The Azure Sky Sect's grand arena was carved into the side of the mountain, a vast stone bowl ringed by banners that fluttered in the morning wind. Thousands of disciples filled the seats, their chatter rising like a storm.
This was the day they lived for—the annual Inner Sect Tournament. A chance to prove themselves, climb the rankings, and earn the attention of elders.
And for Lu Tian, a chance to erase years of humiliation.
He stood among the gathered competitors, hands folded calmly behind his back. His robe was plain, patched in places, but his eyes gleamed with quiet fire. The Heaven-Devouring Meridian pulsed in his chest, eager, hungry.
"Match one!" An elder's voice boomed across the arena, amplified by qi. "Fang Wu against… Lu Tian."
A wave of laughter rolled through the crowd.
"Lu Tian? Already?""He won't last a single move.""Fang Wu will crush him. What a waste of time."
Lu Tian ignored them. He walked toward the center platform, each step steady, unhurried. Fang Wu was already waiting, arms crossed, a confident smirk twisting his face.
Fang Wu was tall and broad-shouldered, his cultivation aura blazing like a furnace. He'd been an inner disciple for three years and was one step from breaking through to Core Formation. Against Lu Tian—the so-called cripple—the outcome seemed obvious.
"You really came," Fang Wu said, his voice dripping with contempt. "I thought you'd flee and spare yourself the humiliation."
Lu Tian tilted his head, expression mild. "And miss the chance to watch you feed me your strength? Never."
The words drew gasps from the crowd. Arrogance from Lu Tian? Impossible!
Fang Wu's smirk hardened into a glare. "Trash like you doesn't deserve arrogance." He stepped forward, qi flaring around him in blazing waves. "Kneel now, and maybe I'll let you leave alive."
Lu Tian's grin widened. "Try me."
"Begin!"
The elder's command cracked like thunder, and Fang Wu moved instantly. Flames roared from his fists, surging toward Lu Tian in a torrent of searing heat. The ground blackened, and disciples in the front rows flinched from the wave.
Lu Tian didn't move. He lifted one hand, Frost Qi flowing into his palm.
Shatter.
A wall of glistening ice erupted before him, splitting Fang Wu's flames into twin streams that hissed harmlessly against stone. Steam burst upward in a cloud, obscuring the field.
Gasps echoed through the crowd.
"Frost Qi?!""Lu Tian has an affinity?!""That's impossible—he was always talentless!"
The steam cleared, and Fang Wu's eyes narrowed. "So you've stolen some tricks. Doesn't matter. You can't hold against me."
He stomped forward, aura blazing. Flames gathered around his fists, condensing into the form of two roaring fire lions. With a snarl, he hurled them at Lu Tian.
The lions thundered forward, jaws snapping, heat so intense the arena stones cracked beneath them.
But Lu Tian only smiled.
His other hand ignited. Flame Qi surged, crimson and black, intertwining with the frost. He thrust both palms forward.
Frostfire Devourer!
A storm of fire and ice exploded outward, swallowing the lions whole. Fang Wu staggered as his technique was consumed, the lions dissolving into shards of ice and embers that spun harmlessly through the air.
The Heaven-Devouring Meridian pulsed, drinking deeply. Fang Wu's qi, his technique, his power—all fed into Lu Tian's veins, fueling him.
Fang Wu's eyes widened. "You—what did you do?!"
Lu Tian chuckled. "Didn't I say? I devour."
He moved then, faster than anyone expected. One step carried him across the arena, frost cracking beneath his feet. His fist, wreathed in fire and ice, slammed into Fang Wu's chest.
Boom!
Fang Wu flew backward, crashing into the arena wall with a sickening crunch. Blood sprayed from his lips as cracks spiderwebbed across the stone.
The crowd erupted into chaos.
"He… he defeated Fang Wu?!""With one strike?!""No, that's impossible! Fang Wu is peak Qi Condensation!"
Lu Tian stood calmly, lowering his fist. His robes fluttered in the fading storm of frost and fire. His gaze swept across the crowd, cold and unyielding.
"Trash?" he said, his voice carrying over the chaos. "Remember my name. Lu Tian. The one who devours the heavens."
Silence followed—stunned, disbelieving silence.
Then, slowly, voices rose. Disciples shouted, elders leaned forward, eyes alight with new interest. The cripple who had been mocked for years had shattered his chains in a single battle.
At the arena's edge, Lan Xue watched with clenched fists. Her icy façade cracked as she stared at the man who had stolen her Frost Qi.
How? How did he grow this strong so quickly?
Zhao Mei stood beside her, lips curved in a dangerous smile. "Looks like our fiancé isn't as useless as we thought, hm?"
Lan Xue's glare flicked toward her, but Zhao Mei only laughed softly, crimson eyes gleaming. "Frost and fire in one body. Devouring techniques… interesting. Maybe this tournament won't be boring after all."
Back on the platform, Fang Wu groaned, struggling to rise. His chest burned where Lu Tian's fist had landed, qi in disarray.
"You… what are you?" he rasped.
Lu Tian crouched beside him, eyes cold. "The one who will devour you next time we meet. Be grateful I'm not hungry enough to finish you now."
The meridian pulsed eagerly, but Lu Tian stood, turning away. Devouring Fang Wu completely would've exposed too much. Better to leave him broken, his humiliation spreading through the sect like wildfire.
The elder's voice finally broke the silence. "Winner… Lu Tian."
Shock rippled across the crowd again. It was official. The trash had triumphed.
As Lu Tian left the platform, disciples shrank back from his path, whispering furiously. He could feel their eyes on him, their doubt transforming into fear, awe, and curiosity.
Every word, every thought, fed the meridian. He grew stronger just by existing beneath their stares.
But he knew this was only the beginning. Fang Wu was the first step. Xu Han, the so-called genius, waited further in the brackets. And beyond him, elders, sect masters, and immortals.
All of them would one day tremble.
He clenched his fists, frost misting from one hand, fire flickering in the other.
"The Heaven-Devouring Meridian will rise," he murmured. "And through me, it will consume everything."
The crowd's roar swallowed his words—but deep inside, the meridian purred, satisfied.