The stage erupted in green. Vines whipped out of the grass, thick branches twisting into weapons as they lunged at Veronica.

  Nash’s voice practically squeaked with excitement. “I heard from Master that Westin’s grasp of Domains is freakishly good. He might be the first in history to pull off a Domain with dual roots. That’s why Ms.Dorothy bent the rules to take him in.”

  While Veronica hacked away desperately at the vines, Nash kept running his mouth.

  “The whole arena’s his now. The moment she stepped onto the stage, she lost the initiative. She’s screwed. Miserably screwed.”

  Lauren folded her arms, analyzing coolly. “So the only way to deal with him is to hit first. Don’t give him the chance to seize control.”

  “In the wild you’d have more room to maneuver, but in this cage of an arena? Forget it.”

  Nash shivered. “Yeah… if I’d drawn him in the first round, I’d already be out.”

  It was obvious—Westin won the match.

  As the next pair went up, Nash clasped his hands together like he was praying. “Please let it be Sebastian. Please, please, please.”

  But Sebastian wasn’t on stage. Nash’s face dropped.

  “No way… Sebastian hasn’t gone yet? Don’t tell me he’s number five. Shit, that’d mean I’m up against him next.”

  He looked stricken. “Lauren, figure out what’s happening here. I’m gonna find out Sebastian’s number.”

  Lauren stayed put as two men stepped into the ring. She didn’t know them either, but like clockwork, they introduced themselves: both disciples of a Peak Master, both blessed with single gold spiritual roots.

  From the opening clash, the stage was awash in gold. Weapons gleamed, blades screeched, sparks flying like molten rain.

  The audience shielded their eyes with sleeves. Lauren squinted through her fingers.

  Clang, clang, clang!

  The sound was deafening, metallic waves crashing against one another. Golden weapons clashed midair while hundreds of glittering needles burst into the light around them.

  Lauren’s lips twitched. If this spectacle were left to a special effects company, it’d bankrupt them in a day.

  Nash returned, practically vibrating. “Hyped yet? Both of them are at Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment, same master, same root, same level. This is as close as it gets.”

  Lauren frowned thoughtfully. “Dante’s also a disciple of the Master Gerald, and he has a gold root too.”

  “Exactly. The Master Gerald himself has a gold spiritual root, so he knows the path inside out. That’s why every disciple with a gold root in the entire cultivation world is tripping over themselves to study under him.”

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  Lauren muttered, “So that’s why it feels like gold roots are everywhere. Three of them in one generation.”

  “Not a lot at all!” Nash protested. “What you’re seeing here is basically the full set. All the top gold-root disciples in the world are right here.”

  Up in the ring, the fight remained deadlocked. Identical techniques, identical roots, identical realms—neither one giving an inch.

  Nash leaned over. “You know why they’re blowing their ultimates right off the bat, right? Flashing all that gold around?”

  Lauren arched a brow. “Why?”

  “Burns through energy faster. They’re testing stamina, seeing whose reserves run out first. Bet they agreed on it beforehand.”

  Lauren sighed. So straightforward. If one of them had just dodged instead of clashing head-on, let the other burn out their ultimate, then counterattacked… they’d have had a clear shot at winning.

  But neither had the guile. They hammered away at each other until the golden brilliance finally began to fade. When the light dimmed, the one with the weaker reserves dropped, defeated.

  ......

  Match Four

  Lauren glanced at Nash, smug in her certainty. If Sebastian didn’t show up now, Nash would already be bawling.

  “Sebastian of Ashenreach versus Zachariah of Cloud Peak.”

  Lauren frowned. “Why is it always someone from Cloud Peak?”

  “Because Cloud Peak’s all about offense. They’re built for combat, and half the sect’s fighting power comes from them alone.”

  “So what about you Rain Peak people?”

  “Formations, formations, and more formations,” Nash muttered bitterly. “And just my luck—my next opponent is Yanis, from my own peak. Tch. If only it were Eliseo instead.”

  Lauren’s lips curved. So Eliseo was the only one he was confident about beating. Figures.

  This fight wasn’t a guaranteed wash. Sebastian went in hard, spells flying everywhere, suppressing Zachariah with sheer momentum.

  Zachariah lashed back furiously, but every strike he landed brought two more from Sebastian in return. A few moves later, ten Sebastians were swarming the arena, illusions and talismans weaving together until Zachariah looked completely overwhelmed.

  Lauren’s family had always been skilled in talisman-making, but compared to Sebastian? They were in another league. Her grandfather Preston was the foremost talisman master in Mistvale and had still only just reached Foundation Establishment. Sebastian was operating on an entirely different plane.

  While she studied the match, Nash slipped away to prepare for his turn.

  That’s when a voice cut in:

  “Nash, who’s that girl you’ve been hanging around with all day?”

  It was Dante, the golden boy of their generation, known for his sharp eye and sharper reputation.

  Nash almost blurted out that she was one from Starfell Summit—but then he remembered Lauren’s warning about keeping her profile low.

  “I can’t say right now,” he hedged. “I’ll ask her after my match.”

  Dante raised an eyebrow. “Someone I shouldn’t know?”

  “Of course she’s—”

  “Nash, it’s your turn!”

  The announcement cut him off. Nash shot Dante a helpless grin. “Wait, Dante. After I finish fighting, I’ll ask if she wants to meet you.”

  Dante: “…” Who the hell was this girl, to be so high and mighty?

  Nash added carelessly, “She should. She came here just to see you and Sebastian.”

  That made Dante pause. His curiosity sharpened.

  He didn’t even wait for Nash to finish. As soon as the match was called, he stepped off the bench and headed straight for Lauren.

  But Lauren didn’t notice—her eyes were locked on the ring.

  Two Rain Peak disciples were about to clash, and she wasn’t going to miss this. She still carried her miniature Ice Domain Formation Plate; watching how they handled formations could give her ideas.

  Up on stage, Nash began by scattering a handful of bean-shaped objects. The moment they hit the ground, they sprouted into life-sized armored lancers.

  One phrase flashed through Lauren’s mind:

  Beans become soldiers.

  His opponent didn’t flinch. He tossed out a handful of stones, which thudded onto the arena floor and instantly expanded into towering stone pillars, blocking the charge of the lancers.

  The constructs jabbed their spears uselessly at the pillars, while the stone columns responded by dropping chunks of rock like hailstones.

  Lauren pressed her lips together, watching the scene unfold.

  It was… basically Plants vs. Zombies.