“This is beautiful,” Wu Jian breathed.

Hua Xue almost seemed to thrust out her chest with pride. “That sword is called Pale Moon. I found it a long time ago in a legacy tomb. I doubt you will ever find a better sword on this world than the one you now hold.”

Wu Jian believed her. He could feel the sword’s will after Hua Xue handed the weapon over. It almost felt alive. A vibrant thrum raced through his body. If he had to describe what he felt with words, he would say it felt like the sword’s chi was mingling with his own.

It was a heavy sword, but he could lift and swing it with relative ease, even though he was only using one hand. Pale Moon’s weight allowed him to gain a ton of momentum whenever he swung downward. The veins in his arm bulged as he stopped the sword and reversed direction, swinging it upward.

“Thank you,” Wu Jian said to Hua Xue.

The older woman smiled behind her veil. “You are quite welcome.”

“That is indeed a beautiful sword, though the one who gave it to this young man is far more enchanting,” someone said.

Wu Jian, Hua Xue, Hou Jingshu, and Zhou Lihua turned as Húndàn Qie walked up to their little group and bowed before the head elder of the Ice Phoenix Sect.

“It has been many moons since I last beheld your stunning visage, Hua Xue. You look even more beautiful than I remember.”

Wu Jian glanced at Hua Xue to see the woman staring down at the man with frustration in her eyes. He thought he caught her biting her lower lip as the veil hiding her face rustled in the wind. Perhaps it was just his imagination, however.

“And I see that you are still as glib-tongued as ever,” Hua Xue said coldly.

“Come now. Do not be like that. I’m not going to try anything. I merely wished to greet you,” said Húndàn Qie.

“And now that you have, I’d like to ask that you take several steps back. You have a job to do, do you not? Perhaps you should act in your capacity as a host once more instead of speaking to me.”

Hua Xue looked quite cold as she spoke to Húndàn Qie. It was more than just the bite in her words. Her eyes were like ice as she stared at the man. There had to be some kind of history between these two, and given Hua Xue’s beauty, it wasn’t hard for Wu Jian to come up with his own conclusions.

He shook his head. Whatever happened between them is none of my business.

Húndàn Qie didn’t seem bothered by the woman’s harsh words as he once more stood up, gestured for everyone to follow him, and made for the portal.

Hua Xue and her three fairies fell in line alongside Wu Jian, Hou Jingshu, and Zhou Lihua. This prevented them from speaking. The silent pressure being exuded by the young women’s eyes was enough to make even the Shang Kingdom’s princess hold her tongue. Wu Jian wondered if the strange pressure those women were emitting was caused by their cultivation method or something else.

As he stepped through the portal with his companions, Wu Jian once more felt the strange sensation of something tugging on him. This felt slightly different from the portal that led to the White Tiger Sect. It wasn’t as smooth. Whoever had made it must not have been as talented as the creator of that other portal, but that was also what allowed Wu Jian to glean a greater understanding into the Dao of Space. The one who created this was closer on his level and that meant understanding it was easier.

I see. This is just an extended application of spatial folding. They fold space around a specific this gateway using a technique of some kind. This is the portal. Then they connect the folded space to a space that has been phased out of our world. In other words, a unique space that’s no longer a part of the world we came from. A technique like this must cost a lot of chi to maintain. I can’t even imagine how many spirit crystals they go through every year.

Spirit crystals were the unrefined forms of spirit coins. They contained a lot of chi and were often used to power sealing arrays and defense formations. There wasn’t a doubt in Wu Jian’s mind that the sealing array that created the Saintly Sword Sect’s unique space used up hundreds of thousands if not millions of spirit crystals a year.

They kept walking even after they emerged from the portal. A bright sun and blue sky greeted them. It did not look at all like they were underneath a mountain, which was where the portal had been located.

Buildings all built to resemble those found in the Xia Dynasty greeted them. Many of the buildings looked like large palaces built on rammed earth platforms. The buildings themselves were made from a combination of stone and wood. The walls were stone, but wood lintel posts helped keep the overarching roofs aloft. There were many shaded walkways. Between each walkway was a stream that ran through numerous gardens. Wu Jian could not get a good estimate for this sect’s size, but it looked large enough to be a city unto itself.

