Qin Nan's teeth ground together, rage and shame burning in his chest. But he had no choice. The formation wouldn't break. His Spiritual Energy was depleted. If he kept resisting, he would only disgrace the Qin Clan further.
He lowered his saber and muttered through clenched teeth.
"…I admit defeat."Qin Nan said in a low voice.
The moment the words were spoken, the glowing walls of the prison dimmed and then vanished like mist in sunlight. The arrows that were responsible for the formation turned into ashes.
Qin Nan collapsed to one knee, gasping for air.
Shi Man turned and walked back to his side without another word.
*I won, if he resisted for few more minutes, my Spiritual Energy would have spent and the formation would have broken*Shi Man thought.
On the Xiao Wei side, cheers erupted. Chen Xiao and Mo Chen clapped. Shi Feng's eyes gleamed with pride. Even the stoic Old Yang gave a single approving nod.
Shi Man had won.
The score was now tied: one victory for the Qin Clan, one for them.
Only one match remained.
And everyone knew—it would decide everything.
After the match, the surrounding Cultivators start talking about the match.
"Did you see that? That brat actually trapped Qin Nan with arrows! I thought he was just flailing around!"
"Hah! Same here. I almost laughed… but then that formation appeared. That was no ordinary Martial Technique."
"That has to be a High Tier Martial Technique. To use archery as an array trigger? I've never seen that before in my life!"
"I thought the Qin Clan had already won this match… but this Shi Man pulled out something incredible!"
"Because Qin Nan was a fool. He stood there laughing like an idiot, thinking he'd already won. What kind of moron lets their guard down mid-battle?"
"He got too cocky. That's the price you pay when you underestimate someone. That's not just a loss—that's a public embarrassment!"
"Haha! That's what happens when you underestimate someone based on their realm. Qin Nan thought he was the hunter—turned out he was the one caught in the trap."
After Qin Nan walked back in defeat, he lowered his head in shame and walked slowly behind Qin La. His shoulders were tense, every step weighed down by humiliation. As he joined the Qin Lin and Qin Lan, they look at him like a loser.
But Qin La didn't say a word to his nephew. His sharp eyes were already focused elsewhere—specifically, on the boy who had just caused such an upset.
His gaze settled on Shi Man, who was now being congratulated by his peers.
Qin La narrowed his eyes and spoke aloud with an exaggerated smile, though it couldn't mask the glint of greed flickering beneath his expression.
"That was a very impressive Martial Technique, whoever created it must have been a genius in both Archery and Array Formation. Truly rare talent."Qin La said smoothly.
From the Xiao Wei's side, Shi Man bowed respectfully in return, though he didn't reply.
At that moment, Shadow Ming boasted voice rang with pride inside Xiao Wei's mind.
'Hahaha! See that? Even he knows I'm a genius!'
Xiao Wei kept his expression flat as he spoked.
"Stop bragging in front of me."Xiao Wei muttered under his breath,
Despite Shadow Ming's arrogant tone, Xiao Wei could sense genuine pride—the pride of a man whose legacy still echoed through the actions of his descendant.
Meanwhile, Shi Man walked toward Xiao Wei, his steps light, face beaming with joy. He was glowing with pride, his victory still fresh in the air like the scent of steel and sweat.
"Thank you, Brother Xiao Wei. Without your help, I wouldn't have won this match."Shi Man said sincerely.
Xiao Wei nodded.
Shi Man's smile widened, and he stepped back into place.
To the side, Shi Feng looked as though he wanted to speak—perhaps to ask about the
Martial Technique, or to confirm what Old Yang had said about their family's lost legacy. But just as he opened his mouth, a boy from Qin Clan side walked in the center of the area drew everyone's attention.
The third and final match was about to begin.
Qin La stepped forward with a proud and upright posture, his next choice clear.
"This time, my son will go."Qin La declared.
A young man stepped out from behind him—Qin Lan.
He looked no older than sixteen or seventeen, and while his Cultivation was only at the Third Layer of the Martial Master Realm, his robes were of finer silk, and his bearing marked him as the direct son of the Qin Clan's First Elder. His posture was perfect, his face calm but proud. He wasn't known for exceptional strength like his cousins, but his talent had been nurtured carefully since birth, making him refined.
