The morning air in the secluded courtyard was crisp and perfectly still.
Yoriichi stood in the center of the manicured lawn, his bare feet planted firmly against the cool grass. In his hands, he held his newly forged katana. He didn't ignite his Dou Qi. He simply closed his eyes, aligning his breathing with the microscopic, natural flow of the wind.
Swish.
He swung the blade horizontally. It was a completely mundane, foundational slash, devoid of any dou qi manifestation.
Yet, the sheer, hyper-dense physical force behind the swing violently compressed the air in front of the steel. A visible, crescent-shaped shockwave of displaced wind tore across the courtyard.
BAM!
The shockwave slammed into a thick ironwood tree standing ten feet away, violently gouging a deep, clean crescent into the bark, sending wooden splinters flying into the morning air.
Yoriichi slowly lowered the blade, a quiet sense of satisfaction settling over his Dao heart.
'The balance of the weapon is flawless,' he analyzed, sheathing the katana with a soft, satisfying click. 'It acts as a perfect extension of my arm. My body is responding well to this new weight.'
He turned his focus inward, assessing the state of his Dantian. The milky-white liquid Dou Qi now channeled smoothly through his pathways, but his internal injuries were still only three-quarters healed.
'If there was a little more time, I could restore this vessel to absolute perfection,' he mused, noting the faint, lingering soreness from underwater prison trauma. The incomplete recovery would undoubtedly hinder his absolute peak strength slightly.
'It is acceptable,' Yoriichi concluded pragmatically. 'It is more than enough.'
"Ning'er!"
The light, rhythmic sound of footsteps echoed from the wooden veranda. Xiao Yu stepped out into the courtyard, dressed in her sleek, pale-blue combat uniform, her frosty-silver hair tied back securely.
"I am ready. Let's go," she announced, her pink-red eyes shining with a fierce, competitive light.
Yoriichi nodded. He grabbed his dark-crimson robe, slipping it on, and followed his sister out of the courtyard.
By the time they navigated the winding paths of the academy, it was already noon. The Central Arena complex was a towering monolith of stone and roaring energy, bathed in the harsh midday sun.
As they approached the sprawling outer gates, a sea of students parted for them. Murmurs and hushed whispers followed their every step.
"That's them... the Frost Maiden and the Demon Swordsman," a junior whispered, staring in awe at Xiao Yu's silver hair and Yoriichi's stoic, unblemished face.
"Yes I also heard he paralyzed a 6-Star Dou Shi without even making contact. Be careful, don't look him in the eye," another hushed.
Yoriichi ignored the glances entirely. However, noticing that they still had about half an hour before the official assembly, he spotted a bustling row of merchant stalls set up specifically to cater to the tournament crowds.
"Wait here," Yoriichi told Xiao Yu. "I require a light meal before the matches begin."
He walked over to a nearby stall, purchasing two skewers of steamed spiritual rice balls, heavily glazed in a thick, sweet-and-savory soy sauce—a nostalgic, dense carbohydrate snack that perfectly mirrored the dango of his past life.
When he turned around to walk back to his sister, his sharp hearing caught the booming, highly dramatic cadence of an unfamiliar voice.
Yoriichi slowed his pace, his Transparent World vision locking onto the scene unfolding near the arena gates.
A handsome, slender senior student—a 4-Star Da Dou Shi who still bore faint, healing frostbite scars on his neck from the preliminary rounds—was half-kneeling on the cobblestones directly in front of Xiao Yu. He held a beautifully crafted decorative fan, keeping it partially open to frame his sharp features as he attempted to look deeply poetic.
"Gorgeous Yu!" the handsome student bellowed, pressing a hand over his heart while snapping the decorative fan shut with a dramatic flourish. "When your frost whip shattered my armor in the ring, it did not just freeze my blood... it captured my very soul! Your fearsome strength and matchless beauty have utterly smitten me! Please, accept my sincere courtship!"
A crowd was already forming, giggling and pointing at the ridiculous, melodramatic spectacle.
Xiao Yu stood perfectly still, looking down at the kneeling senior with an expression of profound, icy boredom.
"Senior," Xiao Yu replied smoothly, her voice calm and completely devoid of empathy. "I appreciate the sentiment. Truly. But I must decline."
"Why?!" the senior cried out, looking heartbroken, his decorative fan drooping sadly. "Am I not strong enough to protect you?!"
"It has nothing to do with your strength," Xiao Yu said, offering a polite but firm smile. "I simply already have someone in my heart. My path is occupied."
The senior's handsome face crumbled into absolute devastation. He let out a loud, tragic groan, hauling himself off the cobblestones. Defeated and humiliated, he turned and pushed his way through the laughing crowd, covering his face with his fan as he walked away dejectedly.
A few yards away, Yoriichi's left eyebrow twitched violently.
He stood perfectly still, processing the exchange with a mixture of confusion and sudden, overwhelming brotherly protectiveness.
'She is gaining significant reputation for her strength and unique beauty... it is naturally attracting suitors,' Yoriichi deduced, his mind racing. 'But she said she already has someone in her heart. Is that true? Or merely a tactical excuse to avoid confrontation?'
Yoriichi's eyes narrowed slightly. He hadn't seen her interact intimately with any other men. Had it happened during the two months he was locked in the Abyssal Trench?
'If it is true, I must investigate this man immediately,' Yoriichi vowed internally, the aura around him dropping a few degrees. 'I need to evaluate his character, his martial foundation, and his Dao heart. If he is weak, or if he cannot properly protect her in this ruthless world, I will have to physically dissuade him from pursuing her.'
