Chapter 26
In the mountain range, where cracks and ruins on the trees and ground were evidence of a gruesome battle, a group of cultivators walked cautiously. This area was near the boundary of the town of Dis. Even though many had been warned that the area was a "red zone," many still ventured there to try their luck. But this group was different; they were trainees of clans from the nearest town.
The group was composed of 10 people: four young women, five young men, and a middle-aged man. Most of the young ones were in the Core Forming Realm, while the middle-aged man was a late-stage Golden Core Realm cultivator.
"Okay, I think this is the place where the town leaders found the Level 6 beast. We need to carefully search this area for clues as to what happened here. As part of your field training, you are to try and find some clues about the glorious battle that happened many weeks ago and what kind of powerful expert faced that Level 6 Rock Ant Queen. Don't worry, we have already swept this area clean. Your findings will be cross-referenced with the elders' investigation, and your achievement will be based on that result," the middle-aged man, who seemed to be the group's elder protector, explained.
"Elder Kun, what if we find some new items or something?" a very handsome young man with a sharp nose and a heroic aura asked. "Can we keep it?"
"If it's not very significant, like a beast core or a beast carcass, yes, you can have it. But if it's an artifact used to fight the beast here, the town will take it. Of course, the town of Dis will compensate you for it," Elder Kun explained.
The youngsters nodded their heads and began to spread out, excitement in their eyes as they wanted to try their luck and maybe find some artifacts or beast cores. As they looked at the place where the devastation happened, their hearts were in awe. Although the ice had already thawed, the destruction caused by the aftermath was still present. As the group progressed through the forest, an unknown shadow silently crept closer behind them.
In one particular group, made up of two young men and a small young woman who was weirdly carrying a very large double-edged sword on her back, they cautiously entered an area where large holes could be seen on the ground. The area seemed to have been a battleground where a really large creature had run amok.
Then, all of a sudden, a shrill cry of a person in great pain broke the silence, followed by the sound of clashing weapons.
"We... We're being attacked by a Level 4 beast... It's a Black Spirit Mantis!" someone shouted frantically.
"Attack! Everyone attack!" another group shouted as they charged into the area where the Black Spirit Mantis was seen.
Upon hearing this, the group the small young woman belonged to became cautious. They didn't blindly rush in but instead readied themselves by taking out their weapons and some talismans.
"Senior sister, what should we do?" one of the young men asked the small young woman with the big sword.
"Okay, are you both ready? Let's help them... Go!" she said as she started to run, dragging her big sword on the ground.
While running, her sword accidentally hit something on the ground with a suspicious 'ping,' which distracted her. It sounded like her long double-edged sword had hit something metallic and hard. With her curiosity piqued, she used her sword to slowly dig up the object. When she saw it clearly, she was baffled by its design.
"What is this thing?" she subconsciously asked as she squatted down and carefully lifted it.
The object in her hand looked like a long staff, but with a curious design. The tube, which didn't look like something a person should grasp when wielding a weapon, was hollowed out. The design itself reeked of mystery, and she was a little confused about how it could be used. She didn't know that a long time had passed while her attention was drawn to the object. As she scrutinized the object, a large pair of eyes approached and eyed her from above. The beast's gooey saliva slowly dripped from its mouth and fell directly onto the young woman's shoulder.
At that moment, the small woman's eyes suddenly lit up as if she had discovered something crucial in her investigation of the artifact. But before she could do anything, she felt a sticky hot liquid drip onto her shoulder. She unconsciously touched it, and her brows furrowed in confusion as she discovered that the liquid had a foul odor. All of a sudden, her eyes went wide in horror. When she suddenly scanned her surroundings, she found a giant Black Spirit Mantis standing behind her with its mouth wide open, ready to bite her.
Without a doubt, the beast suddenly chomped down on the defenseless little human. To its surprise, the human nimbly rolled forward, evading its large, sharp mandibles. She was now covered in cold sweat and felt the pressure. She realized that if she had been a little late in evading, she would already be dead. But then, all of a sudden, she felt a great amount of pain in her right leg. Looking down, she found a deep, long gash from her thigh to her knee. Blood was spewing non-stop from the wound like a fountain. She unconsciously grabbed a pill from her pocket and took it.
