I remained quiet.
The more I thought about Princess Xue’s behavior, the more I realized that things weren’t as simple as they looked.
“Looks like things aren’t the way they look,” I muttered quietly.
“What did you say, Young Master?” Mei said softly.
“Do you have a fighting arena?”
Since she communicates through battle, I need to increase her affection.
If it’s just at 5%, then gradually I’ll know what to do next.
“Yes, Young Master.
There’s one just ahead down the street.
It’s the most popular one in the city,” Mei said after asking around.
“Young Master Zaitian.
Do you want to flex your muscle?” Princess Xue said as we walked toward the place.
I glanced at her.
“I’m not planning to fight.”
“Then why are we going there?”
“To see what the city has to offer.”
She gave me a suspicious look.
I ignored her.
Soon, we arrived at a large restaurant overlooking a massive arena.
The noise coming from the arena was loud enough to reach the streets.
Cheers.
Shouts.
Occasional curses from people who had clearly lost their bets.
We took a table on the second floor of the restaurant, which had a clear view of the arena.
I sat down near the window while Princess Xue sat opposite me.
From a distance, we saw two cultivators fighting vigorously.
One was a sword cultivator.
From what Mei said, she was in the Mahayana realm—the same as the other cultivator, who was more technique-based and used the Wood Law.
Their battle was intense.
The sword cultivator moved quickly, her sword flashing through the air as she continuously attacked.
Her opponent kept retreating while manipulating vines and wooden spikes from the arena floor.
Boom!
The wooden spikes shattered against the sword.
The crowd erupted.
“Kill her!”
“Chang Lu!”
“Don’t let that sword cultivator get close!”
I watched quietly.
The sword cultivator was clearly stronger in close combat, but the Wood Law cultivator was using the arena to her advantage.
The more the battle progressed, the more agitated the crowd became.
Princess Xue rested her chin on her hand while watching.
“Who do you think will win?” she asked.
“The sword cultivator.”
She smiled.
“Wrong.”
I glanced at her.
“What?”
“You’re relying too much on what your eyes can see.”
I looked back toward the arena.
The Wood Law cultivator suddenly changed her movements.
The vines beneath the arena exploded upward.
The sword cultivator’s expression changed.
She tried to retreat, but it was already too late.
The vines wrapped around her legs.
A wooden spear formed in front of her.
Boom!
The attack sent her flying out of the arena.
Much to the crowd’s surprise, the cultivator who used techniques won.
The restaurant erupted in cheers.
Princess Xue looked at me with a smug smile.
“See?”
I remained quiet.
“Young Master Zaitian.
You see, sword cultivators are not superior.
Why don’t you use a spear?
That’ll give you confidence,” Princess Xue said with a teasing smile.
“I use a sword.”
“You can always change.”
“I don’t want to.”
“Then you’re stubborn.”
“I’ll accept that.”
She chuckled.
The coordinator suddenly stepped onto the arena.
“Wow, that was an amazing battle.
As the winner of this round, Chang Lu is awarded 100,000 high-grade spirit stones!”
I almost stood up from my seat in surprise, but controlled myself.
One hundred thousand high-grade spirit stones.
For one battle?
My expression must have changed, because Princess Xue immediately noticed.
Mei gave a helpless shrug.
“Are you broke, Young Master?” Princess Xue asked with curiosity.
“I’m not broke.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“I thought you were really rich, so I could leech off you,” she continued.
I looked at her.
“Why would you want to leech off me?”
“Because you’re my fiancé.”
She said it so naturally that I almost choked.
I turned my attention back to the arena.
“Don’t get too comfortable.”
She smiled.
The coordinator raised his voice again.
“For the next round of the battle, we have two participants from the Immortal realm!”
The entire arena suddenly became louder.
The atmosphere changed almost instantly.
Even the cultivators watching from the restaurant became more serious.
Another round of gambling began, which widened the coordinator’s smile.
“We have our City Champion, Mo, against a cultivator from the Celestial Ant race, Gu!”
Two cultivators entered the ring.
One was a brute-looking man with a muscular body.
The other, from the Ant race, looked average.
At first glance, there wasn’t anything particularly frightening about him.
But his presence was completely different.
Even from this distance, I could feel the pressure coming from both of them.
“So they’re both Immortal realm cultivators,” I muttered.
“Yes,” Mei replied.
The two fighters stared at each other.
The crowd gradually became quiet.
Then—
Boom!
The battle began.
The brute-looking man charged forward.
The Celestial Ant cultivator met him head-on.
Their fists collided.
The shockwave spread through the arena.
The surrounding formations lit up, preventing the force from destroying the spectators.
The two continued exchanging blows.
Neither gave the other any chance to retreat.
I watched carefully.
Something about the City Champion bothered me.
Not his strength.
His movements.
They looked familiar.
I narrowed my eyes.
“Mei.”
“Yes, Young Master?”
“Do you think that man looks familiar?”
I pointed toward the arena.
Princess Xue and the others paid closer attention.
Lian tilted her head.
Mei stared at the man for a few seconds.
Her calm expression slowly changed.
Don’t tell me this is that crazy old man.
Yeah.
I think he’s the one.
“Wait, Young Master.”
Mei’s eyes widened slightly.
“Is that not Elder Mo Xuan?”
I stared at the man.
The City Champion.
Mo.
The same Elder Mo Xuan who had been assigned to train me.
The same man my father described as someone who would break me down from the inside out.
The same man who had been making my life miserable through training.
I stared at him silently.
“…Why is he here?”
Princess Xue looked between us.
“You know him?”
“Unfortunately.”
Mei suddenly covered her mouth.
I glanced at her.
“This is the first time I’m seeing you lose composure, Mei.”
She quickly regained her usual expression.
“My apologies, Young Master.”
I returned my gaze to the arena.
Elder Mo Xuan suddenly grabbed the Celestial Ant cultivator by the arm.
Boom!
The man was slammed into the ground.
The entire arena shook.
The crowd exploded with excitement.
“Mo!”
“City Champion!”
“Again!”
I remained silent.
That old man was enjoying himself.
I could tell.
Even from here.
Princess Xue leaned closer to the window.
“So that’s Elder Mo Xuan?”
“Yes.”
“He seems strong.”
“He is.”
“How strong?”
I looked at her.
“Strong enough to make me reconsider whether leaving the clan was a good idea.”
She laughed.
“You really don’t like him.”
“I don’t.”
The battle continued below.
Mo Xuan raised his sword.
I froze.
That sword…
I recognized the posture.
My eyes narrowed.
He wasn’t just using his strength.
He was deliberately suppressing himself.
“Young Master?” Mei asked.
“Nothing.”
I leaned slightly forward.
Something told me that today’s trip to Longmen City was going to become troublesome.
Again.
Princess Xue looked at me with a strange smile.
“You seem interested.”
“I’m observing.”
“Of course.”
I ignored her.
Then the System’s voice suddenly sounded in my mind.
Host.
What?
You wanted to increase Princess Xue’s affection, remember?
I glanced at her.
She was still watching the battle.
Yes.
Then perhaps you should learn to enjoy yourself.
I frowned.
What kind of advice is that?
The kind you desperately need.
I sighed.
This System was becoming more annoying every day.
Below us, Mo Xuan suddenly disappeared.
The next moment—
BOOM!
The entire arena trembled.
The Celestial Ant cultivator was sent flying.
The crowd erupted once again.
I stared at the scene.
Then I slowly leaned back into my chair.
“Looks like today’s outing won’t be boring after all.”