As Elder Xue observed the unfolding battle between Lucavion and Lira, her expression remained impassive, but inwardly, a storm brewed. Every move he made, every word he uttered, unraveled secrets the sect had spent decades burying. She sat rigid in her seat, her hands gripping the armrests tightly as Lucavion taunted Lira, his words piercing through the veil of the sect’s carefully cultivated image.
When he spoke of their poisons, of their methods, the crowd’s murmurs grew louder. Accusatory whispers rippled like wildfire, and for the first time, Elder Xue felt the weight of those words crashing against the sect’s reputation.
“How does he know this much?” she thought, her mind racing. “Who is he?”
Her gaze darkened as Lucavion dismantled Lira’s composure with every pointed remark. It wasn’t just the loss of the fight that mattered now—it was the erosion of their prestige, the questions he was forcing into the open. The Cloud Heavens Sect had long relied on their aura of invincibility, their mystique, to maintain their dominance. But Lucavion wasn’t just challenging their fighters; he was tearing apart their foundation, brick by brick.
As the fight continued, and as Lucavion’s accusations cut deeper, Elder Xue’s breathing grew shallow. Her years of discipline and control fought against the growing rage bubbling within her.
‘He knows,’ she realized with icy clarity. ‘And not just surface rumors. He knows the depths of it.’
For a fleeting moment, doubt crept into her thoughts. Had they been careless? Had someone betrayed them? But no, that was impossible. The secrets Lucavion had revealed were too closely guarded, too deeply intertwined with their sect’s most clandestine operations.
Elder Xue sat frozen, her normally calm and composed demeanor shattered beneath the weight of Lucavion’s deliberate onslaught. His words weren’t just jabs or provocations—they were revelations. Each accusation he threw cut through the illusion of perfection the Cloud Heavens Sect had painstakingly maintained for decades.
The murmurs in the crowd had grown louder, spreading like wildfire, and she could already see the storm brewing. Faces in the stands were no longer merely spectators—they were inquisitors. Some whispered among themselves, speculating on the veracity of Lucavion’s claims. Others watched her with narrowed eyes, their doubts aimed directly at the sect she represented.
“He planned this,” Xue realized, her thoughts seething with fury. “Every move, every word—he knew exactly what to say to undermine us.”
Her nails dug into the fine wood of the armrest, leaving deep grooves. The implications of his accusations were too dire to ignore. Even if he were bluffing, even if there were no real evidence to support his words, the mere suggestion was enough to plant seeds of doubt. And doubt could grow into something far worse.
She could already feel the walls closing in. People would investigate. They would question. If Lucavion’s taunts had even a shred of truth, the sect’s carefully woven web of influence could unravel.
Elder Xue’s thoughts raced. This cannot be allowed. The damage is already spreading. We must act quickly to contain this, to bury it before it consumes us. Her jaw tightened as she made her decision.
Reaching into her robes with steady hands, she retrieved a small, intricately carved bone whistle. Blowing into it silently, she released a faint pulse of mana, and within moments, a sleek, white pigeon with silver-tipped feathers descended to her shoulder. It cooed softly, waiting for her command.
She scribbled a short, urgent message on a strip of paper, her strokes sharp and deliberate:
To the Matriarch—
The situation has escalated beyond expectation. Immediate action is required to suppress potential damage. Eliminate all trails leading to the incidents in question. Full details to follow.
—Xue
Rolling the strip tightly, she secured it to the pigeon’s leg and released it, watching as it vanished into the horizon with an urgency that mirrored her own rising panic.
Elder Xue stood abruptly, her sharp glare fixed on Lucavion as he finished his fight with an effortless calm that only fueled her anger. His victory was decisive, but it wasn’t the defeat of their strongest disciple that burned her—it was the damage he’d inflicted on their reputation.
She turned to leave, her robe swishing as she moved toward the exit. But before she could take another step, Marquis Ventor’s voice, smooth and deliberate, cut through the tension like a blade.
“What a remarkable fight,” Ventor mused aloud, his tone carrying just enough intrigue to imply more. “But one wonders… if there’s truth to what was said?”
Elder Kael, seated nearby, leaned forward with a smug grin. “Indeed. Such specific accusations, delivered with such confidence… it makes one curious. Could it all be true?”
