“Victory goes to Jian Wu! That’s another one in the bag for our newest contender! That makes this is tenth straight win in a row! And his tenth straight win in a single blow! We’ve never had someone quite like him in our arena!”

Wu Jian sighed as he looked at the people cheering in the arena stands, then at the other contender, who was even now getting carried away on a stretcher. It felt like the battle had only begun before it ended. The man had practically walked right into his outstretched arm.

This is lame…

It had been five days since Wu Jian and Yu Qiang arrived in Mencho. Wu Jian had fought ten battles since then--and every single one of them had been a disappointment. He had been hoping to test out and stabilize his cultivation since he had reached the Ninth Subrealm of the Asura Realm, but he had forgotten something important in all this. Namely, he had forgotten that the Asura Realm was the pinnacle of cultivation in the Shang Kingdom. There wasn’t a single cultivator present who could challenge him.

Wu Jian left the arena with the cheering crowd at his back and met up with Yu Qiang, who seemed to have become used to just going along with Wu Jian’s whims. He looked at the younger man with a smile as they left the arena.

“Your last opponent was at the Fourth Subrealm of the Asura Realm, but you still demolished him in one blow,” Yu Qiang said.

Wu Jian shrugged. “His cultivation might have been decent, but it’s clear from how unstable his cultivation base is that his method is lacking and he probably relied on pills to get where he is.”

Every cultivator used alchemy pills. While it was possible to naturally increase your cultivation without them, it was nearly impossible to get very far. Most people who didn’t use pills would reach, at most, the Anima Realm. It would take decades to reach that level without pills. By that point, the cultivator would be so old that their cultivation would have slowed to the point that their progress was nonexistent.

The key to successfully cultivating was to increase your cultivation while you were still young. The faster you reached the higher realms at a young age, the better. Cultivators aged slower the higher their cultivation was, so if someone reached the Asura Realm or higher while in their early twenties, it meant they could continue to cultivate for several centuries as if they were still just twenty years old.

Since Wu Jian was already at the peak of the Asura Realm, he would live for at least two centuries looking like he was still sixteen. He would also be able to cultivate faster like he was still sixteen too. That was the benefit to reaching the higher realms at a younger age.

“Yeah. You could also tell he had reached the Asura Realm when he was in his thirties. I guess a man like that wouldn’t be much of a challenge for you,” Yu Qiang agreed.

“How much did we make?” asked Wu Jian.

Yu Qiang smiled wanly. “Not as much as we used to. When you first showed up, the odds were 10/1 that you would lose. Now that’s reversed, so we’re not getting much money for our victory.”

They walked the busy streets toward their hotel. There were so many people moving about. A number of young couples were wandering the shops, several groups of cultivators moved with purpose through the crowds, and children played in the streets. Wu Jian inhaled a deep breath as they passed a stall selling dumplings. They were meat dumplings, which he liked, so he bought several and ate as they continued on.

“Thanks for sticking around. I know we should have returned to the academy by now,” said Wu Jian.

Shrugging, Yu Qiang said, “It’s fine. But I am curious to know why you want to stick around here. Shouldn’t you be more interested in getting back to Her Highness as soon as possible?”

“I am interested in getting back to her,” Wu Jian confessed. “But I wanted to see what this arena was all about. I also thought it would be a good idea to earn as much money as possible.”

“But why? Her Highness is the daughter of our emperor. She has no shortage of money,” said Yu Qiang.

“Yes, but that’s her money, not mine.” Wu Jian watched as a young child passed by underneath the legs of several adults. He was running from several other kids, so they must have been playing tag. “I don’t have any problem relying on Jingshu for things. It’s natural to rely on your partner, but I would also like her to be able to rely on me. Money is secondary to strength, but it couldn’t hurt to get as much as I possibly can.”

