The atmosphere in the main cave was more geared toward a festival than a martial event. Street vendors had been allowed to set up booths that ranged from those selling weapons, armors, and herbs, to those selling exotic food that represented the different provinces of the Empire.

Barkers with glib tongues were competing with each other, attempting to gain the attention of passing Cultivators by hawking exotic goods and foods. I let the sounds, sights, and smells wash over me for the most part, inundated with a cacophony of sensory overload that was almost debilitating.

The crowds of people jostling against each other was almost a living entity itself. The pool of people flowing and gathering as whim and the occasional shouting match allowed. There were street performers sprinkled among the sea of madness. Musicians caught the attention of passersby.

The music was eclectic. Folksy tunes that extolled the nuance of culture and empire. One of the more interesting songs was eerily similar to 'The Sound of Silence'. The words had changed, but the meaning remained the same. The most popular performance might be classified as opera, but opera that leaned heavily on the natural world for sound. Music that used bird song, the movement of wind, even the roaring rage of fire to create a sound that was uniquely Elvish.

I spent an hour simply listening, losing myself in my imagination as the world the performers were creating, a world constantly changing took shape. The finale was a cacophony of sound and fury as the artist sang of the destructive forces of nature, using the raging roar of fire and gale force winds as a backdrop.

For the first time in a long time, I had to retract my Qi perception, narrowing it and using it as a shield to filter out the incoming stimuli. The opera had included an undercurrent of Qi to bring forth a depth that just vocal inflections could never reproduce. There were none of the light effects that might be found on Earth, no dry ice creating fog, they were not needed to enhance the performance when Qi could be controlled. I would have been overwhelmed if I hadn't withdrawn my senses.

It left me feeling strangely vulnerable and exposed, and as I pushed my way against the crowd, attempting to escape, my movements lost the fluidity that I had spent a year perfecting. My jerking and twitching at every sudden sound were mirrored by most of the Cultivators that hadn't advanced to Nascent Soul. They had learned during Qi Gathering Realm how to filter their extended perception to ignore Qi shaped to give substance to sound.

Eventually, I was able to make my way through the streets. I won't say I got better, that my movements regained their fluidity, but I was able to soldier though, not able to ignore, but able to withstand and process stimuli in my sensitized state.

The vendors who were hawking goods were insistent on cores or stones, although a few were willing to barter, it was a time-intensive process that the frenzied passage or crowd simply didn't allow. You were better off selling items or resources to merchants looking for those specific goods and returning to pay for the items you were interested in.

The exception was the Dragon Spire Sect's Blacksmith and Array shops. Items there could be purchased for metals, materials, cores, stones, or contribution points. Dragon Spire had agreed to honor all participating Sects and their member's contribution points as valid. Once the tournament was completed, Dragon Spire would trade back the contribution points they had accumulated with the Sects.

Sects often trade material, items, and techniques. They had long ago created a system of exchange that established conformity. Contribution points in one Sect was worth exactly the same in any other Sect within the empire. This valuation allowed Dragon Spire members to sell items without worry.

Of course, it was possible a Sect might not have anything to offer, nothing of worth to buy back those contribution points Dragon Spire earned during the tournament. That was where the government came in to play. If an imbalance remained, the Emperor had agreed to purchase the excess points, one-hundred contribution points, for one low-grade spirit stone.

I made my way slowly to the Blacksmith shop; I had an idea for armor I'd like to commission. Dragon Spire Sect was renowned for having the Empire's best artisan, and I also needed to upgrade my Tessen and Bow soon. I regretted losing them; they had been amazing weapons, versatile and powerful enough for my Realm, but they would not be useful much longer.

I believed that the tournament would provide me enough experience to attempt to break through to the next Realm, and I wanted to have more suitable weapons available when that happened. The breakthrough wouldn't happen the next day, but I was hopeful. I discounted my recent elevation, the difficulty involved, the path forward would be strewn with opportunity and pain. I was determined to take embrace every advantage, I would use each experience as a stepping-stone forward.

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The shop Dragon Spire had set up for the blacksmiths took advantage of the same spatial array functionality that they had incorporated into the Water Sect illusion that we were being housed in. The inside was multiple times larger than the out, with a series of floors. Each floor representing weapons and armor that catered to specific realms. The main floor was the largest, displaying items that were well suited for Body Refinement Cultivators.

