Accidentally Reincarnated in Cultivation World

"Next match, Yu Xuan versus Jiang Chen," the referee announced with a clear, resonant voice.

Yu Xuan stepped onto the platform with calm ease. Across from him, his opponent arrived — a short, slim-built man with deep chocolate-toned skin and spiked hair jutting from his scalp like a rebellious porcupine.

He wore loose brown robes that fluttered slightly as he walked, face already scrunched in irritation.

As he approached the platform, the man immediately began arguing with the referee.

"Hey! I told you to register my name as Jason!" he snapped, voice echoing faintly across the arena. "Why'd you go with Jiang Chen?"

The referee didn't even blink. "Jason is not a proper name."

"But it's my choice!" the man barked, jabbing a finger toward the list in the referee's hand. "It's my name!"

The referee gave him a deadpan stare full of distain — the kind only a background cultivator could deliver. "I can declare you disqualified."

And just like that, he released a subtle wave of Core Formation realm pressure. It wasn't much, but it was enough.

Jason — or Jiang Chen, depending on who you asked, visibly stiffened, a drop of sweat running down his temple. He swallowed hard, quickly backing down.

"Dammit..." he muttered under his breath. "When I become powerful, I'll make the whole sect call me Jason. You'll see…"

Yu Xuan, who had listened to the entire exchange from his position on the opposite side of the platform, wore an amused expression.

'This guy's got spirit, I'll give him that,' Yu Xuan thought, casually stretching his arms. He didn't pay much attention to the guy's obsession with names.

Even if Jiang Chen turned out to be a transmigrator, Yu Xuan didn't see the point in stressing over it.

After all, not every transmigrator he met in life would be out to kill him… hopefully.

The crowd chuckled from the sidelines, already amused before the match had even begun.

"Start," the referee declared.

Jiang Chen immediately summoned a short spear from his spatial ring, holding it with the confidence of someone who had practiced this sequence in front of a mirror a hundred times.

Yu Xuan, on the other hand, decided to fight with only martial arts — no need to waste energy on small match like this.

Without hesitation, Jiang Chen lunged forward, thrusting directly at Yu Xuan's chest.

But to his surprise, Yu Xuan side stepped with casual grace. In the same motion, his right hand clamped down on the spear shaft, and his left hand launched a swift one-inch punch straight into Jiang Chen's chest.

The force sent Jiang Chen stumbling backward, crashing to the ground in a puff of dust.

Yu Xuan twirled the spear once and tossed it back like a stick.

"Is that all you got?" he said, voice dripping with arrogance — the kind that made him sound like a true young master.

Jiang Chen's pride flared.

Enraged, he leaped to his feet and rushed in, this time slashing horizontally with heavy swings, using the spear like a staff. Then, pivoting on the shaft, he spun and attempted a surprise kick.

Yu Xuan's eyes flashed in admiration — not bad flexibility.

Still, he moved smoothly, deflecting each strike with a soft palm redirecting force, using the principle of softness overcoming strength.

As the spinning kick came in, he raised both arms, catching the blow. It pushed him slightly back, but nothing more.

Jiang Chen cursed inwardly. 'Tsk, this isn't going well. He's not even exerting himself. Is he not taking me seriously?'

Gritting his teeth, Jiang Chen made some distance between them. But Yu Xuan didn't take the bait; he stayed on the offensive, calmly closing the gap again.

Jiang Chen's frustration mounted. He executed a clean backflip to create more space and without hesitation hurled his spear at Yu Xuan.

Caught off guard, Yu Xuan threw himself to the side. The spear embedded itself deep into the floor.

Yu Xuan looked at Jiang Chen, now holding another identical short spear.

His lips twitched at the other party's shamelessness. 'This bastard carrying backups? Fine, you want to play games?'

This momentary distraction gave Jiang Chen the opening he needed.

He channeled his Qi — not into his arms, but into his hair.

Yes, his hair.

The strands pointed towards Yu Xuan and then — Zing! —a concentrated beam of Qi launched from his spiky hair and shot toward Yu Xuan like a lightning strike.

