I settled into the lotus position on my meditation cushion, trying to center myself after everything that had just happened. The tournament arena buzzed with excited chatter around me, but I barely heard it. My mind was still processing the implications of what I'd done in the Realm of the Chosen.

Creating that time loop for Du Yanze had been necessary, hell, it had been the only way to save not just his world but potentially the entire Cultivation World from that otherworldly threat. But necessity didn't make the consequences any less terrifying.

The Sect Master's reaction when my spiritual manifestation returned had been subtle but unmistakable. He'd actually stood up from his chair, which for someone of his cultivation level was like shouting. Clearly, he could see something the other elders couldn't. Whether that was due to his mastery over the Dao of Karma or some Civilization Realm technique I couldn't even comprehend, I wasn't sure. But it didn't really matter.

What mattered was that I'd just exposed myself as someone capable of manipulating time itself. In a world where power was everything, that kind of ability would make me either the most valuable asset, or the most dangerous threat the sect had ever seen. Possibly both.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair.

It only made sense for the sect to be monitoring each inner world under their control. It would probably take them just a few hours to realize that the Realm of the Chosen was stuck in a temporal loop. And when they traced it back to Du Yanze, all suspicions would land squarely on me.

I wasn't sure what the sect would do with that knowledge.

From my understanding of the Sect Master's Dao of Karma, I didn't think he'd wrong me. If anything, saving an entire world from corruption would probably earn me some serious positive karma. But the Sect Master wasn't the only powerful figure I had to worry about.

There were rumors of other Civilization Realm cultivators within the sect; ancestors who'd retreated from active leadership but still held enormous influence. While the Sect Master's dao might restrict him from taking unfair advantage of me, the same couldn't be said about the others. Some of those ancient monsters might see a junior disciple with time manipulation abilities as nothing more than a resource to be exploited.

The truth was, I couldn't actually recreate what I'd done in the Realm of the Chosen.

The energy system there had been similar enough to the Two Suns World for me to adapt Kal's Mandelbrot Recursion pattern, but that was a very specific circumstance. The corruption of blue sun energy into Xuan Yi had created exactly the right conditions for temporal manipulation. In the Cultivation World, with its pure qi-based system, I wouldn't even know where to begin.

But I knew that wouldn't deter ambitious cultivators from wanting to pick apart my brain to find out how I'd done it. I suppressed a shudder. The things they might do to extract that knowledge from me didn't bear thinking about. All I could do was hope the Sect Master understood that some secrets needed to be kept secret. For everyone's sake.

"Master," Azure interrupted my increasingly dark thoughts. "While you were busy contemplating your inevitable doom, I was being productive. And I have some good news."

"Oh?" I perked up internally. "What kind of good news?"

"The kind that involves making you more versatile in combat," Azure said with obvious satisfaction. "I've been analyzing the harmonic essence that you brought back from the Realm of Living Lyrics, and I've calculated an adjustment to your cerulean vein's design that will let it act as a lung resonator."

That really was good news. I felt some of the tension in my shoulders ease.

While I didn't expect to become a music cultivator anytime soon, the thought of me trying to sing people into submission was honestly pretty amusing, being able to use some of the techniques I'd learned in the musical realm would add some serious variety to my arsenal. The Ten Scales system had been fascinating, and even basic applications could be incredibly useful.

"How complex is the adjustment?" I asked.

"Not very.”

"Can we do it now?"

"Whenever you're ready, Master."

I closed my eyes and let my spiritual will enter my inner world.

The familiar sensation of stepping into that vast space always felt like coming home: the gentle warmth of the red and blue suns in their eternal orbit, the rustling of leaves from the Realm Stabilizing Tree, the soft gurgle of water from the Primordial Wellspring.

Azure guided me toward the meditation plateau where my cerulean vein was located. The Arboreal Spiral pattern glowed with soft blue light, its intricate curves and branches humming as it absorbed energy directly from the blue sun.

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"The modification goes here," Azure explained, highlighting a section near the end of the spiral. "We're essentially adding a resonance chamber that can translate blue sun energy into harmonic frequencies. It won't interfere with your normal cultivation; think of it as adding a new function rather than changing the existing one."

The work was delicate, requiring precise energy manipulation to ensure the new structure integrated properly with my existing cultivation base. One wrong move could disrupt the entire cerulean vein, potentially crippling my lightweaver abilities.

But Azure's calculations were perfect.

As I put the finishing touches on the resonance chamber, I felt it activate seamlessly. The blue sun energy flowing through my cerulean vein now produced a subtle harmonic frequency that resonated through my entire spiritual foundation.

"How does it feel?" Azure asked.

I tested the new system carefully, letting a small amount of blue sun energy flow through the modified vein. Instead of the usual silent circulation, I could now feel musical tones building in my chest, ready to be released through vocal techniques.

