"Both have beast resonance above ninety percent!"

Elders whispered among themselves, comparing notes, calculating who had better stamina left after the brutal royale.

The two fighters bowed slightly.

Their beasts appeared behind them—one a spectral tiger, glowing silver; the other a soft, pale rabbit shape with faint lunar patterns pulsing like breath.

Tian Lei flicked his wrist.

"Begin."

The tiger youth charged immediately, wind exploding beneath his steps. The moon-rabbit girl didn't move—not until the last second, when her figure flickered like a ripple in still water.

She vanished.

The tiger's claws ripped through empty air.

Gasps echoed.

"She's behind him!"

"No—above!"

"Her footwork… she's using moon-shadow steps!"

The tiger youth pivoted, slashing upward, forcing her to retreat mid-air. Her landing was silent—too silent. The tiger youth's aura surged; his beast roared, sending a silver shockwave toward her.

But she slipped sideways like light bending around her body.

Tian Lei nodded faintly.

"Not bad footwork."

Su Mingyue glanced at him. "Master, do you have a favorite?"

"Not yet. Let them bleed a little more."

Down on the ring, the masked girl finally attacked.

A flash.

A kick to the ribs—

another to the shoulder—

a sweep that almost took his legs.

The tiger youth gritted his teeth, his beast roaring to stabilize him. Silver aura thickened around him as he switched to brute force. Every strike shook the ring now.

The masked girl didn't dodge completely this time. Instead, she let some blows graze her, conserving movement—and struck his weak points with pinpoint precision.

Bruises formed across his arms.

Blood beaded on his lip.

But he didn't fall.

He grinned, defiant.

The masked girl's eyes narrowed behind the mask.

Both of them leapt forward—

Silver aura exploding from one side,

Moon-light flickering from the other—

And just as they clashed—

Tian Lei whispered, amused:

"…That's more like it."

The first duel was only beginning to heat up.

They collided in the center of the ring, aura blasting outward in a rough shockwave that forced a few weaker disciples in the crowd to step back.

The tiger youth dug his heels into the ground, sliding only an inch.

The masked girl flipped back twice, landing smoothly.

He wiped the blood from his lip.

"You're fast," he growled.

She didn't answer—just adjusted her stance and tapped the ground lightly with her toes. Her rabbit spirit shifted behind her, its faint glow sharpening.

He charged again.

This time he didn't aim for speed.

He swung his arm in a wide arc, silver energy forming a crescent slash that cut across the ring.

The masked girl narrowed her eyes.

She couldn't dodge that one completely.

She crossed her arms and absorbed part of the hit, sliding back with a grunt.

The elders murmured.

"She's good. She's reading him."

"But his raw power is rising. The tiger spirit is pushing him harder."

Tian Lei clicked his tongue. "He's wasting stamina."

Su Mingyue nodded. "She's conserving hers."

The fight continued with simple, brutal exchanges.

He attacked—heavy hits, straight lines, wide swings.

She countered—short steps, quick strikes, using his force against him.

Every time he landed a hit, she managed two.

Every time she slipped past him, she targeted tendons and joints.

The difference between them became clearer with each second.

The tiger youth slowed.

His breath grew heavier.

His arms shook from impact after impact.

The masked girl… didn't show much change at all.

Finally, she stepped forward with real intent.

A punch to the stomach.

A kick to the chest.

Then a sweeping low strike—

He staggered.

His tiger spirit roared in panic, aura bursting to keep him upright, but the masked girl didn't give him room.

She appeared behind him, heel raised.

A clean kick to the back of his neck—not enough to kill, but more than enough to end it.

He hit the ground hard.

Silence fell.

The masked girl stood straight, breathing lightly, moon-rabbit spirit glowing calmly behind her.

Tian Lei raised a hand.

"Winner: Masked girl."

The crowd let out the breath they'd been holding.

The tiger youth groaned and pushed himself up, embarrassed but not angry. He gave her a stiff nod.

"You win."

She nodded back once before stepping off the ring.

Lei Hong clapped loudly. "GOOD FIGHT! ANOTHER! NEXT!"

Qing Xue flicked ice at him to shut him up.

Tian Lei pointed lazily at the next two glowing stones.

"Next match. Get down here."

Two more figures descended—one carrying a spear, the other surrounded by faint crackling lightning.

The two stepped onto the ring without speaking.

The spear-wielder spun his weapon once, planting its butt against the ground with a dull thud. His beast spirit, a sleek Gale Wolf, appeared behind him—wind swirling around its paws.

The other youth's lightning crackled louder, sparks jumping across his arms. A Thunder Hawk circled above him, wings humming with electricity.

Tian Lei lifted his hand.

"Begin."

The spear youth moved first.

A gust of wind burst behind him as he dashed forward, spear tip aiming straight for the lightning youth's chest. The move was fast and clean—no wasted motion.

The lightning youth raised his arm, electricity forming a shield-like arc. The spear clashed against it with a sharp crack, sending sparks flying.

He didn't retreat.He pushed forward, using the rebound to swing his fist toward the spear wielder's jaw.

The spear youth twisted his body, narrowly avoiding the punch, then swept the spear horizontally. The lightning youth ducked, rolling once before shooting a bolt upward to force distance.

Disciples watching leaned forward.

"They're evenly matched!"

"No, the spear user is smoother—look at his footwork!"

"But the lightning one has more explosive power!"

Up on the platform, Tian Lei scratched his head.

"Both of them are better than the tiger kid."

Su Mingyue whispered, "Master, almost everyone is better in technique than the tiger kid…"

"That's because the tiger kid relied on brute force," Tian Lei said. "These two actually trained."

Back in the ring, the pace increased.

The Gale Wolf howled, sending a wind blade across the stage.The Thunder Hawk answered with a crack of lightning, splitting the wind in half.

The spear youth took advantage of the cover and thrust again—three rapid jabs that forced the lightning youth to step back.

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