Arena Seven did not clear for long.
Barely a quarter of an hour after Chen Yuan and Gu Wen stepped down, their names glowed again on the jade screen.
Second match.
No rest.
Gu Wen's expression tightened. "They're not spacing our fights."
Chen Yuan's gaze sharpened. "They want to see endurance."
Or weakness.
Their next opponents were already waiting.
Qin Mo & Sun Wei
Both wore Inner Court combat robes reinforced with formation threads.
Qin Mo stood calmly, hands behind his back, cultivation aura at Body Tempering Peak, polished and dense. Sun Wei was smaller, eyes bright, qi circulating rapidly—clearly a support-type cultivator.
"A wall and a current," Gu Wen murmured. "Defense and flow."
This would not be quick.
The formation activated.
Qin Mo did not rush.
He advanced one step at a time, feet anchoring into the stone as if roots spread beneath him. Each movement carried weight.
Chen Yuan struck first.
A probing palm.
It landed—and stopped.
Qin Mo did not move.
"Too light," Qin Mo said calmly.
Sun Wei lifted two fingers.
Qi rippled.
Suddenly, Qin Mo's body grew heavier, presence thickening.
A reinforcement technique.
Gu Wen's defensive strike rebounded painfully.
"Tch—he's stacking!" Gu Wen hissed.
Chen Yuan adjusted instantly.
Breaking the support is priority.
But Sun Wei stayed far back, constantly repositioning, using Qin Mo as cover.
Every time Chen Yuan tried to slip past, Qin Mo intercepted—slow, unavoidable.
Like stone blocking a river.
Minutes passed.
Their breathing deepened.
The audience leaned forward.
"This one's different."
"They're being stalled."
The system activated again—not to enhance power, but perception.
Combat Pattern Identified
Load Transfer Delay: 0.4 seconds
Chen Yuan's eyes narrowed.
There.
He changed tactics.
Instead of striking Qin Mo's center, Chen Yuan attacked the edges—ankles, shoulders, joints.
Not to damage.
To force repositioning.
Qin Mo frowned slightly.
Sun Wei's reinforcement lagged for an instant.
That was enough.
"Now," Chen Yuan said quietly.
Gu Wen moved.
He slammed his heel into the stone, releasing a stored vibration technique—one he had been refining for weeks.
The ground shuddered.
Qin Mo's stance slipped.
Chen Yuan stepped in and struck Sun Wei—not hard, but accurately.
The support technique shattered.
Sun Wei gasped, qi spiraling out of control.
The formation flared.
Sun Wei — Disrupted
Qin Mo roared and lunged—but without reinforcement, his momentum carried him too far.
Chen Yuan sidestepped and swept his leg.
Stone met stone.
Qin Mo fell.
Silence fell heavier than before.
The adjudicator's voice rang out.
Victory: Chen Yuan & Gu Wen
This time, people clapped.
Not loudly.
Respectfully.
Gu Wen bent over, hands on knees. "That was… exhausting."
Chen Yuan felt sweat run down his back.
But inside—
Something settled.
Mutation Feedback:
Load Adaptation Increased
Reaction Delay Reduced
Two steps climbed.
Still on the lower staircase.
But no longer unnoticed.
From the higher stands, a few true Inner Court elites finally turned their heads.
And somewhere among them, someone smiled—not kindly.