Declining the Invitation

"He cheated; I saw him advance after the formation was deactivated." The disciple from the Boulder Sect said in a loud voice for everyone to hear.

Being accused of cheating, Wang Xue was starting to feel irritated. If in the past this happened, Wang Xue would've killed this guy with a single slash and destroyed his soul, and none would question him. But he could not do that right now as his strength is far from what it used to be.

'This kind of little competition is nothing for me, and you accuse me of cheating?'

He was angered, Wang Xue was prepared to take out his Ice Steel sword take this disciple of the Boulder Sect's head in one clean stroke, but a loud voice coming from above the tournament platform stopped him from doing so.

"Stop talking nonsense! Being shameless will not let you qualify in entering the finals. Stop throwing your face away by doing this." Liang Dong shouted from above; he had an ugly look on his face far from the usual and indifferent expression that he usually had.

From the crowd to the disciples of the three great sects, everyone was all surprised to see this. Lian Dong was a famous man in the whole Jade Province, not only because he's a genius swordsman but also for his temper.

He was a cool-headed young man, but he didn't tolerate unfairness. His temperament reflected the Sword Dao that he followed, gaining him the respect of many.

He started descending on the stairways and stopped on the sixteenth stone step. He looked at the shaking Boulder Sect disciple who averted his gaze.

"B-but I saw him! I'm not lying!" the disciple adamantly insisted.

"You didn't make it." Lian Dong coldly said, "I was watching that person when he ascended to the sixteenth stone step, or are you saying you do not trust my word?"

The pressure on the disciple only grew stronger that it made him fall to his knees.

'This is Lian Dong of the Heavenly Sword Sect?' The disciple thought as he fell on all four.

"Enough!" A calm voice echoed around the city square, and the pressure boring on that Boulder Sect Disciple immediately disappeared.

Raising his head, that disciple saw Dongfang Qianyin in front of him, shielding him from Lian Dong.

Dongfang Qianyin turned to look at the pitiful disciple; he smiled and called out the disciple to help him out of there, then said to Lian Dong, "Stop it, Lian Dong, the competition is making their blood boil, they're excited that it is making them see things. Can we stop it at this?"

Dongfang Qianyin was smiling, but Lian Dong felt the spiritual energy directed to him. He knew that if the two of them fought, the competition would be suspended, so no matter how much he wanted to duke it out with him now, Lian Dong was forced to keep his hands to himself, so he turned to leave then said, "Teach them how to act properly, Qianyin. You are disgracing your Sect."

Lian Dong went back up to the tournament platform after looking at Wang Xue's calm face, who stared back at him. Dongfang Qianyin also went back up after talking to the disciple of the Boulder Sects about what just happened.

Dongfang Qianyin saw the crowd acting all anxious and clueless about what was happening, so using his spiritual energy to amplify his voice, he started announcing the top 20 of the competition who will enter the final round.

"First place was taken by the Boulder Sect's Zi Shuang, and the Heavenly Sword Sects Wu Feng, Third Place by Yu Da-Xia of the Nine Flower Valley, Fourth place is Yan Mei, also hailing from the Nine Flower Valley… and for the top 20 that would be entering the finals is the unknown dark horse of the competition."

Dongfang Qianyin smiled at him from above and asked him, "What is your name?"

Wang Xue had to raise his head; although he didn't like how Dongfang Qianyan was standing above him, an answer was given with a smile, "I was given the name of Wang Xue, from the Red River State."

Wang Xue didn't hesitate to fake his information, although he could've said he was from the Willow State that may lead to some questions that he found troublesome to deal with. He was only a level 1 Jade Palace warrior; if the old woman from the Azure Dragon Academy knew that someone from the Willow State was alive, he didn't know what trouble that would bring to himself.

'He's full of mystery.' that's what Dongfang Qianyin had in mind when he saw Wang Xue for the first time. He wasn't able to see through this Wang Xue person even when he tried to. It was off-putting.

"This young man is Wang Xue of the Red River State!" The audience's excitement was once again incensed, now, even more than it had ever been. The previously heavy atmosphere disappeared with the crowd's roars and all the appearance of an unknown young man.

Flipping his hand, a cauldron appeared on top of his palms. From the cauldron's mouth, 20 golden lights shot out to Wang Xue and the other 19 people from the three great sects. The golden light was speeding its way to Wang Xue like an arrow, but before it could hit him, it stopped in front of him and floated quietly until he grabbed it from the air.

The golden light slowly started diminishing. After that golden light finally disappeared, Wang Xue found a golden tablet around 6 inches long and had the number 6 engraved on its surface. Wang Xue didn't know what that number meant, so he just waited for Dongfang Qianyin to explain what it was.

"What you are holding is clearly known by everyone here. The golden tablets have ten pairs of numbers, and whoever is holding the same number as your own, then that is the person that you will be fighting."

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Wang Xue had the number 6 engrave on his golden tablet so he would not be fighting for a while. Only one platform was present in the city square, so after he got the golden plate, Wang Xue planned to cultivate his spiritual energy before fighting.

The Trial of the Heaven that he just went through was easy to accomplish; the pressure was only a simulation, and its effect was limited to external factors. He managed to dissipate its force with the manipulation of the heavenly essence alone.

