Henry glanced at the identical 69 armbands he shared with Guan Li and couldn’t help but laugh. It seemed this world was blissfully unaware of the raunchiness his world contained. Guan Li looked at him, puzzled by what he found amusing; she didn’t grasp the joke, and Henry didn’t want to spoil her perspective further.
Lu and Yi were unhappy with his decision to collaborate with Guan Li. Lu argued that he needed to be independent, and her participation would taint any potential success. Yi was less interested in the accolades and more upset that he decided to link their house with the Li clan. She mentioned that Fei had ties to the Li Clan matriarch but didn’t go into further detail.
Henry was indifferent to their reasons; his only concern was Guan Li's safety. Say what you will about losing your virginity to someone; it makes you pretty protective.
Although the duo's fighting category lacked prestige, it boasted a larger prize pool, making it a favorite for sects looking to recruit students—after all, you get two fighters for the price of one. Audiences were drawn to the duo matches for their imaginative dynamics. The battles were filled with heightened drama, featuring lovers perishing and siblings battling to rescue one another. Spectators truly reveled in this excitement.
Henry remained unapologetic, even as people behind him began voicing their frustrations. A slender man with a mustache daringly poked him. Maintaining his composure, Henry swiftly turned and struck the man at four precise points with impressive speed, leaving him frozen in place. With the astonished clerk and onlookers standing dumbfounded behind them, Henry and Guan Li stepped into the stadium, eager to take in the sights and sounds of the Rookie Tournament.
The Grand Colosseum of Crucible City is an awe-inspiring tribute to the might of cultivation and its boundless potential. Towering walls lead to a marble stage expansive enough to rival the size of grand manors. The seating can accommodate an astonishing number of spectators, while the luxurious suites above are lavishly appointed for VIPs and heads of state who frequently come to watch. Each of the twelve Sects and ten Clans has been granted their own exclusive suites adorned with their respective insignias.
Henry sought to catalog all the Clan and Sect insignias he had studied with Lan. She diligently endeavored to instill in him as much knowledge as possible during their brief time together in seclusion. However, he possessed only a vague understanding of the intricate web of alliances and politics that defined the South. While Fei ruled uncontested in the North, in the South, it seemed everyone owed a debt of favor or was entangled in an ongoing generational blood feud.
“How do you handle all this intrigue, Guan? It confuses me trying to determine who to avoid offending and whom I should try to win over?" Henry asked.
“I was raised in this, dear; it’s all I have ever known. Besides, who cares about politics if you can just crush your competition,” Guan Li said domineeringly.
“Wow, look at you, what happened to the schemer I met?”
"Since we're working as a duo, I need to adapt my strategies to align with your, how should I say, lack of refinement," Guan Li remarked, eliciting a chuckle from Henry.
The two walked to the many booths of vendors and hawkers that lined the inside of the stadium. It was like a city within a city here, with all the merchants selling weapons and regents as well as strange foods and potions. Strange men with even stranger weapons all demonstrated how if you were to buy their wares, it would cement your win in the tournament. There were even booths that sold slaves who would fight in the owner's place or even be used as a human meat shield in the duo's fights.
Henry considered the most astonishing element of the world to be the myriad wonders surrounding him. It was undoubtedly not slavery, which he found abhorrent. Instead, he was continually amazed by the significant profits arising from cultivation. Everything in this place revolved around cultivating or supporting those engaged in it. Even the local cuisine was tailored for cultivators.
Henry and Guan passed by a cook who was deftly slicing thin strands of noodles from a dough piece balanced on his head. The blades seemed to move independently while the man formed meatballs, cooking them in his palms. He pinched a piece of meat and roasted it in his hand, making it look irresistibly delicious. Henry speculated that the cook was channeling ki to achieve this. Nearby, a helper stirred a pot of soup with sweeping arm motions, reflecting the movement of the liquids inside.
Henry pointed at the vendor, and Guan Li smiled.
They were promptly seated. After placing their order and receiving tea, the two relaxed, enjoying each other's company while quietly observing their surroundings.
The food arrived steaming hot, and the two eagerly dug in. Henry slurped his noodles with abandon; they were expertly cooked, and the meatballs were tender, infused with ki. The rich, hearty soup invigorated him with every sip.
"By the way, what must we do to qualify?" Henry inquired, sipping tea while nibbling on a delicate lemon square.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Guan Li almost spit out her tea.
