“Well, now… I had no idea you were hiding such a monster,” said Húndàn Wang as he leaned back in his seat. “An eighteen-year-old cultivator at the Seeker Realm is unheard of. I don’t think there has ever been someone so young to reach this level of cultivation.”

“My daughter is a once-in-a-million-years prodigy. She received more drops of phoenix blood than anyone else in my family ever has and is being personally trained by the phoenix himself,” Huǒ Huangdi said. Those words should have been something he said with pride, but the man didn’t seem to care about how amazing his daughter was. It was like he didn’t actually care one way or the other.

Wu Meiying stared at the man with a cold gleam in her eyes. She knew more about Huǒ Yulie’s situation than anyone else, having used her abilities to look into both the past and future. This man did not care for his daughter at all. The young woman who so earnestly wished for love and affection would never find it with him. She was a tool, a means to an end.

What this man was doing was no better or worse than what happened every single day; there were hundreds of millions of people like him in the Nine Heavens. Wu Meiying did not particularly care one way or the other for the lives of people she had never seen. Even Huǒ Yulie was not someone she actively cared about. However, that girl would play an important role in Wu Jian’s future as one of his wives. She was needed. And so…

Do not think I will let you have your way.

After thinking this, Wu Meiying turned back to the arena floor, where the battle was winding down. Tang Tiantian was doing everything she could to defeat Huǒ Yulie, but it was no use. Not a single one of her attacks would be able to penetrate the young woman’s defenses. She simply lacked the power.

It had become a commonly accepted fact that someone whose cultivation was higher had a greater advantage over someone with a lower cultivation. They had increased power, a greater skill set, and deeper reserves of chi, but that didn’t mean a cultivator of a lower level couldn’t defeat a higher-level opponent. It was perfectly possible for someone weaker to defeat someone stronger. There were many strategies that the weak could employ to take down those greater than themselves.

Someone who had exceptional or superior mastery of their techniques could tip the balance. Cultivation was about more than just who had the most power. Clever tactics, planning, and the element of surprise could play a significant role in a battle’s outcome. Mental and spiritual strength were also key factors in determining victory and defeat. Some cultivators even possessed hidden power or potential, such as Wu Jian and his transformation. There were a lot of factors that could help someone defeat a person stronger than themselves.

Unfortunately for Tang Tiantian, that would not happen here.

The power difference between Huǒ Yulie and her was too insurmountable, she did not have the element of surprise on her side, and the young phoenix clanswoman was every bit as talented as her when it came to utilizing her techniques. She might have lacked experience, but she made up for it with total mastery over her phoenix-given powers.

At present, the young daughter of the world’s wisest emperor was still doing her best to surmount the insurmountable. She fired off techniques that would have normally been beyond her abilities, proving that she was worthy of being her father’s daughter. Most of her techniques were based around the use of the gun staff in her hand, which was a heaven grade middle-quality profound spirit weapon. She could extend the staff, fire energy projectiles, and even had defensive techniques.

Not a single one of her techniques made it past Huǒ Yulie’s defenses.

“I forfeit.” Tang Tiantian eventually raised her hands and surrendered. “I tried everything I could think of, but there’s no way I can win. You’re way too strong.”

“I thank thee for your kind words. You were a most brilliant warrior,” Huǒ Yulie said. The veil she wore masked most of her face, but her beautiful golden eyes were so alluring that everyone in the crowd, even the women, were captivated by her. Wu Meiying enhanced her vision with chi and looked at the lackadaisical expressions many of the onlookers wore. It was like they were in a trance. Even some of the more powerful cultivators in the crowd looked dumbstruck.

Tang Tiantian’s smile was only a little bitter, the barest hint of a blush on her cheeks. “You say that, but you didn’t even break a sweat.”

Huǒ Yulie merely smiled as Huǒ Yan announced that she was the winner. Wu Meiying watched the crowd for a moment as they went wild, but she turned her attention to those in the booth with her as a conversation started up.

