The next day dawned bright and clear over the Yu Feng Pavilion, and if possible, the atmosphere in the plaza was even more electric than the day before.
Where yesterday had seen a mere ten thousand disciples gathered, today there were twice as many, packing the plaza to the brim. Every single Outer disciple was present.
But today, the majority weren't there to fight. They were there to watch. Because today was the main event – the culmination of the Inner Pavilion Trials.
Today, the hundred disciples who had passed the first trial would be whittled down to the final twenty. Only those twenty would earn the right to enter the Inner Pavilion. But even amongst them, only one could be crowned the champion – a title that came with prestige, glory, and a mysterious prize. No one knew what the prize was this year, but in past years, it had always been something rare and valuable. Expectations were high.
"Would all disciples who passed the first stage of the trials please make their way to the designated arena?" Head Elder Hua's voice boomed across the plaza, calling the competitors to order.
One by one, the hundred hopefuls stepped onto their assigned arenas. The air crackled with nervous energy.
"Begin!"
The command was met with a flurry of motion. Battles erupted across the plaza, a whirlwind of flashing blades and surging Qi.
Xing Jue's opponent was a high-level Martial Artist with a flashy, aggressive fighting style. He was good – but Xing Jue was on another level. The battle was over in a single round. A swift, decisive knockout, and it was done.
The defeated disciple left the arena red-faced and dejected – a stark reminder of the high stakes at play. To come so close, only to be crushed so easily… It was heartbreaking. He could blame his luck for pitting him against a monster like Xing Jue, but that was little comfort.
Siyan's battle proved more challenging. His opponent was a tough, tenacious fighter, but Siyan, despite his usual carefree demeanor, was no slouch when it came to fighting. He emerged victorious after a grueling match, earning himself a hard-won place among the final twenty.
Hours melted away. One by one, contenders fell, until only twenty remained – twenty exhausted but triumphant figures, each one bearing the weight of countless hopes and dreams on their shoulders.
Of those twenty, Xing Jue had had the easiest time. No one, not even the two early-stage Martial Ancestors he'd faced, had lasted more than ten rounds against him. He was just too fast, too strong, too skilled. If he'd wanted to, he could have ended the fights even faster, but he'd chosen to test himself, to see how far he could push his limits without revealing his full strength.
But there was another contender who'd attracted quite a bit of attention - Bai Yunfei. He had a deceptively delicate appearance - almost frail - but his fighting style was brutal, almost savagely efficient. He fought like a wild animal, every strike aimed at crippling his opponent. By the time the final twenty were decided, no one wanted to face him. The other contenders had dreams they didn't want shattered quite so literally. Even a "minor injury" from Bai Yunfei could leave a martial artist permanently crippled.
Siyan, who'd drawn the short straw and ended up facing Bai Yunfei, wisely chose to forfeit their match before it even started. He might have been reckless, but he wasn't stupid. Besides, he'd already decided that Xing Jue would avenge him.
The excitement in the plaza reached fever pitch as the final two contenders – Xing Jue and Bai Yunfei – faced off in the center arena. This was the moment everyone had been waiting for. The winner of this final battle wouldn't just earn a place in the Inner Pavilion – they'd be crowned the champion. The undisputed master of the Outer disciples.
"You're a vicious one, aren't you?" Xing Jue commented, shaking his head at Bai Yunfei, feigning disapproval. "We're supposed to be fellow disciples, and you crippled practically every single opponent you faced."
Bai Yunfei simply scoffed. "They were weak. They deserved what they got."
Xing Jue raised an eyebrow, feigning curiosity. "Oh? And what does it take, in your opinion, to rise above this definition of weakness?"
Bai Yunfei's eyes glinted. "There is only room for one at the top. Everyone else… is nothing."
A slow smile spread across Xing Jue's face. "In that case, it appears you're destined to be nothing, too." His voice was soft, but there was an underlying steel to his words. He was supremely confident, as if the outcome of the battle was a foregone conclusion.
"We'll see about that." Bai Yunfei's words dripped with venom. He let out a roar as Qi surged around him, a blinding golden aura, before blurring and shooting towards Xing Jue like a bolt of lightning.
"Incredible speed!" Gasp went through the crowd, a mixture of awe and apprehension.
"Movement technique." Xing Jue realized, and for a moment, surprise flickered across his face. But it was quickly replaced by a mocking smile. You wanna play that game? he thought. Two can play at that game.
Bai Yunfei was upon him in a heartbeat. He spun, his leg a blur as he aimed a vicious roundhouse kick at Xing Jue's head.
Just as Bai Yunfei's roundhouse kick was about to connect, Xing Jue moved. He deflected the attack with his left arm, and in a flash, countered with a Qi-infused right hook aimed at Bai Yunfei's chest.
"Damn!" Bai Yunfei hadn't expected Xing Jue to be so fast, much less counterattack so smoothly. He was caught completely off-guard, his own momentum working against him. He threw up his arms to block, desperate to protect himself.
The impact sent a shockwave through his arms, the force of the blow knocking him off balance. He stumbled backward, reeling from the impact.
