“This match has come to an end! Victory goes to Team Shang!”

Wu Jian raised his hand to wave at the crowd as they cheered. He had gotten used to the crowd going wild and had even learned to enjoy it a bit. This was his reward for defeating his opponents. The strong were celebrated and revered, while the weak were left to slink away with their tails tucked between their legs. He didn’t particularly care for this philosophy. However, that didn’t mean he couldn’t bask in the feelings of accomplishment.

Mei Xilan stood by his side, silent as ever. She had barely spoken two words since their battle against Team Sui. Was she feeling depressed that she had lost to Xaio Shui, or was something else bothering her? Wu Jian didn’t know. He hoped she wouldn’t remain like this.

Several other teams battled it out. Wu Jian had already seen all of them fight multiple times, and he had fought each team himself, so he no longer paid attention to the battles. He already knew who he would need to be wary of during the individual matches. There were only three people he would need to watch out for--Xaio Shui, Da Feiyu, and Tang Tiantian. They were all at the Deva Realm’s second subrealm and were powerful within their own right. Like him, they had the power to steamroll over the competition, though for them, it was because they were so much more powerful than everyone else. He would say they were in a league of their own.

As the last of the battles came to an end, Huǒ Huangdi stood up and made his way to the edge of the sect master’s booth. He spread his arms wide in a grand gesture. Wu Jian thought he was being overlydramatic, but that sort of act was expected of someone in his position. He drew in the crowd’s attention.

“The final battle is over, and this marks the end of the Team Competition. You have all done well in your battles and displayed amazing strength, but only five teams will go on to fight in the individual competition. We have given every team points based on their performance, and now, we will be announcing the five teams who will continue on in this tournament.”

The entire arena had gone silent. Everyone was waiting on baited breath for Huǒ Huangdi to tell them who would continue, though to many, it should have been obvious. Of the teams who fought, only a few had less than one or two losses, and only one had not lost a single match.

Huǒ Huangdi cleared his throat, then said, “The teams who will go on to compete in the individual matches are: Team Sui, Team Tang, Team Qing, Team Ten, and Team Shang! Congratulations to these five teams for displaying outstanding combat prowess!”

The crowd went wild after the teams were announced, cheering and clapping and stomping their feet against the ground, a cacophony of noise that made Wu Jian’s sensitive ears sting. He grimaced. However, it wasn’t like he couldn’t understand everyone’s excitement. It hadn’t been that long since his last tournament, yet even he was excited by this one. It was the biggest tournament he had ever taken part in.

Tournaments were so common in the Xaio Continent. There were probably several dozen if not several hundred happening every single day, from small competitions between families to large ones between nations. A tournament was the best way to showcase the power of your family, sect, or even just yourself. It instilled awe in the common folks who longed to see such power on display and let potential customers know who to hire when looking for skilled cultivators.

Cultivators had several jobs depending on where they lived and their social status. In the Shang Kingdom, most cultivators worked for the crown in one way or another. Their job was to cull the magical beast population and protect the various cities and provinces from bandits and the like. However, there were also sects that acted as mercenary forces. Merchants and nobles could hire cultivators from these sects to perform tasks like protection detail or guarding a caravan.

That was why sects and nations were so eager to take part in these tournaments. The victor of a tournament like this would give whichever nation they belonged to a lot of clout in the international community and bring them a lot of business.

Wu Jian believed the Shang Kingdom would see at least a few years of prosperity just thanks to their victory in the team matches. Two people had defeated teams of five from every other nations and made it look easy. People were probably wondering how such powerful individuals came from such a small nation. The Shang Kingdom would likely get a lot more business and alliances as people from other nations traveled there to create friendly relations.

With the team matches at an end, everyone packed up and left the arena. Wu Jian and Mei Xilan met up with Youmei, Hua Xue, and Yu Chenguang. On the way to their hotel, they noticed many other people watching them with curious eyes. Young men and women would whisper into each other’s ears.

“So that’s what Jian Wu and Mei Xilan look like up close!”

“Why does he wear a mask?”

“Maybe he’s ugly underneath it.”

“No, no, no. That can’t be it. He must be so handsome he hides his face to avoid causing problems.”

“Mei Xilan might do that, but why would a man hide his face if he’s handsome? They love the attention.”

“They’re talking about you, Master,” said Youmei in a voice so loud the people who’d been talking about them heard it and looked away.

Wu Jian shrugged. “That’s normal. Pay it no mind.”

“I think we should celebrate your victories with a feast,” Yu Chenguang said.

No one had any disputes, and so they let the man talk the manager of the inn they were staying at to prepare a huge feast for them. It wasn’t just them who partook either. Yu Chenguang announced to everyone present that they were celebrating and everyone was free to have whatever they wanted. His words had earned him the roars of approval from all the people staying at the inn.