Elder Xue froze mid-step, her fury bubbling dangerously close to the surface. She turned slowly, her gaze cold and cutting as it swept between the two men. “How dare you?” she said, her voice low but laced with venom. “How can you even entertain the words of a ruffian like him over the honor of the Cloud Heavens Sect? Have we not proven ourselves time and again through our deeds, our contributions, and our reputation?”
Kael tilted his head slightly, his smirk widening. “Ah, but you know what they say—where there’s smoke, there’s fire. And from what I’ve seen, your sect has been trying very hard to control the flames lately.”
Xue’s eyes narrowed dangerously, her hands trembling with restrained rage. “You dare accuse us of impropriety based on the baseless words of a wandering swordsman?”
Ventor, ever the diplomat, raised a hand to pacify the escalating tension. “Peace, Elder Xue. No one is making accusations,” he said smoothly. “But the crowd, the whispers—they have ears and eyes. And once such rumors begin, they are very hard to silence.” His piercing gaze met hers. “Perhaps your sect should consider how best to address these… speculations.”
Xue’s lips thinned into a hard line, her pride and fury warring with the reality of the situation. Without another word, she turned sharply and swept out of the lounge, her robes billowing behind her. She could not afford to waste any more time arguing. Damage control was paramount.
As she disappeared down the corridor, Kael leaned back in his seat with a satisfied chuckle. “She’s rattled,” he said, his amusement clear.
Ventor watched her departure, his expression inscrutable. “This young man….”
Who would have thought that he would do such a thing? Considering all the possible implications, one needed to wonder.
‘But….this can also be a good opportunity.’
An unexpected gain. Things like these would be the ones to change everything.
“Then, respectable Marquis. May I take my leave?”
Marquis Ventor inclined his head toward Elder Kael, his smile faint but knowing. “Of course, Elder Kael. It would be remiss of me to keep you when I suspect you have matters to attend to.”
Kael chuckled softly, rising to his feet with a casual grace. “You’re perceptive, Marquis, as always.”
The Marquis’s smile didn’t falter, but his sharp eyes followed Kael as he made his exit. Ventor’s mind churned. Let him go. Kael’s next move will no doubt align with his sect’s interests—and I have no doubt what he’s planning. But for now, let him act. It will provide clarity.
As Kael disappeared down the hall, Ventor leaned back in his chair, swirling the wine in his goblet thoughtfully. “Interesting,” he murmured to himself, his tone both amused and contemplative. “This young man is stirring the pot far more than I expected.”
********
Kael moved through the corridors of the arena complex with purpose, his expression as calm and composed as ever. Yet, beneath his steady exterior, his mind raced. Lucavion’s actions had shaken not just the Cloud Heavens Sect but also the tournament itself. This is no mere swordsman. He knows too much, plays his hand too carefully.
As he approached the area reserved for the contestants, the faint hum of voices grew louder. By the time Kael turned the final corner, the noise had escalated into a full-blown commotion.
The contestants’ lounge was in chaos.
But then Kael’s calm facade cracked as he entered the contestant’s lounge and took in the scene before him. Elder Xue was already there, standing rigid amidst the chaos, her piercing gaze locked on one figure: Lucavion. Her presence alone was enough to suffocate the room, her aura coiling tightly around her like a storm ready to break.
But what froze Kael’s breath mid-step wasn’t her presence—it was the blade in her hand.
The weapon glinted ominously in the flickering light of the mana lamps, its edge impossibly sharp, emanating a faint but unmistakable pressure of refined killing intent. The air around her seemed heavier, and even the other contestants—those who had been shouting moments ago—were silent, their eyes wide as they looked between Xue and her target.
Lucavion stood a short distance away, his stance relaxed but his eyes sharp as he regarded Xue. His expression carried a faint trace of amusement, but there was something deadly in the calmness of his posture, as though he were standing in the eye of a hurricane. He held his estoc loosely in one hand, its tip resting against the floor, but the tension in the room suggested he was ready to act at a moment’s notice. Your journey continues at
But what could he even do?
As a 4-star warrior at most, what could he do against a 6-star Elder, especially against an elder like Elder Xue?
“Die.”
SWOOSH!
That was why, as Elder Xue’s blade flashed, his eyes widened.
“XUE! ARE YOU CRAZY!”
After all, in front of his eyes, Xue was about to kill this young man.
