The competitors’ staging area was much smaller and less crowded than the spectators’ areas.

  It gave the competitors space to prepare without distractions.

  Wu Kangming was already seated cross-legged with his eyes closed when I arrived.

  As I walked over, he opened his eyes and stood up to greet me.

  There we stood – two younger cultivators who had exceeded expectations to reach the final round of the tournament.

  “Ke Yin,” he said, performing a formal bow. “It’s an honor to compete against you in the finals.”

  “The honor is mine,” I returned the bow with a formal one of my own.

  "You seem calm," he said, looking at me with a thoughtful expression. “If I’m being honest, I’m experiencing far more pressure than I expected. To be competing in the finals is... larger than anything I’ve done before this."

  I was taken aback by his candor.

  Wu Kangming was usually the kind of guy who projected an aura of quiet confidence.

  Today was the first time I was able to detect traces of nervousness beneath his composed exterior that wasn’t related to Wu Lihua.

  But I guess it made sense.

  Apart from the brutal deal with Zhou Ming, Wu Kangming hadn’t experienced much else.

  He was still just a young protagonist at the beginning of his journey.

  And I had the misfortune to be up against him.

  "I’m also nervous," I said, deciding to be honest with him. "But I think that’s normal. If we weren’t feeling anything then it would mean that this didn’t matter to us.”

  My words didn’t have the effect I intended; he seemed to lose himself in thought for a moment.

  “True,” he finally said. “But I suspect we’re nervous about different things.” His expression became distant again. “You’re fighting for the chance to advance, to gain the opportunity to breakthrough. I’m fighting for..." He hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. "Never mind, I guess the reason doesn’t matter once we’re in the inner world."

  His words piqued my interest, and I wanted to ask what the real reason he was fighting for was.

  Was it related to Wu Lihua?

  Was it related to his clan?

  Or was it something else?

  Maybe his mysterious master?

  Unfortunately, I didn’t get the chance to ask.

  But even if I did, I doubted he would answer.

  Our pre-fight pleasantries were interrupted by a commotion in the Core Disciple viewing section. Both of us looked up to see what was going on. A young woman was making her way into the viewing section.

  It was Wu Lihua.

  Wu Kangming’s reaction was painful to watch.

  His entire body stiffened, and his facial expressions cycled rapidly through a series of complex emotions. Hope, longing, anger and pain, they all flashed across his features in rapid succession. Unconsciously, his hand reached for the ring on his finger before he seemed to realize what he was doing and stopped.

  For several long moments, he stared at her with an expression that reflected years of complicated history. Then with visible effort, he turned away and closed his eyes, assuming his meditation posture again.

  I felt a pang of sympathy for him. Regardless of what their past relationship was, regardless of how much she had meant to him, I knew that seeing her there, and knowing she was now a creature driven solely by her own cultivation technique, had to make it even worse.

  That sort of situation caused real pain.

  An awkward silence developed between us.

  I wanted to give some type of comfort or reassurance to help ease the pain he was experiencing, but what could I possibly say to make a difference? I wasn’t trained to deal with this. So, I just stood there silently, giving him the space to deal with whatever emotions were causing him discomfort.

  Fortunately for me, I didn’t have to stand there awkwardly for long.

  A few seconds later, Elder Wan stepped forward to address the arena.

  The crowd's noise level decreased dramatically, eager to hear what he had to say.

  "Distinguished disciples of the Azure Peak Sect, esteemed guests, fellow cultivators," Elder Wan began, "today marks the conclusion of our Outer Sect Tournament, a competition that has tested the finest young talent that our sect has to offer."

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  The crowd erupted in cheers, a cheer that seemed to rattle the stones of the arena.

  When it died down, the elder continued.

  "Our two finalists have shown incredible ability, perseverance, and character throughout the tournament. Ke Yin, who started from humble beginnings to learn and master multiple cultivation techniques and adapt to any challenges. Wu Kangming, whose mastery of the sword has impressed even our most experienced elders."

  The praise surprised me.

  I felt my cheek redden at the extra attention.

  I could just imagine my father repeating it every chance he got.

  As for Wu Kangming, he didn’t seem bothered by the elder’s words.

  He remained perfectly composed next to me.

  "Both have earned their place here through merit, courage, and the kind of persistence that defines true cultivators. Today, one will earn the title of champion and the privilege of advancing to Inner Disciple status, along with access to our sect's most valuable cultivation resources."

  Elder Wan paused dramatically, and I noticed that several of the elder members of the viewing section were leaning forward with great interest.

  "However," the elder continued, "our Sect Master has decided that such remarkable finalists should be given a testing ground that is equally impressive. Instead of using the standard inner world battlefield for today's final round, the battle will take place in a realm of legend – the Dream World itself."

  The reaction from the crowd was intense.

