The arena was packed. Wu Jian thought it was even more crowded now than it had been during the team battles. The amount of noise coming from the crowd was almost deafening. He could only imagine how Youmei, sitting in the middle of all that alongside Hua Xue and Yu Chenguang, was dealing with this.

He stood amongst the rest of the competitors, of which there were far less than last time. Only five teams of the twelve who competed had gone on to compete in the individual tournament, which meant their numbers had been cut in half. Each team stood along on this large arena floor. He and Mei Xilan were the odd men out since every other team consisted of five people and they were but two.

The crowd became quiet as Huǒ Huangdi stood from his seat and walked over to the edge. He gazed upon those who would be competing, then cast his gaze to the crowd. Wu Jian noticed almost immediately that Huǒ Yulie, who had been staying by his side since the tournament’s beginning, was not present.

“I hope you all enjoyed the three day festival, but it is now time for the final phase of this tournament, the individual battles, where cultivators will showcase the talents they have so painstakingly acquired. Some of you already know this, but I’m sure many of you do not. However, this tournament was created at the dawn of the new era after the fall of the Four Great Guardien Sects. War had been rampant and many people died. The Three Celestial Sects and the Xia Dynasty eventually emerged from the flames of that arduous time and agreed to strive for a world that did not suffer so much hardship. We created this tournament as a replacement for war. Disputes between nations could be settled here… though we did not eliminate all wars completely.”

Wu Jian could have sworn Huǒ Huangdi glanced at him and Mei Xilan for a moment. He felt like he imagined it, however, for the man continued talking moments later.

“Of course, the five teams who won the tournament will not only fight each other, but they have earned the right to fight the members of my clan, who shall be participating in the individual tournament as well.”

The Phoenix Clan were the rulers of the Xia Dynasty, most powerful nation on the continent, and therefore had the right to decide the rules of this tournament. One of those rules was that their clan would not fight in the team matches. It wasn’t fair. Not at all. However, Wu Jian had learned the hard way that life was not fair. Those with the power made the rules and those without had no choice but to obey.

After Huǒ Huangdi spoke, he clapped his hands together, and everyone fell into shocked silence as the roof that had been closed this entire time suddenly opened up. The dome split apart to reveal a clear blue sky. However, marring that sky were five brilliant plumes of fire. These flames soon revealed themselves to be people. Five individuals with flame-like hair that ranged in color descended toward the arena. Flames sprouted from their backs like wings, and the trail left behind in their wake reminded Wu Jian of a comet he’d once seen when he was younger.

Is that Yulie?

Huǒ Yulie flew at the front of this group as though leading them. He had to blink several times because he didn’t think she would be participating. On her left was Huǒ Schuchang, who saw Wu Jian and grinned. Huǒ Pànguó was on her right. His face was set into a scowl. There were two others he did not recognize, but they were both men who looked to be in their early or mid-twenties maybe. They might have been much older for all he knew, however.

The five set down on the arena floor, the flames dispersing. Huǒ Yulie was at the front, and she led the group toward them, until she saw Wu Jian, then made a beeline for him.

“Well met. Tis been many days since you and I last spoke, has it not?”

“It has been some time, yes,” Wu Jian agreed.

“I have been watching you from yond seats. You put on a most magnificent display of martial prowess. I quite look forward to seeing how you fare in the individual competition.”

“I feel the same way. I didn’t even realize you would be competing.”

“Are you surprised? I do not blame the for being shocked. Mine Father does not like it when others can see me, so I do not appear in public very often and have never fought in a tournament before. However, I do believe I will surprise you with my prowess. I am quite strong, I’ll have you know.”

“I can believe that.”

Huǒ Schuchang had once said that his sister was the strongest individual in the clan. He did not know how strong she would be, but he knew she was likely to be the most powerful among these five.

“Hey, hey, hey! I hope you two aren’t gonna leave me out of the conversation,” Huǒ Schuchang said.

“Perish the thought, dear brother of mine. This humble princess would never deign to ignore you in such a vulgar manner.”

“You had better not. I’ll seriously cry if you do.”

“I think we should ignore him. Schuchang will get a big head if you pay him attention.”

“Why you gotta be like that, Wu?! Aren’t we brothers?!”

“I don’t remember becoming your brother.”

“You two get along quite well,” Huǒ Yulie observed, puffing out her cheeks a little.

Huǒ Schuchang grinned as he threw an arm around Wu Jian’s shoulder. The younger man grunted but didn’t push him off.

“Are you jealous, sis? It’s okay. The relationship between a man and a woman is very different from relationships between men. You don’t need to compete with me for Wu’s affection or anything.”

“Yeah. Your brother is a manwhore who flirts with every women he meets. He wouldn’t bother flirting with me.”

“Your words are always so sharp.”

Their interaction earned a lot of looks, not just from the crowd and other competitors, but also from the other members of the Huǒ Clan. Wu Jian only realized when he noticed Huǒ Pànguó glaring at him that he was acting too comfortably around Huǒ Yulie for this to be there first meeting. He had almost forgotten, but back when they had been attending the auction house, Huǒ Pànguó had barged into their room because he believed Huǒ Yulie had been present. They had only managed to avoid the worst case scenario with Huǒ Schuchang’s help.

