On the day of the genius tournament, the Sacred Family's martial arena was packed so tightly that not even water could have seeped through.
The arena was a bluestone platform built specifically for the family's martial demonstrations, a hundred feet across and surrounded by waist-high stone railings.
Below it crowded the younger members of the great families and the city's cultivators. Many ordinary citizens stood around the outer edges, craning on tiptoe to see the platform.
The seats of honor were on a raised dais to the north. Shen Hong sat in the center, accompanied by the heads of several other great families, with their guards standing behind them.
The guest stands flanked the seats of honor, offering the best views and reserved for each family's direct descendants.
Shen Fei arrived just as the opening bell rang.
He climbed the stone steps to the western guest stand and spotted Xiao Ning'er and Ye Ziyun standing shoulder to shoulder at the railing, their heads lowered as they talked.
"Right on time."
Ye Ziyun saw him first and greeted him with a smile. She wore a pale blue dress that day and looked livelier than usual. Xiao Ning'er also turned and gave him a slight nod in greeting.
"I got held up on the way." Shen Fei walked over and sat in the empty seat beside them, sweeping his gaze over the crowd below. "More people than I expected." "Well, the Sacred Family organized the tournament. Everyone has to show them some respect."
There was a teasing note in Ye Ziyun's voice. "Besides, everyone wants to see who'll seize the crown among the younger generation." Shen Fei said nothing, merely following her gaze toward the platform.
Two Bronze Rank youths were exchanging blows there. Their moves were conventional, with nothing particularly impressive about them.
The cheers below were scattered, mostly coming from members of their own families.
The first half of the tournament passed without much excitement.
Most contestants were below Silver Rank. Their techniques were immature, and their exchanges generally stopped short of inflicting injury.
Even the occasional Silver Mid-Rank fighter showing off a few moves stirred little excitement.
After nearly half an hour, the contestants' cultivation gradually rose, from Bronze to Silver Peak, and the fights became more interesting. Then Shen Hao leaped onto the platform with a broad-backed saber, and the cheers below erupted.
Shen Hao belonged to a collateral branch of the Sacred Family. He was twenty-four that year and had stabilized his Gold Rank 1-Star cultivation only a few days earlier. Even among all the young people in Glory City, he ranked as a noteworthy genius.
He was tall and powerfully built. Simply standing on the platform, he projected an aura far stronger than the previous contestants'. "Even Shen Hao's entered. Looks like there's no suspense over first place now," someone murmured from a nearby seat.
"Of course not. A Gold Rank 1-Star cutting through these Silver Rank fighters is like chopping melons and slicing vegetables." "I heard Young Master Shen Yue personally trained him. He's here specifically to make a name for himself."
Shen Fei looked toward the voices and saw Shen Yue seated beside the seats of honor, wearing a smug smile as he spoke to a collateral-branch youth beside him.
He clearly had great confidence in Shen Hao's strength.
Shen Hong also lifted his eyes slightly, letting his gaze rest on Shen Hao for a couple of seconds. His expression remained unchanged, but he did not look away.
He evidently approved of this collateral descendant's performance as well.
Quite a few people challenged him, mostly Silver Peak youths hoping to try their luck. But Shen Hao struck ruthlessly, his saber heavy and fierce, usually knocking them off the platform within three to five moves.
One Silver Peak youth lasted more than a dozen exchanges, only to take a saber blow to the shoulder that sent him flying backward. He fell below the platform and could not get up for a long while.
The Sacred Family members below shouted even louder, their cries of "Shen Hao!" shaking the sky. Shen Fei watched the platform, lightly tapping his fingertips against the railing.
Shen Hao's foundations were indeed solid, and his Gold Rank 1-Star cultivation was genuine. His techniques were simply too rigid, all fixed routines taught by the family, and his ability to adapt in actual combat was somewhat lacking.
Still, they were enough against opponents of equal or lower rank.
