The morning light filtered through the ornate jade-carved window frames of one of Jiang-Shen Family Villa, casting long, geometric shadows across the plush silk carpets.
The villa, a sprawling estate nestled in the heart of the Main City's most prestigious district, was a testament to the family's standing, yet the atmosphere inside was heavy with the silence of contemplation.
Shen Xinye sat on the edge of her bed, her posture rigid, her gaze fixed on the bustling city streets visible through the window.
Her mind, however, was miles away, trapped in a loop of the Divine Arena's dusty floor.
The tournament had ended, the cheers had faded, but the memory of her loss against Shen Haoran remained fresh, like an open wound that refused to cauterize.
It was a defeat so thorough, so surgically precise, that no one, not the branch families, not the elders, not even her own pride, could question it.
