Immortal Paladin

363 Rising Phoenix

Dozens of cultivators whispered among themselves, their excitement filling the dim underground like static before a storm.

“Look, those robes! That’s the Azure Spirit Sect!”

“Ha, but those two in black are from Ghost Blade Pavilion. Better not look them in the eye.”

“Wait, are those… outsiders? I see the Heavenly Temple’s insignia!”

“And Union brats, too. What are they doing here?”

The Rising Phoenix Tournament was a competition of martial might and cultivation for practitioners below a hundred years old.

Frankly, I had no idea how long it normally took for one to reach the next realm per stage. Everyone had their own pace. It varied drastically depending on environment, resources, compatibility of method, talent, and spiritual roots.

Practitioners from qi-deprived places like the outer villages of Riverfall would cap at the Fourth Realm, Spirit Mystery, and it could take them five centuries to crawl their way there. Meanwhile, according to Lu Gao’s investigation of the Heavenly Temple, their inner disciples could reach the same level within fifty years, or even ten.

They were simply built differently.

It frustrated me a little. The Empire’s cultivator population was low because most resources were monopolized by the noble clans. And with the ever-decreasing qi in the atmosphere since the fall of the Arch Gate, the situation would only get worse.

I sighed.

If I wanted the Empire to endure, I’d need to streamline the process and create a world where even common citizens could cultivate to the Second Realm with relative ease. A bit ambitious, maybe, but with the Hollow Star and my ability to manipulate creation, I could make it possible.

One day, perhaps.

But for now… There was a tournament to win.

The one leading us was a middle-aged man built like a wall of stone. He stood before the gathered competitors, arms folded, an aura so dense it distorted the torchlight. His presence alone silenced the noisy crowd of young cultivators.

“I am your Observer for this round,” the man said, his voice low but carrying like a dragon’s rumble. “You may call me Boulder Dragon.”

The name triggered murmurs all around me.

“Boulder Dragon… the Sevenfold Palm Hero?”

“Didn’t he hold off a demon horde in the north by himself?”

“They say his skin’s harder than steel—”

The man ignored the whispers, scanning us like we were lumps of ore waiting to be refined. His cultivation radiated at the Seventh Realm.

“The elimination round will begin shortly,” he said, tone flat. “Prepare yourselves. You may still turn back now if you lack confidence.”

No one moved.

We were currently gathered in some basement chamber beneath the arena. It was dark, the walls damp, and the air thick with the tension of unspent qi. Only a few torches flickered to give us light.

Through my Divine Sense, I gauged the cultivators around me. The average was Mind Enlightenment, and a few Will Reinforcement mixed in. Impressive for their age bracket.

Suddenly, I sneezed.

The sound echoed embarrassingly loud. My qi surged unbidden, and before I could react, I felt my realm break through to the Fifth Star of Mind Enlightenment.

A hush fell over the room.

Everyone turned to look at me.

“Uh…” I rubbed my nose awkwardly. “Excuse me.”

I sneezed again. My realm rose another star.

Specifically, at the Sixth Star of Mind Enlightenment.

The stares this time carried open disgust.

“...Are you serious?” someone muttered.

“Did he just… by sneezing?”

“Is that even possible?”

I smiled weakly, scratching the back of my head. “Sorry, it’s an allergy.”

I quietly walked into a corner to avoid their collective death-glares.

It seemed my comprehension of Mind Enlightenment was deeper than I’d realized. It was more stable and refined than even my Martial Tempering. Each sneeze probably unsealed a fragment of my suppressed cultivation. I should stop doing that before I cause a scene.

After some time, a group of attendants entered carrying trays of small jade bands. One by one, they handed them out. I examined mine. It was smooth, pale green, and engraved with faint runic patterns.

“These are your life-protection jade bands,” Boulder Dragon explained. “Each contains defensive spells. If your jade breaks, you will be instantly teleported out of the arena and lose your qualification. Use them wisely. If you lose consciousness or take lethal damage, the band will activate automatically.”

