A few kilometers away from the spire, the path started to widen to 200 meters. As he closed in on the spire, he could occasionally see a few cultivators flying by. Only golden core cultivators can learn to fly but only nascent soul cultivators have the capability to fly inside a major city’s protection formation.
As he reached the spire, people started crowding. The exteriors of the spire were sparsely covered with projections of fights happening currently in the battle arena. At the bottom of the spire, thousands of people and even some merfolk were gathered looking at a screen. On the screen, a blonde six year old girl was fighting a ginger eighteen year old boy.
The girl was using only one move, ice spike while the boy used various skills with his scimitars. Wind whistled as the boy moved his scimitars around. The boy fought like a seasoned veteran minutely dodging the ice spikes. He looked like a dancing butterfly. But the exquisite control with which the girl sent forth spikes kept him at absolutely bay. Both were no doubt geniuses but Castiel didn’t understand why so many people were focussed on this particular screen.
Ultimately this was just a distraction to Castiel’s life. He had one purpose today, to get his talent and affinity tested. While he waded through the crowd, a person looking to be in his fifties tapped his shoulder.
“Hello, Master Castiel. Haven’t seen you for a long time. How are ya?”
“Hello sir, I am fine. Thank you for asking. How did you know it was me?” Castiel exclaimed while holding his hat. This was Mr. Anderson, his biology teacher in middle school.
“Not many twelve year old black-haired boys in Bluefire. Why the long face son? Not happy to see me?”
“No no no…” Denied Castiel as he tried to stretch his lips. But he hadn’t smiled once in the last two years. Forget smiling, he hadn’t even interacted with another being except for his sister after his mother’s funeral.
“I am just pulling your leg. But you should smile more. You look dashing when you smile. And come back to school as soon as you can. I can imagine the thoughts swirling in your head but no matter what you want to do in the future, you will need the knowledge to execute it.”
“Thank you sir. That was the plan all along."He said with conviction.
“Why is everyone focusing on that screen?”
“They are famous people. That girl is Carla Seraphim, daughter of the Bluefire spire manager. She is also a heaven’s chosen and the qi gathering champion of Bluefire spire. That boy is Richard Zechariah, the first outer disciple of the Stormwind sect. He achieved his hundred consecutive victories against the same level a while ago. This battle is for the position of the qi gathering champion.”
Castiel’s eyes widened as heard the girl’s name. Seraphim is the exclusive surname of the Serafin empire’s royal family. He didn’t imagine seeing a royal family member so far away from the empire capital. He also had heard of Richard. He was an outcast in the Zechariah family since he didn't have fire affinity. He had a cultivation talent of 3 and wind affinity of 12. He heard from his classmates that he ran away from home when he was twelve. Castiel didn’t know he joined the Stormwind sect and even became the first outer disciple.
Peerless geniuses are those with cultivation talent of 5 and elemental affinity 10 or higher. Peerless geniuses born after the Badlands paradox are sometimes called heaven’s chosen.
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Bluefire principality is shaped like an irregular square surrounded by ocean on the right and three small principalities on the other sides. Stormwind sect is a second grade sect and the largest sect of these four principalities.
After he heard their names, he did not mind spending a few minutes to look at the results.
“Why is she able to send ice spikes so effortlessly? Is she a mage?” asked Castiel.
“She is a demon of comprehension. She has trained the simple move of ice spike to absolute proficiency. She doesn’t need to perform hand signs or shout out the skill’s name to execute it. That’s why it looks like she is using the skill instantaneously. But there is a very small chance for her to lose this battle. She has only cultivated to late qi gathering while the boy has cultivated to pinnacle qi gathering.” A cultivator to the left of him answered before Mr. Anderson could.
Richard jumped into the air to dodge an ice spike. Six ice spikes from the six cardinal directions launched simultaneously towards Richard. The crowd gasped at Carla’s exquisite control. This was looking dire for Richard.
Before he could be hit, a small whirlwind generated at Richard’s feet as he hurtled through the air at an angle dodging all the spikes. While in the air, Richard took out two kunai shaped hairpins from his hair. He instantly generated a whirlwind in each of his palms and threw the hairpins towards Carla. The hairpins spiraled through the air as they gained momentum, reaching almost supersonic speeds as they reached Carla.
The crowd erupted in a cacophony of murmurs.
“Richard has never used instant minor whirlwind in the last hundred battles. This was the first time he revealed that he is a mage. Sending out six ice spikes has used too much of Carla’s thought prowess though, she won’t be able to block the kunais in time.” Explained the same cultivator.
Almost as soon as the hairpins touched Carla’s body, both Carla and Richard were covered by formation, ending the battle.
“Let’s have a round of applause. FOR THE NEW QI GATHERING CHAMPION OF BLUEFIRE SPIRE!!!” The commentator exclaimed.
“You will be rewarded with a bone repairing pill and 100 primary mana stones. You can choose a set of one cultivation technique and one skill, or one cultivation art from the spire public library. You can also avail a shelter for the duration of a year if you so choose.” The referee explained to Richard after he caught his breath.
Bone repairing pills are self explanatory, although it’s primary use is to expedite the healing during bone forging. Mana stones are the common currency for cultivators, they contain an astonishing amount of energy.
“Thank you elder.” said Richard.
By now tears had started forming in Carla’s eyes as she was giving Richard the side eye. The crowd didn’t even notice as a handsome blonde young man with luminescent blue eyes appeared beside Carla. He picked her up by the collar before she could make a scene.
“Good job boy. I hope when I see you again, you are the Bluefire spire bone forging champion.” The man sent warm regards to Richard.
Before Richard could reply, Carla started crying loudly.
“Daddy!! He is a cheater. He didn’t tell me he was a mage. Why are you on his side? You should punish him instead. You should ask him to…to….to wash my dishes for one month.” Carla whined.
“Thank you Mr. Manager.” Said Richard.
The man started running away as he dragged Carla by the collar. The crowd outside was laughing boisterously as they had never seen this side of Carla. She usually has a haughty expression after she wins a battle. Ultimately she is just a kid, albeit a Seraphim.
“Can I ask you a question sir?” Richard shouted towards the man.
“Go ahead.”
“Can I give the opportunity to choose cultivation methods to someone else?”
“Sure.” And the man was gone.
It made sense that Richard didn’t need this opportunity as he could get better wind affinity methods in the stormwind sect, at least better than the public library. The crowd dispersed as the curtain closed on the spectacle.
“I will see you soon in school sir. Thank you elder.” Castiel bowed towards Mr. Anderson and the random cultivator, and made his way to the spire reception.
“I will be waiting for you.”