"Incredible," I murmured. "I can feel the harmonic potential building."

While I didn't think I could do any of the advanced Third Scale techniques just yet, I was pretty sure I could manage the basic roar technique that even First Scale cultivators used. I'd always found it impressive when a cultivator could send someone flying with just a roar. Now I might actually be able to do it myself.

"Thanks, Azure," I said. "This is going to be really useful."

"Just doing my job, Master.”

I returned my attention to the external world just as Elder Wan stepped forward to address the crowd. The arena fell silent almost immediately; even the most excited spectators knew better than to ignore an elder's call for attention.

"Attention, disciples," Elder Wan called out. "The quarter-finals are about to begin. Will the eight remaining competitors please step forward."

I rose from my meditation cushion and walked toward the center, joining the small group of survivors. Looking around, I could see the faces of those who'd made it this far: Wei Lin with his confident smile, Wu Kangming looking as stoic as ever, Luo Yichen gripping his sword hilt tightly, Chen Feng radiating the confidence of someone who'd never lost a fight, Earth Fist Liu standing like an immovable mountain, and two other disciples I didn't recognize but who'd obviously proven themselves capable.

Eight people out of around three hundred who'd started this tournament.

The numbers really put things in perspective.

Wei Lin caught my eye and gave me a subtle wink, which I returned with a slight nod. All I hoped was that I wouldn't face him in this round. If I was going to have to fight my friend, I'd rather it be in the finals when we'd both given everything we had.

"The matchups for this round are as follows," Elder Wan announced, and the formation arrays around the arena shifted to display the pairings in glowing text visible to everyone.

Wei Lin vs Chen Feng – Hell’s Valley

Wu Kangming vs Feng Yuehua - Shattered Arc Dominion

Luo Yichen vs Qi Meng - Heavenly Flame Sanctum

Ke Yin vs Earth Fist Liu

Before I could read the rest, Earth Fist Liu turned toward me with a smile, clasping his hands together and bowing respectfully. "Brother Ke Yin, I'm honored to face you in battle. I've watched your fights throughout this tournament, and your techniques are truly impressive."

I returned the bow, appreciating his straightforward manner. "The honor is mine, Brother Liu. Your reputation precedes you."

And it did. Like Yuan Zhen, Earth Fist Liu was known throughout the outer sect for being honorable and refreshingly direct. No schemes, no backstabbing, no hidden agendas; just honest cultivation and straightforward combat. He was exactly the kind of person you'd want watching your back if things went sideways.

That thought was still lingering when my gaze dropped to the name of the inner world assigned to us, and my expression tightened into a frown.

Mortal Martial Valley.

The name suggested a world focused on martial arts, probably more wuxia than xianxia in nature. A realm where spiritual techniques might be limited or even suppressed, forcing contestants to rely on pure physical skill and martial prowess.

And my opponent was literally named Earth Fist Liu, suggesting he was a master of martial arts techniques.

As for me... well, martial arts was pretty much my biggest weakness.

"Master," Azure said gently, clearly picking up on my mood, "you're catastrophizing again."

"I'm not catastrophizing," I protested. "I'm realistically assessing a genuinely problematic situation. You've seen my hand-to-hand combat skills. Liu Chang completely dominated me in pure martial arts."

"You've learned a lot since then.”

I wanted to argue, but he did have a point. My cultivation had advanced significantly, and I'd gained practical combat experience that should help. Still, the thought of facing a martial arts specialist in a world that probably favored martial arts made me nervous.

"Look at it this way," Azure continued. "This is an opportunity to improve your weakest area.”

I shook my head, trying to dispel the pessimistic thoughts. Azure was right; this was an opportunity, not a death sentence. If I was going to survive in this world, I needed to shore up my weaknesses, and martial arts was definitely one of them. This battle would either teach me what I needed to know or eliminate me from the competition, either way, I'd learn something valuable.

The key would be choosing the right vessel. I needed someone who was not only a martial arts prodigy but also someone whose fighting style I could adapt to quickly. Ideally, someone whose techniques complemented my existing abilities rather than requiring me to start from scratch.

"The battles will now begin," Elder Wan announced. "Competitors, prepare yourselves. Spectators, place your final bets and return to your seats."

One by one, the other competitors stepped through their assigned portals, disappearing into their respective inner worlds.

When my turn came, I took a deep breath and looked at the gateway that led to the Mortal Martial World. The portal's surface rippled like water, showing brief glimpses of mountains and martial arts academies beyond.

"Time to see what this world has to offer," I murmured, then let my spiritual will separate from my body and step through the portal.

The last thing I saw was the concerned faces of my parents in the spectator section, their worry evident even from across the arena. Then the portal closed behind me, and I was falling through the space between worlds toward my next challenge.