Next Day...
The tournament grounds buzzed with nervous energy. All eyes turned to the massive arena, where the final match was about to begin.
Host:
"Ladies and gentlemen! The time has come for the Grand Final of the All-Sect Tournament!"
"Zhen Huan of High Heaven Sect… versus Xing Wu of Starfall Temple!"
Gasps echoed.
Xing Wu—a prodigy born under a rare astral alignment, known as the Starborn Saint. A 6th-layer Nascent Soul cultivator wielding terrifying cosmic techniques. He was the pride of Starfall Temple, undefeated for years.
He floated into the arena, robes shimmering like starlight, an ethereal sword orbiting him.
The crowd whispered:
"He's going to crush Zhen Huan…"
"Zhen Huan's strong, but Xing Wu? He commands the stars!"
But I stepped forward calmly, hands behind my back.
Xing Wu smirked.
"You're strong, Zhen Huan. But this is where your journey ends. You'll be forgotten, while I ascend."
I simply smiled.
"You talk too much."
DING!
Match Start.
Xing Wu raised his hand.
"Astral Domain – Falling Heavens!"
A cosmic array formed in the sky. Thousands of shimmering star-blades descended like divine judgment. Even the air shimmered with raw astral pressure.
The crowd held their breath.
But I didn't move.
Instead, I said one word:
"Burn."
Inferno Slash – Third Form: Eternal Incineration.
A crimson blaze erupted. The entire sky ignited.
Star-blades melted. The astral domain cracked. The heavens themselves roared.
Xing Wu's eyes widened.
"What—?!"
I vanished, reappearing behind him in an instant.
"Wind Steps – Phantom Mirage."
He spun around, too slow.
"Meteor Rain of Sword."
Blades rained down again, this time not illusionary—but real, burning, and soul-cutting. Xing Wu blocked, screamed, retreated—blood flying.
He tried to activate his defense:
"Celestial Guard – Star Core Armor!"
But I raised my hand.
"Earth Finger Ray."
Boom.
His armor shattered.
I appeared in front of him and struck his chest with my palm—nonlethal, but firm.
BOOM!
He crashed into the wall, unconscious.
Silence.
Host (shocked):
"W-Winner… Zhen Huan of High Heaven Sect!"
Crowd:
Stunned. Then… Roared.
Shen Hong slammed his fist into the air. "He did it!"
Yang Kai cried out, "Master! Master! You're the strongest!"
Mu Lingyao gasped, "He didn't even try…"
Feng Xuan smiled quietly. "A battle only for one side."
I stood in the center of the arena, calm and unshaken. My robes barely rustled. My blade was still clean.
The cultivators of every sect stared… not in envy, but in awe.
Zhen Huan. Champion. Monster. Legend.
As the dust settled from the final battle, silence gripped the massive arena. Then, suddenly—
DING!
A radiant light burst forth from the sky above the arena. A colossal Leader Board manifested in golden script, suspended high in the air. Each name etched by divine force, undeniable and absolute.
Sect Rankings — All-Sect Tournament Final Results
1. High Heaven Sect – Champion: Zhen Huan
2. Starfall Temple – Champion: Xing Wu
3. Blade Sect – Champion: Feng Xuan
4. Flower Valley Sect – Champion: Mu Lingyao
5. Azure Moon Pavilion
6. Heaven Core Sect
7. Dark Feather Hall
8. Frozen Thunder Gate
9. Burning Lotus Sect
10. White Sun Palace
The names of sects shimmered with spiritual light, and at the very top, High Heaven Sect pulsed with golden brilliance. The crowd erupted into a thunder of gasps and awe.
"High Heaven Sect is first!"
"Zhen Huan defeated Xing Wu… He actually did it!"
"Unbelievable. From underdog to dominant!"
I took one step forward, my gaze sweeping across the sea of shocked cultivators and sect elders. I raised my hand slowly—then clenched it into a fist.
And with a voice as firm as steel and as loud as thunder, I spoke:
"I… am Heavenly!"
The words echoed through the valley, shaking the mountains. The air itself rippled with spiritual force.
Silence.
Then—
"He's heavenly!" someone shouted.
A second voice: "He's challenging the heavens themselves!"
Cheers broke out like wildfire.
"Zhen Huan is not just a cultivator—he's a force of nature!"
"He defeated Xing Wu like it was nothing!"
"A legend is born today… the man who declared himself heavenly!"
The elders from countless sects looked at me with expressions ranging from fear to admiration.
Shen Hong, standing among his sect disciples, couldn't stop smiling. "He just declared war on fate… and fate trembled."
Yang Kai stood beside me, eyes wide. "Master… you shook the heavens with your words."
I looked toward the distant skies, where even the clouds seemed to still in reverence.
In that moment, I knew—
This was only the beginning.