That was… surprisingly generous.

I remembered the brutal tournament in Riverfall’s Yellow Dragon Festival, where death was considered a valid form of defeat. Back then, I thought it had been more dangerous than I’d like to admit. This one, at least, had the decency of safety measures.

The Observer continued, voice deep and deliberate:

“The elimination round will take place in a maze-like terrain. You will be teleported to random positions within the maze. Only the top eight participants who reach the end will advance to the main tournament. You may eliminate others along the way. You have six hours.”

Murmurs among competitors rose in droves as they gossiped about the rules.

The Observer finally lost his patience. He inhaled sharply, then released his qi in a deep bellow that shook the floor.

“QUIET!”

The echo of his voice struck like thunder. Even the torches flickered under the weight of his aura. The room fell instantly silent.

“Good,” he said, tone calm but edged with steel. “Listen carefully. You will not only fight for survival, but for points. Each time you eliminate a competitor, the formation in your jade band will record it. The more you eliminate, the higher your score. Only the top eight will advance.”

Whispers broke out again, but quieter this time.

So it was a battle royale, then. The entire maze was our arena.

Simple enough.

“Prepare yourselves,” the Observer continued, his tone returning to command. “You will be teleported to random locations across the arena. Compete fairly. Use this opportunity to prove your strength. And remember, this is not just about victory. It is about honor.”

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He clasped his hands behind his back, his expression unreadable. “May your spirits burn bright.”

Light gathered beneath our feet. Formation lines pulsed along the floor, then climbed the walls in shimmering arcs. Our jade bands responded, glowing faintly as the teleportation array activated.

“Good luck,” Boulder Dragon said, as the world dissolved in white.

When I opened my eyes, I was standing in a corridor of towering grass walls, each one several meters thick and reaching at least thirty meters high. They rustled faintly, alive with qi, and giving the illusion of being in a living labyrinth.

I pressed my palm against one of the walls, channeling Divine Sense, but it hit a barrier.

“Figures…” I murmured. “Even an Eighth Realm would have trouble breaking through this.”

So brute-forcing it wasn’t an option. No shortcuts. I wasn’t alone, either. Eight cultivators had been teleported to the same section as me. They looked around warily, gauging one another’s strength. One, a young man wielding a spear, finally spoke up.

“Listen! We can’t waste time fighting each other. Let’s join forces and take out the stronger cultivators first, then settle scores later!”

Murmurs of agreement rose. It was a smart plan if you were weak.

I smiled faintly. “Sorry,” I said aloud, except I didn’t just say it.

I used Divine Speech, a technique I’d created by merging my aura, Qi Speech, and the Voice Chat ability from my gaming days. My words weren’t mere sound. Instead, they were a wave of will, vibrating through the air and striking directly into the minds of those who heard.

The effect was immediate.

Every head turned toward me. Their bodies tensed. Even the air grew heavy with attention, as if the entire maze itself was listening.

The spear wielder frowned. “What… what did you just do?”

Another cultivator whispered, “Why does it feel like he’s staring into my soul?”

A third asked nervously, “Why did you apologize?”

I smiled wider. “Because,” I said, letting my aura bloom like a storm, “I need to practice my skills.”

Flash Step.

I vanished from sight.

A heartbeat later, I appeared behind the archer at the rear of the group. Her eyes barely widened before I chopped her at the base of her neck with a precise strike.

Crack!

The jade band on her wrist shattered, and she dissolved into motes of light.

The others stared in stunned silence.

I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. “Sorry again. It’s for training purposes.”

Seven left. Three swordsmen, one spearman, one staff-wielding caster, one giant brawler, and one whip user.

All of them looked furious.

I stretched my neck, exhaled, and released another pulse of Divine Speech, my voice carrying weight like rolling thunder.

