It was the last day of the tournament. Everyone was excited about the upcoming fight between Jian Wu and Mei Xilan. The stands were abuzz with a crowd of excitedly talking guests who’d all come to see a good show. The betting booth was particularly busy as people made predictions on who would win.

Wu Jian stood in the waiting room with Mei Xilan and Hou Jingshu, who had decided to accompany him even though she was no longer in the tournament. The young princess was definitely acting clingy that day. She had been hugging his arm ever since they left for the arena and hadn’t let go. Despite being depressed about losing yesterday, she was smiling like she’d won the national Cultivator Cards tournament.

It’s like she took all of her frustrations out on me last night… not that I can complain.

Last night had been incredible. Hou Jingshu really hadn’t let him sleep at all. She had been so aggressive that it was almost shocking to imagine this princess used to get so embarrassed whenever they did the deed.

I wonder if her cultivation has changed her disposition somewhat? She doesn’t really act too differently, but she’s definitely more aggressive than she used to be.

“You look very happy, Your Highness,” Mei Xilan said. “Did something good happen to you yesterday?”

“Eh heh. You can tell?”

“Of course. You’re practically glowing.”

“Is that so? Heh heh heh.”

Hou Jingshu had a really… he didn’t want to say stupid, but yeah, she had a stupid look on her face. That dopey smile was not something most people would expect from a princess. Even though she was blushing bright red, she didn’t let go of his arm.

Mei Xilan stared at Hou Jingshu for a moment, then switched her gaze to him. Her accusing eyes all but said she knew what he had done to the princess. Wu Jian turned his head to look away.

“Jian Wu. Mei Xilan. You two are being requested to come onto the arena floor,” said a young man who entered the room.

“All right. Time for us to go,” Wu Jian said to Hou Jingshu.

The princess reluctantly let go of his arm. She took a step back and smiled at him. “I’ll be watching in the stands. Remember not to lose.”

“I’ll do my best.”

Wu Jian and Mei Xilan left the waiting room. As they walked to the arena, Mei Xilan spoke to him.

“You’re quite the fiend, aren’t you?”

“I don’t know what you mean by that.”

“Feigning ignorance? I know you slept with Her Highness last night.”

“And that makes me a fiend?”

“Doesn’t it?”

Wu Jian shrugged as they stepped onto the arena. “I don’t think so. I’m neither wicked nor cruel. Jingshu and I are in a relationship. Everything that we’ve done together was done with her consent.”

“Hmmm… my mistake then.”

They stopped walking once they reached the center of the arena stage. An elder stood before them, and standing on the platform that overlooked the stage was Húndàn Qie, the head elder, Teng Qigang, and Húndàn Qie’s wife.

Húndàn Qie stood at the head of this group. He looked at the crowd, then directed his gaze toward the two at the bottom. His smile made him look like a benevolent ruler.

“Congratulations on making it all the way to the finals. You two have proven yourselves time and again during this tournament and beaten every opponent who has come your way. All of us have been awed by your outstanding performance. The talents you displayed have been nothing short of astounding, and I hope you will continue to show us what you’re capable of in this last battle.”

Wu Jian and Mei Xilan bowed at his words, showing how honored they felt by his praise. It was tradition to respect those stronger than you. Húndàn Qie was one of the strongest cultivators in the Shang Kingdom. Failure to show proper respect during an event this big would have stained the honor of themselves and the people they affiliated with.

“As this is the last battle, I shall be the one presiding over it,” Húndàn Qie announced, much to the shock of the crowd. “Jian Wu. Mei Xilan. It is nearly time. Are you both ready?”

“I am,” said Wu Jian.

“Yes,” added Mei Xilan.

“Very well. Bow to you ancestors. Now to me. And now to each other. I officially declare that this battle will begin…” Húndàn Qie raised a hand into the air, then brought it down in a swift chop. “…now!”

[Ice Phoenix Barrage]

Wu Jian summoned Pale Moon and leapt back the moment the battle started. A burst of freezing cold wind carrying sharp icicles raced toward him. The icicles were not shaped like typical stakes, but had instead taken the shape of tiny phoenixes. They flew toward him as he encased Pale Moon in the sharp cutting energy of space. Distortions appeared around his blade as he swung it in a wide arc.

[Spatial Folding]

Spatial Folding was his unique power to warp space around objects so they would reappear somewhere else, which was what he did with the ice phoenixes. Mei Xilan’s attack disappeared before him and reappeared behind Mei Xilan. The young woman’s eyes widened in surprise, but she waved her hand and dismissed the attack.

[Spatial Severing]

Wu Jian attacked while she was distracted by her own technique. He swung his sword, the veins in his arms bulging, and launched a spatial blade at Mei Xilan. His attack gouged a trench in the ground as it traveled.

Mei Xilan raised a wall of ice to block his attack, but spatial severing was not something a simple ice wall could defend against. His blade tore right through it like a scythe cutting through wheat. However, Mei Xilan had either predicted this or was being cautious. She leapt out of the way. The spatial blade continued moving, striking one of the pillars and cutting right through it. The narrow hole that appeared in the pillar was thin but wide enough that someone could see through it to the other side.

Mei Xilan narrowed her eyes. “Your attacks are incredibly dangerous. You might just have the most deadly attacks out of anyone in this tournament.”

“Your words honor me,” said Wu Jian.

“Hmph. Having powerful attacks means nothing if you can’t hit me. I still plan to win this tournament.”

“What a coincidence. I plan to win too,” said Wu Jian mere seconds before sending another spatial blade at her.

***

Hou Jingshu had joined Yu Chenguang, Li Hua, Liu Heifeng, and Yu Mao in the arena stands to watch the battle several minutes before the fighting started. The family of four stared at her the moment she sat down beside them. While the two women looked knowing, Yu Mao only appeared confused.

