Chương 29: Chapter 28: DRIVE AWAY

Before he even knew it he was closing his palms around the shafts of the Shifting Sisters, starting to draw them, and he stopped himself before he could pull them out, killing the instinct. On the other end of the corridor, Sovereign Aoxin similarly came to an abrupt stop on a step about three-quarters of the way down this floor's half of the stairway. She had her eyes narrowed, scrutinizing him. Then she smirked, chuckling.

"After what I saw of your duel, you're jumpier than I would've thought, Haoyujin Jieyuan. I didn't realize my presence inspired such terror." He steadied himself and forced out an apologetic smile.

"I apologize. Part of me is still on the dueling stage, I think." That was true, though only part of it. There was also the fact he'd just beat up a core disciple from her sect—rather brutally, at that. And then there was the whole matter of Meiyao's engagement with Dayang. He should be safe; no one would be foolish enough to try anything, not with the envoy in the same building. But that didn't magically vanish all his reasons to be wary.

"That's a good instinct," Sovereign Aoxin said, shaking her head as she continued on down the steps.

"Don't apologize for it." Dayang trailed behind her, silently watching him, inscrutable. They locked eyes briefly, and that got Jieyuan a subtle nod and nothing more.

"So," Sovereign Aoxin said, climbing down the last step, "that was quite the performance just now. And for Heavens' sake, don't just stand there gawking. I don't bite, boy." Jieyuan obliged, still not sure what this was about. Dayang remained on the third step up, standing behind his aunt like a statue.

"Hmmm." Sovereign Aoxin crossed her arms, looked him up and down.

"You're indeed Huizhong's son."

"You knew my father?" He'd thought the highest-rank cultivator his father had ever dealt with was the Radiant Gold Palace head.

"I met him…" the sovereign protector frowned.

"Thrice, I believe. Yes, thrice. Your family has served us well for generations, managing many of our businesses. It would've been remiss of me not to meet its leader at least once." She paused.

"On that note, I met the new head recently. Your aunt, yes? Your father's sister. An ambitious woman, if I've ever seen one."

"That sounds about right," Jieyuan said. After his father's funeral, he'd approached his aunt and told her he had no interest in taking over the business—that he was going to join the Gleaming Stone Sect. She'd looked awfully relieved, and he was fairly sure it was because his leaving meant she wouldn't have to kill him. Because she would've. After all, she'd already gone to the trouble of arranging his old man's death. He didn't hold it against her, though.

The family head had been his uncle before his father took over. Jieyuan even knew which poison had been used to arrange that particular succession. It was as his old man had liked to say. Business was business.

"I guess you could say ambition runs in the family," he added.

"Oh, I don't doubt that in the least," Sovereign Aoxin said, giving him a knowing look.

"Now, there's something I've been wondering. Something that's been on my mind since Protector Zhaoyong shared the Gleaming Stone Sect's list of new disciples with us." She leaned forward.

"So satisfy this curiosity of mine, if you will. What in the Heavens is a Haoyujin doing in the Gleaming Stone Sect? How come you didn't go for my Radiant Gold Sect?"

"I…" Jieyuan hadn't thought he'd be asked that. Not that directly, at least. He wasn't in the right frame of mind to come up with a proper excuse, either, fresh out of combat as he was. The truth would have to suffice.

"I wanted to start fresh. To start anew."

"Start anew?" Whatever answer the sovereign protector had been expecting, that clearly wasn't it, going by her expression.

"That's it?"

"That's it." Sovereign Aoxin let out a sharp exhale.

"So that's why we didn't get you. Start anew … Heavens damn it. Heavens damn it all." She murmured a few more things that Jieyuan suspected to be rather unflattering, before she smiled wryly.

"I can't say I'm happy about that. You are going to accept the envoy's offer, aren't you? Do you have any idea what the Gleaming Stone Sect's getting, in exchange for that?" He made to speak, but she put up a hand.

"You don't. Trust me—you don't. Three fourth-order talents… the Heavens have really taken a shine to the Gleaming Stone Sect this time around." She sighed, then reached forward, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Well, again, I can't say I'm all that pleased about your choice, but… I'm glad you've been doing well for yourself, Jieyuan. Heavenly affinity aside, you've got promise. It's been a while since I've seen a fourth-step defeat a fifth-step like that. Just… try to be a tad more gentle with my poor disciples next time, all right?

