"Are all you monks the same!?"
The area fell silent. Before anyone could perceive what was going on, Mira was already standing on Lian.
"How does power not win fights?" Mira stomped on the ground, creating a spiderweb of cracks underneath Lian's body.
Seeing that, all the disciples started to move, wanting to get Mira off of Lian, but as soon as they did, Mira held up her scythe. She didn't need to say anything for them to understand.
If they move, Lian dies.
"You talk about peace and harmony, about wisdom, but the cultivation world is built upon destruction. To get to the top, you have to step on top of someone, whether directly or indirectly. If you don't believe me, then I challenge everyone in the Soul Transformation Realm to come at me. I won't use my affinities or weapon, just brute strength. If any one of you can defeat me, I will serve this temple unconditionally for the next 100 years." Mira stepped off Lian and kicked her to the side before walking over to her companions.
"..."
Nobody dared to move after such a declaration, not even the Temple Master. Everything happened so fast that they weren't sure how to react.
After a few moments of silence, Mira clicked her tongue and shook her head. "Tch. I figured it'd be like this. A bunch of monks who only know how to yap and stare at blocks of ice but are just cowards too afraid of the world."
Then, she sent a look toward the Temple Faster, who was standing off on the side, watching with a slight frown. 'I want all the ice techniques you have after I win. You don't have to teach me, I just want to see them.' She said in a Voice Transmission.
'...We'll see.' A hesitant reply came back. However, Mira could sense that he was slightly curious about what was going to happen.
That made her sigh in relief as the man was actually a Divine Sea Realm expert. If he wanted to decline, there wasn't much she could do.
'...Well, that's not entirely true, but he doesn't need to know that. By now, he should've figured out who I am. If he has any sense, he wouldn't try anything stupid.' Mira thought, smirking on the inside. 'Maybe having Aelina backing me isn't such a bad thing. I can piss off as many people as I want and push the problems onto her.'
Chuckling at the Sect Master's misfortune, Mira waited for someone to step up.
Eventually, a young-looking man couldn't take her offensive remarks and came forward.
"I think that's enough." A man with long blonde hair, blue eyes, and a thin physique spoke up. He was at the 1st Stage of the Soul Transformation Realm. "It's fine if you win, but do you really need to drag Lian and the Temple into this mess?"
"If you have a problem, fight," Mira replied as she walked into the middle of all the people, waiting for the man.
"My name is-" The young man started to speak, but Mira cut him off.
"I don't care. Just fight."
He narrowed his eyes, clearly annoyed, and pulled out a sword. "...Very well."
The disciples formed a circle around them, their expressions a mix of worry and excitement. The Temple Master watched quietly, his eyes betraying no emotion.
The young man raised his sword. "Frostbite Edge," he announced as Qi enveloped his sword, turning it into a blade of pure ice.
Mira stood her ground, lazily looking at her opponent. She seemed unfazed by the display of power.
With a swift motion, the young man lunged at Mira, his sword leaving a trail of frost in the air. "Frozen Crescent Slash!" he shouted, swinging the ice-encased blade in a wide arc aimed at Mira's neck.
The crowd gasped, but Mira merely sneered. As the icy blade neared, she threw a punch, a simple, 'weak' punch.
The impact was deafening. The Frostbite Edge shattered upon contact, sending shards of ice flying in all directions.
The young man's eyes widened in disbelief as he was hurled backward, his body crashing to the ground with a sickening crack. Blood spilled from his mouth as multiple bones in his body broke from the sheer force of Mira's punch.
The disciples murmured in shock, their eyes wide with disbelief. The young man lay on the ground, struggling to breathe, his sword now just a broken hilt in his hand.
Mira looked down at him, her expression indifferent. "Is there anyone else?" she asked, her voice echoing across the training ground.
A heavy silence followed her challenge, no one daring to step forward. The Temple Master finally broke the silence, stepping forward with a solemn expression. "Enough, Mira," he said, his voice steady but carrying an underlying strength. "Your point has been made."
Mira turned to face him, her gaze sharp. "My point? And what would that be, old man?"
"That raw power alone can be overwhelming," the Temple Master replied calmly. "But it is not the only path to strength. There is wisdom in restraint, in understanding the consequences of one's actions."
