~~~

“Lu Mei of the Eternal Flame Clan vs. Su Daji of the Endlessly Raging Valley!”

The two girls stand mere yards away from each other. Lu Mei is dressed in the gold and black robes that mark her as a Core Disciple of the Eternal Flame Clan, but Su Daji is not wearing the green of the Endlessly Raging Valley. Instead, she has chosen purple robes with gold accents. In a tournament such as this, it is a telling statement.

“I was wondering whether you would bother showing up,” Lu Mei says.

“Oh?” Su Daji raises an eyebrow. “And why would I not?”

“Do you even care for this tournament?” Lu Mei asks her. Her eyes go up and down the girl’s robes. “You cannot expect me to believe you are fighting for the ailing reputation of the Endlessly Raging Valley.”

Lu Mei’s words evoke no reaction from Su Daji, but they cause a stir among several in the audience. It is something that many have already noticed. Of the final eight, three are from the Eternal Flame Clan, two are from the Infinite Mountain Sect–though Chen Guo is now the only one left–and two are from the Divine Frozen Palace.

Su Daji is the only member of the Endlessly Raging Valley left.

“You are not entirely wrong. The glory of winning the tournament holds no interest to me," Su Daji says. "And I am definitely not fighting because of my master.”

Lu Mei does not say anything, yet the question is plain to see in her eyes.

‘If not for your master and not for your Sect, then why?’

Purple flames bloom around Su Daji.

“However, that doesn’t mean I see any reason why I should lose here,” Su Daji finishes.

The fox fire roars as it speeds towards Lu Mei. It grows in size and forms a wailing skull; chattering teeth open wide.

Gold rips it apart.

The Eternal Flame roars around Lu Mei and shines through her eyes. The whole arena can feel the might of her Qi as a cultivator in the Sixth Level of the Earth Realm. However, Su Daji is not impressed. The fox fire around her takes the shape of a pack of foxes and advances, ready to begin the hunt.

Lu Mei lifts her hand up.

Eternal Flame flows out like liquid gold and floods the ring, easily overwhelming the fox fire and straining the capabilities of the barrier. Unlike in previous fights, Lu Mei is not holding back. She intends to end the fight as quickly as possible. Su Daji barely has time to wrap tails of Qi around her body before the fire swallows her. The audience averts their eyes as the golden glow becomes too much for them.

Earth Realm, Level Nine.

A pillar of purple rises from inside the gold and blasts it away. Lu Mei frowns, yet refuses to move, her aura rising to protect her as the wave of force washes over her. The audience beholds in awe as Su Daji’s aura burns with renewed strength. The girl has revealed her true cultivation for the first time. Purple eyes glare at Lu Mei.

“Were you trying to kill me?!”

“Oh, please, that would have hardly killed you,” Lu Mei says, looking at her nails. “At worst, you would have suffered severe burns, preferably too horrible for you to continue fighting. I was hoping to finish this fight before you had a chance to use your full power.”

Su Daji’s right eye twitches.

“Well, aren’t you the ruthless one?” she says. She then smirks as her Qi flares with force, pressing against Lu Mei’s aura. “I wonder if it is worth giving you the chance to surrender.”

“And why would I do that?”

Su Daji looks at her. Her aura bristles, as if trying to impress on Lu Mei the difference between them.

Earth Realm, Level Nine.

Earth Realm, Level Six.

It is not quite the difference between Heaven and Earth, but no one can deny it is significant. There is not a single person who believes that Lu Mei can win this fight anymore.

And yet, Lu Mei does not look intimidated in the slightest.

“I will throw your earlier words back at you,” Su Daji says. “You cannot expect me to believe winning this tournament is so important that you will risk fighting me. Is the Eternal Flame Clan so invested in the result? Or are you just trying to secure your position?”

“I wonder.”

It is all Lu Mei offers before once more aiming her palm at Su Daji. A miniature sun is unleashed. Tails of Qi spread out behind Su Daji. Their tips glow with spectral flames that are released towards the incoming attack. The Eternal Flame, which had been untouched by fox fire until now, is torn apart in the blink of an eye.

[Incandescent Scorching]

A second sun, larger and more brilliant than the first, is unleashed. The ring melts, and the barrier quivers before its mighty force. Those in the seats closest to the ring begin to faint from the heat.

Nine tails of Qi pierce right through it and tear it apart.

Before Lu Mei can express any surprise, one of the tails is already in front of her. She calls upon the wind to defend herself, but it is not enough as the tail breaks through and slams her body against the barrier, pinning her there. The other eight tails follow up the attack, raining multiple blows on Lu Mei and making dust rise across the ring.

A burst of gold blows them away.

Lu Mei steps out of the dust.

Her fine robes are damaged, and there are smudges of dirt on her usually immaculate skin. A lone drop of blood drips down the side of her face, and her red hair has broken loose from her ponytail. Golden eyes glare at Su Daji.

For the first time in the tournament, Lu Mei looks damaged.

In a flash of gold, it is all gone. The blood. The dirt. Even her hair returns to its proper form. There is no sign that Lu Mei has been even slightly inconvenienced to the point that some in the audience might even start doubting what they saw.

However, it happened.

More importantly, Lu Mei knows it happened.

“This was… unpleasant,” Lu Mei says, still glaring at Su Daji.

“Is the Young Miss too dainty for fisticuffs?” Su Daji taunts.

“As a matter of fact, yes,” Lu Mei says. “I do not enjoy brutish displays. That is why I was hoping to defeat you before it came to this.”

Su Daji blinks.

“Are you really that arrogant?” She asks. “Is what happened just now not enough for you to accept the difference in power between us? You cannot defeat me. You should know that.”

“I am incredibly arrogant as a matter of principle,” Lu Mei says. “However, on this occasion, I do not believe I am being so."

Lu Mei’s Qi explodes.

It is a sensation everyone in the arena immediately recognizes. How could they not when it is something that they have all gone through? The blooming of Qi. The renewed strength. The momentary feeling of invincibility. The wild energy that enlarges one’s meridians and must immediately be brought under control.

A breakthrough.

Earth Realm, Level Seven.

However, it is not over yet. Su Daji’s eyes grow wide as the golden flames around Lu Mei lash out with strength.

Earth Realm, Level Eight.

“Two breakthroughs?!” She shouts as she’s battered by Lu Mei’s aura. “That’s–”

