024 Fourth Day

024 Fourth Day

The fourth day of the festival had arrived. For me, it was almost the fifth day since I’d been thrown into this world.

An attendant led me through the grand estate manor of the City Governor, Ren Jin. The walk was slow—painfully slow—because the attendant was just a regular mortal, and this place was

huge

. Every step I took on the polished stone floors echoed softly in the quiet halls.

So why was I here?

Well, Ren Jin had been kind enough to offer me lodging while Elder Lei Fen worked on transposing Gu Jie’s cultivation technique into something she could use at the First Realm. While I wasn’t the type to sit around waiting, I wasn’t about to let my follower deal with her misfortune alone.

I took in the sights along the way, appreciating the absurd wealth on display. The walls were lined with intricate paintings, the wooden pillars had gold-inlaid carvings, and the incense that burned in the corner filled the air with a refined, expensive scent.

Just as I was starting to enjoy the luxurious stroll, a familiar presence appeared beside me.

Fan Shi.

I had already sensed her tailing me for a while thanks to

Divine Sense

, but now she finally decided to show herself.

“How may I help you, Ms. Fan?” I asked without breaking stride.

She narrowed her eyes. “What is your cultivation realm?”

I sighed. This question again? Did

everyone

in this world have a realm obsession?

“That’s something I wish to keep to myself.”

Fan Shi studied me for a moment longer, then nodded. “I have a match, so please excuse me, Senior.” With that, she turned and walked away.

I finally arrived at the heavy wooden doors guarded by two armored cultivators.

The attendant gave a respectful bow. “We are here, master cultivator.”

The two armored cultivators standing at attention beside the heavy wooden doors gave me a quick once-over before pushing them open. The doors swung inward with a smooth, weighty motion, revealing the opulent VIP box beyond. The scent of fine incense drifted in the air, and the polished wooden floor gleamed under the soft glow of enchanted lanterns.

I stepped inside, taking in my surroundings.

The VIP box was a grand space, far more extravagant than I had expected.

Five seats were arranged in a slight arc, offering an excellent view of the arena below. The center seat belonged to Ren Jin, the City Governor, his regal presence commanding attention even while he sat at ease. To his left was an old man I recalled seeing before—he wore the flowing robes of the Cloud Mist Sect. Further left sat a middle-aged man with sharp eyes and an even sharper aura, likely from the Sword Canopy Sect.

To Ren Jin’s right, there were two seats: one was already occupied by a representative of the Isolation Path Sect, and the other, I assumed, was mine.

I took my seat, quietly observing the people around me.

The man to my right turned toward me and greeted me with a polite bow. “Greetings, Senior, my name is Chang Fan, a disciple of—”

Unfortunately for him, the Elder from Cloud Mist Sect cut him off before he could finish.

“Where is Lei Fen?” the old man grumbled. “It is quite rude of him to leave us here like this. Does watching the next generation bore him so much?”

I suppressed a sigh. Cultivator power plays were such a

bullshit

thing.

Chang Fan stiffened, his expression caught between fear of offending the Elder and loyalty to his Sect.

I decided to step in before this got unnecessarily tense. “Lei Fen is absent for the simple reason that he is doing a favor for me.”

The Sword Canopy Elder, who had been quiet until now, finally spoke. “And you are?”

I relaxed slightly. No way a fight would break out here, right? This was a civilized setting. Surely, these elders wouldn’t be

that

temperamental. Still, it was best to tread carefully. The way I phrased my answer could make all the difference between satisfying their curiosity and accidentally provoking trouble.

“My name is Da Wei,” I said, keeping my tone even. “I’ve inconvenienced Lord Ren Jin with a certain… debacle outside his walls—”

The Sword Canopy Elder interrupted, “That was you?”

Rude.

I continued smoothly, “Since then, I’ve apologized to his lordship. I am grateful for his hospitality and generosity.”

I could feel the two elders’ gazes boring into me, their qi sense probing at my presence like invisible tendrils.

According to Gu Jie, when qi was used to sense someone, it felt like tiny pinpricks on the skin. I wasn’t feeling anything like that, but—God bless my

Perception

stat and

Divine Sense

—they couldn’t have been more obvious.

While

Divine Sense

was originally just a scouting skill for detecting hostility in the game, I had recently realized it could also pick up on things like killing intent and presence. The feature wasn’t something explicitly listed in the mechanics, but I vaguely remembered reading in some flavor text that it had additional uses. If I trained it enough, I might be able to push its versatility even further.

