The streets of the resting area slowly became a blur. Amidst the bustling crowd, a mother and daughter walked side by side, seemingly unnoticed by those around them. The daughter skipped along happily.
"Mother, can I really not keep him?" She spoke as though she were asking to keep a stray puppy.
"I have truly indulged your desires too much." The woman beside her sighed.
Despite her words, a faint smile remained on her lips.
"Once the succession war ends, you may have him, my dear daughter."
"Yay! Thank you, Mother!" The girl immediately wrapped her arms around her mother’s waist.
The woman gently patted her daughter’s head.
Then her expression became serious.
"Did you successfully place the Dragon Withering Gu and the Enshrouding Gu on the boy?"
"Of course!" The girl’s cheerful expression returned.
"He didn’t notice anything at all. Hehe!" She giggled to herself.
"I even tried using the Heart Stop Gu, but he wouldn’t take off that stupid blindfold." She pouted and kicked a small stone along the road.
"Stupid Shin."
"Do not use the Heart Stop Gu without my permission. It would cause far too many problems for us while we remain within the sect." The woman’s expression instantly turned cold. Her voice carried a trace of authority that made the girl’s smile disappear.
"A-Ah..." The woman turned her icy gaze toward her daughter.
"I’m sorry, Mother." The girl froze. She looked genuinely frightened. Only after the woman looked away did the tension leave the girl’s body.
"Good." The woman sighed quietly.
The two continued walking. Moments later, their figures disappeared completely into the crowd.
-------------------
Shin was only now beginning to understand just how powerful the woman had been.
"Woah... Rei, her mother was really strong, right?" He rubbed his arms as goosebumps still covered his skin.
"She should be a Tier One Warrior, just like Master." Rei nodded solemnly.
"What is that?" Her gaze then shifted toward the pouch in Shin’s hand.
Shin looked down. The pouch had been thrown to him by Li Lian’s mother before she left.
"I don’t know." He opened it. The instant the opening was revealed, a dense concentration of Qi surged outward.
"Eight spirit stones?" Inside were eight glistening spirit stones.
Rei’s brows furrowed and Shin’s expression immediately brightened.
"At least that makes up for what I spent with Li Lian." He stuck out his tongue sheepishly.
"How much did you spend?" Rei’s eyes narrowed.
"...E-Eight."
Rei’s hand immediately came down on his head.
Smack!
"OUCH!" Shin jumped and covered his head.
"You think spirit stones grow on trees?" Rei glared at him.
"Half of those fifteen spirit stones were supposed to be mine."
"Sorry, Sis!" Shin rubbed his head.
"It won’t happen again!"
"Mhm." Rei finally relented.
She glanced toward the crowd where Li Lian and her mother had disappeared.
’Was that woman watching the two of them the entire time?’ The thought lingered in her mind. There was something she couldn’t quite put her finger on. Something about the two gave an unsettling ominous energy.
Before Rei could investigate the thought further the brilliant golden formation hanging above the resting area suddenly flashed.
Second Round Begins!
The following disciples, please make your way to the central arena!
Names began appearing one after another and some of the surrounding disciples immediately began moving toward the arena.
Disciple Shin.
Shin’s eyes widened.
"My turn?" A grin slowly spread across his face. He clenched his fists.
"Looks like it’s finally time to show off the fruits of my training!" Rei glanced at him.
"Be careful. Some of the disciples participating in this contest are monsters." Her expression became serious.
Shin paused. He remembered the battle he had just heard about. Rei had nearly been pushed to her limits by Hong Tao.
"Yeah." He nodded.
"Thanks, Rei." Shin turned toward the arena but after taking two steps, he suddenly stopped. His head slowly turned back toward Rei.
"Wait."
"What?" Rei looked at him.
"Did you just praise the disciples in this contest?" Shin stared at her suspiciously.
Rei’s expression froze and Shin’s grin widened.
"That’s the first time I’ve ever heard you say something like that."
"Go fight."
"Yes, Sis!" Shin immediately ran toward the arena.
Rei watched his back disappear into the crowd. A faint smile appeared on her lips. Then her gaze returned to the pouch of spirit stones in her hand and her smile slowly faded.
There was still something about that mother and daughter that bothered her and after what she had learned today, Rei no longer trusted her instincts enough to dismiss it.
Shin arrived at his assigned arena square. As he arrived he looked around until he saw his master on the elevated platform beside him.
Shin immediately gave a bow to Karn before jumping up on the arena.
The inner sect disciple that was presiding over the fight between Shin and his assigned opponent nodded.
"State your name and affiliation." The disciple spoke.
"Shin - Elder Karn’s second disciple." Shin gave a bow of respect to which the disciple nodded with a smile.
"And you?" The inner sect disciple looked at the other side of the arena.
"Lu Wei. Outer Sect Disciple." A young man stepped forward, and unlike Shin, Lu Wei carried a weapon.
A long spear rested against his shoulder, its tip glimmering beneath the sunlight. He looked to be around seventeen or eighteen years old, several years older than Shin. His cultivation was also not weak. A faint pressure radiated from his body.
Tier Three.
Shin’s grin remained. The inner sect disciple looked between the two contestants.
"Both of you are aware of the rules?"
"Yes."
"Yes."
"Then take your positions."
The two walked toward opposite sides of the arena. Shin reached the edge of his starting position and quietly breathed in. He could feel countless gazes falling upon him. The noise of the surrounding arena gradually faded from his mind. For the first time since entering the contest, Shin’s expression became serious.
He remembered Karn’s teachings. He remembered the days spent training beneath the waterfall. The countless hours spent being beaten until his body could no longer move, all while the blindfold covered his eyes.
’Today, I’ll show Master what I’ve learned.’ Shin slowly raised his hands. His fingers curled into fists.
High above the arena, Karn watched silently. He had noticed the change in his disciple’s demeanor. The playful child had disappeared. What remained was a calmness Karn had instilled into Shin over the past month.
"Koko..." Karn stroked his beard.
Beside him, several Elders were also observing the arena.
"That’s Elder Karn’s second disciple, correct?"
"Yes. Rumor is, he is blind just like Elder Karn."
"I heard Elder Karn personally trained him after taking pity on his blindness."
"His cultivation is only at the early stages of Tier Three though. His opponent on the other hand has already approached the middle stages. Geniuses like Disciple Rei and Disciple Hong Tao who are able to fight cultivators with higher cultivation are very rare. Elder Karn is lucky he has even one." One Elder shook his head.
"Then this should be an easy victory."
’Easy? Koko...’ Karn’s smile didn’t change.
"Prepare!" The inner sect disciple raised his hand.
Lu Wei lowered his spear. His expression became focused while Shin remained completely still.
"Begin!"
BOOM!
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