Sovereign of Stolen Fate

The village square buzzed with excitement. Villagers crowded close, standing shoulder-to-shoulder, eager to see the final fight of the tournament. The sun shone brightly, warming the wooden stage where the final match would soon happen.

Mayor Wei Tian stood at the center of the stage, looking important and confident. His eyes scanned the crowd before he raised his hand to quiet them down.

"Everyone," he announced clearly, "this tournament has shown us the strength of our young cultivators. Today, we will see who deserves the ultimate rewards."

Behind him, an assistant carefully presented a gleaming sword. "This is a Refined Grade sword," Wei Tian continued proudly, "crafted by our village's blacksmith. It holds Qi energy that makes its user stronger. Along with this sword, the winner will receive special pills to improve their cultivation speed."

Cheers and whispers spread quickly among the crowd. These prizes were valuable. They could make a big difference for any young cultivator trying to become stronger.

Elder Ming, who was in charge of the matches, stepped forward and raised his hand. "Wei Rong and Jin Ye, come forward. Remember, no killing is allowed." he warned.

The crowd grew quiet again, sensing the seriousness in Elder Ming's words. Everyone knew the bad blood between these two cultivators it could easily become dangerous.

Wei Rong stepped onto the stage first, looking proud and confident. His cultivation was at the fifth stage of Qi Refinement, two stages above Jin Ye's third stage. This gave him a clear advantage in strength, speed, and how well he controlled his Qi.

Jin Ye calmly joined Wei Rong on the stage. He knew he was weaker in cultivation, but he trusted his techniques. His previous matches a testament to his skill. His mind was sharp, ready to carefully respond to Wei Rong.

The villagers watched closely, whispering among themselves. Many believed Wei Rong's higher cultivation would make him the easy winner. Others quietly cheered for Jin Ye, hoping to see another surprising victory from him.

"Begin!" Elder Ming announced loudly.

Wei Rong wasted no time. He activated his cultivation technique, Iron Mountain Fist, a powerful fighting style focused on strong punches backed by heavy Qi. He charged forward, his fist glowing with Qi energy, aiming directly at Jin Ye.

Jin Ye swiftly moved to the side, barely avoiding the strike. He felt a gust of wind from the punch pass him. Wei Rong's punch was incredibly strong, making Jin Ye immediately aware of their difference in cultivation levels.

"Are you scared, Jin Ye?" Wei Rong mocked loudly, smiling arrogantly. "You should be! You can't beat me now!"

Jin Ye stayed quiet, calmly watching Wei Rong's movements. He knew he couldn't fight strength with strength. He had to be smart, using his Moonlit Phan Method—a technique that let him move silently and quickly.

Again Wei Rong attacked, confident and aggressive. Jin Ye used his technique, his movements smooth and precise. But even with his skill, he felt the pressure from Wei Rong's higher cultivation. Each strike Jin Ye blocked felt heavy, making him step back each time.

The villagers murmured with excitement and worry, seeing Jin Ye struggle against Wei Rong's superior strength.

Wei Rong laughed confidently. "Is dodging all you can do? Pathetic!"

But Jin Ye was calm. He waited patiently for Wei Rong to make a mistake, knowing he needed the perfect chance to fight back.

Wei Rong grew annoyed as Jin Ye continued to evade him. His pride was hurt, and his patience started to run thin. He paused for a moment, eyes narrowing in anger. "Stop running around and fight!" he yelled at Jin Ye, his voice echoing across the village square.

Jin Ye ignored his taunts, staying focused and alert. He knew a head-on clash was too risky, so he carefully watched Wei Rong, searching for an opening. He remembered clearly that Wei Rong was now at the fifth stage of Qi Refinement, which meant his attacks were stronger, faster, and contained more energy.

In cultivation, each stage was important. The difference between the third and fifth stage wasn't small—cultivators at the fifth stage had bodies strengthened by Qi, giving them tougher skin, stronger muscles, and faster movements. They could also send Qi outside their body for brief attacks, making them even harder to beat.

Wei Rong proved this quickly. He gathered Qi in his palm, forming a small glowing sphere. "Try dodging this!" he shouted, launching the concentrated ball of Qi at Jin Ye.

Jin Ye saw the attack clearly and swiftly moved aside, but the energy grazed his shoulder. Sharp pain flared through him as his skin split open, blood trickling down his arm. The crowd gasped loudly—this was the first real injury they'd seen in the tournament.

"That's too far!" someone shouted from the crowd, but no one stepped in. Elder Ming watched closely, prepared to intervene only if the fight got out of control.

Wei Rong smirked confidently. "See? This is the gap between us. Accept your defeat!"

Jin Ye steadied himself, feeling the burning pain from his injury but refusing to give up. He knew Wei Rong wanted him to surrender, to prove his earlier victory had been a fluke. But Jin Ye wouldn't back down. His determination only grew stronger, fueled by his desire to prove himself.

