A core the size of a clenched fist rose into the air, blazing with seven radiant stripes—gold, red, white, blue, violet, silver, and green—each strand flickering like a star pressed into a heartbeat.

Its presence alone felt like it was negotiating airspace rights with the sun.

Tian Lei bowed, accepted it with steady hands, and the crowd thundered in applause.

Then came the second reward.

A scroll materialized in dazzling golden light—with it Tian lei can go to any of the Four Great Sect he want.

"This," the elder announced, "is your privilege as first place: the right to choose any of the Four Great Sect to join. No restrictions. No prerequisites. No approvals needed."

Tian Lei looked at the scrolls as his smile turned awkward. He was just six, so he had yet to awaken his beast—which meant he didn't know which sect to join. Not to mention, in the sect there would surely be someone who might see through his illusion.

"I am not joining any sect. I only participated for the Essence Core," Tian Lei said, shaking his head, causing the elder to frown.

"Do you even know what you are saying?"

Others also looked at Tian Lei as if he was an idiot. Joining a Great Sect meant instant success. Even if someone remained an Outer Court disciple, no one would dare harm them with the Great Sect name behind them.

Yet here Tian Lei was, rejecting such an offer.

"I am right now roaming the world, so I can't join any sect," Tian Lei said, as the sect leaders of the Great Sect spoke to the elder with mental transmission.

Leave him be. We Great Sect don't need to fawn over him. Let him go, but take back the Essence Core.

It was meant for the disciple who will join us. If he's not joining, he's not getting it, the receding leader noted.

"Very well then… but you have to give back the Essence Core too," the elder said as he looked at Tian Lei.

Tian Lei didn't hesitate.

He closed his hand around the Essence Core, holding it protectively against his chest. "I won this on my own," he said, his voice steady despite his small frame. "And I'm keeping what I earned."

The elder's expression darkened immediately. "Watch your tone, boy."

Behind him, one of the Great Sect leaders stepped forward, face cold and sharp. "You have two choices," he said calmly. "Join… or die."

A rain-like hum cracked through the air as spirit pressure gathered around Tian Lei. It felt like the entire arena was suddenly pushing down on him.

Tian Lei didn't flinch.

"If you're going to use force," he said quietly, "then I'll say this once."

He lifted his chin, eyes shining with faint golden light.

"I'm leaving now. But when I return… I'll crush all four of your Great Sects."

Silence.

Then the world blurred.

A flash of distorted light wrapped around Tian Lei's body—and he vanished, shooting into the distance like a streak of gold. In the blink of an eye, he was millions of miles away, standing alone in a quiet stretch of wilderness.

The arena erupted into chaos.

"Teleportation?! How can it be?!"

"Impossible—he didn't have space elemental beast!"

"Track him!"

But they couldn't. Whatever technique he used had erased all traces of him. The elders searched the sky, the ground, the formations—nothing.

A few of the Great Sect leaders frowned in anger.

"If he returns, he could truly become a threat," one muttered.

Another nodded. "We should have taken him the moment he refused. We made a mistake."

That mistake turned into something far worse.

Within moments, a bounty order spread across the sects—quiet, hidden, but deadly clear:

Kill Tian Lei on sight.

"Tian Lei is hereby declared a criminal who stole a Great Sect treasure. He is to be apprehended or killed on sight."

Among the Audience there were many who found it unjust but they can't do anything and just left shaking their heads and among them is Su liyue too.

Her fist tightened instantly.

"Idiots," she muttered under her breath. "He won that fair and square… You just couldn't handle losing face."

She didn't stay to hear the rest.She knew exactly how these people operated—twist the truth, spread fear, and then pretend it was justice.

But Tian Lei… before leaving, he had slipped something into her hand while everyone's attention was elsewhere.

A smooth jade-like token, marked with faint glowing lines.

He'd whispered quickly, almost shyly, "If something goes wrong, break it. You'll jump ten thousand miles. Don't tell anyone."

She hadn't expected to need it this soon.

That evening, after leaving the city gates, she sensed killing intent behind her. Four men in black cloaks emerged from the shadows, eyes glinting with the greed of bounty hunters.

"Su Liyue," one said, stepping forward. "We heard you were close to the boy. Hand over anything he gave you."

"Not interested," she replied.

The men charged without another word.

Su Liyue didn't hesitate. She grabbed the token, crushed it between her fingers—and the world snapped.

Light twisted.Her body jolted.Her vision blurred—

—and then she was standing on a rocky cliffside thousands of miles away, the wind howling past her.

She gasped, disoriented, looking back in the direction of Mist Leaf City. The assassins were gone, cut away by distance in an instant.

"Tian Lei…" she whispered. "You little monster… these tokens are priceless."

She checked her pouch.There were still two left.

A small smile rose on her lips.

"You better survive," she said softly. "Because when I find you again, you're explaining everything."

Then—without looking back—Su Liyue began her journey home, racing across the wilds one ten-thousand-mile jump at a time.

While Tian Lei was looking into the lake, staring at his own reflection, he nodded slightly. "Hmm, not bad."

He had no idea where he was now—somewhere in the middle of nowhere—but the first thing he did was change his identity. The Tian Lei from before, the golden-haired, golden-eyed boy, no longer existed.

Now he had black hair and red eyes, paired with a new illusionary beast: the Black Thunder Divine Dragon.

Since his previous appearance had just been the result of a simple Transfiguration, changing it was child's play for him.

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