“Come on, then,” I said with a smirk. “Show me what you’ve got… unless you’re all too busy missing your moms.”

They froze.

“…What?” said the whip user.

“I said,” I clarified, grinning, “your mom’s so weak in the knees she probably calls me daddy.”

A beat of silence, followed by rage.

“YOU—!”

“Kill him!”

“I’ll break his jaw myself!”

Just like that, I’d successfully cast Taunt.

My aura felt wrong in this body. In my main frame, it was gold and sure, a presence that drew on the Hollow Star and made skills sing; here it was a mist, a breath that fogged the air and refused to hold shape. Aura in my hands now had to be used frugally and precisely; every weave into a technique would cost me physically. Still, even a wisp of it bent the world enough to matter.

The unarmed brawler rallied the others with a shout, hands balled into fists as if to punch the very idea of me into submission. “Band together!” he roared. “Cut this pest down and we’ll split the points!”

The caster slipped toward the center, trying to avoid a repeat of the archer’s fate. Three swordsmen readied a formation, a synchronized step, a breathing pattern that looked elegant and dangerous. The whip-user had vanished like a blade of wind. The spearman stayed in the rear with the unarmed fighter, watching and waiting.

My Divine Sense ticked. The unarmed man hid a deeper aura under a glimmering ring; he wasn't as low as he pretended.

“I guess, I will save you for later…”

For now, the swordsmen moved as one, relying on formation to make up for speed.

When they closed, I let Divine Speed carry me. Their blades cut air where I had stood; their formation collapsed like a toy. I stepped between two of them, feeling the flow of the fight, and used Monkey Grip. My hand found the loose nape of one swordsman’s neck, locked like a clasp, and I shoved. He stumbled square into his brother’s path, and the brother’s own blade answered him for me. The first one dissolved into motes as his jade band cracked and spat light.

The second cursed me and lunged with impatience. I cracked him with Stagger, a skill that unbalanced his stance. I stomped at his head with Divine Might, eliminating him. I closed the distance to the remaining swordsman. He lashed out, and I dodged a hair’s breadth to the side, my body answering in milliseconds. I drove a Divine Might kick straight into his chest; his jade band detonated with a sharp, obedient ping, and he vaporized.

“Three down, and four more to go…”

The whip snapped from nowhere. It came from my blind side, a hidden strike intended to clip the jade band and toss me out. A good stealth attack, clever and sudden; the whip had the feel of practiced hands behind it. However, it was futile. My Divine Sense caught the movement in the air like a fisherman feeling the tug of a line. I trapped the whip between my fingers, feeling the vibration crawl up my forearm, and pulled.

The whip’s owner tried to retract and reweave, but I didn’t give them the chance.

I stepped forward, closed the distance, and drove that fist into the face of the stealthy whip user. The impact was blunt and absolute; the jade band shattered under the shockwave, and the body broke into light like the others.

Ah, I did it again. Here I thought I’d stop showing off, yet here I was, hand raised in invitation, daring them to keep going. “Heya~! Don’t get disheartened, kids… I’m just strong…” I smiled, knowing full well how infuriating it sounded. But truth be told, it wasn’t arrogance. Instead, it was a simple fact. Even if I was still stuck at Martial Tempering, my mastery of aura was already at the level of a Supreme Master. Someone like that could easily fight on par with a Spirit Mystery cultivator who had mastered their special ability.

Right now, I’m at Mind Enlightenment with the Supreme Master aura. It was overkill.

The three left, the caster, the spearman, and the unarmed guy, hesitated in a loose formation. The caster muttered something under his breath, clearly still gathering energy, while the spearman’s grip on his weapon tightened as he shifted his stance to cover the caster’s flank. The unarmed guy just walked toward me, cracking his knuckles. His steps were heavy and unhurried, and he smiled the way men smile before a brawl.

“What’s your name, warrior?” he asked, his tone cutting.