  Conversations broke out among the spectators regarding the implications of the Dream World as the venue for the final round of the competition. In the viewing section, some of the elders actually stood up, their facial expressions showed shock and what seemed to be concern. Wu Kangming's composure was broken for a moment; his eyebrows shot up in surprise.

  I couldn't tell what the elders were discussing from this distance, but their body language suggested they were arguing. Sect Master Yuan remained calm on his throne, seemingly unaffected by the response his decision evoked.

  It seemed I was the only one who didn’t understand what was so great about the Dream World.

  But it must be pretty significant since it could cause the elders to argue in the presence of the Sect Master.

  Elder Wan waited for the crowd to quiet before continuing. "The Dream World functions under its own set of principles, which will test not only the combat skills of our finalists, but also their mental toughness, flexibility, and the strength of their identity. It is a realm where consciousness and reality merge in ways that challenge even the most seasoned cultivators."

  Hmm, that didn’t sound too different from anything we'd faced in previous rounds.

  What made this Dream World so special?

  "For safety and fairness, both contestants will not enter the Dream World through full spiritual projection. Instead, they will each send wisps of their spiritual essences into the realm. These wisps will follow the natural laws of the Dream World, reincarnate within the realm, and will do so without access to memories, cultivation abilities, or inner world resources."

  Ah, so that was the catch.

  If I was understanding this correctly, then I’d be entering this inner world by myself.

  I wouldn’t have Azure to help me.

  No runes, no sun energies, and no access to the inner world or Genesis Seed.

  My abilities would be limited to whatever my wisp could gain within the Dream World itself.

  That was a lot of pressure.

  "The winner of this competition will be the contestant who can successfully eliminate their opponent first. A task that requires the contestant to not only rediscover their power, but to remember who they are and why they are fighting in the first place."

  We’d lose our memories?

  That was concerning.

  Wu Kangming appeared to be as worried as I was.

  Just like me, he wouldn’t be able to take with him his unique advantages.

  No mysterious ring or sword master to help him.

  That was good news for me.

  As confident as I was in my own abilities, I wasn’t delusional enough to think that I could defeat someone who was being coached, and maybe even powered, by an old grandpa spirit.

  This at least gave me more of a fighting chance.

  Though, I didn’t think that was worth forgetting who I was.

  Even if it was a wisp of myself.

  And even if it was temporary.

  “The Dream World's natural defenses will protect both contestants from death by dream entities or environmental hazards. Only their opponents can truly threaten their spiritual essence. There will be no time limit; the battle continues until one achieves victory.”

  That was reassuring.

  We won’t have to race against the clock like we did in the Fallen Realm.

  And it was good to know that I wouldn’t die during childbirth or something.

  That would be an anticlimactic ending to the tournament.

  "Are there any questions from our finalists before we begin?"

  Wu Kangming spoke first. "Elder Wan, will we retain any cultivation abilities at all after reincarnating?"

  "You will retain basic spiritual sensitivity only," Elder Wan replied. "All other abilities will need to be developed according to the Dream World's cultivation system, which operates under its own rules."

  I raised my hand.

  The elder turned his attention to me.

  "What happens if neither of us recover our memories or purpose?” I asked. “Would we just end up living a normal life in the Dream World?”

  “The realm has its own ways of encouraging progress,” Elder Wan’s smile worried me. “So, you will not need to worry about that.”

  A part of me wanted to find out what he meant by that exactly, but the elder seemed to be done with answering questions. Apparently, we both got only one question each. With a wave of his hand, the elder signalled the attendants to finish making their final preparations. Once they were done checking the formation circles and positioning the medical equipment, they waited beside the portal’s mechanism waiting for the elder’s signal.

  “Let the final battle begin!”

  With that, the portal fully activated, and its surface became a mirror-like reflective surface that pulled at my spiritual sense. Wu Kangming and I exchanged a final glance and moved to our respective activation circles.

  "Ready?" I asked.

  "As ready as one can be for entering a legendary realm with no memories and no power," Wu Kangming replied. Although he maintained a dry tone, I sensed a glimmer of excitement underlying his worry. "May the best cultivator win."

  “May the best cultivator win,” I whispered.

  The activation circles on the floor beneath our feet activated, and I felt my spiritual sense being drawn toward the portal. Unlike the spiritual projection techniques I used in previous rounds, I was releasing a fragment of my essence entirely.

  “You don’t need me, Master,” Azure gave me some parting advice as the wisp separated. “Trust yourself. Even without your memory, you’re still you. That will be enough.”

  “Thanks, Azure.”

  It was reassuring coming from my inner world spirit.

  He was the one who had been with me throughout my entire cultivation journey.

  He knew probably more than myself what I was capable of.

  If he believed I could do this by myself, then I probably could.

  I just had to believe it.

  While we wouldn’t be racing against the clock, we would be racing against each other.

  The first one to regain their memory would have the greatest advantage.

  I just hoped it would be me.

  As our wisps entered the portal, the light consumed us, and everything went white.

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