Light flickered around Xiao Lan, as the seams of the world thinned. The searing heat of his surroundings turned to a dim chill within an instant as he was brought to a chamber brimming with Qi. A hard wall pressed against his back, which he slumped against, sliding down as his legs gave out. With a groan, he opened his mouth, finding his throat dry. His Qi was depleted completely and his injuries had begun to ache even more as the heat of the battle faded from his blood.

Steps sounded out from nearby, as Xiao Lan felt hands touch his wounds, gentle Qi flowing through them. Instinctively, Xiao Lan gripped his sword tighter, but relaxed when a soothing flow of Qi touched against his forehead.

“Swallow this,” an elderly voice told him, and he silently opened his mouth to take the pill within his body. Qi erupted in his dantian a moment later, flooding his pathways, as he focused on guiding the energy throughout, to help with his injuries.

He’d lost.

The realisation was a cold slap that cut away the daze from Xiao Lan’s mind. He’d just lost in the tournament. Not only that, he’d lost to Lu Jie of all people. Lost and humiliated in front of the entire sect.

Frustration swirled in Xiao Lan’s chest, accompanied by shame, yet in here, outside the battle, he could finally think more clearly on the nature of his opponent. The first sign of danger should’ve been the veil Lu Jie had kept around his core. He’d been unable to sense the boy’s Qi well, and had simply assumed that it’d been so insignificant that his senses couldn’t even register things.

The second had been the ambush. Whatever talismans, or formations Lu Jie had used, they’d been powerful, and he’d had enough of them to use multiple times. Seeing how the elders had not interfered, they had clearly been made by Lu Jie himself and were not potent artifacts he’d stolen from somewhere.

He needed to find the boy. This weapon of his, and that sudden growth. He needed to know how the weakling of the outer sect had gained such a blessing.

Strength began to return to Xiao Lan soon, as he opened his eyes to take a look at where he was. An old man crouched in front of him, a mortar and pestle set onto the floor where he grinded some herbs.

Xiao Lan couldn’t help but stare at the man standing in front of him. He was old, older than most people Xiao Lan knew, and had it not been for the Qi so clearly present inside his body, Xiao Lan would’ve thought the old man to be a mortal. Could cultivators truly age as such?

“So you’re awake,” the old man spoke, looking up towards Xiao Lan.

“This disciple thanks Elder for his kindness,” Xiao Lan replied, joining his fists together and cusping them as he bowed. He was not arrogant enough to be unkind to the man currently treating his wounds.

“Pay it no mind. It’s this old man’s duty to look after the disciples after all, and if there’s to be any apology, I feel it must come from this old man. My disciple was the one who forgot restraint in his anger.”

Xiao Lan glanced up, his eyes wide, as the old man returned to grinding herbs. His disciple? Lu Jie was studying under an alchemist?

“I’ll put a salve on your wounds. These injuries will not heal quickly even if you apply Qi. They will heal in the same manner a mortal would. The energies trapped within the burns will prevent Qi from healing things. Try not to move around too much for the next week,” the old man said, as he began applying the salve over Xiao Lan’s injuries.

Holding back a wince Xiao Lan clutched at his chest. He’d heal… like a mortal? Just what kind of absurd Art was Lu Jie learning? Pushing against his heavy limbs, Xiao Lan, cupped his fists once more.

“Please, great Master. Take this one as your disciple as well. This one will work twice as hard as Lu Jie did, and would respect you with his all,” Xiao Lan said, his head bowed low.

“You misunderstand,” the old man said, looking at Xiao Lan. “Lu Jie is indeed my disciple. But all I’ve ever taught him has been alchemy. Whatever the boy has achieved outside of that, has been on his own merit,” the old man said, as he continued to apply the last of the salve.

“With how much you can talk, I imagine you’re healing already. Come visit me if your injuries do not heal properly and I will reapply the salve once more. When you feel like you can walk, head outside,” the old man said, patting Xiao Lan’s shoulder as he grabbed his things and turned around to leave.

Xiao Lan leaned back onto the wall once more, as his gaze went to the two disciples he’d began to work with for the duration of the spirit herb hunt. He realised that he didn’t even know their names.

The two boys glanced at him for a moment, before their gaze lowered as they turned away. Xiao Lan pried his eyes away from the two. They’d all lost, and the shame of defeat still burned heavy within their chests. Quietly, he decided to approach the two after the tournament was upon an end.

Eyeing the room filled with all the defeated and injured participants, Xiao Lan was soon distracted by the sounds of cheering that washed over the area. Removing his torn and burnt robes, he glanced to the side and found a new pair folded nearby. He carefully slid the robes on to not wipe off the salve covering his body, before he picked himself up.

Putting his blade back in his sheath, Xiao Lan slowly walked outside the chamber. A few steps through the turning corridors had him standing in a section cut out within the tournament arena itself. His eyes swept the grounds, at four mist walls displaying the remaining contestants, while a massive sandial stood within the center, empty almost half of the way through.

Xiao Lan stumbled forward, glancing around dumbfounded. Had he been watched by the entire city? His shame and defeat?

A cheer rose from the area he walked into, as Xiao Lan turned to look upon rows of mortals and foundation realm cultivators seated upon the sides, cheering as they saw him walk out. Were they cheering… for him? Why?