Mira scoffed. "Consequences? In this world, strength is the only consequence that matters. Things like wisdom and restraint come after you have the biggest fist."
The Temple Master sighed, his eyes meeting Mira's. "You have great potential, Mira. But potential can lead to transcendence or destruction. The choice is yours."
"If being great is being you, then I'd rather destroy," Mira stated with an emotionless expression.
Once again, the Temple Master was stunned. Perhaps only he and a few others understood the deeper meaning behind her words, but he found them particularly interesting.
'Not only is she saying that everyone's opinion on greatness is different, but that everyone has their own path in life.' He thought, smiling on the inside.
If only he knew that Mira wasn't thinking that. She meant it literally.
Still, regardless, the two of them reached a mutual understanding.
"Then, carry one. I'm curious as to how my disciples fair against the number one genius from the Western Continent." The Temple Master responded with a faint smile.
Mira nodded, but inwardly, she knew that this was going to be a bore. Nobody in the same stage could do much to her, especially not people with ice affinities and practice ice cultivation techniques.
As someone who is pursuing the Absolute Ice Dao, if they could even penetrate her skin, she'd be surprised, much less if someone could defeat her.
It took a minute to organize one another, but eventually, she had a line of people waiting to challenge her.
As the next challenger stepped forward, a disciple at the 2nd Stage of the Soul Transformation Realm, Mira's stance remained relaxed, almost nonchalant. The disciple, a young woman with fiery determination in her eyes, charged at Mira with a flurry of ice shards trailing behind her.
"Glacial Storm Barrage!" she yelled, her hands moving in a rapid, fluid motion, launching a vicious storm of ice at Mira.
The spectators held their breath, but Mira simply raised her arm, blocking the ice shards effortlessly. They shattered upon impact, falling to the ground like broken glass. With a swift motion, Mira countered with a single punch, sending the disciple flying back, defeated but unharmed.
The crowd murmured, some in awe, others in disbelief. The Temple Master watched, his expression thoughtful.
One after another, disciples from various stages of the Soul Transformation Realm stepped forward to challenge Mira. Each brought their unique style and techniques, but the result was always the same. Mira, using nothing but her fists and raw strength, defeated them with ease.
A burly man at the 4th Stage lunged at her with a technique called "Frost Dragon's Roar," his Qi manifesting as a gigantic ice dragon. The dragon roared, its cold breath threatening to engulf Mira.
The crowd gasped, but Mira stood her ground. As the dragon neared, she leaped into the air, her fist connecting with its head. The ice dragon shattered, its fragments sparkling in the sunlight.
As the man stumbled back in shock, Mira landed gracefully, her gaze flicking to the next challenger.
A disciple at the 6th Stage, known for her speed and agility, tried a different approach. She darted around Mira, creating illusions with her "Mirror Ice Technique." The area was filled with reflections, each one a potential threat.
Mira's eyes narrowed, focusing. With a sudden burst of speed, she broke through the illusions, landing a decisive blow on the real disciple, who was hiding among her reflections.
The Temple Master nodded slightly, impressed. "She's not just brute strength. Her perception and reaction time are extraordinary."
As the challenges continued, Mira faced stronger and more skilled opponents, but none could match her overwhelming power and skill. Even those at the 8th and 9th Stages of the Soul Transformation Realm, the temple's elite, found themselves outmatched.
A disciple at the 9th Stage, a seasoned cultivator with years of experience, confronted Mira with a solemn expression. "I am Han Xue, and I will not underestimate you."
Mira tilted her head, a hint of amusement in her eyes. "Good. Then don't hold back."
Han Xue nodded and unleashed his signature technique, "Eternal Winter's Embrace." The temperature plummeted, and ice began to form around Mira, attempting to encase her in a tomb of frost.
The crowd watched in suspense, wondering if this would be the technique to finally challenge Mira. But to their astonishment, Mira simply flexed her muscles, shattering the ice encasing her. She then charged forward, her fist connecting with Han Xue's defense.
The impact sent Han Xue skidding back, discombobulated, as his defenses shattered. He looked up at Mira, a mix of respect and disbelief in his eyes.