A party was held that night. Wu Jian enjoyed the party with Youmei for several hours. He partook of the various delicacies that had been prepared and allowed the other guests to shower him with praise, though he eventually got tired. He wound up sitting next to Hua Xue sometime during the party because he needed a break.

“Congratulations on your victories,” she said with an almost unnoticeable smile.

“Thank you,” he said, nodding at her.

“I knew you were powerful, but I think I underestimated you,” she continued. “Your powers are far beyond what I imagined they could be. That’s the power derived from the Dao of Space, I suppose. I have no idea how you learned such an esoteric dao.”

Wu Jian shrugged. “I was just lucky enough to find a good cultivation method.”

Hua Xue shook her head. “Cultivation methods can certainly help, but they are not the be all end all that people think. If you didn’t have the natural aptitude to learn the Dao of Space, you would never make the progress you have. It is only because you have such talent that you could grow as strong as you are now.”

Wu Jian considered her words and wondered--was the reason he was so talented at the Dao of Space because he had learned how to use it in his previous reincarnations? Wu Meiying had said he’d used this cultivation method once before. Perhaps the memories from his past life were subconsciously affecting his present life.

He shook those thoughts off and continued to speak with Hua Xue.

“Maybe,” he acknowledged. “I recognize that I’ve grown stronger much faster than the normal person, so there may be truth to what you say… and yet I always feel like I’m not growing fast enough.”

That’s right. Wu Jian’s enemies were still so much more powerful than him. He didn’t know who they were, but Wu Meiying had already informed him that one of them was at least a Perfection Realm expert. How could he even hope to survive an encounter with someone like that as he was now? He had only survived against Loong Chen because the man had no intention of killing him.

“That is because you are young,” Hua Xue informed him. “The young are impetuous. You always wish to become strong now. You do not like to wait. However, true strength cannot be cultivated so easily. Only those who spend decades or even centuries cultivating can truly acquire the strength they seek. You must simply continue working diligently and do not lose heart when it feels like you are stuck.”

“Those are not the words I want to hear, but I know you’re right. Thank you,” he said with a smile.

“Of course.” Hua Xue smiled back.

Wu Jian decided to retire soon after concluding his conversation with Hua Xue. He was certain Wu Meiying was waiting for him in his room. After wandering up the stairs and making for his bedroom, he was forced to pause when the door beside his room opened, and someone stepped out.

Mei Xilan was not dressed in her typical outfit. Her bare feet looked like jade sculptures as she stood there donned in an elegant nightgown made of silvery blue fabric. It was such a light fabric that he could partially see through it. The gentle slope of her bosoms and wide curve of her alluring hips was enough to steal the breath of most men. Even Wu Jian was not immune to beauty, though he took a deep breath to remain calm.

She was not wearing her veil, and so her beautiful face was on full display. Her eyes were cold to an inexpressive degree, but her features were like those of a fairy, containing the alluring innocence of the wondrous creatures from old folktails.

“What’s up?” he asked.

She had stepped in front of him, impeding the path to his room, so obviously, she wanted to talk.

“You have… ignored all of my advances,” she said at last.

“That is because I know you don’t have feelings for me,” he retorted.

Mei Xilan pursed her lips. “I suppose… I should have expected that. You are in a relationship with her highness, so you must know how to read a woman somewhat decently.”

“You don’t need to add ‘somewhat’ to that sentence.”

“In either event, since you refuse to fall for me, I’m left with no other recourse.” Mei Xilan paused for a moment, though her eyes remained locked on him. “I would like you to help me get stronger. I need to get stronger.”

Wu Jian furrowed his brow. “Why do you need to get stronger? And why should I help you?”

He didn’t dislike Mei Xilan, but he didn’t like how she tried to seduce him when she didn’t even love him. Wu Jian was dedicated to the women he had formed a bond with. Wu Meiying, Zhou Lihua, and Hou Jingshu loved him with all their hearts. The idea of entertaining a young woman who held no real interest in him was almost viscerally repulsive.

Mei Xilan remained silent for a time. Wu Jian hoped she wouldn’t keep him waiting for long. He couldn’t feel Wu Meiying on the other side of his door, but that meant very little. Her presence was hidden behind that barrier of hers. She recharged it every night so they could have these nightly meetings.

“Very well. I had been hoping to keep this a secret until I got you onboard, but it seems I have no choice.” Mei Xilan took a deep breath, then placed a hand on her chest. “My real name is Mei Xilan Sui. I am the daughter of the former Emperor Sui of the Sui Kingdom. The reason I sought you out is because I want to borrow your strength to reclaim my birthright.”