The moment Elder Shufen's voice faded into the vastness of the arena, the world beneath the participants' feet came alive.
The once-still astral platform shattered into countless shifting plates of starlight, each etched with glowing constellation veins that pulsed like living arteries. The sky above darkened into a deep, infinite cosmos filled with slowly rotating star clusters. A heavy, strange pressure wrapped around every cultivator's body—not crushing, but testing, pulling at balance, timing, and instinct all at once.
Five figures from each academy stood scattered across the battlefield.
Zeref felt the change immediately. The ground pulled at his stance as if the stars themselves were deciding whether to accept him. His breathing steadied. Ren's posture sharpened beside him, eyes scanning the moving terrain. Yuexin took a slow breath, energy flowing evenly through her meridians. Mei Lian stood slightly behind them, calm and focused, her hands already glowing faintly with healing light. And Darius—
Darius smirked.
Across the enormous shifting field, the other academies moved into position with terrifying confidence. Crimson Ember's fighters burned with violent heat. Skyforge's team radiated iron discipline. Moonshadow barely seemed to exist at all. Cloudsong drifted with relaxed grace. Iron Phoenix crushed the air with sheer presence. Jade Serpent stood quietly, watching everything.
High in the stands, teachers, elders, and disciples leaned forward in anticipation.
Miss Lin's eyes were fixed on the battlefield.
Elder Shufen's voice rang out again, echoing through the heavens.
The sky erupted.
Astral targets burst into existence—dozens at once—blazing across the battlefield like living stars. Some glowed gold with enhancement energy. Others shimmered with distorted light that bent space and vision. The constellation lines beneath the participants' feet began to shift rapidly, altering gravity every few breaths.
Crimson Ember moved first.
Explosive flames tore through the sky as their team destroyed target after target through brute force. Their score surged instantly, earning thunderous cheers. Skyforge advanced in unison, each strike heavy and precise. Moonshadow vanished and reappeared with eerie silence. Cloudsong danced through the chaos as if the battlefield were guiding them.
Then Heavenly Blade moved.
"Keep formation," Ren said firmly.
Zeref nodded.
Yuexin shifted into support position.
Mei Lian remained centered.
Darius stepped forward alone.
Before anyone could stop him, he launched himself toward a golden astral target, blade blazing. The constellation beneath his feet suddenly reversed gravity mid-strike. His body twisted violently in the air—but he still shattered the target with a roar.
Points flashed.
Then the floor surged sideways.
Darius was thrown violently across two plates of shifting starlight.
Ren lunged forward to intercept a dark illusion-constellation that his reckless charge had left uncovered. Zeref reacted instantly, leaping into the air to strike a fast-moving target before it triggered a debuff wave. Yuexin redirected a second illusion burst just in time to protect Mei Lian.
Their formation already bent out of shape.
The second wave descended immediately.
Targets multiplied.
Illusions bloomed.
Gravitational distortions pulled at their bodies from multiple directions at once.
Ren shouted adjustments.
Zeref adapted.
Yuexin moved with precise timing.
Mei Lian stabilized their injuries with steady pulses of gentle healing light.
Darius broke formation again.
Each time a powerful constellation appeared, he rushed ahead alone, chasing points without regard for timing or consequence. Twice, Zeref had to abandon high-value targets just to shield Mei Lian from a backlash field. Once, Yuexin nearly lost balance entirely compensating for Darius's reckless displacement.
Across the arena, other teams moved like perfectly aligned constellations—tight formations, flawless support, ruthless efficiency.
Heavenly Blade was unraveling.
The third phase began.
The battlefield shook.
Constellation lines twisted into chaotic spirals. Targets began retaliating with direct energy strikes. Illusions thickened into living phantoms that struck back. Gravity spiked unpredictably with every breath.
Ren took a severe impact to his shoulder deflecting a spatial backlash meant for Zeref. Yuexin faltered mid-air as gravity reversed unexpectedly beneath her. Mei Lian pushed her healing beyond its safe limits just to keep them battle-capable.
And Darius—roared in triumph as he shattered another enhanced constellation.
The reward aura surged.
Then detonated into a massive debuff field directly over his own team.
Negative points flared across their score.
The entire arena gasped.
Elder Jianhong's gaze hardened.
In the stands, Miss Lin's fingers clenched around the railing.
Zeref felt something shift inside him.
Not power.
Not fear.
Responsibility.
He surged forward—not chasing points, but stabilizing gaps. Ren adjusted instinctively to Zeref's rhythm. Yuexin mirrored their movements. Mei Lian anchored them with unwavering calm.
For a brief moment—
Heavenly Blade synchronized.
Their score began to climb.
Slow.
Steady.
Not enough.
The final phase descended.
Fifteen volatile targets ignited across the sky—each more unstable than the last. Gravity tore sideways. Space folded briefly, violently. Illusion storms swallowed half the battlefield.
Every other academy surged together in absolute unity.
Heavenly Blade hesitated for a single fatal heartbeat.
Darius charged alone again.
This time, no one followed.
The backlash struck like divine punishment.
Zeref barely caught Mei Lian before she was thrown from the platform. Ren stabilized Yuexin as her footing vanished beneath her. They recovered—breathless, shaken, barely standing.
Above them, the final target shattered.
The battlefield fell silent.
The astral floor stilled.
The starry sky slowly dimmed.
The scoring sigils floated into place.
Cloudsong dominated the board.
Skyforge and Moonshadow followed closely.
Iron Phoenix, Crimson Ember, Jade Serpent…
And at the very bottom—
Heavenly Blade Academy.
A wave of murmurs swept through the stands.
Not laughter.
Shock.
Zeref stood still, chest heaving. Ren clenched his injured shoulder. Yuexin lowered her gaze. Mei Lian trembled faintly but remained standing.
Darius laughed under his breath.
No one joined him.
High above, Miss Lin closed her eyes.
The stars had tested them.
And exposed their deepest fracture.
---
To be continued...