Everyone froze the moment those words were spoken. There was nothing overtly powerful about them, but the speaker’s voice had a strangely soothing quality that caused everyone to settle down. Wu Jian turned to eye the man who had spoken.

It was difficult to tell if this person was a man or a woman, such was their beauty. They had long, silky hair that scintillated as it swished behind them. A pair of bangs framed a feminine face. Their ice blue eyes were shaped like almonds and were complimented by a small nose and full lips. Wu Jian thought they might be wearing makeup too. The voice that had come from his mouth was definitely that of a man’s, but the figure standing before him looked almost all woman.

“Hey, hey. Who is that?”

“You don’t know? Have you been living under a rock? That’s Da Feiyu. He’s the son of Da Haoran.”

“That name does ring a bell… wait. You mean to tell me that’s a man?! Quit pulling my leg!”

“Were that I was. Da Feiyu is indeed a man.”

“I… don’t even know what to say…”

Wu Jian’s ears perked as he listened to a conversation happening between two disciples. He knew of the Da Family. It was one of the names he had learned in his history lessons with Wu Taohua. They were a prominent member of the Ten Kingdoms Alliance, a small alliance of countries ruled by the Merchant’s Guild.

The Merchant’s Guild was considered a branch of Divine Moon Hall, but they were not technically members. The Merchant’s Guild ruled over the Ten Kingdoms Alliance. They were formed by the ten most powerful clans within the alliance. All policy making decisions were made by them. Divine Moon Hall was not allowed to take part in the decision making process of the kingdom thanks to the treaties that prevented any of the Three Celestial Sects from interfering with national and international policies.

As the most powerful member of the Ten Kingdoms Alliance, the Da Family had the greatest decision-making power, and because the Ten Kingdom Alliance was the second strongest nation on the continent, they’re members were also some of the strongest. The Ten Kingdom Alliance had an abundance of natural resources thanks to several uninhabited islands that made up an archipelago several dozen Li off the nation’s coast. The archipelago was called Tian Cao Tinh because it was shaped like a famous constellation with the same name.

“Da Feiyu, you might be from a powerful clan, but you should know better than to interfere in a dispute that has nothing to do with you,” Xiao Shui said with a snarl.

Da Feiyu merely smiled as he summoned a paperfan and hid his mouth behind it. The gesture was very feminine. “My dear Xiao Shui, I am not interfering because I want to protect that young man in the mask, but because I do not want to see you expelled from the tournament for fighting outside of the arena. Surely you can tell that I am merely concerned for a friend.”

“When the hell did you and I become friend?!” spat Xiao Shui.

“Awww. Don’t be like that.” Da Feiyu closed his fan, walked over, and placed it underneath Xiao Shui’s chin. His coy smile made him look like a beautiful woman attempting to seduce a man. Xiao Shui shuddered. “Have we not been chatting amicably for the past several days? You were so earnest the last time we spoke.”

“That’s because I thought you were a woman!”

“Oh my. So my gender is what bothers you so? How unfortunate. Alas, I cannot change how I was born.”

Xiao Shui knocked aside the fan and took several steps away from Da Feiyu and, consequently, Wu Jian as well. The big man looked back and forth between Da Feiyu and Wu Jian. His face was all wrinkled like he couldn’t decide whether or not to continue the conversation. He eventually scoffed, turned around, and muscled his way through the crowd that had gathered to watch. His cohorts remained a few seconds longer before following.

“Well… that was quite unpleasant,” Da Feiyu muttered with a smile. He turned to Wu Jian. “You two are quite unfortunate to have caught Xiao Shui’s eyes. That man is said to be a prodigy who cultivates the unique Sun Cultivation Method of the Undying Sun Sect.”

“I’m afraid I don’t know much about this Undying Sun Sect,” Wu Jian confessed with a shrug.

He expectedr Da Feiyu to give him an answer, but it was actually Mei Xilan who answered him. “The Undying Sun Sect is a religious sect. They are the rulers of the Sui Kingdom. That country was originally under the rule of the Sui Family, but the Undying Sun Sect destroyed the family and turned the country into an oligarchy.”

Wu Jian studied Mei Xilan with open curiosity. He hadn’t realized it at first, but the woman had been completely silent ever since the Undying Sun Sect had been brought up. Now that he was looking at her, he could see that her face was pale, covered in sweat, and she had clenched her hands so hard that her arms shook and her knuckles had turned white.

“You know quite a bit about the Undying Sun Sect,” Da Feiyu said. When Mei Xilan refused to answer, he shrugged and continued. “The Sui Kingdom has always maintained an isolationist policy due to their geographical location, but ever since the Undying Sun Sect rose to prominence, they have been stepping foot outside their kingdom far more often, and they have become far more brazen.”

“Something must have changed,” Wu Jian said.

Da Feiyu nodded. “That is what many of us suspect, though we have no idea what that change is.. The young man paused, smiled, then performed a traditional martial bow. “Anyway, allow me to properly introduce myself. My name is Da Feiyu. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

Wu Jian returned the bow with one of his own. Mei Xilan followed suit.