He didn't have time to recover. Xing Jue was on him again, moving like a phantom, blurring across the arena.
Before Bai Yunfei could turn, Xing Jue was behind him, winding up for another punch, this time aimed at Bai Yunfei's face. There was no mercy in those eyes - not this time.
The punch connected, a sickening crunch echoing through the silent plaza.
Bai Yunfei spat out blood, his body spinning like a ragdoll before crashing to the ground .
The crowd watched in stunned silence.
In the space of a heartbeat, the tables had turned. The once-invincible Bai Yunfei had been utterly decimated.
"He's incredible! ", someone breathed, breaking the silence.
"Bai Yunfei never stood a chance!", another voice chimed in.
A murmur of awe and disbelief rippled through the crowd. They had heard the stories, the rumors of Xing Jue's strength, but to actually witness it firsthand... It was breathtaking.
Elder Hua watched with keen interest, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips. "Well done! I see you've mastered the Zephyr Step." He knew that Bai Yunfei had intended to use his movement technique to gain the upper hand, but Xing Jue had anticipated his move and countered it with even greater speed, turning Bai Yunfei's own tactic against him.
Just as the crowd was beginning to celebrate Xing Jue's victory, Bai Yunfei let out a chilling laugh. "Gah… gah… gah! Impressive! You're good! But not good enough!"
He pushed himself to his feet, swaying slightly. But something had changed. The aura around him had shifted, become colder, sharper, more menacing. An almost tangible wave of killing intent washed over the plaza, silencing the cheers and whispers. It was as if something dark and dangerous had awakened within him. He was no longer the same Bai Yunfei…
Xing Jue felt a chill run down his spine. He recognized that look in Bai Yunfei's eyes. He'd seen it once before, on that day in the Training Hall…
"The Heavenly Demon Art!", Elder Hua exclaimed, his composure finally broken. He stared at Bai Yunfei in disbelief and growing alarm.
"The what?", one of the elders next to him asked, baffled. "What's the Heavenly Demon Art? Is it dangerous?"
"It is said that the Heavenly Demon Art is a forbidden technique," Elder Hua explained, his voice tight with apprehension. "It grants the user immense power by corrupting and amplifying their Qi, but… at a terrible price. "
"What price?", another elder pressed, sensing his growing unease.
"The price of their very soul," Elder Hua replied grimly. "The Heavenly Demon Art devours the user from the inside out, twisting their emotions, amplifying their darkest impulses, until eventually… they lose all sense of self. They become nothing more than mindless killing machines, slaves to their own power."
A collective gasp went through the assembled elders. They exchanged uneasy glances. The Heavenly Demon Art! It was the stuff of legends, a terrifying tale whispered in hushed tones, a cautionary reminder of the seductive nature of forbidden power… And now, it seemed, the legend was real…
" But… if it's so dangerous… why hasn't it been destroyed?", one of the elders sputtered, his voice trembling slightly.
Elder Hua sighed. "The Heavenly Demon Art was a closely guarded secret, the ultimate weapon of a heretical sect known as the Blood Shadow Cult. Years ago, the Yu Feng Pavilion launched a campaign to eradicate the Blood Shadow Cult, and we believed that the Heavenly Demon Art had been lost, destroyed along with the Cult. It seems… we were mistaken."
"But… if Bai Yunfei's mastered the Heavenly Demon Art… then Xing Jue's in grave danger!", the elder exclaimed, panic creeping into his voice.
"I won't let him come to harm." Elder Hua reassured him, his voice firm. His eyes never left Xing Jue, a mixture of concern and expectation in their depths.
"Xing Jue! DIE!", Bai Yunfei roared, his voice inhuman, distorted by the power coursing through his veins. His already impressive Qi flared purple black, a terrifying aura of destruction enveloping him. He launched himself at Xing Jue.
The world seemed to slow to a crawl. Xing Jue, sensing the imminent danger, threw himself to the side just as an explosion of purple-black energy engulfed the spot where he'd been standing a moment before.
The earth trembled. A cloud of dust and debris billowed into the air.
When the dust settled, a massive crater, several meters deep and surrounded by spiderweb cracks, scarred the plaza where Xing Jue had been standing moments before.
Xing Jue stood a few meters away, panting, blood trickling down his arm. He had narrowly avoided a direct hit, but the force of the blast had still managed to wound him. He wiped the blood from his chin, his expression grim. This was no longer a simple contest of strength. This was… different.
"You cannot outrun me," Bai Yunfei said, his voice devoid of all emotion, his eyes blazing with cold, predatory amusement. "Your speed is useless against raw power!"
He drew himself up, his hands glowing with a malevolent purple light, a crackling sphere of energy forming between his palms. The air around him crackled with raw power, more potent, more sinister than before.
"Head Elder!", one of the elders shouted, his voice frantic. "You must intervene – he's going to destroy him! He'll kill him!"
Elder Hua nodded. It was time. He rose to his feet, his own Qi surging around him, ready to intervene and put a stop to the madness unfolding below… but before he could make a move, something unexpected happened…