Cloudsoar Arena, Profound Heavens Sect

The expansive platforms, suspended in the heavens, floated majestically above the Heavenly Jade Sect's grounds. Thick, black metallic chains, adorned with golden runes, hung beneath each platform, binding them to the mortal realm with ethereal grace. The runes shimmered with an otherworldly light, pulsating in harmony with the spiritual energy that permeated the surroundings.

Amongst the crowd of young cultivators gathered in this celestial place were two figures from an ordinary mid-ranking sect, Long Zedong and Qi Bi.

Long Zedong surveyed the majestic surroundings, his gaze drawn to the floating platform above. "The Profound Heavens Sect sure is extravagant," he remarked, a hint of admiration in his voice.

Qi Bi, standing by his side, nodded in agreement. "Well, they are just as impressive. The disciples gathered here have remarkable talent."

"Mhm, their disciples sure are talented," Long Zedong acknowledged, his eyes scanning the crowd. Qi Bi simply nodded, acknowledging the prowess on display.

"By the way..." As the conversation took a subtle turn, Long Zedong hesitated before speaking again. "You're still wearing men's garments."

Qi Bi raised an eyebrow, "And?"

"No..." Long Zedong paused, choosing his words carefully, "I just think that there's no need for you to... Nevermind."

Confused, Qi Bi pressed for clarification, "???"

Internally, Long Zedong reflected, 'As Master said, junior sister is still unable to come to terms with her being a woman... Truly how sad... Hopefully, one day she'll open up to us and feel safe enough to face reality!'

Thinking this, he reassured, "Don't worry, I'll wait for that day!" He placed a supportive hand on Qi Bi's shoulder, conveying both understanding and patience, prompting an inquisitive frown from the latter.

As the Cloudsoar Arena Grounds began to buzz with excitement, the crowd's murmur rose to a lively crescendo. Qi Bi and Long Zedong, curious about the sudden commotion, turned their attention towards the source of the noise.

Amidst the sea of disciples, their eyes locked onto a figure moving gracefully through the crowd—a beautiful girl with black hair and closed eyes who appeared to be in her early teens.

Qi Bi couldn't help but murmur, "Pretty..."

Long Zedong, his gaze discerning, recognized the significance of the girl's attire. "Those robes with the azure serpent... that must be Serene Waters Peak's direct disciple."

"Serene Waters Peak?" Qi Bi questioned, her curiosity piqued.

"One of the five great peaks of the Profound Heavens Sect," Long Zedong explained. "Each one of those peaks is capable of toppling our sect."

Qi Bi's eyes widened as she continued, "...They're that strong?"

Long Zedong nodded gravely. "Yes. I believe her name was..." He paused, pondering for a moment. "Xiao Xiang. Since she's being taught directly by Grand Elder Yin of the Profound Heavens Sect, we should be careful of how we act around her."

Qi Bi, absorbing the information, nodded in agreement. "Understood." She turned her gaze back to Xiao Xiang, acknowledging the potential challenge they might face in the tournament.

As Qi Bi continued to observe Xiao Xiang, Long Zedong's gaze intensified, his discerning eyes scanning over her figure. "Not only that..." he began, but before he could finish his thought, he suddenly ducked and exclaimed, "Fuck!"

Startled, Qi Bi looked at him quizzically, silently asking what he was doing. Long Zedong swiftly pulled her down alongside him, whispering urgently, "Shhh! Act completely ignorant, alright?"

Perplexed, Qi Bi questioned, "Why are you acting like that?"

"It's better not to take any risk with these temperamental heavenly talents. Who knows when they might pluck out our eyes," Long Zedong explained with seriousness in his tone.

"You're exaggerating..." Qi Bi started to say, but Long Zedong interrupted her with a knowing look.

"You might not know this," he spoke, glancing around cautiously, "Grand Elder Yin was known to have plucked out someone's eyes because they looked at her wrong. And not only that... nevermind, just don't mention this to anyone."

Qi Bi's eyes widened with a mix of disbelief and caution.

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'How dangerous...'

The CloudSoar Arena suddenly fell into a sudden hush, the ambient noise silenced by the distinct and measured footsteps echoing through the air. Long Zedong and Qi Bi, along with the rest of the onlookers, turned their attention towards the source of this imposing presence.

A hallowed silence gripped the area as the newcomer emerged—a boy of about 14 years, his back as straight as a sword, short ink-like black hair and black robes with a golden dragon dragon embroidery framing his enigmatic countenance. His dark amethyst eyes seemed to hold within them countless secrets, their depths unfathomable.

Yet, what truly inspired awe was not just his appearance... it was the aura that enveloped him, an intangible force that made onlookers feel as if they were gazing upon their superior.

His expressionless visage resembled that of an aloof ruler, commanding respect without uttering a single word. The hushed whispers and the curious footsteps that had surrounded Xiao Xiang ceased in the wake of his arrival, a testament to the palpable authority he wielded.

He was followed by an entourage of people, most of them being rather famous amongst the young cultivators present. Even Long Zedong had heard rumors about Xin Guang, who was known for his rather "unusual" flame arts, and Mo Suyin, who could apparently crush her opponents with her mastery of the wood attribute effortlessly.