It was fast. Too fast.

Yu Xuan managed to slightly shift, but the beam still landed on his chest, burning through his robe and singeing a patch of chest hair.

He took a single step back, slightly staggered.

Jiang Chen's eyes widened in disbelief. "Impossible!"

His trump card had failed.

Without thinking, Jiang Chen lunged forward again, rage taking over strategy. He went for a reckless thrust, straight at the same burnt spot.

Yu Xuan sighed.

In one smooth motion, he again caught the spear, and this time, his punch wasn't just quick, it was punishing.

It landed dead center on Jiang Chen's chest with a dull thud.

Jiang Chen crashed to the ground, groaning.

Yu Xuan twirled the spear again, like it was a stick of bamboo, then threw it forward.

The weapon spun once, then zipped through the air like a silver dart.

Jiang Chen, who was just getting up, felt his life flash before his eyes.

He thought the weapon was coming for his heart or worse, his face.

The referee didn't intervene.

He had noticed something subtle in the trajectory. The spear wasn't aiming for any fatal spot. Instead, he watched with a peculiar expression.

The weapon landed just in front of Jiang Chen — the tip neatly piercing through the disheveled hem of his robe.

Right in front of his precious little brother.

The entire arena went silent.

Jiang Chen stared at the spear. His face paled. His soul left his body.

Something primal stirred within him, a deep chill and cold sweat ran down his back. His spine stiffened, his scalp tingled, and then…

Thud.

He fainted on the spot.

"Winner, Yu Xuan," the referee declared with a sigh.

And then, the arena erupted and the discussion exploded.

"That was smooth!"

"Jiang Chen's lucky he's still alive to reproduce."

"Well, he shouldn't have taken it so lightly, the look on his face was great."

"Junior Brother Chen's lightning hair move was cool. If only he could shoot it with his mouth."

"Junior Brother Xuan's movements were fast too, it seems he has some fighting experience."

"It wasn't a fight, it was a lesson."

Yu Xuan entered the Challenger's area and quickly asked a nearby contestant for directions to the relief room. Within a minute, he emerged in a fresh set of robes.

A few disciples arrived shortly after, carrying Jiang Chen on a stretcher to treat his injuries.

Yu Xuan spotted an unoccupied seat and settled into it, lost in thought. But before he could fully focus, the familiar red-haired man with bronzed skin and a massive build approached him, grinning.

"That was a night fight," he said, his smile wide. "I hope to see you again soon."

Yu Xuan nodded, watching as the man made his way toward the platform for his own match.

But Yu Xuan didn't linger on that. His mind was preoccupied with his recent fight.

With his sharp memory, Yu Xuan quickly replayed the match in his mind. It was easy for him, but as he reviewed the events, something unusual stood out to him.

When he'd fought, everything had seemed perfectly normal. But looking back from an outsider's perspective, he noticed something… arrogance.

In the heat of the moment, he had been utterly confident in his superiority, almost as if he knew he would win before it even began.

It wasn't that he'd considered the possibility of losing — he hadn't for a second.

Even the literal bizarre "headshot" move that Jiang Chen used had caught him off guard. But instead of feeling surprised or shaken, he'd brushed it off as a natural outcome.

'Am I being paranoid?' he wondered.

He sometimes enjoyed playing the role of the arrogant young master, but he knew the difference between playful acting and truly embodying the persona. Now, though, he was starting to question himself.

He made a mental note to keep his behavior in check, especially around those who might be "Heaven's favored" or a "Great Villain trying to defy heavens" — it wouldn't be a good idea to offend anyone who had more power or influence than he did.

With a deep breath, he refocused his attention on the ongoing matches, trying to push his doubts aside.

There were multiple matches ongoing and on a platform, was the same red haired man and when Yu Xuan checked the rankings the man was in the first place.

'Did the one who beat him, enter the foundation Establishment stage' he thought, still remembering the powerful presence of that other disciple who defeated the red haired man.

[A/N: I saw this meme on chapter 36, you can check it out and comment similar memes if it's really funny, maybe I will add it to the story.]