Several beautiful women dressed in red and gold cheongsams pushed a display cart up to Huǒ Huangdi. A hushed silence fell over the crowd as the Phoenix Clan leader glanced around. All eyes were drawn to the cart, which was covered in a fine red cloth that shimmered like fire in the light.

With a smile, Huǒ Huangdi removed the cloth and revealed the items insideee: A jar of pills, a beautifully ornate sword, and a set of armor. It was the armor Wu Jian found his eyes drawn to. Crafted from an obviously unique allow, the highly ornate armor featured a breastplate with a beautifully engraved image of a phoenix soaring upward, wings spread out. A helmet adorned with a crest shaped like phoenix in flight sat atop it. Gauntlets and greaves bore subtle flame-like etchings, emphasizing the fiery nature of the armor.

Wu Jian wanted it.

“These are the rewards you shall win if you are victorious,” Huǒ Huangdi paused again. “Now that you all know what you are fighting for, let the tournament begin!”

The crowd stamped their feet in approval and went wild with cheer. Wu Jian glanced at the people around him. Many had eyes filled with greed as they stared at the top three prizes. Only those of the Phoenix Clan and one other did not seem to care for what was being offered. Wu Jian found himself frowning at Xaio Shui, who stared at him with murder in his eyes. What was this guy’s deal? Sure, Wu Jian had beaten him, but he wasn’t so petty as to let something like a single victory get to him…

… Was he?

“That father of mine, he is really going all out. Tis most unusual of him to offer the treasures of the Phoenix Clan as a reward like this,” Huǒ Yulie said.

“Is that so?” asked Wu Jian.

“Definitely,” said Huǒ Schuchang with a nod. “Our father is greedy. He wants all the power and hates giving it away. The only reason he’s offering these as prizes is because he doesn’t expect our clan members to lose.” Huǒ Schuchang snorted. “He’s just doing this as a means of showing off our clans wealth and power.”

The Phoenix Clan were the undisputed rulers of the Xia Dynasty. They were the leaders of the Phoenix Sect, which was the only sect operation within the nation. The only other sect who had any holdings here was the Zhou Clan, but even their power was limited. Nobody could do anything within this nation unless the Phoenix Clan approved it.

“How big is your clan anyway?” asked Wu Jian.

“If you’re asking about our members… then I have to tell you I have no idea,” Huǒ Schuchang grinned at Wu Jian. “What? Did you really think I would know? Our main family consists of over one hundred people, but the branch family has thousands, maybe even tens of thousands.”

The branch family of the Phoenix Clan consisted of anyone with even a remote blood relation to the clan. These clansmen often stemmed from the main family but didn’t hold the same level of power or prestige. Some of them were descendants from younger siblings or relatives of the main family, but quite a few were illegitimate kids born out of wedlock. Wu Jian had heard some rumors during his time at the bar. Huǒ Huangdi and the other clansmen, especially the elders, were quite… lustful. It had something to do with their high level of cultivation and their cultivation method, but whatever the case, they’d knocked up many a woman, and the children of those women went on to become branch members of the Phoenix Clan.

Well, they are related to Huǒ Schuchang. I shouldn’t be surprised they’re so lustful.

Huǒ Huangdi snapped his fingers, oddly loud enough to reverberate across the entire arena. Several clansman emerged from a doorway onto the arena floor. They did not have the reddish orange hair of the main family, which meant they were branch members. Most of them had blonde or sandy brown hair. There were about six of them, and they stood several dozen chih apart from each other as they went through a series of hand seals.

Before Wu Jian could wonder what they were doing, flames erupted from their hands, but they looked like lines of thread. Bright orange thread that connected the six of them together and formed a rectangle shape in the air. Within this rectangle appeared several names, connected to each other by brackets. Wu Jian found his name in the middle. He blinked when he saw who he would be fighting.

I’m fighting that guy again?

He glanced at Xaio Shui, who had already turned to him and was smirking. What the hell? Wu Jian looked away and furrowed his brow. Mei Xilan was biting her lip beside him as she looked at the person she would be fighting. Shā Ying Yue. The two eyed each other but said nothing.

Huǒ Yulie would be fighting against Tang Tiantian.

“It would seem that fate has pit us against one another,” Huǒ Yulie said as she thrust out her chest, what little existed. “Let us have a good match, yes?”

“Of course,” Tang Tiantian said with a smile. “We shall give this match our all.”

Elder Huǒ Yan soon directed everyone except the first two who would be competing into the competitors booth. The two who remained behind were Da Feiyu and someone from Team Sui. Wu Jian had already forgotten his name since he wasn’t very important. He was like a side character who only appeared once in the stories he used to read with Wu Meiying.

Not long after the fight began did it end. Da Feiyu was clearly superior in every way. After the fight ended, Wu Jian realized he still didn’t know much about Da Feiyu’s true abilities. He had been using primarily martial arts to defeat his opponents, and what few techniques he used seemed designed to mislead and confuse. They were so subtle that it was impossible to accurately gauge what kind of techniques they were. He would have assumed they were illusions, but everyone could see them.

