Yu Xuan and Yu Renli rushed toward each other.
In terms of speed, Yu Renli clearly had the upper hand.
He swung his dagger with swift precision, aiming to end the match early — but Yu Xuan countered it smoothly, with little to no recoil.
Yu Renli's eyes widened in surprise.
'I definitely put strength into that', he thought, staring at the small boy who had blocked the blow with calm fluidity.
This wasn't some pampered brat.
He was facing the son of the Clan Head — and Yu Xuan was, as expected, no ordinary child.
True to that, Yu Xuan's foundation was solid.
From bitter herb baths to high-quality spirit-infused meals since infancy — not to mention the fact that his mother, Huan Lianhua, was no ordinary cultivator.
Even his breastfeeding sessions had contributed to his strength, though Yu Xuan thought that was just a normal part of baby life.
And indeed, in this world, it was widely acknowledged: no matter a mother's cultivation level, she could safely breastfeed her child — a miraculous fact, considering the spiritual energy involved.
'Truly a wonder of nature,' an elder once muttered philosophically.
Back in the arena, Yu Xuan parried another strike and dodged with swift steps — though no real opening appeared for him to attack.
Yu Renli, agile and relentless, remained on the offensive.
Their weapons clashed repeatedly.
Yu Xuan's sword met Renli's twin daggers again and again, but the tempo belonged to the older boy.
The crowd murmured. The matchup seemed unfair.
Yu Renli was known for his speed and balance.
Yu Xuan, just seven, looked outmatched — smaller and younger, despite his calm face.
The chat group lit up with commentary.
[MoonPeach]: Little Yu, fight back! This big sister believes in you!
[FurnaceBoy444]: It's over.
[LittleBigFish]: This is a stomp. Yu Renli wins, no contest.
And for once, Mo Ki was absent — presumably being lectured by an elder after his earlier comment.
Amidst the back-and-forth clashes, Yu Renli asked between strikes, "Junior brother… why don't you surrender?"
Yu Xuan replied between breaths, "I'll see this through to the end, senior brother!"
Yu Renli sighed, realizing persuasion wouldn't work.
But the constant clashing was exhausting him, too.
Yu Xuan, pushed back by another strike, suddenly rolled away and created distance between them.
He took a breath. It was time.
Yu Renli narrowed his eyes.
'So… he's going to attack now?'
Confident in his footwork, he decided to let Yu Xuan make the move, planning to dodge and counter as usual.
Yu Xuan inhaled, focused, and prepared.
He called upon the technique he had trained in secret.
The [Magic Swordsmanship of the Avalon Imperial Family].
Raising his sword to his right side, Yu Xuan's expression became calm and focused.
A red aura began to condense around his blade, slowly rising from the hilt to the tip.
As he moved the sword slightly, the aura followed with a mesmerizing delay — trailing like an echo with power.
It looked cool.
Really cool.
The audience gasped.
Yu Renli's eyes widened in alarm, and panic took over him.
"I forfeit! I FORFEIT!!" he shouted instantly, backing away.
Disciple Lu, startled but quick on his feet, rushed onto the stage.
"Winner Yu Xuan!" he announced, his voice filled with disbelief.
Yu Xuan blinked.
He hadn't even used the technique fully.
He looked around, confused, only to hear murmurs and gasps ripple through the arena.
"Was that what I think it was?"
"Wait… how old is he again?"
"Is he the reincarnation of a Sword Immortal?!"
A dazed disciple muttered under his breath, "Sword intent…"
The Elders seated beside the Patriarch stiffened.
"That can't be…"
"He manifested sword intent?!"
"Look at that color..."
One female elder, utterly mesmerized, mumbled, "It's beautiful…"
Several elders gave her skeptical looks.
Yu Changming was stunned as well.
Sword intent — at the mortal stage?
Even reincarnated sword saints rarely achieved that before cultivating.
Several Elders began to question their own lives.
In the center of it all, Yu Xuan — the boy in question — stood baffled.
He had unexpectedly won.
Without even getting to show off the cool moves he'd practiced.
"…Huh," he said under his breath. "Well, that worked."
And with that, the final match of the round ended not with a clash of blades…
…but with the quiet terror of overwhelming potential people saw from Yu Xuan.