'Someone from the Spirit Condensation realm can't even make my hair flutter, yet a formation meant to tests young people almost made this body break. How weak I have become.'

He had his pride as the Bloody (Bloodbath - Bloody) Monarch, and the power of his soul was much stronger than a person of any Spirit Condensation realm warrior in this continent, and as for this final round, Wang Xue was also expecting it to be easy.

He gained quite a reputation from how he was introduced earlier by Dongfang Qianyin, so he was hurrying to find a quiet place. He wanted to avoid prying eyes, and despite his attempts, he failed.

But his plan of cultivating properly was broken when he felt someone was walking by him from behind; he didn't have to turn around to know who it was.

"Do you need something from me, senior Lian Dong?"

Wang Xue turned around and saw Lian Dong going down from the platform to meet him, he was already at the bottom of the stairway, and Lian Dong was only a step away from him.

"I believe senior is needed up there, where the fight is going on."

Many eyes were upon Lian Dong and Wang Xue as they talked. Lian Dong was a top genius from the Heavenly Sword Sect, and seeing him talking to someone who wasn't even affiliated to the other Sects was a surprise for many.

Lian Dong walked towards Wang Xue and motioned him to follow him, in someplace in the city square where not many people go to Lian Dong, and Wang Xue went. Nobody followed them to that place now, nor did anyone dare. Lian Dong went there to talk about something he didn't want anyone to hear about, so obviously, no one was in their right mind would go there.

"Enter the Heavenly Sword Sect."

This was the first thing that Lian Dong said when he spoke, he was here to scout Wang Xue to join his Sect. The Jade Province Competition is a place where many youths participate, and this was initially established for the Sects to find a genius among the common populace.

But because not many people outside of the Sects were winning or even joining the top 20, the whole Jade Province Competition became some sort of inner circle competition for the disciples of the three great sects.

It became a whole thing entirely; disciples went to show off their skills to join the inner circle of their Sects and gain a name for themselves. Because of their attitude, the whole purpose of the competition was changed entirely to the point where the common people no longer knew how it all started.

But Lian Dong was different because he knew it, or he remembered it when he saw Wang Xue flying through the flight of stairs like it was nothing. When he saw him doing those, he wanted to show Wang Xue to his master back in the Sect.

Wang Xue was distraught, he knew how these so-called sects worked, and he didn't want to be a part of one. He may not have had any problems joining one when he was at the Spirit Manifestation realm, but he didn't want anything to do with them.

Any Sect, whether it be an Ancient Sect or a Normal Sect, every Sect judges their disciples through the talents that they possess, but talents were deeply rooted in the Martial Spirit that everyone possesses. Every Martial Spirit had its own potentials, but some just stood above the rest.

His Martial Spirit would become public if he allowed them to observe.

And besides, he wanted to travel this continent unhindered. Although being in a sect may have some perks of having a good background, that didn't matter to him because if he was to become strong and went to fight with strong people in the future, backgrounds would be nothing. And the name of a Sect would only hold him back.

Wang Xue didn't want anything holding him back, and being in a weak Sect such as this will only become a burden for him in the future.

So he obviously went to decline Lian Dong's offer, which obviously rattled him, Wang Xue understood why he was surprised the Heavenly Sword Sect was from the three great Sects of the Jade Province, and no matter how talented was in the Jade Province, they will all wish to enter one of it.

"Why do you not want to enter? Are you planning to join the Boulder Sect?"

Lian Dong said after he regained his composure.

Wang Xue shook his head and denied what Lian Dong had just said: "No, I am not. It is only that I want to follow my "heart" and journey the whole continent without any worries weighing my heart. If I were to join any sect, I would be too burdened to continue my journey because of my constant worries."

Acting like a good person Wang Xue was a rather good actor, but it was not enough to convince Lian Dong, and of course, Wang Xue also knew of this, so he cut his palm and drew out blood, "With my blood, I hereby swear that I will not enter the Boulder Sect, if I, Wang Xue broke this oath may the heavens strike judgment upon me."

With that, he said his farewell to Lian Dong; Wang Xue knew that Lian Dong's worry was that he might enter the Boulder Sect and become their enemies in the future; that was why he made that blood oath to the heaven.

He was not planning to join any of them either way, so such an oath meant nothing to him. Wang Xue didn't like Dongfang Qianyin either, so if he ever enters the Boulder Sect, he would have to call him senior disciple Dongfang or senior disciple Dongfang 'Making a blood oath is worth.' he thought as he walked away.

When Wang Xue went back to the city square, the fight was just being announced: "The holder of the fifth tablet step forth."

It was already the fifth fight, and it seemed like the audience had been enjoying themselves, then the crowd was suddenly silenced when the people holding the fifth tablet.

"Wu Feng of the Heavenly Sword Sect ready."

Wu Feng said as he held his sword in his right hand.

"Zi Shuang of the Boulder Sect ready."

Zi Shuang took out a spear from the storage bracelet that he was wearing.

The two rivals looked at each other's eyes with an intense glare. The two Jade Palaces in their dantian vibrated, and their body radiated a bright light; they both took summoned their Martial Spirits at the same time.