~~~

“Not possible!” Lady Feng shouts, rising to her feet out of sheer surprise.

It is normal for some cultivators to hold back their advancement. Most Heaven Realm cultivators do it to stop themselves from becoming Renegades. However, the act requires extreme control, and the girl in the ring has been throwing around the Eternal Flame like a toy for the entirety of the tournament!

Even a Heaven Realm cultivator would have trouble holding back their advancement while using it so freely, and the girl is merely in the Earth Realm!

The sight before her should not be possible!

“Not possible? I suppose that is one way of looking at it, dearest sister-in-law,” Lord Feng Gui says, stroking his chin. “However, reality disagrees. It would seem my niece is far more talented than many give her credit for.”

“Oh, she is quite excellent, Uncle,” Feng Zhuo says.

However, Lady Feng does not look at her son or her brother-in-law.

She can only look at the unmistakably proud smile on her husband’s face.

~~~

“Your control cannot possibly be that good!” Su Daji shouts while pointing a finger at Lu Mei. “How could you possibly have held back your cultivation for so long?”

Lu Mei smiles and holds up two needles between her fingers. She lets them go. The heat of her aura melts them before they hit the floor.

“I happen to know an exceptional doctor.”

“You want to hold back your cultivation?”

“I think it would be for the best. Is it possible?”

"...It will hurt."

“Having those things stuck inside my meridians for so long was annoying,” Lu Mei says, rubbing the back of her neck. “To think I planned on keeping them there until the next round. It is a good thing you were a little too strong for my own good.”

Su Daji stares at her.

“What possible reason could there be to hide two mere levels of cultivation?”

Certainly, it made a strong impression on the audience, and the energy flowing from Lu Mei tells her that this fight will not be easy. However, two breakthroughs in the Earth Realm are not an easy thing to bear. It would have been easier to have them beforehand. Now, she must learn how to deal with her new power as well as the increased gravity…

Realization dawns on Su Daji.

Lu Mei smirks.

“Cultivation level is placed on too high a pedestal,” Lu Mei says. “If I need raw power, I have the Eternal Flame, and advancing in the Earth Realm only lessened the advantages granted to me by the elixir. In particular, I did not wish to fight you without those. However, it seems you have changed quite a bit.”

Su Daji’s face darkens. The previous version of herself had been completely free from the Curse of the Earth Realm. She remembers that much. However, this version of her is not. At least, not completely. Ever since she woke up in the physical plane, she has felt the weight of the Earth Realm on her. In a way, it is almost convenient as it helps hide her demonic origins.

“You are saying unnecessary things.”

“Try to stop me, then.”

Su Daji unleashes a blast of fox fire, and Lu Mei answers in kind, now able to channel the Eternal Flame in greater quantities due to her increased cultivation. The golden flames turn into birds, flying around Su Daji and diving in before exploding. Tails of Qi shield Su Daji while smacking the birds out of the sky. Her Qi soars.

[Wail of the Hungry Ghost]

A giant skeleton of purple fire emerges behind her and screams. The audience covers their ears, yet that is nothing compared to what Lu Mei goes through. Blood falls from her ears as the deadly sound assaults her. The purple energy threatens to devour all. A pack of foxes made of ghostly flames leap toward Lu Mei’s stunned form.

[Golden Majestic Devourer]