“Big Sister Jingshu, why do you look so happy?” she asked.

Hou Jingshu didn’t answer. Rather, she couldn’t answer.

Her head was still in the clouds.

Last night had been incredible. Although she and Wu Jian had slept together many times in the past, something about last night had felt special. She could still feel Wu Jian’s warmth inside of her. The sensations of last night refused to fade even now.

What made last night so different? Is it because of my cultivation? I have noticed that I’m a bit more aggressive now than I used to be. My stamina also seems to have increased. I would have never slept with Wu Jian all night like that before. I wasn’t able to.

Nine Heavenly Dragons Embodiment was a powerful cultivation method that invoked the strength of a dragon. Using it required her to enjoy battle. She hadn’t been able to do that for the longest time because the weight of her obligations held her back, but Wu Jian’s support had helped her unleash the true potential of this method.

Ever since her battle with Hou Chao, she had felt unburdened, as though she had been released from all her obligations. She not only felt freer now than she ever had before, but she also felt a lot more… desire. Looking at Wu Jian made her desire to claim him. She wanted to pull him into bed and have her way with him. Was this a side effect of her cultivation method, or was it something else?

“You look quite satisfied, Your Highness,” said Li Hua, startling Hou Jingshu out of her thoughts by slinging an arm around her shoulder.

“Oh? Li Hua. Hello. Um, did you say something?” asked Hou Jingshu.

Li Hua smiled wryly and shook her head. “You’re not even paying attention to me or anyone else, are you?”

Hou Jingshu blushed. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I’m glad to see you so happy. Aaah. My little Jing’er is all grown up,” Li Hua pretended to wipe a tear from her eye as if she was overcome with emotion.

Hou Jingshu felt her cheeks burn hotter.

“Stop teasing the poor girl, Li Hua,” said Liu Heifeng.

“Hmph. I’m not teasing her… much.”

Liu Heifeng was about to say something, but Yu Chenguang interrupted their conversation. “The battle is about to start soon. You two may want to quiet down and pay attention.”

Wu Jian and Mei Xilan had stepped onto the arena platform, and Húndàn Qie began his speech praising the two for their prowess. Hou Jingshu spent most of that time looking at Wu Jian. He wore a mask, so she couldn’t see his face, but even so, she could sense his excitement about the battle to come. He only appeared calm on the surface.

The battle soon kicked off, and it was a sight to behold. The two immediately began trading powerful techniques without holding back. Wu Jian’s slash created rifts in space that redirected Mei Xilan’s attacks back at her. Then he attacked while she was distracted, though this did not end the battle, as Mei Xilan avoided his attack.

Mei Xilan created several lotus flowers of ice that danced around her as Wu Jian moved in close to attack. Every single slash of his sword was intercepted by one of the flowers. While those crystalline blossoms looked delicate at a glance, it was clear from how they consistently withstood each attack that they were beyond durable.

“Those ice lotuses are an incredible shield technique,” said Li Hua, cupping a hand to her chin.

Lei Heifeng nodded. “Mei Xilan creates those lotuses by gathering the surrounding moisture in the atmosphere and freezing it. Then she hardens the lotus with her own chi. Those petals are also razer sharp, so they can be used for both attack and defense.”

As though her words were prophetic, Mei Xilan leapt back and pointed at Wu Jian, sending several lotuses at him. He swung his sword with great speed and ferocity. Sparks flared into existence before sparking out as Pale Moon clashed against the ice lotuses. Even though his attacks contained ridiculous force, the ice lotuses did not break. They merely swerved away from him before curving back to attack.

“It looks like she can control the ice lotuses,” Hou Jingshu said.

“It’s a powerful technique taught to members of the Ice Phoenix Sect,” explained Yu Chenguang. “Ice Lotus Burst is one of the secret techniques known only to a select few. There are at least seven secret techniques used by the Ice Phoenix Clan. I’m pretty sure only the direct disciple of the Sect Master is allowed to learn them.”

“Why is that?” asked Hou Jingshu.

“Because these techniques are hard to master and can endanger the person using them. Several hundred years ago, a young disciple of the Ice Phoenix Sect went on a mission. She was attacked and subdued by a group of bandits. In desperation, she used one of the secret techniques, but she froze both her attackers and herself. Ever since then, the Ice Phoenix Sect created a new set of less dangerous techniques for their disciples. Meanwhile, the secret techniques are only taught to those who prove themselves capable enough to handle them.” Yu Chenguang shrugged. “I believe it was something like that anyway.”

The battle continued to wage as they continued talking. Wu Jian roared as he swung his greatsword at an ice lotus. The area around his blade became distorted as though she was looking at something through cracked glass, and then the ice lotus was split cleanly in two. It turned into water that splashed against the floor. Sixteen more slices later and all the ice lotuses were demolished.

With the ice lotuses gone, Wu Jian sent more spatial blades at Mei Xilan. They were almost invisible to the naked eye. Hou Jingshu could only see them by squinting. Each blade appeared like a ripple that blasted through the air at incredible speed. Most people would have probably mistaken them for a heat wave.

Mei Xilan didn’t bother blocking them. She leapt onto a pillar, then leapt to the next one, and the next one. Wu Jian tracked her for a while, hoping to hit her with one of his attacks, but when not a single blade met their mark, he stopped and leapt onto a platform in front of her.

A short sword appeared in Mei Xilan’s hand as she blocked Wu Jian’s swing. His attack was so powerful that she was knocked back, but she didn’t appear injured, landing on the ground and performing a series of back handsprings as several large chunks of the arena floor were sliced through. She dismissed her sword and clapped her hands together, causing a thick, icy mist to spread across the arena.

What is she doing now? Wondered Hou Jingshu.