"Lord Wuxian, next match is yours—camera's ready!"
"What kind of unhinged behavior is this? Aren't we literally watching the Deathmatch on livestream? Why do you need… photos?"
"Bro, you don't get it. This is respect. I'm capturing Lord Wuxian at his most handsome!"
"Fair. As a fellow fan, I'm screenshotting."
"+1. Screenshots are cleaner."
"Replay is fine too. I'm clipping every frame that has Lord Wuxian and posting it on Dili Dida. Don't forget to toss me a coin when it's up!"
"Damn, advertising in the middle of a Deathmatch? Respect. If the edit is good, coins—big ones!"
"Shut up, it's starting!"
Just like before, the screen went black again.
Viewers had no choice but to sit in front of their monitors and phones and stare at the reflection of their own faces—faces they'd already seen a million times.
"Not gonna lie, the person on my screen is pretty handsome."
"It's a black screen, genius… you're not right."
"Thank god it's black—I just realized I didn't wash my hair. Will of Blue Star, wait a sec, I'm going to wash up. How can I watch Lord Wuxian's match without washing my hair?!"
Not long after, the darkness finally peeled away.
Color returned.
The arena reappeared—and two fighters stood facing each other.
On the left was a young man with a clean, almost ethereal presence.
Dragon Nation's long-awaited ace.
Wuxian.
He wore pale teal clothes that looked like a modernized training outfit. His long hair was tied neatly behind him at waist length, his expression calm to the point of indifference. He glanced around once, then settled his gaze on his opponent.
He didn't speak.
"LORD WUXIAN!!!"
"Sorry, Eat-Stream Adrian Vale—Lord Wuxian's charm is too aggressive, I can't handle it."
"Upstairs… want some peach-peach?"
"Lord Wuxian always looks emotionless, and that's exactly why I like him."
"Yo, look—his opponent is one of those 'small days are pretty good' Eastern Isles guys."
"Holy crap, it really is!"
Through Wuxian's angle, the audience finally got a clear look at the other contestant.
Short and stocky, with a long braid trailing down his back. His robe-like outfit looked like something you'd wear out of a bathhouse. A katana hung at his waist like a badge.
He stood with arrogant ease, eyes raking up and down over Wuxian like he was inspecting merchandise.
"So it's a dude. I thought we were getting a pretty girl."
Then he cupped his fist and bowed—polite to the point of theatrical.
"This humble one is Togashi Murawa, one of the ten who survived Eastern Isles' selection. Please advise."
As soon as the words left his mouth, the "courtesy" vanished, replaced by that same smug stare—as if the bow had been nothing more than procedure.
Eastern Isles' livestream immediately roared.
"Togashi-sama, why are you being polite? Just chop him into pieces!"
"He looks all righteous—bet he's the same kind of man-eating devil as that other one! Togashi-sama, cleanse the world!"
"He's skinny, no weapon—one slash and he's done."
"With Togashi-sama's skill, he doesn't even need a blade. He could barehand kill a tiger!"
"I can't wait to see this wicked Dragon Nation guy get beaten into helplessness!"
On the battlefield, Wuxian didn't care about any of it.
He returned the gesture—proper and unhurried.
"My name is Wuxian. I'm from Dragon Nation. Glad to cross blades with you."
"Glad?"
Disgust twisted across Togashi's face.
"I'll make you not glad in a second."
The moment he finished speaking, Will of Blue Star echoed in both their minds:
[Both combatants, prepare.]
[FIGHT.]
Round Two of the Blue Star Deathmatch began.
And the livestream chat exploded with wagers.
"It's starting—Lord Wuxian W!"
"That's even a question? Lord Wuxian barely broke a sweat in the qualifiers. One opponent is nothing!"
"I bet fifty cents—Wuxian wins!"
"Fifty cents? I'm betting my whole house!"
"Then I'm betting Togashi wins—on my ex-girlfriend's life!"
"Bro, that's not a bet, that's a felony."
"Fine, I'll bet my ten ex-boyfriends' lives!"
"Good lord… a whole football team just walked into the chat."
"I checked Eastern Isles' stream—they're saying Lord Wuxian can't survive one slash."
"What?! Insolence!"
"Brothers, ride with me!"
"Keyboard—come!"
—
In the arena, Togashi exploded into motion the instant Will of Blue Star finished speaking.
