Another inter-sect competition was announced that year, grander than most, with public audiences permitted and all four great sects required to participate. Officially, it was framed as an exchange of cultivation techniques and camaraderie. In practice, it was an unspoken contest of dominance.

The events were spread across several days and designed to test every pillar of cultivation. There were archery trials that demanded precision under spiritual interference, night-hunt simulations conducted within sealed grounds thick with resentful energy, formation-breaking challenges where teams were pitted against complex arrays, artifact suppression trials meant to measure control rather than brute force, paired martial sparring constrained by strict rules, and a final endurance trial that pushed spiritual cores to their limits. Musical cultivation demonstrations were included as well, favoring the Lan, while tactical mock battles tested command and coordination among disciples.

From the first day, it became clear who the sun favored.

The Qishan Wen Clan dominated.

Wen Wuxian moved through the competitions with frightening ease, supported seamlessly by his personal guard, Wen Ning, whose archery was precise to the point of reverence and whose coordination with Wen Wuxian bordered on instinctive. In archery, Wen Wuxian claimed first place by a margin so wide it left little room for dispute. In night hunts, the Wen teams cleared their grounds faster and more cleanly than any other sect. In formation trials, Wen Wuxian dismantled arrays that had been designed specifically to stall him. In endurance, his spiritual energy remained steady long after others faltered.

By the end of the third day, the rankings were undeniable. The Lan Clan followed in second place, consistent, disciplined, and restrained as always. The Jin Clan placed third, bolstered by resources and clever artifact use but lacking cohesion. The Jiang Clan fell to dead last, their disciples struggling to keep pace with the prodigies of their generation, their shortcomings laid bare before a watching crowd.

Of the one hundred and fifty participating disciples, Wen Chao failed to place within the top one hundred.

The humiliation was absolute.

It was, however, swiftly buried beneath the overwhelming glare of Wen Wuxian’s victories. No one lingered on Wen Chao’s failure when the Wen Clan was collecting triumph after triumph. Wen Xu, who had not participated, wore his satisfaction openly, his pride unmistakable. Wen Ruohan needed no such display. His composure never cracked, but the smug, condescending curve of his expression never once faded.

When the competitions concluded, Wen Ruohan announced—graciously—that a banquet would be held in honor of the event.

The implication was obvious to all.

Preparations had already been made. The halls had been dressed. The wine had been selected. The Wen Clan had never doubted the outcome of the unspoken overall competition. The invitation was not optional, and none of the other sects were in a position to refuse.

That evening, the open hall of Nightless City overflowed with cultivators. In deference to the hosting sect, nearly everyone wore Wen colors, white and red threaded with gold, the sun reflected endlessly in silk and metal. The visual alone was a reminder of hierarchy. Wen Wuxian was absent at first, allowed time to refresh after days of exertion, while his victories were discussed in hushed, reverent tones.

At the head of the hall, Wen Ruohan presided like a monarch. He exchanged polished courtesies with Jin Guangshan, each remark edged with subtle barbs, each smile concealing calculation. To an outsider, it might have looked like mutual respect.