""I'll try," he said. It was a lie, though, and an obvious one. He was in no position to pull his punches, not when fighting someone at a higher step. He'd have been concerned about it, what with the sovereign protector's hand on his shoulder, but her tone made it clear that she didn't really mean it. They were cultivators. Pain was par for the course. As long as he didn't kill or maim anyone here, there shouldn't be any issues.

Though he probably could get away with murder anyway, since he doubted Envoy Guodan would let anyone kill him.

"I'm sure you will." Sovereign Aoxin chuckled, giving his shoulder a squeeze, before pulling back.

"I'm afraid I must get going, then. My poor elders should be getting antsy, left alone with the envoy. It was a pleasure meeting you, Jieyuan." She turned around, starting up the steps, briefly stopping by her nephew's side and giving him a small nod before she continued on. Soon she was out of sight, disappearing into the upper floor. Jieyuan remained at the base of the stairway, looking up, waiting for Dayang to say something. He had a better idea of what this might be about.

"You and Meiyao," Dayang finally said, and Jieyuan was glad the other man had skipped the pleasantries and gone straight for the gold.

"You're close." That didn't sound like a question.

"Friends?" Jieyuan thought back to how Yongyi had asked him nearly the same thing, the day they arrived at the Gleaming Stone Palace.

"Friends," he said, simply. No need to twist the knife. Jieyuan could see Dayang working his jaw, like he was chewing over his words. The Radiant Gold Sect core disciple had a look of intense concentration. Considering Jieyuan, judging him.

"Look out for her," the core disciple finally said, his voice tighter than a merchant's purse. Jieyuan frowned, trying and failing to make sense of that.

"What do you mean by that?"

"You're going to the Howling Lightning Sect. And so… And so is Meiyao," Dayang said, the words ringing with the resignation of a condemned man.

"So look out for her." Jieyuan's frown only deepened. Of course Meiyao was going too. But why would Dayang admit it like that, what with their supposed engagement? Before he could voice those thoughts, though, Dayang turned around without another word and began climbing up the steps. Jieyuan didn't call after him. He didn't think he'd be getting any answers. He knew the look of a man who'd reached his limit, who couldn't be pushed any further and wouldn't take kindly if anyone tried to.

If Jieyuan pressed the issue, the best outcome he could expect was Dayang ignoring him. But there was someone else Jieyuan could press for answers. He waited until Dayang was gone before getting on the stairway himself. He climbed up in silence, thinking under the glare of the brightgold walls. He had a suspicion of what might be going on, and the more he thought about it, the more evidence he found in its favor. By the time he got to the upper floor, he was already halfway convinced.

The Gleaming Stone Palace's delegation was directly across from the exit, and he made straight for it, ignoring the furtive looks sent his way. Meiyao was standing right where he'd left her, and Yongyi was beside her, though with some distance between them. The two of them turned around at his approach, then smiled, seeing him.

And there was something so similar about both their smiles—small, subtle, approving, in the exact same way—that it occurred to Jieyuan for the first time that the two of them really were siblings. It'd never really dawned on him until now, quite so strongly, with how differently the two looked and acted.

"Nice work down there," Yongyi said as Jieyuan settled himself in the space between them.

"I've got you two to thank for that. I couldn't have done it without our spars." Yongyi glanced down at his waist, eyeing the sheathed Shifting Sisters.

"You were rather… uncoordinated, your first day with your new weapons." Meiyao snorted.

"More like hopeless." Jieyuan saw Yongyi snap a quick look at Meiyao, who didn't seem to notice.

"But that was a good showing down there."

"Not so hopeless, then, is it?" Jieyuan said to her, before nodding to Yongyi.

"And you put up quite the spectacle yourself." They'd crossed each other on his way down to the arena floor when he'd been called, but Jieyuan hadn't been able to properly congratulate him.

"You just about revealed nothing. Whereas I had to use up just about every trick I had." Everything he was willing to show, at any rate.

"That's true," Yongyi said.

"Unlike you, however, I was the same step as my opponent. And I'm fairly certain you didn't use all your… tricks." Yongyi didn't know the half of it; but Meiyao would, better than just about anyone else. And sure enough, as Jieyuan glanced over to her, he saw her knowing look. But none of them got around to putting any more words in, because it was then that the proctor's voice rang down from below.

