chapter 41. new arena

Xua Yan struck up a conversation with a martial artist standing in front of him in line. The man was a burly, middle-aged man with a gruff demeanor. Xua Yan introduced himself and asked the man where he was from.

"I'm from the northern region," the man replied. "I've come to test my skills against the best."

Xua Yan nodded in respect. "I'm from the city. I'm here for the same reason."

As they chatted, Xua Yan noticed that the line was moving faster now. They were getting closer to the registration desk. He could feel his excitement growing as he realized that he was about to enter the competition that he had been preparing for.

Wei Ming and the others were also getting excited. They had been talking to other martial artists in the line and had learned some interesting things about the competition. Xua Yan listened intently as they shared their knowledge.

One of them said, "I heard that the first round is going to be a free-for-all battle. The last martial artist standing will move on to the next round."

Another chimed in, "I heard that the second round is going to be a weapons challenge. They're going to give us a random weapon and we'll have to use it to defeat our opponents."

Xua Yan felt his adrenaline pumping. He had been training hard for this day, the day he would participate in the grand tournament of the Heavenly Retreat Kingdom. He knew that this was a rare opportunity to showcase his skills and talents, as well as to earn a chance to get into the army. He also knew that this was a dangerous event, where many powerful and ruthless opponents would try to defeat him or even kill him. He was ready for whatever challenges lay ahead.

He walked confidently with his friends Wei Ming and others towards the registration desk. They had arrived in the city a few days ago and had registered for the tournament at a designated area inside the city with XuaYan. There, they had received their badges that identified them as participants and gave them access to the arena.

The arena was a massive structure that could accommodate thousands of spectators and hundreds of fighters. It was surrounded by high walls and guarded by soldiers from the army of the Heavenly Retreat Kingdom. The soldiers checked their badges carefully and scanned them with an artifact that verified their identities and qualifications.

"Welcome to the arena, young heroes," one of the soldiers said politely after scanning Xua Yan's badge. "You are about to enter a place where legends are born and dreams are shattered. I hope you have what it takes to survive and succeed." Xua Yan nodded respectfully and thanked him. He felt a surge of excitement and anticipation as he stepped through the gate that led to the arena. He could hear the roar of the crowd and smell the blood and sweat that would be spreading through the air.

Xua Yan followed the signs that directed him to his section according to his badge level. He was in level two out of three levels based on his cultivation stage and his registration serial number. He knew that level one was for those who had reached or surpassed the peak of body tempering, level two was for those who had reached energy-gathering stage, level three was for those who had reached developing sprite qi stage. He saw many other fighters in his section who looked eager or nervous or arrogant or confident or fearful or determined. Some were alone while others were in groups like him.

Xua Yan took a deep breath and prepared to enter his section's barrier. He clenched his fists tightly around his sword hilt and adjusted his robe. He glanced at Wei Ming, and others who were beside him. They nodded at him with encouragement and solidarity. They had been friends for some time and they had always helped and supported each other through thick and thin. And Xua had helped them in the dire situation when they needed the help most. They shared the almost same dream of becoming famous cultivators and exploring the mysteries of the universe and martial arts. They were ready to face any challenge together.

As Xua Yan entered the arena, he was struck by the grandeur of the place. He felt like he had stepped into a different world, a world where everything was larger and more magnificent than he had ever seen before. He gazed in awe at the towering walls that surrounded the arena, the huge gates that opened and closed to let fighters and spectators in and out, the colorful banners that fluttered in the wind, and the statues of heroes and beasts that adorned the corners.

He also noticed the contrast between the arena and its surroundings. The arena was located in a dense forest that stretched for miles in every direction. The forest was full of life and vitality, with green trees, colorful flowers, chirping birds and scampering animals. The arena was like a giant scar on the face of nature, a place where life was sacrificed for entertainment and glory.

According to what he had heard from the gathered crowd this arena was made within the forest by removing a large amount of trees and built within 10 days of time. Xua Yan found this hard to believe. How could such a massive structure be constructed so quickly? What kind of methods did they use? What kind of resources did they have? He wondered if there was some secret behind this feat. By thinking all this he was done with the martial artists, Xua Yan became a fan of them.

He recalled what he had learned from his previous life on Earth. There, building such an arena would have taken months or even years of planning, designing, engineering and laboring. It would have required advanced technology, skilled workers and huge amounts of money. It would have also faced many challenges such as environmental regulations, public protests and legal disputes.

