The Dao Comprehension Realm bracket was about to begin. The arena buzzed with anticipation, rival sects boasting, disciples flexing their qi.
Then — the phoenix maidens of the Moon Lotus Sect stepped forward.
Their plain white-and-blue traveling robes shimmered once with light — and then dissolved into radiant flames.
Dao armor manifested.
White-gold plates hugged their frames, adorned with flowing silken hems that unfurled like phoenix wings. Their waist guards cinched perfectly around their slender forms, highlighting grace and strength both. Each circlet that rested upon their foreheads gleamed like a phoenix feather, radiant with living light.
The audience froze.
Dao armor was rare. Even sovereigns wore it only in dire battle. Yet here, not one — not ten — but seven hundred and fifty dao comprehension cultivators stood upon the stage, each clad in phoenix armor.
Their presence soared skyward like the cry of celestial birds.
The crowd erupted.
"Dao armor?! All of them?!"
"This… this is impossible!"
"How can a sect of this size forge dao armor for every disciple?!"
High above, even the sovereigns on the Alliance dais leaned forward. Their eyes gleamed with sharp light. They could feel it — this was no ordinary equipment. Each armor pulsed with will, alive, harmonizing with its bearer's dao.
"They are not merely armed…" one sovereign murmured. "They are… ascended."
The Moon Lotus Sect disciples drew their phoenix swords in unison. Blades gleamed with dao resonance, some laced with frost, some wind, some lightning, some fire — every sword alive, every sword singing.
The arena fell silent under the weight of it.
Then the announcer's voice cracked through, trembling despite himself.
"Dao… dao armor… seven hundred and fifty phoenix maidens, all clad in living dao armors… The Moon Lotus Sect has taken the stage!"
Spectators rose to their feet, some screaming in awe, others white-faced with fear.
On the upper platform, sect masters exchanged horrified looks.
"This… this cannot be. A sect this young, with this many dao comprehension cultivators, all equipped with dao armors and dao swords… This isn't a sect anymore. It's an army."
And in the stands, Haotian sat quietly, his eyes calm, lips faintly curved.
Good. Let them see. Let them tremble.
The phoenixes had spread their wings — and the world could no longer ignore them.
The announcer's voice rang out, trembling despite the formations amplifying it:
"First round… Moon Lotus Sect disciples versus the gathered challengers!"
Opponents from prestigious sects strode onto the battlefield, armored in their finest treasures, weapons glowing with inscriptions. Confidence glimmered in their eyes. Many still thought the Moon Lotus Sect's entrance was just spectacle.
But when the battles began, illusions shattered.
Battle OneA phoenix maiden stepped forward, her dao armor glowing with frostlight. Against her, a disciple from the Nine Flames Sect roared and unleashed a towering inferno, fire surging across the platform.
The phoenix maiden raised her sword. Her dao armor flared, wings of light spreading behind her. Frost and ice swirled into her blade, her dao harmonizing with the living will of her armor.
She thrust once.
The flames shattered into crystalline shards, extinguished instantly. The Nine Flames disciple screamed as his own fire qi recoiled, frost searing across his veins. He fell to his knees, defeated in a single exchange.
The crowd gasped.
"She froze fire itself—!"
"That armor… it augments her dao beyond reason!"
Battle Two
Two phoenix maidens fought in tandem against the Steel Flame Sect. Their opponents' swords clashed in coordinated strikes, tempered with earth and fire dao.
But the Moon Lotus disciples' phoenix armors resonated together. Twin wings of flame and frost intertwined, creating a harmonized shield that absorbed the enemy's attacks.
Then, in perfect unison, they crossed their blades. Their swords flared with phoenix cries, streaking across the stage.
The Steel Flame disciples were thrown off the platform, armor shattered, their flames snuffed like candles.
Ziyue's Battle
When Ziyue stepped onto the stage, silence fell. Her phoenix armor gleamed with a cold luster, the circlet feather on her forehead shining faintly with dao light.
Her opponent, a dual-dao prodigy from the Thunder Fang Sect, smirked. "Let's see if beauty can match lightning."
Lightning surged across his blade as he lunged.
Ziyue's lips curved in a faint smile. She lifted her twin swords. Icewind Sword Dao erupted.
Her armor resonated with her dao, and suddenly her speed doubled — her blades becoming streaks of frozen wind.
The thunder swordsman gasped, unable to track her. His lightning was swift, but her icewind blades cut faster, sharper.
In a blur, his weapon shattered, his armor split open, and his chest bled from shallow cuts that had appeared before he even realized she'd struck.
Ziyue lowered her sword, calm and merciless. Her opponent collapsed, defeated, his pride broken.
The arena shook with whispers.
"She's… untouchable."
"That triple dao combined with that armor… she fights like a sovereign already!"
