Zack walked into the grand arena, casually taking in the sights around him. The massive stadium had been hastily constructed by the Black Rose Sect in preparation for the upcoming Intersect Tournament.

The entire structure looked freshly cut from black marble, with towering stands that would soon be filled by thousands of spectators.

It was clear that the Black Rose Sect had spared no expense when it came to hosting the tournament.

Despite the early hour, the stands were already beginning to fill as disciples and spectators alike fought for the best views of the tournament stage below. Excited chatter hummed through the crowds as friends called out greetings and rivals traded taunts.

Zack's gaze swept over the disciples gathered in the arena's centre, all clustered in their sect groupings. He spotted a few familiar faces from the Black Rose Sect and walked over to join them.

"Junior Brother Zack!" a cheerful voice called out.

Zack turned to see Hughie elbowing his way through the crowd towards him, a wide grin splitting his face.

Once he reached Zack, Hughie clapped him on the back, "Man, can you believe this place? The tournament's gonna be epic!" Lowering his voice, he added, "And when you make it into the Sealed Realm, your senior brother's got your back. My luck's gotta rub off on you at some point!"

Zack laughed. Having Hughie's notorious bouts of fortune on his side certainly wouldn't hurt. He still remembered how it saved the Main Body’s hide a few times. "I'll hold you to that, Senior Brother."

To Zack’s surprise, he and Hughie got on quite well. Unlike with the Main Body, Hughie seemed quite laid-back and relaxed around him, he even made a few jokes here and there.

Noticing two more familiar figures, Hughie waved them over. "Caelum! Amelia! Come join us!"

As the two walked over, Amelia gave Zack a slow, heated once-over that made him resist the urge to take a step back.

Really, being cursed with such devilish good looks can be a hassle at times, Zack sighed as though it wasn’t the Main Body who meticulously crafted his body. Well, I guess with great power comes great responsibility.

"Let’s join the other disciples in the waiting area," Caelum suggested. He gestured towards the tunnel leading under the arena floor. "We’ll be summoned when it’s time."

The group nodded, moving to follow the steady stream of disciples. Zack glanced around, realising that one disciple was missing.

"Has anyone seen Nomed?"

The disciples glanced at each other and shook their heads.

"You know how he is, always wandering off on his own for who knows what," Hughie said. "I'm sure he'll turn up sooner or later."

What was that kid up to when he vanished like that? Zack wondered. Eh, it’s not my problem, keeping disciples in check is the Main Body’s job!

Shaking his head, Zack turned his attention to the other disciples filling the tunnel. With over a few hundred Foundation Establishment contenders, seeking out potential troublemakers would prove tricky.

Someone’s watching me…

A prickle on the back of his neck made him glance over to find none other than Ziven staring back at him.

No, not me.

The Heavenly Light disciple was actually glaring at Amelia, the animosity was nearly palpable even from a distance.

Glare all you want; you don’t have long to live anyway.

Scanning the crowds again, Zack spotted another knot of disciples gathered around one Heavenly Light disciple in particular. The slender youth ignored those vying for his attention, though his posture suggested that he enjoyed the fawning.

It was none other than Arkan, a well-known prodigy even in the Heavenly Light Sect. According to Morvran's intelligence reports, the youth resented Ziven for stealing some of his limelight as a newcomer to the sect.

Now there was a possibility worth entertaining, Zack mused.

Stoking the flames of rivalry to spur Arkan into confronting Ziven during the tournament could produce some entertaining chaos and who knows, it may even weaken the Son of Heaven.

If you want to kill a Son of Heaven, you gotta play dirty.

Before Zack could further ponder this, shouts erupted from his left. Whipping his head around, he spotted a hulking White Tiger Sect disciple stomping through the passageway. Zack guessed that he had to be at least seven and a half feet tall.

As the White Tiger disciple strode by, even some of the Core Formation competitors shuffled out of his path. The man's cultivation base fluctuations identified him as a solid Peak Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator.

