?The waiting room for the Semi-Finals was luxurious compared to the damp tunnels of the qualifiers. It had silk cushions, a fruit bowl, and a private meditation mat.

  ?Jiang Chen ignored all of it. He sat on the bare stone floor, his back against the wall, eyes closed.

  ?"Someone is coming," Apeiron warned. "Heart rate is elevated. Steps are light, trying to be silent. It is not a fighter."

  ?The door creaked open.

  ?A deacon in the yellow robes of the Support Hall entered. He carried a lacquer tray with a single white porcelain bottle on it. He was smiling, but the sweat beading on his upper lip betrayed him.

  ?"Disciple Jiang," the deacon said, bowing slightly. "Congratulations on reaching the Top 4. The Sect Elders have authorized a standard 'Qi Recovery Pill' for all semi-finalists. To ensure a fair fight."

  ?He placed the tray on the table and backed away quickly.

  ?"Please consume it before the match. It is... mandatory."

  ?The deacon hurried out, closing the door a little too fast.

  ?Jiang Chen opened his eyes. He looked at the bottle.

  ?"Mandatory," Jiang Chen repeated.

  ?He walked over and uncorked the bottle. A sweet, cloying scent wafted out—like jasmine mixed with old copper.

  ?"Seven-Step Severing Powder," Apeiron identified instantly, his voice dripping with professional disdain. "Mixed with a low-grade Spirit Gathering Pill to mask the taste. It cuts the connection between the mind and the Dantian. If you take this, you won't be able to channel Qi for three hours. You will be a mortal in a ring with a cultivator."

  ?"Who sent it?"

  ?"The residue on the bottle has traces of 'Blue Sulfur'. That is a reagent used only by High Alchemists. Likely a friend of the late Elder Han. They want you helpless."

  ?Jiang Chen poured the pill into his hand. It was round, white, and innocent-looking.

  ?"If I don't take it," Jiang Chen mused, "they'll disqualify me for refusing a Sect order. If I do take it, I lose my cultivation."

  ?He smiled. The violet slit in his eye dilated.

  ?"But they think I use Qi."

  ?He popped the pill into his mouth and swallowed it dry.

  ?[System Alert: Neurotoxin Detected (Seven-Step Severing Powder).]

  [Danger Level: High.]

  [Venom Core Status: Active.]

  ?The pill dissolved in his stomach. The poison rushed into his bloodstream, seeking his meridians to sever the connection.

  ?But there were no meridians to sever. There was only the [Void Foundation].

  ?The poison hit the black hole and was instantly ripped apart at the molecular level.

  ?[Filtering...]

  [Toxin Converted.]

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  [Effect Inverted: Nervous System Stimulation.]

  ?Jiang Chen gasped.

  ?His vision snapped into hyper-focus. The dust motes floating in the room stopped moving. He could hear the heartbeat of the guard standing outside the door. He could feel the texture of the air against his skin.

  ?Instead of cutting his power, the poison had overclocked his brain.

  ?[Buff Applied: Neuro-Overclock.]

  [Reaction Speed: +200%.]

  [Duration: 10 Minutes.]

  ?" delicious," Apeiron purred. "They tried to tranquilize a shark with caffeine. Now you are vibrating."

  ?"I feel..." Jiang Chen looked at his hand. It was blurring slightly because it was trembling with excess energy. "I feel fast."

  ?The door opened again. The referee poked his head in.

  ?"Disciple Jiang? It's time. Did you take the pill?"

  ?Jiang Chen stood up. He moved so fast the wind from his motion blew the empty bottle off the table.

  ?"Yes," Jiang Chen said, his voice buzzing with static. "I took it."

  ?He walked past the referee.

  ?"And it was delicious."

  ?The Arena.

  ?The sun was setting, casting the ring in blood-red light.

  ?Disciple Mo was already waiting. He was a tall, severe-looking young man with a heavy broadsword strapped to his back. He stood like a statue, his eyes closed.

  ?He was the personal disciple of Elder Mo, the Discipline Head. He fought with the "Law Enforcement Style"—brutal, efficient, and designed to cripple criminals.