The audience gasps as a fiery dragon manifests around Lu Mei. Its golden radiance blasts away the foxes before rushing at the skeleton and crushing it with its long, serpentine body. Its fiery fangs chomp down on its skull, not just destroying it but eating its energy, growing larger and more vicious.

Su Daji is already running.

Her movements are almost animalistic as she rushes through the ring. Claws of purple fire appear on her hands, sending wild arcs toward Lu Mei as she swings them. The golden dragon rushes back to defend her, but Su Daji is a step faster. A sphere of golden flame appears around Lu Mei at the same time as Su Daji brings her claws down.

“I’ll ask again! Is it so important to win for the Eternal Flame Clan?”

The message is sent through Su Daji’s Qi just as the golden dragon gets back, diving headfirst towards Su Daji and forcing her to jump away. A wave of Lu Mei’s hand makes it give chase. This time, it is Su Daji who covers herself in flames as the dragon tries to swallow her. She can feel not just the Eternal Flame but something more profound.

Greed.

“Are you foolish? Why would I care about winning for the Eternal Flame Clan?” Lu Mei replies as their powers clash. “I am doing the same thing I have always done! If the others want my Jin, I must simply be the one to make it to his side first!”

“What?”

The dragon’s roar pushes Su Daji back. Tails of Qi anchor her to the ground, then wrap around the golden beast. Her foxfire tries to feed on it, but the creature is too pure. The binding is a temporary measure at best.

“Is it so odd?” Lu Mei asks as their powers clash. “I know he is planning something, and I know the others are acting in response to that plan. The only thing left for me to do is to curtail the influence of the rest and be there when he succeeds.”

She says it as if it should be obvious, as if it didn’t matter that Liu Jin had drawn the attention of the most powerful people on the continent.

As victory was inevitable, no matter what.

That is how much she believes in him.

Su Daji sighs.

“I see… So that’s why.”

Her Qi quiets down. Her tails vanish. At the same time, Lu Mei holds her attack, confused by the passivity she now senses from Su Daji’s aura.

Su Daji looks at the announcer and raises her hand.

“I surrender.”

“What?!”

It is not the announcer but Lu Mei who expresses her shock.

“I surrender,” Su Daji repeats, this time looking at Lu Mei. “The truth is, you were right. I do not care about this tournament. Not enough to fight you for a place in the finals.”

Lu Mei raises an eyebrow and gestures at the destruction surrounding them.

“I wanted to know why you were doing this,” Su Daji says. “Now, I do. Someone without a resolution has no place on a stage full of those with it. That’s all there is to it.”

“Winner! Lu Mei of the Eternal Flame Clan!”

~~~

As the crowd cheers for the girl, Lady Feng steps outside the Eternal Flame’s private box. She does not miss how the harlot Ling looks at her with smug superiority, but it doesn’t matter to her.

Nothing does but the happiness on her husband’s face.

“Mother…”

Feng Zhuo. Sweet Feng Zhuo. He chased after her. He is the only one who did. Her husband surely thought of it, but he could never bring himself to do something so hypocritical. Not after he left to see that wretched woman last night!

A pity. She’d appreciate that sort of hypocrisy right now.

“Tell me, son, have I done something wrong?” Lady Feng wonders.

“Of course not, mother,” comes the reply.

Lady Feng chuckles.

“I have done my duty. I married the man chosen for me and did my best to be a proper wife,” she says. “I gave him a son, a strong son. I have never once shamed him. I have never once faltered. In all matters, I have performed as I should. I have loved him as I should and more.”

Her body trembles.

“So why am I rewarded like this?”

Even her genius son cannot answer that question.

~~~