A dual cultivator! Zack felt a spike of excitement.

He hadn’t expected to see another cultivator like himself.

The White Tiger Sect was notorious for producing beast-like combat fanatics.

And a dual cultivator had 'difficult opponent' written all over him.

An image of the huge disciple and Zack exchanging earth-shattering blows flashed through his mind.

Smirking to himself, Zack decided finding the opportunity to face off against this brute in the arena could make the tournament somewhat less monotonous.

The Main Body wants me to breeze through the competition, but where was the fun in that?

Zack's musings were cut short by another commotion, this time it was to his right. He glanced over to see a cultivator from the Black Heart Sect go flying through the air before crashing into the wall.

"Keep your filthy hands to yourself, worm!" a familiar voice snapped.

Zack blinked in surprise to see Amelia standing there, wiping her hands as she glowered at the fallen cultivator.

Interesting.

He had naturally assumed the girl must have started the altercation given her…volatile temperament. Apparently, there was more to the situation.

Slowly sitting up, the Black Heart disciple wiped blood from his mouth with the back of one hand. The air around him rippled with qi as he fixed Amelia with a venomous glare.

"You should be grateful that I would even spare you the slightest notice," the man spat.

Zack scrutinized the disciple, sensing the cultivation base of a peak Core Formation Realm cultivator.

Not bad but I don’t think he has what it takes to beat Amelia.

Before the man could stand, a sudden pressure slammed down on him, forcing him back to his knees.

Caelum's eyes had sharpened, bearing down on the Black Heart disciple with overwhelming intensity. Even though he knew Amelia could handle herself, he couldn’t help but get involved, he hated those who preyed on women.

"A sword cultivator!" someone exclaimed.

Only someone who had attained the rare Sword Soul Realm could exert such formidable pressure without leaking the slightest bit of energy.

Sneering, the Black Heart disciple moved to stand but before things could escalate further, an ear-splitting chime rang out through the arena.

"Take your places, disciples! The first competition will soon begin!" Elder Fred's voice boomed overhead.

"Guess playtime's over," Hughie said, cracking his knuckles. "Let's go prove why our sect's the best!"

Zack took one last sweeping look across the arena, imprinting the faces of the more interesting opponents to memory.

When next they met, it would be as enemies.

"Right," he murmured. "Let the games begin."

----------------------------------------

Five Minutes Ago…

Seated comfortably in the highest booth overlooking the arena, Slifer stroked the scaly head of the baby dragon perched on his shoulder. Little Val peered down at the bustling crowds below, her slitted eyes bright with curiosity.

"Why can't I join the tournament too?" she spoke up, turning her big eyes up at Slifer. "It looks like fun!"

Slifer chuckled, reaching up to stroke her scaly head. "I'm afraid not, little one. The tournament is only open to human disciples below the Nascent Soul stage."

And Val was neither human nor below Nascent Soul.

Val's eyes rounded in surprise. "Oh! Val is too strong for humans?"

Slifer laughed. "Yes, far too strong for them, I'm afraid. You'd gobble them all up without even trying!"

He tickled her belly, and she released a small burp of flame in protest, though looking rather pleased by the assessment of her skills.

"So Val can't play with them?"

"If you played with them, it could be considered bullying," Slifer explained patiently. "We need to let the others have a fair chance to compete as well."

The lie rolled smoothly off his tongue. The tournament was rigged to favour his disciples, Slifer didn’t care about playing fair. Playing fair in a xianxia world only got you killed.

But Slifer didn’t enjoy lying, especially to little Val.

However, it was his job to turn her into a righteous dragon.

If there even was such a thing.

Val mulled over Slifer's words for a few seconds before nodding. "I don't want to be a bully," she declared. "Master said being a bully is bad."

"Exactly right," Slifer praised, smiling at this small sign of moral development. He popped a cinnamon candy from his robe pocket into her mouth as a reward.

