Bai Mu finished his assassination, and although he didn't answer Lan Yun's final question about who the real him was, the two still got to see something very interesting so they were more than happy with their gains. The sun would rise in just a few minutes, and it wouldn't matter much to Lan Yun or Yin Long even if they went a day without sleep. But even so, Lan Yun was very intent on exactly where they were going to go next.

"Come on, we gotta return to the inn! We only have a few short days before the tournament starts again, and the others are bound to want to start training either today or tomorrow."

All the participants from the Bloodgrass Territory had been shuffled into new teams after they finished their own small competition, and while they might have seen how they all fought thanks to the various duels, actually translating that knowledge into a proper team strategy was a different matter. And team strategy would be very important in this Three-Fold Territory Clash, as only those with truly overpowering strength could change the tide in a battle between two teams of 10 people.

Yin Long didn't resist Lan Yun as she grabbed onto his sleeve and dragged him along, practically skipping as she headed for their own inn. Yin Long smiled softly as he was getting dragged along, it was quite rare to see Lan Yun act this cheerful and energetic so he allowed himself to soak in the rare sight.

Their own inn wasn't located too far away from the one that they had just infiltrated, they only needed a half hour to reach it, the sun just barely peeking over the horizon when they entered it. People were already starting to leave the mountains that dotted the verdant plain that served as the first floor of their inn, some maintaining a dignified expression while others weren't shy about showing their excitement. They also saw some of their team members, but Lan Yun stopped them all before they could start chatting.

"I'm sorry, we'll catch up with you tomorrow, we just want to enjoy some peace for today."

Their team members were caught off guard for a second by Lan Yun's rapid rejection, but the light of understanding flashed through their eyes after just a short second. They swept both of them with slightly crooked smiles before walking away, waving their hands while chuckling.

"Oh don't you worry about us, just take your time. Not like these few days will be enough to form a proper strategy anyway, especially since we don't know exactly what sort of people we'll be up against."

With no other interruptions, Yin Long and Lan Yun managed to quickly return to their room. Lan Yun even ignored the currently waking up Jin Wang as she locked the door and threw herself onto the large bed. They had already removed their large hats and demonic masks so there was nothing covering up her charming smile as she seductively pulled up the hem of her robe to reveal her legs.

"You found a reason to avoid it last time, but how about now, Young Master? Do you want to enjoy your meal straight away, or tease it a bit more first?"

Yin Long immediately spat out a long breath and rolled his eyes heavily. She had gone straight from her cheerful antics to her normal antics, practically giving Yin Long whiplash. He shook his head a few times before turning his gaze sideways, looking somewhat apologetically at Jin Wang, who was already guessing that he was about to be bothered again.

"Sorry, but can you keep guard outside of the room?"

Jin Wang had already expected this outcome, but he still let out a heavy puff of air to make sure that he properly showed his indignation. First he had been left behind here because he was too eye-catching and now he had to leave the room just so that his master could mate, how could he not be indignant?

But he still got up and shook his body, sauntering over to the door that Yin Long unlocked and opened for him. Yin Long closed but didn't lock the door this time, if anyone actually managed to get past Jin Wang then it wouldn't matter whether the door was locked or not. He spat out another breath after he closed the door, turning his attention towards the large bed as he stepped forward and tugged at the collar of his robe.

"No, I don't think I have the patience to play around now that we have time."

7 years, Yin Long had worked with Lan Yun for 7 years already, and she had spent a good portion of 5 of those years trying to seduce him. But he had rejected her at every turn, even when she literally presented her naked body to him like a feast on a silver platter. But now that the had accepted his emotions for her, and more importantly accepted the purity of the emotions she felt towards him, there was no longer a need to reject.

He sealed up certain parts of his junior, he didn't feel that either of them were ready to throw a child into the mix yet, but after that, he threw himself at Lan Yun just like she had always wanted. Neither of them had any actual experience, but one had been trained in a brothel and the other had frequently ventured to said brothel for his own duties, so other than a bit of initial awkwardness they managed to proceed smoothly.

And since they had decided to indulge then they would definitely indulge to their heart's content. They kept a bit of their attention on the passage of time, but other than that they focused everything else on each other.

They explored each other's bodies and dug up each and every weak point, every spot that would elicit a reaction, they made sure to discover exactly how much force they had to apply to each and every nerve they found. And before either of them realized it, the free day that Lan Yun had made for them passed, like sand slipping between their fingers.

Yin Long and Lan Yun wanted to continue exploring each other, it was quite rare for them to enjoy such a pleasing time after all. But neither of them had forgotten about the looming competition, that was especially so for Yin Long. He would certainly regret it if he didn't get to properly participate and have a few good fights, there were so many people here stronger than him that it would be impossible for him to not increase his sword skills while duelling.

The two got up from the damp bed and took a quick shower, helping each other get dressed before they left the room and met up with what Yin Long could only describe as a grumpy lion. Jin Wang was already so large and imposing that the sight of him being grumpy was probably enough to scare more than a few people, but to Yin Long it just looked comical, like a small kitty pouting.

He ruffled Jin Wang's golden mane to appease him, bringing him along as they left the inn to meet up with their other teammates. One day had passed so they only had four more days before the competition officially started, it was about time they got together to figure out what sort of strategy and formation they should go with.

And they did just that, the group of 10 finding a secluded spot just outside the city where they could each display their power to its fullest extent, just in case they had kept some things hidden earlier. Once they knew what the others were capable of, they got to work on figuring out the optimal formation and training in said formation. It was a bit hard without a proper opponent, but time still quickly passed, the day of the competition arriving before anyone of them wanted it to.