"Arrghhh... Help!" she yelled in pain.
She really wanted to leave this damnable place, but as she faced the giant, hungry-looking beast, she felt that her future was now uncertain. Her heart was in a panic as she tried to quickly find a way to escape her predicament. But no matter how hard she thought, the only answer that came to mind was to fight. She then realized that her weapon was a few feet away, where she had been standing, and that she was now hugging the artifact. So, with no other choice, she decided to try and use it. Putting her hope in the artifact as if it were her last bastion of hope, she held it and quickly pointed the hollow tube toward the ugly head of the beast, which was now glaring at her. Then she grabbed the handle and felt a metal protrusion. When the beast dashed toward her, she reluctantly squeezed the metal protrusion, and it clicked.
It was a clear day, and the sun majestically spread its golden rays over the land. In a particular place, a couple of large stone platforms were lined up, representing the martial arts fighting stage. Here, all the student representatives would show their ability and prowess to gain honor for their school.
As the people began to increase and the seats surrounding the arena began to fill with spectators, Shin Jiao and Qin Lou found themselves unable to enter. In front of them stood a bulky young man wearing a green robe with a red design, followed by a group of students from different schools.
"Senior Sister Lou, I, Chen Je, would like to exchange pointers with you in the arena today, as I am really curious about the so-called genius of Er City. I hope that you will give me your guidance," the bulky youth named Chen Je challenged.
Qin Lou didn't reply but just stood there, unmoving and uncaring like a lofty mountain.
Since they couldn't see her expression, most people in the area began to get angry.
"I can't believe that our Snow Wind School would have a coward like this. Tsk, tsk," someone from the crowd said in an audible voice.
"Yeah, Snow Wind School is ranked second in the whole of Er City. How is it that there is a coward in that school who doesn't even want to fight? The one who challenged her is even a lower-ranked cultivator at the peak stage of the Core Forming Realm. Truly a coward..." another one jeered.
As the crowd grew, the bulky youth felt excited. Last night, someone had offered him 500 low-grade spirit stones just to challenge and even trample Qin Lou. At first, he was hesitant, as Qin Lou's cultivation level was in the Golden Core Realm. But the other party told him that her cultivation had declined and that she only had the power of a middle-stage Core Forming Realm cultivator. With that information, Chen Je gained the courage and confidence to take on the task. Plus, the allure of the spirit stones made him even more excited.
"Senior Sister, don't fall for their schemes! I won't let them do as they please," a fat but strong-looking youth from the Snow Wind School said with an angry look on his face.
"You shameless people from Soul Mountain School blabber a lot. I will accept that challenge on behalf of our senior sister," he added as he walked to the front.
"Ha, ha. Fatty Yao Koi, do you think a weakling like you can beat me?" Chen Je sneered.
As the group was about to bicker more, a shout suddenly attracted everyone's attention, coming from the market area.
"Free spirit stones! Come! Free spirit stones! Everyone!"
This voice suddenly attracted all the people, including Qin Lou, as all heads turned toward the market area. Then, all of a sudden, Qin Lou felt that someone had grabbed her arm and waist, and her vision became blurry. When she regained her bearings, she was already standing in front of the arena entrance. Beside her was Shin Jiao, who slowly let go of her waist and hand and then returned to stand behind her in a fluid and natural motion.
"Let's go inside, Master," Shin Jiao said with a smile.
Qin Lou nodded silently. Although she was a little amazed at what had happened, she just went with the flow and entered the venue, followed by Shin Jiao, who had an amiable smile on his face.
Meanwhile, the people blocking the path suddenly found themselves unable to react as they were dumbfounded and felt cheated. This showed that most of them were in dire need of spiritual stones and were angered by the one who had tricked them. But they couldn't do anything about it, as the target of their bullying was now gone.
While this was happening, a young man wearing a mix of red and white robes sat atop a teahouse with other people and had watched everything that happened. A smile appeared on his face, and his eyes had a look of interest. His gaze was unable to follow where Shin Jiao and Qin Lou had gone.
