Wu Jian did not know how much time had passed. He felt like it had been eons, though he knew it couldn’t be that long.

He spent the majority of his time talking to Hou Jingshu or cultivating. His cultivation rose a little during this time period, though he had yet to reach the bottleneck that signified he was getting close to the next realm.

A few people had discovered this place, but they all left upon realizing they didn’t have either a light or darkness element. Wu Jian was nearly at his wits end after more than one hundred people came and went. He wasn’t the only one. Hou Jingshu and Huǒ Shuchang also looked like they were gonna go mad.

“Aaaah! What’s up with this?! How hard can it be to find one person who can manipulate time?!” Huǒ Shuchang gripped his hair in frustration.

“Do you think time manipulation is easy?” Huǒ Pànguó sneered. “It’s said that among the different daos one can cultivate, time and space are the hardest. The fact that we even have someone here who can manipulate space is a miracle.”

“Shut up! I don’t wanna hear that from someone who got stuck here before us!” Huǒ Shuchang snapped. Huǒ Pànguó’s face turned red.

“Do you wanna head out and explore?” asked Wu Jian. “You’re not confined here like we are.”

“Of course I do! But I won’t.” Huǒ Shuchang sat on the ground and crossed his arms. “You’re my friend, and I’m not about to leave my friend in a potentially perilous situation.”

“Well… thank you.”

Wu Jian turned away. The mask he wore hid his blush, but it was still embarrassing to hear someone say something so straightforward and heartfelt about him. Huǒ Shuchang was probably his only guy friend in the entire world. Now that he was thinking about it, all of his friends up to now had been women he was attracted to.

Did that make him a gigolo?

“Oh? What is this?” a voice said from the entrance.

Everyone turned to find a handsome young man with short brown hair, brown eyes, and the appearance of a scholar walking in. His pure silver robes looked like moonlight woven into threads. He looked quite delicate, and yet, Wu Jian felt the hairs on his arms stand up as the man came closer. Something about him gave Wu Jian a bad vibe.

He wasn’t alone. There was a young man who gave off a sharp feeling. That was the only way to describe it. He felt like a tightly sheathed blade that would slice you apart the moment he was unsheathed. He had dark hair and eyes, pale skin, and looked somewhat effeminate. Strapped to his waist was a simple, unadorned sword.

“You’re a member of Moon Divine Hall, if I’m not mistaken,” said Huǒ Pànguó. Then he turned to the other man. “And you are Ji Fang, the outersect disciple prodigy of the Heavenly Sword Sect. Rumor has it you’re close to reaching the Human Limit Realm despite being barely eighteen years old.”

Wu Jian focused on Ji Fang. He could not tell what his cultivation was because it was obviously higher than his own, but if what Huǒ Pànguó said was true, then this man was stronger than almost everyone else here. Only Sǐwáng Hou could match his strength, but he was much older too.

“That is correct.” The young man stopped before them, placed the fist of his right hand in the palm of his left, and bowed. “My name is Zhou Xie’e. This is Ji Fang. He doesn’t talk much, so you’ll have to forgive him. And you are Huǒ Pànguó, second heir to the Xia Dynasty’s famous Phoenix Clan.”

“The Zhou Clan is as well-informed as always,” Huǒ Pànguó said with a sigh.

Wu Jian stared at the man with a gaping expression, but then his gaze switched to Huǒ Shuchang, who was looking anywhere but at him.

He had heard of the Phoenix Clan. They were the most powerful clan within the thirteen nations, the rulers of the Xia Dynasty, the largest and strongest nation among the thirteen. Within their capital city was the famous Phoenix Temple. The Phoenix Clan were the only people allowed within the temple itself, and they wielded the blessings of the Phoenix. Their unique cultivation method gave them unparalleled control over fire.

A lot of things Wu Jian had wondered about suddenly made sense.

“I never would have guessed Huǒ Shuchang was a member of the Phoenix Clan,” Hou Jingshu murmured.

“He doesn’t act like someone from such a powerful clan,” Wu Jian added.

“Very true.”

“These platforms are quite interesting,” Zhou Xie’e continued as if he hadn’t just dropped important information. “If my guess is right, they respond to a specific element. Only someone who has that element can activate the corresponding platform.”

“That’s right,” Yin Wuhan said. “As you can see, we have all the platforms activated except the one for time.”

“I guess you’re quite fortunate. While nowhere near proficient, I do cultivate a method that lets me manipulate time to an extent,” said Zhou Xie’e.

“In that case, would you be willing to step on the platform?” asked Huǒ Pànguó.

“Of course. I’m curious to see what will happen.”

Zhou Xie’e began walking, but he stumbled a little when his eyes landed on Wu Jian. He blinked several times before he resumed. No one else seemed to notice what happened, but Wu Jian had, and he wondered if maybe the man had seen something about him that he shouldn’t have? He didn’t think the man had, but one could never be too careful.

Upon reaching the platform representing time, Zhou Xie’e turned to him suddenly. “Excuse me, young man. It seems you cultivate a method that uses the Dao of Space?”

Ji Fang suddenly stared at Wu Jian, which gave him a very uncomfortable feeling, but he didn’t have the same wariness for that man that he did Zhou Xie’e. Still, the sensation of blades piercing his skin was unpleasant.

“That’s correct.”

