"Anyway, what do you think about the tournament?" Jiang Ming asked no one in particular, but Hong Lin took it as if he was the one asked.

"What is there to think about? As long as we secure a spot in the top hundred, everything will be good," Hong Lin said as if it was an undeniable fact that they would all make it to the top list despite the number of cultivators in the Heaven-returning sect. On the other hand, Jiang Ming didn't share the same thoughts as him.

"What about the seniors? If the inner sect disciples participate, we won't have a chance," initially, Jiang Ming didn't think much about the competition. But, as the day neared, he naturally started to think about it.

"You don't have to worry about them," Hu Ninger joined the conversation. "The inner sect disciples will participate in a separate tournament to ours," she continued. Jiang Ming nodded. Of course, he had thought of such a possibility, but in a world where the weak are rarely favored, he had to think of the worst situation possible.

The group continued chatting with the exception of Feng Lin, who was more than content to remain silent as long as Jiang Ming was present. Soon, they arrived at their destination; a huge cylindrical building with an equally huge and open roof. The martial arena can easily accommodate more than fifty thousand people without an issue. Jiang Ming and the group passed a manned gate where they had to show their identification talisman despite the arena being located inside the sect; after all, it was not only the disciples alone that were going to participate as the Star-light city's residents were invited.

Inside the martial arena, seats were arranged so that the person in front would always be lower than the one at the back hence problems of the person at the front blocking the one at the back was easily solved.

"Let’s go,” after their identification talismans were approved, Jiang Ming and the group walked towards the Heaven-returning sect’s section.

“If your cultivation is lower than the fourth layer, you can’t participate,” the first thing they had when they arrived at the group was the cold voice of a grey-haired elder. Grumble and protest followed the elder’s sudden announcement, but under his eagle-like stare, no one dared to protest openly.

“I hope all of you remaining have met the requirements,” after the unqualified left, the elder said while scanning the crowd. “Then, follow me to record your names.

Jiang Ming and the rest followed the elder to record their names. After that, they searched for a suitable place in the arena and took their seats.

~Jiang Ming’s P.O.V. ~

The registration process was smooth and uneventful, I don’t know why the elders chose to register our names at the moment rather than earlier, but that didn’t concern me. I was more concerned with his words; only twenty members from the outer sect will be qualified, and the rest will be from the other sects or from the inner and outer sect. Hu Ninger said that there are only ten foundation establishment experts in the outer sect; hence my chances lowered to ten as I doubt I can defeat a foundation establishment expert.

“The Hongmeng sect has arrived!”

My thoughts were interrupted by a loud and powerful shout that resounded all over the arena. I instinctively looked in the direction and what I saw shocked me. A huge black bird with crackling white lines running across its body appeared in my vision.

“It’s a thunder crow!” Someone loudly shouted, breaking the silence.

“Heavens! I heard that the Hongmeng sect has a spiritual beast that can rival a peak core formation expert, but I didn’t believe it.”

“Hey, it’s a blessing that we can see such a magnificent beast.”

As usual, the onlookers kept on blabbering to no end. Although I remained silent, as a beast lover, I was also excited. It is said that the thunder crow has pride rivaling that of mythical beasts like dragons; hence it is very rare to see one tamed by a human. It was probably hatched and raised by them, I theorized. From the books I’ve read, an adult thunder crow would rather commit suicide than allow pesky humans to ride it like a mount. Getting its egg and hatching it should be easier though it's still a feat worth applauding.

The prideful bird descended magnificently to the center of the arena, the white lightning-like lines rumored to be a blessing from the god of lightning shone brilliantly creating an illusion of a dark cloud in a stormy night. The humans it was carrying were even more prideful in their black armory. Just as an elder rushed to welcome people of the Hongmeng sect, another powerful voice resounded.

“Ice blue sect is here!”

The voice was feminine, attracting the males, me included, but the coldness in the voice repelled most of us. I looked at the skies to see a gigantic icy sword looming over the arena domineeringly. Smaller versions of the sword flew just beside it. Of course, I wasn’t surprised by the flying swords as I have seen them before. What surprised me were the fairy-like beauties standing on the swords. They both wore white and blue robes. Another thing that they shared was the emotionless look on their pretty faces.

As the swords descended, I watched a mature woman on the gigantic sword. Strange, why does she look familiar? For some reason, the mature beauty seemed familiar to me, but that was ridiculous as I’m sure to have never met her before. Looking closely at her beautiful mature face, I finally understood why it seemed like I knew her. She looks the same as that girl Mu Lei. I remembered encountering Mu Lei and Mu Bai in the forest while searching for Feng Lin. What connected them even more, was their cold and indifferent temperament. Is it a coincidence or…

“Nine Sword sects have arrived!”

