The stall game that Huǒ Schushang stood before was one specifically made for cultivators. Naturally, it was the kind of game where someone tested their strength. A large black stone sat on the ground, connected to a meter that recorded someone’s strength. The goal was to hit the stone with a hammer as hard as you could to get a high score. Several scores were already listed on a board, with the highest being 15,457.

It’s the same stone…

Wu Jian recognized the testing stone as the same kind that the Wu Clan had for their bi-annual strength test. This one was smaller and made from higher quality material, but it was the exact same. He shook his head. It had cost his clan an arm and a leg to acquire that one stone, and here it was being used at a random stall game. That went to show the disparity of wealth between his clan and this nation.

Huǒ Shuchang lifted the mallet he’d been given above his head, took a deep breath, tensed all of his muscles, then brought it down. A loud cong sound echoed around the street, silencing the pedestrians who were taking bets on what his score would be. A small device set in the meter quickly climbed up. 5,000. 10,000. 20,000. It soon stopped at 30,899.

The crowd went wild.

“Unbelievable!”

“Guess that’s a member of the Phoenix Clan for you!”

“I didn’t think anyone so young could be that strong. He’s only at the Deva Realm, Isn’t he?”

“He’s quite strong,” Hua Xue murmured. “Most people at the Deva Realm’s first subrealm would only have a measurement of 20,000 to 25,000.”

“He’s not that strong,” Wu Jian murmured.

Hua Xue looked at him, but he quickly pushed through the crowd, until he was standing just behind Huǒ Schuchang.

“Oi. Give me that mallet. I’ll show you how it’s done.”

“Jian Wu! My friend! Ha ha! You wanna get in on this competition too? Good. I’ve wanted to compete with you for a while now. I’ve been training my ass off since we parted ways. I’m much stronger now, so don’t be too embarrassed if you lose to me.”

So saying, Huǒ Schuchang handed Wu Jian the mallet and stepped back. The old stall owner explained the rules, but Wu Jian wasn’t paying attention. He focused the entirety of his being into the mallet as he raised it above his head with both hands. All the muscles in his arms, legs, and core tightened as he swung it down.

CONG!

A loud sound echoed all around them as he struck the stone. The meter shot up. 10,000. 20,000. 30,000. It stopped after reaching 36,903.

Silence reigned in the street as everyone stared at the number on the meter like they couldn’t believe what they were seeing. A few people even rubbed their eyes as if expecting the number to change. It was only after looking several times that they realized this wasn’t a hallucination.

“What the hell?!” Huǒ Schuchang shouted. “That’s ridiculous! How are you so strong?!”

Wu Jian gave him his most deadpan stare… even though he wore a mask. “I do 100 pushups, 100 situps, 100 squats, and for a 10 li run every single day.”

“Oh. Is that it? Maybe I should do that routine too.” Huǒ Schuchang looked convinced for a moment, then smacked the back of Wu Jian’s head. “As if that could explain your ridiculous strength! Do you take me for a fool?!”

“Do I have to answer that honestly?”

“You don’t have to answer it at all!”

Murmurs spread across the street as he and Huǒ Schuchang ribbed each other, but he paid them no mind. It was good to see his friend again and mess around with him. He would never say anything, but Huǒ Schuchang had saved him from becoming someone he was not. Just being by this stupidly vibrant man with his flamboyant personality had kept Wu Jian from becoming a monster.

The murmuring soon fell silent and the crowd parted as someone stepped through. Hua Xue didn’t release any power, but her beauty and presence alone was enough to silence everyone.

“Ah. It’s you again. My beautiful lady, would you like to--urk! The heck was that for?!”

Huǒ Schuchang tried to flirt with Hua Xue, but Wu Jian quickly elbowed him in the ribs. The young phoenix clansmen glared at him as he rubbed his smarting ribcage.

“Be quiet,” Wu Jian muttered.

During that time, Hua Xue grabbed the mallet, lifted it with one hand, and brought it down. She didn’t use any preparation. She simply swung it as though playing with a feather. However, the results were… explosive.

Wu Jian, Huǒ Schuchang, and the rest of the crowd stared in utter disbelieve as the meter broke. The measuring device shot right off the meter, soaring into the sky. While this meter did have an upper-limit to how much strength it could display, it still went up to 100,000, and even if you were stronger than that, it should not have been possible to break it. Even a Realization Realm expert would be incapable of breaking his meter.

“Oh? It seems I broke it. My apologies,” Hua Xue said with her normal impassive face, but Wu Jian thought he spotted just a hint of condescension in her gaze.

The poor man under her gaze looked like he didn’t know whether to be happy or terrified. Wu Jian understood. Hua Xue was easily one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen, but she was also one of the strongest. Her beauty combined with her strength and impassive gaze was enough to render most people mute. All they could do was stare at her in awe and fear.

“Oh, uh. No, it’s fine… Erm…”

“I believe I have the highest score now, yes?”

“Well… you do, but…”

“In that case, I would like to claim a prize.”

“Ma’am, we don’t… no, it’s fine. Um… let me see if I have something for you.”

“Wha--just who the heck is this woman?” asked Huǒ Schuchang.

Wu Jian didn’t have an answer for him.