Several men and women dressed in the white and black hanfu of a servant bowed as they appeared. All of them were attractive. The men looked almost as beautiful as the women, and the women wore a hanfu that possessed a notorious gap to show off their cleavage.

Húndàn Qie stopped before a walkway and turned.

“Welcome to the Saintly Sword Sect. My servants shall lead all of you to the residence you shall be staying at during your time here. The tournament starts tomorrow. You are free to wander around. However, do note that several areas are off limits. We will also be hosting a dinner later this evening, so make sure you do not forget unless you wish to go hungry.”

***

Everyone was shown where they would be staying. The Shang Kingdom Imperial Academy’s group was given their own building, which was large enough to fit several families. Tasteful decorations lined the many halls. Each room was fully furnished with a bed, dresser, and nightstand. Two sliding doors led into the room. One that connected each room to a hallway and another that led onto the porch that overlooked one of many gardens.

After being shown to their respective rooms, Wu Jian, Hou Jingshu, and Zhou Lihua met up and began exploring the Saintly Sword Sect’s grounds. They saw several training halls where members were practicing sword techniques. There was also a library, though they were not allowed to enter. The pagoda in the very center reminded Wu Jian of the Hall of Resistance that Zhou Lihua had once shown him during his first visit to the Zhou Clan’s branch in Zahn City.

There were already a lot of people present. Many nobles and even some commoners had arrived to watch the upcoming tournament. According to Hou Jingshu, there would be even more coming later. Most people tended to avoid the preliminary round. They only wanted to watch the strongest members participating.

Time passed and the sun began setting. Wu Jian wondered if that sun was real as he, Hou Jingshu, and Zhou Lihua entered the mess hall. If they were in a separate space, then it meant the sun should not have been visible, right? Or was that wrong? He was quite certain that sun high above their heads was not real, but he still lacked the necessary understanding into the Dao of Space to make that call.

The mess hall was massive. There must have been several thousand tables lined up in neat rows, and each table was long enough to seat at least forty people--twenty on each side. While most of the sects gathered were given a place at one of the long tables, the people of honor were given their own small table next to Húndàn Qie. Included among this group was Hou Jingshu, who did not look happy to be there. She glanced at Wu Jian and Zhou Lihua all throughout dinner as though imploring them to rescue her. Sadly, there was nothing either of them could do.

Once everyone was seated, Húndàn Qie stood up and welcomed them all once again with a grand speech.

“Today marks the seven hundredth anniversary of the Shang Kingdom Tournament. This is a grand occasion not only because it allows sects to showcase their talents and bring glory to their sects, but also because the top five winners shall represent our nation in the upcoming Thirteen Nations Tournament. To further aid and facilitate our success in the Thirteen Clans Tournament, the top five winners will also be allowed to enter the Sacred Grounds. Now, then. You have all had a long journey, so let us not stand on ceremony. Eat your fill. Tomorrow will be a big day.”

Cheers went up from the many people present. Húndàn Qie sat down with a satisfied look on his face. Yu Chenguang, who had a seat beside the man, merely shook his head and smiled. Hua Xue sat on Húndàn Qie’s other side, but she did not even deign to glance at the man.

Dinner that evening was a veritable feast. There were many different types of meat dishes like chicken, pork, and fish--all of which was cooked in rich sauces. The decadence of the sauce paired well with the meat. Wu Jian had his fill of meat, but he also made sure to eat a healthy helping of rice, vegetables, and even stinky tofu, which he wolfed down while making a face like he might vomit.

Eating was hard for Wu Jian because he wore a mask. There were so many people present that he was worried about showing his face. He pulled his mark partially up until just his mouth was visible and ate that way. His actions garnered him many looks. Zhou Lihua even giggled at and teased him for his caution, but Wu Jian did not want to risk the necklace breaking.

Dinner finished and everyone headed to their respective buildings. Wu Jian removed his mask the moment he got into his room and laid down on the bed, his feet dangling over the side. Having to wear a mask before so many people was exhausting. He’d have preferred eating in private with Hou Jingshu, which was what he usually did at the academy.

As he was lying there, a knock echoed from his sliding door.

“Who is it?” he asked.

“It’s Hou Jingshu and Zhou Lihua. Can we come in?” asked Hou Jingshu.

