The grand arena of the Verdant Moon Sect trembled with anticipation.
Over **fifty finalists** stood in solemn rows, each representing the blood, sweat, and fire that had brought them through the chaos of previous rounds. The sun had just begun to rise, casting golden light over polished stone platforms and tall banners fluttering with the sect's sigil—a crescent moon cradling a blade.
Thousands of disciples filled the terraced seats above. Elders, stewards, and servants buzzed around the edges, preparing for what would soon begin.
Then—
**Silence.**
A deep, resonant chime echoed across the arena.
The **Sect Master** had arrived.
He descended from the highest dais with six personal guards, his long dark green robes trimmed with silver leaves and crescent sigils. His hair was bound by a jade clasp, and his sharp gaze swept across the arena like a blade.
**Sect Master Yun Fei.**
Said to be the most powerful figure in the Verdant Moon Sect.
His cultivation was never stated aloud, but none dared challenge it. Not even the core elders.
He raised a single hand.
Chatter vanished like mist.
Then he spoke, voice calm and deep.
"Disciples of Verdant Moon, today you stand upon the edge of legacy. The outer sect finals are not merely a contest of strength—they are the forge where our future blades are shaped."
His eyes swept across the finalists. Some stood tall. Others trembled.
"To fight here is to defy the mediocrity of birth and declare your right to ascend. Today, among these fifty... one may rise to the stars."
He turned slightly.
Behind him, seated beneath a wide pavilion, were the **inner sect elders** and several robed disciples with silver sashes.
Among them, two figures whispered:
**"That's the boy from the courtyard... Shadow, was it?"**
The speaker was **Ren Qiu**, a lean youth with an arrogant smile. His cultivation pulsed with the strength of the **7th level of Foundation Building Realm**.
Beside him, a girl with icy eyes and silver hair smirked.
**"Fighting outer court juniors while dreaming of the inner gate... pitiful."
Her name was **Xue Lian**, the youngest talent to enter the inner sect in a decade.
Their words drifted down. Shadow heard them.
He did not reply.
Sect Master Yun Fei continued, "To the victor of this grand test, the sect shall award the following:"
He gestured. A large box, covered in spirit seals, was brought forward and opened.
- **A High-Grade Wood Element Martial Skill Scroll**
- **Two hundred and fifty lower-grade spirit stones**
- **A Lower-Grade Barrier-Breaking Pill**
The Sect Master paused.
"Second place shall receive **two Mid-Grade Wood Skills** and **one hundred fifty spirit stones**."
"Third place will be granted **one Mid-Grade Wood Skill** and **fifty spirit stones."
Gasps echoed across the arena.
Even inner sect disciples leaned forward.
"For the rest, fight not just for reward, but recognition. The sect sees all who rise with pride and pain alike."
He turned to the gathered outer disciples.
"The final trial shall be one-on-one battles. Each of you will face another in **direct elimination**. Win, and you advance. Lose, and your road ends here. There are no ties. No mercy."
He paused.
Then, for the first time, his eyes locked onto Shadow.
The air grew heavy.
"Some of you bear thunder. Some of you carry fire. All of you hold a spark. Let us see which among you can become a flame the world must bow to."
With that, he sat.
The great gong struck again.
The brackets began to appear on the stone platform, names glowing with spiritual light.
Shadow exhaled slowly.
He looked up to the sky.
The storm was gathering.
And this time, it would remember his name.
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