***

Wu Jian and Hua Xue joined up with Huǒ Schuchang. The young man had apparently been very busy dealing with affairs involving the tournament and hadn’t been allowed outside until today. He’d been so ecstatic to finally have his freedom returned that he’d gone on a festival spree, hitting up every food and game stall he could and collecting tons of prizes for his little sister, who was only allowed outside during the tournament itself.

I feel bad for Yulie. It must suck being forced to remain locked up like that.

Her situation vaguely reminded him of how Hou Jingshu’s life had been before she came to the Wu Clan. She had told him a little about her life back then. However, even Hou Jingshu did not have it this bad. At the very least, she had been loved by her dad. Huǒ Huangdi didn’t seem to care about his daughter at all, from the way Huǒ Schuchang put it.

“Now that the team battles are over and done with, I can finally participate as well,” Huǒ Schuchang said with a grin. “I hope you don’t lose before facing me in the tournament.”

“You want to lose to me that badly, huh? Well, I suppose I’ll indulge you. It’s good to taste defeat every once and a while,” Wu Jian said with a chuckle.

“Indeed it is. That’s why I’ll be sure to pound you into the ground.”

“Heh heh heh.”

“Ha ha ha.”

“Men,” Hua Xue sighed.

They were sitting at a small restaurant. The floor was made of polished tile and the walls were wood with a red lacquered finish. Lintel posts served as both decoration and support for the ceiling. They were all painted to depict the Phoenix. All of the tables were made of wood and the seats lacked cushions, but they were designed to conform to a person’s butt, so they didn’t hurt too much.

The food they served here was based around noodle dishes and all of it was spicy. Wu Jian had ordered Lagman, a noodle dish served with pulled noodles, mutton, a variety of vegetables, and a thick spicy red sauce that looked like bubbling magma. The single leafy green garish only served to highlight how hot it appeared. It was as hot as it looked. Wu Jian’s mouth felt like it was on fire after a single bite.

“Is Yulie participating in the tournament too?” asked Wu Jian.

Huǒ Schuchang nodded as he slurped up some noodles, set his bowl down, and said, “She is. I bet you’re shocked, right?”

“A little.”

“My little sis is half a step away from entering the Seeker Realm. She’s the strongest person among us. Father wants to show off her talents.”

It would have indeed been a waste not to show off how powerful she was. He didn’t know why Huǒ Huangdi kept her locked away, but even he wasn’t dumb enough not to play his strongest trump card in this competition. This tournament was meant to showcase a nation’s strength. Doing so would let them acquire more prestige, which meant that more people would want to form alliances and trade with them. A nation’s economy was directly tied into the strength of its cultivators.

“How old is she?” asked Hua Xue. She had ordered the biangbiang noodles, which were broad and long. They were also called belt noodles because of their size and shape. They were topped with a combination of vegetables and herbs like onions, leeks, coriander, and sichuan peppercorn. Like everything else they served, these had been coated in some kind of red seasoning that made them look like fire given noodle form.

How is she eating those without flinching?

“She just turned seventeen not long ago,” Huǒ Schuchang said. “She was born on the eighteenth lunar month.”

“So she’s just a little older than me,” Wu Jian mused.

“It’s impressive that someone so young has achieved such strength in this tiny world,” Hua Xue said. “The chi here is not very pure. It makes cultivating difficult.”

“Excuse me?” asked Huǒ Schuchang.

Right. He doesn’t know about the Nine Heavens. I guess I forgot to tell him. Oops.

To be fair to himself, there had been a lot going on when he and the others emerged from the White Tiger Sect Ruins, and Huǒ Schuchang had left shortly after. There simply hadn’t been a good time to tell him. Since that was the case, Wu Jian decided to tell him about that now.

“Really? There’s a world beyond ours?” asked Huǒ Schuchang.

“Yes.” Wu Jian glanced at Hua Xue, who merely shrugged. “Hua Xue is actually from the Nine Heavens.”

“Well, damn.” Huǒ Schuchang leaned back in his chair, stared at the ceiling for a moment, then brought his eyes back down to focus on them. “You know, there’s always been speculation that our world isn’t the only one that exists, but most people don’t believe it. They call the people who believe in a world beyond ours loonies and assume they’ve gone crazy.”

“It is hard to believe, so I don’t blame them,” Wu Jian shrugged. “But it’s true. Byakko told me during my trial, and Hua Xue confirmed it.”

“I believe you. I’m just saying,” Huǒ Schuchang waved him off. “Anyway, it is getting kinda late. I suppose we should head out. Wanna join me for some fun?”

“Your definition of fun is visiting brothels, so no thanks,” said Wu Jian as Hua Xue wrinkled her nose like she smelled something foul.

“Did you have to put it like that?! Ugh, anyway, I’ll see you later then.”

Wu Jian and Hua Xue also left the restaurant after paying for their meal. They walked together down the street. Night had fallen, but it was still bright out thanks to all the lamps and lights. People continued to make merry in the streets and would likely do so until well into the morning.

“This must be the first time I’ve ever enjoyed a festival,” Hua Xue said into the silence.

“So you never enjoyed the festivals you went to before?” asked Wu Jian.

She shook her head. “I only attended them out of obligation, but I never enjoyed them. I actually enjoyed myself this time.”

“I’m glad,” said Wu Jian.

Basking within the glow of several streetlamps, Wu Jian and Hua Xue continued to chat until they reached their hotel.