Shen Zhiran attacked first.
No greeting. No bow. No courtesy pause. The moment the bell faded, he launched forward with a burst of earth energy so dense the platform cracked beneath his feet. His fist trailed golden brown light, and the air in front of him compressed into a wall of force that slammed toward Zhao Lingxi like a collapsing building.
She did not flinch. She turned her body forty five degrees, letting the force wave shear past her left shoulder close enough to pull her hair from its ribbon. The wave smashed into the barrier wall behind her. The crowd gasped. Zhao Lingxi tucked a loose strand behind her ear without looking at the impact.
Lan Yue's heart did something completely inappropriate for a combat situation.