I suppressed a sigh. The two elders weren’t radiating killing intent, but their hostility was

just

enough for

Divine Sense

to mark them.

Ren Jin, ever the courteous host, decided to step in before things got awkward. “I believe introductions are necessary.” He gestured toward the elder from Cloud Mist Sect. “Daoist Da Wei, this is Daoist Pan Xia of the Cloud Mist Sect.” Then he motioned to the other. “And beside him is Daoist Long Xieren of the Sword Canopy Sect.”

Pan Xia gave a slight nod and snapped open a folding fan, lightly airing himself with an easygoing smile. “Greetings, fellow Daoist. If you don’t mind me asking, what is your realm?”

I sighed.

Here we go again.

“Why does it matter?” I asked, keeping my tone neutral. “Isn’t it considered rude to ask about someone’s cultivation the first time you meet them?”

Long Xieren scoffed. “That’s what you say, but you have little to no cultivation. Except perhaps your body refinement.”

Oh?

So that pretty much confirmed it—they couldn’t detect mana.

Lei Fen couldn’t. Ren Jin couldn’t. Jiang Zhen couldn’t.

If they

could

, they didn’t seem to understand it.

A quiet sense of confidence settled over me.

I really can’t be detected by their normal means.

That meant I had a

significant

advantage when mingling with cultivators. Of course, that didn’t mean I had to

enjoy

being interrogated like this.

I shrugged nonchalantly. “Sect Master Jiang Zhen said the same.”

The name drop did exactly what I wanted it to.

Pan Xia’s fan stopped mid-wave, and Long Xieren’s brows furrowed slightly.

I didn’t say anything explicit. I didn’t

need

to. Just enough to imply that

something

was going on between me and a high-ranking figure like Jiang Zhen.

Suck on that, old man.

Chang Fan, the Isolation Path Sect disciple, spoke up with a calm but firm voice. “Master Da is an honored friend of our Sect and a peer of the Sect Master of Isolation Path Sect. I ask my seniors to please treat Master Da with the same respect afforded to the Isolation Path Sect.”

Oh? Now that’s an interesting spin on things.

Pan Xia raised a brow, snapping his fan shut with a soft flick. “Ho~ what an interesting development. Forgive my impertinence, then, but may I ask of Senior’s origins and affiliation?”

This Cloud Mist Sect Elder

really

had it in for me. His tone remained impeccably polite, even going so far as to address me as

Senior

, but his question was anything but innocent. A barbed probe, disguised beneath courteous words.

Still, I had already been named a

peer

of Isolation Path Sect’s Master. That alone must have made them see me in a different light.

Might as well play along.

I gave a slight, measured nod. “I come from a faraway land. A traveler, if you would.”

Long Xieren huffed. “Unbelievable. A

peer

of the Isolation Path Sect Master? That golden flash outside the city must have been you exchanging pointers with him. You have admirable strength, fellow Daoist.”

Oh, dude. If only you knew.

I held back a sigh. So that was the conclusion they reached?

Not bad. I can work with that.

Pan Xia, playing the cautious schemer, decided to keep his distance—for now. He continued addressing me as

Senior

, likely to avoid provoking an unknown factor. Meanwhile, Long Xieren took a different approach, treating me as an equal. They clearly had their own motives, but I wasn’t sure yet what they were angling for.

And then, something clicked.

The auction.

I recalled Gu Jie reporting to me whispers about a significant auction happening soon. It wasn’t listed in the festival’s itinerary, but I had a strong feeling it would take place on the last day.

Were they wary of me because they saw me as a potential competitor?

Interesting. I had just entered the high society of cultivators, and already, they were treating me like an unknown piece on their board.

The tournament had reached the quarter-finals. The crowd outside the VIP box buzzed with excitement, a chaotic hum of voices anticipating the matches ahead. Cultivators and mortals alike gathered in the arena to witness the battles of the next generation.

Down below, the arena’s elevated stone platform had been reinforced by formations, ensuring that the destructive force of the upcoming fights wouldn’t cause unnecessary damage. The sun hung high, casting sharp shadows as two figures stepped onto the stage.

Chief Enforcer Liang Na, standing in the center, acted as the referee. Her expression was as unreadable as ever, her official robes giving her an imposing presence as she looked between the two competitors.

One of them was Fan Shi, the Isolation Path Sect disciple I had met earlier. Dressed in her signature black robes with silver trim, she exuded the same quiet, eerie pressure she had displayed in her last match. Her long, dark hair was tied up, exposing the cold, sharp lines of her face.

