The atmosphere in the central square shifted from a celebratory feast to a literal arena of blood and bone within seconds. The clearing was wide, illuminated by the roaring central bonfire that cast flickering, jagged shadows against the faces of the gathered tribesmen.

Lin Wan sat rigidly in her seat, her fingers digging so hard into the fabric of her skirt that her knuckles turned white. She watched with wide, terrified eyes as the lower-ranked warriors began the trials.

At first, it was the two and three-striped warriors who took to the dirt. These were younger males, their bodies lean and their movements full of unrefined energy. They were eager to prove their worth, to climb the social ladder of the tribe, and perhaps catch the eye of a female as unique and skilled as Lin Wan.

The air was filled with the rhythmic thumping of feet, the clashing of blunt practice weapons, and the heavy grunts of exertion that echoed off the surrounding cottages.

Lin watched with a mixture of awe and horror as bodies were flung across the clearing like discarded dolls. The winner was decided based on the "Undefeated" rule. The male who remained standing after all challengers in his bracket had fallen would advance. It was a brutal, exhausting process that left the dirt stained with sweat and small droplets of blood.

"Is this really how every decision is made?" Lin Wan whispered to Lilly, her voice barely audible over the roaring cheers of the crowd.

"It is the only way that is fair in the eyes of the ancestors, Lin," Lilly replied. Her eyes were fixed on the combat, reflecting the dancing flames of the bonfire. "Strength does not lie and it cannot be faked. A male can promise you safety with his words, but only his fists and his endurance can prove it when a real predator is at the door of your hut."

As the higher-ranked warriors began to step up, the intensity of the bouts shifted from simple wrestling to something much more dangerous. Bax and his two companions, the formidable warriors who had been among the first to taste Lin’s cooking, finally entered the circle. Bax was a mountain of a man, his four stripes glowing faintly with the inner power of his bloodline. He moved with a surprising, fluid agility for his size, dodging a heavy swing from a rival Rhino beastman before delivering a punishing blow to the male’s midsection. The impact sounded like a hammer hitting a drum, and it sent the challenger skidding back into the dirt.

The crowd went wild, their shouts shaking the very leaves on the trees. Suspense hung in the air like a physical weight, thick and suffocating, as the top ten warriors were slowly whittled down. Bax and his two friends were among the final survivors, their bodies slick with sweat and dust, their breathing ragged. They were the elite of the Orycto, and they fought with a desperate ferocity. Each one was hoping to be the one to stand by Lin Wan’s side, moved by both her beauty and the incredible food she provided.

At the Dragon’s table, Kray and the other warriors were practically vibrating with the urge to join the fray. Kray’s hand moved toward the hilt of his black blade, his eyes flashing with a violet light that spoke of hidden depths of power. "Lord, let me go out there and show these mortals what real power looks like," he hissed, his teeth bared in a grin. "I could clear this square in ten seconds."

But before he could move a muscle, Davy reached out and firmly grabbed his arm, dragging him back down into his seat with a strength that surprised the guard. Davy did not even look at Kray. Instead, he motioned with his chin toward Long Zhan. The Dragon Lord was barely holding himself in check. His knuckles were white where he gripped the edge of the heavy timber table, and his gaze was locked on Lin Wan with such intensity it was a wonder she did not feel the heat of it on her skin.

"Wait," Davy whispered, his voice low and knowing. "Look at the Lord. He is not going to let a subordinate take this prize. He has been watching her since the moment we arrived."

It was only when the competition went down to the final five, the absolute strongest males of the Orycto tribe, including a weary but determined Bax, that the atmosphere truly fractured. The air seemed to go still, the wind dying down as if the forest itself were holding its breath.

Long Zhan stood up.

The movement was slow, deliberate, and carried the weight of a mountain moving. The entire square went silent in an instant.

The drums stopped mid-beat. The warriors in the circle froze where they stood, their eyes widening as the 7ft3 celestial figure stepped over the bench and into the dirt of the arena. He looked like a god walking among men, his golden skin reflecting the firelight in a way that made him seem to glow.

Lin Wan felt her breath catch in her throat, her heart skipping a beat. Beside her, Lilly, Jia, and Ember all let out simultaneous gasps before they began to giggle and nudge her with their elbows.

"Look at that, Wanwan!" Ember teased, her eyes sparkling with a wicked mischief. "It seems even the Dragon Lord cannot resist the pull of a good meal and a pretty face. He is interested in you, and he isn’t going to let anyone else have you!"

