["Killing a genius gives closure. Ruining him gives legacy." – Wu Feng]
-
Linchuan's outer square buzzed with tension.
Word had spread: "Echo Silence," the rogue figure who looted the forbidden temple, was spotted near the Westflow Merchant Shrine.
That was a problem.
Because the shrine was sacred ground to the Qin Family, one of Linchuan's ruling bloodlines.
And their pride?
Their youngest genius, Qin Zixuan—a Foundation-level prodigy raised to believe genius was destiny.
So when he heard the name Echo Silence, he didn't hesitate.
He issued a challenge.
Public Duel Decree
"To the rogue who walks without past or face—if you've inherited the Crown's heresy, show yourself.Face me in the Merchant Arena at noon.Or I'll declare you a coward who hides behind myths."
Signed:Qin Zixuan, Heir of the Fourth Cloud Vein, Bloodline Disciple of the Shimmering Qi Line
And Wu Feng's Response?
He laughed.
"They think I'll run from a challenge to an identity I made up this week."
"Fine. I'll attend."
"But I won't win as me."
He activated the Thought-Echo Disguise (Lv. 1) he claimed from the Whispering Temple.
Then layered:
Star-Split Displacement (to create false movement trails)
Silent Wind Form (to suppress audience perception)
And a burn-scribed cloak etched with a simple symbol: ☰
A new mark. Not Meme Cult. Not Temple. Just… myth-shaped noise.
"Echo Silence is no longer a rumor," he murmured."It's a script."
[+15 PP – Identity Solidification Through Public Risk][+10 PP – Cultivated False Persona With Symbolic Flair]
Merchant Arena – Noon
Hundreds gathered.
Merchant clans, rogue cultivators, even envoys from Broken Root and Beast-Forged Path came to watch.
Qin Zixuan stood at the center: blue robes, silver chains wrapped around his arms, each one a Qi Lock that allowed temporary spiritual bursts.
He was famous for winning battles in six moves or fewer.
He stared into the crowd.
Then Wu Feng stepped out, cloaked and quiet.
He walked with no flourish, no declaration—just enough presence to be noticed.
A whisper rippled through the crowd.
"That's him.""The temple thief.""Echo Silence…"
The Duel Rules
– No killing blows– No external talismans– No identity reveals
Qin Zixuan raised his hand. "When I win, I want your real name."
Wu Feng answered, "You won't even leave with your own."
And The Fight Begins
Qin opened with Pulse Chain Flash—six strikes in a collapsing arc, powered by spiritual coils.
Wu stepped backward—not to dodge, but to redirect. Using Inverse Pulse, he let the momentum twist past him, then stepped into the blind zone behind Qin's elbow.
He didn't strike.
He whispered.
"Strike three: telegraphed. You learned it secondhand."
Qin froze.
The fourth chain missed.
Wu used Star-Split Displacement to flicker sideways—two false trails spiraled in opposite directions.
Qin chased the wrong one.
Wu tapped his shoulder.
"Strike four: wasted."
The crowd murmured.
He unleashed Qi Lock Burst—a spiritual overcharge technique only available to bloodline disciples. The chains glowed white-hot, forming a circle of force.
Wu stood still.
At the last second, he raised a hand and snapped his fingers.
A minor Resonant Disruption Script—cheap, barely lethal—activated near Qin's foot.
It destabilized his stance.
His own energy ruptured the aura ring.
He was thrown backward—his robes burned, hair disheveled, face red with shame.
Wu walked forward calmly.
"You thought I was your opponent."
"I'm your narrative."
[+25 PP – Genius Dismantled Using Personal Technique][+10 PP – Reputation Inversion In Front of Crowd][+5 PP – No Injury Inflicted, Only Identity Damage]
They didn't cheer.
They whispered.
"He didn't win with strength.""He... dissected him.""What kind of cultivation style is that?""Was that... rhetorical technique?"
A new phrase began to spread:
"Echo Dueling."– The art of breaking someone by turning their own story against them.
Wu didn't invent the term.
But he smiled when he heard it.
System Update
Petty Points: 840New Passive: Narrative Reversal (Lv. 1)When your opponent is publicly known or praised, you gain +15% PP from dismantling them through technique + language.New Unlock: Public Defeat Technique Token – Allows you to record a defeat and distribute it via talisman.
Echo Silence Identity Reach: Linchuan → Northfall (Rumors spreading)
That night, Wu returned to the arena.
He left a scroll on the dueling platform, sealed with echo dust and heat-drawn wax.
The message read:
"This duel was an offering to the ones who listen.""Echo Silence is not a person. It's a practice."
Below that, a forged transcript of Qin Zixuan's surrender, slightly altered, suggesting he had once trained under a Meme Cult echo-division before betraying them.
"Let them clean up the lie," Wu murmured."I'm already gone."
[+20 PP – Forged Legacy Implanted in Enemy's Past][+10 PP – Blame Redirected to Meme Cult Faction]
Temple Steps Outside Linchuan
Wu sat alone, sipping wine from a cracked jug.
A merchant walked by, muttering to a friend:
"Did you hear about the Echo Duel?""Yeah. Cultist nonsense. But... genius lost.""Maybe the temple left something behind.""Or maybe... someone rewrote the script."
Wu smiled.
"Exactly."