I woke before dawn in my hut its dark wood and stone floor cool against my bare feet. I put some black tea on to heat as I warmed up with the sacred breath technique circulating my blood and qi. The battles of the previous two days burned in my memory: Rykar, Taryn, and Lira, each falling to my tier three blazing tempest strike and hidden dragon palm.
Torren had matched me, his storm claw barrage carving through Veyra and Myra, his new tier one sacred breath technique giving him an edge.
We'd both clinched two of the top four spots in the Iron fang clan's tournament, but the semifinals today would decide who'd lead the clan at the interclan tournament in three months. I rose, my scales sparkling as I opened the windows letting the morning rays illuminate my bright iridescent scales. I splashed cold water from the basin—no fire this time, just a quick rinse to wake my senses.
The morning air tasted crisp with a hint flowers, as I stepped outside, the stronghold's black stone paths quiet under the fading starlight. I headed to the arena, its stone pit silent but scarred from our battles. The tournament boards loomed, their glowing runes already drawing a crowd of warriors muttering bets and predictions. My ember coil senses caught the air's electric tang, sharper now with anticipation. I scanned the runes, my heart kicking as I found the semifinal matchups: "Ash Ember coil vs. Kaelin Wind strike, Semifinals, early morning."
Kaelin, the wind strike falcon-bonded warrior, was a blur of speed, her gale slash kicks a match for Lira's agility but with sharper precision. Torren's name glowed nearby: "Torren storm fang vs. Soren shadow panther, Semifinals, early morning." Soren's Shadow claw Panther bond promised stealth and ferocity, a test for Torren's speed and senses. I leaned against the board, my scales crackling as I pictured Kaelin's moves—her falcon-like strikes, fast but fragile.
My cloud step technique could match her, but my blazing tempest strike needed to land clean. Torren's match worried me more—Soren's nightshade claw was unpredictable, and his panther stealth could counter Torren's storm claw barrage. I needed to find him, share what I knew.
Footsteps crunched behind me, and I turned to see Torren, his gray-blue fur glowing, claws twitching with restless energy. "Soren, huh?" he said, his slit pupils narrowing as he read the board. "Sneaky bastard. I'll need my Sacred Breath to track him." I nodded, my scales sparking. "Soren's Nightshade claws are unpredictable be wary of them. Hit Soren with everything you got and don't let him hide."
Torren's fangs flashed, a grin breaking through. "Same to you. Burn her wings off." We clasped hands, our fire and ice bond pulsing, the continent's energy urging us on.
The morning was ours to prepare so we split up. I made my way down the sloped market paths beneath the arena where the air was fragrant with spices and whispers of rare genome beast locations. The Iron fang Cultivation Emporium waited beneath a stone arch carved with roaring beasts and elemental sigils. It was quiet this early, but Master Duven, the silver-eyed cultivator who ran the place, was already lighting incense.
"Good to see you Ash ember coil! but what is there to buy here, after yesterday's performance?"
"I'm in need of protective gear."
Master Duven chuckled, he rumbled, noting the burn-marks on my sleeves and the cracked lightning along my forearms beckoning me into the labyrinth of glass cases, rune-inscribed tomes, and potion flasks glowing with latent qi. I felt the pull immediately—my beast crystal resonating faintly with a rack of pills and a certain talisman near the back.
I scanned the items, counting coins in my head. The cultivation shop pulsed with quiet power—glass cases humming with qi, incense curling around carved beast bone shelves. Master Duven moved like a ghost through it all, his silver eyes flicking over me, weighing more than just coin. I scanned the racks, feeling Kaelin's pressure in every decision.
Speed, precision, wind qi.
I didn't need brute force—I needed control. Pin her down, crack her tempo, hit hard when she faltered. I stopped in front of a pair of wristbands—Storm-Grip Talon Bands.
They gleamed like burnished bronze, threads of silver chi stitched through the leather. I slipped one on, feeling the way it tugged against my momentum, stabilizing each motion like an extension of my own reflex. Perfect for redirecting in midair. "Good pick," Duven murmured. "Those'll keep you grounded when wind tries to scatter you."
I nodded and set the bands coins on the counter. Next, I moved to the potions sitting on the restorative shelf, common intent buffs—I searched until I saw it.
The Intent Potion. It was a medium sized vial, filled with crushed mind crystals swirling in ginseng root base. My scales twitched just holding it.
"The intent potion raises mental acuity and focus."
"Three's all I need," I said, laying two intent potions down alongside the bands.
Finally, I glanced at the Lesser Mind flame Talisman. It looked like nothing more than a twisted knot of burnt rope, bound in copper wire and a red crystal—but its aura bent the air around it, like heatwaves rising off hot stone. Duven spoke up again, "The mind flame talisman specializes in disruption and misdirection. And it's not technically a weapon so you can use it at the tournament.''
