Today, the quota for my family's arena is probably Aether's.

Adam Stormjade sighed as he watched the battle unfolding on the stone platform. His expression carried a mixture of pride and helplessness.

Why was he sighing? Because if nobody completed their challenge in time, the slot would naturally fall to his Stormjade family. But Aether—this masked cultivator who had appeared out of nowhere—had the strength to take it and leave them empty-handed.

The rules were fair. Whoever could endure to the end earned their qualification. Opportunity was given equally. If one couldn't seize it, no one else was to blame.

Still, it left a sour taste.

He looked toward his daughter and suddenly, a thought stirred in his heart—a faint idea that could turn this unexpected loss into a connection worth keeping.

On the stage, Luna, burning with pride and anger, reengaged her opponent.

The next exchange came like thunder. The aura of a peak Tribulation Transcendence cultivator flared out again, sweeping across the platform like a storm tide. The violent energy whitening the air was so intense that even the elders of the other two families halted their group competitions, unable to proceed under its pressure.

Dust and light surged around them. The crowd withdrew instinctively.

"Rat!" Luna roared. "You're just a rat! All you know is how to run!"

Her teeth gritted, eyes blazing like molten gold.

Ethan's calm stance only stoked her fury.

The corners of her lips drew back in a snarl—white teeth flashing, her irises glowing like blood-tinged moonlight. An angry spiritual fox, indeed.

Her sharp gaze flicked to the incense by the edge of the arena. The thin stick was already nearing its end, a last trail of smoke curling upward.

A cold gleam flashed across her pupils.

"Heaven-level spiritual technique—Hundreds of Foxes!"

Her voice was a low roar, and the air trembled with it.

Her seals changed, faster than human sight could follow. The enormous spirit fox behind her fractured, breaking apart into hundreds of identical phantoms that leapt in unison, their howls piercing the spectators' hearts.

She moved simultaneously with them, merging into their midst until even her presence vanished.

Instantly, there were no clear distinctions—just a sea of flickering fox illusions, all radiating murderous spiritual power.

"Interesting..." Ethan murmured.

The technique intrigued him.

With a faint breath, his Heaven-Piercing Mind opened. In an instant, the invisible strands of spiritual energy threading through the illusions became as clear as day. Her true body glimmered brightly among the mirages, hidden halfway behind the false projections.

From the stands, Seraphina frowned slightly. "That's... a rare spiritual technique, it seems."

She extended her mental energy cautiously, probing the chaos—but even her sharp perception faltered.

The distance was too great. She couldn't separate illusion from truth.

"Uncle Edwin," she said, still watching closely, "can you tell which one she is?"

Edwin considered for a moment before replying, "Barely. If I were closer, I could pinpoint her. A Heaven-rank illusion art that bends perception and masks the physical form—it's tricky even for those at peak Tribulation Transcendence."

Gale Reed crossed his arms and said coldly, "That masked man will lose soon. He won't see it coming."

"Not necessarily," Edwin countered gently. "Only half a minute remains. If he endures, the victory—perhaps unwillingly—will be his."

Seraphina's gaze didn't move. "Let's wait. He's interesting. I want to challenge him myself later."

Edwin smiled faintly. "Good. A spar between talents tempers the edge. Win or lose, you'll still grow stronger."

On the platform, Ethan's black eyes calmly followed the streaking fox phantoms. Each one was armed with talons gleaming with spiritual light and jaws aglow with killing intent.

They swarmed toward him at once—a tidal wave of illusion, covering half the sky as they descended.

The scene was pure chaos.

Gasps erupted around the square as hundreds of spirit foxes dived upon him.

The phantoms struck and exploded consecutively, one after another.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

Each blast sent shards of spiritual energy surging outward, buffeting the arena in vast ripples. The air screamed beneath the pressure.

Many in the audience stumbled back, forming protective barriers, yet several still coughed up blood from the shock.

Seeing the danger, Adam Stormjade raised a hand from the stands, his expression cooling.

"Enough."

A wave of his own spiritual energy surged forth—a sharp, invisible canopy blanketing the platform. The shockwaves dispersed against his barrier harmlessly, sparing the lowest-ranked disciples from injury.

The detonations continued for sometime before finally fading. Smoke and residual essence filled the air, the entire stage now hidden behind a churning mist of pink and red energy.

Amid that chaos came Luna's icy voice.

"Boy, is that it?"

Her silhouette flickered into view again, descending through the dissipating storm.

With a flick of her hand, two crimson daggers manifested in her palms, gleaming with deadly radiance.

"Heaven-level spiritual technique—Wind Slash!" she cried, her spiritual energy condensing into blades of stormlight.

Her body spun, the daggers twirling in furious rhythm as her figure rushed forward like a whirlwind. The air split apart as her blades slashed toward Ethan's masked face, leaving trails of scarlet light that screamed like torn silk.

Ethan's voice came softly, cutting through the noise.

"Break."

In the next instant, the air exploded.

An invisible shock radiated outward, the release of condensed blood energy. It crushed the waves of spiritual power around him, the essence and blood of his body rising in a haze of silver-red mist.

Boom!

The entire formation of spirit foxes shattered. Fractal flashes burst across the sky like scattering crystals. The remaining illusions cracked apart with echoing detonations, scattering into fragments of light until the platform cleared once more.

Luna's pupils shrank. She could feel the difference now—his strength was beyond what his calm facade had shown.

Ethan sidestepped swiftly, the blade of her dagger cutting past just close enough to graze the mask. The impact tore a thin white mark across its surface.

Before Luna could pull back, his right arm moved.

It was simple. Nothing ornate.

A fist.

But the power behind it was purer than mountain steel.

Bang!

The air shrieked. Space itself seemed to ripple around the point of impact.

Luna barely managed to cross her daggers in front of her chest to block, spiritual energy flaring wildly at the moment of collision.

The force smashed into her like a divine hammer.

She was hurled backward, sliding across the ground for ten meters before managing to stop, her feet dragging deep grooves into the stone. Her arms trembled uncontrollably from the shock.

Silence filled the square.

Time seemed to pause.

The incense by the platform's edge flickered softly—burnt halfway through.

Ethan brushed off a fragment of dust from his sleeve and said lightly, "I accept it."

He turned and walked off the stage without another glance, his back straight, calm as ever.

Behind him, Luna stood frozen, still quivering slightly. Her eyes drifted to her arms—numb, tinged with faint crimson.

If she hadn't blocked in time... that single punch would have crippled her.

"He's... a physical cultivator," she whispered to herself, disbelief clouding her refined face. "How can he be this strong... it's simply impossible."

Her body relaxed. The anger in her eyes faded, replaced by reluctant admiration.

Loss was loss.

And to strength, one could only bow.

She clasped her hands and spoke quietly, voice steady despite her exhaustion.

"You win. This spot belongs to you."

A/N:

Hello guys, Author here, I will be reducing prices for Privilege prices next month, so please do not buy it this month.

Extra chapters

100 power stones - 1 Extra chapters

200 power stones - 2 Extra chapters

Capsule - 1 Extra chapters

Massage Chair - 3 Extra chapters

Luxury Car - 5 Extra Chapters

Magic Castle - 15 Extra Chapters

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