The air buzzed with spiritual tension as sixteen cultivators stood across the cracked stone of the Bone Cliff arena. Jagged cliffs lined the perimeter, and strange red clouds hovered overhead like a waiting omen.
Li Wei exhaled slowly. He could feel the pressure of every eye—fighters, spectators, even Grandmaster Hu Lin's projection.
Beside him stood Yue Xiaolan, her blade already half-drawn. Lana Qi tapped her boots against the ground, a pulsing drone floating over her shoulder. Shen Ruo calmly checked the vial of restoration tea clipped to her belt.
System Alert: Trial Round 1 — Territory Duel ActiveObjective: Be one of the last 4 standing.Survival Bonus: +5 Levels
Allies: Yue Xiaolan, Lana Qi, Shen RuoEnemies: 12
Battlefield Traits: Elevated terrain, unstable footing, Qi-rich wind
"Don't get cocky," Yue said. "They'll be aiming for us first."
"Why?" Li asked.
"Because we came as a group," Lana said, lips curling. "We look too organized."
Shen Ruo nodded. "And people are afraid of confidence."
A loud gong echoed.
BEGIN.
Chaos Erupts
The first strike came from Jiro Fen of the Lightning Crane Sect. He hurled a bolt of qi-charged lightning straight at Li's face.
Li ducked, barely.
"Watch it, Thunderpants!"
Jiro sneered and summoned his twin spears.
Another fighter—Kuro Mori, wrapped in shadow mist—leapt at Yue Xiaolan from behind.
"Behind you!" Li yelled.
She spun and countered with an upward Moon Fang Slash, carving a perfect arc of ice through the fog. Kuro vanished, reappearing near the cliff edge, bleeding.
Lana fired a shock dart from her drone, tagging another rival mid-charge.
BOOM!
System Alert:
Lana Qi - Successful Tag!Enemy Disarmed.+Team Morale Buff (5%)
Li activated Focused Strike, parried a palm strike from a martial artist with iron gloves, and kicked him square in the chest, sending him flying into a wall.
One down.
Team Formation
"Regroup!" Yue shouted. "Back-to-back!"
They circled together near a broken stone arch.
Shen Ruo activated her Blessing of Flowing Qi, pulsing a soft golden aura over the group.
Li's wounds closed. Yue's arm stopped bleeding.
"Thanks, Ruo."
Shen Ruo smiled faintly. "Don't let it go to waste."
Then—
New Skill Sync Detected:
Fate Quartet Formation – Phase One Activated
Effect:
Defensive bonus +20%
Counter-strike efficiency +15%
Shared senses activated (briefly)
Li blinked as his mind suddenly synced with the others. For a brief moment, he could feel Yue's sharp instinct, Lana's explosive energy, and Ruo's steady calm like they were extensions of his own limbs.
"Whoa," he breathed. "That's new."
The Real Threat Arrives
"Scatter!" Yue shouted suddenly.
A massive tiger made of golden spiritual fire slammed down into the center of the platform.
Its roar echoed across the cliffs.
Its master stood behind it: a girl with long red hair and a whip made of fire threads.
Hua Ling, the Beast Whisperer of Jade Plains.
She smiled coldly.
"You four are cute. I'll burn the cuteness out of you."
The tiger lunged at Li.
He rolled, barely dodging a swipe that shattered a stone pillar.
"Yue, I need you to keep it distracted!"
"Already moving!" she called, dashing up the cliffside and slashing down with a freezing arc.
Lana launched a stun-drone to slow the beast, but the tiger batted it out of the sky.
"It's too intelligent for tech distractions!" she cursed.
Li charged directly at Hua Ling.
"Bad idea," she said.
She cracked her whip.
DING!
Pain!-8% HealthBurn Status: 3s
But he smiled anyway.
"Didn't say I came alone."
Behind him, Shen Ruo unleashed a Pulse of Restoration, nullifying the burn instantly.
Then Li swept his foot under hers.
She stumbled.
He struck her wrist.
Her whip fell.
He pointed at the stunned tiger.
"Now!"
Yue dropped from above with a Sky Piercing Crescent Slash.
The ice blade hit the tiger's forehead.
It wailed and vanished into mist.
Hua Ling stared, stunned.
"You—"
Lana fired her final drone point-blank.
BOOM.
Hua Ling went flying into a stone wall and didn't get up.
System Alert:
Major Combatant Removed.Group Status: Top 4 Potential
A Betrayal in the Ranks
Just as the team started regrouping, a voice called out from behind:
"Sorry. Nothing personal."
It was Ren Yu, the calm-looking swordsman with gray robes and a polite smile.
He stabbed at Shen Ruo from behind with a silent sword strike.
She gasped.
Yue deflected it just in time—but the blade still grazed her side.
"You allied with us," Shen Ruo whispered.
"I did," Ren Yu said, "until I saw who was strongest. Now I'd rather eliminate the competition early."
Li's fists clenched. "Coward."
Ren Yu shrugged. "Strategist."
He slashed forward again—but this time, Li moved faster.
He activated Flow Breaker, caught Ren Yu's wrist, spun under, and palmed his gut.
Yue followed with a slash. Lana boosted in and punched him with her gauntlet, point blank.
Ren Yu flew.
Right off the cliff.
Screaming.
System Alert:
Participant Eliminated: Ren YuFinal 7 Remaining
Bonus Achieved: Avenged Betrayal+2 LevelsShen Ruo Affection +4Yue Xiaolan Affection +3Lana Qi Affection +2
The Last Phase
Six fighters remained on the field.
One—a bulky man with an axe—turned and ran.
The last two were twins with green sashes, standing together.
Yue stepped forward. "Yield or fight."
The twins looked at each other.
"We're not stupid."
They bowed and jumped off the field voluntarily.
System Alert: Top 4 Standing Achieved.Participants Advancing:
Li Wei
Yue Xiaolan
Lana Qi
Shen Ruo
Aftermath and Affection
Later, in the recovery chambers of the arena, Li sat with his arms bandaged and his head spinning.
Yue stood nearby, silent.
Lana paced.
Shen Ruo sat beside him, brushing dirt from his shoulder.
"You held your own," she said.
"I'm trying," he replied.
Yue turned. "You're not trying anymore. You're doing."
Lana clapped her hands. "AND WE'RE IN, BABY!"
They laughed.
And for a moment, the world was still.
Bond Update:Yue Xiaolan: 75/100Lana Qi: 73/100Shen Ruo: 99/100
New Harem Perk: "Trial-Forged Trust"
Allies you fight alongside gain double affection
Harem jealousy is delayed during life-or-death arcs
That night, as they prepared for the next stage, Li stood alone on a balcony under moonlight.
He looked at his hands.
Then at the stars.
Then at the door—where all three girls stood in silence, watching him.
"I'm going to survive this," he whispered. "And I'm not going to do it alone."