A five-colored light flashed across Lucian’s skin, cleansing away the dust of travel. He ate a plate of hot dumplings for breakfast and left the inn.
His destination was the Martial Alliance Headquarters. Halfway down the main avenue, someone poked his shoulder from behind.
Lucian turned around.
"That’s a good face I am seeing, are you also participating in the tournament?" The speaker was a young woman with dark green hair tied in a loose braid.
"And you are?" Lucian asked.
"Huh? How strange, men usually recognise me the instant they see me?"
Lucian looked around. Quite a few passing martial artists were casting subtle glances in their direction, mostly disciples from prestigious clans.
"Well, anyways, I am Tang So-So, and well I used to have the title of Poison Phoenix and also called one of the four flowers of the central plains, but as you can guess, my title is in danger, haha..."
Tang So-So laughed lightly, and her smile seemed to brighten the street.
"You can call me Lu, though I am not from a renowned sect, I hope I will win the competition," Lucian said.
A loud snort sounded behind him.
"Well I guess you can only hope to win, after all!"
A burly young man nearly seven feet tall muttered, stepping up beside them. He looked at Tang So-So with an eager smile.
"Miss Tang, you should avoid such busy buddies, it won’t suit the prestige of the Tang clan."
"Peng Tai, you really are a brute," a voice called out from Tang So-So’s companions.
"You can’t even see the skills of this person and are they acting superior? Do you wish to repeat your incident with me?"
The speaker was Jin Biwah, a swordsman from the Flowing River Sect which is a third grade sect. Peng Tai’s face hardened at the words. In the past, he had underestimated Jin Biwah and tasted bitter defeat, and the memory still left a sour taste in his mouth.
Snorting coldly, Peng Tai gave Lucian a nasty glare before stomping away into the crowd.
"I am sorry about his behaviour, though he acts like a scoundrel, he is a good person," Tang So-So apologized.
Lucian simply shook his head.
"I am more interested in your group. Can I accompany you all?"
Lucian offered a polite martial salute. Tang So-So’s group had six or seven young fighters, and each carried a distinctly different style and presence.
"Why not, I don’t see any problem?" Tang So-So smiled.
With that settled, Lucian walked alongside them toward the registration plaza, quietly observing each member of the group.
’A lot of interesting things will happen...’
Even though he was walking with famous prodigies, Lucian and the others had to wait in a long line.
Wanderers, rogue vagabonds, and famous disciples from across the land filled the plaza.
Namgung, Mount Hua, Shaolin, Ak, Zhongnan, Diancang, Zhuge... The list went on and on.
Entry tables were divided across the courtyard. The elder evaluating their line was a sharp-eyed man in gray robes: Vice Hall Leader of the Discipline Hall, Yeom Jun.
Because the alliance had organized the tournament in a hurry, there were no preliminary bouts. Instead, they were filtering out anyone below the First Grade realm right at the desk.
"Just demonstrate inner energy on your weapon, I will consider you qualified then," Yeom Jun said, looking at Tang So-So’s group.
Tang So-So stepped forward first. A faint green poisonous aura flared over her palms, followed by clean displays of blade energy from Jin Biwah and the others.
Yeom Jun nodded, writing down their names. They were well-known young talents, so there was no need for an identity check.
Then it was Lucian’s turn.
Yeom Jun squinted his eyes, sensing something unusual. The young man before him gave off an aura far deeper and quieter than Tang So-So.
"I do not recognize you, are you wanderer? I will need to check your face and affiliation."
"I studied under my master on mountains so I can say I am affiliated with a sect but I can’t give your name due to our sect rules, and as for face, I don’t see a reason to show that," Lucian said, resting his hand on his hilt. He kept his wide bamboo hat pulled low.
With a light flick of his wrist, a thin sheet of pure Fire Qi ignited along the steel of his sword.
The air around the desk turned scorching hot.
Yeom Jun’s eyes widened in shock.
’Peak? No, such energy control, is it supreme peak? But he is so young?!’
Martial realms in the Central Plains followed a strict ladder: Third Grade, Second Grade, First Grade, Peak Realm, Supreme Peak Realm, and finally the Heavenly Realm. Seeing such refined, concentrated energy control in a young man made Yeom Jun think he was looking at a Supreme Peak expert on par with the sect elders.
’But the sword seems to lack will,’ Yeom Jun noted, his brows furrowing.
The Blood Cult had spies everywhere, and this young stranger flatly refused to give a name or reveal his face. Even if he didn’t look like a blood fanatic, protocol was protocol.