He was fortunately unable to say anything because Huǒ Huangdi spoke up again, directing all attention to himself.

“Now that we have reached this stage of the tournament, I can inform you all about the kinds of rewards you can expect for winning, for the victors must always receive their dues.” He paused. Wu Jian could’ve sworn he heard people sucking in a deep breath. “This is not so much a prize as a matter of course, but the Three Celestial Sects are all in attendance to ascertain whether anyone among you would be worthy of joining their sect. This is not a reward for winning. You can be the victor of the competition and still not be asked to join one of their sects. Consequently, you can be in last place and still be asked to join. What the Three Celestial Sects are looking for in their disciples is aptitude and not mere strength. You must show that you have the aptitude to learn their techniques.”

Sects do not just accept anyone. They were different from academy’s like the Shang Imperial Academy, which allowed anyone who was a cultivator to join. Sects tended to specialize in specific techniques and cultivation methods.

A cultivator who focused on sword techniques could not join Supreme Ocean Palace if they lacked the aptitude to at least use water-related sword techniques or illusions. Similarly, a cultivator who used a cultivation method that relied on the water element would be unlikely to join the Heavenly Sword Sect unless they were also a powerful swordsman. For the Three Celestial Sects, aptitude and personal traits were even more important.

The Heaveny Sword Sect, with its exclusive focus on sword techniques, sought individuals with strong physical attributes, swift reflexes, and a natural affinity for handling weapons, particularly swords. They favored individuals who showed strong warrior spirit and possessed a deep sense of honor and discipline, values often displayed by true swordsman.

Supreme Ocean Palace, on the other hand, needed disciples with a strong affinity for the water element and a natural capacity for nurturing and healing. The ability to manipulate other people’s perceptions and create illusions were also highly valued by them. Individuals with a degree of cunning or subtlety in their personalities were also sought out. The type of cultivator they preferred were calm, patient, and observant, a reflection of the glowing and adaptable nature of water.

Wu Jian had no idea what qualities Divine Moon Hall sought in their disciples. They were as mysterious as their name. The only thing Wu Jian really knew was the Zhou Clan were a part of Divine Moon Hall. He assumed they wanted cultivators who were ambitious and cunning, but he could figure out nothing else. Wu Jian knew not of the cultivation methods their disciples used nor the techniques they learned.

Huǒ Huangdi continued to speak. “Here are the prizes that shall be given out to the victors of this tournament. Those who rank among the top ten will be allowed to enter Realm of Sacred Flames.”

Whispers broke out among the competitors.

“Wait. Really? Has the Realm of Sacred Flames opened?!”

“No wonder the tournament being hosted this year is bigger than the previous years.”

“I can’t believe the Phoenix Clan kept this under wraps.”

Wu Jian had heard about the Realm of Sacred Flames once before. He’d read about it in a book in the Wu Clan.

The Realm of Sacred Flames was a sealed dimension much like the White Tiger Sects Ruins had been. It was a realm characterized by intense heat and light. All the creatures and plants within were of the fire element, having adapted to the extreme heat and flames. This also meant they had a strong yang chi within them, making any parts scavanged great for cultivators who had cultivation methods that heavily relied on yang chi. Of course, all of the flora and fauna present were also quite dangerous. The book said that even the weakest magical beast found within the Realm of Sacred Flames was at the Deva Realm.

Beyond the magical beasts and vast resources that could be found within was the Sacred Fire, known by many as the Purifying Flame or Tempering Flames. Said to be located within the deepest region of this realm, the Sacred Fire was a divine flame that could burn away impurities and temper a person’s body. Many cultivators had attempted to find this divine fire, but none had ever done so.

“That prize is one awarded to the top ten contestants of this tournament. There are also three other prizes for those who rank within the top three,” Huǒ Huangdi continued. “The third place contestant will receive ten high-grade chi gathering pills.”

High-Grade Chi Gathering Pills were a Tier 6 pill, a relatively complex concoction that required over five dozen ingredients, many of which were rare and needed to be refined at high temperatures. Like the two lower grade variants, this pill’s primary purpose was to aid cultivators in gathering and refining their chi. As it was a Tier 6 pill, only alchemists of Iridium rank or higher could refine them.

Lower realm cultivators could not consume these pills since the chi it gathered would cause them to explode from the inside. Worst case, they would die. Best case, their cultivation would be crippled. This pill was used primarily by Seeker Realm and Realization Realm experts.

“The one who places second will receive the Sword of Rebirth. This weapon is a high-grade heaven ranked sword that has gone unused for many generations.” Huǒ Huangdi paused as more people began to whisper and murmur in hushed excitement. He only continued after gesturing for everyone to settle down. “The first prize winner will receive our high-grade heaven rank spiritual armor: Phoenix Ascension Armor.”