"Well done, contestants. You have all earned the right to enter Sword Manor as outer disciples. We will now commence with the placement battles. The first match will be between Li Yan and Hou Lai."
"Sir, I forfeit the battle," Hou Lai suddenly said, raising his hand.
"Why?" the overseer asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Because… I'm not even at the peak of the Golden Core Realm."
"Sword Manor has no need for cowards," the man replied coldly. "You're eliminated."
"Wait, what?" Hou Lai's eyes widened in disbelief. He looked to be in his thirties, and clearly hadn't expected to be expelled for his cowardice.
"Winner, Li Yan," the overseer declared. "Let this be a lesson, you either fight, or you get lost."
"Next: Xue He versus Bei Ming!"
Xue He, a youth of about sixteen with jet-black hair and a refined, confident air, stepped onto the stage. Despite his age, he showed no signs of fear. He was already at the fourth stage of the Nascent Soul Realm, a genius among geniuses. Most cultivators took thirty or forty years to reach such a level. He had done it in fourteen.
His opponent, Bei Ming, was already drenched in sweat. Though at the eighth stage of the Golden Core Realm, he had witnessed Xue He's earlier match, and the quiet conversation that confirmed the boy's terrifying cultivation.
Standing across from him now, Bei Ming felt as though he was facing a beast rather than a human.
'So young… his talent could rival geniuses even from the higher realms.'
"Begin."
Xue He didn't move. He simply lifted his sword, fire igniting along the blade, and slashed downward. A blazing arc of flame tore through the air, roaring towards Bei Ming. The man raised his sword defensively, coating it with water qi, but it was futile, the flame cut straight through, shattering his weapon and sending him crashing backwards.
"Winner, Xue He!" the overseer announced. "Next match: Shen Yu versus Ren Lang!"
As the two new contestants stepped forward, Bai Long turned away and began walking off. Of all those he'd seen, only Xue He had piqued his interest. The other Nascent Soul cultivators were well over fifty, and his next battle wouldn't be until the following day anyway.
"Looks like three geniuses will be joining Sword Manor this year," one of the officials, a woman with long back hair, said to her companion beside the stage.
Bai Long's steps paused for a fraction of a second.
'Three?'
The Next Day
"We will now commence with the round of sixteen and the quarterfinals," the overseer announced. "First match: Li Yan versus Luo Shen!"
Bai Long stepped forward and faced his opponent — an elderly man whose qi pulsed with the aura of a first-stage Nascent Soul Realm cultivator.
"Begin!"
Luo Shen shot forward, sword raised high, and slashed down with every ounce of his strength. His attack drained his qi reserves completely, the blade whistling with killing intent — yet Bai Long simply raised his hand and caught it between two fingers.
The weapon shuddered, unable to advance even an inch.
He twisted his fingers lightly. The sword snapped in half.
"Winner, Li Yan," the referee said, his voice tinged with disbelief. "Next match: Xue He versus Luo Jin!"
Xue He dispatched his opponent, a peak-stage Golden Core cultivator, with ease. One clean strike, one victory.
The battles continued, match after match, until Bai Long's name was called again.
"Li Yan versus Zhou Rui!"
Bai Long stepped onto the stage once more. His opponent, Zhou Rui, was also at the peak of the Golden Core Realm.
"Begin!"
This time, Bai Long took the initiative. His figure blurred, vanishing from sight. To Zhou Rui, it felt like teleportation. Before he could even react, a hand clamped around his throat.
Bai Long effortlessly lifted him and tossed him off the stage.
"Winner, Li Yan," came the stunned announcement.
"That concludes today's battles. Everyone may rest — the semi-finals will commence tomorrow morning."