The Tribunal member's response wasn't what I'd hoped for.

"There will be no discourse with corruption incarnate," the masked figure declared. "The Tribunal does not negotiate with spiritual parasites."

Well, so much for the diplomatic approach.

I frowned as I assessed my current state. The extended training session in the library had left my Xuan Yi reserves running on fumes, maybe twenty five percent of my normal capacity at best. The blue sun energy was in better shape, but I wasn't entirely sure it would be enough to handle a World-Writ Sovereign plus six Crowned Heart Realm escorts without risking collateral damage to my people.

I'd been hoping to engage the Tribunal member in a Clash of Convictions, the same philosophical combat that had worked so effectively on Feng Zhaoyang. But from their rigid posture and the way their spiritual pressure radiated unwavering conviction, it was clear they weren't interested in having their beliefs challenged. They'd probably been specifically trained to resist such techniques.

"Divine One," Feng Zhaoyang said quietly, moving to stand beside me. "Allow me to handle this. I understand their methods better than anyone."

Before I could object, the former City Lord was already rising into the air, his Disbeliever aura flaring around him like dark wings. The transformation was remarkable to witness; where he'd once carried himself with pompous authority, now he moved with the grace of someone who'd shed all unnecessary pretenses.

"Zhao Mingwei," Feng Zhaoyang called out, addressing the Tribunal member by name. "I remember you from the capital. You were just a Proclamation Realm cultivator when I last saw you, obsessed with proving your righteousness to anyone who'd listen."

The Tribunal member's masked face turned toward him. "Feng Zhaoyang. To think that a World-Writ Sovereign could fall so far. Your corruption will serve as a cautionary tale for generations."

"Will it?" Feng Zhaoyang asked mildly. "Or will it serve as proof that even the most entrenched delusions can be overcome by honest self-reflection?"

I watched the exchange with growing concern. The Tribunal member wasn't engaging emotionally with Feng Zhaoyang's words the way most people in this realm did. Their training had clearly included methods for resisting the philosophical pressure that Disbelievers naturally exerted.

"Master," Azure whispered in my mind, "something's wrong with this confrontation. Look at how the six escorts are positioning themselves."

He was right. While Feng Zhaoyang and Zhao Mingwei traded verbal barbs, the six Crowned Heart Realm cultivators had spread out in a perfect hexagonal formation around them. It wasn't a battle formation designed for attack or defense; it was something else entirely.

"Formation specialists," I realized with growing alarm.

The attack came without warning. Zhao Mingwei didn't bother with more conversation; they simply raised one hand and began channeling Xuan Yi into what looked like a fairly standard technique. Golden light gathered around their palm, forming into what appeared to be a basic energy projectile.

Feng Zhaoyang responded exactly as expected, gathering his own Disbeliever energy to counter the attack. The corrosive aura that was his new spiritual signature began forming a barrier designed to neutralize the incoming technique.

That's when the formation activated.

The six escorts began channeling their Xuan Yi in perfect synchronization, their combined energy flowing into nodes that had somehow appeared in the air around them. The nodes began to resonate, creating a complex geometric pattern that seemed to bend space itself.

But instead of amplifying Zhao Mingwei's attack, the formation did something I'd never seen before. It absorbed Feng Zhaoyang's Disbeliever technique entirely, drawing the energy into the matrix like a spiritual vacuum.

"What—" Feng Zhaoyang started to say, but he never finished the sentence.

The formation reversed its flow, and suddenly all of that absorbed Disbeliever energy was being fired back at him, but transformed.

Where his original technique had been designed to neutralize Xuan Yi-based attacks, the reflected version carried the opposite properties: pure, concentrated conviction that would tear through Disbeliever defenses like they were made of paper.

Feng Zhaoyang tried to counter, gathering what remained of his spiritual energy to create some kind of barrier, but it was useless. You can't defend against your own technique when it's been weaponized against you.

The reflected attack struck him square in the chest with a sound like thunder. I watched in horror as the former City Lord was sent tumbling through the air, his body ragdolling as he crashed into the side of a nearby building with enough force to crack the stone walls.

"City Lord!" several of the converted guards shouted, but I was already moving toward where he'd fallen.

Feng Zhaoyang was alive, but barely.

The technique had left a massive burn across his chest, and I could see that his spiritual cultivation had been severely damaged. The attack had been specifically designed to cause maximum harm to Disbelievers; whoever had created it understood our strengths and had crafted the perfect counter.

"Well," I muttered, kneeling beside his unconscious form, "I guess it really is true. The Tribunal has techniques specifically designed to neutralize us."

Good thing I wasn't merely a Disbeliever.

"Little Bloom," I said gently, turning to where the tiny sapling was staring up at the floating Tribunal members with wide, frightened eyes. "I need you to go stand with Papa, okay? This is going to get dangerous."

