But elsewhere — far from the warm, tangled threads of family and grief — different lives moved under colder skies.
A blue-haired youth sat on the ledge of a high rooftop in a sprawling, never-ending city. His hair fell to his neck, the wind teasing it; a white mask on his face. The sky was iron-gray, lightning grumbling in the distance. He peeled the mask away slowly, revealing a pale face scored by a long, angry scar. His eyes, a washed bluish color, looked distant and drained.
"Valor Arena," he murmured to himself, watching the lightning. "This will do. I can find what I need here… but I'll have to build a name first. Slowly. Carefully. Buy some powerful friends." He pushed himself up, shadow moving into the city as a flash lit the clouds.
Not far above, another figure cut through the air — a man with long brown hair streaked with black, wings unfolded across his back. He rode the wind with the easy arrogance of someone used to being where others could not go. From the sky he laughed, loud and reckless.
"Perfect," he called, grinning. "My work's nearby. I'll check out that Valor Arena later. Could be interesting." He angled his wings toward the city and dove.
Deep in a distant forest, a different boy walked alone. His hair was black, his eyes brown. Most of his face bore burns — the left eye and a slice of cheek spared, the rest a web of healed scars. He moved without sound, fourteen years old and carrying silence like armor.
---
Inside the city's training hall the air smelled of sweat and ozone. A boy fought there under a skin of metallic, gruesome-looking armor, the plates clinking with each heavy punch. He struck boulders and fought off puppets that attacked from all sides. Not far away, a girl trained as well — Chi Aoyan — lifting weighted bracelets and fighting smaller puppets, flames licking from her hands when she struck.
On a bench beside them sat Chi Yanqi, drinking from a large bottle, eyeing both of them lazily. "That's enough for today," he said finally, voice loose with amusement. "You've got a match in two days."
Lin Shu peeled the armor off, leaving behind a white mask with a single slit at the mouth and two holes for eyes and nose. He left the hall. Chi Aoyan glanced at their master with curiosity.
"How did you get him to stay?" she asked. "I remember he refused before."
Yanqi set the bottle down and smirked. "I didn't 'get' him. I let him figure out who I was. Who wouldn't take a chance to learn from one of the strongest Rank-2 cultivators around?" He laughed, loud and self-satisfied.
Aoyan's distrust showed in a narrow look. "Really? Because I remember you offered him training and he refused. So what did you actually say?"
Annoyed by the pestering, Yanqi leaned back, indulgent. "I told him I'd train him 'normally' at first to keep him close, see if he is hiding anything worth investing more in unfortunately it turned out after i took a close look at him with my formations that he is at most a rank 2 cultivator i truly don't understand how a mid stage cultivator with a rank 2 talent can have this much strength comparable to a peak stage cultivator but my guess is that he has a body refining technique of great value which is the most logical I don't think he's hiding his talent and cultivation since he doesn't look like someone with such capabilities. So I wasn't planning on really pushing him into becoming my student; I just didn't want him wandering out of my sight and see what he's hiding. Yesterday I offered to make him my second disciple after you, Aoyan. That way he's under my watch and he agreed since he is smart enough to not throw away a chance to train under my great mentorship ." He winked. "So don't be jealous i am not throwing you away....yet."
Aoyan rolled her eyes. "Couldn't you have just forced him to stay?"
Yanqi laughed, amused and mildly scornful. "You're still thinking like a brute, my disciple. If we forced him, we'd make a betrayer out of him. Loyalty isn't won by chains — it's bought and maintained if you know how to bargain. And Li"—he nodded toward where Lin Shu had left—"is worth the price."
Lin Shu walked through the quiet, lamp-lit streets toward the small place he rented — a worn building tucked between shops and tea stalls that closed when the moon climbed high. Inside, the single candle on his desk flickered as he dropped onto the bed. The old frame creaked under him.
He sat there for a while, elbows on his knees, staring at the floorboards. Then he spoke softly to himself, voice calm but edged with thought.
"I didn't want to involve myself with Yanqi in anything beyond the arena," he said, rubbing a hand over his face, "but… I think I was short-sighted."
His eyes narrowed, his tone turning more calculating.
"Connections. Protection. Whether I like it or not, I'll need both. The arena's one thing, but outside it—power rules everything. And Yanqi… he can give me what I need: sharper skills, better techniques, discipline."
He leaned back, looking at the ceiling. The candlelight caught the faint lines of scars along his jaw.
"They say he's a big name, even among Rank-2 cultivators. Maybe he can tell me things most clans guard like treasure — how to advance, how to step beyond Rank-1. The stages within a realm are simple enough, but… changing realms, that's different. You need conditions, catalysts, things that sects hide from the rest of the world. Only the lucky — the ones who stumble onto inheritances — ever find those answers."
A quiet exhale escaped him.
"I don't have that kind of luck. So I'll take this chance instead."
He stood up, pacing the narrow room.
"I'll need Yanqi's trust. If that means staying close, learning his habits, even moving in with him like he asked before… then so be it. Information is power — and I need it more than pride."
He stopped, gaze distant.
"He approached me a few days ago, offering training under the excuse of preparing for the arena. I accepted. I'd be a fool not to."
