Flames exploded around Huǒ Shuchang as he sat inside of his meditation chamber. Sweat poured down his back as heat rose from the surface. This room was his personal meditation chamber. The inside was lined floor to ceiling with a sealing array that gathered fire chi from deep within the earth and brought it out for him to absorb. There were underground volcanos far beneath the planet’s surface, below even the massive lake this city was built on. That was one of the reasons Heavenly Chengshi had been built here and not elsewhere.

He had been trying hard to reach the Third Subrealm of the Deva Realm for the past several months, but so far, he’d not had any success. Pills could increase a person’s chi, which helped them break through. However, gaining more chi was not everything. After reaching the Deva Realm, more was required to break through. It didn’t matter how much chi he gained if he lacked greater understanding of his cultivation method.

All members of the Phoenix Clan cultivated the Flames of the Phoenix Cultivation Method. There were several variations of this method, which were given to clansmen based on their talent. They started at the First Cicle and went all the way to the Ninth Circle. Huǒ Shuchang cultivated the First Circle Flames of the Phoenix Cultivation Method, the weakest of the nine methods. This method was easier to comprehend, but it was also weaker, meaning his cultivation based wasn’t as strong as his older siblings or younger sister.

The Flames of the Phoenix Cultivation Method relied on absorbing chi through flames to increase your own power, and also gaining insight into the cycle of rebirth and the flames of rebirth. Phoenixes were immortal creatures who, rather than living forever, would die in a fire of their own making and be reborn from the ashes. This cycle made it different from the other three heavenly deities.

All life was supposed to eventually die. Everything had an end. Even planets, even gods. The phoenix alone had no true end because the cycle of death and rebirth were constantly in play. To cultivate the Flames of the Phoenix Cultivation Method was to understand how this process worked.

Unfortunately, Huǒ Shuchang was not a scholar. He did not understand the nuances of his own cultivation method. It wouldn’t be inaccurate to say he was ill-suited for this cultivation method, which was but one of many reasons his own family called him a black sheep. What should have come naturally due to his bloodline required two or even three times more work than anyone else. This was why so many of his brothers made fun of him.

But while Huǒ Shuchang might not have been very well-suited to his cultivation method, and he might have been bullied by his own siblings, there was something he believed he had that his many family members did not. Determination. Even his oldest brother seemed content to simply rely on his talents to get by. He never worked harder than he needed.

Huǒ Shuchang was a firm believer that hard work beat talent when talent failed to work hard. He believed that he could become much stronger than his genius siblings who relied solely on their talent and never worked more than they felt was necessary.

Huǒ Shuchang did not know how much time passed, but his stomach eventually reminded him that he hadn’t had food in a very long time. He was happy no one was present to hear it rumble. He might have had thick skin, but even he would get embarrassed if someone heard the way his stomach was growling just then.

He left the meditation room and ascended the stairs. All Phoenix Clansmen had a meditation chamber inside of this underground pagoda. Fire chi gathered more easily in the lower floors, of which there were ten. Huǒ Shuchang’s meditation chamber was only on floor two.

The sun’s rays hit his eyes as he emerged from the underground pagoda and began descending the stairs. He didn’t get far before someone appeared before him. Huǒ Shuchang grimaced when he saw his oldest brother walking over. Huǒ Pànguó looked the same as ever. His overbearing arrogance was on full display in the way he strut toward the stairs like he owned the place. He stopped when he saw Huǒ Shuchang leaving the meditation hall and narrowed his eyes.

“Well, hello little brother. Still trying to increase your cultivation after all this time?”

Huǒ Shuchang shrugged. “That’s right. Is that why you’re here, too?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” scoffed Huǒ Pànguó. “Unlike you, I’ve no need to train until I am exhausted. Training is for those who lack talent. In other words, it is for people like you.”

Huǒ Shuchang was used to this man mocking and deriding him, so he didn’t respond to his older brother’s provocation. Actions spoke louder than words anyway. The tournament was coming up soon and all members of the Phoenix Clan were required to participate. Huǒ Shuchang planned to show his eldest brother and everyone else that he was worthy of the Phoenix Clan title. Of course, his real reason for participating in this tournament was to help his younger sister. The winner of the tournament could make one request of Huǒ Huangdi, his father and the head of the Phoenix Clan.

“Save your bravado until after you beat me in the tournament,” Huǒ Shuchang said.

“Hmph. I don’t see how a cultivator who only just reached the Second Subrealm of the Deva Realm can pose a threat to me. You’re a fool if you think someone so much weaker than me has any hope of victory.”

Huǒ Shuchang clenched his hands into fists, knuckles turning white, but he eased up seconds later and allowed his shoulders to relax. Getting upset like this wasn’t going to solve anything. He would let his fists do the talking during the tournament. Huǒ Pànguó saw this, scoffed, and opened his mouth to say something again.

But he would never get the chance!

“Huǒ Pànguó! Huǒ Shuchang!”

A young man with short orange hair and golden eyes ran up to them. He was older than Huǒ Shuchang by a few years, but you wouldn’t be able to tell from just looking at them. He reached the Asura Realm at the age of sixteen, so even after several years, he still looked like a kid. He wore a flaming orange and red robe that went down to his ankles.

“What are you shouting for, Huǒ Yhazhi?” asked Huǒ Pànguó with a sneer.

Huǒ Yhazhi stopped in front of them, his face white as a sheet. “The elders are all in a panic! They’re saying Huǒ Yujie has disappeared from the sanctuary!”