“Your daughter truly is most impressive,” Zhou Xie’e said with an amicable smile.

Huǒ Huangdi snorted. “I don’t need your senseless flattery.”

“It’s not flattery at all. I’m truly in awe of that girl’s cultivation prowess. Even among the Zhou Clan, she would be considered a genius of her generation. Does that girl have a special physique?”

Wu Meiying was glad she wore a veil so no one could see her biting her lip.

“Why do you think I would tell you something like that? My daughter’s constitution is none of your business,” said Huǒ Huangdi.

“You are right, of course. I apologize if I offended you. I was merely curious.”

“Keep your curiosity to yourself.”

With this battle over, they would move into the next round. Twenty-seven people had participated, so one of the participants was seeded and would be fighting in the next round.

The next several battles happened in a flash. Huǒ Pànguó defeated Cai Fang, Huǒ Yumao beat Zi Qiu, Huǒ Yulie demolished Tao Xun, and Da Feiyu defeated Mei Xilan. Among all the battles, the last one had been the only close fight that could have gone either way. The reason Mei Xilan lost was simply because her heart was no longer in the fight.

Finally, it was Wu Jian’s turn again.

***

“Will Huǒ Nan and Jian Wu come to the arena?” announced Huǒ Yan.

Huǒ Nan sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. He had a sturdy built and unruly hair the same fiery red as most of his family. His golden eyes were intense and reflected a strong will and inner strength, but the expression on his face was the complete opposite. Wu Jian would have said he looked nonchalant if he wanted to be polite. However, he believed the term lazy was more apt. His clothes, a hanfu that resembled flames spun into cloth, were rumpled and further emphasized his carefree attitude.

“I really don’t want to be in this tournament anymore. It’s way too much trouble.” He cupped his hands and shouted at Huǒ Yan. “Heeeeey! Ref! Can I just forfeit?!”

“NO YOU CANNOT! GET YOUR BUTT IN THAT ARENA!”

The shout did not come from Huǒ Yan but from Huǒ Huangdi. The Phoenix clan head had stood up from his seat to glare at his son, face so red it looked like it might spontaneously combust. Wu Jian assumed this was not the first time the clan head had gotten upset at his son for being lazy and trying to take the easy way out.

“Aaaaaaaah, this is so much trouble. Dammit. Why do I have to take part in this tournament?”

Even as he complained, Huǒ Nan stepped off the platform and began walking down to the arena floor. Flames erupted from his feet and created platforms for him to step on. He had excellent control over the fire element, but of course, that was expected from someone in the Phoenix Clan. Wu Jian couldn’t sense his cultivation, which meant he was at least a Deva Realm cultivator.

“Heeeeeeeey, hurry up and come down here so we can get this over with,” said Huǒ Nan, waving at Wu Jian.

“That brother of mine. He’s so damn lazy,” Huǒ Schuchang muttered. Then he chuckled and slapped Wu Jian in the back. “I’m expecting you to give that lazy ass brother of mine a good kick in the rear.”

“Don’t expect me to help make your brother less lazy somehow… but I’ll be sure to kick his ass.” Wu Jian said with a shrug before he leapt off the platform, ascending to the arena floor far less flashily than anyone else had done so far.

“Are both fighters ready?” asked Huǒ Yan.

“No,” Huǒ Nan replied immediately. “I don’t wanna do this.”

“I’m ready,” Wu Jian said with a sigh. He felt bad for Huǒ Yan, who now looked as annoyed as the clan head. Everyone seemed fairly used to how Huǒ Nan acted, however.

“Both fighters, bow to your ancestors, now to me, and now to your opponent.” Wu Jian did as told, and so did Huǒ Nan… though it took him nearly a minute longer because he was so slow. This further upset Huǒ P Yan who was trying to keep it together. “Good. Now, get ready, and… fight!”