Kaelin relied on qi sense to dodge—if I could scramble that even for a breath, I'd land a blow.
I dropped 350 coins for everything and tied the talisman around my neck. This left me 130 Iron coins.
Duven watched me pack the items into my rare spirit bracelet, his eyes widening at such a rare piece, then gave a nod. "You're thinking like a fighter. Not just swinging hard—you're aiming."
"Kaelin won't hesitate," I said, tightening the satchel flap. "So I won't either."
I stepped outside into rising wind. The stones of Iron fang's path were warm underfoot now, sun climbing. I could feel the power building inside me—sharper, focused, like a blade honed against the edge of defeat.
Let the falcon come. The market's upper tier was quieter—no gamblers, no smoke. Just the cold hum of tools meant for killers. Torren moved through the aisles like he was hunting prey, claws twitching with purpose. Soren. Slippery, quiet, a ghost with claws. If he fought on his terms, Torren would lose. So instead Torren would break his shadow games before they began.
First was the Dust Orb talisman. A small black sphere, warm in Torrens palm. He tested the weight density, humming faintly with stored qi. "Focus intent into the orb talisman," the merchant said.
"It'll cause dust and darkness-based attacks to clear out faster. Picks up movement, heat, even repressed qi for ten seconds. Won't kill, but it'll light up anything hiding."
Ten seconds would be all that Torren would need to hunt around. He slid 90 coins across the counter and dropped the orb into a clawed belt pouch.
His next item on the wish list was the Night Eye Decoction. Torren found it at a shaded stall run by a mole kin trader with glass lenses for eyes. "You got someone hiding in the dark?" she asked, already pulling the vial out. "Something like that." Torren answered.
She handed it over—gray liquid swirling like fog. "Drink it right before you enter the fight. You'll see heat and qi trails for a full minute. Works even through illusion-grade cloaks." He paid the 60 coins and tucked it in a narrow glass holster along his inner thigh.
One more thing was needed for defense—not walls, but teeth. Something that bit back.
"Reactive qi Straps" Torren thought. He spotted them coiled like snakes on a stone plate. The vendor barely looked up. "Elemental trigger?"
"Frost," Torren growled. The vendor nodded, adjusting the qi-inscribed coils. Torren strapped them around his biceps, tight enough to bite into fur.
"If he lands an attack," he muttered, flexing his claws, "he's gonna feel winter."
Total cost: 230 coins. With ten coins left in his pouch, Torren moved on.
Torren had already felt the killing pressure in Soren's aura. "This will be a fine dance of technical fighting" Torren thought to himself. Torren stretched his arms once, letting the frost from the qi straps hiss into the air, and started back toward the arena. He was better prepared for Soren Shadow. I found Torren by the eastern ridge wall, just above the arena. The wind off the cliffs tugged at our cloaks, the scent of ozone and stone thick in the air. Below, the pit waited—scarred, scorched, and hungry.
He was crouched, fitting a frost-inscribed strap around his bicep. I caught a glimpse of the Dust Orb at his hip and a gray decoction vial tucked under his belt. He glanced up.
"Looks like you went shopping," he said, eyeing the Storm-Grip Bands around my wrists. Torren grinned, his fur crackling faintly with qi. "Stealthy types like Soren don't like fighting directly, head on. I'll disperse his darkness and drag him out of his shadows, then I'll crack his ribs."
I nodded, tightening the talon bands. "Kaelin's fast. Wind qi and falcon strikes. I picked up two intent potions—they will sharpen my mental focus and intent. No room for mistakes." Torren rose, tapping the orb at his hip. "Good. Blow her out of the sky." We stood a moment, the silence pulsing between us like the continent's heartbeat.
The top fighter from the top four will be representing the clan in six months." Torren's claws flexed. "One of us will stand at the top." We clasped forearms, storm and fire meeting at the wrist, our qi flickering wild between us.
"No holding back," I muttered. He bared his fangs. "I wouldn't insult you like that." A horn echoed across the cliffs. My match was about to begin.
We pulled apart, no more words needed. I descended to face Kaelin Wind strike. Torren turned toward the shadows—toward Soren in the crowd, they locked eyes.
The horn echoed across the cliffs. I arrived at the pit where Kaelin was already waiting. I downed one of the intent potions and entered the circular arena, we exchanged a mutual bow, then the gong rang out. I opened with my mobility technique, air-dashing to circle Kaelin, my sacred breath technique keeping my qi smooth.
The Storm-Grip Talon Bands hummed, sharpening my defense against wind qi. I struck with a hidden dragon palm! Its wind blast crackling with electricity, I aimed at her chest!
Kaelin's falcon speed flared—she twisted midair, her gale slash kick slicing through my blast with a wind blade that grazed my defense bands, stinging but not damaging. I double-jumped, unleashing a blazing tempest strike, its 700-kilogram vortex roaring with fire and lightning!