After a pause, a faint smirk tugged at his lips.
"Still… that girl, Chi Aoyan."
He tilted his head, remembering her — proud, quick-tempered, fierce when she fought beside her summoned beasts.
"It's funny," he murmured, half-amused, half-critical. "Someone like her — who isn't even half as strong as I am without her beasts — is contending for the position of heir to the Chi clan. I used to think heirs were untouchable, the peak of talent among cultivators. Guess that doesn't hold true for all of them."
His smirk faded, replaced by a flicker of cold ambition.
"What a shame," he muttered. "If that's the level of their heirs, then maybe… if I'd been born in that clan — even as a bastard — I could've taken it over myself."
The candle burned low, shadows stretching across his face. In the silence, his eyes gleamed — not with arrogance, but with a sharp, hungry determination.
Days later, Lin Shu was walking alongside Chi Aoyan and Chi Yanqi through the grand halls of the Arena of Valor. The towering pillars gleamed with spiritual light, and the hum of formations echoed faintly through the marble corridors. Yanqi went ahead to a counter and received two jade tokens engraved with the titles of his disciples. When he returned, his expression was as smug and amused as ever.
"Hahahahaha!" he laughed suddenly, loud enough to startle several passersby.
Lin Shu blinked, clearly confused, while Chi Aoyan simply rolled her eyes — her master's manic outbursts had long since stopped surprising her.
"I guess your win streaks are coming to an end, dear students," Yanqi said with a grin. "Here — your tokens, and this." He handed them each a sealed scroll.
Before they could open them, he began to explain. "This time, you two are assigned a team battle. But don't get too comfortable — this won't be your usual match. Apparently, giving you too many opponents wasn't enough to make you lose last time, so they've decided to make things... more creative. The challenge won't rely purely on fighting power."
He smirked as both his students glanced at each other.
"In this match, there will be two flags. Each team has one. Your goal is to protect your own flag and capture your opponent's — intact. If it breaks, you'll need to return to their base and retrieve another. So, speed and defense will matter most here. There will be no one on your team it's just the two of you against multiple opponents. My bet?" He chuckled darkly. "You'll most likely lose. But hey, I'm always open to surprises if you manage to pull off a miracle!"
Lin Shu exhaled, keeping his calm. Chi Aoyan simply ignored the jab and started walking toward the gate. Yanqi followed behind them, still laughing to himself.
They entered the arena, and the formations beneath their feet came alive. Golden symbols blazed across the ground, and walls of stone began to rise, twisting and shifting until a maze-like terrain filled with trees and rubble surrounded them.
"Impressive, right?" Yanqi said proudly. "This arena can be reshaped into nearly any terrain — forest, desert, ruins, mountain — all through advanced formation arrays. You'll be seeing a lot more of this from now on."
He then crossed his arms and looked at them. "Now, one of you defends the flag while the other takes the enemy's. It should be obvious who does what. Aoyan — you'll defend. With your beast companion, you can stall or distract anyone who tries to steal the flag. Li — you'll be the attacker. Your strength, speed, and that steel-armoring technique of yours make you perfect for breaking through their defenses and bringing their flag back. You can even coat our flag in your metal essence to prevent it from breaking."
Lin Shu nodded silently, already strategizing.
"Alright," said Aoyan, determination flashing in her eyes.
Yanqi gave them a few last words of advice — mixed with sarcastic encouragement and jokes — before walking up to the viewing platform. "Don't worry, I'll be watching every second of your glorious defeat!"
Aoyan huffed in irritation. Lin Shu, however, wasn't offended. He had long realized Yanqi's personality — an odd mix of mockery and brilliance — and beneath his laughter, there was always a test. Still, Lin Shu had no intention of losing. He needed victories to climb to the Silver League, and every match counted.
From the audience seats above, the arena roared with energy.
A blue-haired young man watched quietly, resting his chin on his hand. "So those two are up next… and they're facing six opponents? Interesting."
Farther away, a brown-haired man streaked with black marks leaned against a railing, an arrogant grin tugging at his lips. "Hmph. Let's see if this arena really lives up to the rumors."
And in a shadowed corner of the stands, a boy with half his face burned watched silently. "I'll wait until she finishes the match… then deliver the message."
Back in the arena, the judge stepped forward, his robes fluttering as his voice boomed through spiritual amplification.
"Competitors! The rules are as follows: You must defend your own flag while attempting to capture your opponent's. The flag must be retrieved intact and brought back to your base. If it is destroyed, it will reappear at it's original place. You may also choose to destroy your own flag once it's stolen and it will also appear in it's original place. Every form of combat is permitted. Do you understand?"
Both teams nodded firmly.
Lin Shu and aoyan took their position near their flag — a tall blue banner embedded in the earth behind him. Around him stood broken walls, shattered pillars, and overgrown vines — the remnants of what seemed to be an ancient ruin.
From above, the audience could see everything clearly: the maze, the two flags, the shifting shadows of the contestants ready to spring.
On the opposite side, three opponents guarded their flag, while three more stood at the front, waiting for the signal to advance.
The judge raised his arm.
"BEGIN!"
A deafening horn echoed through the arena.
The ground shook as both sides launched into action.