Boom!
His feet punched two small craters into the stone floor. The katana left its sheath in a flash—he swung straight at Wuxian's neck.
To be fair, the power was real.
Anyone ordinary would've been split open before they even understood what happened.
But Wuxian didn't move.
He didn't dodge.
He didn't retreat.
He simply raised his right hand—and pressed lightly forward, like he was pushing against invisible air.
The katana gave a faint, metallic tremor.
And then—
it stopped.
Dead.
Not an inch further.
Togashi's face warped.
His eyes bulged as he stared at his own blade.
It was as if the sword had been nailed into the sky.
"WHAT—?! What kind of ghost power is this?!"
He yanked hard.
Nothing.
He pulled again, veins rising on his forehead.
Still nothing.
The blade wouldn't budge—no matter how he struggled, no matter how he angled his grip.
Dragon Nation's chat instantly started eating good.
"Didn't he just talk crazy? Why'd he suddenly freeze?"
"Look at him—he can't even control his own sword. How did this clown make it out of Eastern Isles?"
"How? Easy—tallest kid in a pile of toddlers."
"Maybe the sword saw Wuxian's face and couldn't bear to cut it. I hereby name it: The Kind Sword."
"A sword has more conscience than its owner, I'm crying."
"Wait… what if it's Dragon Nation-made?"
"LMAO—Eastern Isles entering Deathmatch with a Dragon Nation sword would be the funniest thing ever."
"Say less. I'm going to their stream to do a little trolling."
—
On the battlefield, Togashi was still fighting the air.
At one point, he even hung his bodyweight off the hilt like a monkey—still useless.
Finally, he snarled through gritted teeth.
"What kind of hero are you, using tricks to lock my weapon?! How am I supposed to fight you?!"
Wuxian blinked, as if he genuinely considered the question.
Then he lowered his hand.
"…Alright."
He spoke quietly.
"I'll give it back."
Togashi was still yanking when the pressure vanished.
The sudden release threw him backward—
Thud!
He landed hard on his butt.
For half a second, the entire world went silent.
Then the livestream detonated.
"HAHAHAHA—NO WAY!"
"He's a professional comedian!"
"That fall was so clean I thought it was rehearsed!"
"Eastern Isles, bring him home and debut him. This man is born for variety shows."
Even Eastern Isles viewers couldn't deny it now.
The tone in their chat flipped instantly—like a switch.
"What is this? Togashi Murawa is this weak and he represents us?!"
"Our nation is full of talent—how did this waste of oxygen get a slot?"
"Togashi, go die! If we lose because of you, I'll never forgive you!"
"Stay in the arena forever and don't come back!"
The Dragon Nation trolls who'd prepared speeches for "enemy fans" took one look at the self-cannibalizing chat and sighed.
"It's already dog-eat-dog over there. Boring."
"Dog-eat-dog? That's the best content—I'm going."
"Same. Group trip."
"Bring me!"
"I'm not going. I'm watching Lord Wuxian."
—
Back in the arena, Togashi crawled up, face twisted with humiliation.
"This is cheating! Will of Blue Star, where are you?! I'm reporting him!"
Silence.
No one answered.
His rant landed like a clown act.
Wuxian's expression stayed calm—like nothing in the world could interest him.
That blankness only made Togashi more furious.
He clenched his teeth, breathing hard, then forcibly smoothed his face back into something "composed."
He stood straighter, casually spun the katana in his hand, and slid it back into the sheath with a click.
"Fine," he said, voice cold. "Then I'll show you my true strength."
Wuxian gave a small nod—barely a reaction.
Togashi's eyes lit up, mistaking it for attention.
"Let me introduce myself properly."
He lowered his body toward the ground, voice dropping into a dramatic rumble.
"I am the Quick-Draw Blade, Togashi Murawa. My sword is so fast… you won't even see me draw."
His hand twisted on the hilt.
A small cap at the end of the handle popped open—
And—
BANG!!
Thunder tore through the arena.
The "katana" barked like a rifle.
A bullet screamed toward Wuxian's face.
The livestream erupted.
"What the hell?! A GUN?!"
"Have some shame! Quick-Draw Blade? You're a quick-draw GUNMAN!"
"This is disgusting—Eastern Isles really brought a cheater into a deathmatch!"
"Why isn't Wuxian moving?! Did he not react in time?!"