Kaelin dodged, her feather and scales deflecting the heat, landing with a taunt. "Too slow, Ash," she called. The crowd roared, my ember coil spirit tasting her wind's sharp tang. Kaelin pressed her advantage, her gale slash kick chaining into a flurry of wind-laced kicks, each strike a cutting gust.
I wove through with my mobility technique, blocking and deflecting blades of wind with my talon bands, but a wind blade nicked my side, drawing a thin line of blood.
I let my enhanced intent flow into the mind flame talisman around my neck. My mental energy puddle activating it, I felt a pulse ripple out, scrambling Kaelin's qi sensing for a breath. Her eyes widened, her next kick faltering. I seized the moment, chaining a hidden dragon palm into a blazing tempest strike! The vortex grazed her shoulder, scorching her feather-scales, but she flipped back, her Wind strike Barrage unleashing rapid wind blasts to push me back. The pit trembled, the crowd's cheers deafening.
My scales blazed brighter, electricity arcing wildly. I launched a blazing tempest strike, the first thunder-charged vortex hitting with 800 kilograms of force, its lightning cracking the pit's stones.
Kaelin's speed kept her ahead, her gale slash kick slicing through the flames, but the talon bands let me deflect the wind-based qi mid-dash, landing a hidden dragon palm to her leg. The electric jolt staggered her, her feather-scales flickering.
She countered with a wind strike barrage! The wind barrage forcing me to double-jump. My sacred breath technique kept my qi steady, but Kaelin's relentless speed tested my limits. "You're burning out, ember coil," she taunted, her smirk sharp. Kaelin's wind strike barrage intensified, a storm of wind blasts slashing from all angles.
I pushed my mobility technique to its edge, using the evolved air-walk to outmaneuver the incoming barrage. I deflected what I with the stray blades of wind qi with the Talon Bands! My enhanced Intent guiding my air-walk through the chaos, but a blast clipped my chest, the wind chi stinging deep.
My sacred breath technique held my qi together, and I activated the Mind flame Talisman for the first time, its disruption throwing off Kaelin's dodge. I chained a hidden dragon palm, its electric gust stunning her, followed by my second thunder-charged blazing tempest strike. The vortex slammed her side, lightning cracking her feathery scales, sending her skidding. She recovered quickly, launching more gale slash kick grazing my shoulder, but her aura wavered, her speed slowing. The crowd leaned forward, sensing the shift.
My qi burned like a forge, my scales blazing with fire and lightning. I launched my final thunder-charged blazing tempest strike, the 800-kilograms of force condensed into a vortex of cyclone and fire, wind, and electricity, amplified by a double-jump for momentum. Kaelin answered with her Sky Rend Cascade, a flurry of wind blasts, but the Talon Bands were reinforced enough to deflect the cascade, letting me weave through!
I chained a hidden dragon palm to her chest, the electric jolt breaking her rhythm. "Fall down!" I roared, spinning into the final vortex. It struck dead center, lightning exploding across her feather-scales, sending her crashing to the pit's edge. Kaelin staggered, her aura shattered and raised a trembling hand. "I yield," she gasped, respect in her eyes.
The arena detonated with cheers, my scales glowing as I panted, my beast crystal thrumming on the cusp of a fourth-tier evolution.
Torren's howl cut through the crowd, his Storm fang fur blazing with pride from the stands! Elder Vash rose, his voice booming: "Ashriel Cross of the ember coil line triumphs over Kaelin Wind strike, advancing to the final!"
The crowd chanted my name, paper ember coil flags fluttering. My third thunder strike had burned my channels, a dull ache in my veins, but the Talon Bands and Mind flame Talisman had tipped the scales. Torren's match with Soren was next, and Kael's threat loomed, but for now, I'd earned my place. The Beast Vein Continent pulsed, and my fire burned fiercer than ever. I leaned against the stands, my lightning-laced ember coil scales still tingling from my semifinal win over Kaelin Wind strike.
My beast crystal thrummed, teetering on a fourth-tier evolution, fueled by my increased spiritual knowledge that came with gaining a tier 3 blazing tempest strike and hidden dragon palm, steadied by my tier 2 sacred breath technique.
Now, it was Torren's turn to fight for his. His match against Soren Shadow claw was next, and I watched from the stands, my ember coil senses tasting the air's electric tang, thick with anticipation but the pit demanded focus. Torren stepped into the arena, his gray-blue Storm fang fur bristling, claws gleaming with icy qi. His tier three storm claw barrage and tier one sacred breath technique were sharper after our training, and his new items—The Dust Orb and Night Eye Decoction, and frost-triggered reactive qi Straps—gave him an edge against Soren's stealth.
