Six months passed in a flash.

In the Central Square of First Capital.

The entire area was occupied by a crowd with no end in sight. Most shops and stalls were removed from sight, and instead had many layers of formation flags and pillars spread around their positions.

Around these flags and pillars rose ethereal stairs made of Qi, where many people climbed up towards a floating platform.

This floating platform was almost a quarter of the city, with around a few hundred thousand people currently standing upon it. At the center of the floating platform stood a gigantic arena, and around it tens of thousands of seats.

Huge banners of many families whipped around with the strong winds. There were even influential families from South and North, who rarely paid attention to the central lands of the Bai Dynasty.

However, the most striking banner among them all was a golden-white flag that read Bai in dark letters.

Many commoners and low-level cultivators lowered their heads as they passed by that particular banner, bowing towards a particular place near the arena.

This particular place was the first-class seating separated for the Great Nobles and the Imperial Ancestor.

There were only two hundred seats here, and even they were divided within them. Twelve of these seats stood at the helm, with the best view around, while others formed a triangle shape behind them.

‘’Masterful work.’’

At the honor seat was an old man with dragon embroidered robes. He had long silver hair and beard that touched his waist and exuded a powerful aura few people could match.

Hearing his praise, one of the Formation Masters stood up behind him and gave a sincere bow, offering kind words in return. A small discussion rose there about the cost and expertise required to make the arena and so on, but the old man didn’t pay attention.

Instead, he simply waved his hand, then focused his gaze towards a particular group near the arena’s entrance.

‘’Is that...’’

*********

Down at the arena entrance, Li Ao stood together with his master and senior siblings. The four of them remained on low profile, watching the proceedings happen for some time.

Not much away from them, Lei Jin was waiting with his mother and father.

There were many like them, where young men and women stood waiting with their masters and parents. Some had anxious gazes, while most seemed determined to prove themselves worthy of respect. All of them, however, did share a wry smile when they cast a look at a high platform at the horizon.

There were thirteen young men and women there, each of them boasting powerful auras. They had green halos around their bodies indicating their heavenly luck and destiny.

They also carried a lofty air and gazed down at everyone with disdain.

‘’Acting like hot stuff already—’’ Fan Yueyin commented, her voice cold. ‘’Try not to be like them in the future.’’

Sun Jian crossed his arms and nodded. Then his gaze went across the stage to the Heaven’s Children and glared daggers at them. How dare they make his master unhappy?

Qing Yan didn’t react to the words. She had a wool cap over her head, both hands at its edges, and pulled it down with all her might. A faint silver sheen could be seen under the cap’s shadow.

Li Ao, being the good junior brother he was, actually imitated Sun Jian and joined him in applying pressure to the group of chosen.

Their ferocious gazes made the Heaven's Children aware of their presence, who all looked at them once then snorted. Only three of them kept gazing back, at which time they began a war of attrition.

‘’Stop fooling around.’’

Fan Yueyin turned to face them, arms crossed.

‘’Sun Jian, Qing Yan, concede if you feel like you can’t win against the enemy. Don’t ruin your chances of winning at Forging because of stubbornness. If possible, try to expose the enemy's techniques for your junior brother.''

‘’Uh, what about me?’’

Fan Yueyin cast him a deep look, then spit out in a cold voice.

‘’Do you believe that I will beat you to death if you concede?’’

‘’I believe! I won’t concede even if I die!’’

‘’Yes, try to do so.’’

Shaking her head, Fan Yueyin cast them another look.

‘’Sun Jian, come over to my side after you are out of competition.’’

Li Ao cast a look to the highest seats and saw many terrifying people sitting together. He only knew Sun Zhongyan among them. Other than that, he also saw young people standing beside the seated people, who all were either disciples or heirs of them in some form.

Sun Jian being her eldest disciple, it was only right for him to accompany Fan Yueyin there.

Just as he was inspecting them, the old man in the center turned his gaze to him. Li Ao felt his body shake. His insides churned, and his cultivation felt as if it would go berserk, but a moment later Fan Yueyin stepped in front of him. She let out a cold snort that dispelled the remnant aura.