“How have you managed to get this far and secure support from the North without knowing how to qualify for the tournament?" she exclaimed, shocked and appalled.
Henry just shrugged at her unapologetically.
“We will be pitted in a free-for-all until a certain quota of survivors is met,” Guan Li said, sipping her tea daintily.
“That's pretty fucked up, you know, like majorly so, the possible mass genocide aside, is there like a plan or strategy?”
Guan Li looked at him like a baby who was just learning to walk, so precious and yet so likely to hurt himself.
“ The cultivators from the Clans will stick together while the independents kill themselves. Clan Li has an agreement with some of the other houses, but of course, some will make an attempt at you.”
Henry knew he would be a target, but that was fine with him; the dirty clan fuckers can come in droves, and he would send them home in a body bag. He had been itching for a chance to let loose.
“Hen Ri dear, you should settle down. Your eyes are glowing,” Guan Li said, patting his hand.
Henry noticed that his eyes tended to glow when he got excited.
They finished their meal, and Henry left a sizable tip; he understood the shit food service people dealt with, and he would not be the cheap asshole that contributed to that.
The happy couple milled around window shopping and eating little bits of mystery meats on skewers. Their bliss was broken when Guan’s crystal started to vibrate and flared red.
"We should head to the opening ceremony; you won't want to miss it," she said, taking his arm and rushing toward the arena.
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The place was packed with cultivators milling around. You could feel the animosity in the air as people glared at each other. Henry was curious about what was preventing this pot from boiling over. His question was answered when twelve old men and women descended from the twelve suites. He now understood why the cultivators here didn’t kill each other—it was because of these twelve.
The old men and women represented the full might of the Southern Alliance. They had the power to make or break the future of thousands. They gazed down at the huddled masses of cultivators, and one floated out of the group. He had pure white hair that spilled from his head and chin. His regal bone structure and blood-red eyes made him look almost like a vampire. He spread his arms wide as if greeting the sky and let out a deep, booming laugh.
“Future sons and daughters of heaven, I, Huanli Fong of the Bloody Tears sect, would like to welcome you to the six hundred and sixty-sixth inaugural Rookie Tournament.”
Cheers thundered from the crowd of cultivators as a fist was raised into the air.
Henry was a sucker for fan service as he whooped and pumped his fist into the air.
Huanli Fong let them cheer for a bit before sending a ki wave throughout the stadium.
Henry heard the noise drop away as he screamed, but no sound came out. What a flex of power! This guy just silenced a whole stadium full of people with his ki.
“You all came here because you believe that you are worthy of power; that is good, and that is what we wish to see in our potential disciples. We want the new generation of the Martial Alliance to stand strong. With that in mind, we will introduce even more rewards for your fights this year.”
He paused like a seasoned showman, allowing the idea of additional loot to linger in everyone's minds. Henry noticed the cultivators nearby, including Guan Li, practically drooling eagerly.
“Now for the newcomers, this first round is what we will call the cull. There are a total of eighty thousand, and we will separate you into groups of one hundred. From there, you will fight until ten fighters are left in each group. These fights will occur in a separate realm where critical damage will eliminate you from the tournament.”
Henry looked at Guan Li and saw her eyes harden. They would be separated, and she would have to fend for herself.
“You must think me some helpless damsel; I can hear you worrying about me,” she gave him a light peck on the cheek.
“I knew about this going into the tournament. Do you think I'm that weak?”
She punched him lightly in the arm.
God, she was so hot, Henry thought.
“No, it's just, you know? What if you get injured?” Henry said.
“Do you never listen to instructions? He said we would be sent out of the separate realm if it was critical. The Martial Alliance is not in the business of killing its future resources.”
It made sense they couldn’t just let these future students die; that didn’t make Henry worry less. A severed limb might not be critical; who knew what the criteria were?
She gave Henry another kiss, this one deeper and more passionate. His worries drained away as he lost himself in her lips.
“I'll be fine, you big lug; just worry about yourself, Mister Scion of the North; you know they’ll be gunning for you.”
“And to sum it up, accidents happen, and sometimes people die. But don’t worry; if you can’t survive the cull, you were never meant to achieve power or glory.”
Henry tilted his head as he heard the statement, watching the people in the stadium shimmer and fade away. Guan Li squeezed his hand tightly one last time before disappearing completely.
The world plunged into ominous darkness as the Rookie Tournament began.