Yinxue's Battle
The cheers turned to stunned silence as Yinxue stepped onto the field. Her phoenix armor radiated sevenfold light, her sword humming with resonance.
Her opponent, a prodigy of the Emerald Pavilion Sect, summoned a forest of living vines, each laced with dao of wood and life.
Yinxue's eyes narrowed. She lifted her sword.
Seven dao harmonized. Frost. Ice. Sword. Love. Piercing. Space. Time.
Her armor pulsed, amplifying the resonance until the battlefield itself bent. The forest froze mid-growth, vines shattering into shards of jade ice.
She stepped forward once — and her opponent was blown back across the stage, his weapon severed, his dao scattered.
Gasps erupted.
"Seven daos harmonized… with armor alive to her will?!"
"She's not a dao comprehension cultivator… she's a calamity in human form!"
Shuyue's Battle
Last came Shuyue. Her phoenix armor flared softly, feathers glowing with a warmth unlike the others. She faced a fierce young man from the Desire Dao sect, whose smirk oozed arrogance.
He unleashed his dao of lust and greed, illusions rippling across the battlefield, seeking to drown her in desire.
Shuyue's eyes softened. Her sword glowed, resonating with her armor.
The Dao of Love awakened.
Her strike cut through the illusions like sunlight piercing clouds. Her warmth dissolved the haze, leaving the man staring in terror as his dao faltered.
He fell to his knees, tears streaming, as though her sword had carved open the ugliness in his heart.
Shuyue lowered her blade, her expression calm yet firm. "The dao of emotions isn't weakness. It is clarity."
The crowd erupted in awe, unable to believe what they'd witnessed.
By the end of the first rounds, not a single phoenix had fallen. Their victories weren't just decisive — they were beautiful, terrifying, absolute.
On the upper dais, sovereigns whispered among themselves, some frowning deeply, others narrowing their eyes with new respect.
"This sect… if they are allowed to grow unchecked…"
"They will surpass even us."
And in the stands, Haotian leaned back, his arms folded, expression calm. But in his golden eyes, pride flickered like flame.
Good. Let the Central Continent know what phoenixes truly are.
The second rounds of the Dao Comprehension bracket began the following day. By now, the entire arena trembled with expectation. No one underestimated the phoenix maidens anymore — yet still, many sects were determined to test them.
Battle One – Group Formation
Five Moon Lotus disciples faced ten opponents of the Ironspine Sect. The Ironspine disciples unleashed their dao of strength and metal, their bodies like steel, weapons crushing with raw force.
But the phoenix maidens spread their wings together. Their dao armors lit, and their phoenix swords resonated in harmony. Five became one formation — a flock weaving through steel with grace. Each movement flowed into the next, one disciple's defense blending into another's attack.
In less than a dozen exchanges, the Ironspine's metal cracked like brittle shells. Their "iron bodies" shattered before the phoenix flames, and all ten collapsed from the stage in disgrace.
The crowd roared in disbelief.
"They fight like one being!"
"This isn't sparring — this is war!"
Battle Two – Ziyue's Precision
Ziyue faced a pair of wind cultivators who sought to match her speed. Their movements blurred into whirlwinds, their blades shrieking through the air.
But Ziyue's dao armor glowed, amplifying her triple dao to perfection. She split her body into afterimages, her twin blades weaving arcs of icewind swordlight faster than sight.
Her opponents' winds faltered. Then, with surgical precision, she disarmed both in the same heartbeat — their weapons severed, wrists numbed, pride in tatters.
Battle Three – Yinxue's Dominance
When Yinxue stepped up, her aura alone silenced the crowd. Facing three opponents — fire, earth, and lightning — she raised her sword, her dao armor singing.
Then her sevenfold dao erupted together. Time slowed, space bent, frost spread, and her blade pierced all three elements as though they were paper. The triple alliance shattered before her single strike.
Gasps filled the air.
"She's not fighting… she's demonstrating sovereignty!"
Battle Four – Shuyue's Resolve
Shuyue's opponent sneered as he unleashed the dao of envy, illusions twisting to strip away her confidence. But Shuyue's eyes burned bright. Her sword carried the resonance of loyalty and love, virtues forged into steel.
Her armor glowed, harmonizing with her dao. She struck once — and the illusions shattered. Her opponent collapsed, sobbing, broken by the weight of his own twisted dao.
The spectators sat frozen. Even the sovereigns shifted uneasily.
The Moon Lotus Sect advanced again, unchallenged.
Later that day, the forging competition arena filled with thunderous anticipation. Rows of forges, anvil-platforms, and cauldrons lined the vast chamber, formations humming to stabilize temperature and qi flow. Hundreds of participants gathered, each representing their sect's finest smiths.
The announcer's voice rang out:
"Contestants… begin the first trial!"
The rules were simple: refine raw ore into its purest essence, then forge a stable dao weapon within the allotted time.