"Very interesting indeed," he muttered.
"Yes, young master. Even I was unable to figure out and follow how they suddenly disappeared from where they stood. It doesn't seem to be teleportation, though," a man wearing a mask who stood behind the youth said.
"Hmm... I think this year's school tournament won't be too boring after all. I'm glad that I went today, or else I would have missed this interesting person," another very handsome young man wearing a golden robe said.
"He is just a mortal, though. I'm sure everyone saw that his body doesn't emit any spiritual Qi," a woman with a face veil said, her eyes squinted with suspicion.
"Then, are you saying that it is Senior Qin Lou? Is she trying to hide her abilities now?... Don't tell me that she has already recovered from her injuries years ago and has fixed her gold core? That is impossible! Golden Core damage is harder to fix than the core of a Core Forming Realm cultivator," a slightly thin woman said with a little agitation.
"Anyway, let's just watch the show. Heh, heh," the young man with the golden robe said with a grin.
As the young masters and heads of every school, they were known to be the number one geniuses of their schools. And as they were already seeded participants in the Golden Core Realm, all they had to do was wait for the final battle where they would participate.
Meanwhile, Shin Jiao and Qin Lou were now seated in a corner, a little far from the stage like most people. But since all the people here were cultivators, it was not a problem for them, as their eyesight had already been enhanced. Even though they were seated far away, if they willed it, they could see the fights clearly.
Shin Jiao watched with enthusiasm as he truly wanted to see the martial arts prowess in this area. Since these people came from a large city, they must have more martial prowess than those from the small town of Dis.
The first part of the tournament was the elimination round. Where each school had five contestants to represent them, and since it was a martial arts tournament, no one was allowed to wear body armor, shields, or talismans, or use spells and formations. Only strength and body enhancement were allowed, as it would enhance the excitement of the battle. When they announced that the prize was a fist-sized black stone, Shin Jiao was dumbfounded. He clearly knew how precious that black stone was. And with that size, he would be able to craft another BARRETT, which he lost last time in the mountains as they were escaping for their lives.
"Hey, we can join the martial arts tournament, right?" Shin Jiao asked.
Qin Lou shook her head as she knew it was impossible for her to do that. And even more so for Shin Jiao, who was not part of any school. She could not imagine what would happen if the protectors discovered this.
"If you wanted to enter the martial arts tournament, it's impossible, as the schools are strict and would only accept representatives from each school... But if you really wanted to... we can try alchemy," Qin Lou said with a bit of reluctance in her voice.
"Will we be able to get a black stone in the alchemy contest?" Shin Jiao immediately asked.
"I guess you really want that black stone... Well, yes, of course... But alchemy is not like martial arts. It's far more difficult because it is an open contest. Still, you can't enter alone; you have to be my assistant if you want to join," she said.
"Alchemy, huh... Okay, let's try it then," Shin Jiao said excitedly, as his target was to get a black stone.
"If we win, I promise to give you the black stone. But I must have the golden pill," she said with a clenched fist.
"Hmm... I'm guessing that your gold core has a problem, judging from the way those people tried to vilify you. Okay, if you truly need it, then it's a deal," Shin Jiao said with a smile as he offered her his hand.
Qin Lou looked at his hand and felt a little hesitant but still stretched forth her small, jade-like hand. They shook hands and sealed the deal, but Qin Lou's face was flushed red behind the veil. This was her first time offering her hand to someone, especially a man.
Then, Shin Jiao's attention was disrupted by the loud cheering of the people as the tournament was about to begin. There were six large stages in the middle of the oval-shaped arena, and in the middle of those stages stood all the participants along with their teams. From this, Shin Jiao could now see the total number of schools that had joined. There were around 12 schools and academies, each represented by their own uniforms.
Then, a middle-aged man suddenly stood up from the judges' platform at the highest part of the arena opposite Shin Jiao and raised his hands. This made everyone quiet down.
"My dear students and guests, we are now going to start our inter-school tournament. We hope to see each of our students' awesome control and martial prowess. Everyone, make your teachers proud. Let the tournament begin!"