Immortal Paladin

034 Semi-Finals

034 Semi-Finals

Fan Shi was definitely not a player. That much was clear. She wasn’t even reacting to things a modern person would recognize. No memes, no references, no sense of shared culture. That meant she was either a special NPC or a genuine person in a world that had, for some reason, become real to me.

Either way, as far as I was concerned, this was no longer a game.

I dismissed Fan Shi after our talk, letting her go about her day while I continued playing Go with Gu Jie. The game was oddly relaxing, a simple yet deep distraction from the ever-growing mystery that was my existence here. Eventually, though, duty called, and I had to leave for the semi-finals.

It wasn’t exactly a duty, but... there was an obligation to it, in a sense.

Lei Fen for example would appreciate to have someone watching his back, especially with Pan Xia and Long Xieren being budd-buddy.

I arrived a bit earlier than usual, and to my mild surprise, Long Xieren was already there. The arena felt different today—quieter, as if the air itself was holding its breath for what was to come.

"My fellow Daoist, you are early!" Long Xieren greeted me with a wide grin, already making himself comfortable.

I sat where I had last time. "Same goes for you, Daoist."

Long Xieren chuckled and leaned forward. "So, still up for another bet? I am feeling lucky today."

I waved him off. "Nah, yesterday was enough excitement for me."

He clicked his tongue in disappointment. "That was amazing. You should have seen Pan Xia’s face after the entire ordeal, returning to his quarters looking like some guy just killed his dog."

I smirked at that. Considering how his night ended, I couldn’t blame him.

Gu Jie hadn’t accompanied me this time. She was worried about her demonic qi affecting me, as if people would suddenly start accusing me of consorting with demonic cultivators. Instead, she stayed behind with Ren Jingyi, the little goldfish, using the peaceful morning to continue her cultivation.

That was fine.

Long Xieren was an Elder of the Sword Canopy Sect, but he looked no older than a middle-aged man. He had the sharpness of a swordsman in his bearing—disciplined, yet relaxed, like a blade resting in its scabbard. He carried himself with the ease of someone who had long mastered his craft, his every movement deliberate and efficient.

Compared to him, Pan Xia was basically an old man. His beard alone could house a family of birds, and his wrinkled face gave him the appearance of a wise sage—though his attitude was closer to that of a scheming fox.

Elder Lei Fen, on the other hand, looked much younger than Pan Xia, but still carried the weight of years. He seemed to be in his late 40s, the kind of man whose presence alone was enough to command respect.

Just on time, the others arrived.

Ren Jin, the governor of Yellow Dragon City, entered the arena first, followed closely by Elder Lei Fen and Pan Xia.

I watched them take their seats before turning to Ren Jin, curiosity getting the better of me.

"If you don’t mind me asking," I said, "why is it that some people call you City Lord while others call you City Governor? Is there a difference?"

Ren Jin considered my question for a moment before answering. "A matter of perspective, I guess... Most commoners refer to me as a City Lord, but that’s technically wrong. For one, I wasn’t born in this city. It was my wife who was born here. She’s the City Lord. The Empire had simply posted me here, making me a City Governor."

That was interesting. "So, in other words, a City Lord is someone who rules over their own birthplace, while a City Governor is someone assigned by the Empire?"

"Precisely," Ren Jin confirmed. Then, with a knowing smile, he added, "Since you asked anyway, what is it like in your home? Do they have Lords too?"

It depended, of course. But if I wanted to stay consistent with my supposed background as a Paladin...

"Yes," I answered. "We do have Lords. Kings. Nobles. And the like."

Ren Jin’s smile widened ever so slightly, as if he were reading into my words. "I see... Your homeland must be quite the place."

I merely nodded, keeping my expression neutral.

Ren Jin was surprisingly easy to talk to. Despite being the City Governor, he lacked the stiff, overly formal air I expected from someone of his status. We exchanged pleasantries, discussing the festival, the upcoming semi-finals, and eventually, I found myself recounting my little adventures with Fan Shi and Jia Yun last night.

As I spoke, I noticed Elder Lei Fen and Pan Xia subtly turning their heads in my direction. Their ears perked up, and I could practically feel their curiosity. After all, I was talking about their disciples.

"So, you're saying," Ren Jin said, holding back a chuckle, "that you had them competing in a contest to see who could make the other laugh first?"

I grinned. "They were already looking for an excuse to fight. I just gave them a different battlefield."

Lei Fen and Pan Xia exchanged a glance before letting out a breath, visibly relaxing. I guess they had been worried I was dragging their disciples into something more serious. Once they realized it was just harmless messing around—with me as the main perpetrator, no less—they seemed content to let it go.