  ?Jiang Chen walked up the steps. He felt like he was moving in slow motion, even though he was sprinting. The drug was making time drag.

  ?"Match 2: Semi-Finals!" The announcer screamed. "Jiang Chen vs. Disciple Mo!"

  ?Disciple Mo opened his eyes. He looked at Jiang Chen.

  ?"My Master suspects you," Mo said quietly. "He thinks you are a demonic cultivator hiding his aura. Today, I will peel back your skin and expose the truth."

  ?Jiang Chen twitched. He couldn't help it. The energy was screaming under his skin.

  ?"Less talking," Jiang Chen said, his words coming out in a rush. "More hitting."

  ?"Begin!"

  ?Mo drew his broadsword.

  ?"Law Enforcement Art: The Judge's Gavel!"

  ?He swung the sword down. A wave of heavy, oppressive Earth Qi slammed into the ground, creating a gravity field designed to pin Jiang Chen in place.

  ?Jiang Chen felt the gravity. It was heavy. It should have slowed him down.

  ?But he was overclocked.

  ?To Jiang Chen, the gravity wave moved like molasses. He saw the Qi particles shifting in the air.

  ?Step.

  ?He didn't dodge. He just stepped through the gap in the gravity field.

  ?He appeared in front of Mo.

  ?Mo's eyes widened. "How—"

  ?Jiang Chen didn't attack. He just stood there, vibrating.

  ?"You're too slow," Jiang Chen whispered.

  ?Mo roared and slashed horizontally. "Executioner's Stroke!"

  ?Jiang Chen ducked. The blade passed through the afterimage of his head.

  ?Jiang Chen slapped Mo's knee.

  ?Tap.

  ?It wasn't a hard hit. Just enough to disrupt Mo's balance.

  ?Mo stumbled.

  ?Jiang Chen danced around him.

  ?Tap. (Shoulder).

  Tap. (Elbow).

  Tap. (Forehead).

  ?"Stop moving!" Mo screamed, swinging wildly. He looked like a man trying to swat a mosquito with a sledgehammer.

  ?Jiang Chen was everywhere. He was a blur of gray robes. The [Neuro-Overclock] combined with the [Obsidian Furnace Body] made him untouchable.

  ?"Humiliate him," Apeiron reminded. "Don't break him. Make him look incompetent. If he looks weak, his Master looks weak."

  ?Jiang Chen stopped behind Mo.

  ?He leaned in close to Mo's ear.

  ?"Your Master sent you to expose me," Jiang Chen whispered. "But you can't even touch me."

  ?He grabbed the back of Mo's belt and his collar.

  ?"Up you go."

  ?Jiang Chen lifted the massive disciple over his head.

  ?Mo flailed. "Put me down! Put me down you bastard!"

  ?Jiang Chen looked at the crowd. He looked at the VIP box where Elder Mo was standing, gripping the railing so hard the stone was cracking.

  ?Jiang Chen smiled.

  ?He didn't throw Mo.

  ?He gently placed him outside the ring boundary.

  ?He set him down on his feet.

  ?"Ring out," Jiang Chen said.

  ?Mo stood there, bewildered, his toes just inches over the red line. He hadn't been hurt. He hadn't been beaten. He had been carried out like a naughty child.

  ?The silence was deafening.

  ?Then, someone laughed.

  ?Then another.

  ?Soon, the whole arena was laughing.

  ?"He treated him like a sack of rice!"

  "The Discipline Disciple got walked out!"

  ?Mo's face turned purple. He drew his sword to rush back in, but the referee stepped between them.

  ?"Winner: Jiang Chen! Ring Out!"

  ?Jiang Chen turned and walked away. The drug was beginning to fade, leaving him with a slight headache, but the message had been delivered.

  ?He looked up at the VIP box. He met Elder Mo's furious gaze.

  ?Come and get me, Jiang Chen's eyes said.

  ?He disappeared into the tunnel.

  ?The Finals were set.

  ?The False God (Liu Feng) vs. The Void (Jiang Chen).