Wiping the sweat on his forehead, Li Ao’s eyes flickered.

‘Nascent Soul?’

‘Is he the Imperial Ancestor?’

Sighing once more, Fan Yueyin pat the trio's head. ‘’There is nothing else. Do your best.’’

Sun Jian kept his bloodshot eyes over at Heaven's Children while he shouted. ‘’I will make you proud, master!’’

Qing Yan made a short bow. ‘’...I will too.’’

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Hearing no other response, Fan Yueyin cast a weird glance at Li Ao.

‘’...ah, yes, proud! Aren’t you already proud with me, master?’’

Cheeks twitching, Fan Yueyin took a step in the air and disappeared from sight. A few moments later, she appeared at the twelve seats with other powerful beings. They saw her sit down, then start talking with two old men that looked like old chickens.

Anyone could read the hot air between them, which seemed likely to erupt at a moment.

Noting it down, Li Ao pulled Sun Jian and Qing Yan away to meditate, then sat on the ground to prepare himself.

Soon, a loud drumming echoed across the entire arena. A few whistles accompanied the booms, then a flute symphony appeared with grandiose turns. Audience seats started clamouring right then, joining the tune with claps and woos, and a lively atmosphere came to being.

The parents and masters of others left in turn as well. Now, at the entrance only some three hundred youths kept waiting, all nervous and sweaty. Few of them stood out with their relative calmness. Lei Jin had a stoic face, and his gaze shot forward to the arena where he had great expectations.

Although others didn’t mention it much, he had the second-highest cultivation among the First Capital’s prominent youths. He was at the eighth-level of Qi Condensation, only a stage behind Sun Jian who stood at Ninth-level.

Apart from him, however, a common-looking girl with ponytails attracted people’s attention. She had no one guarding her when she came, yet showed a profound cultivation at the ninth-level of Qi Condensation. There was also a mysterious air to her that made people nervous.

By the time everyone inspected each other and regarded their potential foes, a loud voice ushered them in.

Within seconds, everyone rushed out like flies to a corpse. As they took their places on the wide arena, the thirteen Heaven’s Children also descended their high platform. All of them took care to stand apart from the common group, which incensed some of the people.

The music toned down, a tad bit more relaxed and quiet, and one of the twelve elders flied out of his seat.

Clearing his throat, the old man spoke with a lively voice unbecoming of his looks.

‘’Firstly, let me thank every family, establishment and group for sponsoring this event, held by the grace of our dear Imperial Ancestor to further aid and improve the competitive spirit...’’

The judge spewed a bunch of introductory thanks and information, which most people ignored, then took on a somber expression.

‘’Bai-Wide Youth Competition is the first in the history of our great nation, and as such we are working on finer details for the follow up events and organizational...’’

Li Ao found himself yawning. Sun Jian kept looking down at his feet, while Qing Yan and Lei Jin were off to the side whispering something. The ponytails girl put both hands on her hips and glared at the judge with a vicious look.

Audience was no better. Some started chatting among themselves, and soon their sounds clashed with the judge's passionate voice.

Hearing the commotion, the judge stopped after a while, cleared his throat, then spoke again.

‘’Alright, let us begin with the real event. There are four competitions, all in named order, Fighting, Forging, Formations, Alchemy, which all require the participants...’’

When the torture kept going, some couldn't take it anymore. However, no one dared to voice their open approval.

And, again, however...

‘’For heaven’s sake, start the fucking thing already!’’

The ponytail girl visibly shook from anger as she shouted at the air. The arena fell silent at her words, with gasps and gulps rising from the youth around her. The judge froze when the echoes of the shout died.

He floated in the air, silent, and cast a weird glance at the girl who could kill people with a look. He seemed to consider something, but few could ascertain his features from the height he remained.

After a long time, a single drop of tear fell from the skies in front of Li Ao. His jaw stretched wide when he noticed it.

‘’I just wanted to be helpful...’’