Lin could not even find the words to respond to the teasing. She watched, completely mesmerized, as Long Zhan walked into the center of the square. At the far corner, Su Mei felt the last threads of her sanity snapping like dry twigs. Her eyes were bloodshot, her face twisted in a mask of pure, unadulterated jealousy that made her look hideous. "Even the Dragon Lord!’ she screamed in the silence of her mind. ’That ugly female has ensnared a God with her trickery!’

’ I’ll have to unveil her face to show them just how ugly she is, and then the Dragon lord will know am the best option he has, he will be mine.’

Long Zhan looked at the five warriors standing before him. Despite his overwhelming power, he did not look down on them with the same blatant disdain Kray had shown.

Deep down, he felt as though he was bullying mortals, but his desire for the female with the star-blue flower outweighed his sense of fair play. He would not back down from what he wanted.

The five Orycto warriors, sensing the existential threat standing before them, subconsciously came to the same conclusion. They didn’t need to speak. They fanned out in a semi-circle, preparing to deal with Long Zhan as a collective group before settling the score amongst themselves. It was the only chance they had.

"I will not insult your dignity as warriors by going easy on you," Long Zhan said, his voice dropping into a low, terrifying rumble that seemed to come from the earth itself. "Come and show me the strength of the Southern Warriors."

What followed was not a fight; it was a one-sided thrashing that left the spectators breathless. Long Zhan moved like a blur of gold and shadow, his speed defying the laws of physics for someone of his size. He didn’t even use a weapon, his hands remaining open.

With a flick of his wrist, he parried a heavy, desperate blow from Bax, sending the massive warrior sprawling into the dust. He pivoted on one heel, his leg connecting with another male’s chest with a sickening thud, throwing him ten feet back into the crowd.

He was a force of nature, an apex predator moving through a field of prey with effortless grace. Within minutes, all five warriors were in the dirt, groaning and clutching their bruised limbs, unable to rise.

Long Zhan stood alone in the middle of the square, his chest rising and falling in a slow, steady rhythm. He didn’t look at the fallen men or the cheering crowd. His eyes were locked onto Lin Wan, waiting for her to say something, to acknowledge the victory he had won in her name.

Lin’s mouth was wide open. She had never seen such raw, efficient violence in her life. It was terrifying and, in a primal way she hated to admit to herself, absolutely breathtaking. It was only when Lilly gave her a sharp, painful nudge in the ribs that she snapped out of her daze.

"He is coming over, Wan Wan! Stand up! You have to accept him!"

Lin Wan scrambled to her feet, her legs feeling like they were made of jelly. She didn’t know what to do. In her world, you didn’t just win a person through a fistfight in the dirt. As Long Zhan approached her position, his massive frame blotting out the light of the fire and casting her in shadow, she felt tiny and fragile.

Suddenly, the Dragon Lord did something that shocked every soul in the Sanctuary. He dropped to one knee before her, bowing his head.

"I, Long Zhan of the Dragon Tribe, vow to you, Female Lin," he spoke, his voice ringing with a solemn, ancient weight that felt like a contract written in stone. "I will take care of you. I will be your shield and your shadow. I will protect you with my life and my honor until your males return to find you. Do you accept my guardianship and my oath?"

Lin looked down at the magnificent, handsome man kneeling at her feet. The sight of such a powerful being humbling himself before her was completely overwhelming. She felt a strange, dizzying warmth spread through her chest, and almost instinctively, she gave a soft, hesitant nod.

"I... I accept," she whispered, her voice barely a breath.

But the moment the words left her lips, the world began to tilt violently. A sudden, sharp coldness washed over her, followed by a wave of intense lightheadedness that made her ears ring. The faces of Lilly and Long Zhan started to blur into a smear of indistinguishable colors. The roaring of the bonfire sounded like it was miles away, muffled by a heavy fog.

"Wan Wan? Lin Wan, what is wrong?" Lilly’s voice sounded far away, as if she were calling from across a vast canyon.

Lin tried to reach out, to grab onto something, Long Zhan’s broad shoulder, the edge of the table, anything to keep her upright, but her muscles refused to obey the command of her brain. The lightheadedness took over completely, a heavy velvet curtain falling over her vision.

Before she could utter another sound or take another breath, everything went black, and she collapsed forward into the reaching, powerful arms of the Dragon Lord.