The rumors spread like wildfire. In taverns, markets, and even within the city's prestigious sect halls, whispers painted a dark picture of the Alchemist Association. An institution that had stood for over a thousand years, revered as neutral and just, now found its name muddied in every corner of Green Cloud City.
"They're suppressing clans to feed their greed," muttered a merchant as he poured wine for his guest.
"I heard they're working with noble families to bankrupt their rivals," an old cultivator grumbled at a tea house.
"The Li family is just the first. Tomorrow, who will be next?"
The people's voices carried weight. The fear of losing access to pills and elixirs, the lifeblood of cultivation, planted a dangerous seed of mistrust. The once-untouchable Alchemist Association now found itself cornered—not by force, but by public opinion.
The response came swiftly.
A sealed letter, adorned with the golden insignia of the Alchemist Association, was posted at key locations across the city. It read:
"The Alchemist Association is not responsible for the tournament's creation. Claims regarding the denial of resources to the Li family are baseless. We have no knowledge of such decisions and hold no bias in our dealings."
The tone was formal, but the message was clear—they were washing their hands clean.
In the Li family manor, the Grand Elder read the letter aloud before bursting into laughter. His shoulders shook, and the tension that had gripped the hall for days seemed to lift for a moment.
"This is it," he chuckled. "They can't deny us resources now. They've trapped themselves with their own words."
Then, his smile faded, and he clenched his weathered fist. "The first trap was avoided... but the real test is the tournament."
He gazed out the window, toward the city square where the battle platform stood waiting. "If we fall there... then all of this is meaningless."
Lu Yan read the same letter in silence, seated beside the boy who had orchestrated the downfall of a thousand-year-old reputation as if it were a chess piece in a game.
She turned to look at him—Li Yang, reclined beneath a tree, calmly peeling a fruit as though he hadn't just declared war on one of the strongest forces in the cultivation world.
"You played them like a toy," she muttered. "I still don't understand how you came up with all this."
He smiled faintly but didn't respond.
Lu Yan snorted. "Even if you clipped the Association's wings, the tournament is still on. What then? Are you going to fight the entire younger generation with that sickly body of yours?"
Her words were meant to be mocking, but a sliver of concern lingered beneath them.
Li Yang sighed, shaking his head. Beautiful women really know how to hold grudges.
"I didn't want to drag this out," he said, standing slowly. His eyes, calm and distant, darkened. "But since they insist on barking... then I'll break their teeth."
Without another word, he turned and walked toward his hut, leaving Lu Yan blinking in surprise.
She stared after him, a strange unease settling in her heart.
City Tower – East Courtyard
Crack!
A porcelain teacup shattered on the tiled floor, the shards glinting beneath the cold morning light. Yang Han stood motionless, a paper trembling in his clenched fist. His once-composed face was twisted in rage.
"He dared to humiliate me."
This plan had taken months. Coordinated suppression, secret deals with the Zhang and Yun families, manipulation of tournament rules—every thread had been perfectly woven. Yet now, everything was unraveling, and it wasn't due to the families or sects... but a boy he hadn't even considered a threat.
He called for a servant. Dipping a brush in black ink, he scribbled a few names and sealed the message with his personal insignia.
"Deliver this. Tonight, we begin."
A cruel smile curved across his lips as he stared in the direction of the Li family compound.
They dared to defy me. Blood must flow now.
A suffocating pressure surged from him, cracking the stone tiles beneath his feet. His killing intent spread like venom.
"I'll cripple their entire younger generation. Let the city watch as the Li family dies screaming."
The Tournament Grounds – Dawn
The central square of Green Cloud City had been transformed. At its heart stood a massive stone platform, etched with faded markings from ancient battles—proof of the legends that once clashed here.
Around the stage, tiered seating rose like a coliseum, packed with spectators. Even at this early hour, a sea of cultivators, nobles, and merchants buzzed with anticipation.
Two families were favored to dominate—Zhang and Yun. The Li family, in contrast, was seen as a fading ember in a rising storm.
As the Li family arrived, the crowd quieted. Sympathetic glances followed them. At the front walked the Grand Elder, his age more pronounced under the weight of pressure. His eyes scanned the stands with quiet dignity, but deep within, his heart sank. This tournament might mark the end of his family's legacy.
Among the younger generation, a single boy stood with sharp eyes and a proud gait—Li Zheng.
His gaze swept the stands with undisguised arrogance.
Today, I'll show them all.
He had trained in secret, developed a trump card hidden even from his family. Once he revealed it, he would rise like a dragon. His moment was near.
In a high pavilion overlooking the arena, Lu Yan sat with her arms crossed and a teacup in hand. Her red robes fluttered lightly in the breeze, and her eyes scanned the Li pavilion with a slight frown.
"He told me to come early," she muttered under her breath. "That sly fox said I shouldn't miss the show... and now he's late?"
She sipped her tea, annoyed. Yet despite herself, there was a flutter of expectation in her chest.
He's up to something. I can feel it.
The tournament had yet to begin, but in the air, there was tension—like the calm before a thunderstorm.
And deep within the city, a shadow was preparing to walk into the light.