Speaking in a depressed voice, the judge flew back to his seat and sat down, despondent.

An uncomfortable silence fell over the entire arena. The audience spasmed at the ridiculous encounter, while the youngsters had no words to say. Only, Sun Jian seemed livid among them, and Li Ao barely noticed in time to keep him from leaping at the girl.

‘’How dare you disrespect your elders, you bad girl! Don’t you see how hard he has worked to make everything good for us!? How ungrateful must you be to curse and interrupt his words amidst an important event!? You-you- you bad girl! You bad girl!’’

Unfortunately, he couldn’t stop the boy from speaking.

His shout sounded once, then twice inside the arena.

A slap echoed from where Fan Yueyin stood, but Sun Jian kept shouting, sounding aggrieved.

''What will you lose if you wait a few more seconds!? A few more minutes, or hours!? Aren't you a cutivator!? You have all the time in the world, but no patience to spend it!? And you even hurt others with bad words!? Are you a demonic cultivator!? At least demonics kill with a sword! You bad girl!''

The girl with the ponytail seemed dumbstruck at the effects of her words first, then her eyes popped at Sun Jian’s outburst. Not knowing what to do, under the stares of both the audience and her competitors, she cowered. A few seconds later, with tears in her eyes she bowed her head and clasped her hands towards the high seats.

‘’Uh...elder, I am sorry. Would you please come back?’’

Her plea made the old judge tremble, but he didn’t move. His eyes dark, expression pale, head low, the old man seemed to be truly spent and done.

But Li Ao noticed the change and with a thought went right after her. ‘’Elder! Please instruct us!’’ Then he pulled Sun Jian’s sleeves and cast him a grave look.

Sun Jian seemed to understand it as he bowed as well. ‘’Elder! Please instruct us!’’

The judge further trembled, then cast a questioning look filled with expectation.

Noticing it, Li Ao glared at the people behind him, mouthing some words. Expressions flickering, a few more people joined.

Others followed soon, and except the Heaven’s Children almost all participants shouted in loud voices. Soon, the elder had a beaming smile as he shot out of his seat, laughing and stroking his beard.

‘’Well! If you children say so! There is nothing else I can do! Is there!?’’

After laughing for a good minute, he cleared his throat again.

‘’Well, now let us get to the event at hand.’’

Audience winced, but the feared thing didn’t come to be.

With a wave of his hand, the judge procured a cube that glistened with a golden sheen. He slapped it down towards the arena and in a moment dozens of walls of light appeared over the ground, separating participants.

‘’There will be four rounds of elimination—just follow the Qi thread assigned to you and enter the proper area. Fight begins one minute after both participants enter. If you receive a fatal wound or concede, the arena will eject you outside, so fight to your heart’s content.’’

‘’Once you defeat an opponent, you may rest for a minute only. I will disqualify anyone who takes any longer!’’ This, the judge said with an overbearing voice. The spreading sound suppressed the people listening, causing everyone on the ground to bow their heads. His cultivation was actually at Core Formation realm!

‘’After four rounds, the matches will be decided by pulling lots. Since there are many powerful eyes watching, don’t worry about people messing with the fighting order.’’

‘’You have two minutes to take your places!’’

Saying so, the judge lowered himself until he stood above the center-most arena and sat cross-legged.

Li Ao urged his senior brother and sister to their respective arenas, then left for his own. He followed a thin, golden light that connected to his aura and entered a square space. It was around a hundred meters wide, quite enough for Qi Condensation duels.

Right after him, another person phased through the wall of light. He had a cultivation of 7th-level Qi Condensation, and seemed very thoughtful.

Staring at each other for a while, Li Ao heard a click, and the area around them locked.

One minute had passed, then another passed, but the young man across from him didn’t seem to move.

‘’Brother...are you okay?’’

The youngster, instead of answering, raised a hand.

‘’I concede.’’

With a beam of light, the young man disappeared.

Li Ao remained frozen where he stood, his lips twitching.

‘What is wrong with people?!’