Zhao Yi had worked hard the last two weeks to keep up with his cultivation and earn some money until the tournament. It wasn’t easy, but it was worth the investment compared to living in a shack down by the river!

Finally though he was going to be able to enter the tournament and hopefully be recruited by either a sect or perhaps the Xi clan itself.

Leaving the inn he had called home for the last two weeks including his deep meditative baths, Zhao Yi stepped into the morning sunlight, his eyes adjusted quickly to the vibrant and busy world outside that had just woken up as well. The air was filled with scents of people preparing for the tournament. Today there would be more than a few cultivators roaming the streets from all over Xi clan territories and beyond.

Zhao Yi took a liking to taking early walks around the city as it stirred from its sleep. Stalls would open with sharp clacking of wood and metal hinges would squeeze slightly as people slowly began to go about their day. To him it seemed like many people didn’t have a specific reason for what they did. Their worries seemed so superficial and peaceful. Over the last two weeks he had learned quickly that it was cultivators that enabled them to live lives of peace.

Cultivators from many families and sects were going around as they prepared to attend the tournament, some competitors others looking for potential talents. As he had continued to refine his meridians he noticed he had become increasingly sensitive to the subtle differences in the aura the various cultivators gave off. Everyone’s core was based on a gemstone or metal over time the energies would harden around their soul and form a hard core. From what he had managed to gather the Xi clan specialized in Ruby and Sapphire cores. Most of their descendents would have one of those two. This was likely due to the volcano that laid between two rivers the spiritual energies from both would greatly influence someone as they cultivated and Zhao Yi was sure it would affect him as well.

The arena where the tournament took place was quite large beside the Xi clan compound; it was the tallest point in the city. Zhao Yi’s gaze took in the beautiful architecture that made everything else in the city seem even less impressive despite thinking the city was already impressive.

*THWAK!*

Just as Zhao Yi had decided to move towards the main gate of the arena his jaw collided with someone’s forehead sending both himself and the person to the floor.

“Hey that hurt! What is your problem?” a small, but firm voice growled.

Zhao Yi’s eyes landed on a beautiful girl with vivid and furious golden eyes. Only a few seconds passed before he snapped out of staring into her eyes as she continued to glare at him as she dusted off her robe. The girl was probably around his own age as he stood up offering a hand.

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“Apologies I was taking in the sights and didn’t see you there.” Zhao Yi saw that despite being around his age she was quite small, definitely not as imposing in figure as Lady Xi Biyu who he had traveled with.

With a huff the girl stood up not taking his hand. “You know if my master finds out about this he would break your legs!”

Zhao Yi instantly could feel his body begin to sweat with a bit of anxiety. “Please accept my apology! I am a competitor for the tournament and I can’t afford to miss this opportunity.”

The youthful girl put her hands on her small hips. Her hair was shorter than Xi Biyu’s only falling to her shoulders and it was a light brown compared to the stark black hair of Xi Biyu’s. “Why should I care about that? I’m also a competitor. I am from the Iron Tortoise sect daughter of the sect master himself!”

“Young Mistress Mei Ling! You wandered off again! You are making my job as guardian difficult.” A large oversized bulky man showed up, his head was bald and even under his robes one could tell he was extremely muscular as it barely contained his figure.

Upon seeing Zhao Yi and Mei Ling squared off towards each other his eyes narrowed immediately. “Miss Mei Ling, is this man accosting you?”

Sweat continued to form on his brow and back of his neck as he felt his situation had gotten drastically more serious. “No no! Just a miscommunication is all.” Zhao Yi said trying to take a step back, but as he did the man darted faster than a man his size should have and grabbed both his shoulders keeping him in place.

“Miss Mei will be the determiner of that boy.” The hulking man looked at the girl called Mei Ling who still had a smug haughty look on her face.

“He collided into me and made me fall, hurting my head. Break his legs Hu Men.” she said waving her hand ignoring a few passerbyers who had been observing the scene. No one would intervene on behalf of someone with Zhao Yi’s status.

Hu Men nodded “As you wish Milady.”

“Wait!” Zhao Yi shouted out. “Miss Mei, please take a look at this!”

Zhao Yi took out the token Xi Shen had given him and showed it to Hu Men who had just started to lift him up.

Looking over to her Hu Men paused as if to wait for her to decide. Mei Ling waved for him to proceed and look at the token.

After setting down Zhao Yi he sighed with relief.

Hu Men looked at the token and his eyebrows went slightly up in surprise since it would be greatly shocking to see a Xi clan token in the hands of a commoner. His assessment immediately shifted.

Mei Ling walked over and took the token from Hu Men who spoke to her as she looked at it her own eyes shot open in surprise as she looked at Zhao Yi. “It looks like milady that he is part of the Xi clan.”

Zhao Yi didn’t bother to correct their assumption since there was no need to. He wasn’t about to risk them breaking his legs over this.

“I see. Well apologies you must be a young master from the Xi clan! It is fine if we call it even and just see each other in the tournament.” Mei Ling said, handing the token back to Zhao Yi.

Zhao Yi immediately snatched it up and bowed to the small psycho girl. “Thank you for your understanding. I really need to get to the arena and register. You have a wonderful day.”

Darting away Zhao Yi didn’t give them any opportunity to ask him more questions about himself and disappeared into the increasingly crowded streets of Xi city.