Wu Jian had seen during the auction that Jingshu’s money wasn’t infinite. They had very nearly lost the auction. The only reason they had won at all was because Wu Jian sacrificed his sword for her. He didn’t want to wind up in a situation like that again. There was no guarantee he would have something worth sacrificing next time.

“So you want to be the one she relies on.” Yu Qiang nodded. He looked like a sage as he smiled benevolently. “Well, it is our prerogative as men to want our women to rely on us. I understand that.”

“Exactly. A man who can’t provide for his women isn’t a man at all.”

It wasn’t exactly a law, but a man who couldn’t take care of his wife was often looked down on by those around them. This was more common among non-cultivators. However, that didn’t mean many cultivators didn’t also feel the same way. The traditional values that had been passed down from father to son for generations was not something that would go away just because of the rise of cultivation. A man’s reputation meant everything, and a man who could not care for his wife had no face.

They soon made it to their inn. Wu Jian was about to head for the stairs, but the woman manning the front beckoned him over the moment he entered.

“Excuse me, young man, but someone came by a little earlier and gave me a letter to deliver to you,” she said.

Wu Jian blinked behind his mask. “Who was it that gave you the letter?”

The woman rifled through a drawer. “I don’t know their name, but they were dressed in some very fancy robes. I suspect they were someone who works for the lord of our city. Now what did I do with that--ah, here it is.”

The letter was sealed with a wax coat of arms. He didn’t recognize the symbol, but according to Yu Qiang, it was indeed the symbol of the Mun Family.

He cracked open the seal, removed the envelope, and read the contents. Yu Qiang looked curiously as he waited for Wu Jian to finish.

“What does it say?” he asked.

“It’s an invitation to dinner.” Wu Jian looked puzzled. “It seems Mun Han wants to have dinner with me.”

***

The Zhou Kingdom was not the largest kingdom, but it was one of the richest, owing largely to its many hot spring resorts. People from all over the continent traveled there to partake in their hot springs, which were said to contain healing properties, rejuvenate the age, and slow down the aging process.

This kingdom along the Snow River, called such because all the water came from up north. Geothermal heating caused the ice up north to melt and feed into the large river. Several active volcanoes and underground caves created the hot water used in the many hot springs. Both sources of heat also contained many nutrients that could, in fact, rejuvenate a person and halt the aging process.

Duo Long entered the capital city with his caravan from the Ming Province. He had set off for the Zhou Kingdom immediately after returning from the Shang Kingdom, but it had still taken far more time than he would have liked. Their countries were only connected by a small section not blocked off by mountain ranges. Duo Long had used an airship to cross over the border, then set down in a small town and taken a carriage the rest of the way.

It galled him.

I cannot believe they refused my airship entry into the capital. It’s like Emperor Cì Shā doesn’t even put the Wind-Lightning Pavilion in his eyes. Are we nothing but ants to him?

Emperor Cì Shā was the man he was going to meet. He was the ruler of the Zhou Kingdom, which also meant he was the most powerful person attending this meeting. Compared to him, the Duo Long and his Wind-Lightning Pavilion was indeed just a small group. They did not even have complete control over the Ming Province. That was why the two other pavilions who decided to participate in this operation would also be in attendance.

“It really is a magnificent city. I can see why its emperor does not put us in his eyes,” said Mo Zhi, sitting on the bench opposite him.

“Hmph,” Duo Long snorted. However, he could not deny Kěnéng’s splendor.

Kěnéng was built along the fork of the Snow River, which traveled through the city and branched into numerous man made canals. A cultivator had at one point raised the earth with their power. This made the city look like it was split into tiers. Multiple waterfalls ran over the slopes, then pooled in large basins that fed water into the rest of the city. All the water was hot because of the geothermal heat beneath the earth’s surface. Steam rose from all around the town and moistened the air.

