Lightning cracked across the sky, tearing through the stormy heavens. Rain poured relentlessly, soaking the earth as a grand stage unfolded before a gathered crowd. Two young men stood at the center, their swords locked in a fierce clash, the metallic echoes ringing amidst the storm.
One was Lin Shutong, a young man with short dark blue hair, dressed in plain but functional attire. His movements were precise, his strikes calculated. Opposing him stood Xiao Lin, clad in resplendent robes adorned with gleaming artifacts. His dark purple hair shimmered in the rain, and his aura exuded wealth and arrogance.
"I'll make sure you never leave this stage!" Xiao Lin roared, his voice thundering over the rain.
"Xiao Lin, you are too overbearing," Lin Shutong replied, his calm voice carrying an icy edge. Behind him, the air shifted violently, and a massive Azure dragon materialized, its eyes burning with ethereal light.
"The Innate Realm?!" gasped an elderly man above the crowd, stroking his long gray beard in awe.
The azure dragon surged forward as Lin Shutong unleashed its might, meeting Xiao Lin's furious sword strike. The impact shook the stage, the energy explosion forcing the onlookers to shield their eyes. Xiao Lin staggered back, coughing blood, his expression twisting in pain.
Lin Shutong advanced, his calm demeanor unbroken even as lightning danced behind him. Xiao Lin dropped to one knee, gasping, his hand clutching a limp and injured arm. "I...surrender!" he cried out, his voice desperate.
But Lin Shutong's eyes remained cold. In a blur of movement, his sword slashed downward. The crowd fell silent as Xiao Lin's lifeless body crumpled to the ground, the rain washing away the blood.
Suddenly, a fiery spear shot toward Lin Shutong, tearing through the storm with blazing fury. The crowd gasped as a towering man emerged from the shadows. His face was fierce, his purple hair clinging to his rain-soaked skin, and a single scar marred his right eye. His fiery gaze burned with vengeance.
"Lin Shutong, you dare kill my son!" bellowed Xiao Zhu, his voice a mixture of grief and fury.
Before the fiery spear could reach its target, a giant green ghostly hand intercepted it mid-air, dissipating the attack effortlessly. A man descended gracefully from the heavens, his long gray beard swaying.
"Xiao Zhu, Lin Shutong is the victor of this tournament," said the man, his voice carrying an undeniable authority. He was Great Elder Lu, a revered figure of the Azure Moon Sect.
Xiao Zhu retrieved his crimson flame spear, glaring at the elder. "My son surrendered, yet Lin Shutong still killed him. I seek justice!"
A woman with snow-white hair floated down beside Great Elder Lu. Her serene demeanor contrasted with Xiao Zhu's rage. "Do you defy the Great Elder's ruling?" she asked, her voice sharp and commanding.
Xiao Zhu's jaw tightened, his grinding teeth betraying his suppressed fury. "I would never dare," he said through clenched teeth, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Lin Shutong. "But this was no fair fight. He killed my son purposefully!"
"How audacious!" Great Elder Lu's voice boomed, his authority forcing Xiao Zhu to kneel as if the heavens themselves bore down on him. Blood dripped from Xiao Zhu's lips as the pressure overwhelmed him.
"Lin Shutong is a rare talent, a hidden treasure of the sect," Great Elder Lu continued. "Your son was but a frog dreaming of the heavens."
Xiao Zhu trembled with rage, his knuckles white as he clawed at the ground. "I will kill you all! Every single one of you who stood by this!"
"Courting death?" Elder Lu raised his palm, preparing to strike.
"Great Elder, allow me," Lin Shutong interrupted, his voice steady. Elder Lu nodded, stroking his beard.
Drawing his blade, Lin Shutong summoned three azure dragons, their power resonating in the storm. The crowd erupted in awe as the dragons roared, circling above him.
Xiao Zhu struggled to rise, his body battered under the elder's pressure. His defiance burned brightly even as his strength waned.
But Lin Shutong's strike came swift and merciless, the dragons' might slamming Xiao Zhu into the ground.
The world blurred as Xiao Zhu lay broken, his life slipping away. The voices of the crowd mocked him, their jeers ringing in his ears.
"Serves him right," someone sneered.
"The Xiao Family has ended because of Sons wanting to Court death"another person sneered
"The Xiao Family's arrogance finally met its end," another jeered.
"Lin Shutong looks so handsome"One woman said
" So strength at such an Age!" Another voice said
"Is this how it ends?" Xiao Zhu thought, his vision dimming. "Because I was too weak… or too careless?" With that final regret, his eyes closed.
Death greeted him with darkness, and in that void, a faint light appeared—a ball of radiant energy unlike anything he had seen.
"Is this the cycle of reincarnation?" Xiao Zhu murmured, reaching out.
A veiled woman materialized beside the light, her ethereal presence radiating power. "You are not permitted to reincarnate," she said coldly.
"What? Why?" Xiao Zhu demanded.
"You offended a son of Heaven. Your path ends here," the woman replied.
Xiao Zhu laughed bitterly. "Why is it that some are born great while others are destined to be trash?" His laughter echoed in the void, tinged with despair.
Suddenly, a deep mechanical hum reverberated around him.
[CREAK!]
[HOST IDENTIFIED.]
[LINKING WITH HOST.]
A vibrant red panel appeared before him, glowing ominously in the darkness.
"What is this?" Xiao Zhu whispered.
[89%... 95%... 100%.]
[CALIBRATION COMPLETE.]
The panel's light intensified, and a voice rang out:
[CONGRATULATIONS, HOST. YOU HAVE BEEN GRANTED ANOTHER CHANCE AT LIFE.]
As Xiao Zhu reached out, a swirling grey orb appeared, its pull irresistible.
"This… is my chance!" Xiao Zhu exclaimed as his soul was drawn into the orb, vanishing into the unknown.