Competitors roared into action, flames lighting, hammers ringing. Tools clanged, qi surged. The air filled with fire, smoke, and the scent of molten metal.
And then… silence at one station.
Haotian stood calmly, his hands empty.
While others struggled with cauldrons and furnaces, he raised his palm. Primordial Harmony Refinement Technique stirred. The ores before him dissolved into pure essence, streams of glowing light orbiting him like stars. He wove them together with his fingers, runes of balance etching across the air itself.
Gasps spread.
"He's refining… without tools?!"
"He's harmonizing multiple ores at once!"
From the side, Xue Yanfei watched intently. Her frostfire flame danced, refining ores with elegance and precision. But her eyes flickered toward Haotian, sharp with curiosity. So… you weren't boasting. You're walking the path of harmony itself.
Haotian pressed his hands together. The essence sphere split into hundreds of droplets, each condensing into the shape of a sword embryo. He etched runes into them with a single sweep of his fingers.
In moments, dozens of phoenix-patterned blades floated before him, each glowing with a faint will.
The crowd erupted into chaos.
"He forged dozens at once—!"
"Without a forge, without tools, without flame?!"
"What kind of monster is this?!"
Yanfei's lips curved upward. She leaned forward, frostfire glinting in her eyes.
Zhenlong Haotian… I want to see just how far you'll go. And when we clash, I'll show you the difference between genius… and mastery.
Haotian remained calm, his golden eyes unreadable as he dismissed the blades into a neat array. He wasn't here to impress them. He was here to redefine forging itself.
The forge hall quaked with disbelief as Haotian's array of phoenix-forged blades hung in the air, glowing with harmony. Their surfaces shimmered like living steel, breathing in rhythm with his calm pulse.
Around him, competitors stopped mid-swing, sweat pouring, their faces pale as though they had been stripped naked before the crowd. Even the most experienced smiths faltered, their tools clattering uselessly.
And across the hall, Xue Yanfei froze.
Her frostfire flame wavered, nearly sputtering out. For a heartbeat, she forgot to breathe.
He refined without tools…
He forged without flame…
He split essence into dozens, and every single one was stable.
Her chest tightened, heat flooding her cheeks. Her heart raced wildly, thundering against her ribs like a drum. She clenched her hands against her robes, trying to still them.
This wasn't supposed to happen.
She, the dual-element prodigy of the Yan Clan, had always stood above her peers. She had seen arrogance, talent, even brilliance — but this… this was something else.
Her eyes locked on Haotian's back, the white-robed youth standing with golden eyes calm, lips barely curved as though he hadn't just redefined forging itself.
Yanfei bit her lip, her pulse quickening.
Why does my heart… feel like this? Is it fear? Excitement? Or…
Her attendants glanced nervously at her trembling flame. "Miss Yanfei—are you—?"
She silenced them with a glare, forcing her frostfire back into control. Yet her heart wouldn't slow. She pressed a hand lightly against her chest, as if to cage the pounding within.
Her mind screamed to dismiss it — to analyze his technique, to rationalize the impossible harmony he had displayed. But another voice whispered, quieter and far more dangerous:
He's not just a rival. He's someone who can shake me.
For the first time in her life, Xue Yanfei felt her composure crack.
And she smiled faintly, her eyes locked on Haotian.
Zhenlong Haotian… what are you? A monster? Or… a storm I cannot resist?
The forge arena trembled in silence. Dozens of competitors were still sweating over their half-shaped weapons, flames roaring and hammers striking. Yet at the center station, Haotian stood calmly with his work complete — a glittering array of phoenix swords that hovered in perfect formation, their blades breathing like living creatures.
The judges, sovereign-ranked masters in forging, exchanged glances of disbelief. One finally stepped forward, his hand trembling slightly as he laid it upon one of the swords.
The weapon pulsed — alive, steady, harmonized with dao.
His eyes widened. "This… this is a dao weapon with independent will. Forged not as a single piece, but as dozens… all identical in resonance."
Another judge tested a second sword. His voice cracked. "Not a single imperfection. Not one!"
The third judge nearly shouted. "This score—!"
He turned to the board. The characters burned into light for all to see:
Perfect Score.
The hall erupted into chaos.
"Perfect?!"
"No one has ever received a perfect score!"
"And he finished in less than ten minutes—!"
On the viewing dais, sect masters leaned forward, their faces stiff. Even sovereigns narrowed their eyes, unable to remain indifferent.
Haotian only cupped his hands politely to the judges, his expression calm, golden eyes steady.
"My thanks."
Then, without fanfare, he turned and walked down from the stage, his steps unhurried, as though he had not just shaken the entire forging world.
The crowd's whispers rose behind him like thunder.
"Who is he really?"
"A dao comprehension cultivator? Impossible…"
"He forges like a sovereign—no, beyond."