"I need to at least check your face, to know that you are not a wanted criminal," Yeom Jun insisted.
Lucian let out a quiet sigh. He stepped in close to the desk and slightly lifted the brim of his bamboo hat.
"Satisfied?" Lucian said. His voice dropped low, and for a fraction of a second, he let the full, unadulterated spiritual pressure of his cultivation press down onto the elder.
Yeom Jun froze, cold sweat beading on his neck. And when he registered the face, he was more astonished.
"O-Okay you can go," Yeom Jun managed, his voice trembling.
’Supreme Peak, it seems the competition has its winner,’ the elder thought, staring after him in disbelief. After all, how can a person be this handsome?
Nearby, Tang So-So observed the elder’s stunned reaction with an intrigued smile.
’As expected, I was not wrong. He is at least peak realm, the competition will get interesting.’
***
"From now on, the Dragon Phoenix Competition will begin!" the main announcer shouted.
The crowd erupted into a deafening roar.
"WAAHHHH!"
Five massive stone platforms stood in the center of the plaza. Matches were held on all five stages at the same time. The bracket was huge, and this format would continue until only the top eight remained.
The entire tournament was scheduled to last two full days.
Lucian stood near the sidelines, watching the matches closely. The martial artists threw punches, kicks, and sword strikes, each style reflecting a different element of nature.
’And each of these principles seems to be imbued with their own will and intent to fight.’
Low-level cultivation techniques did not have a personal will like this. Early cultivation focused mostly on raw destructive power and gathering qi, rather than harmony with nature.
Even his Five Elements Harmonizing Art only touched the surface of the elements at his current stage and not the governing laws.
’One needs a strong will to become a Martial Artist and make the technique truly their own.’
Soon, Lucian’s name was called over the plaza.
Tang So-So and her group waved, wishing him good luck.
Lucian entered the fifth stone platform. His opponent was a scarred vagabond. The man held a battered saber and gave off the sharp presence of a First Grade expert.
"START!" the referee yelled.
The two fighters didn’t move right away. They stared at each other for several breaths.
Suddenly, the vagabond dashed forward, disappearing in a blur of dust.
’A quick draw technique?’
Lucian didn’t shift his stance. A sharp arc of energy whistled toward his neck.
Lucian simply raised his bare hand. Without using any weapon or energy technique, his fingers snapped shut around the steel blade.
"What?!" the vagabond gasped in horror.
BREAK!
Lucian twisted his wrist, snapping the steel blade in half with his raw physical power.
In the next breath, he blurred and appeared directly behind the man. He tapped a single index finger against the vagabond’s neck.
"I-I surrender!" the man shouted, raising his hands in defeat.
"The winner is Lu from a nameless sect!"
"WOAHHH!" the spectators cheered.
Lucian glanced up toward the high pavilion overlooking the arena. Two of the Seven Gods sat side by side on raised thrones, watching the fights with calm eyes. Below them sat several powerful masters, figures whose strength fell just beneath the Seven Gods.
Lucian jumped off the stage and rejoined his group.
"You sure are a master to subdue someone without even using your inner energy!" Tang So-So said with an admiring grin.
Jin Biwah and the others looked at him with serious, astonished eyes. They clearly realized Lucian was far stronger than they realised.
Time passed as the other members stepped up for their matches. Out of their group, almost everyone advanced, while two were knocked out.
"Well it can’t be helped, even I would not be sure if I was matched with the Divine Dragon of Mount Hua, or the Sword Phoenix," Jin Biwah commented with a sigh.
"Hmm..."
Lucian nodded in understanding. He had watched Mount Hua’s fight from afar, genuinely fascinated by how pure sword intent could manifest the illusion of pink plum blossoms in mid-air.
Lucian’s second and third matches arrived soon after.
In his second bout, he cleanly defeated a disciple from a first-grade sect. In his third bout, he was paired against a fierce, white-haired girl affiliated with the North Sea Ice Palace.
Lucian easily sidestepped her freezing palm strikes and knocked her off the platform with a light palm to her shoulder.
"I will repay this humiliation!" the white-haired girl snapped, glaring at him before disappearing into the crowd.
’I feel like she has quite a great grudge with me now...’ Lucian thought wryly.
Lucian continued watching the duels, studying the footwork and intent of various clans.
Then, an unexpected incident shattered the festive mood.
On the center platform, a hooded fighter drove a black dagger straight through the throat of a young disciple from the prestigious Namgung Clan.
Blood sprayed across the stone, and then, an immense, suffocating pressure instantly descended over the entire arena.
"You dare?!"