[Phoenix Embrace]

Huǒ Nan clapped his hands together and chi erupted from his body. A bird’s lullaby echoed around them as the flames took on the shape of a phoenix and gently embraced Huǒ Nan. This must have been some kind of defensive technique.

“Well? Go on and attack. I’ll just stand here for a while… but hurry up, please. I want to sleep,” said Huǒ Nan with his half-lidded eyes.

Wu Jian’s right eye twitched. He could now understand why Huǒ Huangdi and Huǒ Yan got so annoyed with this guy. Being on the receiving end of this man’s lazy demeanor was annoying, to say the least.

It didn’t look like Huǒ Nan could move while using this technique, so Wu Jian took his time, walking around the man to study the technique from every conceivable angle. He even flew into the air to look at it from a bird’s eye view. It didn’t look very powerful, and it emitted no heat, but Wu Jian wasn’t fooled. Huǒ Nan had used this technique to defeat his last opponent in a one-sided battle where he did absolutely nothing.

These flames somehow sap the vigor of anyone who dares to attack. Touching it physically is practically a death sentence. However, this technique is not without its weaknesses.

Phoenix Embrace was indeed a powerful technique, but it was not without its weaknesses. The aura generated by the technique drained an opponent of their vigor, but the draining effect required energy to use. It could also be broken through if the opponent possessed overwhelming power or had an elemental advantage. Long-range attacks could also work. Phoenix’s Embrace primarily protected someone against close-ranged or direct physical attacks, so it was possible to bypass the flames by utilizing a long-range attack. This technique also wasn’t a passive skill like Huǒ Yulie’s. He needed to remain still and concentrate to maintain it, meaning he could not attack while it was active.

“How long can you keep this thing up?” asked Wu Jian.

HuǒNan looked baffled by the question but shrugged. “Several days if I really wanted. Why? You don’t plan on waiting for me to run out of chi, do you? That would be a drag, so please don’t.”

That had indeed been one of his ideas, but he threw it out after hearing that. Guess the only thing he could do was use overwhelming force to break through it.

Wu Jian stopped walking around Huǒ Nan and faced him. He closed his eyes and reached deep inside of himself, to where his Byakko Blood was located. Chi surged through his meridians, into his dantian, and encased the blood, which burned brightly as he activated it. His body soon changed.

The transformation was far different from his previous one. He had not been as strong back then as he was now. His muscles were much larger and denser than before, having completely torn his garments apart as they thickened and hardened like meteor iron or black steel. He had grown three heads taller and become far more intimidating. His commanding presence was made all the more prevalent by his eyes, which had become reminiscent of a predatory cat and exuded a primal dominance. Similarly, both his hands and feet had transformed into deadly claws.

Fortunately, his mask still remained in place.

It wasn’t just a physical change that he underwent; his chi also went through a qualitative change while in this state. With Byakko’s dormant power flooding through his meridians, his chi now felt more like that of the celestial white tiger, guardian deity who had once been revered throughout the Xaio Continent, whose very name had been etched into history. It was sharper, feircer, and the pressure it carried caused those in the stands to shake like leaves in the wind. Even Huǒ Nan’s eyes had become wide and round.

This was the near perfect technique that Wu Jian had worked on during the festival.

[Body of the Celestial White Tiger]

“I hope you’re ready,” Wu Jian said as he flexed his claws.

“Uh… no, I’m really not ready,” Huǒ Nan confessed.

“Here I come!”

Wu Jian bent his knees, then pushed, the arena floor cracking underneath him as he soared forward across the ground. He was next to Huǒ Nan within the blink of an eye. He had already raised a clawed hand, which glowed with brilliant silver chi. Even if this barrier was strong, it could be torn to shreds by a stronger technique, and while Wu Jian had a weaker cultivation, the technique he was using now would rip this flimsy barrier apart.

“I surrender!” Huǒ Nan shouted seconds before Wu Jian could bring his clawed hand down.

A startling silence filled the arena, until…

“… Eh?”

Wu Jian’s single confused voice rang out like a crystal clear bell.