"It's my turn"Xiao Wei said softly, stepping forward.
Murmurs ran through the specting Cultivator.
"He's just a Martial Apprentice... can he even take a hit from a Martial Master?"
"The last match was a fluke... this one is a guaranteed win for the Qin Clan."
Many scoffed. Some whispered in amusement. Others pitied for sending out a mere Martial Apprentice Realm Cultivator against a Martial Master Realm Cultivator.
"Is this some kind of joke?"
"No way that kid can win. He should just surrender and save himself a beating."
But Xiao Wei didn't acknowledge any of the chatter. He moved with steady, composed steps to the center of the field, stopping twenty meters across from Qin Lan.
From the Qin Clan side, Qin Lan chuckled.
"You might be brave to come here even after knowing about your opponent, I'll give you that. But bravery won't save you when my blade hits."Qin Lan said with a grin.
Xiao Wei remained silent.
"Fight!"Qin La shouted, his voice slicing through the air like a blade.
Qin Lan didn't hesitate. He reached into his Storage Ring and drew out a Tier 2 sword, the sword gleaming under the sunlight.
He moved forward in a rush, Spiritual Energy gathering around him.
But just as he took the first step, Xiao Wei calmly reached into his Storage Ring and pulled out an old, dusty Tier 1 Bow, its wood chipped and faded. Along with it, he retrieved a single arrow.
It was the very same bow that once belonged to Shadow Ming—a weapon from a past long gone. Xiao Wei had borrowed it, to test something new… or perhaps, to surprise everyone.
He knocked the arrow in place, his eyes locked on Qin Lan.
The sudden shift in tactics caused Qin Lan to hesitate mid-charge. The memory of Qin Nan's humiliating loss was still fresh, and the same setup—the bow, the arrow, the silence—sent a spike of caution through his spine.
Qin Lan slowed his pace, watching the arrowhead carefully.
Xiao Wei drew the bowstring back, aimed... and let the arrow fly. But he didn't even pulled the arrow string in right away before shooting.
Thwip!
The arrow zipped through the air—and dropped to the ground only a few feet away, landing awkwardly, barely sticking into the dirt.
The field fell silent.
Qin Lan blinked.
"What...?"
Xiao Wei looked at the bow in his hands, then sighed.
"I think I'm not made for archery"Xiao Wei muttered to himself.
At that moment, Shadow Ming voice echoed in his mind.
'Kid, learning archery is more harder than learning other weapons. It takes years to learn how to shoot a correct arrow'
From the sidelines, someone coughed awkwardly. Others chuckled, and even a few groaned.
Chen Xiao scratched his head.
"Maybe it was just a bad shot…"Chen Xiao muttered.
Old Yang, who had been watching intently, furrowed his brow. His gaze locked onto the bow in Xiao Wei's hands. He recognized it immediately—and that recognition brought a flash of curiosity to his aged eyes.
*That bow… it's the same one Shi Ming used… many years ago when he was just a Martial Master Realm Cultivator*Old Yang thought.
With a flick of his sleeve, Xiao Wei calmly stored the bow back into his Storage Ring and withdrew a simple, unadorned Tier 2 sword. It wasn't flashy. It wasn't powerful. But it was enough.
"I suppose I'll use this instead"Xiao Wei said aloud.
Qin Lan burst into laughter.
"What was that performance just now? Are you trying to distract me or make me laugh to death?"Qin Lan muttered.
Xiao Wei didn't respond.
He simply lowered into a sword stance, eyes calm and focused.
The crowd, though amused, began to murmur again—but this time, there was uncertainty. Xiao Wei's calmness... it didn't fit a scared Martial Apprentice Realm Cultivator. His posture didn't carry fear, but precision.
As the tension built once more, Qin Lan narrowed his eyes at Xiao Wei and gritted his teeth. He had waited long enough. The hesitation from before—the failed arrow shot—had put him on edge, but now that Xiao Wei had switched to a sword, he felt more confident.