Basking in the glow of victory, Hui skipped over to the edge of the arena. He hopped onto the low outer wall of the arena and perched there to watch the other battles.

A body impacted the wall just below his legs. Hui yanked his legs up and looked around, frightened. Who’s attacking this small cultivator with other cultivators?

Li Xiang stood triumphant in her arena, sword held high. The crowd went wild, cheering madly. Hui glanced down again and nodded. Ah, so that’s the silkpants she was fighting. In the end, there’s only one way that fight could go.

She caught sight of Hui and waved, smiling. Hui waved back, then froze as he felt a thousand killing intents directed at him. He turned, slowly. The Starbound Sect crowd glared. A few of the more fervent fans drew fingers across their necks threateningly. Right, she’s their idol… ah, I’m going to have to watch my back tonight!

Li Xiang hopped out of the arena and approached Hui. He tilited his head at her, curious.

The world went monochrome. Cold pressed in all around him. Hui blinked, confused. Again?

He glanced down. His body slumped and fell forward beneath him. Hui reached out and flew back into his body, just as he fell into something soft.

“Hui?” Li Xiang asked, wrapping her arms around him to catch him.

“Eh?” Hui asked, but it came out like Mmmph?

Once again, the stands went silent. The chill of killing intent on Hui’s back intensified to an almost physical sensation. He shuddered. Seniors, it was an accident, an accident!

With effort, Hui pushed himself back to a sit, somewhat reluctantly lifting his face out of paradise. Li Xiang held on, carefully guiding him back to the wall. “What happened? You just collapsed.”

“I… I don’t know,” Hui said, looking at his hands. That’s the second time now. If that happened during the tournament, I’d be toast! What… why…?

I’ll have to ask Master… hmm, and then go to the library, because Master probably won’t say anything useful.

A blur of white flashed down from above. Lan Taijian thumped down before them, face stony. “You. The Sect Master wants you.”

“Disciple greets Master,” Li Xiang said, bowing dutifully.

“Eh, this small cultivator?” Hui asked, eyes wide, jaw dropped.

Lan Taijian’s expression grew darker. “Don’t act innocent. You know why.”

Hui whirled. “Li Xiang, tell them I didn’t mean it, okay? No one was sullied, make sure you tell them—”

Lan Taijian grabbed Hui by the back of his collar between his thumb and forefinger, then blasted back into the sky. Yanked along by his neck, Hui gagged and grabbed at the collar. Are you Peak Lord types having some kind of competition to come up with the most embarrassing way to drag a disciple along, or something?

I’ve really got to hit fourth stage already…

Abruptly, Lan Taijian released him. Hui flailed, biting back a scream, then landed in a heap in front of all the Sect Masters and Peak Lords.

First life knowledge, save me now! Hui threw himself into a forward roll and came up on one knee and one fist, in a classic hero’s landing pose. Tossing his hair back, he stood with a smile and bowed smartly. “Small disciple greets Masters!”

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The Sect Master loomed over Hui, arms crossed. “Speak. Which Grandmaster released you?”

“Eh? It was Master,” Hui said, frowning.

“Impossible. He’s only fifth stage,” Sect Master replied.

“I can fetch my disciple,” Lan Taijian offered, arms crossed as well.

Ah! Seeing them next to one another, the similarities are undeniable! The same face, just a little older. Like father, like son. They even gesture the same! Hui thought, nodding to himself.

“There’s no need. I did it,” Weiheng Wu cut in, watching the fights below.

The Sect Master waved his hand. “Don’t bother. You couldn’t possibly have…”

Weiheng Wu released a hint of his pressure.

The Sect Master stared.

Hui stared as well. Eh, forgive this small cultivator for being too weak to see through your cultivation, but judging from the Sect Master’s reaction, you are sixth stage, aren’t you, Master? When did that happen?

And why… why did I already know?

“Another sixth-stage cultivator in your sect! Ahaha! I’ll have to whip my boys good to keep up!” a woman in blue laughed, throwing her head back. She took a sip from a gourd and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, her cheeks already rosy.