After nearly two hours of this, no one dared challenge him anymore. Shen Hao stood in the center of the platform with his saber, surveying the crowd with undisguised arrogance. "Who else wants to come up?"
His ringing voice carried across half the arena. "If no one dares, I'll take first place."
The crowd fell silent for a moment. Most of the talented youths brought by the various families had already fought, and none had been Shen Hao's match. They exchanged glances, waiting for the Sacred Family to claim victory.
Just then, someone stepped out of the crowd. Dressed in gray cloth robes, slender and lean, it was Nie Li.
He climbed the steps one at a time and stood opposite Shen Hao, his hands still tucked into his sleeves, looking utterly casual.
The entire arena went quiet for an instant, then boiled over. "Isn't that Nie Li? The one who beat Shen Xiu in the Soul Force test?" "He's only Silver Rank 1-Star, isn't he? He actually dares challenge Shen Hao at Gold Rank 1-Star? Has he gone mad?"
"I think beating Shen Xiu went to his head. Does he really think he can fight across ranks? Gold and Silver are as far apart as heaven and earth."
Discussion buzzed through the crowd, most of it skeptical. Even the family heads in the seats of honor raised their eyes, showing some surprise.
Shen Hao froze briefly, then burst into laughter. He looked Nie Li up and down with open disdain. "You? A Silver Rank 1-Star piece of trash dares challenge me?
"You're better off getting down right now." He waved his saber. "My blade has no eyes. It won't look good if I hurt you. Then people will accuse the Sacred Family of bullying."
Nie Li's expression barely changed as he spoke coolly. "We'll know after we fight. Why waste so much breath?"
"Fine. Arrogant enough." Shen Hao's face darkened. "I'll give you three moves. I won't strike back during those three. If you so much as touch me, I'll count it as my loss."
Another stir swept through the crowd. Giving him three moves was undisguised contempt.
Gold Rank 1-Star already held an overwhelming advantage over Silver Rank 1-Star. Offering three free moves made it clear that he intended to humiliate Nie Li in public.
Ye Ziyun tightened her grip on the hem of her dress, looking nervous. "Nie Li's being too impulsive. Shen Hao is Gold Rank 1-Star." Xiao Ning'er said nothing, keeping her eyes fixed on the platform.
Shen Fei leaned forward slightly. He also wanted to see just how much this Nie Li could do.
At the referee's command, the match officially began. Both fighters merged with their Demon Spirits. Sure enough, Shen Hao remained where he was, holding his saber, genuinely intending to give Nie Li three moves. Nie Li did not stand on ceremony either; his feet shifted, and he charged.
His footwork was strange. He did not look fast, yet he kept advancing at peculiar angles. Though the distance was a straight line, his path twisted and wandered, making his next step impossible to predict.
For his first move, Nie Li raised his fist and punched toward Shen Hao's face. Shen Hao tilted his head aside, still smiling as he said, "Is that all the strength you've got?"
For his second move, Nie Li changed his fist into a claw and grabbed at Shen Hao's wrist.
Shen Hao turned his wrist and evaded it, his tone growing more contemptuous. For his third move, Nie Li suddenly ducked low and swept at Shen Hao's legs.
Shen Hao avoided it with a light hop, then laughed loudly upon landing. "Your three moves are over, and you haven't even touched my clothes." He lifted his saber. "Now it's my turn."
The moment he finished speaking, he swung. The saber wind howled, bearing the pressure of Gold Rank Soul Force, and many faces below changed. If that blow landed squarely, Nie Li would suffer at least several broken bones.
But Nie Li slid half a step sideways like a fish, just clearing the blade. The saber swept past the front of his robes without even touching his skin.
Shen Hao faltered, clearly not expecting him to dodge. Refusing to believe it, he reversed his grip and delivered another horizontal slash. Nie Li took one step back and avoided it again.