"Linzushen Meiyao, of the Gleaming Stone Sect." Focusing down on the arena floor, he saw that the middle stage was empty again, save for the proctor. An entire fight had passed. He looked around and confirmed that Daojue was still there. Considering nobody else had come down the stairway while he and Sovereign Aoxin and Dayang talked, they'd probably been contestants closer to the other entrance. From the Xiyunfeng Clan and the Viridian Death Cult. Another name was called right afterward. A Xiyunfeng.

"That's me," Meiyao said, stepping away from the railing.

"Best of luck," Yongyi said, all solemn-like, looking awfully serious all of a sudden. Meiyao gave her half-brother a pointedly unimpressed look. Jieyuan shrugged.

"What he said." Meiyao huffed but didn't quite manage to hide her smile. She headed on down. In this particular case, Jieyuan was actually glad to see her go. Because the questions he wanted would be better asked without her around. He waited until she was out of sight—she lingered a little while further back, suddenly accosted by Yuyan and Wanxin—before he sidled closer to Yongyi.

"So," Jieyuan said, keeping his voice low, "I just had a fun little chat with Dayang earlier." Yongyi's brow furrowed, and the look he gave Jieyuan was just shy of wary.

"I noticed him and Sovereign Aoxin head down for a moment. It was to talk to you, then?"

"It was." Jieyuan started to consider carefully how to phrase the question, but then decided to follow Dayang's example from earlier and not mince words.

"The engagement's a farce, isn't it?" The uncomprehending look Yongyi put on might have worked if Jieyuan hadn't caught him stiffen up for an instant like he'd been given a shock of cold water.

"What?"

"It was never meant to go through," Jieyuan said, "and I'm fairly sure everyone's in on it. Everyone besides Meiyao. Not that it could go through, in the first place, because Meiyao wouldn't stand for it. And based on what she told me earlier about the Viridian Death Cult, she could very well have them go to war to stop that from happening." Yongyi clearly tried, but couldn't keep the wince from slipping through.

Jieyuan recalled precisely how everyone in the room—everyone who mattered, at least—had reacted when the chief elder mentioned Meiyao's engagement in the palace's conference room. For the most part, Jieyuan didn't consider himself someone particularly clever or insightful. But he wasn't entirely incapable, and his upbringing in this life had ensured he'd know how to navigate his way around a little bit of intrigue.

"So here's my theory," Jieyuan said.

"This whole engagement business was meant to drive Meiyao away. To ensure she would take the Envoy's offer. How close am I?" Yongyi looked away, turning down to the arena floor. Down there, Meiyao was already halfway to the center stage. Her opponent, a man from the Xiyunfeng Clan, had already arrived. Jieyuan let him have these moments. The thing about pressing someone for answers was that there were times you were better off easing up on them for a bit.

You wanted to corner them, but take it too far and they'd close up altogether. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Meiyao got on the stage, and though he couldn't hear it, he could tell the proctor was now going over the rules of engagement. Meiyao drew her shrouded saber, the man across from her doing the same, except he turned out to be one of the rare few spear users around.

So far, the only disciples he'd seen using them were from the Gleaming Stone Sect and the Xiyunfeng Clan.

"Did Meiyao tell you what happened to Lianhua?" Yongyi asked quietly, solemn, just as the proctor got off the stage.

"How she was taken away? She did."

"Did she tell you what happened afterward? How the Viridian Death Cult tried to take Meiyao back, but Meiyao refused?"

"She did."

"Meiyao was furious. Furious like you wouldn't believe. And she was just eight at the time—when you're that young, you can't really think clearly. She pushed everyone away. Mother didn't take Father's side, not exactly, but she also didn't take Meiyao's either, and after that, you were either with her or against her. And most of us… Well, we understood there was nothing Father could've done. If anything, Father… No. Never mind." Yongyi frowned deeply.

"What matters is that despite all of that, Meiyao chose to stay behind. Despite the way she's acting right now, Meiyao… she cares about family. She's very much so a Woodsoul, even if she doesn't seem that way most of the time. And my father…" Yongyi trailed off. Meiyao and her opponent had already engaged, exchanging blows. The fight was strangely subdued. Meiyao used a slightly more aggressive version of the Liangshibai style, but one that still leaned heavily on defense.