"But Divine Mister—" she started to protest.

"I'll be fine," I assured her, giving her leafy crown a gentle pat. "But I need to know you're all safe so I can focus on the fight."

The ancient oak's massive branches reached down to create a protective barrier around Little Bloom and several of the other awakened spirits. "They will be protected, Master," he rumbled. "Fight without concern for our safety."

I nodded my thanks, then took a deep breath and launched myself into the air.

The moment I came within range of the Tribunal formation, I let my spiritual pressure flare outward. But instead of the corrosive aura they were expecting from a Disbeliever, what emerged was the golden radiance of a World-Writ Sovereign.

All six of the escort cultivators stumbled in their formation, their perfect synchronization disrupted by sheer surprise. Even Zhao Mingwei's masked face turned sharply toward me, and I could practically feel their confusion radiating through their spiritual pressure.

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"Impossible," one of the escorts breathed. "Disbelievers cannot advance to World-Writ Sovereign. They become Void Sages instead."

I didn't bother responding. I had limited Xuan Yi and blue sun energy reserves, which meant I needed to finish this quickly rather than engage in lengthy explanations about how my cultivation worked.

But before I could act, something extraordinary happened.

A massive golden hand materialized in the air above us, easily sixty feet across and radiating power that dwarfed anything the Tribunal members could produce. The fingers closed around all seven of the white-robed figures like they were children's toys.

The Tribunal members tried to fight back, of course. I watched their Xuan Yi flare desperately as they attempted to break free, but it was like watching ants struggle against a human grip. The power differential was simply too vast.

Then characters began appearing across the palm of the golden hand: Sleep.

The calligraphy blazed with brilliant light, and one by one, the Tribunal members went limp as the technique took hold. Within moments, all seven of them were unconscious, held gently but securely in the massive spiritual construct.

The hand descended slowly, placing the unconscious forms on the courtyard stones with surprising care before dissipating into motes of golden light.

I turned to look for the source of the intervention and found exactly what I'd expected: Lu Wenjun standing calmly on a nearby rooftop, his spiritual pressure marking him unmistakably as the technique's creator.

Or rather, Yuan Zhen wearing Lu Wenjun's body.

I flew down to ground level, landing near where the unconscious Tribunal members lay.

"Thank you for the intervention," I said. "Though I have to admit, I'm curious why you helped."

"The battle is between you and me," Yuan Zhen replied, landing down from the rooftop. "I couldn't have others interfering."

"Master," Azure whispered, "your energy levels are too low. If he presses the attack now..."

"I know," I thought back. "I'm trying to figure out if I can bluff my way into buying some recovery time."

Yuan Zhen seemed to notice my predicament, because his expression shifted slightly, a knowing look crossing his features. "Take whatever time you need," he said. "I'll wait. A proper battle requires both participants to be at their best."

This was definitely not what I'd expected.

In most scenarios, the smart move would have been to press the advantage while I was weakened. The fact that Yuan Zhen was willing to let me recover spoke to either tremendous confidence in his own abilities or a sense of honor that was surprisingly rare in the cultivation world.

Probably both, if I was being honest. But it fit his character, Yuan Zhen could have entered the inner sect last year, but he had decided to wait an extra year and participate in the tournament, so he could take the number one spot.

"I appreciate the courtesy," I said, settling into a meditation position near where Feng Zhaoyang was slowly regaining consciousness. "It's refreshing to face an opponent with actual principles."

"Don't mistake honor for weakness," Yuan Zhen replied with a slight smile. "I simply prefer victories that leave no room for doubt about the outcome."

While I began the process of circulating my energy to speed recovery, I gestured to Captain Ji Haozhe. "Captain, could you secure our guests? I'd rather not have them waking up in the middle of our battle."

The captain nodded, producing a set of specialized restraints from his storage ring. The cuffs were inscribed with formation work designed to block spiritual energy circulation, standard equipment for dealing with captured cultivators.

As he worked to secure the unconscious Tribunal members, Little Bloom crept out from behind the ancient oak's protective barrier. She stared up at Yuan Zhen with a mixture of curiosity and fear, her tiny branches trembling slightly.

"Are you a bad man too?" she asked in her tiny voice, apparently having categorized the Tribunal as definitively evil.

Yuan Zhen knelt down to her level. "I'm not a bad man, little one," he said gently. "My friend and I simply need to have a contest to see who's stronger. It's not personal, just something we have to do."

Little Bloom considered this seriously, her young mind trying to process the concept of non-hostile conflict. "Like when Papa and Uncle Rocky argue about who's more important, but they're still friends?"

"Exactly like that," Yuan Zhen confirmed with a warm smile. "Sometimes grown-ups need to test their strength against each other, but it doesn't mean we're enemies."

