Rumors spread faster than wildfire in a dry forest.
Just one night after the examination, the entire Rising Cloud Sect was already buzzing with one name—Li Shen.
"Child of traitors."
"Forbidden Qi."
"He doesn't deserve to be here."
The words echoed everywhere: in the dining hall, in the training courtyards, even in the dark corridors where disciples whispered with venom in their voices.
Li Shen tried to ignore them. He trained relentlessly, sitting cross-legged in his small room, steadying his breath, trying to calm the raging Qi inside his body that clashed and collided endlessly. Yet the harder he tried to control it, the more the two forces repelled each other, as though waiting for the moment to explode.
Just as his mind was finally beginning to focus—
BAM! BAM! BAM!
His door rattled under heavy knocks.
"Li Shen! Get out here, you coward!"
Three disciples stood outside, sneering. At their center was a tall youth, arrogance blazing in his eyes and a mocking smirk curling his lips. Chen Liang, a newly joined disciple from a minor noble family, carried himself as if his bloodline placed him above all others.
"I heard you carry forbidden Qi," Chen Liang's voice rang loudly, ensuring many ears around them would catch his words. "Good. I challenge you to the arena tomorrow. Let's see if your curse can save you from me!"
Li Shen met their gazes from the doorway, his chest roiling with emotions. He could refuse—but in the world of cultivation, rejecting a challenge meant only one thing: cowardice. And that was no different than offering himself up to be trampled.
"I accept," Li Shen answered quietly, yet his eyes burned with resolve.
Chen Liang's smirk widened. "Good. Don't die too quickly."
--
The late afternoon air felt heavy a top Rising Cloud Sect's mountain peak. The sky burned golden, yet the hearts of the thousands of disciples gathered in the grand arena buzzed with jeers, laughter, and whispers.
The colossal stone arena, circular and ancient, had witnessed countless duels for centuries—disciples rising, disciples falling, blood staining the stones. Today, it would once again echo with the clash of weapons, shouts, and perhaps, the cries of defeat.
The name Li Shen had spread since dawn. The cursed boy, the shame of the sect, would face Chen Liang, a disciple famed for winning two consecutive tournaments. The difference in power was overwhelming.
"He actually dared to accept this challenge."
"Dared? Hah! He's just seeking death."
"Chen Liang will finish him in three moves at most."
Laughter rippled through the crowd, as if the arena had already become Li Shen's grave.
---
Waiting in the Arena
Li Shen stood on one side of the circle, his robes plain, his eyes fixed on the stone beneath his feet. Behind his calm face, his heart pounded like a war drum.
Every gaze is on me. They want me to fall. They want me broken. But I… I cannot lose here.
His breath was heavy, but deep inside, a small flame burned—not pure confidence, but a storm of rage, grief, and a stubborn will to stand.
Across the arena, Chen Liang strode forward with unshakable confidence. His hair was tied neatly, his black spear carved with dragon motifs glimmered ominously in his grip. Each step he took radiated a crushing aura, forcing disciples to hold their breath.
"Look at the difference," a senior muttered. "A true genius, and a piece of trash."
Chen Liang stopped, smirk tugging at his lips.
"Li Shen. Today you will regret being born into this world."
---
The Tension Before the Fight
An elder in white robes stepped into the center, his ancient voice booming.
"The duel between disciples of Rising Cloud Sect—Chen Liang versus Li Shen! This battle will be witnessed by all and recorded in sect history!"
The crowd roared. Chen Liang's name was shouted endlessly, while Li Shen stood in silence, no cheer, no support.
Alone. Always like this.
Suddenly, a voice whispered in his heart—soft, radiant, like sunlight piercing mist:
"Shen… do not be afraid. The light will always be with you. I will protect you."
Li Shen's body trembled slightly. But before he could dwell on it, another voice surged forth, low and abyssal, as if from a bottomless pit:
"Hahaha… they mock you, they trample you. Let me crush them all, Shen. Let the darkness devour every last one."
Li Shen clenched his teeth. These voices again… I can't ignore them anymore.
---
The Battle Begins
The elder raised his hand.
"Begin!"
Chen Liang shot forward like lightning, his spear trembling with power, releasing waves of black aura.
"Spear Art: Black Dragon's Fang!"
A black dragon's shadow burst from the spear, diving straight toward Li Shen.
Li Shen tried to evade, but the spear's edge grazed his arm, spilling blood across the stone. Laughter erupted in the stands.
"Hahaha! See? He can't even block one strike!"
Chen Liang smirked. "You're not even worthy to stand before me."
Chen Liang pressed forward, his spear swirling violently. Dark aura erupted in waves.
"Black Dragon's Roar!"
A massive black dragon roared to life, its maw wide as it charged down.
Li Shen raised his right hand, golden light faintly wrapping around it, forming a fragile shield.
"Yes, Shen. Let me protect you," the Light whispered.
The shield cracked almost instantly.
"Pathetic! Let me consume this attack!" Darkness hissed.
His left hand pulsed, black mist coiling up his arm. The light and darkness collided, swirling violently before fusing into a shield—half radiant, half shadow.
BOOOM!
The black dragon shattered against it, exploding into mist. The arena quaked.
Silence fell. The crowd stared in disbelief, mouths agape.
Chen Liang growled, his face tightening. "Impossible… how did you block that?!"
He slammed his spear into the ground, aura surging higher.
"Twin Black Dragons!"
Two massive dragons burst forth, charging from opposite sides.
Li Shen closed his eyes. The two voices overlapped, pulling at his soul.
"Use me as a blade, Shen. A blade to protect the world."
"Use me as chains, Shen. Chains to tear them apart."
His eyes snapped open. His right eye blazed gold, his left eye glowed blood-red.
In his right hand, a sword of golden light took shape, radiant and pure. In his left, black chains coiled around it, binding sword and darkness together like an eclipse.
"Dual Qi Art: Chains of the Eclipse!"
He slashed forward. The golden blade cut through the air, while the black chains bound the twin dragons, crushing them before detonating in a storm of light and shadow.
BOOOOM!
The explosion rocked the entire mountain. Chen Liang's body was hurled back, his spear snapping in half as he tumbled across the arena floor—out of bounds.
Silence.
Dust choked the air. Slowly, it cleared.
Li Shen still stood at the center, trembling, his face pale, but his eyes burning with strange brilliance.
Chen Liang lay sprawled beyond the circle, blood trailing from his lips, unable to rise.
Silence blanketed the arena. No cheers, no laughter—only hushed, fearful whispers.
"Dual Qi…"
"Light and Darkness… that's impossible!"
On the high platform, several elders rose to their feet, their faces grave.
"That bloodline… could it be—?"
Li Shen clenched his fists, breathing ragged. The two voices returned, softer now, almost satisfied.
"You chose my path," the Light murmured.
"And I will lead you deeper into true power," Darkness chuckled.
Standing tall despite his exhaustion, Li Shen realized the whispers within were not curses—they were fragments of himself.
That day, for the first time, Rising Cloud Sect witnessed the rise of a disciple who would change the fate of the world.