That man is such a mysterious individual…

***

The matches continued apace. There were five teams of five and one team of two. Wu Jian was in the middle of the matchings, so he had to watch six matches before it was his turn to go up. The people who won and would go on to the next round after Da Feiyu were Huǒ Pànguó, Huǒ Yumao, Liao Chin, Huǒ Nan, and Huǒ Schuchang. After that, it was finally time for Wu Jian’s fight with Xaio Shui.

The arrogant young man from Sui Country scoffed derisively at Wu Jian before stepping off the platform and descending to the arena floor as though he was walking down a flight of stairs. Each step was accompanied by a burst of sunlight that appeared under his foot like a platform. Wu Jian shook his head at the display. Even now, that idiot was trying to show off, though he supposed most every cultivator did that. Displaying your power was par for the course.

Before Wu Jian could enter the arena himself, someone grabbed his sleeve. He looked back at Mei Xilan.

“Something up?” he asked.

She pursed her lips, then retracted her hand. “… No. Good luck.”

Wu Jian had already told her that he couldn’t help unless there was something in it for him. He would have said that even without Wu Meiying suggesting it. While he did not think himself selfish, he also wasn’t so kind that he would help someone he didn’t love if he wouldn’t benefit from it. This world was ruthless and kindness was something only the truly strong could afford to display.

“Thank you,” he nodded, then turned back to the arena floor.

Unlike Xaio Shui, Wu Jian’s entrance was not flashy. He merely floated down, though he was unhurried. Xaio Shui scoffed at him as he touched down on the arena floor.

“Are you both ready?” asked Elder Huǒ Yan?

“Let’s get this over with,” said Xaio Shui.

“I’m ready,” said Wu Jian.

“Very well. Then bow to your ancestors, bow to me, bow to each other.”

Wu Jian and Xaio Shui did as told, then settled in a combat stance as Elder Huǒ Yan raised his hand into the air.

“Get ready… and… fight!”

The man swiftly chopped his hand down to signify the fight’s beginning. The moment he did that, Xaio Shui’s hands began glowing. An orb appeared between his hands, which he launched at Wu Jian.

[Solar Burst]

Wu Jian swung his hand.

[Spatial Severing]

The fabric of space was cut just before the golden sphere of sun chi could reach Wu Jian, resulting in the attack splitting in two and traveling in opposite directions, dispersing as it ran out of chi.

Xaio Shui snarled. “Tch! Don’t think I’m done yet! Try this on for size!!”

[Solar Burst: Multi Flare]

Instead of one sphere, multiple spheres appeared around Xaio Shui before they were launched at Wu Jian. As these spheres were made from the sun’s light, they traveled much faster than normal, and each one was about the size of a fist.

[Nihility]

Not a single one of them hit Wu Jian. He became intangible, turning into a void in space, and the many techniques passed right through him. It looked like they were passing through his body as though he were a ghost. Seeing this brought an ugly expression to Xaio Shui’s face.

“How are you so strong?! You’re just a Human Limit Realm cultivator, dammit!”

Wu Jian shrugged. “Why should I tell you anything?”

“If you don’t want to tell me, then fine. I’ll just beat the information out of you! I’ll show you the immense difference between us!”

[Sundial Mirage]

Wu Jian blinked as light orbs appeared around Xaio Shui, then took the appearance of the man himself. Now there were almost a dozen of the same person standing in front of him.

This is… new. He didn’t use this technique last time. It can’t be a new one. He wouldn’t have had enough time to learn something like this, so it must be a trump card he didn’t get to use last time.

“I’m going to show you that you’re just a frog in a well!” Xaio Shui shouted, and all the others shouted with him.

“Bring it on,” Wu Jian muttered too softly for his opponent to hear.

The almost one dozen Xaio Shui’s rushed forward at the same time. They had shadows, so it was impossible for him to tell whether they were illusions or not. They were also fast. All of them closed the distance within seconds and prepared to attack at the same time. Wu Jian didn’t know if they could hurt him, whether they were pure illusions or something with substance. It didn’t matter anyway.

[Swords of Space Rondo]

Each and every figure was cut into tiny pieces seconds before they could make contact with him as almost a thousand spatial swords flew from Wu Jian’s body. The blades of black energy twinkled as though a galaxy of stars was contained inside. Wu Jian soon discovered the real Xaio Shui because he was the only one who blocked his attack.

[Solar Shield]

A protective barrier of solidified sunlight appeared in front of Xaio Shui. His spatial swords slammed into it, but while cracks appeared, they did not break through.

Wu Jian summoned Pale Moon from his storage ring, leapt into the air, and swung it down with all the strength his arms could muster. He only saw Xaio Shui’s eyes widen for a moment before his weapon made contact with the shield.

[Spatial Severing]

Distortions in space appeared all around the blade, which now had a black edge, and the solar shield was sliced clean through. Xaio Shui grunted as he compressed sun chi into his hand and tried to fend off Wu Jian’s attack. He was partially successful. A loud clang reverbated around them as fist struck sword. However, Xaio Shui was still overpowered and crashed into the arena floor, denting it. Wu Jian descended toward Xaio Shui, prepared to swing Pale Moon once more.

[Heavenly Sun Beam]

Wu Jian’s eyes widened as light burned his retina. Sunlight from all across the arena poured into Xaio Shui’s hands, gathering in such massive quantities that he was forced to shut his eyes. When the light died down, all Wu Jian saw was a massive beam of sunlight heading straight for his face!