“That’s very impressive for someone so young. I would hazard a guess and say you’re the youngest person here. Ah. Pardon me for pontificating. I wanted to ask if you were also able to manipulate time?”

Wu Jian shook his head. “No. I have no talent or understanding of the Dao of Time. Why do you ask?”

“No reason,” Zhou Xie’e said with a smile before he stepped onto the platform. He turned to his companion. “The sword method you are cultivating uses light, does it not? You should be able to activate the platform for light.”

Ji Fang didn’t say anything, but he silently stepped onto the platform, which lit up.

The ground began shaking mere seconds later. Everyone looked around to see what was happening, but none of them found anything, until something sprang up around them.

“What the crap?!” Huǒ Shuchang shouted as a barrier formed around the people on the platforms. It was a multi-colored thing that looked like it was made from a combination of different elements. However, the colors soon congealed together, forming a dark barrier that no one could see through.

“How interesting. I wonder who made this sealing array and for what purpose,” said Zhou Xie’e.

“Look at the center!” Hou Jingshu said, pointing.

Wu Jian turned his attention from the barrier to the center of the room. The floor had split apart and something was rising from the surface. The first thing that appeared was a giant, ash-gray lion’s head, but the head was soon followed by a body, legs, and clawed feet. While the lion statue was magnificent, what really took Wu Jian’s attention were the items located on the pedestal beside the statue.

There were nine items. Each one was either a weapon or defensive item. There was a wip, a spear, a daodao, a greatsword, a book, a necklace, a ring, a dagger, and an axe. Wu Jian was surprised to see items that hadn’t been taken yet. Everywhere they had been so far had their items removed. He guessed no one had managed to find this treasure because the elements required were too rare.

“Oh ho. So it looks like there are nine items, which means each of us gets to choose one,” Zhou Xie’e said with a smile. “We should discuss who gets what now. I hope none of you mind if I take the book?”

“I will take the dao,” Ji Fang said suddenly, glaring at everyone.

“I’ve got the axe,” Sǐwáng Hou said.

“The dagger,” muttered Shā Ying Yue.

“I’ve got dibs on the wip,” said Huǒ Pànguó.

“Then I will take the spear,” declared Hou Jingshu.

“… The greatsword,” said Wu Jian.

Since everyone else had grabbed a weapon, Yin Wuhan and Zheng Yawen were left with the necklace and ring. He felt a little bad for them since it seemed like they were getting the short end of the deal. However, everyone there was a member of a powerful clan or sect. A simple pair of bodyguards couldn’t afford to offend these people.

The barrier keeping everyone in place soon dissipated, and everyone grabbed their agreed upon item.

Wu Jian stared at the sword in his hand. It came with no sheathe, for it was far too big for one. He guessed it was maybe just a head shorter than him. The blade itself did not look like any kind of metal he had ever seen. Its shape made him think of a claw or tooth, but the surface gleamed as though freshly polished and he could clearly see his mask reflected back at him.

While the blade appeared to be made from an unknown material, the handle was wrapped in red leather. He couldn’t tell what hide it was made from. However, it felt both sturdy and comfortable. The head of a tiger served as the guard. It looked like the blade was coming from the tiger’s mouth, which made him wonder if it was supposed to be a tongue or a tooth.

Regardless, Wu Jian could feel the power flowing through this blade, and when he channeled his chi through it, the entire weapon lit up like a star in the night sky.

This weapon is very heavy. It’s perfect for me.

Wu Jian had been looking for a sturdy, durable weapon for a long time. Huǒ Shuchang had told him several times that he should look for a good spirit weapon, but none of the ones they had come across fit Wu Jian’s fighting style. He needed something heavy and durable that wouldn’t break if he swung it with all his strength. This fit the bill perfectly.

“Do you think you will be able to handle that weapon?” asked Ji Fang.

“Excuse me?” Wu Jian turned to him.

“The greatsword is a far more troublesome weapon than most other bladed weapons. Using it requires incredible strength and dexterity. An inexperienced practitioner is more likely to harm himself or his allies than his enemies if he isn’t careful. I can tell you have never trained with a sword before. I’m not sure that weapon is a good fit for you.”

Wu Jian didn’t expect Ji Fang to talk so much.

“I think this is the first time I’ve heard Ji Fang say more than single word sentences,” Zhou Xie’e said in shock. So, apparently, Wu Jian wasn’t the only one surprised.

“I think I’ll be fine.” Wu Jian swung the sword around with one hand as though it was lighter than a feather. This was a very top heavy weapon, so swinging it was quite easy, but stopping it was another matter entirely. Yet he was able to use his incredible strength to stop its momentum. He set the flat end of the blade against his shoulder.

Ji Fang stared at him for a moment, then shrugged. “Suit yourself. That weapon is a high-grade earth profound weapon, but I sense that it’s at the peak, so you could almost consider it a low-grade spirit profound weapon.”

The prodigy of the Heavenly Sword Sect turned away after saying his piece. Wu Jian would have said something to him, but the barrier chose that moment to dissipate. Huǒ Shuchang, who had been waiting on the other side, lit up when everyone appeared again. However, no one responded to him as the wall on the far side of the room vanished to reveal a staircase leading down.

“Guess that’s the way forward,” Zhou Xie’e smiled as he and Ji Fang moved toward it. “We shall part ways here. I hope you all find great fortune during your time here.”

“Those two come and go like the wind,” Hou Jingshu mumbled.

Wu Jian could only nod.