Wei Yu's heart was pounding in his chest. Sweat trickled down his face. He had practiced nonstop for the last three days, but the doubt still gnawed at him. Could he really defeat opponents who had been training for years? He wasn't even at the Qi Condensation stage—only learning how to fight with a sword—while some of the other competitors had been training since they were children.
The tension in the air was thick. The crowd whispered excitedly as Wei Yu stepped onto the stage. His feet felt heavy, his thoughts scrambled, but he remembered his Yu Chen words: "Courage is not the absence of fear, but the will to act despite it," echoing in his mind.
He took a deep breath and looked up to see his shixiong, Yu Chen, sitting in the stands. The calmness in Yu Chen's eyes gave him a strange sense of strength. He wasn't alone.
"Who is he?" A woman in the crowd whispered. "Is he from a powerful family? I've never seen him."
Another woman shrugged. "The Lotus Heart Sect doesn't care about bloodlines nor about their past. They focus on real talent."
Next, his opponent appeared—a young man named Li Wang. The moment he stepped onto the stage, the crowd gasped.
"Ah, it's Elder Brother Li!" someone shouted.
"Who's that?" another voice asked.
"He's the best young cultivator on the Xiao Continent," someone replied. "Rumor has it, he single-handedly defeated a Level 6 Ancient Beast."
"Incredible. So young, but so strong!" another person murmured.
Wei Yu felt his confidence drop. Li Wang wasn't just strong—he was on a completely different level. He was already at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment. To Wei Yu, who was not even near to Qi Foundation, this felt like an impossible fight.
Yu Chen watched closely, his eyes narrowed. "Wei Yu isn't ready for this... But perhaps, he can still surprise us."
Ling Xiao, sitting beside Yu Chen, spoke quietly. "Li Wang is clearly out of Wei Yu's league. This is going to be a one-sided fight."
As the match began, Li Wang didn't waste a second. He moved fast, attacking with controlled, precise strikes. Wei Yu, still nervous, barely managed to block the first few blows. He was pushed back step by step, barely avoiding Li Wang's sword.
Li Wang's attacks came faster and faster. With each strike, Wei Yu stumbled, struggling to keep his footing. He couldn't get any hits in. The crowd was whispering in disappointment.
"Li Wang's too strong. Wei Yu has no chance," Ling Xiao muttered, watching closely. "He's too slow. Look at him trying to defend. He's like a mouse running from a cat."
But in the stands, Yu Chen's eyes didn't leave Wei Yu. He could see something more than just fear in his eyes.
"Come on, Wei Yu... Show me what you've learned," Yu Chen thought. He was certain Wei Yu had more potential than he showed.
"Your Wei Yu right? I've heard about you." Li Wang laughed. "You have the same surname as the previous demon king, I find it very strange." Li Wang continued to attack Wei Yu relentlessly.
Wei Yu struggled to keep up with his attacks, after hearing the nonsense coming out of his mouth he got angry and puzzled. "My surname has nothing to do with a Demon. Surnames are very common." Wei Yu continued. "Having the same surname does not mean were faimly. He gasped. He was running out of breath.
Li Wang only laughed at his statement. But continued to talk no more, his cultivation was sealed so that it could be a fair match. But he was more experienced then Wei Yu, so winning was quite easy. Li Wang suddenly turned, he wanted this match to end fast. His sword forcing Wei Yu to the edge of the arena.
As the battle continued, something changed. Wei Yu, his back against the arena's edge, felt a sudden rush of power deep inside him. It wasn't like before, when he felt weak. This was different—stronger, wilder.
For a brief moment, he remembered Yu Chen's words during their training: "Don't fear the storm inside you. Use it. Let it guide your blade."
Wei Yu raised his sword. His movements became fluid, his strikes faster, sharper. The elegance of his technique disappeared. Instead, he fought with wild, violent fury. His sword blurred as he attacked. It wasn't graceful or controlled like the "Fallen Angel" technique Yu Chen had taught him. It was pure, raw energy.
"This, is this the 'Fallen angel' technique? But it is supposed to be elegant?" Ling Xiao questioned.
Yu Chen didn't reply, his gaze fixed on the battlefield.
The crowd gasped. Li Wang, caught off guard, barely managed to block the fierce, unrelenting attacks. He stepped back, surprised at the sudden change in Wei Yu's fighting style.
Wei Yu didn't stop. His sword moved like a storm, faster and harder. His next technique was a blur of slashes—Thorned Gale, Yu Chen taught him. It was a series of quick, unpredictable attacks meant to overwhelm the opponent. Li Wang struggled to keep up as Wei Yu's sword cut through the air, forcing him to defend rather than attack.
"Where did that come from?" Ling Xiao whispered, stunned. "That technique... it's not smooth, but it's effective. It's like Wei Yu is using something inside him—something more than just skill."
Yu Chen, who had been watching silently, didn't look surprised. Instead, his eyes seemed to sharpen with recognition. "It's not just his technique. There's something else... something in his blood."
Wei Yu could feel the surge of power in his veins, a strength he hadn't known he had. It was like a fire had ignited inside him. His movements became unstoppable. With one last, powerful strike, Wei Yu's sword connected with Li Wang's, knocking his opponent's sword from his hand and sending him crashing to the ground.
The arena went silent.
Wei Yu stood tall, panting, his sword still raised. He had done it. He had won.
Ling Xiao stared at the stage, his voice low. "How did he do it? Li Wang was stronger, faster... But Wei Yu... He's different. What is he?"
Yu Chen stood up, his eyes still on Wei Yu. "There's more to him than we know... much more."
In that moment, Yu Chen realized that Wei Yu wasn't just another junior—he was someone who could do the impossible. And this was only the beginning of his journey. He had far more to accomplish
Wei Yu turned to the stands and looked at Yu Chen. His eyes were full of confusion, but also gratitude. He didn't know how he had won, but one thing was certain—he was ready to face whatever came next.
"Damn, I can't believe Li Wang, the majestic hero lost." Someone exclaimed
"And even by a person who hadn't even reached Qi stage." Another laughed
Li Wang heard all of their criticism. But he could not react. He looked at his fallen sword for a moment and then at Wei Yu, his eyes shone. This was the one. He was certain! He was the hope for all humanity.
Wei Yu looked around and his gaze met Li Wang's. Li Wang got up and picked his sword, then he went forward towards Wei Yu. He leaned in closer to Wei Yu's ear speaking in a low tone. "Look's like I was right." With a grin, he got down from the arena.
For a moment Wei Yu felt shocked, disbelief. His eyes widened as he watched Li Wang leave. After what felt like eternity, he regained his consciousness and turned to chase after him. But, he was gone.
The crowd cheered for Wei Yu, but he was too busy searching for Li Wang that he didn't care. After a while, he was about to give up he noticed a piece of paper on the ground. Wei Yu opened it up, he got confused as it was empty. But suddenly his eyes widened in disbelief. "There's no running from faith." This was what magically appeared on the paper.
Wei Yu threw the paper and ran away as fast as he could and went to his room.