“Brother Xiao! You did great!” a boy cheered from nearby.

“I was betting on you winning too! Heavens, it’s a pity you lost,” another man shouted towards him from the seated arena.

Xiao Lan looked around dumb founded. They were not mocking his failure...but cheering him instead? His gaze turned to one new screen flickering on, where he saw his own face looking back with a dumb expression, and half his mouth open.

With a blur, the Elder appeared on the stage at the center, his voice booming out in a shout. “We have our first victor of the tournament! At fifth place is Xiao Lan of Seventh Peak city!”

Resounding roar shook the arena, as shouts of 'Xiao Lan' began to vibrate the air. Xiao Lan almost jumped back when the Elder appeared next to him, grasping his hand before he was suddenly standing on the stage alongside the elder.

“Bow to the lord and the Elders, Disciple,” the Elder next to him sent to his mind, and Xiao Lan’s body followed the command on his own.

“The disciple has earned a reward of one foundation pill! To help his breakthrough into the fourth realm, and bolster his core!” the Elder shouted, as cheers rose to a greater height still.

Xiao Lan continued to keep his head bowed, things not quite striking him as real yet.

A sudden hush seemed to fall over the area, the cheers cutting off. For a moment, Xiao Lan sensed a vast presence set upon his shoulders, as his legs knuckles and he fell to his knees. The presence soon reduced its weight, as a voice echoed through the vast arena of the sect.

“I have been pleased by your display of strength, disciple Xiao Lan. I would like to ask to Cloudy Peaks sect to take care of your injuries, so that you may participate in the martial tournament freely,” the voice spoke, resonating with power. Xiao Lan’s eyes widened as he realised that he had been addressed by the Lord himself. He brought his head down, kowtowing.

“This one isn’t worthy.”

Another wave of cheers filled the arena, shouts of the magnanimous Lord Zhou rising to the sky, mixed in with his own name.

Sensing the Lord’s attention move away from his shoulders, Xiao Lan raised his head, before standing back on his feet, before the Elder stepped through the world after grasping his hand once more, and brought him back outside the stage.

“Head on to the chamber and rest. Your reward will be provided to you soon,” the Elder instructed. Xiao Lan nodded, walking back to the chamber he’d been in. As he entered the entrance leading outside the arena, a certain chamber to the side caught his attention.

Sliding the door slightly ajar, he looked inside, and found the most beautiful young woman he’d ever seen standing inside, looking intently upon a wall of mist, with Lu Jie displayed on the screen. The sight soon flickered to display two young children, striking at beasts without mercy as lightning flowed around their bodies in tandem.

A crackle of thunder around the woman had Xiao Lan jump.

“Either enter or leave. Do not stand outside with the door ajar,” the girl replied, glacing back for a brief moment, as golden lightning crackled within her eyes for a brief moment.

Xiao Lan felt his heart leap, and he almost shut the door then and there, leaving, yet his curiosity about Lu Jie won the better of him. After a moment of hesitation, he walked into the chamber, closing the door behind him before he went to stand slightly behind the girl, as he glanced at the mist wall displaying the many contestants within the spirit herb hunt.

Xiao Lan heard the Elder’s booming voice echo from outside once more.

“Now! Who shall be the next to fall? Only four remain, all four victors in their own rights, yet only one disciple will have the honor of earning the Silver Lily for themselves.”

Shouts of various names filled the arena of various people, as the Elder took names once more.

“At first, we have the elder of the twin prodigies, Yan Lei with nine spirit herb treasures!” the elder announced, as wild cheers shook the crowd. Xiao Lan sensed lightning Qi crackle nearby from the girls of the world.

“On second, is the victor of a delightful battle of wits and strength who’d gained a sudden blessing, rising to tie Yan Li for second place. Lu Jie with eight spirit herbs!”

“Even that fool can perform well sometimes then,” a voice spoke from nowhere, as Xiao Lan glanced around in surprise.

“Far from a fool, though many things could’ve been done better,” the girl replied, and Xiao Lan realised that it was her spirit she was talking to. His eyes widened as he soon placed her features to be the daughter of Elder Yan himself. The great prodigy of the sect, Yan Yun.

She knew Lu Jie? Just what had happened in the months he’d not seen the boy?

“At third place, we have Yi Liuxiang with six herbs! Only an hour remains in the trial, and any present within could be the victor!”

Xiao Lan glanced at the screen, after hearing the elder’s words. His sight landed on Lu Jie, strolling through the area with a wind art boosting his speed. The cut his blade had left on his chest had already stopped healing, as his body recovered far quicker than Xiao Lan had anticipated it to.

His grip tightened on his blade as he watched the mist wall. He would not give up so easily. Like Lu Jie, he too had had to fight for every scrap of resource he could gather, and now he had gained praise from Lord Zhou himself. He would not let Lu Jie leave him in the dust so easily. If that boy could come so far, then so could Xiao Lan.

Images began to play the fight from before in his mind. Alchemy, the old man had mentioned. It might be time for Xiao Lan to take a look into it.

With newfound determination, Xiao Lan made a plan. He would have the revenge for this defeat, with the foundation pill granted from the Lord himself, he would finish his breakthrough and hone his arts once more.

And then after all that? He would challenge Lu Jie once. And this time, he intended to win.