Chapter 15: The Challenge of the Masked Man
The air crackles with excitement.
After days of battles, the outer sect competition has reached its peak. The crowd fills every inch of the stadium, shouting names, placing bets, whispering predictions.
On the stage, Elder Fang Lanyue steps forward, her voice calm but commanding.
"After careful evaluation, the top six disciples are as follows—"
She raises her hand as she announces:
"Bai Si. Ye Chen. Chen Hao. Rong Hai. Liu Bing. Mo Shan."
The crowd erupts.
Cheers and boos, praise and jealousy — six names that now stand above thousands.
Suddenly—
A gust of wind rushes through the platform.
Whoosh—!
A figure drops onto the arena floor like a falling star, his presence sharp as a blade.
He wears a dark cloak and a white half-mask that conceals his face. His long black hair flows behind him. Calm… unmoving… unreadable.
The crowd falls into stunned silence.
"Who… who is that?"
"A masked man?!"
"A core disciple? No… he's not even wearing the sect badge!"
Even Elder Fang Lanyue narrows her eyes.
Before anyone can react—
A powerful, clear voice rings through the sky.
"Whoever defeats this masked man… shall become the personal disciple of the Sect Leader herself!"
Gasps fill the arena.
Sect Leader Ji Ning's voice?
She never interferes in the outer peak!
The voice continues—
"Don't worry. He will suppress his cultivation to Rank 3, Initial Stage."
The masked man raises his head slightly… and smiles beneath the mask.
A chill runs down everyone's spine.
This wasn't a reward.
It was a test.
A storm was coming.
And no one could stop it.