The ancient oak's branches rustled with what sounded like approval. "The divine being speaks with wisdom," he rumbled. "There is honor in conflict undertaken with proper intent."

I found myself genuinely impressed by Yuan Zhen's interaction with Little Bloom. Most cultivators at his level would have either ignored her entirely or been irritated by the interruption. The fact that he'd taken time to reassure a frightened child spoke well of his character.

"I want to make sure we're in agreement," I said, still focusing on my energy circulation but speaking clearly enough for everyone to hear. "Neither of us wants innocent people getting hurt in our battle, correct?"

"Absolutely," Yuan Zhen replied without hesitation. "I suggest we move to the eastern plains outside the city. Plenty of space there, and far enough from populated areas that we won't need to worry about collateral damage."

"Agreed. And afterward, regardless of who wins, we make sure the people here are safe and protected?"

Yuan Zhen nodded seriously. "You have my word on that."

After my experience with Guo Xinyi, it was strange having such a civilized conversation with someone I was about to fight. But there was something reassuring about establishing clear parameters. This would be a contest of skill and power, not a battle of hatred or revenge.

I felt Du Yanze's consciousness stir within our shared mental space, and with it came a wave of complicated emotions that caught me off guard.

"That's... that's Lu Wenjun's face," Du Yanze said quietly, his voice carrying a mixture of old pain and confusion. "I know it's not really him, I know it's the other divine being wearing his body like I'm wearing mine, but..."

I could feel the conflict churning through him. Even with his Xuan Yi purified and his mind clear of delusions, the sight of his old rival's features still triggered deep-seated emotional responses. Nine defeats. Nine public humiliations. Years of being compared unfavorably to the Lu Clan's golden child.

"It's strange," Du Yanze continued. "I can see now that my obsession with beating him was just another symptom of the corruption, this desperate need to prove I was the chosen one instead of him. But knowing that doesn't make the feelings go away completely."

"That's normal," I told him gently. "Emotional wounds don't heal just because we understand them intellectually. You're allowed to feel complicated about this."

"I keep expecting him to look at me with that expression he always had," Du Yanze admitted. "That mixture of pity and mild annoyance, like I was a persistent insect he couldn't quite be bothered to swat properly. But when Yuan Zhen looks at me through those eyes, there's no recognition at all. No history. It's almost worse than the contempt."

I could understand that. Sometimes being ignored entirely hurt more than being actively disliked.

I felt him retreat deeper into our shared consciousness, needing time to process everything. Which was probably for the best; I needed to focus on more immediate concerns, like not getting destroyed in the upcoming battle.

I spent the next hour in focused meditation, drawing in ambient Xuan Yi and carefully circulating it through my spiritual channels. The process was slower than I would have liked, but gradually I felt my reserves building back toward normal levels.

By the time I felt ready, the sun was beginning to set, casting long shadows across the courtyard. The various awakened spirits had arranged themselves in what looked suspiciously like an audience formation, while the converted humans maintained respectful distances.

I opened my eyes and looked across at Yuan Zhen, who had been waiting patiently in his own meditation pose. Our gazes met, and we both nodded simultaneously.

"Alright everyone," I said, standing and brushing dust from my robes. "Yuan Zhen and I are going to go settle this. While we're gone, I want all of you to stay here and keep each other safe."

I walked over to where Little Bloom was sitting with several other awakened plants, my hand coming to rest gently on her leafy crown. "Be good while I'm gone, okay? Listen to Papa and Uncle Rocky."

"I will, Divine Mister," she said solemnly, then added in a smaller voice, "will you come back?"

"I'll come back," I promised, meaning it completely. "And then maybe we can work on teaching you to read, if you'd like that."

Her entire form seemed to light up with excitement. "Really? I want to learn everything!"

"Then you'll have plenty to look forward to," I said with a smile.

The Stone Emperor rolled forward importantly. "Fear not, Divine Master! This humble stone will ensure all remains orderly in your absence!"

"I'm counting on you," I told him seriously, which made him practically vibrate with pride.

The ancient oak's massive trunk swayed slightly in what I'd learned was his equivalent of a bow. "Fight well, Master. We will guard your charges until you return."

I nodded to Feng Zhaoyang, who was now sitting up and looking much better despite the bandages wrapped around his chest.

"Take care of everyone. If more Tribunal members show up, don't try to fight them. Just... send them our way, we'll deal with them."

"Understood," he said with a slight smile. "Try not to level any mountains out there. We're already going to have enough explaining to do."

With all the important conversations finished, Yuan Zhen and I began walking side by side toward the city's eastern gate. The streets were mostly empty; word of the day's events had apparently convinced most people to stay indoors until things settled down.

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