Opposite her stood her opponent—a female disciple from the Cloud Mist Sect.

If Fan Shi was a

jade beauty

, then this woman was an

ice beauty

.

Her presence was regal, her expression composed like a winter landscape untouched by warmth. She wore pale blue robes embroidered with silver mist patterns, her long, frosty silver hair cascading down her back like a waterfall. Her aura was distant, refined, and carried the faint scent of frozen lilies.

I leaned back in my chair, glancing at the others in the VIP box. “So, anyone here wants to do a commentary?”

Silence.

I looked around. Pan Xia, Long Xieren, and Ren Jin were all watching the arena with the serious expressions of seasoned cultivators analyzing a battle of importance.

Even Chang Fan was studying the field with careful eyes.

Damn. I got spoiled by Gu Jie too much.

She would have already started spouting details about the competitors, giving me a helpful breakdown of sects, fighting styles, and notable achievements. But now, I was left with a room full of solemn old men and their scrutiny.

Luckily, Chang Fan was a helpful chap.

He turned to me and asked, “Master Da, what is it you wish to know?”

I gestured to the ice beauty. “I know Fan Shi, but not the other gal.”

Chang Fan gave a knowing nod. “That’s to be expected, Master Da, since you are not from around here.”

Pan Xia leaned back, waving his fan with an air of satisfaction. “She’s our Sect’s pride and treasure, a direct descendant of our noble lineage. Her roots trace back to the Parent Sect of Cloud Mist.”

I raised an eyebrow. “What’s a Parent Sect?”

It was an innocent enough question, one that shouldn’t have raised suspicions. If I was playing the role of a traveler unfamiliar with their customs, this level of ignorance should be forgivable. Still, Pan Xia clicked his tongue in annoyance, clearly displeased at having to explain something so obvious—at least, obvious to them.

Thankfully, Chang Fan was much more accommodating. “Master Da, some Sects expand their influence by establishing branches in different provinces, and in rare cases, even across entire continents. The Parent Sect refers to the original Sect that gives rise to these branches.”

Huh. So something like a franchise, but for cultivators?

Chang Fan continued, “The Cloud Mist Sect has a long and illustrious history, its roots tracing back to the main continent.”

Main continent? That was new. I’d read a fair bit since arriving here, and Gu Jie had shared stories, but I hadn’t come across a proper world map. From what I gathered, Riverfall Continent was just one of many under the dominion of the Empire. If the

main continent

was being mentioned so casually, that meant there was a larger world beyond what I’d seen so far.

Chang Fan gestured toward the stage. “Jia Yun of Cloud Mist Sect is a rising star, currently at the Second Realm, Sixth Star, Mid Stage.”

I rubbed my chin. “And Fan Shi?”

Chang Fan’s expression turned serious. “Fan Shi is stronger, but… her path is different.”

I glanced down at the arena, where both fighters were already facing each other. Jia Yun stood with an ethereal grace, her pristine white robes edged with silver, contrasting sharply against Fan Shi’s darker, more ominous attire. If Fan Shi was a jade beauty, then Jia Yun was an ice beauty—cold, unapproachable, and untouchable.

Liang Na, the acting referee, stepped forward and raised her hand. The match was about to begin.

I leaned back in my seat.

Fan Shi moved first, stepping forward with a graceful bow, her movements precise and deliberate. "Disciple of the Isolation Path Sect greets Jia Yun of the Cloud Mist Sect."

Jia Yun, in contrast, barely put in any effort. She cupped her fist in return, her expression indifferent, her voice carrying a lazy drawl. “…The same.”

From my seat in the VIP box, I observed them closely. The contrast between the two was striking. Fan Shi exuded a quiet menace, her dark robes blending with the eerie stillness that surrounded her, while Jia Yun stood like an untouchable figure of ice, pristine and unmoved.

Liang Na, standing as the acting referee, gave them both a level look. “The same rules apply as yesterday. The condition of defeat is to be out of bounds, drawing first blood, a call for surrender, or incapacitation.”

The tension in the arena thickened. The crowd, sensing the impending clash, hushed in anticipation.

A moment of silence.

Then—

“Fight.”

Jia Yun didn’t move.

Fan Shi didn’t either.

A subtle but unmistakable pressure radiated between them, neither willing to make the first move.

I narrowed my eyes. This wasn’t just a battle of techniques—it was a battle of will.