The courtyard was no longer a wedding hall.
It had become an arena.
The red banners that once symbolized joy now looked like mocking tongues of fire.
The crimson lanterns that glowed with warmth now burned like eyes hungry for blood.
And the stone platform beneath my feet, meant for vows and blessings, had become a killing ground.
The sect disciples knew it.
The elders knew it.
And I knew it.
A roar of voices thundered from all sides.
"Fight!"
"Kill him!"
"Show him his place, Young Master Li!"
"Hahaha! Trash will finally be erased from the sect!"
Every insult was a stone thrown at my chest.
Every laugh a dagger pushed between my ribs.
My body trembled. My breath grew shallow. My heart beat like a drum trying to break free of its cage.
Li Tianhao stood across from me, golden aura blazing, his sword humming like a beast eager to feast. His eyes were calm, steady, but filled with contempt so deep it was almost casual.
"To think," he said, his voice carrying over the din with effortless dominance, "you dared to stand tall before me. You dared to defy me. You dared to look at Su Xian as though she was yours."
He lifted his blade, letting the lantern light dance on its edge. Qi rippled around it, shimmering threads of gold that crackled in the air.
"I'll cut that arrogance out of you, Lin Feng. I'll carve it from your bones, piece by piece, until even ants pity you."
The crowd howled approval.
"Yes! Teach him!"
"Cripple him for life!"
"Make him crawl from the mountain on his belly!"
The elder presiding over the ceremony let out a long sigh. His gaze lingered on me for a heartbeat, pity flashing in his eyes—then it vanished. His voice boomed like a bell.
"This duel is permitted."
The words were law.
The air shifted.
The courtyard's noise swelled into a frenzy.
And my blood turned to ice.
This is real.
He will kill me.
I cannot win.
My fists clenched, nails digging into the scabs from earlier.
Warm blood dripped between my fingers, a reminder of my weakness.
And then—
Ding!
The golden screen flashed to life in my vision.
---
> Main Mission Update: Survive duel against Li Tianhao.
Reward: Beginner's Divine Sword + Foundation Establishment (temporary boost).
Failure: Public crippling event triggered.
---
The words blazed brighter than the lanterns, searing into my mind.
Survive.
Not win. Not defeat. Just survive.
And with that single word, fire ignited in my veins.
It was faint at first, a flicker of warmth in my chest. But it spread—through my arms, down my legs, into every corner of my body. My blood roared, my muscles tightened, and for the first time in three years, I felt qi stir inside me.
The disciples noticed.
"What's happening to him?"
"Is that… qi?"
"No way. Trash like him can't awaken qi."
And then it happened.
Light flared in my hand.
A sword appeared.
It was simple, its hilt plain, its blade unadorned. Yet it shimmered with golden brilliance, as if forged not by mortal smiths but by heaven itself. It vibrated in my grip, alive, eager, and certain.
The courtyard gasped.
"A sword?!"
"He actually summoned a weapon?!"
"Impossible—he's never cultivated!"
Even Su Xian's cold eyes widened slightly before narrowing again.
But Li Tianhao only sneered.
"A toy conjured by desperation," he spat. "Nothing more."
He surged forward. His golden qi flared hotter, wrapping his blade in fire. With a roar, he swung down.
The strike split the air. Heat washed over the stage. The stone beneath his feet cracked.
I raised my sword. My arms trembled.
Steel met light.
The impact shook the courtyard. Sparks flew. The sound of clashing blades rang like thunder.
I slid back across the stone, boots grinding, teeth rattling. Pain screamed through my arms. My chest heaved, my bones creaked. But—
I did not fall.
The golden blade in my hand flickered, but it held.
The crowd gasped as one.
"He blocked it?!"
"Impossible!"
"That was Young Master Li's Flame Edge Strike!"
Li Tianhao's eyes narrowed. His grin faltered. "You blocked one strike. Let's see you block ten."
His sword blurred.
Flames erupted. Golden light slashed. The air burned as he attacked again and again, each swing heavier, faster, sharper.
My arms shook with every impact. My legs buckled. My sword screeched under the force. I stumbled, parried, blocked, staggered. Each strike drove me closer to collapse. My vision swam. My breath came ragged.
But I was still standing.
---
Ding!
> Passive Skill Activated: Aura of Confidence.
Effect: Women observing feel subtle admiration.
---
A strange warmth brushed over me.
I looked up—and for the first time, Su Xian's gaze faltered.
Her lips parted slightly. Her eyes flickered with something that wasn't disdain. Not admiration, not yet—but doubt.
The crowd saw it too.
"Even Su Xian looks surprised!"
"Could he really…"
"No! He's trash! He can't win!"
Li Tianhao roared. Fury twisted his handsome features.
"You dare hold me off?! You think a toy blade makes you my equal?!"
His aura exploded.
Flames howled around him, scorching the banners, rattling the lanterns. Qi surged into his blade until it blazed like a miniature sun.
"Burn in despair, Lin Feng! Flame-Crushing Strike!"
Gasps echoed like cannon fire.
"It's his strongest technique!"
"No one below the fourth realm has ever survived it!"
"He's going to be obliterated!"
The ground trembled as he leapt high, his blade raised, fire swirling into a storm.
My chest tightened. My body screamed. My sword trembled in my hands. I could feel death rushing toward me like a tidal wave.
And then—
---
Ding!
> Emergency Boost Activated: Host in mortal danger.
Strength +100% (30 seconds).
---
Power surged. My veins blazed. My heart roared. My sword flared brighter, golden light bursting forth in a wave.
I lifted it high, teeth gritted, eyes blazing.
Tianhao descended, his blade screaming fire.
I roared and swung upward.
The swords collided.
Light exploded.
For a heartbeat, the world disappeared.
Flame and gold clashed in a storm that blinded the courtyard.
The stage cracked, stone exploding outward. Lanterns shattered, banners tore, disciples were thrown back by the shockwave.
When the light faded—
Li Tianhao stood frozen, his blade locked against mine. His eyes wide, disbelief twisting his face.
And me?
I still stood. My sword pressed forward. Golden light surged, overwhelming his fire, forcing him back inch by inch.
Gasps turned to screams.
"He's… he's pushing him back?!"
"No! Impossible!"
"How can trash resist Young Master Li?!"
Sweat poured down my face, but my grin was sharp, defiant, alive.
"Not trash," I growled, voice carrying across the courtyard.
I shoved.
And for the first time in his life—
Li Tianhao staggered back.
---