What followed left everyone wide-eyed. Shen Hao's slashes grew faster and fiercer, the wind whistling across the platform.
Yet Nie Li was like a fallen leaf in the wind. He seemed to sway precariously, but always evaded the attacks by the narrowest margin.
His footwork was utterly uncanny. Sometimes he slid half a step forward; sometimes he shifted an inch sideways. Every step slipped precisely into a gap in Shen Hao's techniques.
More than a dozen exchanges passed, and Shen Hao had not even brushed the hem of Nie Li's clothes.
The murmuring below slowly faded. Everyone could see that Shen Hao was not holding back. He truly could not hit him. "That movement technique is downright bizarre."
Someone spoke under their breath. "He's clearly Silver Rank 1-Star. How can he dodge Gold Rank attacks so easily?" Shen Hao grew more anxious with every exchange.
He had thought he could finish this opponent in a few blows, yet after all this fighting, he had not even touched him. With so many people watching, he could no longer save face.
Gritting his teeth, he drove his Soul Force to its limit. A faint golden glow spread over his saber as he unleashed his family's inherited saber technique.
The slash was nearly twice as fast as before, cleaving straight toward Nie Li's head with a fierce gust. Many spectators cried out.
At that moment, Nie Li finally made his move. Instead of dodging again, he stepped half a pace forward to meet it. He did not take the blade head-on, but extended two fingers and lightly touched its side.
It looked like no more than a gentle tap, yet Shen Hao felt a strange force travel through the saber and shoot up his arm.
His wrist went numb, and he nearly lost his grip. Before he could react, Nie Li had slipped to his side and pressed a palm against his waist.
Nie Li barely exerted any strength himself. Instead, he followed the momentum of Shen Hao's charge and gently guided him sideways. Shen Hao was already leaning forward after his saber missed. That slight pull destroyed his balance completely.
He staggered several steps, unable to steady himself, before his foot found empty air and he tumbled off the platform.
With a muffled thud, Shen Hao crashed heavily into the dirt below, his saber flying from his hand. The entire arena fell deathly silent. Even the wind seemed to have stopped.
Several seconds passed before a tremendous uproar erupted below. "Did I see that right? A Silver Rank 1-Star knocked a Gold Rank 1-Star off the platform?" "Using his opponent's strength against him? That was way too lucky."
"What luck? Look, Shen Hao still hasn't gotten up. He clearly redirected the force with perfect precision."
The Sacred Family members wore ugly expressions. Those who had shouted loudest earlier had all fallen silent.
In the seats of honor, Shen Hong's face darkened. His fingers tapped lightly against the armrest, giving no hint of his emotions.
Shen Yue's face was livid. He stared fixedly at Nie Li on the platform, his eyes full of disbelief.
Ye Ziyun let out a long breath and patted her chest. "That scared me to death. I thought he was going to take it head-on." Xiao Ning'er's brow also eased slightly, a glimmer of admiration passing through her eyes.
Such precise control of force was beyond not only their peers, but even many cultivators of the older generation.
Shen Fei leaned against the back of his chair, his fingertips still resting on the railing, though he had stopped tapping.
He had been mentally working through Nie Li's movements throughout the entire fight.
At first, he thought Nie Li merely had good footwork and intended to wear his opponent down with agility. But the longer he watched, the more alarmed he became.
None of Nie Li's evasions had been random. Each had precisely anticipated the course of Shen Hao's attack.
That fine control of Soul Force, that understanding of how the human body habitually exerted strength-neither belonged to someone his age.
He could not help putting himself in Shen Hao's place. What would happen if he stood on that platform against Nie Li as he was now?
He was Gold Rank 1-Star, with far more actual combat experience than Shen Hao. He would not rush forward so recklessly. His sword techniques were more practical, forged through battlefield killing, without any unnecessary flourishes.
At first, he thought he could at least force Nie Li to reveal more of his hidden cards.
