The Grand Arena roared to life once more as the remaining disciples stepped into the wide battle platform. The sunlight sharpened across the polished tiles, and the elders settled into their seats with quiet authority.
Round Two Announced
Elder Han Wusheng stepped forward, voice calm yet carrying across the entire arena:
"Round Two — Combat Matches." "Victory is determined by surrender, knockout, or ring-out." "No killing."
A pause.
Then—
"Begin."
Match Pairings
Names began appearing on a floating jade board.
Pairs formed one by one.
Excitement surged.
Fear spread.
Destinies collided.
Then—
Xu Yao's name appeared.
Xu Yao vs. Chen Gu
His Opponent
A tall, muscular disciple stepped into the arena.
Chen Gu.
Known among outer disciples for brute strength and aggressive fighting.
A follower of Zhao Wei.
He cracked his knuckles, smirking.
"So you're the 'miracle' everyone's talking about?"
Xu Yao stepped onto the stage.
Calm.
Silent.
Frostbound Edge rested on his back.
Xu Yao: "Just fight."
The Crowd Reacts
"Chen Gu is strong—top 20 in outer sect!" "This will show if Xu Yao's strength is real or luck."
High above—
The inner disciples watched closely.
Wei Rong grinned.
"Good. Let's see if the kid can actually fight."
Mo Qinghai narrowed his eyes.
"Strength without technique is meaningless… let's see."
Su Yaoqing's gaze remained fixed—
On the sword.
The Fight Begins
BOOM!
The signal struck.
Chen Gu charged immediately.
No hesitation.
No strategy.
Just overwhelming force.
Clash
His fist came down like a hammer—
But—
Xu Yao moved.
A single step.
Clean.
Precise.
Silent Dawn footwork.
The punch missed.
Chen Gu's eyes widened—
Just for a moment.
Too late.
Xu Yao Moves
Xu Yao's hand reached his sword.
Not fast—
But inevitable.
SHING—
Frostbound Edge left its sheath.
A pale arc of cold cut through the air.
Chen Gu reacted late—
Raised his arm—
SLASH!
Silence.
A thin line appeared across Chen Gu's sleeve.
Then—
Frost spread.
His entire arm froze solid.
He staggered back.
Eyes wide.
Body trembling.
"W-what… is this…?"
Pressure Shift
Xu Yao stepped forward slowly.
Sword lowered.
Not threatening—
But undeniable.
Cold qi spread around him.
The air dropped.
Even the arena felt heavier.
Chen Gu tried to move—
But his body lagged.
His qi… slowed.
Fear appeared.
End of Match
Xu Yao raised his sword slightly—
Then stopped.
Xu Yao: "Surrender."
Chen Gu hesitated.
His frozen arm cracked slightly.
Pain surged.
He dropped to one knee.
"I… surrender."
Aftermath
The arena was silent.
Again.
Then—
Explosion of voices.
"One strike…?" "He didn't even try!" "That wasn't strength—that was control!"
High Platform Reaction
Elder Han Wusheng nodded slowly.
"Decisive. Minimal waste of energy."
Elder Yun Tianhai's smile deepened.
But—
Elder Ling Yeyun…
Opened her eyes.
For the first time.
Her gaze locked onto Xu Yao.
Behind the veil—
Something stirred.
Recognition.
Among the Inner Disciples
Wei Rong laughed loudly:
"HAHA! I like him!"
Mo Qinghai spoke quietly:
"That wasn't just technique… his qi suppresses opponents."
Ling Qiu tilted his head:
"Interesting."
Su Yaoqing…
Remained silent.
But her fingers tightened slightly.
Elder Han Wusheng stepped forward.
His robes swayed gently as he looked down at the platform.
His voice rang out, steady and authoritative—
Xu Yao only bowed politely and stepped down from the arena.
Someone Who Knew
At the edge of the crowd—
She stood.
A girl in a red-orange dress.
Her eyes—
Locked onto him.
Not surprised.
Not confused.
Certain.
Her lips moved slightly—
"…I found you"
He Remembered Nothing
Xu Yao had no past.
No memory of his childhood.
No memory of his parents.
His life only began when he was around twelve or thirteen.
Before that—
Nothing.
Like those years had been erased.
But there was one thing he never removed—
A rusty ring.
Old.
Unnoticed.
Meaningless to others.
Yet—
He always wore it.
Without knowing why.
She Remembered Everything
Because she was there.
On that one day.
Years ago.
When they were just children.
Flashback — The Day They Met
Xu Yao was only eight or nine years old.
Standing alone in the forest—
Training.
Swinging a wooden sword again and again.
Falling.
Standing again.
Even then—
He refused to give up.
A Sudden Encounter
A sound broke the silence.
Running footsteps.
A girl appeared—
Around his age.
Her face pale with fear.
Behind her—
A spirit beast chased.
She stumbled—
Fell—
The beast lunged—
CLANG!
Xu Yao stepped in.
Blocking it with his wooden sword.
"Run!"
She froze.
"What about you?"
He answered—
Without turning—
"I'll manage."
A Child Who Didn't Run
He didn't retreat.
He fought,
Fell—
Stood again—
Cried silently—
Still stood again—
Until finally—
The beast collapsed.
Their First Moment
He dropped to one knee.
Breathing hard.
She walked toward him slowly.
"…Why did you save me?"
He replied simply—
"You were in danger."
That was all.
But something in her heart changed.
One Day Together
She didn't leave.
And he didn't ask her to.
So they stayed together.
Two children—
Walking through the forest.
They argued over paths.
They laughed.
They shared food.
At one moment—
She slipped.
He caught her hand.
Their small fingers held tightly.
And for a moment—
Neither let go.
A Feeling Without a Name
They didn't understand it.
Not love.
Not yet.
But something warm.
Something safe.
Something they didn't want to lose.
The Separation
Evening came.
The sky turned golden.
Then—
Powerful figures descended.
Her family's guards.
From an ancient sect.
Their presence overwhelming.
"Miss! We found you!"
Xu Yao stepped back.
Silent.
The Ring
She turned to him.
Hesitating.
She didn't know his name.
But she didn't want to forget him.
So—
She took off a ring.
Rusty.
Simple.
Unnoticed.
She placed it in his hand.
"Take this."
Xu Yao looked at it.
"Why?"
She smiled.
Soft.
Innocent.
"So I can find you again."
He didn't understand fully.
But he wore it.
"Okay."
The Last Words
She stepped back slowly.
"Next time…"
"…tell me your name."
He nodded.
"You too."
And then—
She was gone.
After That Day
Something happened.
Something unknown.
Something that erased everything.
His memories.
His past.
Even—
Her.
Back to the Present
Xu Yao walked past her.
Without stopping.
Without looking.
Without remembering.
But his hand—
Touched the ring.
Still there.
Still with him.
Her Whisper
She watched him go.
Eyes soft.
Steady.
Unshaken.
"…You forgot everything."
A pause.
"…but I didn't forget you."
A Feeling He Can't Explain
Xu Yao slowed slightly.
A strange warmth spread in his chest.
Faint.
Unclear.
Like something trying to return.
"…Why does this feel familiar?"
But he didn't turn.
Because he remembered nothing.