The five winners stood on the ring, still catching their breath. Some wiped sweat from their foreheads. Others simply stood straight, calm and focused.

Tian Lei stretched his arms and cracked his neck.

"Alright, enough staring at each other," he said lazily. "Before the final round starts, I need your names."

He pointed at the masked girl first.

"You. Masked one. Name?"

The girl didn't hesitate.

"Ling Qingxue."

Her voice was cold and soft, like winter wind. Some disciples whispered—finally hearing her speak stirred curiosity.

Tian Lei nodded. "Fine."

He pointed at the lightning youth next.

"You. Thunder boy."

The youth crossed his arms and spoke with a proud grin.

"Lei Feng."

His electric spirit crackled faintly behind him, as if agreeing.

"Mm." Tian Lei moved on.

He pointed at the twin-sword girl.

"Name?"

She bowed slightly.

"Yue Shanshan."

Her voice was firm, steady, like someone used to hard training.

Next, Tian Lei pointed at the unarmed boy with the panther spirit.

"Shadow Panther kid. Your turn."

The youth scratched the back of his head before speaking.

"Han Yi."

Short, simple, honest.

Finally, Tian Lei looked at the Frost Heron youth.

"And you. Ice bird kid."

The youth clasped his hands politely.

"Mu Chen."

Tian Lei nodded once, satisfied.

The five stood in a neat line now, their spirits quietly flickering behind them.

Masked Ling Qingxue.

Lightning Lei Feng.

Twin-swords Yue Shanshan.

Shadow Panther Han Yi.

Frost Heron Mu Chen.

The energy in the arena grew heavier.

Everyone knew what came next.

Tian Lei stepped forward, his presence pressing down on the ring.

"Good. Names done."

He lifted his hand slowly.

"Rest time is over."

His voice echoed across the training grounds.

"Final round—starts now."

The crowd exploded in excitement.

The five finalists stepped back, eyes sharp, ready for whatever came next.

The noise from the crowd slowly died down as Tian Lei raised his hand again.

"Alright, listen carefully," he said, sounding more serious now. "Final round won't be simple."

The five finalists focused on him.

Tian Lei continued:

"All five of you will fight each other."

The disciples around the arena gasped.

Mu Chen's eyes narrowed.

Lei Feng smirked.

Ling Qingxue didn't react at all.

Han Yi scratched his cheek.

Yue Shanshan tightened her grip on her swords.

Tian Lei walked across the ring slowly.

"You will fight four matches each—one against every other finalist."

He lifted one finger.

"Every victory gives you one point."

Another finger.

"A loss gives you nothing."

He stopped in the center of the ring and looked at them one by one.

"At the end, the one with the highest points becomes the Senior Brother or Senior Sister of this year's batch."

The crowd cheered again.

Tian Lei wasn't done.

"The one with the second highest becomes the Second Brother or Sister."

Another pause.

"And the one with the lowest points…"

His voice grew teasing.

"…becomes the Youngest Brother or Sister. Forever."

Han Yi winced.

Lei Feng snorted.

Mu Chen stayed calm.

Yue Shanshan didn't seem bothered.

Ling Qingxue tilted her head slightly, expression unreadable under the mask.

Tian Lei clapped his hands.

"That's it. Simple rules. Hard fights."

He pointed at them with a grin.

"Win more, rank higher. Lose more, prepare to call someone 'Big Brother' or 'Big Sister' for life."

Laughter spread through the stands.

Tian Lei stepped back toward his seat and waved casually.

"First match will start in three minutes. Rest, stretch, breathe—whatever you need. Because after this, you won't get a break."

The five finalists looked at each other.

FINAL ROUND – MATCH 1

Lei Feng (Lightning Wolf) vs. Han Yi (Shadow Panther)

The ground trembled slightly as the three minutes ended.

Tian Lei stood again.

"First match… Lei Feng versus Han Yi."

The crowd burst into cheers.

Lei Feng rolled his shoulders, sparks dancing around his arms.

His Lightning Wolf spirit appeared behind him—blue fur made of crackling electricity, eyes glowing like lightning storms.

Han Yi loosened his hands and bounced lightly on his feet.

His Shadow Panther spirit crouched behind him, sleek and dark, its form twisting like living night.

They stepped into the ring.

Tian Lei raised his hand.

"Begin."

Lei Feng attacked first—of course he did.

Lightning burst from his legs as he sprinted forward with explosive speed, the tiles cracking behind him. He drew back his fist, electricity swirling around it.

Han Yi reacted instantly.

He stepped aside, lowering his body like a real panther preparing to pounce. Lei Feng's punch tore through the air and smashed into the ground, sending dust exploding upward.

Han Yi countered with a sharp kick toward Lei Feng's ribs.

Lei Feng blocked with his forearm—sparks jumped from the impact.

Both slid back a step.

The crowd roared.

Lei Feng grinned. "You're fast, Han Yi."

Han Yi shrugged. "You're loud."

Arcs of lightning circled Lei Feng's body.

Han Yi lowered his stance, the shadow panther merging into him, sharpening every muscle and sense.

Then—they vanished.

Fast.

Too fast for most disciples to follow.

Lightning flashes streaked across the ring.

Black shadows darted in the opposite direction.

Every time Lei Feng tried to land a hit, Han Yi slipped past him—bending, twisting, rolling like smoke.

And every time Han Yi tried to counter, Lei Feng blasted lightning from his heels, dodging with quick bursts that left glowing afterimages.

A bolt struck the ground with a sharp crack.

A shadow kick swept past Lei Feng's head by an inch.

Dust swirled across the ring.

Lei Feng shifted tactics without warning.

He spread his fingers.

Lightning exploded outward in a wide ring.

Han Yi dodged most of it—but not all. The edge of the blast struck his left shoulder, sending him skidding back with a dull grunt.

Lei Feng pointed at him. "Got you."

Han Yi shook his arm, feeling the sting fade. "Just once."

Darkness gathered around his legs, crawling up his body like liquid ink. His Shadow Panther spirit growled behind him.

And then he disappeared.

A black blur shot from behind Lei Feng.

Lei Feng spun—

Too slow.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.