The Xiyunfeng Clan disciple also seemed to favor a more reactive style. Both seemed to be testing the waters.

"In the Liangshibai Clan, we normally test our children's heavenly affinity just after they're born," Yongyi suddenly said.

"Aunt Lianhua, she tested Meiyao's herself, in private. Refused to tell everyone the results, only that Meiyao's was above second-order. Everyone had taken that to mean Meiyao's heavenly affinity was third-order and that Aunt Lianhua was only being… theatrical. Aunt Lianhua could be like that at times."

"I see?" Jieyuan frowned, not sure where Yongyi was going with this.

"Anyway, we'd didn't know Meiyao's heavenly affinity was fourth-order, but a third-order affinity like we assumed still meant she'd definitely be scouted by the Howling Lightning Sect after she became a cultivator and took part in the Summit. And we could never determine whether Meiyao would choose to accept that offer. Even after Lianhua was taken away, we weren't sure if that'd be enough to push her away." Jieyuan's eyes narrowed.

"The way you're saying it, it's like you all wanted Meiyao to leave." Yongyi glanced backward over to where the sect's elders were standing. His voice grew quieter.

"Our father… Meiyao doesn't have the best opinion of him, but Father does care about her. And so he came up with this plan, setting up the engagement, to give Meiyao the reason she needed to leave. Because after what happened to Lianhua, he decided— we decided—that Meiyao couldn't stay. Whatever it was that drew that cultivator's attention to Aunt Lianhua, Meiyao most likely has it too." Yongyi scowled, his eyes still on his father and the other sect elders.

"And we couldn't have her suffer the same fate. For some passing higher-realm cultivator to just whisk her away. They want her to become as strong as possible so she can protect herself." Yongyi finally looked Jieyuan's way.

"And I think that Father wants Meiyao to look for her mother, or at least find out what happened to her. Meiyao's never been on best terms with Father, and what happened with Aunt Lianhua didn't help. But he isn't nearly as bad as she makes him out to be. And… Look, I loved Aunt Lianhua, but Meiyao puts her on a pedestal; she wasn't the saint my sister remembers her as. Aunt Lianhua and Father… They had a complicated relationship."

Below, the duel started heating up, Meiyao attacking more and more often, probably having already gotten the hang of her opponent's style. Jieyuan remained silent, thinking about what Yongyi had revealed, as he watched the fight. The truth turned out to be just about as he'd thought. At the very least, that meant one mystery down. He didn't think Yongyi was lying. All of it fit. As for what he'd do about it?

"I'll stay quiet about it." He certainly didn't want her second-guessing her decision to leave, if there was that much danger of her choosing to stay behind. He doubted Meiyao would stay even if she knew, but Yongyi would know her better than he did, and that wasn't a risk he could take. His decision didn't come from his desire to take advantage of whatever lay ahead of her, either. Meiyao did need to get stronger, because as Yongyi had put it, there was something special about her, about her lineage.

Remaining defenseless just wasn't an option.

"Thank you," Yongyi said. And that was the end of it. In silence, they both focused on the fight. Meiyao had managed to get a few cuts in, though nothing serious. She remained unharmed and was currently pushing her opponent back. The more he watched, Jieyuan's impression that the Xiyunfeng Clan disciple was oddly unaggressive was only reinforced.

Meiyao was good, no doubt about that, and he'd seen her kill a fifth-step as a third-step, that gap being significantly greater than the one between fifth-step and fourth-step. But she'd been using her bondskill or whatever secret power it was that she had. Powers she couldn't use now, what with her situation being similar to Jieyuan's in that regard. It wasn't as if Meiyao couldn't overwhelm a fifth-step like this if she were to push herself to the limit, by virtue of her martial ability alone.

But that was just the thing—she wasn't pushing herself. Jieyuan could tell she wasn't going all out. She would move even faster in their spars, strike even harder. And that meant that her opponent was also holding back, even though their duel was long since past the point where they should be both bringing out their best. And then Meiyao managed to get past the Xiyunfeng disciple's guard, ramming her saber into the side of his chest.

The man jerked back, and Meiyao surged forward, slamming her saber into his right hand, where it gripped the spear. The Xiyunfeng disciple let go of his weapon, and Meiyao immediately snapped her arm up, holding the blade of the saber right beside his neck. There was a pause. Then the man put up his arms. A beat later, the proctor was back on the stage, announcing, "Winner, Linzushen Meiyao from the Gleaming Stone Sect." It was over. Just like that.