Yin Long rose from the bed, the sounds of the bustling city outside even seeping into the inn and their room. The Three-Fold Territory Clash was the second biggest competition for each province, there was no way that the city wouldn't be booming with excitement as a veritable sea of people rushed to spectate it.

Lan Yun was still a bit groggy as she lay next to him, Yin Long grabbing onto her arm and pulling her up from the bed. He pushed her into the shower and turned on the formation that created the flowing water, hopping into it alongside her so that the two could wash up. Once they were clean, they slid into a pair of clean white robes and left the inn, heading for the venue where the competition would take place.

The streets outside the inn were filled with people, but not all of them were heading for the venue of the competition, a massive dome situated a few tens of kilometres away from the centre of the city. With how many people were coming to spectate, there was no way that everyone would fit inside the dome.

As such, the Province Emperor had already prepared several other venues where you could gather and spectate the fights, several arrays and special crystals already prepared to transmit the scenes of the battles. Several such crystals and arrays had also been set up throughout the rest of the province and even in some of the other provinces, ensuring that everyone who wanted to see the future rulers of the province could do so.

Jin Wang let out a low growl when he saw the sheer mass of people all around them, gesturing towards his back with his head. Yin Long simply nodded his head and climbed onto Jin Wang's back, Lan Yun nimbly following him and wrapping her hands around his waist.

With Jin Wang serving as his mount, very few people dared to get close to Yin Long and Lan Yun, allowing them to quickly reach the massive dome. Their identities had already been cleared ahead of time so they could easily pass through the array that covered the entrance reserved for the competitors, heading through a long hallway before they reached the centre of the dome.

The inside of the dome was almost just a single massive room, a 15-kilometre wide square stone stage serving as the centrepiece of the room. A seating area that slowly elevated spread out around the large stage, probably several hundred thousand seats scattered throughout the room. And above even these seats were several small chambers that seemed to be attached to the wall itself, the VIP seats where only the strongest or highest-ranked people could sit.

A large crystal hung from the ceiling above the stage, a dim light swimming around within it. It was this crystal that captured the scenes on the stage and transmitted it to the other crystals and arrays that had been prepared, it was also thanks to this that there could be so many seats in this dome.

An armoured man was waiting at the end of the hallway that they just left, quickly confirming their origins and guiding them to the seating area that housed the contestants from the Bloodgrass Territory. The seating area was situated at the lowest level, allowing the members of each team to quickly head to and from the stage when they were called up or when they finished their battles.

Yin Long's other team members were already present, some nervous while others maintained a calm yet tense expression. They exchanged greetings and then quietly awaited the start of the competition, which came two hours after Yin Long's arrival.

A charming woman clad in a glittering silver robe appeared on the stage in a flash of brilliant light, her golden hair practically dancing despite the lack of any wind. She wore a tight-fitting crimson armour that accentuated her curves, a radiant smile covering her face as she swept the surrounding seats with her blue eyes.

"Good morning, my esteemed spectators and contestants. This little one is Jie Yue and I've been sent by Emperor Starblood to serve as the overseer and final judge of this Three-Fold Territory Clash. I greatly look forward to seeing what sort of heroes will rise from our younger generation, but do allow me to reiterate the rules for everyone just in case."

Jie Yue maintained her radiant smile as she spoke, her every move drawing the attention of the crowd. Of course, most of the men in the seating area were fully focused on her for the wrong reasons, but that was only to be expected when such a seductive woman was placed in front of them.

"Each team will consist of 10 people, if you lose a team member due to any circumstances then you will sadly have to live with your disadvantage, such is life. The fights will take place on this very stage, in front of the eyes of not just this province, but also some of the surrounding ones, so do try to show your best. The fights will go on until either side has no more fighters or if one team agrees to surrender. If you are knocked out, killed, or beaten down from the stage, then you are considered defeated and can't take part in that fight any longer."

Jie Yue was clearly very used to being focused on by such an absurd number of people, there wasn't even a single twitch in her expression as she spoke, it was as if she spoke to empty air.

"Losing one match doesn't mean that you are out of the competition, but if you lose three matches then your team will lose its right to take part in the competition. You will generally only face teams who have the same number of wins, or losses as you, but exceptions do happen from time to time so it's not an iron-clad rule. Outside interruptions are forbidden, so if you have a friend on the losing team, don't think about jumping in to help them in a fit of rage. Doing so will cost you and the participant you helped to lose your qualifications and you'll be forced to leave this city."

The rules had already been explained to Yin Long and the others, the reason they were reiterated was mostly for the spectators who might not have experienced this competition before.

"And finally, everything that is your own strength can be used, whether that be weapons you own or arrays that you've drawn up yourself. Conversely, things that aren't your own strength are forbidden, so you can't just toss out some arrays or talismans that mommy and daddy have made for you. Should you do so, you will be instantly disqualified and forced to leave."

Jie Yue wasn't talking about arrays you drew up on the spot but rather arrays you had drawn up ahead of time and engraved into various items, disposable arrays that could hold tremendous power. She didn't bother mentioning the underdog rule, it was used so rarely that it was better to just bring it up should it ever be needed. She maintained a bit of silence after she finished explaining the last rule, keeping everyone on their toes for half a minute before she raised her hand and shot out a violent burst of lightning, forming a crimson lotus in the air above the stage.

"But I'm sure you're all tired of listening to me drone on now, so by the power given to me by Emperor Starblood, I declare this Three-Fold Territory Clash officially open!"