Lian was getting ready to head towards the coliseum. Arnold had already left an hour ago before the sun was even up. Knowing how excited the audience was, people were probably already seated in the audience seats.
The final 10 matches will take place today. Depending on how the day unfolds, the championship match might also happen, though even the nobles have their doubts. The last 20 warriors, regarded as the 'top dogs' of the tournament, possess both exceptional skill and strength. As a result, their battles are expected to last longer than the earlier rounds.
Fortunately, all their preparations for the plan were almost completed. Lian will meet up with Kohana and Rasuke to make sure there aren’t any hiccups.
The moment Lian finished putting on some light makeup, there was a knock on the door.
Kairi and Liwei were standing on the other side of the door when she opened it.
“Uhm, His Majesty wants to see you, Lady Lian.”
…
…
This summons, initiated personally by the emperor, could not bode well. He only ever called for her to heal him, not for idle conversation.
Two martial soldiers awaited her in the lobby. After instructing Liwei and Kairi to head to the audience seats, she followed the soldiers. Their journey was brief, leading them to the uppermost tier overlooking the arena—seats reserved exclusively for nobles.
“Head inside,” one of the soldiers said, opening the door to the VIP spectator room. No nobles were present so the only occupied seat was the emperor’s.
“Lian greets you, Your Majesty,” she said, bowing as her eyes fell on the unmistakable dark red hair of the emperor, visible from the back.
“You’re connected to that boy,” Ko said, his gaze fixed on the arena below. “How long were you planning on keeping him hidden from me?”
“…I assure you, he has no desire for conflict with you.” Not directly, at least. But she kept that to herself.
“I see. I heard he’s your slave.” Despite the threat he would pose if he tried to fight Ko, the emperor dropped the subject just like that.
“Are you spying on me, Your Majesty?” she countered, keeping her voice calm.
“No. A rumor is going around about your connection to him,” he said, finally turning the chair to look at her. “Everyone in the city knows you, and many saw you with him upon your arrival. Who sold him to you? None of the slave merchants I’ve contacted admit to selling someone with his martial prowess. A man of such strength wouldn’t go unnoticed in the world we live in today.”
Slaves with martial potential were always taken into sects, trained to grow stronger, and bound in service. Nobles who purchased such slaves followed the same pattern.
For nobles, the acquisition of such slaves followed a slightly different path but served a similar end. To the aristocracy, owning a martial slave was not just about their utility in battle—it was a statement of status and power. A slave with extraordinary martial prowess was a symbol of influence, a weapon that could protect estates, expand territories, or intimidate rivals. Nobles who bought these individuals typically sent them to private tutors or smaller sects aligned with their households to develop their skills.
If someone like Arnold was put on a leash, the chaos one could cause was astronomical. One thing remains certain after watching him fight: what happened at the reception area with the 1000-year Ki boulder was no fluke.
“The moment my outer circle nobles learned of his connection to you,” Ko continued, “they requested I take him from you and give him to them instead. He would be an asset to a select few individuals if this were to happen.”
Her stomach turned at his words. ‘And what would they do with him? Pass him around like some object at an orgy?’
“In a major vote, you are but one woman against 80 nobles who came forward. But I will not go through with it.”
“Why is that…?” she asked, a little relieved Ko wasn’t pushing for it.
“There is no doubt in my mind that he will win the tournament and become an Inner Martial. Why rush things? I would like to see him compete against Breuk, the strongest martial to ever compete, and also the only martial I’ve met who has reached [Tribulation Crossing].”
Lian gulped.
That man is on the same level as Rasuke? They were fortunate enough to have Arnold on their side, making sure Breuk never becomes an Inner Martial. It would take Rasuke and the chief to get through him, thought Lian.
Level alone wasn’t enough to determine feats of strength, which is why Rasuke alone—someone who recently reached [Tribulation Crossing] after years of meditation, cultivation, internal energy absorption, training—wouldn’t be able to beat him.