"No—NO—don't let this trash succeed!"
Togashi turned slowly away, already savoring the moment.
"You can't even see my motion… and you're already dead."
He lifted both hands, waiting for Will of Blue Star to announce his victory.
But the announcement didn't come.
Instead—
Something heavy whistled back through the air.
Then—
BANG!!
A second explosion.
Togashi's body jerked.
His abdomen erupted.
Blood and shredded organ splattered the stone.
His eyes went huge, and with the last strength he had, he turned his head toward Wuxian.
"…You… have a gun too?!"
Then he collapsed—straight down, dead.
He never learned the truth:
Wuxian had no weapon.
Not a gun.
Not a blade.
Nothing.
The chat—especially the people who'd blinked at the wrong moment—started hammering their keyboards to recreate what happened.
The bullet stopped.
Right in front of Wuxian's face.
No spark. No warning.
It simply halted—as if it had slammed into an invisible wall.
Then the bullet rotated—slowly, obediently—until it pointed back at Togashi.
And in the next instant, it launched forward again at full speed.
Straight through him.
That was it.
Togashi fell.
And only then did Will of Blue Star speak:
[Congratulations. Dragon Nation contestant: Wuxian. Advancement confirmed.]
Wuxian dipped his head slightly, as if acknowledging something unseen.
A white flash swallowed him.
He vanished back to the contestants' waiting room.
Togashi's corpse remained—permanent and unmoving—left behind on the arena floor.
—
In I Watch the Divine Domain studio
The panel had been tracking the match from start to finish.
Professor Luo rested his chin on his hand, eyes narrowed in thought.
"If I'm not mistaken… Dragon Nation's Wuxian possesses a form of metal control—or at least a force that can constrain metallic objects."
Bingbing's eyes widened.
"Metal control?"
But her professionalism snapped back quickly, and she faced the camera again.
"As expected of Dragon Nation—talent after talent. Eastern Isles attempted a sneak attack, and Wuxian not only neutralized it… he made the opponent die by his own trick."
Captain Li let out a satisfied breath, smiling like someone who'd just watched a problem solve itself.
"Exactly. With competitors like this, why would Dragon Nation fear the Deathmatch?"
—
In the contestants' waiting room
An elderly man wearing a round metal helmet and a red cape watched Wuxian's battle with quiet interest.
When the bullet stopped in midair, the old man's face finally shifted—just slightly.
"Metal control…" he murmured. "Interesting."
He looked up—just as Wuxian reappeared in a wash of white light.
Wuxian noticed the gaze, offered a small, polite smile, and nodded.
The old man nodded back.
No words.
Only recognition.
—
Back in the Divine Domain: Forbidden Zone
After eliminating the lurking threat, Adrian Vale and Raven Shaw had already arrived before the Divine Tree.
The livestream audience exploded the second the image cut back.
Round Two of the Deathmatch had ended—
and this stream flooded with viewers all over again.
Many were running two screens at once:
one for the Blue Star Deathmatch,
one for the Divine Domain.
A few maniacs were even running three—
watching the Deathmatch, watching Adrian and Raven, and arguing in enemy chats at the same time.
Busy. Happy. Delusional.
But as the Deathmatch round ended, most eyes returned here.
Even the TV broadcast switched back to the Divine Domain feed.
Bingbing's smile was bright enough to light the studio.
"I only have one phrase for today—double good news!"
"You can see it clearly," she continued. "Our original duo, Adrian Vale and Raven Shaw, overcame the danger and reached the Divine Tree."
Professor Luo leaned back, relaxed.
"This Divine Tree looks extremely mysterious. The rewards should be substantial—and they've earned it."
Captain Li looked like he wanted to stand up and cheer, but remembered he was on live TV and forcibly held it in.
"Good. Very good. Double good news—hah."
The livestream chat was practically drooling.
"Finally—let me see what's special about this tree!"
"I'm dying of curiosity!"
"Does it grow fruit? What kind? Peach-peach?"
"Bro what species are you that you love peach-peach that much?"
"LOOK—They're going to touch it!"
In the feed, Adrian Vale and Raven Shaw reached forward at the same time.
Both palms pressed gently against the Divine Tree's bark.
For an instant—
the entire tree erupted into dazzling light, brighter than the sun.
And the forest around them… began to hum.
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