But after mentally playing out more than a dozen exchanges, he realized something was wrong. Nie Li's footwork followed no fixed pattern, as though he could see through his opponent's attacking habits. The more someone adhered to fixed techniques, the easier it was for him to lead them by the nose.
Even his own unorthodox methods, honed in actual combat, seemed like something Nie Li could anticipate half a step ahead.
And Nie Li still had not used his full strength. Silver Rank 1-Star Soul Force could not sustain such intense evasive movement for so long.
He must have been suppressing his cultivation. His true rank was definitely higher than Silver Rank 1-Star.
Then there was that final redirection of force, controlled with hairbreadth precision.
If they truly fought head-on, Nie Li would not need to clash with him directly. Through deflection and maneuvering alone, he could slowly drain all his strength.
Even if I used the Shadow Mantis? Shen Fei frowned.
The Shadow Mantis excelled at surprise attacks and speed, but Nie Li's perception was clearly formidable. He had even dodged Shen Hao's slash from the side.
If Shen Fei summoned his Demon Spirit, an immediate surprise attack might not succeed. Instead, it could expose his hidden card.
If Nie Li truly figured out the Demon Spirit's methods, matters would become even more troublesome.
Having played it through to the end, he slowly withdrew his hand. I can't win a head-on fight. I can't even be sure I'd last a hundred exchanges.
The conclusion came rather abruptly, yet it made sense. Nie Li carried too many secrets: an elder inheritance, the experience of rebirth. These were not advantages that combat experience alone could overcome.
Shen Fei sighed inwardly.
He had thought obtaining the black prison inheritance had given him a respectable hidden card. Now it seemed he was still far behind Nie Li.
Still, he did not feel dejected. He had never been Nie Li's match to begin with. Nie Li was someone who had truly returned with the memories of his previous life, knowing every opportunity and inheritance. Shen Fei merely had an extra lifetime's experience defending the city.
And from another perspective, the stronger Nie Li became, the greater their hope of defending Glory City. Their goal had never been to prove who was superior, but to preserve this city.
"What are you thinking about?" Xiao Ning'er noticed his distraction and asked softly. "Nothing." Shen Fei came back to himself, his tone level. "I just think Nie Li really keeps his abilities well hidden."
"Hidden hardly begins to describe it." Xiao Ning'er shook her head lightly. "I still can't tell what his true cultivation is." Shen Fei said nothing.
He looked toward the platform. Nie Li still stood there, showing none of a victor's conceit, as though he had merely done something insignificant. The crowd continued discussing him, but he seemed not to hear any of it.
Shen Fei knew that after this match, Nie Li's name would spread throughout Glory City.
No one would ever again see him as that worthless student with dull aptitude. And the Sacred Family probably would not let this go. With Shen Hao suffering such an ugly defeat, neither Shen Hong nor Shen Yue would leave it at that.
There was no telling what trouble they might stir up next.
He raised his eyes toward the seats of honor. Shen Hong had already withdrawn his gaze and was speaking quietly to the steward beside him, his expression still gloomy.
On the platform, the referee hesitated for a long while before stepping forward to declare Nie Li the winner. Applause scattered through the crowd, mostly from the other families. Almost no one from the Sacred Family made a sound.
Nie Li paid it no mind and turned to leave the platform.
As he descended, he seemed to sense something and suddenly looked up toward the guest stand. His gaze met Shen Fei's directly.
Nie Li's eyes were calm, without provocation or surprise, as though he had merely glanced over casually.
Shen Fei did not look away, meeting his gaze head-on.
Two seconds later, Nie Li looked away first, turned, and slowly walked out of the crowd. Seeing this, Ye Ziyun said goodbye to Xiao Ning'er, rose, and hurried after him.
Only Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er remained on the guest stand.
The matches below continued, but there was little worth watching anymore. The most exciting fight was already over, leaving the subsequent exchanges dull and tasteless. Shen Fei stopped watching.
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