And in the competitor's stands, Xue Yanfei's frostfire flame sputtered again.
Her heart slammed against her chest as she watched him pass. Her own work, though flawless by most standards, suddenly felt dull, lifeless, mundane.
When the round ended and she presented her blade, the judges praised her highly — but compared to Haotian's perfect score, even her brilliance dimmed.
The moment the trial concluded, Yanfei moved.
She intercepted Haotian in the passageway beyond the forge arena. Her attendants scrambled to keep up, but she waved them back, her frostfire eyes locked onto the man who had unsettled her so thoroughly.
"Zhenlong Haotian," she said, her voice even but tight, betraying the rapid beat of her heart. "You… finished within ten minutes. You forged dozens of dao weapons at once. And you earned a perfect score."
She stepped closer, studying his calm face, her composure cracking with every breath.
"Tell me—" her voice dropped, more demanding than curious, "—what kind of monster are you?"
Haotian paused, golden eyes meeting hers with quiet weight. His expression didn't change, but his lips curved slightly.
"A blacksmith," he said simply. "Nothing more."
Then he walked past her, his robes whispering like calm waves, leaving her standing in the hall's dim light, heart racing harder than ever.
Yanfei pressed a hand against her chest, her breath catching.
Liar. You're no blacksmith. You're something far more dangerous. And I… I can't stop staring at you.
The next day, the grand bell of the tournament rang thrice.
On one side of the city, the alchemy arena lit up with towering cauldrons, flame arrays, and vast ingredient stores. Dozens of sects sent their finest alchemists, each master brimming with confidence.
On the opposite end, the martial stage surged with anticipation as the Dao Comprehension bracket entered its third round — where Central Continent prodigies, famed across regions, were waiting.
Alchemy Arena – Haotian
The announcer's voice boomed:
"Alchemists, your task — refine a Grade 7 pill. You will be judged not only on purity and speed, but resonance with dao."
Competitors bowed and began, flames erupting, herbs flaring with qi. Cauldrons shook as ores and plants fused into essences.
At the farthest station, Haotian stood calmly. He didn't even summon a cauldron.
Murmurs spread instantly.
"He's not using a cauldron again?!"
"He'll fail!"
Haotian raised his hand. His Primordial Harmony Refinement stirred, qi flowing in perfect balance. The herbs dissolved into radiant motes, no flame required. His golden eyes glowed faintly, his will weaving them together in a precise lattice.
The essences merged into a swirling sphere. Then, with a flick of his fingers, he carved runes into the sphere's surface. It contracted instantly, crystallizing into a pill that radiated with a living aura.
Gasps rang out.
"A Grade 7 pill… in five minutes?!"
"No cauldron, no flame—just pure harmony!"
The judges leaned forward. The pill hovered before them, its fragrance washing through the hall like spring air. A faint phoenix cry seemed to echo within it.
"Perfection again…" whispered one judge, his hands trembling. "Not a single flaw. This isn't alchemy — this is creation."
The scoreboard flared. Perfect Score.
The arena erupted. Competitors paled, their flames faltering, some abandoning their pills outright.
Among the crowd, Xue Yanfei's heart pounded again, harder than in the forge hall. She had refined her pill with flawless frostfire, but when she saw Haotian's work, her chest tightened as though she were drowning. She bit her lip, staring at him with a mix of fury and fascination.
Zhenlong Haotian… why do you keep breaking the rules of the world itself?
Martial Arena – Disciples
At the same time, the Moon Lotus disciples stepped onto their stage. This round was different — their opponents were the Central Continent prodigies, names whispered across regions.
Yinxue faced a prodigy of the Vermilion Blade Sect, whose dao of flame had already reached harmony with sword. His strikes shook the sky, each slash splitting formations.
But Yinxue's phoenix armor ignited, her sevenfold dao harmonizing. Her blade struck once, and his flames froze midair before shattering. Gasps echoed as she pressed forward, not just matching him, but overwhelming him utterly.
Ziyue clashed against a Thunder Pavilion genius, his lightning dao condensed into bolts that struck faster than thought. Yet her Icewind Sword Dao and phoenix armor enhanced her speed beyond his. Her twin blades cut his thunder apart, forcing him to yield.
Shuyue's battle was the strangest. She faced a Desire Sect prodigy who wielded the dao of wrath, his fury twisting the battlefield itself. He roared, trying to drown her in killing intent.
But Shuyue lifted her sword gently. The Dao of Love shone through her armor. The wrath around him crumbled as though ashamed. His strikes slowed, his dao faltered — and with one soft slash, she ended it.
The crowd was stunned.
"These phoenixes… they aren't prodigies… they're monsters."
"They're all still Dao Comprehension realm… yet they crush our finest."
Even the sovereigns murmured above.
"If they reach Sovereign Realm… this sect will dominate entire continents."