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<Obtained Health Restoration Pill x1.>

<Obtained Qi Restoration Pill x1.>

<Obtained 19,000 Spirit Crystals.>

<Obtained Heavenly Avoidance Pill x1.>

———

<Sword Duel Enlightenment>

<Sword Intent +1,000>

<Current Intent EXP needed for next level: 8,300/10,000>

\'Oh…? A Heavenly Avoidance Pill?\' Xuan was a bit surprised to receive this as a reward. \'I guess Huo Fei still thinks I am at the Heavenly Transcendent stage…\'

This pill was used to greatly lessen the impacts of a Heavenly Tribulation when breaking through, so for cultivators Origin Transformation realm and above, it was extremely useful, and could save one\'s life in a pinch. For Xuan right now, though, it was next to useless, since he wasn\'t going to be facing any Heavenly Tribulations anytime soon anyway.

Still, it was the thought that counted, and Xuan treasured it dearly. The true prize that he wanted, however, was the Sealed World Pearl—and in order to obtain it, he\'d have to win this final battle, against the toughest opponent yet—the poet, Li Shu.

When the transmit completed, Xuan saw Li Shu already waiting there on-stage, calmly reading through what looked like a normal book. Hearing the sound of the teleportation, Li Shu glanced away from the scripture and at Xuan, before smiling.

"Ah. I didn\'t expect it would be you to come up here."

"The feeling is mutual," Xuan replied, walking into the ring. "I did not think you would be my final opponent either."

"Strange, isn\'t it?" Li Shu laughed. "To think in a battle filled with Origin Comprehension phase masters, the final two contenders would be mere Core Formation stage cultivators."

"Agreed. But… that isn\'t your real cultivation, is it?"

"Oh…? And here I was, thinking I\'d hid it quite well. How did you find out?"

The real answer was the Divine Asura Eye, which allowed Xuan to see his \'profile\', but of course, he couldn\'t tell this man that. So, instead, he went with what he did best: shrug.

"Just a hunch, that\'s all."

"Is that so…" Li Shu smiled mysteriously, and closed up the book he had been reading before dematerializing it with a single thought. It was a minor movement, but it was one that caused Xuan to narrow his eyes.

"You\'ve discovered the System?"

"Ah… you too, it seems, if you know what it is."

Xuan nodded. "How did you do it?"

This time, it was Li Shu\'s turn to shrug.

"Just a hunch, that\'s all."

He didn\'t seem to be mocking Xuan in an insulting way, but rather more playful and gentle. At the very least, Xuan didn\'t particularly dislike him for it, but rather thought of him as \'interesting\'. With a soft chuckle, he stepped into the arena facing Li Shu, and the spotlights focused on the two of them.

"I haven\'t introduced myself yet, have I?" Li Shu then said, opening the fan in his other hand and flapping it gently. "I am Li Shu, an aspiring poet hoping to comprehend the mysteries of higher realms… though I suppose if you have seen through my cultivation already, such lies won\'t work, will they?"

"I believe that you are indeed a poet," Xuan replied. "I know quite a few, and all of them have the same personality as you. At least, if you are faking it, your acting skills are quite adequate."

"I see… in that case, thank you for the compliment," Li Shu said gently. "However… as you will soon find out, acting is not the only thing I am good at."

Xuan drew his Scarlet Passion Sword, a calm and unwavering expression on his handsome face.

"Come, then. Let\'s see just how far your pen can fly before I strike it down."

"Very well. Let the battle between two Core Formation stage cultivators—

Li Shu smiled softly, and snapped his fan shut.

—Begin."

And the Arena of Fire began to rise.

*****

- VIP Chamber, Highest Floor -

"Welcome, all VIPs, to this year\'s Immortal Feast here at the Tower of Flames," a beautiful waitress announced through the stage near the front of the room. "I sincerely apologize on behalf of Immortal Fairy Huo Fei for the late start, but due to the amount of guests here tonight exceeding our initial predictions, she had to prepare more servings of food last-minute."

A lie, of course. But one that seemed believable. Ms. Jiapei had told her to just tell the VIPs this as an excuse, and by the looks and cheers of the happy crowd, it seemed to have worked.

"Now then, the dishes will soon start to be served, beginning with the appetizers. We sincerely hope you enjoy, and take your time. In the meantime, for entertainment, you can spectate the ongoing battles from the floors below, where cultivators strive to reach the VIP floor here by winning fights against their fellow contenders. Luckily, we are just in time for the final battle."

"Mm… I wonder how junior brother is doing…" Zhi Ruo muttered, a look of worry on her face.

"It\'ll be fine," Qing Lili reassured with a smile. "He is not a normal Core Formation stage cultivator—I can tell that much."

"I\'m aware, but still…"

At this, Zheng Kuang, who was sitting at a table near the corner with Zhi Ruo and Qing Lili, smiled warmly.

"I\'m sure he\'ll be fine," he said. "Just sit back and enjoy the meal—don\'t let it go to waste."

Of course, he said this calmly on the surface, but in his mind, he was cackling out of control.

\'Haha! That stupid brat probably already got himself crippled! With a prize like the Sealed World Pearl, all kinds of Origin Comprehension phase masters will be participating in the competition.  He\'s either half-dead right now, or ran away like a coward.\'

But just then, in that instant, a loud rumbling could be heard in the room, steadily growing louder and louder. As the guests looked around in confusion, the empty part of the floor near the center of the VIP chamber suddenly opened up, and up arose a massive platform—the Arena of Fire, surrounded by a Qi barrier. The corners of the stage shot out plumes of blazing flames, adding to the hype, and the crowd cheered in excitement.

… Well, most of them, anyway.

When Zheng Kuang saw who was one of the two people standing on the platform, however, his jaw dropped in shock.

"Impossible…"