The Azure Sky Martial Tournament had reached its most intense stage.
Only a handful of geniuses remained.
The arena was filled with excitement and tension as thousands of spectators gathered for the semifinal matches.
High above the stage, the glowing tournament board slowly changed.
Four names remained.
Lin Ye
Su Qingyue
Mu Ling'er
Unknown
The mysterious masked genius.
Whispers spread through the crowd like wildfire.
"No one knows where he came from."
"He defeated three top disciples without even trying."
"His identity is suspicious…"
Lin Ye leaned back in his seat and looked at the board.
"…I guess I'm fighting the mysterious guy."
Mu Ling'er smiled mischievously.
"Be careful."
"He's been staring at you since yesterday."
Su Qingyue nodded slightly.
"His aura feels strange."
Lin Ye stretched lazily.
"Good."
"Strange opponents are more interesting."
The Semifinal Match
The referee stepped forward.
"Next match!"
"Lin Ye versus… Unknown!"
The masked genius walked onto the arena stage slowly.
His silver mask reflected the sunlight.
His black robes moved like shadows in the wind.
The entire arena became silent.
Lin Ye jumped onto the stage and rested the Shadow Dragon Spear on his shoulder.
"Alright."
"Are you finally going to tell us your name?"
The masked man replied calmly.
"You may call me…"
"…your executioner."
Lin Ye blinked.
"…Edgy."
The referee raised his hand.
"Begin!"
The True Power Revealed
The masked genius moved instantly.
WHOOSH!
His body disappeared like a phantom.
Lin Ye reacted immediately.
CLANG!
The spear blocked a sudden blade strike behind him.
The impact created a powerful shockwave.
The crowd gasped.
"That speed!"
Even Lin Ye raised an eyebrow.
"Not bad."
The masked man attacked again.
This time—
Dark energy surrounded his blade.
"Shadow Severing Art."
Three blade waves shot forward simultaneously.
Lin Ye spun the spear.
"Shadow Dragon Guard!"
BOOM!
The attacks collided violently.
The arena floor cracked beneath them.
Hidden Identity
The masked genius suddenly jumped backward.
Then he slowly removed his silver mask.
Gasps erupted across the arena.
"It's him!"
"Impossible!"
The face beneath the mask belonged to a disciple everyone knew.
Zhao Tianlong.
Lin Ye scratched his head.
"…Oh."
"You again."
Zhao Tianlong's eyes burned with hatred.
"You humiliated me."
"You stole my destiny."
His aura surged violently.
"But today…"
"I will take everything back."
Zhao Tianlong's Forbidden Power
Suddenly—
Zhao Tianlong's body began glowing with dark crimson energy.
Ancient runes appeared across his arms.
Lin Ye frowned.
"…That looks unhealthy."
The elders stood up instantly.
Elder Luo shouted,
"Stop!"
"That is a forbidden technique!"
But Zhao Tianlong laughed wildly.
"My power was given by a higher master."
His voice echoed with strange distortion.
In the distant shadows—
The hidden librarian spy quietly observed the battle.
His eyes glowed purple again.
Inside his mind—
Mo Wuying spoke calmly.
"Good."
"The ritual energy begins accumulating."
Meanwhile… Sect Sabotage
Deep underground beneath the sect—
The hidden spy activated a small formation.
Ancient runes lit up across the stone floor.
Dark energy began gathering slowly.
This energy flowed directly toward the arena above.
No one noticed.
Except one person.
Su Qingyue.
She frowned slightly.
"…Something feels wrong."
Mu Ling'er looked around.
"You feel it too?"
Both women suddenly stood up.
Fighting Together
At that moment—
Several mysterious cloaked figures suddenly appeared in the spectator stands.
They attacked randomly.
"AHHH!"
Spectators panicked.
Sect disciples rushed to defend the crowd.
Su Qingyue drew her sword instantly.
"Enemy attack!"
Mu Ling'er laughed excitedly.
"Finally something fun."
The two women jumped into battle together.
Su Qingyue's sword froze the ground.
Mu Ling'er's demonic flames exploded across the battlefield.
Their techniques moved perfectly in sync.
An ice blade cut down an enemy.
A demon flame burned another.
Several disciples watched in shock.
"They're working together!"
"They're unstoppable!"
Mu Ling'er grinned.
"Not bad, ice princess."
Su Qingyue replied calmly.
"You're tolerable."
Back on the Arena
Meanwhile—
Zhao Tianlong's aura continued growing.
Dark power surrounded him like a storm.
He raised his sword toward Lin Ye.
"This time…"
"You die."
Lin Ye sighed dramatically.
"Honestly…"
"You villains always say the same lines."
He lifted the Shadow Dragon Spear.
Dark energy gathered around the weapon.
Inside his mind—
DING!
SYSTEM ALERT
Dangerous enemy power detected.
New combat mode available.
Heaven-Slaughter Form – Stage 2
Lin Ye grinned.
"Oh?"
"Upgrade time."
Dark wings of energy exploded behind him again.
The arena trembled under the pressure of both fighters.
High above the battlefield—
The hidden spy smiled slightly.
The ritual energy continued gathering.
And far away—
In the Upper Martial World—
Mo Wuying slowly opened his eyes.
"Yes…"
"The ritual has begun."
The true danger had finally arrived.