“I’m sure they can find a use for Breuk instead since there is a low possibility of him winning the match, after all.” he brushed the topic off.
“…Was that all you wanted to discuss, Your Majesty?”
“There is another thing: bodies were found near the city. All were cladded in blue clothing of varying shades. Coincidentally, the road the bodies were found is the same one you arrived through. You were spotted with that boy on the same day. It does not take a genius to figure out that he killed them all.”
Lian could sense a raging fire behind Ko’s golden eyes that looked at her calmly.
“Another report came in that a village west of here was attacked by the similar robed individuals. Funiji’s soldiers are in my territory, attacking the people I rule over, effectively ignoring the treaty we signed that will be active until either of our deaths at the hands of the other. These attacks have never happened before that boy appeared. To my knowledge at least. What do you know of this?”
Would it be wise to tell him the truth? Ko might act immediately if he found out Funiji knows she can go to the Spirit Realm at will. For now, he can’t cause unrest to spread among the people until after the tournament is over. The people might think Funiji is planning to launch a full-scale attack on the city.
“I-I’ve received word from an informant in Funiji’s army that he’s targeting me because of my abilities as a doctor. I can heal Your Majesty far faster than any other doctor on this continent, while Funiji takes days to recover. H-He must be worried Your Majesty might break the truce and attack him while he’s weakened.”
She kept her explanation vague. It was a good thing Rasuke had planted that informant and warned her ahead of time; otherwise, she wouldn’t have known what to tell Ko.
The truth could never come out. If Ko knew she wasn’t just aware of the Spirit Realm but could also enter it at will, the consequences would be severe. And if he suspected she wasn’t as ancient as she claimed, her carefully constructed lie could crumble.
She had to maintain the illusion of her supposed origins. Ko believed she had lived hundreds of years ago, which meant he expected her to understand the language of that era. Conveniently, without any texts from that time, he couldn’t prove otherwise. For now, he had no choice but to trust her knowledge and ability to translate the past.
Even with the low chances of uncovering information about the Spirit Realm—and an even slimmer chance of finding a way to access it—Ko was willing to gamble. For him, any advantage over Funiji was worth the risk.
“…”
Noticing his silence, Lian glanced up. Ko’s expression betrayed no reaction, as though her explanation had only confirmed his suspicions.
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“He should know me better than to insult my honor as a martial artist,” he said finally. There was no anger in his voice, just mild irritation.
Just then, the door opened and two individuals walked inside—Empress Zhoming and Princess Sing.
“My, hello Lady Lian.” The empress greeted Lian with a warm smile before looking at her daughter, “This is the nice aunt who healed you when you were sick in bed a month ago—greet her properly, dear. You keep running away from Lian when the two of you bump into each other at the palace.”
“…” like a kitten too shy to look up, Sing fidgeted and managed to greet Lian with a tiny voice, “G-Greetings, Miss Doctor.”
Lian, thankful for their intrusion to break the conversation, replied in kind. “You looked so pale back when I was treating you. But it seems you’ve gotten your youthful energy back in mere weeks, Your Highness.”
She giggled.
“Husband, are we interrupting? We could explore the coliseum a bit and come back later.”
“No need.” He glanced back at Lian, “We will continue this conversation at the banquet. You will accompany the boy, I take it?”
“Yes. But may I ask one question?” after he nodded once, she asked, “Will Your Majesty revoke his status as a slave once he becomes an inner martial?”
“Are you worried you’ll lose your leash on him? Not that there is one to begin with since he does not have a mark on his neck.”
“H-His mark is on his nether region…” she swallowed her dignity and said with slightly flushed cheeks.
“Hm, not the first time a slave had their mark placed there.” Ko accepted that explanation, “To answer your question, that is up to him to decide. He can choose to work under me, thereby abandoning you, or I can create a household in your name which places you as the head and he a direct subordinate. If the latter, you will be awarded an outer circle status and he will become an inner martial in either choices. Whichever choice he makes matters not to me since he will have to serve me regardless.”
