his core stabilizing as the Azure Dragon Breathing Art began its subtle rhythm. A faint aura of azure light flickered at the edges of his form, so faint it could be mistaken for a trick of the sun.
Cultivation Panel — Edran Veylan
Realm: Qi Condensation – Mid Stage
Physique: Dormant Dragon Vein
Cultivation Technique: Azure Dragon Breathing Art (Low Earth Grade)
Known Skills:
Azure Step (movement art)
Dragon Fang Strike (single-target burst)
Flowing Scale Guard (defensive technique)
The referee gave the signal.
Kaelith moved first — a blur of motion, his saber sweeping in from the side. Edran slid back with Azure Step, his footwork light as mist, letting the blade pass inches from his chest.
"Not bad," Kaelith chuckled, twisting into his second strike — the opening sequence of the Storm Serpent Blade Technique. The blade curved mid-swing, the sudden shift forcing most opponents to parry the wrong angle.
Edran didn't parry. He sidestepped, body tilting at an impossible angle, his left hand brushing the flat of the blade to guide it harmlessly past.
The crowd murmured.
Kaelith's smirk faltered, and his attacks grew sharper, each one chained with bursts of wind-imbued force. The saber's edge seemed to split the air, sending faint serpentine trails of wind essence toward Edran.
Edran's expression didn't change. A faint shift in his stance — then his right hand shot forward.
Dragon Fang Strike!
Azure light condensed into his palm before lancing out in a sharp, focused thrust aimed directly at Kaelith's chest. The force of it cracked the stone beneath their feet.
Kaelith twisted just in time, but the blast still grazed his shoulder, tearing a shallow wound through his tunic. His saber arm dipped for half a heartbeat — and in that instant, Edran pressed forward, chaining Azure Step into a flurry of precise palm strikes.
The crowd roared as Kaelith stumbled back. But his eyes lit up with a dangerous gleam.
"You want to dance in the storm? Fine!"
His saber whirled, forming a coiled pattern in the air. Spiritual energy surged, wind essence swirling into a serpentine shape around the blade.
Storm Serpent's Fang!
The serpent of wind lunged toward Edran with a hiss that rattled the stands.
Edran dropped low, Flowing Scale Guard shimmering into existence as translucent azure scales rippled across his forearms. The wind serpent crashed into the barrier, shattering against it — but the force still pushed him back several steps, his boots grinding against stone.
The stands erupted into cheers and shouts. Peak-stage power against mid-stage defense — and Edran still stood.
Kaelith's brows drew together. "You're tougher than you look… but let's see how long that lasts."
They clashed again, saber against palm, serpent wind against dragon's scale. The blows rang like hammer on steel, each strike echoing through the arena.
High above, in that same shadowed box from before, the narrow-jawed man leaned forward slightly, eyes fixed not on the fight — but on Edran's faint azure glow.
"Interesting…" he murmured to his companion. "That light… is not ordinary qi."
And somewhere deep within Edran's chest, the Dragon Vein pulsed once — faint, but stronger than before, as though the battle was coaxing it toward wakefulness.
The match was far from over.