I and everyone that entered was greeted at the door politely. We were given a pamphlet that explained the buildings set up and a map that prominently highlighted where each floor's stairs could be found. Certain spaces were also highlighted; shops were given a star rating, with the more famous Blacksmiths receiving as many as four stars. The pamphlet included a legend that detailed where one could find shops that specialized.

How one Sect could find enough people to act as guides, salesman, and vendors must have taken an insane amount of time and resources. It was no wonder this kind of tournament was not a frequent occurrence. Any Sect other than one as rich as Dragon Spire would bankrupt themselves making the attempt.

Flowing Water Sect was considered mid-size, members numbering not many more than a five-hundred. Those employed might increase that number by a few hundred, but all told, there was less than a thousand people. Dragon Spire had ten times that number of Sect members. Ten-thousand people most of them concentrating on Blacksmithing or Array formation for their secondary professions.

The people browsing, wandering between shops, were more reserved. There was still that level of excitement as those that roamed the streets, but there seemed to be more purpose to that excitement. The numbers of people that had the same idea I had, made me worry that I'd waited too long, that any of the superb weapons I was searching for had already been sold.

It was a wonder they had so many goods for sale. They must have emptied their vault in an attempt to sell off all the items that had been stockpiled. Weapons every apprentice, master, and grandmaster had crafted over the years may have found its way here.

I was hopeful that even if the best weapons had already been picked clean, or claimed by those within Dragon Sect, something would resonate with me. Even a lower quality weapon I might find here was probably legions better than what the Blacksmiths at Flowing Water Sect could craft.

It wasn't related to skill, our Sect members were capable blacksmiths, the difference in production was one of the environment. Flowing Water Sect simply didn't have the elemental Qi that Dragon Spire sported. Water simply wasn't conducive to fire and metal affinities needed to forge weapons and armor that reached masterclass.

"Young Miss Jay," I heard a voice call out as I was browsing the shops that had been set up on the second floor for those that had entered the Qi Gathering Realm. The myriad number of weapons and armor seemed to confirm my thoughts that Dragon Spire had emptied out their treasury of weapons, even going so far as to bring out weapons that may have been gathering dust for centuries.

It made me wonder why an annual fair wasn't held, a renaissance event that allowed each Sect to display their items and sell what could not be used across the Empire. Tarrah had informed me that the reason I was ennobled and would receive a fief was a calculated move by the empire to keep cultivators invested. Why wouldn't a more robust trading system be encouraged?

Turning towards the voice, I was happy to see that Yvonne, the young woman I had had such an interesting conversation with was working one of the booths. The items she had on display included armor ranging from silk, leather, to metal.

"Cultivator Yvonne," I said joining my hands together, palms facing each other in a standard greeting between merchant and customer. Although I knew who she was and that her cultivation realm out-ranked mine, at the moment, that aspect of her identity was ignored. Here she was a merchant. It was established tradition, by ignoring the Realm or a merchant, customers were able to interact with powerful individuals.

"If I had known you had planned on visiting, I would have been happy to escort you to the pavilion," she remarked.

"I appreciate the kindness, but I fear I would have delayed you needlessly," I said. "I spent some time playing the backwater tourist. It took me a bit of time and effort to acclimate my perception so that I could navigate the teeming crowds.

"That can be problematic," she agreed, "the excess energy of so many people can be hard to filter. I am pleased to see that you have succeeded.

"Was there something you were looking for?" She asked. "I know the items that are available on this floor and might be able to make suggestions.

"If you wouldn't mind?" I agreed willing to take advantage of our brief association to ask for advice. "I am looking for a set of armor, something that can be worn during the tournament, as well as a new Tessen and Bow.

"The weapons I have presently are serviceable, but I hope to breakthrough to the Qi Gathering Realm soon, and I would like to be prepared.

The smile that adorned her face after I made my request led me to believe that she could be of help. Looking at the armor that was stacked behind her, as well as the few sets that had been placed on dress forms, I knew why.

I had thought the armor wouldn't be much of an issue, but if my guess was right, she would be able to guide me to a craftsman that specialized in Bows and Tessens. I should have realized that the Dragon Spire Sect would expect anyone they entrusted to run a booth with enough knowledge to guide potential customers to the right person.