The disappearance of the town mayor from his stage was probably a signal for a hidden orchestra to start playing. While this aspect of the show didn't even come close to the magnificent tones that were created back on earth, the music that appeared had a strange effect of raising one's hype and excitement.

"Blop!"

"Detected influence of energy tunes."

"Do you wish to resist?"

Oh? So this music comes from cultivators talented in some kind of side-job? While I was proud of my crafting abilities, that didn't mean it was the only influential or profitable side job that one could busy himself with. While new equipment had a direct influence on a man's fighting prowess, auxiliary jobs like a musician, actor, seductress, dancer or even tea brewer could help in furthering one's state of mind, allowing for easier breakthroughs in cultivation!

When the music reached its first climax, a mist appeared over the crowd gathered at the stage, dense enough to create an obscuring layer, but thin enough for the spectators to still see the faces of the people amassed down there.

"Before we introduce our contestants, let the sects show their prowess!"

With a sudden voice intruding in the music, a loud roar broke through the atmosphere of excitement. In a flash, the ground opened at three duets emerged from under the ground.

Flying upwards on their swords, they arrived at a fixed attitude and stopped. Before anyone could do anything, all the pairs suddenly got developed in different colours, namely heavenly blue, devilish red and pale green.

"Bow down before the might of the greatest sword sects! From the north, we have Heavenly sword sect covered in a blueish mist of the heavens! To the east, you can see the draconic sabre sect, and to the south as green as the mother nature, forest edge sect! Greet them with their due applause!"

As soon as the voice finished spelling out the names, all of the performers suddenly dived down, only to fly back to the hole from where they emerged. Just before they disappeared from the public view, the entire mist in their third of the arena turned to the colour related to their name! With a sudden burst of those three vibrant hues, the entire area looked like some kind of ancient place filled with energy and insights towards the way of the swords!

"Blop!"

"Detecting rich sword intent aura"

"Do you wish to absorb it?"

Eh? Do I look like someone who would jump at every opportunity to get stronger? Wait, I'm such a person!

Just a little, I don't want to turn any attention to me.

As soon as I uttered those words, I felt a tingling of the energy everywhere around me. Looking around, I saw that a lot of people were already sitting down with closed eyes while cultivating! Without a surprise, one could even see currents of various colours reaching for their glabellas!

Almost in an instant, an evenly split divide of the red, blue and greed got mixed, with different people able to adapt different colours of the mist! But why were they limited to just a single one of them?

Seeing that absorbing this mist wasn't something out of the place, but rather a gift from the sects to the audience, I recalculated my bets.

Bonger, forget what I said. Feel free to absorb a lot, but keep it at the level slightly below capabilities of other spectators!

Just like a racing horse finally left loose, Bonger got to his work. While I could see some blopping before my eyes, I wasn't going to let others notice how different I am, so I focused entirely on absorbing as much of this strange mist as I could!

When I finally felt that this strange energy that I was absorbing completely disappeared, I opened my eyes only to see the stares of everyone around directed right at me! Did I do something wrong? Was absorbing to my heart content some kind of faux pas?

"Let's greet the next three sects!"

With the voice of the announcer saving me from being the target of everyone curious gazes, another three pairs emerged from belove the real stage. This time one of them was pulled by some strange orbs they were holding, second ones looked like they just took a swing with their axe and allowed the momentum to proper them while the third one simply floated up while standing on the book!

"With the yellow glow, nascent orb sect! With the black shine, war axe sect! With the white light, wisdom ascendance sect! Welcome our remaining big hosts!"

What the actual fuck? Since when two-handed axe or books were symbolic weapons for the cultivation worlds? Not to speak about this orb looking just like the one that Suruman used in the well-known trilogy of the Lords of the Bracelet to communicate with the Suaron! I remember seeing this thing but as a magic weapon for eastern wizards, not cultivators!

With the mist taking new colours, I refrained myself from absorbing it this time. I already drew attention to me before and I wasn't going to do it again!

Just as everyone focused back on absorbing, I felt someone touching my shoulder lightly. Turning my head around I saw an unfamiliar face.

"Excuse me, sir, Elder Venna would like to speak to you right now!"

What? Why is she asking for my presence right now? Couldn't she find better timing to bother me? I should still have almost the entire three days to finish the craft for her!

"Sorry, but can you find a better timing? My fiancee is going to be introduced soon and it would be rude of me as to not experience her glory!"

Ditching this sudden summons away, I turned my attention back to the stage. I came here to support Eve from afar if I were to drop away before she even shows up just because Venna wanted to see me, not only would I lose in the eyes of the most important person to me, but that would also speak wonders about how important the connection to Bacari house was for me! While it wasn't bad to gain some brownie points, I can't show how much value I put in this relationship!

"I apologize, but our elder is in the private lodge, not so far away from here. It is of utmost importance for you to follow me right now. There is still a lot of time before the contesting sects challengers will be introduced, and I can assure you that you will get back in time!"

With that said, there is no real reason for me to refuse. If I will be able to see Eve's introduction and judge the reaction of the crowds to her family name, I will still be able to gauge the common opinion of her house in this city. As for showing my weak side to my business partner, since they insisted themselves, refusing such intense request could be taken as an insult!

"Okay then, just make it quick!"