Early the next morning, Qin Lu arrived at the competition venue on time.

After tossing and turning all night, he had concluded that Lu Xian was right. Withdrawing without a valid reason would likely draw the gaze of Li Qingdu. The man was known for his violent temper and ruthlessly harsh methods; if Li Qingdu decided to take personal offense at a no-show, the consequences would be severe.

Provoking a Foundation Establishment enforcer was more trouble than it was worth. It was safer to show up, dance around the ring, and stage a convincing loss.

Because it was the day of the finals, the crowd was even denser than before. Wealthy cultivators hovered overhead on flying swords and jade boats, looking down at the crater arena like gods watching ants. The atmosphere was electric, a cacophony of cheers and betting shouts.

Down in the preparation area, the seating arrangement had changed. The participants were no longer segregated by rank; instead, the seventy-two remaining finalists were clustered together in the southern sector.

The breakdown was simple: forty from the Early Stage, twenty-two from the Middle Stage, and a mere ten from the Late Stage of Qi Refining. Today, three champions would be crowned.

The Early Stage matches began first. Under the direction of the Wuji Sect referee, twenty cultivators leaped onto ten separate platforms, their spells colliding in bursts of colorful light.

Qin Lu sat in the corner of the waiting zone, watching the violence with the detachment of a monk. While other competitors fidgeted or paced, his face was smooth and calm. Why would he be nervous? A man with a heart set on defeat had nothing to fear.

Beside him, Lu Anchen sat cross-legged, eyes closed in deep meditation. The young man was adjusting his breathing, determined to claw his way up the rankings.

The stakes were high. The Wuji Sect had finally posted the official prize list.

Every cultivator who cracked the Top 10 would receive a bounty of Spirit Stones. But the true allure lay in the top three prizes for the Late Stage bracket: a permanent deed to a commercial shop in the Wuji Market.

In a city where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold, owning a shop was equivalent to securing a dynasty of wealth. It was a prize that could change a clan’s destiny.

However, a murmur of disappointment ran through the crowd—the rumored Foundation Establishment Pill was nowhere to be seen on the list.

…

Qin Lu scanned the faces of the remaining finalists. Most were strangers.

Aside from himself, there were two other loose cultivators in the Late Stage top ten, likely dark horses from other markets. He recognized names like Wei Zimo and the traitor Yang Zhen, but they didn’t know him from a hole in the ground.

That was exactly how he liked it.

“Come to think of it, Gu Can said he was going to participate, but I haven’t seen him once,” Qin Lu mused, frowning slightly. “With that maniac’s strength, he should have easily made the finals. Hell, if Little Lu could stumble in at the Eighth Layer…”

He paused, correcting himself. “Right, I’m technically at the Eighth Layer too.”

Qin Lu sat back, letting his mind wander as the battles raged on.

Time slipped by. The first round of Early Stage bouts ended, followed immediately by the second wave. The cheers rose and fell like tides.

Finally, after an hour of bloodshed, the call came for the main event.

“Little Lu, wake up. It’s our turn.”

Lu Anchen’s eyes snapped open. A sharp light flickered in his pupils—the gaze of a man ready for war.

“Uncle Qin, I feel good,” Lu Anchen said, cracking his knuckles. “I feel like I can take on anyone right now!”

Qin Lu nodded. “I can see that. You look fierce.”

Above the arena, a Foundation Establishment Elder floated into position. He produced a small, square wooden box and tossed it into the air. With a wave of his hand, the box spun rapidly, rejecting any external spiritual probes.

This was the Secret Lot Box, a magical artifact designed to ensure absolute fairness by blocking telekinetic tampering.

A stream of light flashed, and wooden tiles shot out of the box, hovering in the air to display the matchups. The Elder began to boom out the names.

Qin Lu’s heart tightened. Please, not Yang Zhen.

If he threw a match against the Dragon Tiger Sect’s spy, the Wuji Sect might interpret it as collusion. He would be branded a traitor.

Yang Zhen’s name was called first. His opponent was an elite disciple from a visiting Foundation Establishment sect.

“Good… good…” Qin Lu exhaled, his shoulders relaxing.

But before the breath had fully left his lungs, the Elder’s next announcement froze him in place.

“Qin Lu versus Lu Anchen!”

The amplified voice echoed off the crater walls.

Lu Anchen’s confidence shattered instantly. His jaw dropped, and he stared at the floating tile in disbelief.

“Fighting Uncle Qin? Well, what the hell is the point of that?”

Lu Anchen’s despair was well-founded. He had personally watched Qin Lu butcher ten cultivators in the ambush outside the market. Four of them had been Late Stage experts, yet Qin Lu had slaughtered them as easily as chopping melons and vegetables.

And that was when Qin Lu was only at the Seventh Layer. Now he was at the Eighth.

“Uncle Qin, I’m dead meat,” Lu Anchen groaned, his face pale. “I might as well go up there and forfeit immediately.”

Qin Lu, however, was beaming. This was the best possible scenario.

“No, no…” Qin Lu leaned in close, whispering into Lu Anchen’s ear. “Listen to me. When we get up there, attack me with everything you have. Do not hold back. I’m going to find an opening and lose to you.”

“Huh?” Lu Anchen blinked his large eyes, completely baffled. “Why?”

Qin Lu sat up straight, staring ahead with a poker face. “Don’t ask questions. I’m giving you a victory. That’s all there is to it.”

“I… but…” Lu Anchen stammered.

Qin Lu stood up and slapped the young man on the shoulder, chuckling. “Let’s go. Time to put on a show.”

At the referee’s command, the ten finalists marched toward the arena. Lu Anchen followed Qin Lu like a lost puppy, still processing the instructions.

They stepped onto the stone platform and faced each other. Spiritual energy rippled from their weapons.

The battle was about to begin.