Arya stepped forward, extending his hand towards Rose for a greeting. As he looked into her mesmerizing eyes again, he felt himself being drawn in—but this time, he controlled himself.
Rick, her father, was about to intervene. His daughter usually kept her distance from others, and he expected her to ignore Arya's gesture. But to his surprise, she also extended her hand, lightly shaking Arya's in greeting.
Bryan, watching from the side, noticed Rick's startled expression and smiled knowingly. He didn't say anything, but there was someone nearby who clearly wasn't pleased.
It was the muscular boy Arya had noticed earlier—the one standing beside Rick. His expression darkened as he watched Rose shake hands with Arya.
With a soft and sweet voice, Rose greeted Arya. "Hello."
Her voice was just as enchanting as her eyes. Arya, after exchanging the greeting, stepped back.
Rick cleared his throat and introduced the other young man. "This is Leo. Leo, this is Arya from Blazing Inferno Village."
Arya extended his hand again. "Hello."
But Leo didn't immediately respond. Instead, he stared into Arya's eyes with animosity, a hint of unspoken hostility behind them.
Arya didn't know what he had done to provoke such a reaction.
After an uncomfortable moment of silence, Leo finally extended his hand—but as their hands met, he leaned in slightly and whispered in a deep, low voice, "You better watch yourself. If you keep staring at Rose like that, you'll get hurt. She's mine."
Arya blinked, then smirked. Instead of replying in a whisper, he spoke loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Oh? What does Brother Leo mean? I don't understand. Is Miss Rose your girlfriend? But aren't we all too young to be thinking about such… serious matters?"
The moment Arya finished speaking, an angry but sweet voice interrupted.
"Who's his girlfriend?"
It was Rose.
She looked at Leo, clearly irritated. "Leo, I've already told you—I'm not interested in these kinds of things. At our age, we should be focusing on cultivation. But you keep thinking about these pointless things."
Leo immediately turned defensive. "Rose, it wasn't me! He's the one twisting things and making stories—"
"You!!!" Leo turned back to Arya, his anger flaring. "You're doing this on purpose, aren't you? Let me teach you a lesson—being too smart isn't always a good thing."
He clenched his fist, summoning his power. Just as he was about to attack, a hand blocked his path.
It was Rick.
"Enough," Rick said firmly.
Leo hesitated but tried to explain, "Chief, he was insulting me in front of Rose—"
"Quiet." Rick's voice turned sharp. "Don't make a scene over something so trivial."
Leo clenched his jaw but said nothing.
Rick turned to Bryan and sighed. "Let's go and rest. You've just arrived, and the competition is tomorrow. We'll meet again at dinnertime."
Bryan nodded. "Agreed."
As they turned to leave, Arya glanced back at Leo—only to find Rose looking at him as well.
To his surprise, she didn't seem angry. Instead, she simply gazed at him with a calm expression.
Arya smiled and gave her a small nod before following his father back to their camp.
By the time Arya and his group arrived at their living quarters, the sun was already starting to set. They had been traveling all day, and a few hours of rest were necessary before dinner.
That evening, Arya woke up and began getting ready. Tonight's dinner was different—it wasn't served in their rooms. Instead, it was a gathering, an event where all participants from different villages could meet.
This gathering was an important opportunity. Not only was it a chance to eat, but it was also a crucial moment to observe potential rivals.
By the time Arya stepped outside, he realized no one from his village was there.
"Looks like I'm the last one," he muttered.
Just then, a loud voice called out from behind him.
"Aryaa!!"
Turning around, Arya saw Kane running toward him—the strongest cultivator in their village and Arya's old sparring partner.
"Haha, I thought I was the only one running late," Kane said with a grin. "But seeing you still here makes me feel better."
Arya smirked. "Then I have to disappoint you. You are the only one left. If it weren't for the chief's orders to wait for me, you'd already be at the gathering."
Kane sighed. "So I really am late… well, whatever. Let's go together."
As they started walking, Kane glanced at Arya and chuckled.
"You know, the gap between our strength keeps growing. When I first met you in the wilderness behind our village, I could still fight against you."
Arya smiled. "And now?"
Kane sighed dramatically. "And now, after six months, just when I thought I had finally caught up to you, you crushed me again in the last competition."
Arya laughed. "Then you'll just have to train harder."
Kane grinned. "Don't worry. This time, I won't lose so easily."
With that, the two of them headed toward the gathering, where the strongest young cultivators of the four villages would meet.
And for Arya, this was just the beginning.