Ren Jin leaned back with a nostalgic look in his eyes. "There were times I would mess around like that when I was a child. Of course, I had to be careful—being a prince meant that not everyone took jokes lightly. But a little mischief never hurt anyone."

That was interesting. I was about to ask more about his childhood when another thought crossed my mind.

"Do you know anything about a Lin Lim?"

Ren Jin's face immediately soured. He sighed, rubbing his temple as if just hearing the name gave him a headache. "Efforts have been made to placate them so they wouldn’t cause trouble," he finally said.

That was vague. Too vague.

"They don’t seem to have come here to cause harm," I pointed out. "At least, not from what I’ve seen."

Ren Jin gave me a contemplative look. "You’re not the only one who thinks that. My son has been saying the same thing."

I filed that information away for later. Before I could press further, the atmosphere in the arena shifted. The noise from the crowd quieted as Chief Enforcer Liang Na stepped onto the stage. She moved with an air of authority, her robes billowing slightly as she came to a stop at the center.

Four figures followed behind her:

Fan Shi. Jia Yun. Lu Gao. And a sword cultivator from the Sword Canopy Sect.

Never really got his name. But from the way he carried himself, he was definitely skilled.

The semi-finals were about to begin.@@@@

Meanwhile, Huo Jun honed in on Lu Gao. His movement was swift, his sword constructs shifting with him, forming a calculated offense.

Lu Gao simply smirked.

"A perfect line."

Huo Jun’s eyes widened.

Sensing danger, he instantly brought his sword up—along with the three sword constructs—forming an asterisk-like defense.

Lu Gao's sword pulsed.

"One Road to Hell."

A sulfuric scent filled the air. Black and red sparks flickered as Lu Gao swung downward.

Huo Jun’s composure shattered. He gritted his teeth, his arms shaking from the sheer force.

Yet he endured.

The same could not be said for Jia Yun.

Lu Gao’s sword wave didn’t stop. It surged past Huo Jun, cutting through the air in a straight line—honing in on Jia Yun.

Fan Shi’s eyes flashed. She didn’t let the opportunity go to waste.

Her chains lashed out once more.

Jia Yun’s reaction was immediate—another frost wall rose between her and the twin threats, blocking both Lu Gao’s sword wave and Fan Shi’s chains.

"One Road to Heaven."

The moment Lu Gao’s sword wave slammed against the frost wall, something bizarre happened. Instead of dissipating or breaking through, the energy reversed.

The very same sword wave curved unnaturally, bending in midair as if guided by an unseen hand—homing straight toward Huo Jun’s undefended back.

Jia Yun's eyes widened. She reacted fast, snapping her fan open and waving it with force.

A powerful gust of wind blasted Huo Jun, shoving him forward just in time. The redirected sword wave barely missed him. Instead, it returned to its origin—Lu Gao.

A normal cultivator would’ve been caught off guard.

Lu Gao wasn’t.

He extended his free hand, absorbing the returning energy without breaking a sweat. The golden-red glow of his sword pulsed as he seamlessly channeled it back into his weapon.

Fan Shi saw the momentary opening.

Her chains lashed out at the disoriented Huo Jun, aiming to end his fight then and there.

Huo Jun, despite being off-balance, didn’t panic.

He gritted his teeth and went for the only option left—attacking Lu Gao directly.

His sword sliced through the air, honed for Lu Gao’s neck.

Lu Gao crouched low.

Huo Jun’s blade whistled above him, missing entirely.

Fan Shi’s attack was next—her chains shifting and coiling into a gauntlet-like weapon around her fist as she closed the distance. She swung at Huo Jun with fierce precision.

Huo Jun barely managed to react. His sword met Fan Shi’s gauntlet in a desperate block, the impact pushing him back a step.

Meanwhile, Jia Yun moved again.

She flicked her fans, empowered by wind qi. They rotated rapidly like bladed discs as they homed in on Lu Gao with incredible speed.

Fan Shi pressed her attack, giving Huo Jun no time to regain his footing.

Lu Gao, seeing the incoming fans, smirked.

"It would be troublesome if you suddenly transformed into a fox," he said, eyes locked on Jia Yun. “I have to remove you whether by hook or crook.”

Then, he moved.

Lu Gao stomped down hard. His figure flickered—disappearing from Jia Yun’s view in an instant.

He didn’t dodge. He surpassed the speed of the fans entirely.

By the time Jia Yun realized what had happened, he was already in front of her.

Lu Gao’s palm struck her square in the chest.

A loud impact rang through the arena.

Jia Yun barely had time to process what happened before she was sent flying backward, crossing the boundary line.

"Out of bounds!"

The match was already tilting in one direction.