A new path opened up for her. Somewhere, a ding was heard and a short laughter ensued at the events.
While this is fine and all, the process will take a ridiculously long time. She’d have to serve in office for up to a year to be granted access to the rooms in the palace accessible only to Circle Members. Arnold didn’t seem keen to wait to try out this smart approach, so choosing the loud approach was best for him.
“I will humbly accept if Your Majesty were to offer me a seat as a circle member.” She bowed, though her words weren’t sincere.
If Arnold stays true to his word, Ko’s rule will probably be over by the time she’s supposed to actually serve as an outer member of the noble circle. By then, Kohana will be ruler of this city and Lian will start her path to redemption.
“You are dismissed.” Ko waved a hand to her after turning his chair around.
Lian bowed to the empress and princess before leaving.
**
A few hours passed by, and just like yesterday, the coliseum was filled to the brim with Moon Plum’s citizens. There was a bustling excitement in the air. Conversations about the martials could be picked up, Nova’s name being spoken about the most.
The air was chilly but the spectators didn’t seem to care. Today was going to be the start of the final 10 matches, which harbors the strongest fighters. This was naturally the highlight of the tournament since the beginning matches are boring most of the time.
Seated high in the emperor's balcony, nobles discussed the mysterious contender who had emerged as a dominant force. "Who is Nova, truly?" one noble murmured, fanning herself as she watched the arena below. "His strength is almost unnatural."
“I would believe it if someone said he is the emperor’s bastard son.”
“True, true. Genes could be the answer to his immense strength and none other than His Majesty could be the father of such a powerful warrior.”
“He could also just be a genius born once every century. I heard the last person who we slapped that label onto died young in the war. Truly a tragedy.”
“Mhm, the boy was too naïve and stupid so he wanted to prove himself even when he wasn’t ready.”
Meanwhile, Arnold stood in the preparation area, arms crossed as he listened to the cheers above. He had no interest in the fame his alias was garnering; his focus remained solely on the fights ahead.
Many of the audience members associated his majestic visage with that of the Martial God of Sword, who is said to also have silver white hair and sharp golden eyes, needing only sheer physical strength to take down all his opponents.
Admiration, however, came in many forms. While some revered his strength and near-perfect form, others saw him as an object of desire. The women in the audience whispered in hushed tones, their gazes lingering on him. If he came to me, I'd follow him without hesitation, one murmured, her cheeks flushing as her friends giggled in agreement. Arnold remained oblivious, his mind far removed from the distractions of admiration or lust.
To the martials observing him, they could tell something was different about him.
It wasn’t just his serious expression but the look in his eyes as he stared up at the endless sky. In his previous matches, he’d toy with his opponents with a smirk on his face and an amused glint in his eyes. This time however, his gaze resembled—
Bottomless hunger.
The hunger for strength, for even more martial arts… Will he be satiated once he obtains the pure martial arts book? Even he didn’t know. He was like a curious child exploring a forest no one had set foot in, eager to discover what else the forest holds whether it be new creatures or plants.
At that moment, the martials that were going to compete exited the barracks and walked toward the arena. However, instead of going up the arena, they stood still at the bottom of the stairs. The two-on-one still holds true so whoever was supposed to fight next will need to fight their original opponent and Arnold.
“21 opponents, 10 matches—that is all we’re left with before the next Inner Martial is chosen. This may not seem like much but we consider this part of the tournament to be the most grueling yet. The martials who survived thus far are considered the strongest because they clawed their way through thirty other opponents in the previous 15 matches. Due to a recent addition to the roster, we could not continue the matches as originally planned which is why we have not seen the famed God Hand fight his opponent, a fight many have been looking forward to!”