Soren slinked in opposite, his shadow claw panther bond radiating menace, his dark panther fur blending with the pit's shadows, eyes glinting like knives.
"Storm fang," Soren purred, voice low and mocking, "hope you can see in the dark."
Torren's fangs flashed, his yellow eyes narrowing. "I don't need to see to bury you in ice, Shadow claw."
They bowed, the crowd roaring. The elder struck the gong, and the clash of storm and shadow erupted. Torren moved first, his storm fang speed blurring as he circled the pit, his sacred breath technique steadying his qi.
Torren opened with his newly evolved storm fan cascade, a flurry of Icy qi strikes ensued, but Soren let his intent and qi flow into his shadow panther's ability. He weaved through the cascade. Icy claw strikes arced, trailing frost, aiming for Soren's chest. Soren's activated his veil step, his form blurring into shadow, dodging the barrage with a chuckle.
"Too loud, wolf," he sneered, countering with a Nightshade Claw, shadow-infused claws came slashing from the side! Torren leaped back, his fur glowing, he let his intent trickle into the Dust Orb, suddenly Soren's outline became visible in his yellow eyes. The crowd roared, my scales sparking as I muttered, "Smart move with the orb, Torren. Keep him visible."
Soren vanished again, his Shadow veil Step cloaking him in darkness, but Torren downed the Night Eye Decoction, his eyes glowing green as he tracked Soren's heat and qi trails. "Run all you want," Torren growled, his storm claw cascade slashing ahead of Soren's trail. The 600-kilogram icy strikes grazed Soren's arms and legs, frost crackling on his dark fur. Soren hissed, "Cute trick, pup," and retaliated with another Nightshade Claw, his claws slicing in a rapid flurry, one nicking Torren's shoulder, drawing blood.
The Reactive qi Straps triggered, frost exploding from Torren's biceps, forcing Soren to leap back! My ember coil senses caught the chill in the air. "He's got Soren rattled," I said, gripping the stands' edge. The pit steamed, the crowd wild. Torren pressed forward, his enhanced senses tracking Soren's qi despite the fading decoction.
He leaped high, claws blazing with icy qi, and unleashed a storm claw barrage, aiming for Soren's legs to slow him. "Stay still, coward!" Torren barked. Soren dodged, his shadow veil step blurring him across the pit, and countered with a nightshade barrage, a storm of shadow claws slashing from multiple angles.
One strike grazed Torren's chest, but his qi straps snapped back with frost, freezing Soren's arm. "You hit like a little bunny fufu, not a panther!" Torren taunted, landing a glancing storm claw barrage that frosted Soren's thin silky fur. The arena shook, my scales sparking as I watched Torren adapt. "He's reading Soren's rhythm," I muttered, impressed.
Soren's nightshade barrage intensified, his claws a whirlwind of shadow qi, Torren weaved through it, his Storm fang footwork fluid. "Can't keep up Storm fang?" Soren mocked.
One claw nicked Torren's side, but the sacred breath technique kept his flow intact. The qi Straps retaliated instantly—frost exploding into Soren's face.
Torren seized the moment—"Got you!" he growled, then unleashed another 600-kilogram Storm claw Barrage, claws raking into Soren's shoulder, cracking his shoulder guard. Soren snarled, "You'll pay for that," and vanished into shadow again. The crowd leaned forward. My heart pounded. "Don't let him slip away, Torren," I whispered.
"Over here!" he growled, unleashing a storm claw barrage at 600 kilograms, icy claws carving into Soren's back, fully breaking his shoulder armor.
Torren's fur pulsed pale, qi flaring. He leapt skyward, a storm in motion. "No more hiding, Soren!" Torren roared.
His final Storm claw barrage—Tier three power—spun down like a tornado of ice. Soren met it with a final Nightshade Claw, slashing upward.
But Torren tracked him. He dodged, mid-dive, and as Soren's claw grazed his arm, the qi Straps triggered one last time—frost erupting, slowing the panther's strike.
Torren struck. Claws slammed into Soren's chest with 600 kilograms of force. Frost webbed across his ribs. Soren hit the ground hard, aura fractured. He raised a hand.
"I yield," he rasped, eyes burning but respectful. "Not bad, wolf boy." The arena exploded with cheers, Torren's fur glowing as he panted, his beast crystal thrumming closer to a third-tier evolution.
I roared from the stands, my scales blazing with pride. Elder Vash rose, his voice booming: "Torren Inquest of the storm fang line has triumphed over Soren Shadow claw, advancing to the final!" The crowd chanted "Storm fang!" as paper storm fang flags fluttered.
Torren's Dust Orb and Night Eye Decoction had exposed Soren, his qi Straps turning defense into offense.
I caught his eye, grinning. The final would be us—fire against ice.
Kael's threat lingered, but the pit called, and the Beast Vein Continent pulsed with our resolve.