Perhaps owing to all the water, the town was populated with all manner of flora. Trees with multi-colored leaves lined roads and pink sakura trees filled parks. The area they were in was dedicated to the nobility, so it was a lot more aesthetically appealing than anywhere else. There was the rumored slums, said to be where the commoners lived and were worked to the bone, but the emperor had done his best to keep anyone and everyone from being able to see it, though rumors continued to persist about the abuse his people suffered at their emperor’s own hands.

Not that Duo Long cared.

The carriage wound its way along a winding road that led to a palace located at the very top of the noble district. Like everything else, this palace was a thing of splendor, a large structure that seemed to glitter like jade in the light. It was much bigger than any palace Duo Long had ever seen. The ostentatiousness of it was a symbol of the Zhou Kingdom’s wealth and its emperor’s despotic nature.

I’m finally going to meet the infamous Tyrant King. I wonder what he is like.

After passing through a gate guarded by a pair of peak Asura Realm cultivators, the carriage came to a stop in front of a large building made from jade. Just looking at it was enough to make Duo Long swear. How much money did this take to build? He could only imagine, but it seemed so wasteful. The emperor could have used the money to build this palace to increase the strength of his cultivators.

“Welcome, Sect Master Duo Long. We have been expecting you,” said a man standing outside to greet him.

“Aren’t you… Cì Chuān?” asked Duo Long.

The handsome man smiled. “I am indeed.”

Cì Chuān was the second son of Emperor Cì Shā. While he was only second in line for succession, he was an accomplished tier 5 alchemist with a powerful heavenly flame. He might not have been very strong. Even though he wasn’t stronger than his older brother, he was far more irreplaceable due to his talent as an alchemist. This afforded him a lot more freedom and power than his brother.

Strength might rain supreme in this world.

But the strength of one’s fists was not everything.

“I am quite surprised to see you greeting me here,” said Duo Long.

Cì Chuān had an easy going smile as he shrugged. “I heard you attended the auction in the Shang Kingdom, but we did not get the chance to meet. I was hoping we could talk a little before the meeting takes place.”

So he wants something from me…

Duo Long had heard many rumors about Cì Chuān, and he knew this man would not do anything unless there was a clear benefit to himself.

“Very well. Let us talk while we travel,” said Duo Long.

Cì Chuān clapped his hands together. “Excellent.”

They headed inside the palace. The interior was every bit as ostentatious as the exterior. Duo Long almost grimaced at the sheer amount of tasteless decore and artwork. He was only able to keep the disgust off his face thanks to his long years as a sect master.

“Father is really hoping this meeting ends with an alliance between the Ming Province and Zhou Kingdom,” said Cì Chuān.

“You mean a temporary alliance,” corrected Duo Long. “He is only interested in acquiring the Shang Kingdom. Once he has that, I imagine he won’t have much use for the Ming Province and its Pavilions.”

Cì Chuān smiled but said nothing in regards to that. “I personally don’t care about any of that. My only interest is in acquiring Zhou Lihua. Father does not want me messing with a member of the Zhou Clan, however.”

“With good reason. Messing with them is like trying to kick a dragon in the teeth.”

Many upheld the Zhou Clan as the most powerful clan on the entire continent. Their wealth, the strength of their cultivators, and the influence they wielded was second to none. The Heavenly Sword Sect might have been the most powerful force, but that was only because they had more members. The Zhou Clan didn’t have as many people, but they were far more widespread and their cultivators were rumored to be every bit as strong.

Very little was known about the Zhou Clan, but they had been around since time immemorial. The earliest records in history spoke of the clan. That meant they had survived the age when the White Tiger Sect, Black Tortoise Pavilion, and Azure Dragon Hall were still the most powerful forces in existence.

“Perhaps so, but I’ve set my heart on having her, and I was wondering if you’d be willing to help. I promise to make it worth your while.”

Duo Long considered the man. They had almost reached the meeting room. He didn’t have much time left to answer.

“I’m not going to make any promises, but I can at least hear you out,” he said at last.

Cì Chuān grinned. “You have my thanks.”