Amon, The lowest tier disciple in the Insanity Sect

The medics patched me up quickly, their glowing hands leaving a warm, tingling sensation where cuts and bruises had been moments before. Leeon watched the whole thing with his usual smirk, but his eyes were sharper than usual.

"You're lucky, you know," he said as we walked toward the waiting area. "Bai Hong could've crushed you if you hadn't pulled off that gravity trick."

"Yeah, lucky me," I muttered, rubbing my arm where a bruise was already starting to form despite the healing. "Let's not talk about how I nearly lost my head literally."

Leeon snorted. "You're just full of surprises, aren't you?"

Before I could respond, the announcer's voice boomed again, calling the next pair of contestants to the arena. The cheers of the crowd seemed distant now, muffled by the pounding in my chest.

We reached the waiting area, where other fighters sat in various states of preparation. Some were meditating, others sharpening weapons, and a few looked like they were contemplating their life choices. I dropped onto a bench, letting out a long sigh.

"Don't get too comfortable," Leeon said, leaning against the wall. "You've got one more match today, and from the looks of it, they're pulling out the big guns."

"Big guns?" I repeated, my stomach twisting. But i thought this was supposed to be a cultivation novel.

Leeon's smirk faded, replaced by a rare seriousness. "Her name's Ying Yue. They call her the Shadow Lotus."

The name sent a chill down my spine. I'd heard rumors about her a prodigy who combined speed and precision with deadly magic. Some said she could end a fight before her opponent even realized what was happening.

"Shadow Lotus?" I forced a laugh, though it sounded hollow even to me. "No worries i can easily deflower this lotus."

"Elegant until she's got her blade at your throat," Leeon said. "She's not like Bai Hong. She doesn't rely on brute force. She's tactical, and she's fast. If you go in there without a plan, you're done for."

"Great," I muttered, burying my face in my hands. "Any other good news?"

Leeon shrugged. "Not really. But hey, at least you've got me cheering for you."

"Fantastic," I said, my voice muffled. "That's all I need to survive a murder flower a cheerleader."

Leeon chuckled, but his eyes stayed serious. "I'm not joking, Amon. If you want to win this, you've got to be smarter. Use your abilities to control the pace of the fight. Don't let her dictate the flow, or you're dead."

I nodded, though my confidence was rapidly dwindling. The medics had done a great job patching me up, but they couldn't fix the creeping sense of dread in my gut.

Before long, the announcer's voice rang out again. "Final match of the day: Amon versus Ying Yue, the Shadow Lotus!"

The crowd erupted into cheers as I stood, my legs feeling like they were made of lead. Leeon gave me a pat on the back.

"Good luck," he said, his tone light but his expression firm.

"Yeah, thanks," I muttered, gripping my katana tightly as I made my way to the arena.

Ying Yue was already there, standing in the center of the ring like she owned it. She was smaller than I expected, her slender frame almost fragile-looking, but her aura was anything but. A black mist swirled around her feet, and her eyes glinted like polished obsidian.

"Ready to dance?" she asked, her voice soft but laced with menace.

"Uh… sure," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "But I'm not much of a dancer. Hope you don't mind improvising."

She smiled, a cold, sharp thing that sent shivers down my spine. "Don't worry. I'll lead."

The gong rang, and the fight began.