The Platform in Ruin
The black stone stage trembled, cracks spiderwebbing outward. Dust and green smoke coiled thick, hiding everything. The braziers hissed as the venom qi scattered into the air.
The crowd leaned forward, breath held, eyes wide.
"What happened?!"
"The serpent strike crushed him—he's finished!"
"No… I saw something bloom. Petals, black as night!"
The disciples' voices rose in fear, awe, disbelief. None could pierce the smoke, but all whispered Shen Lian's name.
⸻
Su Rou's Terror
On the terrace, Su Rou's nails dug into the railing until splinters cut her palms. Her lips trembled, her voice breaking as she whispered to herself.
"Please… please still be you…"
The smoke shifted, a faint silhouette stirring within. For a heartbeat, it looked human. Then—just as quickly—it looked like something else, broad, with long, swaying petals stretching from its back.
Su Rou's breath caught, her chest aching. Tears burned her eyes.
⸻
The Elders
In the Hall of Green Flames, the elders hissed like serpents.
"He bloomed! I saw it this time!"
"He is no disciple. He is corruption itself!"
"No… stronger. Did you feel it? Yunhai's serpent qi shattered. No boy at Venom Core should do this."
Sect Master Hei Zong's knuckles whitened against the serpent-bone throne. His jaw clenched, his face shadowed.
Elder Mo Xuan, by contrast, leaned forward, his smile widening, eyes gleaming with delight.
"Magnificent," he whispered.
⸻
The Crowd Divides
The disciples' fear spread like wildfire. Some shouted for Shen Lian's death, others whispered of his invincibility.
"If he can break Yunhai, none of us can stand against him!"
"He's a demon! If he wins, the sect is cursed!"
"No… if he wins, the sect will rise!"
The air was thick with panic, awe, and venom.
⸻
The Reveal in Smoke
At last, the smoke thinned.
The crowd gasped as a body lay crumpled on the stone — Zhao Yunhai, bloodied, his qi shattered, chest rising shallowly.
And across from him stood Shen Lian.
His robe was torn, blood smeared across his face, his veins faintly black. Behind him, the fading outline of lotus petals shimmered before vanishing.
He stood silent, chest heaving, his eyes calm and inhuman.
The crowd erupted into screams.
⸻
Cliffhanger
"Winner—Shen Lian!" the announcer's voice cracked, half-afraid to say the words.
The disciples roared, stamping their feet, not in cheers but in panic. "Demon!" "Monster!" "Devourer!"
Su Rou pressed her hands to her mouth, tears spilling, her heart torn between relief and horror.
Above, Sect Master Hei Zong's scowl deepened. Elder Mo Xuan's smile spread, thin and serpent-like.
And in the pits below, the chained Abyssal Serpent lifted its head, its blind eyes glowing faintly, as if it too acknowledged the victor.