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A storm brewed—not in the skies above Moonlight Plaza, but within it.
The tension that had only simmered during the preliminaries now threatened to boil over. Cultivators no longer looked at each other with curiosity or polite rivalry. Now, it was bloodlust, paranoia, and wariness.
Xu Ming stood alone in the training courtyard provided to advancing cultivators. The moon hung overhead, pale and solemn, casting silver light across his sweat-slicked skin.
Voidcleaver moved in slow, deliberate arcs.
Again.
And again.
His muscles ached. His mind throbbed with images of Lin Feng, broken and bleeding.
Qin Mo's smile haunted him more than Shen Ji's wild eyes ever had.
He swung again. This time, the air itself split.
A scar of pressure remained hanging, like the afterimage of a star exploding.
But it wasn't enough.
Xu Ming sheathed Voidcleaver, breathing heavily. The scar faded. His Heaven-Shattering Sight remained active, veins faintly glowing beneath his skin as it traced lines across the world—lines of weakness, of flow, of impending fate.
But none of them showed him how to prevent what came next.
He needed clarity. And one thing still needed doing.
Moonlight Healing Pavilion
Lin Feng lay beneath layers of gauze and healing talismans, his breath shallow, his body surrounded by protective inscriptions. The healers had done all they could, but the soul pressure damage from Qin Mo's attack lingered like ghostly fire across his meridians.
Xu Ming stood beside him.
Still. Silent.
"You really are too kind," came a soft voice from the side.
It was Mei Lian—the young beauty from Jade Rain Pavilion who had made it into the top 32. She was watching Lin Feng too, a sorrowful look in her eyes. "He stood up to Qin Mo for pride… but pride doesn't stop bones from breaking."
Xu Ming didn't answer.
"I heard what you did to Shen Ji," she continued. "Some say you went too far. Others say you didn't go far enough."
Still, Xu Ming said nothing.
Until Lin Feng stirred.
"M-Ming…?"
His voice was hoarse.
Xu Ming stepped closer. "Rest. You did enough."
Lin Feng gave a weak smile, then winced. "He... Qin Mo... he's strong. Dangerous."
"I know," Xu Ming said, gaze sharpening. "But so am I."
He turned and left, cloak fluttering in his wake.
Back in the training courtyard, a messenger talisman zipped toward him, flaring in blue light. Xu Ming snatched it from the air.
"All remaining contestants are to gather at the Grand Pavilion. The next stage format will be revealed."
A moment later, talismans blazed to life across the city, announcing the same:
"To the top thirty-two: You have proven yourselves. Now you will face the Path of Elimination. Matches will no longer be chosen at random. Each match will be based on standings and merit. No second chances. One defeat, and you're out."
"Victory grants advancement. Defeat grants obscurity. The next round begins… at dawn."
Xu Ming's eyes narrowed.
Path of Elimination.
A cruel but fitting name.
That night, whispers ran through the cultivator lodgings.
"I heard Rong Yixuan hasn't even used her real spirit weapon yet."
"Liang Fei defeated three enemies with one strike—he's not even breathing hard."
"And Xu Ming… they say his sword sings when it drinks blood."
In the shadows beyond the plaza, cloaked figures from the Mountain Crushing Sect spoke softly.
"That boy from the slums… he's more dangerous than the rumors say. The Sect Master wants him studied. Or removed."
And in a private chamber high above the Plaza, Qin Mo stood before a massive formation circle. Inside it, a translucent spirit beast coiled—an ancient tiger with three eyes and crimson fur.
He held out his hand and fed it a thread of his Qi.
"You felt it too, didn't you?" he whispered. "The boy is different. So let's see what happens when he bleeds."
Dawn came. The crowd returned, wilder and louder than ever.
A massive board hovered above the arena, showing the first matchups.
Round One – Path of Elimination:
Liang Fei vs Zhang Rui Rong Yixuan vs Fan Lei Du Shan vs Mei Lian Xu Ming vs Huang Zhen Qin Mo vs Bai Ke …and more
The names pulsed in the air, drawing cheers, groans, and gasps.
Xu Ming's gaze fell on Huang Zhen—a mid-Foundation rogue cultivator who once fought beasts barehanded in the Crimson Plains. Known for his brute strength, he carried no weapon but was said to crush stones with his fists.
A storm gathered in Xu Ming's chest.
There would be no mercy in this stage.
And he didn't need any.
He stepped into the ring.
Huang Zhen was already waiting, cracking his knuckles.
"You. Blind boy," he sneered. "You're lucky with daggers. Let's see how lucky you are when I smash that pretty face in."
Xu Ming unsheathed Voidcleaver.
"You won't touch me."
"BEGIN!"
The match erupted.
Huang Zhen charged like a rampaging bull.
Xu Ming didn't move.
He waited.
Waited—
Then struck.
Split the Horizon.
Voidcleaver howled as it carved a perfect line through Huang Zhen's charge. Blood erupted.
One leg fell to the dirt. Then the rest of him followed, screaming.
Referees ran forward—
"Huang Zhen is unable to fight! Winner: Xu Ming!"
But Xu Ming didn't walk away just yet.
From the ground, bleeding and humiliated, Huang Zhen reached into his robe.
Xu Ming's Heaven-Shattering Sight flared.
A hidden talisman. Explosive.
Coward.
He flicked his wrist.
Voidcleaver cleaved down like thunder.
The talisman—and Huang Zhen—split in two.
The crowd shrieked.
Blood sprayed across the stage once more.
And Xu Ming stood in the center, blade lowered.
Eyes forward.
Watching only one man—
Qin Mo.
Blood had been spilled. Pride broken. Monsters revealed.
And the Path of Elimination… had just begun.