Meiyao's opponent hadn't even gotten around to using his bondskill—the Xiyunfeng Clan only had one, and it was the showy type—or the spiritskill his spear most definitely had. It looked an awful lot like he'd thrown the fight. Which made no sense, given how important each disciple's rankings were for the sects involved. Meiyao hadn't even needed to use her new saber's spiritskill. Jieyuan looked over to the Xiyunfeng Clan's side of the floor. Many of the disciples and elders there wore strong frowns.

But Xiyunfeng Zhihao, the sovereign protector… he wore no expression at all, face curiously blank as he stared down at the stage. And Jieyuan had a feeling it wasn't his clan's disciple the sovereign was looking at. —∞— For how set the Gleaming Nobles had been on killing him, they seemed to have laid off altogether since the tournament began. Or at least put their business with him on hold. Four days had passed since his first duel, and there hadn't been any assassination attempts since.

The Xiyunfeng Clan was keeping to itself, despite his suspicions about them. Sovereign Zhihao, at least, was definitely up to some funny business, even if Jieyuan hadn't managed to figure out what exactly it was. This was just the calm before the storm—Jieyuan had little doubt about that—but for the time being there wasn't much he could do besides enjoy it.

"She's going to lose," Jieyuan said. Down on the center stage a sixth-step Viridian Death cultist—one Baisenzhou Houliao, of the same clan as High Priest Tangqiao—fought another sixth-step from the Gleaming Stone Sect, a female core disciple Jieyuan had seen a few times before, mostly around Yongyi. Liangshibai Feiyuan. Topaz-eyed. The other stages were empty. Concurrent fights were no longer needed, as time wasn't an issue anymore.

There'd only be eight fights today, the initial two hundred and fifty-six contestants having been narrowed down to a mere sixteen.

"She will," Yongyi agreed, not taking his eyes off the arena floor, yellow eyes narrowed. He had just come back from a duel against another sixth-step from the Radiant Gold Sect. Yongyi had won, of course, and currently looked about as roughed up as a newly minted coin: just about pristine, really, like he hadn't just fought another sixth-step, but instead gone for a lovely little stroll. His opponent, on the other hand, was probably still unconscious and being treated for an acute case of blood loss.

Yongyi's win—and the manner of it—made it clear his performance in his first duel hadn't been a one-off thing. Not at all. They were standing by the railing, just about in the same location on the viewing floor they'd taken for themselves that first day and kept on returning to all the days since. Yongyi to his left, Meiyao to his right.

"She's trying to do what you did in your first duel," Jieyuan said. Like Yongyi, Feiyuan had Gleaming Stone Containment, but she wasn't half as skilled with it as he was. She couldn't put up the barriers fast enough to block her opponent's sword—let alone pull off any of the more complicated tricks Jieyuan knew Yongyi to be capable of, even if he hadn't had to use any of them yet in the tournament.

The Viridian Death cultist, Baisenzhou Houliao, had his glowing green aura on and was currently in the process of mercilessly hacking away at his opponent. His weapon was a wooden sword, which seemed to be a copy of the one used by the Viridian Death Cult woman Yongyi had faced in the first round. But Houliao was much more skilled—not to mention level-headed—than that woman, and Feiyuan was much less skilled than Yongyi. She was doing her best, but she could barely get any attacks in.

Yongyi frowned, still focused on the lower floor. His hands were gripping the railing.

"It's not like she has much of a choice." Jieyuan had seen him sparring with Feiyuan yesterday in the Gleaming Stone Palace's training room. Jieyuan had an inkling that Yongyi and Feiyuan were rather close. Closer than their shared family name on its own would warrant. The two of them were third cousins, or something like that. He wasn't clear on the details.

"In any case, Houliao's good," Jieyuan said.

"You think either of us will be fighting him tomorrow?" Today was the fifth round, and Jieyuan was still in the running. He would've liked to say that it was sheer, overwhelming power and skill that had gotten him so far. And he'd definitely improved these last few days—he'd done just about nothing but train. But the truth of the matter was that his win streak really came down to luck—or, more precisely, to however it was that the upper echelons of the four sects went about divvying up the next day's duels.