The CloudSoar Arena erupted into a chorus of excited voices as the enigmatic figure was identified. "It's Senior Brother Jianyu!" one disciple exclaimed. "I haven't seen him in months!" another added. "I thought he was in seclusion," someone remarked. The whispers spread like wildfire. "So that's Xin Jianyu... Xin family's heir," a voice in the crowd confirmed.

Despite his long absence in the sect's events and competitions, Xin Jianyu's reputation was still one of the greatest amidst the younger generation, attributed to him having reached the core formation realm at the age of 12. Moreover, some of the greatest talents of the sect followed him.

Therefore, Curiosity and speculation filled the air as people began making plans to familiarize themselves with Xin Jianyu, after all such relations would lead to immense benefits in the future.

Except for Long Zedong, who was slowly pulling Qi Bi alongside him, guiding her to a discrete corner away from the growing crowd.

Qi Bi couldn't help but express her curiosity, "Shouldn't we try to get to know him?"

Long Zedong with his expression turned serious, replied, "Junior sister, we must never approach that person. Elder Dreamwalker specifically warned me not to stand out in front of such a person."

]Recalling back his memories of a few days in the past, the peculiar talk with Elder Dreamwalker played in Long Zedong's mind.

The chamber where the eccentric elder resided, instead of being adorned with ancient scrolls, was filled with a myriad of colorful, interlocking bricks and miniature dolls of strange grey and red metallic warriors and bizarre monsters.

The flickering orbs of light on the ceiling now cast shadows on these vibrant creations that Long Zedong didn't know the purpose of.

Elder Dreamwalker, his eyes shining with the fervor of someone immersed in a unique world, began to talk to Long Zedong in a solemn tone. "Soon as you will head for the tournament, you might encounter those who walk a destined path, born to be protago— I mean destined children of destiny who will grow by leaps and bounds! They might look ordinary at first but will have many treasures. They might look weak but are acting as a sheep to hunt the tiger..."

Long Zedong was perplexed by the unfamiliar sight of the interlocking bricks and strange dolls but nodded along, unsure whether to take the elder's words literally or as an eccentric metaphor.

Before Long Zedong could respond, Elder Dreamwalker continued with strange excitement, "Ah! Also, remember that these destined ones would have some beautiful woman following them. And there would be certain young masters around them that they'll use as stepping stones. These young masters, while looking like a civil and handsome person, would go after a woman, trying to chase them but would end up being confronted by the destined child of destiny and get defeated and humiliated. So, make sure to keep your distance. If you approach the MC—destined child of destiny, you'll become their mindless follower and die!"[

As Long Zedong recalled about his conversation with Elder Dreamwalker, a slight pain began to throb in his head.

Qi Bi, noticing his discomfort, suggested, "How about we talk to him? He's in the corner just like us."

Long Zedong, still feeling the echoes of Elder Dreamwalker's cautionary words, hesitated. "Who?" he questioned, glancing toward where Qi Bi was pointing. There, he found a man who, at first glance, appeared plain and poor. Yet, an inexplicable aura surrounded him, making him strangely charismatic.

"NO!!" Long Zedong exclaimed abruptly, a sense of urgency overtaking him. Without waiting for Qi Bi's response, he decisively grabbed her arm and began to pull her back towards the bustling crowd.

"Let's go back to the crowd," he urged, his expression firm.

Long Zedong could instinctively tell that one was a land mine!

By the time they were with the rest of the crowd, Long Zedong noticed that there was a new face surrounding Xin Jianyu and his entourage.

"That must be Yin Xifeng..." Long Zedong muttered to himself, having had information regarding all major forces jammed into his head he easily recognized the precious grandchild of the Yin matriarch.

According to the rumors and information he knew, Yin Xifeng was a truly talented yet tyrannical individual, in the past years she gluttonously spread her power throughout the continent.

Searching for treasures, talents and anything else beneficial for her.

There were also rumors about Yin Xifeng being engaged to Xin Jianyu and having a harmonious relationship with one another. A year into the past, they were often seen together, happily and cheerfully interacting until suddenly, when they stopped metting in public and Xin Jianyu's demeanor changed.

This sudden change did remind Long Zedong of a certain tale Elder Dreamwalker had told him, but he didn't think much of it.

'We all went through that age, didn't we?' As a well-experienced 16-year-old, Long Zedong knew what Xin Jianyu must be going through and felt a sense of camaraderie. However, he was jolted out of his thoughts as he felt a gaze fall upon him—it was Yin Xifeng. Her eyes were filled with disgust and rage, ready to lunge at her enemy.

Long Zedong ducked because he wanted to keep his eyeballs safe from the granddaughter of the legendary eye-crushing demoness.

"What are you doing?" Qi Bi asked, seemingly quite done with her senior brother's nonsense.

"Protecting my..." Clutching onto his aching stomach, Long Zedong continued, "precious marbles."

That day, Long Zedong was on the verge of becoming the man who peed his pants in fear for absolutely no fucking reason.