The mysterious feeling he'd experienced after previous fights returned even stronger now. His injury somehow awakened it, and Jin Ye felt a surge of energy he didn't fully understand. He realized clearly now—each battle was helping him grow stronger faster than normal. The pain sharpened his senses, making everything around him clearer.

Taking advantage of Wei Rong's arrogance, Jin Ye suddenly counterattacked. He activated his modified technique, channeling Qi carefully through his arms and legs, making him quicker and more precise. Wei Rong, surprised, stepped back hastily as Jin Ye struck back decisively.

Villagers watched in shock, amazed by Jin Ye's sudden burst of strength.

"Did you see that?" one man shouted excitedly. "How can Jin Ye still fight like that?"

The excitement spread quickly through the crowd, whispers growing louder. "Maybe Jin Ye really is special after all," a woman said, eyes wide with wonder.

Wei Tian, observing from his seat, gripped the armrest tightly, frustration showing on his usually calm face. This wasn't the quick revenge he'd planned—his son needed to finish this decisively, or their reputation would suffer even more.

Wei Rong regained his balance, his face flushed with anger and humiliation. He clenched his fists tightly, Qi surging visibly around him. "I'll end this right now!" he growled.

Wei Rong rushed forward again, faster and stronger than before. This time, his Qi clearly surrounded both fists, glowing softly with a dangerous power. Jin Ye could sense the seriousness in his opponent now. The villagers held their breath, waiting anxiously to see what would happen next.

Knowing he couldn't hold back, Jin Ye used one of his newly improved techniques, the "Shadow Palm." It was a modified version of his previous life's method, carefully adapted to suit his weaker body. He swiftly moved his palm forward, the Qi within him carefully flowing into his attack. It wasn't powerful enough to directly defeat Wei Rong, but it was sharp and precise, aimed at a weak point.

Their attacks collided, sending a small shockwave through the air. Jin Ye staggered back from the force, feet sliding across the wooden stage. Wei Rong also stumbled, eyes widening slightly in surprise. Jin Ye's technique had managed to disrupt Wei Rong's aggressive attack, briefly shaking his confidence.

"Impossible!" Wei Rong shouted angrily, his voice shaking with disbelief. "You're just third stage! How can you resist me?"

Around them, villagers watched with growing excitement, realizing they were witnessing a fight unlike any they'd expected.

Elder Ming observed closely, impressed by Jin Ye's resilience and skill. He remained ready, however, knowing fights could become dangerous quickly—especially with someone like Wei Rong, whose anger was clearly rising.

Jin Ye took a deep breath, feeling his Qi slowly stabilizing within him again. His wound stung sharply, but he ignored it, concentrating fully on the fight. The power he had sensed earlier surged slightly, warm and comforting, helping him to focus clearly. He wasn't sure exactly how, but he knew every strike and counterattack made him stronger, helping him improve faster.

Wei Rong, however, was losing control of himself. Frustration clouded his judgment, making him reckless. He gathered all his Qi once again, this time aiming to overwhelm Jin Ye completely. The villagers watched nervously, unsure if Jin Ye could withstand another powerful strike.

Jin Ye remained calm, sensing the tension clearly. He knew his chance was approaching. Wei Rong was powerful, but his anger made him careless. Jin Ye quietly waited for the right moment, carefully timing his next move.

"He's still calm even now," a villager whispered in awe. "Could Jin Ye really turn this around?"

Another nodded slowly, eyes locked on Jin Ye. "I didn't believe in him before, but now...I'm not sure. He's more impressive every second."

The words of support were quiet but genuine, slowly shifting the villagers' perception of Jin Ye. What started as doubt was quickly becoming admiration, creating tension and excitement that spread rapidly through the crowd.

Wei Tian, meanwhile, sat with tense silence, fingers gripping his chair tightly. This wasn't how things were supposed to go. Jin Ye's unexpected strength threatened everything he planned, filling him with worry and anger.

"Enough games," Wei Rong yelled angrily, charging toward Jin Ye once more, ready to end this fight decisively.

Jin Ye saw Wei Rong's reckless attack coming, clearly knowing this was his moment. Calmly, he channeled his Qi, readying himself carefully. His palm surged forward, striking Wei Rong's exposed side sharply. The sudden impact sent a pulse of Qi through Wei Rong, making him gasp painfully and stumble back.

The crowd erupted with astonishment, shocked Jin Ye had found such a perfect opening. Wei Rong glared furiously, humiliation and anger burning in his eyes.

Jin Ye stood steady, breathing heavily but determined. He felt his mysterious strength surging, clearly sensing he had grown stronger from the fight. The villagers' cheers filled him with confidence. Wei Rong, shaken but defiant, prepared himself angrily, determined to end Jin Ye's rise now.