So far, he'd only fought fifth-steps. Not just that, in the second through fourth rounds, his opponents had been among the worst performers of each round. The strongest of the three had only been about as good as the core disciple he'd faced in the first round—who, as Jieyuan later found out, had been one of the strongest fifth-steps of the Radiant Gold Sect's delegation. Meiyao glanced over at him. Out of the three of them, she was probably the least interested in this particular duel.

She didn't need to get a grasp of how Houliao fought, because there was no chance of her facing him. It wasn't that she was out of the tournament—she'd be having her duel later today, same for Daojue and Yunzhu. Rather, from what Jieyuan had heard, during the pre-tournament negotiations, the cult's higher-ups had been quite vocal about not having any of theirs face her. And in the unlikely event that it did happen? The cultist she was up against would probably throw the match before even getting on the stage.

He'd seen Meiyao walk past Viridian Death cultists a few times, and they'd bowed to her. And when they weren't bowing they were staring at her with honest, fervent worship in their eyes.

"You're sure you'll be getting through, then?" she asked. No, was his immediate thought.

"Sure am," Jieyuan said instead.

"After all, it's not like I'm paired against one of the top contenders for first place." It was luck that had gotten him so far. And today, that same luck had just about run out. His crushing victory on the first day of the tournament had made the elders of the Gleaming Stone Sect realize he wasn't there just for his heavenly affinity. That he actually had a shot at good rank. So they'd taken to helping him prepare for his matches. Which included giving him somewhat privileged information.

He wasn't sure that was allowed, but he'd be surprised if the other sects weren't all doing the same. Because of that, he knew that his duel would be coming up just after this one. Knew, even, whom he'd be fighting. Elder Yiming had pulled him aside earlier, before they left, and given him the details of his upcoming match. And things weren't looking good for him. Meiyao quirked an eyebrow.

"You're telling me you don't have a plan for her?" There was something to the way Meiyao said plan. Jieyuan knew what that was about. Knowing whom you'd be fighting one day in advance could very well mean the difference between victory and defeat. To him, that was even more so than it was for your average cultivator. Just because he couldn't use Absolute Will Command during the fight didn't mean his bondskill was entirely useless in the tournament, as he'd first assumed.

Three days ago, when he was told the name of his opponent for the second round, an idea had come to him on the spot—using Absolute Will Command to simulate fights with his upcoming opponents. It was feasible as long as he'd seen them fight at least once. Given the lack of reference material, his mental models were far from perfect, but still good enough to give him a significant edge. Lucky match-up aside, that particular application of Absolute Will Command had been key in getting him this far.

The way he fought, like he knew his opponent's moves ahead of time, had even gotten him a reputation of sorts. It was to the point he was starting to tread a bit of a thin line, as some people were already starting to suspect he might have a bondskill. One with predictive powers, or something along those lines. But it wasn't to the point he couldn't explain it all away as being just that good. In this case, Meiyao's and Daojue's presence served him well; they made him stand out a lot less.

"Of course I do. But whether it'll be enough is a bit of a different business." He actually had a fairly solid model for this round's opponent. He'd seen all four of her fights so far, and in the previous round she'd revealed both her bondskill and her weapon's spiritskill. Best as he could tell, she didn't have any other tricks up her sleeve. He'd also supplemented that with the models he'd created for all the other Xiyunfeng Clan disciples he'd seen fight so far.

And it was only because of how good his model for his upcoming opponent was that the plan he came up with had the slightest chance of working. The battle below finally came to an end as Houliao drove his sword deep into Feiyuan's stomach. Jieyuan saw Yongyi cringe. Yongyi's hands, still gripping the railing, were white with force—and for once, Jieyuan found sense in the palace's decision to transmute their entire palace, because if the railing had been of mundane steel, Yongyi would've crushed it just now.

Drawing his sword back, Houliao mercifully disengaged, standing in place as Feiyuan slumped down, crumpling, clutching her belly. Stomach wounds weren't deadly for cultivators, not like they were for mundanes, but they still weren't something easily treated. Anything involving organ damage would require treatment more nuanced than just popping pills. If Yongyi got to fight the Houliao in the next round, that might very well lead to the first murder in the tournament.

