As I walked, I looked around. It seemed they had acted quickly; many cultivators were flying overhead, but I paid them no mind.
Upon arriving at the Blue Lotus Sect's disciple recruitment area, the place was even more crowded. I walked through the gate, looking for a good seat. It seemed I was late.
It turned out they were already in the second round of the sect's trial. In the middle of the field, a pair of cultivators fought fiercely. Around them, there were many traces of destruction from the battle.
After finding a good seat, I began to analyze their fight. The two seemed to use different cultivation methods: one used a sword, while the other used paper with talismans.
The sword-wielding cultivator shouted loudly, "What about this? 'Stone Slaying Technique!' Hyaaaa!"
Swashh!
The slash was incredibly powerful. The sword flew, unleashing its full might. His robes were already tattered, likely a result of their intense battle.
Meanwhile, his opponent pulled a talisman from his pouch. "'Turtle Shell Technique!'" he exclaimed. Immediately, he was enveloped by a transparent black shell.
Crack!
The sword cultivator was sent flying. He dug his sword into the concrete, leaving a rough scratch mark, as if holding back to avoid being thrown further.
The cultivator using the talisman seemed exhausted. The technique he used must have drained a lot of Qi. His sweat poured down, and blood flowed from the corner of his lips.
I realized that they were fighting to defeat each other, yet neither would give up. It seemed the evaluation was based on the severity of the fight. I saw the sect elders also watching seriously.
A short while later, neither cultivator had fallen. One of the elders stood up from his seat. "THIS MATCH IS OVER! THEY ARE BOTH TIED, SO THEY WILL ADVANCE TO THE NEXT ROUND," he shouted. "PLEASE, THE MEDICAL STAFF, TAKE THEM TO THE RESTING AREA. THANK YOU."
Hmm... it seems I missed a lot, I thought. I can't sense their cultivation level. I feel stupid watching them fight and just shouting their 'techniques'. Huhh... it feels weird.
I sighed, "It doesn't seem interesting anymore. I'll go home after I eat this lunch," I murmured, opening the cloth wrapped lunch given by Yue Chan.
Chomp!
"Wow... the food is delicious! This is what I dreamed of: a life without problems, delicious food, a caring sister, and a good family. I'll make sure this happiness continues until I'm eight. I can't possibly miss it!" I mumbled, chuckling.
I wrapped up my empty lunch box. Around me, many spectators were cheering. I felt envious seeing them, as if the fight felt very exciting to them. Maybe it's because they could sense the cultivators' cultivation levels.
I walked home, even though it was still midday approaching afternoon. As I looked around, I hid the new artifact I had obtained beneath my robe.
...
After walking for quite a while, Ji Tianwei arrived in front of the gate of his house. He knocked on the door, calling out, "Father? Mother? Why is the door closed?" Frowning, he looked around. The gates of the other houses were also tightly shut.
Soon after, Xiao Chao opened the door. His face was filled with worry as he pulled Ji Tianwei's hand.
A panicked expression was etched on Xiao Chao's face. "Quick, son, get in! Your father heard that something happened near the recruitment area. Thank goodness you're okay," he said.
The house gate was closed tightly again. "What happened, Father?" Ji Tianwei replied. "When I was there, nothing seemed out of the ordinary." A curious look was on his face, but in his heart, he was chuckling.
"I'll tell you later," Xiao Chao said. "Let's go inside first. Your mother and sister are already inside. This is important information."
Ji Tianwei nodded and went inside. In the living room, Yue Chan and Xiao Qing were waiting with panicked expressions. Upon seeing Ji Tianwei, Xiao Qing immediately ran to hug him. "My brother, you're okay, right? Thank goodness!" she exclaimed. "I'm fine, Sister," Ji Tianwei replied.
Xiao Qing took his hand and sat closely with him. Seeing Xiao Chao and Yue Chan's serious faces, Xiao Qing began to explain what had happened near the disciple recruitment area.
"Father, Mother, what I said is true. The tracking and investigation team has assessed the situation there. There were traces of a horrific battle, and one of my friends, Lin Dong, was killed in that place. His junior reported that there was a terrifying being who had no cultivation, but its power was strange. How could someone without cultivation release spiritual energy? My sect is doing this secretly," Xiao Qing explained.
After hearing the explanation, Xiao Chao narrowed his eyes. "Hmm... something strange happened before, too," he murmured.
"Father, is it related to the sky phenomenon half a year ago?" Xiao Qing asked.
"Yes, my daughter. At that time, many people felt that something or someone caused that phenomenon to appear. A terrifying aura radiated from the direction of your investigation," Xiao Chao said, his face serious as he thought deeply.
Yue Chan said, "Was it the one who caused that phenomenon? A long time ago, there was a book that told of a strange power that defied heaven. That power had a different cultivation path and stages. The book was written by someone who had met him, but that book, millions of years old, has now disappeared. I heard this story when I was a child, maybe it's related to that tale."
Xiao Chao frowned, seemingly deep in thought. "Is that true, Mother?" Xiao Qing asked. "That story is millions of years old. Can it still be true now? Isn't there strong evidence yet?"
"My daughter, if that story is true, then he really exists. Back then, I also heard from your grandfather that person had no cultivation like us cultivators; we couldn't sense his energy," Xiao Chao explained.
Ji Tianwei, who heard them explaining and talking about the power he possessed, now thought, What? It turns out someone has recorded the history of nirvana's power! Could the person they're talking about be the empress I met in the Sea of Consciousness realm? Damn, this is very bad if they find out about me.
Ji Tianwei asked to break the mood, "Is that true? What kind of power did he have millions of years ago?"
"Son, this power is very cruel. There's no clear evidence about this power, only that the story once mentioned a sentence with the letter N. Now, many have forgotten the story of that power. This power is even more cruel than the demonic cultivators. In the story, this person went mad and slaughtered millions of cultivators to increase his power. He died, punished by heaven itself. In the past, the world was filled with fire. Many cultivators united to fight him, but it was all in vain. The more victims there were, the happier he became because his power would increase when he absorbed them," Xiao Chao explained.
"That's horrifying, Father. Will that happen in this era?" Ji Tianwei said, hugging Xiao Qing who was beside him. However, his heart said something else. It turns out that story has been forgotten. Even the power he possessed isn't clear, it only describes his massacre. That's a relief then. They'll forget it over time anyway. It's just that this area will be a lot more restricted, and that's very beneficial for me. Hehe.
"It's not clear, son. The point is, you shouldn't go outside the house gate until this story subsides and we are sure that it won't happen again," Xiao Chao said.
Ji Tianwei nodded, then Xiao Qing said, "Father, it's time for me to go back. The sect is continuing the disciple recruitment and conducting a secret investigation so that people don't panic. Little brother, be a good boy at home, okay? I'll be back in five days, so just stay at home and wait for me to come back."
"You should be careful too, my daughter. If something happens, just break the wood that your mother gave you," Yue Chan said.
"Okay, Mother. Father, I'll be leaving now," Xiao Qing replied.
Xiao Chao nodded and said, "If you get any information, just tell us, my daughter. Maybe your father and mother can help you."
"Take good care of my sister. I will wait at home," Ji Tianwei said.
Xiao Qing kissed Ji Tianwei's cheek, then smiled. She walked out of the house, followed by Xiao Chao and Yue Chan, and then left while waving her hand.
Ji Tianwei returned to his room. He opened a box containing his first clothes, took the artifact mask that was hidden beneath his robe, and stored it inside the box. After locking it, he placed the box at the bottom of the closet. Ji Tianwei then opened the window. The afternoon sun shone on his small face, and a satisfied smile spread as he gazed at the flowing river.