Peng Fu and Tu Yanyu met at the center of the arena.
Peng Fu smirked, cracking his knuckles. Tu Yanyu met his gaze, calm and steady.
From the distance, Instructor Jiang Lu shouted, "Begin!"
Peng Fu — heir to a minor clan.
Tu Yanyu? Ryo barely remembered him. Only the important ones stuck.
The two lunged forward. Fists clashed. Peng Fu's punch met Tu Yanyu's smaller one.
Tu Yanyu grimaced, skidding back and clutching his arm.
Rookie mistake, Ryo thought. Don't brute-force the brute.
Peng Fu chuckled, long red hair fluttering in the wind as he lunged again.
His fists slammed down. Tu Yanyu dodged — sidestepping, leaping back. Crushing rocky ground with every missed blow.
"Come on! What's wrong? You scared?" Peng Fu jeered, slamming his hand into the ground.
"Earth Spikes!"
The ground cracked — jagged stone spears shot forward.
A technique, Ryo noted. Possibly 3-Star.
Tu Yanyu muttered something under his breath — and mist flooded the arena.
The fog coiled thickly, swallowing both fighters.
Peng Fu's eyes darted through the haze before—
Crack!
A punch struck the back of his head.
"What the—?!"
He swung behind him — nothing but mist. Another blow landed on his cheek.
"Ugh—stop hiding!" he shouted.
Around the arena, the students couldn't see anything.
"Not so arrogant"
Tu Yanyu muttered while running around Peng Fu.
But Jiang Lu and the healer? They chuckled.
Cultivators at higher realms had spiritual perception strong enough to see through the fog.
Peng Fu staggered as another punch hit his ribs.
Gritting his teeth, he shut his eyes.
"Spiritual Observation."
His soul detached, hovering above the arena.
Through it, he could track his opponent — for twenty seconds. Any longer would damage his soul.
Still, his body kept taking hits.
Just a few more...
As another punch closed in, Peng Fu caught Tu Yanyu's injured arm — earning a grunt of pain — and smashed his fist into Tu Yanyu's face.
Crunch.
His nose shattered under the blow.
The mist wavered, thinning with every punch.
And then everyone saw it.
Tu Yanyu, bloodied and unrecognizable, kneeling.
His hand gripped Peng Fu's arm weakly — the same arm now holding him up by his ruined shoulder.
The healer appeared in an instant, grabbing Peng Fu's raised fist, mid punch, before it could land again.
Ryo shivered.
Peng Fu scoffed and pulled his arm back, glaring. "Whatever. Announce me."
The healer chuckled, lifting Tu Yanyu with care.
"Winner of this duel is... Peng Fu!"
Whispers spread around Ryo.
He glanced at the healer. He could see through the mist... and let it happen.
Favoritism.
Clan culture at its core.
Ryo sighed, turning back as more duels began — victories, defeats, blood.
To pass this exam? You had to win two fights.
Last time? Only one. The stakes had doubled.
"Tian Ye vs Lin Tian!"
Ryo straightened.
A core disciple's daughter versus a minor clan's heir.
Always worth watching.
Lin Tian stood tall, blond with sharp blue eyes and a toned build.
Black and red hanfu. Money.
Tian Ye? Waist-length black hair, piercing blue eyes, dressed in plain robes — like Ryo.
He tilted his head. She could afford more...
He shook the thought. In physical exams, weapons were banned — too easy to kill.
Everyone here fought with killing intent.
That cruelty? Raised from birth.
The two faced off. Their glares clashed first.
"It's both their second duels. Loser fails," Ryo muttered to himself
A scoff sounded beside Ryo.
"Peasant. You shouldn't speak. You'll lose your first match," said Liang Ye, bodyguard of a Razkat heir.
Ryo glanced at Liang Ye's mocking grin and gave him a calm smile, saying nothing, turning back to the arena.
"Start!" Jiang Lu shouted.
Tian Ye thrust her hands to the sides —
Two ice spears shot forward.
Lin Tian ducked one and backflipped over the other.
Instructor Jiang Lu blasted the spears apart before they hit any bystanders "Tch, what a bother"
Landing lightly, Lin Tian struck the air.
"Five Palms!"
Golden palms surged forward.
Tian Ye dodged one by leaning back, blocked another with a wall of ice, then waved her hand, shattering the rest with ice shards, as half of the upper ice wall pooled into water with a wave of her hand.
When she looked back—
Lin Tian was gone.
She turned — caught his fist.
"Close..." she muttered — then kicked.
Crack! His teeth rattled as her foot hit his chin.
He staggered, stepped back, and retaliated with a kick.
She ducked and swept his legs.
"Shit—!"
He rolled back, trying to rise — but her foot slammed into his face.
She raised it again —
He rolled aside, glaring.
"You're an heir?" she mocked.
Ryo smiled watching every move. "She's good."
Lin Tian growled, lightning coursing through his legs.
He vanished.
Ryo couldn't even track it.
"Ice Wall!" Tian Ye called.
Smash!
He burst through — but slowed just enough—
Her fist met his face.
He flew back, crashing into broken ice of the same ice wall he blitzed through.
Unconscious.
Tian Ye exhaled, rubbing her fist.
'She lost to him last exam,' Ryo thought. Good progress.
The healer appeared and hoisted Lin Tian.
"Winner of this duel is... Tian Ye!"