The proctor got on the stage and announced Houliao's victory. A trio of Gleaming Stone Sect elders were already heading down, and for a moment Jieyuan thought Yongyi would join them. But Yongyi just remained there, staring down at the stage.

"She'll be fine," Jieyuan said. Yongyi just hummed, softly, staring down at the stage, his yellow eyes seemingly gleaming under the brightgold radiance that surrounded them. Houliao got off the stage. The Gleaming Stone Sect elders picked up Feiyuan and carried her away. The proctor looked up toward the viewing floor.

"Haoyujin Jieyuan, of the Gleaming Stone Sect." —∞— As Jieyuan walked over to the center stage, he eyed the woman approaching from the opposite side of the floor. Jieyuan took his time, and she didn't seem to be in much of a hurry, either. Xiyunfeng Caoluan. Jieyuan tested the name in his head. It wasn't just her name that Elder Yiming told him this morning. The palace head also gave him a jadebook with all the information the sect had collected on her.

Sovereign Zhihao and his son were from the ruling household of the Xiyunfeng core bloodline. Caoluan, on the other hand, was from a branch bloodline—and the only cultivator of her household, at that. On the other side, Caoluan reached the stage and jumped up onto it. Jieyuan followed suit just moments later. He looked Caoluan over. What stood out the most about her was her height. Standing only two inches or so shorter than him, she was about as tall as Yunzhu and only slightly taller than Meiyao.

Beyond that, there wasn't much more to her appearance. She had the hard looks of the Xiyunfeng Clan. Strong-jawed, with pronounced brow and narrow, sharp eyes. The only other thing that drew the eye was the light-green sash she wore over the waist of her black robes, marking her as a mere inner disciple of the Xiyunfeng Clan.

As the proctor went over the rules of engagement—that was still a thing, and Jieyuan suspected that part of it was to give the competitors time to ready themselves—Jieyuan drew the Shifting Sisters, and Caoluan slid her sword out of its sheath. Though they were already five rounds into the tournament, and it was common knowledge what spiritskills their artifacts had, they kept the spirit-shroud on their weapons, making their properties impossible to tell through soulsenses. That was partially out of custom.

But also because it was always a good idea to keep your opponent guessing if what you'd shown so far was actually everything. Across him, Caoluan looked intent, studying him back just as he studied her. He couldn't expect any underestimation from her. That wasn't something he'd been able to count on since his first duel. Just as he wouldn't underestimate her. The three biggest dark horses in the tournament were him, Meiyao, and Daojue.

According to Elder Yiming, it wasn't the first time in the tournament's history that a fourth-step had made it to the fifth round. It was, however, the first time three fourth-steps managed to pull that off. And no fourth-step had ever gotten to the sixth round: something that Jieyuan was fairly sure would no longer be true by the end of the day. What he wasn't sure was if he would be the first to break that particular record.

Jieyuan steadied his breathing, eased his grip on the Shifting Sisters, and went over his plan for the fight one last time. Saw it all in his mind's eye. The lineups of the Radiant Gold Sect and the Viridian Death Cult were fairly straightforward. Dayang was the Radiant Gold Sect's undisputed champion, and Houliao the Viridian Death Cult's.

In the Gleaming Stone Sect's case, it was supposed to be Yongyi (or, barring that, Yunzhu, who as it turned out could probably give Yongyi a run for his gold in terms of martial ability), but Jieyuan's, Meiyao's, and Daojue's presence had muddled things up. Caoluan mirrored them in the Xiyunfeng Clan. The fourth dark horse, the fourth underdog. She was a fifth-step, the only one currently in the running. He, Meiyao, and Daojue were at fourth-step, and everyone else was at sixth-step Redrealm.

Jieyuan would've rather fought any of the other sixth-steps over her, though. Because last round she'd beaten a sixth-step from the Radiant Gold Palace, and done so without taking injury. Jieyuan wasn't sure Meiyao would be able to beat her. Even Daojue winning against her wouldn't be a sure thing. In terms of martial ability, Jieyuan would put her roughly on his level. She was far more outstanding a talent than Xianjun, who'd previously been regarded as the best the Xiyunfeng had produced in decades.

To top it off, she was only twenty-one years old. If the tournament had happened two years from now instead, she might have been one of the rare few seventh-steps ever to participate. And that was with just second-order heavenly affinity. Jieyuan let out a slow exhalation. He had his work cut out for him, all right.