Tian Lei accepted it with both hands, feeling the vibration against his palm—dense, ancient, and wild. "Appreciated," he said softly.

In this world, cultivation wasn't a single path. Some refined spirit energy through meditation and tempering; others raised contracted beasts that devoured cores to strengthen themselves. When a beast consumed a higher-rank core, the feedback it produced could surge through the master's meridians, granting days—sometimes even weeks—of progress in a single breath.

"Thank you. It will surely help me," Tian Lei said with a faint smile.

Of course, he couldn't actually use it—not yet. He hadn't awakened his beast. Physically, he was only six years old; the adult form he showed was nothing more than an illusion, crafted through Transfiguration magic.

Still, that was his secret. Su Liyue didn't need to know.

"Let's go," she said brightly. "We should grab something to eat. The qualifiers starts at noon, after all."

Tian Lei nodded with a small chuckle. "Yeah, food first."

And with that, the two stepped out to eat.

The streets were already crowded when they stepped out. Food stalls lined both sides of the road, the air filled with the smell of roasted meat and fried dumplings. Cultivators from different sects walked past in groups, laughing and boasting about their techniques.

Tian Lei and Su Liyue found a small stall near the corner and sat down. The owner, an old man with a cheerful face, served them bowls of steaming noodles topped with spirit herbs and slices of beast meat.

Su Liyue ate quietly for a while before glancing at him. "You don't seem nervous about the competition."

Tian Lei slurped a noodle and shrugged. "No point in worrying. Either I win or I learn something."

She smiled. "Confident, huh?"

"Prepared," he corrected, finishing his bowl and setting it down. "There's a difference."

They ate in silence after that, the noise of the city fading into the background. When they were done, Tian Lei stood, brushing off his hands. "We should head to the arena soon."

Su Liyue nodded, paying the stall owner before following him down the street. The city's central plaza loomed ahead—massive gates, banners fluttering, and the sound of thousands gathering for the start of the Grand Competition.

As they approached the central plaza, the atmosphere grew more intense. The streets were packed shoulder to shoulder, filled with spectators, vendors, and competitors trying to push through the crowd. The air buzzed with excitement and tension.

Dozens of platforms floated above the arena, shimmering with barrier formations. Each one was marked with a different color—indicating different stages for the qualifiers. Announcers shouted over the noise, calling for participants to gather at their designated zones.

"Looks like they're not holding back this year," Su Liyue said, scanning the platforms. "Even the city guards are on patrol."

"Too many big sects in one place," Tian Lei replied. "They can't afford chaos."

They stopped at the entrance gate, where an official checked each contestant's jade slip before letting them through. Tian Lei handed his over. The guard inspected it, then nodded and gestured him inside.

The arena floor was massive—wide enough to hold hundreds of fights at once. The stone tiles were engraved with golden runes that glowed faintly, ready to absorb stray attacks. Around them, competitors were already warming up, summoning weapons, or testing their mana control.

Tian Lei adjusted his robe sleeves and exhaled slowly. "Finally," he muttered, his golden eyes narrowing slightly.

Su Liyue smiled faintly. "Show them what you've got."

He nodded once and stepped forward, joining the rows of cultivators as the announcer's voice boomed through the arena.

"Welcome, participants, to the Mist Leaf City Grand Competition qualifiers! Prepare yourselves—the first round begins now!"

The air trembled as dozens of light barriers flared to life. Tian Lei's fingers twitched slightly, his mana already stirring under his skin.

"Time to move," he said quietly, stepping into the ring as golden sparks began to dance around his hands.

The referee—a stern-looking elder in silver robes—floated down to the center platform as the roar of the crowd died down. His voice echoed across the massive arena, carried by mana amplification.

"All participants, listen carefully! The qualifiers will be divided into five floating arenas—each can hold up to one hundred contestants. Your first task is simple: reach any arena and remain there for one hour."

A murmur spread through the crowd.

"The higher the arena, the greater the point multiplier. The ones who stand at the highest platforms by the end will earn more points. After this round, only the top five hundred participants will qualify for the next stage!"

As soon as he finished, five massive platforms rose into the air—each glowing in a different color, from dull bronze to radiant gold.

Tian Lei's gaze locked onto the golden one floating at the very top. "Highest arena," he muttered, eyes narrowing.

When the whistle blew, chaos erupted. Cultivators launched into the sky with flying swords, movement techniques, and flight talismans. Explosions of light and energy filled the air as dozens of participants clashed mid-ascent.

Tian Lei didn't rush at first—he studied the flow, eyes scanning the movement patterns. Then his mana flared.

"Blink Step."

In an instant, his body flickered, vanishing and reappearing halfway up. Dozens of competitors turned, startled, as he crossed the next hundred meters in a flash of golden light.

"Golden Dominion Field—activate."

A faint shimmer spread beneath his feet, and everything within ten meters slowed. Energy attacks bent slightly off course, giving him an open path.

"Get him!" someone shouted, sending a flurry of wind blades his way. Tian Lei didn't even look back. A single wave of his hand unleashed dozens of razor-sharp golden slashes that cut through the air and shredded the incoming spells apart.

By the time the others recovered, he was already at the upper platform.

He landed lightly, eyes calm, as other contestants tried to catch up. The air crackled as he turned his hand and released a focused blast of gold energy—sending three incoming cultivators crashing down.

Within minutes, the top platform stabilized with fewer than twenty people left standing. The elder overseeing the match watched closely, stroking his beard. "That one…" he murmured, narrowing his eyes at Tian Lei. "That's not a technique from any known sect. His domain control—almost flawless."

Around him, some weaker contestants fought desperately, while others who managed to climb higher were immediately thrown off by Tian Lei's precise golden slashes.

When the hour ended, the referee reappeared, his aura suppressing the crowd into silence.

"Time's up!"

Golden screens appeared in the air, displaying the point rankings. Tian Lei's name glowed at the very top of the list—his score nearly double that of the runner-up.

Gasps spread through the arena.

"Who the hell is he?"

"Independent cultivator, no affiliation…"

"He used a Domain Skill! Only Sun rank and higher beasts can awaken it!"

Tian Lei ignored the noise, stepping back from the edge as the golden aura around him faded. His expression stayed calm, but a faint smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.

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