Beside the woman, a man in green and one in silver both raised their eyebrows and exchanged a glance, no doubt weighing Weiheng Wu against their own sect’s might.

“In any case! Peak Lord Wu, you cannot remove a disciple from punishment that I myself instated. I order Weiheng Hui removed from the tournament and placed back in forced seclusion, effective immediately!”

“No,” Weiheng Wu said. Hands tucked behind his back, he quietly watched the battles.

The Sect Master’s brows furrowed. “I have ruled! Your authority does not override mine.”

“What stage are you?” Weiheng Wu asked.

“Eh?”

“Seventh? Eighth? Two years. Four for eighth. No…”

“No?”

Weiheng Wu nodded firmly. “If I work hard, it should only be three years. And then my authority will override yours.”

The Sect Master frowned. “What are you trying to say?”

“You can put my disciple in forced seclusion for three years. Or you can let me take my time and cultivate at my own pace,” Weiheng Wu said. He turned from the battles below and narrowed his eyes at the Sect Master. “Your choice.”

“Are you saying that—” The Sect Master fell into stunned silence.

The blue-robed woman laughed and stepped forward, clapping Weiheng Wu on the shoulder. “Come to my sect, then! Azure Fang believes in freedoms and living as you please. I won’t put your disciple in forced seclusion, and you can cultivate at whatever pace you like.”

“Mysterious Heavenly Forest Sect always welcomes outstanding talents,” the green-robed cultivator said primly, adjusting his glasses.

“Ah! Ah, the, the Silk Heart Sect, we… our great founder can offer resources beyond your wildest dreams!” the silver-haired cultivator added.

Caught in the middle, the Sect Master glanced left and right, then coughed into his fist. “There seems to be a great misunderstanding here. Ah, I was merely expressing that an order issued by myself should not be overruled at the Peak Lord level. However, in this case… I suppose… I’ll make an exception…”

Weiheng Wu nodded. The scenario thus settled, he turned back around to watch the fights.

That’s my Master! Haha, who else would dare to openly oppose the Sect Master like that? If he can’t beat you today, just wait for tomorrow! Master will cultivate circles around you and come back to thrash you later! Hui cheered.

Bowing to the seniors, Hui backed away. “This small disciple will take his leave now.” Best I go before Sect Master remembers me and figures out a way to throw me back into forced seclusion anyways.

From his dantian, a faint “quack!” sounded out, almost a greeting.

Hui froze. Wh… what…?

The Sect Master whipped around. He narrowed his eyes at Hui. “You dare mock—”

“Ah! Look! Ducks!” Hui shouted, pointing at the sky. The second the Sect Master turned to look, he hopped out of the box and back down to the stands.

A sea of white-robed cultivators turned to face him. For a second, they stared. Then hatred and envy burned in their eyes.

“You—again, you sully—”

“How dare you lay your hand on Li Xiang!”

“Our precious idol!”

Hui started to kill his qi, instinctively playing dead, then halted himself. Wait, last time they stabbed me, then kicked me while I was down. I don’t want that again!

White-robed cultivators closed in around him. Hands drifted to swords.

Nothing for it! Hui gritted his teeth and shed his skin. Throwing Gu Tian’s sword into the sky with his qi, he clung on tight and burst out of the arena. The white-robed cultivators closed in around his skin as he hurtled back to earth, falling behind the rear edge of the arena.

Thank goodness I figured out a way to fake Li Xiang’s third-stage sword flying—ah, but landing is even harder than I thought! Hui plunged. The earth loomed up at him. Holding on tight to his sword, Hui braced for landing. He slammed down into the earth and rolled, then popped up and sprinted off.

Behind him, a roar went up from the crowd. A few white-robed cultivators leaped over the back of the arena after him, followed by the rest, a great wave of white chasing after one cultivator in blue.

Hui sped up. Just to Master’s peak! If I can get that far, I—!