Chapter Twenty-Two: Trespassing Into the Forbidden Land

“Silence throughout the arena!”

Hush!

At some point, a figure had stepped onto the martial stage. From his lips issued an uncanny resonance, spreading outward in waves.

Instantly, the clamor ceased. All eyes turned to the dueling platform.

“Now, let us welcome Miss Lin Ruoxi, the eldest daughter of the Lin family, to the stage!”

With his announcement, the middle-aged man’s gaze shifted to the right, landing on Lin Ruoxi, who looked thoroughly bewildered.

When Ruoxi first arrived and saw the sheer number of people gathered to watch her match, she was already nervous; now, under countless scrutinizing eyes, her cheeks flushed red.

She sought her father in the crowd and saw Lin Feng give her an encouraging nod. In that moment, a faint sense of resolve bloomed within her.

Her own father believed in her so deeply, inviting so many to witness her duel—she could not falter as she had before. She must press forward, live up to his expectations.

Her eyes blazed with determination as she walked onto the platform.

“The Lin family’s eldest daughter, Lin Ruoxi, is only thirteen years old and has already reached the pinnacle of inner force—just one step from breaking through her meridians and becoming an innate martial artist. Her talent is truly extraordinary, her future limitless,” someone beside the arena announced, clearly having done their homework on Lin Ruoxi.

“The eldest Lin daughter reached the peak of inner force at thirteen? My own boy hasn’t even awakened his energy yet! She’s truly gifted.”

“As expected of the Lin family’s heir—some struggle their whole lives without awakening inner power, and she’s only a step from becoming innate.”

“Go, Ruoxi!”

Hearing the host’s praise and the crowd’s excited chatter, all lauding her, Lin Ruoxi’s confidence swelled. She waved her little hand in greeting to those around her.

Gradually, she found her footing in the excitement swirling around her, her heart pounding with anticipation.

Suddenly, a voice thundered across the field, pulling her attention.

“Mo Qian, direct heir of the Mo family, has arrived!”

“Mo Qian—is he the one I’m to duel?” Ruoxi wondered, following the eyes of the crowd. He entered from the same direction as she had.

Man and sword, he walked with an imposing presence that compelled the crowd to part before him.

Clad in pale blue robes that shimmered in the sunlight, his hair neatly gathered, a sword hung at his right side—its pommel gold, its hilt a deep reddish brown.

That sword—where had she seen it before? And such a presence!

From afar, Ruoxi felt the power radiating from him. She studied his features: bronzed skin, expressionless, as though no one here was worthy of his notice.

“Mo Qian, direct descendant of the Mo family, reached the peak of inner force at ten—the most talented of his clan. Unfortunately, he vanished during training several years ago. Rumor has it he was recently found by someone. Now, three years have passed; who knows if he has broken through to innate? Today marks his first battle since returning to the Mo family. Let us all wait in eager anticipation—Lin Ruoxi of the Lin family versus Mo Qian of the Mo family!”

The middle-aged man’s voice rang out, explaining that the two were evenly matched—a showdown that immediately set expectations soaring.

“The Mo and Lin families are both renowned lineages—this duel will surely be worth watching!” commented a man seated to the arena’s right, watching Ruoxi.

“Indeed. The Lin family has always produced outstanding heirs, generation after generation. Though Ruoxi is a girl, her cultivation is proof enough—she is no weakling. The Mo family, meanwhile, rules over Cube City, with vast resources for training. Mo Qian reached the peak of inner force at a young age. Who knows if, after three years, he has ascended to innate? If he has, he will be the youngest innate master yet. Should he survive, his name will echo throughout the land.”

His companion nodded in agreement, glancing toward Lin Feng in the principal seat.

Lin Feng’s expression was cold and stern. At such proximity, martial artists of their caliber could catch every word, however softly spoken.

“I am somewhat concerned for the Lin family’s eldest. Thirteen and already at the peak of inner force—a remarkable talent to many, but before Mo Qian, it may be a chasm too wide. Perhaps, if her Soulshatter Sword Technique has reached mastery, a miracle is possible.”

He sipped his tea, sharing his perspective—after all, as a fellow resident of Little Lin Town, he naturally worried more for those close to home than for the distant Mo family of Cube City.

“Mo Qian—why does he remind me so much of Lin Shan? The same hair, the same clothes, the same sword. But three years ago, Lin Shan was at the peak of inner force as well—and now...?”

Ruoxi was full of doubts, but then a thought flashed in her mind. Could it be that Lin Shan regained his memories and was found by his family?

Yet she was only a peak-strength practitioner herself; in this noisy environment, she could not make out the quiet speculations outside the arena.

“Are you Lin Shan?” she asked, puzzled, as Mo Qian approached.

“Could he be the boy Ruoxi brought home a few days ago? The one who was found by members of the Mo family?” wondered Aunt Xiumei in the audience, having overheard Ruoxi’s question.

Casting her gaze toward the Mo family, seated to Lin Feng’s left, she watched as Mo Qian’s presence cleared the field. His lips curled upward as his two attendants stopped at the edge of the arena, and he stepped onto the platform.

“No,” Mo Qian replied coolly to Lin Ruoxi’s question, as if the name meant nothing to him.

“How could that be? I called for you just this morning—you were wearing these very clothes!” Ruoxi protested, feeling as if she’d raised an ungrateful fox who now refused to acknowledge her after she’d saved his life.

“Perhaps you mistook someone else for me. Did he come when you called? Show him to me, let me see who so closely resembles me!” Mo Qian replied, seriously scanning the crowd as he spoke.

“Stop fooling around—everyone is watching!” Lin Feng remarked with a wry smile.

“Hmph!” Ruoxi shot her father a glare, then kicked the air in mock frustration.

Having vented her annoyance, she drew her Soulshatter Sword.

A resonant hum immediately filled the arena, the sword’s song making the less skilled in the crowd’s scalp tingle with unease. Meanwhile, those seated on the other side murmured in admiration.

“Lin Ruoxi’s strength is truly extraordinary.”

Lightning danced along the blade, thunder rolling—a sign that her mastery of the Soulshatter Sword Technique was at least at an intermediate level.

He seemed well-versed in the technique, sipping his tea as he commented, “Now, let’s see what Mo Qian is capable of. Will he give us a good show?”

At the sound of thunder, his companion straightened, then added, “I wonder how Mo Qian’s practice of the Intercepting Sword Technique has progressed. That technique is the perfect counter to the Soulshatter Sword Technique—if mastered, even an unpowered ordinary person could break through an unmastered, inexperienced Soulshatter Sword practitioner.”

Lin Feng cast a sidelong glance at the man to his right, his thoughts swirling silently within.