“Star-light sect is here!”

After the people from the Ice blue sect and the Hongmeng sect, multiple sects also announced their presence as they descended to the martial arena in a smooth fashion. Apart from their unusual flying objects like divine giant leaves and spiritual clouds, they had nothing worth mentioning.

Just as everything was settling down and the arena filled to the brim, another powerful voice resounded.

“The sect master is here!”

I lazily looked towards the direction; I had expected to see Jiang Yan, but… I did see her only this time. She was different to what I was used to seeing. With golden robes and a thin white veil to cover her face, she was the perfect match of an immortal fairy in a painting depicting the fabled immortal realm. Her thin waist and ample bosom provoked a possessive desire deep within me. I didn’t know clothes could change someone to this degree. As she disappeared to the V.I.P area, I found myself wondering. I have seen her multiple times, but I have never felt such a fierce desire to make her mine and only mine.

*Gulp*

“Was that the sect master?”

“Heavens! If I can eat the dust that she steps on, I will die peacefully.”

“How dare you covet the dust the goddess steps on? There are easier ways to commit suicide!”

“…”

Is this the power of women?  I was left speechless by the murmuring of men around me.

“Now that everyone is here, let the tournament begin!”

A middle-aged man with a weird shaped hat announced loudly. Surprisingly, despite his short stature, his voice was heard by all as the crowd broke into an ear-shattering cheer.

“My name is Zhao Wei, and I’ll be your host. The rules are simple, anything goes apart from killing and fatal injuries,” after the crowd calmed down, the man, Zhao Wei, started.

“Winning is simple; you either have to make your opponent surrender willingly or make them unable to fight. Throwing them off the platform will also count as a win,” after that, Zhao Wei continued to announce rules and other useless things like punishment for breaking said rules. I ignored his blabbering as the things he was saying were common knowledge. My eyes remained fixed on the raised platform at the center of the martial arena. From where I am, it looks tiny, but I know better than to judge things by their initial look. The previous tournaments I attended led me to believe that a barrier had been cast around the platform to prevent stray spells from hitting the crowd.

“Now, for our opening match,” Zhao Wei summoned a paper on his hands. “It will be a match of Heaven-returning vs Heaven-returning,” I knew the probability for it being me was low, so I still remained calm and composed.

“Kong Lin vs Hong Lin!”

“…”

I turned to Hong Lin and chuckled. He, too, was surprised as he was seated in a carefree posture.

“What the fuck!” He hatefully cursed.

“Enemies have a narrow path,” I murmured to myself as I remembered the hatred between the two.

“Hmph! I might as well take my revenge now,” Hong Lin declared and made his way towards the arena. Knowing his temper and impulsiveness, I feared he might break the rules while fighting Kong Lin, a guy he had declared to be his eternal enemy.

***

As Hong Lin descended to the platform, inside the V.I.P box, where the sect masters and other important people sat, a conversation was ongoing.

“Sect master, why did you decide to show up in this tournament?” A female elder next to Jiang Yan asked. Normally, she wouldn’t dare ask such a question as it could be translated as questioning the sect master, but she can’t be blamed. After all, despite her status as a peak master in the Heaven–returning sect, she doesn’t know her name or anything else about her. In fact, none of the elders in the Heaven-returning knows anything about her except that she’s the sect master.

“Peak Master Yun Hua, how dare you question the sect master?” The fiery venerable Yang angrily inquired. Although the old venerable tone is harsh, he was also curious to know why the sect master, who was always indifferent to matters of the sect, showed up.

“I was a little bored,” just as peak master Yun Hua was about to say something, Jiang Yan raised her pale white and slender hand. Her voice was cold and repelling. If Jiang Ming were present, he would’ve been shocked by how much she changes while away from him.

The elders were smart. They knew the sect master didn’t want any more questions, so they remained silent and focused on the match.

At the side where the people of Hongmeng were located, their sect master Hong Tian was under endless shock. Initially, he attended the event to force some benefits out of the Heaven-returning sect after they ‘bullied’ his people, but after coming, the first thing to shock him was Jiang Yan’s beauty. Is this the rumored beauty of the Heavens enough to cause gods to lead their pantheons to war? When he saw Jiang Yan, he made up his mind that she must be his whether willingly or forcefully, but the moment he tried to spy on her cultivation, he was shocked again. She’s unreadable! What realm is this? Above the Void? With that, he discarded his initial thoughts and swore to be a good boy.

At the Ice blue sect corner, they, too, were having their version of shock.