Breaking from his protective, mundane thoughts, Yoriichi walked forward, closing the distance as the crowd dispersed.
He stopped in front of her, wordlessly extending the skewer of glazed rice balls.
Xiao Yu took the snack, her fingers brushing against his. She looked up, her pink-red eyes locking onto his face.
For a few seconds, she just stared. She took in his sharp jawline, the vibrant red streaks in his hair, and the completely flawless, unblemished skin that had finally been freed from weeks of medicinal bandages.
Suddenly, a bright, intense blush exploded across Xiao Yu's cheeks. She quickly looked away, suddenly becoming incredibly quiet as she took a small, nervous bite of the rice ball.
Yoriichi frowned slightly in genuine confusion. He reached up, wiping his cheek with his thumb.
'Is there sauce on my face? Did I miss a spot while washing the medicinal paste off?' he wondered, completely oblivious to the fact that his sister was merely flustered by using a phantom lover as an excuse while standing right next to the very boy who set her impossible standards for men.
Before he could ask, Xiao Yu let out a loud, forced cough, violently shaking her head to clear her thoughts.
"Right! Let's go in!" she declared, her frosty demeanor returning as she marched toward the competitor's entrance.
They entered the sprawling stadium and took their assigned seats in the competitor's waiting area. The grandstands were packed to the absolute brim, a sea of screaming, cheering students shaking the very foundations of the arena.
A few minutes later, Xun'er, Tutor Ruo Lin, Xiao Mei made their way, offering quick, encouraging smiles from the upper rails. Xun'er caught Yoriichi's eye, offering a graceful, knowing nod, which he politely returned.
Suddenly, a deep, resonating gong echoed through the stadium, instantly silencing the chaotic noise.
The panel of Core Elders filed into the elevated judges' platform, taking their obsidian seats. Deputy Headmaster Hu Gan stepped forward to the edge of the balcony, his hands clasped behind his back, looking down at the fifty remaining combatants.
"Students of the Jia Nan Academy!" Hu Gan's raspy, Dou Qi-amplified voice washed over the stadium like a physical wave. "The chaotic free-for-all of the preliminaries is officially over. Today, the true crucible of destiny begins!"
He swept his gaze over the tense, eager faces of the fighters.
"The rules for the final brackets are absolute," Hu Gan announced. "This will not be a random drawing. We have seeded the top fifty participants based on their preliminary performances and overall cultivation realms. However, a seed is merely a number until it is defended with blood and sweat!"
Hu Gan pointed toward the center of the massive ring.
"Those currently ranked from 21 to 50, you are the Challengers," the Deputy Headmaster explained, his voice ringing with authority. "You have the right to challenge anyone currently sitting in the Top 20. If you win, you usurp their rank and their privileges! To the Top 20... you must defend your thrones. This format will allow us to witness your raw courage, your tactical minds, and your unwavering determination to seize the resources of the Inner Academy!"
The crowd erupted into a deafening roar of approval. The 'Usurpation' format guaranteed absolute, non-stop friction and brutal rivalries.
"Now," Hu Gan commanded, raising his hand. "Separate! Ranks 21 to 50, to the left! Ranks 1 to 20, to the right! Enter the arena!"
Yoriichi and Xiao Yu stood up simultaneously. Because Yoriichi had effortlessly dispatched the seeded Su, and Xiao Yu had dominated her bracket with her new ice attribute, both siblings had comfortably secured initial placements within the coveted Top 20.
They walked calmly across the stone floor, joining the elite line of defenders on the right side of the arena.
Tutor Ruo Lin, watching from the stands alongside Xun'er, gripped the stone railing tightly. "Good luck, you two monsters," she whispered proudly.
The Head Referee stepped into the center of the ring, raising a glowing jade flag.
"The floor is open!" the referee shouted. "Who initiates the first challenge?!"
Almost instantly, a burly 8-Star Dou Shi from the Challenger side leaped into the ring, his aura flaring with aggressive, fiery intent. He pointed a heavy mace directly at a slender youth standing near the end of the Top 20 line.
"I challenge Rank 18!" the burly student roared.
The slender youth sneered, drawing twin daggers and stepping into the ring. The moment the referee dropped the flag, the two combatants clashed violently, creating a shockwave of fire and wind that kicked off the tournament with a spectacular, bloody display.
As the match concluded with the Challenger being violently knocked out of bounds, the chaotic pacing of the tournament took hold.
Another challenger immediately stepped up. Then another.
The arena became a rotating door of explosive Dou Skills, shattered stone, and desperate roars of ambition.
Standing quietly in the defending line, Yoriichi ignored the challengers eyeing his emaciated-looking frame. His crimson eyes were entirely focused elsewhere. His Transparent World vision swept over the five students standing at the absolute front of their line—the current Top 5.
He analyzed the terrifying, solidified density of He Xiu's sword aura. He noted the suffocating, deep-ocean pressure radiating from Shui. He memorized their breathing patterns, the micro-twitches in their muscles, and the microscopic flaws in their defensive postures.
He didn't just want a spot in the Inner Academy. He needed the Di-Class manual hidden within the Library Pavilion to perfect his dual-elemental synthesis.
As a bruised challenger was dragged out of the ring by the medical staff, Yoriichi's hand rested lightly on the hilt. His crimson eyes locked onto the absolute peak of the academy hierarchy, a quiet, unyielding fire burning in his ancient soul. He had already decided exactly who he needed to tear down.