Wu Jian sat up. “Come on in.”

The door slid open to reveal two women dressed in modest nightwear. Hou Jingshu’s light pink nightgown descended all the way to her ankles. Her tiny feet were just barely visible. Zhou Lihua’s nightgown was dark crimson and stopped at her knees, but it was also held up by a pair of thin strings that sat on her shoulders. The fabric was light enough that Wu Jian thought he could see two hard points poking into the fabric… but he tried not to think about that.

“I assume this isn’t a social visit? Sit down and tell me what’s going on.” Wu Jian moved further back on the bed and patted it.

Hou Jingshu and Zhou Lihua went over to the bed and sat down. Then Zhou Lihua surprised them both by resting her head in his lap.

“What are you doing?!” asked a startled Hou Jingshu, whose eyes had widened.

“What’s it look like I’m doing? I’m taking this chance to have Jian pamper me,” Zhou Lihua said with a fox-like smile.

“Hmmm. I guess I don’t really get many chances to pamper you.” Wu Jian began running his hands through her long locks of hair.

“W-we are here to talk about something serious!” Hou Jingshu exclaimed.

“And so we shall, but that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy my time with Jian either.” Zhou Lihua opened her eyes and tilted her head to stare at Hou Jingshu. “I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again. It’s not fair that you get to have sex with him every night while I have to remain celibate. Give me this moment.”

“Ugh… it’s not every night,” Hou Jingshu mumbled with cheeks red enough to put forest fires to shame. While she looked dissatisfied, the young woman merely coughed into her hands and said, “I think we should figure out how to proceed with the tournament. Many sects look down on the Shang Kingdom Imperial Academy because we aren’t able to produce individuals of the same strength. This is because we spread our resources amongst everyone rather than focusing on individuals. For the past several years, we have only had people at the fourth, fifth, and sixth subrealms of the Asura Realm to compete. However, this year is different. I believe we can claim victory over the whole tournament.”

“And you want to figure out how we should go about doing that?” asked Wu Jian, still stroking Zhou Lihua’s hair.

Hou Jingshu twitched as she watched them, but nodded. “You, me, and Yu Qiang are all peak Asura Realm cultivators, which means we’re standing on par with most of the people participating in terms of our cultivation. However, we can also defeat people above our cultivation, which puts us ahead in terms of raw talent and potential.”

“How do you wish to go about with this?”

Wu Jian waited patiently as Hou Jingshu tapped her chin. “I think we should overwhelm all of our opponents. We need to sweep away the opposition with an incredible display of power, such that all the people who looked down on the Shang Kingdom Imperial Academy can only gawk.”

“So you want to crush everyone,” Wu Jian mused.

The princess nodded. “Yes. I want to grind them under our heels.”

“Has anyone told you that you can be awfully violent?”

“I-I am not violent… am I?”

“Only sometimes,” Wu Jian grinned at Hou Jingshu’s uncertain expression. “Anyway, I agree with you. I think we should crush everyone with an overwhelming display of force. Not only will that prevent people from speaking ill of our academy, but it will also serve to showcase the strength of our academy. If news spreads, more people will be willing to join us.”

The Shang Kingdom Imperial Academy was already the largest of any organized sect within the kingdom because of how they treated all their disciples, but if they also showcased how strong their members were, it would cause those who favored sects to flock to them as well.

While many people liked the academy because of the benefits provided, the stronger individuals preferred sects because there was a greater chance to increase their power and achieve fame and glory. If they could prove to everyone that the academy could also provide those same opportunities, people would feel less inclined to join a sect.

“Tomorrow is the preliminaries, right?” asked Wu Jian.

“Yes,” Hou Jingshu nodded.

“Then I suppose we should aim to defeat every opponent in a single blow,” Wu Jian said.

Hou Jingshu smiled. “I agree. Anyway, I suppose we should get back to our rooms. Come on, Zhou Lihua, it’s time to… is she asleep?”

Wu Jian stopped stroking Zhou Lihua’s hair and looked down to see that, indeed, the young woman resting on his lap was fast asleep. It seemed she hadn’t come here to take part in this discussion at all.

Hou Jingshu’s cheeks swelled as she made jealous people noises.