“WHAT?!” Huǒ Shuchang and Huǒ Pànguó shouted at the same time.

***

Airships were not allowed to dock within Heavenly Chengshi. Once they had reached a certain distance from the city, a number of smaller aircraft came alongside them. They looked like tiny boats with wings made of flame. One of the ships came up right next to theirs and a young man dressed in crimson-gold armor alighted upon the deck. He was a captain of the Phoenix Guard.

The Phoenix Guard was the name of the Xia Dynasty’s standing army. About 80% of them were composed of normal humans, whose job was to keep the peace and settle disputes between non-cultivators. The rest were cultivators. Most of them were at the Anima and Asura Realms. Squad captains were at the Human Limit Realm and commanders were Deva Realm cultivators. There were only around three dozen commanders, but that was still many times more Deva Realm cultivators than any other nation.

While the Phoenix Guard was called the Xia Dynasty’s army, their job was primarily to act as peacekeepers. During times of strife, the commanders were the ones who would go onto the field. Since they were all at the Deva Realm, they had the power to demolish most nations on their own. That was why they formed the core of the army. It was a matter of quality over quantity.

“My name is Houshin Hojin. I’m here to inspect your cargo and make sure you’re not carrying any contraband. Do as I say and this process will go smoothly.”

The guard captain who landed on the deck strut around with such arrogance that he reminded Wu Jian of a peacock. He once saw a wild peacock before. It was in the forest surrounding the Wu Clan estate. This man had the same swagger and puffed out chest as that ridiculous bird.

“Why is he acting so arrogant when he’s only at the Human Limit Realm?” Wu Jian muttered under his breath.

Hua Xue heard him and shrugged. “That is just how people belonging to powerful nations and sects act. A person’s sense of morality lessens as their power increases. This is especially true for those who have not earned their power, or those who believe they are above reproach because they’re backed by someone powerful.”

Wu Jian couldn’t disagree and found himself nodding along. He had seen how people who have gained power without earning it act. His thoughts went back to Mao Yuhan, the first person he came into conflict with after his family was destroyed. That man had been drowning in his unearned power. He hadn’t been all that strong, but because he was a small fish swimming in a puddle full of tadpoles, he thought himself a god. He had abused the people around him, taking and killing without issue.

And this guy belonged to the most powerful nation on the continent. Wu Jian could only imagine how arrogant he was simply due to who was backing him.

Fortunately, the inspection went mostly without incident. They were forced to let him inspect their storage rings, but he didn’t take anything, though perhaps he felt there was nothing worth taking. The man had scoffed when he realized they were from the Shang Kingdom. It seemed their small nation was not worth much in the eyes of someone who belonged the Xia Dynasty. In either event, they followed the small airships to one of several docking bays.

The docking bays were large floating structures that surrounded Heavenly Chengshi. They were like islands in the sky. Each island could dock at least four airships. Wu Jian had never seen anything like this before. He learned from Hua Xue that these islands were being held aloft with spirit crystals, though that baffled him even more. Was the Xia Dynasty really so powerful that they could waste spirit crystals in this manner? In either event, after they all unloaded, they were led to one of those smaller airships and ferried into the city.

Heavenly Chengshi was magnificent from far away, and it was even moreso up close. The architecture was nothing like any of the cities he had visited before. It seemed to have no rhyme or reason to it. While they all shared a basic aesthetic, every structure appeared different from every other structure. Some looked like pagodas while others were squat and round. They passed one building that looked like a giant bird with its wings spread wide. He saw people sitting on balcony on the bird’s outstretched wings. It was a truly unusual sight.

“What bizarre buildings,” Wu Jian muttered.

Mei Xilan nodded. “I’ve never seen anything quite so strange.”

“The Xia Dynasty is the oldest surviving nation on the Xaio Continent,” Yu Chenguang said when Wu Jian questioned him. “Their architecture has changed with each passing era. You can tell which structures are more recent because they have some uniformity between them. Of course, some buildings like the Phoenix Hotel we just passed are brand new as well. I heard there are a few famous architects who have very, uh, grand ideas.”

“Grand, huh,” Wu Jian muttered.

While everyone else looked shocked, Hua Xue alone appeared unphased. He wondered if that meant buildings in the Nine Heavens were even more eclectic than these. It wouldn’t surprise him. The Nine Heavens was supposed to be many times bigger than this world.

The airship soon set down on a small docking platform, and the group was allowed to go on their way. Yu Chenguang led the group. He had apparently been to Heavenly Chengshi once before on a diplomatic mission and knew a bit about the city’s layout, though even he needed a map to figure out how to reach the hotel they were staying at. It didn’t help that the streets were bustling with more people than Wu Jian had ever seen. He thought Imperial Shang City was busy, but that city had nothing on this one. The streets were filled to the brim with pedestrians.

They did eventually reach their hotel, a magnificent structure made of what looked like silver and decorated with Phoenix motifs. It was called the Silver Phoenix Inn, and it was a five story complex with several courtyards. The bougie interior was decorated with phoenix statues and even the ceiling had depictions of phoenixes flying through the air.

Each of them was given their own room. Wu Jian shared a room with Youmei, but that was because she was his companion. She spent most of her time in his shadow anyway. The room was larger than what he needed and contained way more furniture than he would ever use. They even had a meditation room for cultivators, though he didn’t think it would benefit him since it was for Asura Realm cultivators. Once he’d had a chance to settle in, Wu Jian decided to leave the hotel.

He wanted to explore the city a bit.