Looking at the martials, Arnold noticed a women draped in purple robes and a thin mauve veil that hid her face. From a glance, she looked like a sheltered maiden given her pale white skin and long black nails, but the Ki coming from her body disproved that.
‘Mian Xi. She’s level 95. More powerful than Marcus and Vance in terms of raw strength and Ki pool.’ He confirmed after checking her status, ‘I’d like to see her martial arts in action today.’
He felt her staring back but couldn’t see her eyes, only her purple lips curling into a smirk. He was interested to see how their match will go.
“We have arranged the fights today differently compared to the previous days—there will be ten one-on-ones but the final match will be a two-on-one.”
Multiple boos came from the spectators. Even the nobles voiced their displeasure.
Ignoring them, the old man continued, “Please look at the roster.” He pointed at the giant golden scroll. On it was a group of five red dots on both sides with a single blue dot in the middle.
“I’m sure I don’t have to explain how the matches will proceed. In addition to this change, we will move the final battle to tomorrow morning! Whoever wins in the first and second group will face Nova in a two-one-one!”
It seems due to popular demand, they had to make Nova the “prize” of this tournament. He was the goal of the tournament, changing the whole dynamic. Naturally, this made a few glance his way in contempt, even Breuk.
“All preparations are completed for the ceremony and the banquet is slated to start tomorrow afternoon. All are welcome, even peasants!” he turned to the martials, “Now then, let us begin the first one-on-one—”
….
Arnold decided to come to the barracks to watch the matches. The first group of red dots are group A and the other group B. Breuk was placed in Group A while Mian was in group B. The first match will be the martials from group A then the second group B. This process will be repeated to the next two matches until the winners are ready to face “Nova” in the final battle.
It was clearly deliberate since they knew Breuk and Mian were the strongest.
He wasn’t all that worried about being left out. Rather, he could calmly study the martials as they fight. During battle, it was harder to study and fight them at the same time. Probably feeling his eyes on them, the martials who were about to start fighting looked around anxiously to see if they could spot him.
They must be thinking he has some ability that can copy martial arts. In truth, it’s just his understanding of what he sees and what he studies that allows him to copy it.
This was how he was able to not only perfect his grandfather’s [Water Edge] but also create an entirely new martial art that had a larger skill tree and more powerful skills. Up until now, he felt no need to focus on studying other people’s martial arts but the unique martial arts he saw in this world reignited the fire he had before obtaining his martial art.
The spark was ignited by Maylim’s aura string martial skill and the book he got from Sceptim but it was now a raging fire that wanted more wood thrown into it.
So far, he had learned three martial skills—Aether Shields, Concentrated Aether Blast, and [Rain of Aether] (which he named himself). Of course, all of these wouldn’t be possible to learn without some type of energy so it was probably incorrect to call them martial skills, unlike [Storm of The Water Dragon]. But martial arts are like clay shaped by one’s hands. Without hands, it wouldn’t be possible to create the clay sculpture.
The next step is learning something similar to that martial skill of his. The skin-hardening skill might be good practice. But maybe he should first prioritize what he can learn from the book he got from Sceptim? Maybe the book will even contain some tips on how to proceed with even learning all these new skills.
Just when he was ruminating to himself, the match began. He couldn’t help but think their methods of fighting was boring. Who could blame him as he is someone who fought in space and destroyed a moon with his power.
His fight with Guinevere was exhilarating even though he was clearly the one at a major disadvantage since she was holding back a lot.
Each strike he blocked was followed by powerful rumbles that made the whole world tremble. Every strike of his sword cut apart the air itself.
He felt like a senior knight watching two children train in the training grounds with sticks.
The fight proceeded with neither of them gaining the upper hand through physical combat alone so one of them unleashed his martial art. Responding to that, his opponent did the same. Arnold wasn’t exactly interested in their skills so he watched the fight mindlessly.
His arms crossed, one finger tapping his arm, and his eyes going blanker by the second, he watched impatiently.
And watched.
And watched…