“Zha,” I said without hesitation, drawing the character in the air, “for the character ‘fraud’ (诈).”

The moment I said it, his jaw twitched. His aura rippled with anger as he spat at the ground. “How dare you look down on the long-honored tradition of the Martial Alliance by giving such a fake name! A name so odd, you might as well be shouting it’s fake!”

I tilted my head, unfazed. “Wouldn’t it be worse if it were real?”

He ignored the jab, planting his feet firmly. “Remember this, then. My name is Yi Mu of the Fire Dragon Lineage. I’ll be the one to take you down.”

Yi Mu, huh? That name made me pause for a second. The resemblance to Yi Qiu was uncanny, with the same fiery hair and sharp eyes, maybe even the same bloodline. He looked to be in his mid-twenties, old enough to be a cousin or nephew of someone.

“Yeah, yeah…” I muttered absently, rubbing at my nose. I felt the itch again, the same irritating tickle that never meant anything good. “Hah~ hah~”

I raised a hand politely. “Hold on for a second.”

“Achoo~!”

My aura flared on reflex. Qi exploded around me, my body feeling lighter and stronger, the density of the Central Plains’ energy pushing me higher. When I blinked, my cultivation had risen again to the Eighth Star of Mind Enlightenment.

The trio froze.

“What the—” the caster stammered. “He… he just ascended by sneezing!?”

“Monster!” the spearman shouted.

Yi Mu just scowled, muttering, “You’ve got to be kidding me…”

I lifted a finger and wagged it. “No, no, I’m not a monster or a genius. I’m just a fraud. And you’re all going to find out why, after I win this competition.”

Yi Mu clenched his fist, the veins on his arm glowing faintly red. “Arrogant. I’ll be the champion of the Rising Phoenix for the sake of my clan. You won’t stop me.”

Before I could reply, the caster suddenly yelled, “It’s finally complete!”

The spearman, realizing what was happening, grinned widely. “Do it! We’ll earn points somewhere else!”

Yi Mu’s eyes widened. “Wait, you—!”

The caster slammed his staff into the ground. Formation arrays erupted beneath their feet, lighting the maze in dazzling hues. The two vanished in a flash. It was teleportation.

The silence afterward was awkward. Yi Mu and I stood there, just… staring.

I coughed into my fist. “Well, that’s the world of cultivation for you. Betrayals can happen at any moment—”

I didn’t finish.

Yi Mu’s body blurred into flame. His speed was startling, a comet of crimson energy streaking toward me. The air bent and popped as his fiery fist appeared inches from my face. The ring hiding his true cultivation shattered into glittering dust, and his real strength at Will Reinforcement Realm exploded outward. The flames around his arm burned the air itself, so intense they distorted space.

I grinned widely. “Good. It’s a great show of guts, and I like it.”

I activated Divine Flesh. My skin gleamed faintly as qi surged beneath it, hardening it beyond steel. I didn’t even flinch. Instead, I leaned forward and headbutted his punch.

The sound was like a gong strike.

Yi Mu’s eyes went wide in disbelief as his flames sputtered against my forehead. The smell of scorched hair filled the maze, and my skin sizzled, but I didn’t care.

“You fought bravely,” I said, summoning my storage ring’s light. A mighty hammer materialized in my grip, heavy and humming with aura. I raised it above my head. “Let me face you with sincerity, young warrior.”

War Smite imbued with aura fell like judgment.

The hammer struck his guard and crushed it instantly. The impact created a shockwave that cracked the ground. His jade band shattered, and Yi Mu was teleported away in a flash of light, his body limp but intact.

I straightened, brushing soot off my hair and raising my gaze to the heavens. Somewhere above, I could feel the weight of invisible eyes of observers, elders, perhaps even the so-called new Alliance Master, watching this event.

I smirked and raised a hand in mock salute.

“Watch carefully,” I whispered, voice carrying through the air like a soft challenge. “I’m going to make a good show for everyone.”