157 Prizes (1/2)

After realizing that they lacked the wealth to purchase anything in the marketplace, the two headed back to the inn.

The days before the tournament went by in a flash. Xue Wei and Hei Gou spent their time cultivating, only interrupted by meal times. Since they could eat spiritual food for free, they were not going to pass up on such a treasure trove of Qi.

Xue Wei had reached the third layer of the Sky Warrior rank, and had to stabilize his layer. Rushing straight to the fourth layer was not wise at the current point in time. However, Hei Gou managed to increase his Qi-level to the sixth layer of the Sky Warrior rank, while his physical strength-level was still at the first layer Heavenly Warrior rank.

The day of the tournament arrived, and Xue Wei, Hei Gou, and the other experts living in the fort town all headed towards the arena in the center of the fort town.

This arena was magnificent. It was surrounded by forty meters tall walls all around it, and it was a perfect circle.

Inside was seating all the way from the bottom to the top in three layers. The more powerful one was, the higher up one was allowed to sit.

The many experts all gathered inside the arena, on the main ground, and discovered that there were ten stages set up. There was almost no space for the many experts who had made their way to the Black Iron Fortress, and all of the experts were packed like sardines in a can.

Hei Gou had already left Xue Wei and had spent some of their few silver coins on a ticket to the seating area. This ticket lasted the entire tournament, but it was the cheapest of the cheap tickets, and it made him sit rather far away, and he did not have a good overview of the many stages that were located in the middle of the round arena.

Xue Wei stood in the midst of the many experts, but Hei Gou was incapable of finding him. Even with his trained eyes, there were simply far too many experts in the arena grounds that finding just one person was like finding a needle in a haystack.

The many experts in the arena were all eager to begin the tournament, but more and more were rushing in through the gates of the arena, and soon the ones who had entered were forced to stand closer and closer until they were almost hugging one another, and the stream of arriving participants was far from over.

Soon, the stages had to be filled with participants too, and only when eight of the ten stages had been filled did the final expert enter the arena.

The audience was observing the many experts that had entered the arena, while the attending warriors were sizing up their opponents.

Xue Wei quickly found the experts from the Crimson Sunshine Sect; they were standing on one of the stages, trying their very best to look very important.

The leader of the Crimson Sunshine Sect had no need for that, however, as he was very important in himself, and many gazes were aimed at him.

Many of the women present were looking at him with adoration in their eyes, whereas many of the men, and especially the stronger independent experts, were looking at the Argent Moon Sect's disciples who were standing on another stage.

The Cerulean Starlight Sect's disciples were placed on a third stage. Here, there were both female and male sect disciples, so they also caught a lot of attention, especially the female disciples as they had not hidden their appearances like the ones from the Argent Moon Sect.

When Xue Wei's eyes swept across the ones from the Cerulean Starlight Sect, he found that the leader of that sect was looking at him, a puzzled look on his face.

Xue Wei frowned. ”What is it?” he asked with compressed voice transmission.

The eyebrow of the expert from the Cerulean Starlight Sect rose in surprise when he heard the hidden message and a smile spread on his lips.

”I am interested in you. From among everyone here, I feel the biggest threat from you. Even bigger than the one I feel from Xiong Bing. But why is that? You are fairly weak.”

Xue Wei was not insulted. When comparing their cultivation levels, he was indeed weak, but when it came to actual combat, he was not as weak as these disciples thought.

”Let me ask you, you and your comrades, how many of you have been in lethal danger before?” Xue Wei asked casually, and his words caused the expert to frown.

”We are disciples of the Cerulean Starlight Sect, even when we were in the army, we were treated specially, so I guess we have only encountered life and death battle once or twice each,” he answered honestly.

”In these one or two times, have you truly faced death, or have you just experienced chaotic battle? I have experienced deadly fights and battles time and time again. This is the difference between you and me.” Xue Wei knew that he was revealing some of his secrets, but he had a good impression of this man from the Cerulean Starlight Sect.

Although the leader of the Cerulean Starlight Sect was an important disciple of their sect, he was not putting on any airs of superiority in front of Xue Wei.

Also when he heard these words, his eyes lit up, and he cupped his fists and bowed towards Xue Wei.

Many who were observing the Cerulean Starlight Sect were stunned upon seeing this, unable to understand who he was bowing towards.

”My name is Lin Yuelong. It would be my honor to fight you later. If possible, please have have mercy upon my fellow disciples in their battles with you.”

Xue Wei nodded his head, but he did not give his name. He had long since learned not to be too honest with his name. Although he had traveled a long way from the Heping Kingdom, no one knew what might have been spread of information about him here.

The conversation between Lin Yuelong and Xue Wei ended there, as a heavy pressure suddenly appeared from above and a figure landed on one of the two empty stages.