But here in this world where cultivation ruled everything and power was respected above all things were different. Here the Heavenly Retreat Kingdom was one of the strongest forces in this continent. It had a rich history, a vast territory, a powerful army, and many talented cultivators. It also had the backing of an ancient sect from some higher world. the Heavenly Retreat Sect, that was said to be one of the oldest and most mysterious sects in this world. The Heavenly Retreat Sect had access to many secrets, treasures, and techniques that other sects could only dream of. They were also known for their ruthless methods, their ambitious goals, and their disdain for ordinary people. They were feared and respected by everyone. These were all the things that Xua Yan heard today when he was coming from the city in the crowd. And this is the reason why many sect, ancient families and clans blindly followed the order of the Heavenly Retreat kingdom.

Xua Yan guessed that it was because of their influence that this arena was built so fast and so grandly. They must have used some special techniques or tools to speed up the process and overcome any obstacles. They must have also used their authority to silence any opposition or criticism. They must have wanted to show off their strength and prestige to everyone who came to watch or participate in this tournament.

When he looked around the area inside the arena, he saw a large stage that was built in the middle of the field. The stage was so huge that it could fit a small town from his previous life on Earth. It was made of sturdy wood and metal, and had various markings and symbols on it. It was divided into several sections by invisible barriers that only allowed certain levels of fighters to enter.

The stage was the main battleground for the tournament. It was where all the participants would fight and show their skills to the judges and the audience. It was also where they would face their rivals and enemies, and where they would either win glory or lose face.

Xua Yan felt a surge of excitement and nervousness as he looked at the stage. He knew that he would soon be standing on it, facing many powerful and dangerous opponents. He wondered who he would meet and how he would fare. He hoped that he could perform well and impress everyone with his abilities.

He also felt a sense of curiosity and admiration as he looked at the other participants who were already on the stage or waiting to enter it. He saw many young men and women who looked confident and proud, wearing various kinds of robes, armors, weapons and accessories. They had different styles and expressions, but they all had one thing in common: they were cultivators.

Cultivators were people who practiced cultivation as a method of enhancing one's body, mind, and spirit by absorbing and refining the energy of heaven and earth called spiritual qi. Cultivation allowed them to gain extraordinary powers, such as flying, shooting fireballs, controlling elements, summoning beasts, and more. But these things can be done when they reach a very high level in their martial arts.

Cultivation also allowed them to extend their lifespan, slow down their aging, and improve their appearance. Cultivation was divided into several stages, each with its own requirements and benefits. The stages were:

Body Tempering - The first level of martial arts, where one learned to strengthen one's body by absorbing qi (the energy of heaven and earth) into one's cells.

Energy Gathering - The second level of martial arts, where one learned to gather qi in one's dantian (a special organ in one's abdomen) by forming spirit qi (a refined form of qi).

Developing sprite qi - a stage in which starts to develop inside of one's body in liquid stage from the gathered energy inside of the dantian.

Qi Extraction - The third level of martial arts, where one learned to extract qi from one's dantian into one's meridians (channels in one's body that circulated qi).

Qi Gathering - The fourth level of martial arts, where one learned to increase the amount of qi in one's meridians by expanding them.

Qi Expanding - The fifth level of martial arts, where one learned to enhance the quality of qi in one's meridians by compressing them.

Qi River - The sixth level of martial arts, where one learned to create a river-like flow of qi in one's meridians by connecting them.

Essence Sea - The seventh level of martial arts, where one learned to form a sea-like reservoir of qi in one's dantian by filling it up

Xua Yan knew that most people in this world could not cultivate at all due to their lack of talent or resources. Even among those who could cultivate only a few could reach qi extraction stage or higher due to their lack of opportunities or luck. He himself had only reached the last stage (level 8) of energy gathering stage after many days of hard work despite having entropy to help him in expanding his time. Despite that he had faced many difficulties and dangers along his path of cultivation, such as fierce beasts, gathering resources and more.

After Xua Yan was done with looking around, he finally approached the place in the arena where he was supposed to go with Wei Ming and others. He followed the directions given by the representatives of the army who had told them about the arena and its rules. The arena was divided into two main sections: one for the participants and one for the observers. The participants' section was closer to the stage and had better seats and facilities such as a table in the front of all the seats with a pen and papers on it. The observers' section was farther away from the stage and had lower quality seats and services.