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It wasn't the human meat she craved, but it would do the job.

For now.

----------------------------------------

One by one, the Ascendant cultivators from the other sects began filing into the adjoining booths reserved for them. Slifer greeted them lazily through half-lidded eyes.

When the last booth remained empty, Astrid broke the silence. "Where is Kaelius? Did anyone see the Black Heart Sect Master arrive?"

The other Ascendants shook their heads. None of them had seen the Black Heart Sect Master since yesterday.

"Funny you should mention that," Slifer remarked lightly as he reached into his spatial ring.

He brought out an item - a gold key etched with black runes.

"One of my patrols found this dropped near our sect's southern border."

Zofia's eyes narrowed. "Why do you have Kaelius' key fragment? What have you done with him?"

"Now hold on," Leontius interjected gently. "Let's not jump to conclusions. I'm certain there's a reasonable explanation."

"Was there any other sign of Kaelius?" Astrid butted in.

Slifer shook his head, keeping his expression neutral. "My men scoured the region thoroughly but found no traces. As you know, when an Ascendant truly does not wish to be found..."

He trailed off with a shrug. The implication was clear - if Kaelius had gone into hiding, no one short of an Immortal Realm expert would be capable of locating him against his will.

"Preposterous!" Zofia snapped, crossing her arms. "You expect us to believe an Ascendant cultivator just happened to disappear without a trace while visiting your sect? Do you take us for fools?"

Ah Zofia, always quick to think the worst of people, Slifer resisted the urge to rub his temples at the headache he could already feel developing.

However, he couldn’t blame her, it did sound suspicious.

He had known revealing Kaelius' key would arouse the others’ suspicion. But if he had withheld it only to produce the artifact later during the opening of the Sealed Realm, it would have made him appear even more untrustworthy.

If he was the Ascendant cultivator that he pretended to be, then avoiding conflict wouldn't matter to him.

And unfortunately there was simply no graceful way to handle the Black Heart Sect leader's unexpected disappearance.

"While I don’t claim to know what happened to Sect Master Kaelius, I can assure you I played no part in it," Slifer said evenly, meeting Zofia's hostile gaze. "Are you really suggesting I have the ability to overpower and dispose of a cultivator of Kaelius' level without anyone else detecting anything?"

Zofia's eyes flashed, but she held her tongue.

Cultivators at their level could be defeated by others in the same realm, but they were incredibly difficult to kill, they just had too many life-saving treasures.

And for one to go missing without being able to alert anyone? Even she knew that sounded ridiculous.

"Enough speculation. If the Black Rose Sect intended to attack us, why wait until now? They could have ambushed us from the beginning." She eyed Kaelius' key fragment. "All that matters is we have his piece. I'm sure Kaelius will turn up eventually."

With a huff, Zofia settled back in her seat. Unless the Black Rose Sect Master completed his breakthrough, the Black Rose Sect simply didn't have the qualifications to threaten any of the other major sects.

And if such a breakthrough were to occur, then the mysterious phenomenon that accompanied it couldn't be hidden.

Crisis averted, Slifer held back a sigh.

"Please inform us if you learn anything more of Kaelius' whereabouts," Leontius requested.

"You have my word." Slifer inclined his head, though he was sceptical whether the word of a demonic cultivator meant anything.

He certainly wouldn’t be naïve enough to believe it.

Slifer had his suspicions about the Black Heart Sect Master's sudden disappearance. But voicing them now would only rouse further suspicion.

Better to keep it to himself for the time being.

Satisfied that the Ascendants were appeased, Slifer signalled for Elder Fred to commence with the opening proceedings.

It’s showtime.

----------------------------------------

Right on cue, the tunnel entrances around the arena's perimeter shuddered open. What appeared to be a solid stone wall slid apart, revealing the competitors standing ready in the passageways.

“Welcome to the Intersect Tournament!" Elder Fred’s voice boomed through the arena. "You have met the criteria to enter the tournament. Now is your chance to earn a slot to enter the Sealed Realm!”