“My name is Jian Wu. This is Mei Xilan. We appreciate you stepping in when you did. I would have hated to be disqualified because I beat the snot out of someone before the tournament began.”

“You’re quite confident. I like that. Confidence is a very attractive trait in men.”

Da Feiyu spoke with them a bit more, and Wu Jian got the sense this man was different from the other competitors. Something about him made Wu Jian wary, though he couldn’t put his finger on what, so he tried to ignore it. The young man spoke and acted respectful. Wu Jian was not so rude that he would treat someone who had yet to do anything wrong with suspicion.

While Da Feiyu’s cultivation was not as high as Xiao Shui’s, he was still half a step into the Deva Realm, making him one of the strongest competitors in this tournament. Wu Jian was curious to know what cultivation method he practied. However, he didn’t think he would get an answer.

Someone wearing the red and white hanfu of a tournament official walked into the room, cleared his throat, and began speaking. “Will all the competitors please make their way onto the arena. I repeat. All competitors are to make their way onto the arena.”

“Guess it’s time for us to head out. Good luck, you two,” Da Feiyu said with a wink.

Wu Jian ignored the way his body shudder that went down his spine and walked alongside the crowd with Mei Xilan. They stepped out through a door, which led to an arena with a closed roof. Loud cheering met his ears. The arena stands were packed full. It looked like every available seat was filled, and some people were even standing on the staircases as though there weren’t enough seats for everybody. Wu Jian looked up to see the overhead lights were designed into the shape of the Pheonix Constellation.

In the center of the arena was a square platform made from an unfamiliar material. The tiles were bright red. Wu Jian paid only a little attention to it as they stepped onto the platform and lined up in neat rows based on their nation.

Wu Jian looked at the people in the stands, but his eyes were soon drawn toward one particular part of the stands. It was an extension high above the heads of everyone else. There were four seats, all of which were unoccupied at the moment. Each seat had a symbol etched into it. There was a flame, a swirl, a sword, and a moon.

“Everyone! Stand and pay respects to your ruler! The great Lord Huǒ Huangdi!”

Everyone stood up and bowed low. It was impressive how silent the arena became at the mere mention of the country’s ruler. Flames suddenly jutted from a spot high above everyone’s heads, directing all attention toward that one spot. Wu Jian also looked over and found several people emerging from a gap in the wall. There were three of them. Each one was coated in brilliant crimson fire.

Wu Jian did not recognize the two men, but he immediately knew who the small figure wearing the veil was. Her outfit was different. She was no longer wearing her cloak but a pure red hanfu with a golden phoenix flying over a cherry blossom tree. Her long red hair was visible for all to see. However, her face still remained covered, but he could see from the reluctance in her eyes that she did not want to be there.

That one must be her father…

He looked at the man flying at the front of this triangular formation. Brilliant gold wings spread from his back. His wild hair was bright crimson, and he had golden eyes like his daughter, but while hers were soft, his were sharp like blades. Sword-shaped eyebrows gave him a heroic aesthetic. On his other side was a man who looked much older. His red hair was streaked with gray and he had wrinkles lining his face. He must have been an elder or something.

The group of three flew toward the empty seats, but only one of them sat down. Huǒ Yulie and the old man stood on either side of him.

So that’s Huǒ Huangdi…

Wu Jian had only heard a little about Huǒ Huangdi, but he was supposedly every bit as powerful as the leaders of the Three Celestial Sects. That was what Wu Taohua had told him, at least.

“Welcome, cultivators from across the continent,” Huǒ Huangdi said from his seat. “You have gathered here today in order to showcase your talents and prove that you are worth the resources spent on you. The International Power Ranking tournament is the only tournament that offers such critical acclaim. And without further ado, I would like to announce a start to--”

“Ho ho ho. Hold on just a moment, Little Huangdi. It is quite rude to start the tournament when the guests of honor have yet to arrive,” a young woman’s voice said, seemingly bouncing off the walls and causing everyone to look.

Huǒ Huangdi snorted. “Perhaps I would have if you arrived on time. The tardiness of the Three Celestial Sects never fails to astound me.”

“Well, that is not very nice.”

As soon as those words were spoken, a torrent of water suddenly shot from the ground near one of the other three chairs. It had the swirl-shaped pattern etched into it. Wu Jian now realized the symbol was for water. The water continued to spin round and round, moving faster and faster before, without warning, water exploded in every direction, though none of it touched any of the people nearby.

A person appeared within the swirl. She was stunning. Her dark tanned skin looked smooth as silk. Light blue hair flowed down her head like a waterfall, framing a bedazzling face that could invoke the lust of any man. Her hanfu was a combination of light and dark blue that shimmered as the cloth shifted. It made him think of waves crashing against the beach. Eyes the same dazzling blue as her hair peered at the world with amusement. Her outfit was finished with a pair of blue high-heeled shoes.

Just who was this stunning lady that evoked such silence from everyone in the arena?