The disciples below stood straighter, pride and excitement on their faces. Entering the Sealed Realm could change their fates, those that were destined to die as mediocre could become the rising stars of the younger generation.

"Two parallel tournaments will take place simultaneously over this coming month," Fred continued. "One for the Core Formation disciples, and one for Foundation Establishment."

The disciples listened intently. The tournament structure was familiar to them already.

"Five total spots to enter the Sealed Realm will be awarded to each group," the elder said, holding up five fingers.

"Now, onto the first stage." He waved a sleeve, conjuring glowing images of two contrasting environments. “It will take place in two pocket realms we have prepared."

Pocket realms were similar to mini-sealed realms. Like the name suggested, they were much smaller in size. It was normal for sects to have a few in their possession.

"The Foundation Establishment group will be entering the Forest of Whispering Shadows." The image depicted a misty, gloomy woodland. "As for the Core Formation group, they will enter the Valley of Scattered Flames." This realm showed a fiery landscape of lava flows and smoky fissures.

"Participants will be divided randomly into teams of three. Each team will be sent into separate pocket realms containing one Yin scroll and one Yang scroll."

Fred allowed dramatic pause before continuing. "And of course, all team members must remain alive to pass," Elder Fred added. "The rules are simple - work together and survive."

This announcement was met by muted mumbles as the disciples sized up potential allies and enemies. Teams would cut across sect divisions, forcing cooperation with rivals.

The demonic cultivators in particular seemed disgruntled. Trust did not come naturally to them under the best circumstances. Relying on unknown teammates could prove disastrous.

For once, the righteous cultivators shared their reluctance. How could they place their fates in the hands of those who walked the demonic path? Even with rules compelling cooperation, they still hesitated to trust those deviants.

Could they truly cooperate?

Raising his hands for silence, Elder Fred went on. “The team assignments will now be determined.”

With another gesture, a wooden barrel etched with glowing symbols appeared on the ground. “Each of you, come forth and draw a marked stone. The number will assign you to your team.”

Before the first eager disciple could rush forward, a powerful pressure abruptly weighed down on the arena, stopping everyone cold. Gasps and shouts erupted as all heads craned skyward.

There, a flying ship broke through the clouds before descending towards the tournament grounds. The disciples could make out a dark, hooded figure standing atop the deck.

The cloaked man leapt over the side, landing cat-like on the booth holding the Ascendant beings. Pulling back the hood, the figure revealed itself, it was the Black Death Sect Master!

“What is the meaning of this, Vowron?” Zofia demanded, on her feet. “The Black Death Sect forfeited their tournament rights by not attending the Ascendant Meet.”

The Black Death Sect Master chuckled, unbothered by her attitude. “Come now, let’s not fuss over technicalities between friends.” He walked towards the empty booth. “Surely one more competitor would make things...interesting.”

“Absolutely not,” Astrid declared, rising to join Zofia. “The rules clearly state any sect absent from the Meet relinquishes their entry eligibility.”

"It sounds like you’re making excuses, do you fear facing true competition?" Vowron raised an eyebrow.

"Why you-!" Zofia looked ready to leap down and throttle the man herself. Only Leontius’ hand on her shoulder kept her rooted in place.

But the Black Death Sect Master merely smirked at the Ascendants. “If you brought the Heavenly Light's esteemed Sect Master, I may have backed down,” he purred. “But against the likes of you? I think not.”

To emphasize his point, he unleashed the full pressure of his cultivation base. The sheer power forced Zofia and Leontius back into their seats. Only Astrid managed to remain standing, though uneasily.

Peak Ascendant Realm!

The Ascendants all turned to Slifer. Not only was he supposedly the most powerful amongst them but he was the host, this was his mess to deal with.

Dammit, why does this keep happening? What should I do? I can’t afford to reveal my trump cards, at least, not so soon.