Through Heavenly Might : Part 2

Then, in a rhythmic tone, one by one, the participants began to introduce themselves.

The first to speak was the boy in light blue. He took a dramatic pose, raising his hands upward in a theatrical flourish.

"Oh Lord Lylias! I am Baízí Shúen!" he proclaimed, then gave a calm nod. "Son of Enxéu Shúen, one of the scions of the prestigious Shúen Family—renowned for its vast influence in trade not just in Greatsilk Embroidery City, but also across many other regions, including the capital itself. Our family commands over a thousand strong cultivator-warriors!"

The crowd responded with a round of applause, impressed by his performance. His family, seated proudly, cheered loudly.

"That's my son! Show them our might and flair!" his father boasted.

Quite dramatic… I can already tell those lines were memorized. Well, what can you expect from a 13-year-old? A little show-off…

Next came the boy in dark blue robes. He stepped forward with a composed look and spoke plainly:

"Líao Xúxin, oh great one," he said, his voice deep and calm. "I am from the Xúxin Family, known for our exceptional silk production. We produce the finest silk in the entire province. There isn't much else to say—our family believes in humility. It might seem rude or boastful to brag… unlike some others."

He didn't say it outright, but Lylias knew exactly who Líao was referring to.

"Why you—!" Baízí snapped, clenching his fist.

"Huh? Did I say something wrong?" Líao replied coolly. "Everyone knows your family likes to flaunt itself at every possible opportunity."

"Yéfén! Control that arrogant tongue of your son!" Enxéu shouted from the guest seats, his eyes narrowing at the man beside him. "How dare he insult me and my family in front of everyone!"

Yéfén turned his head with unshaken calm. "Why should I? My son has spoken nothing but the truth. Perhaps you should think twice before demanding I silence him—for an unjust reason."

"Silence!" Lylias intervened before the situation could escalate further. His voice rang out like thunder, sharp and absolute, making everyone shiver and gulp in fear.

"Neither of you will utter another word," he continued coldly. "If you do, I'll make you tear each other apart—with your own bare hands. Do I make myself clear?"

Both Baízí and Líao immediately nodded, heads lowered in shame.

"Lord Lylias, I once again humbly ask for forgiv—" Biáshí began, but her voice abruptly stopped mid-sentence. Her lips moved, but not a single sound escaped.

"Enough with your forgiveness nonsense," Lylias snapped, eyes narrowing. "If I hadn't already forgiven them, they wouldn't still be breathing. Do you understand?"

Biáshí nodded silently, her face pale.

"I'll return your voice now," he said flatly, then turned back to the stage. "From this point forward—no more dramatic introductions, no more subtle jabs, and no more boasting about your families' achievements or humility. I want your name and the name of your family. Nothing else. Understood?"

The remaining participants who had yet to introduce themselves all nodded obediently.

"Well then, proceed," Lylias commanded.

The boy in green cleared his throat, his voice a little shaky. "Súsheng Hao… from the Hao Family."

Then came the girls in red, each stating their name in turn. Unlike Súsheng's shaky voice, theirs carried a calm and regal tone.

"Xúé Chíâng, from the Chíâng Family."

"Cící Wúxíang, from the Wúxíang Family."

"Yúxíuwa Wang... from the Wang Family."

And finally, "Sáxín Báíling... from the Báíling Family."

This is already stressful and annoying... stupid cultivators, he thought, resisting the urge to sigh.

Then, raising his voice so that everyone in the crowd could hear him clearly, he declared:

"There is one more thing. The rules of this little event of mine are fairly simple: I will ask a question, and you will answer by raising your hand. There will be a total of fourteen questions, divided into two rounds—seven per round. The one who scores the highest shall receive the grand prize."

Then his tone shifted—becoming sharper, more threatening.

"And remember—if you do not know the answer, do not raise your hand. It's for your own good. I'd rather not stain the already red carpet any further."

A visible sense of dread spread among the participants and the crowd alike.

He glanced at them, gauging their tension, then nodded to himself.

"I trust I've made myself clear?"

They all nodded, though sweat glistened on more than a few foreheads.

"Now, now… don't be so frightened. I won't kill you for a wrong answer," he said with a faint smile, "But I will certainly do very nasty things. A little of this, a little of that… you'll find out."

Then he straightened his posture slightly.

"Also, I believe it's time I elevated my speech a bit. I've been speaking in a rather rough, common tongue, wouldn't you agree?" He exhaled lightly and carried on with poise.

"So, here is the first question: Define the concept of Qi—or rather, what is Qi? But explain it in such a way that even a commoner might easily understand. Keep it under thirty words. I have no desire to drag this event longer than it needs to be. Tedium is the death of entertainment—and I've no intention of wasting my time."

They all began to think, and after a brief moment, with worried expressions on their faces, Lylias could already tell—they were feeling immensely burdened. The pressure of expectations from their respective families, the looming fear of failure and the shame it would bring, and above all, the dread of what he might do to them—these things weighed on them heavily. A single mistake could doom their future, cast them into complete darkness… only the heavens knew where that road might lead.

Not to mention—he was starting to feel rather euphoric watching them squirm under the weight of it all. The way they stood there, uncertain and trembling—it brought him a twisted satisfaction. He had always harbored a distaste for children. Watching them panic under pressure? That was a guilty pleasure.

"It's taking a bit too long, you know. Time is ticking," he said with a mocking smile. "This is a rather easy question. You're all cultivators, aren't you? Then why is it so difficult to answer something this simple in the manner I requested?"

He let out a slight sigh, feigning disappointment.

"Very well, I'll be gracious—I'll give you a countdown."

His tone dropped as he began.

"Ten… nine… eight… seven…"

None of the participants raised their hands. The silence grew heavier, the tension sharper. Their bodies stiffened.

"Six… five… four… three—" he paused deliberately.

Just then, Sáxín suddenly raised her hand, and he stopped counting.

"Oh, finally—looks like we have an answer," he said, a slight smirk tugging at his lips. "Though I'll repeat myself—think twice before you answer, Sáxín. It must not exceed the parameters I set."

Sáxín gave a small nod and began, "Qi is a concept, metaphysical in nature—the life force that exists within each of us, and also throughout the universe and all its realms," she said calmly. "It's the only answer I could come up with within the set parameters. Anything more would've exceeded the limit."

"One point to Sáxín!" he exclaimed, clapping his hands once—sharp and loud. The crowd followed with scattered applause, joined by the City Lord and the Báíling Family. Meanwhile, the other families wore expressions of mild irritation.

That was quite a good answer, he thought.

The Qi she described felt slightly different from the ones found in typical xianxia settings. There, Qi is portrayed either as an internal force or an external essence... but here, it seems to be both—internal and external, tied closely to one's very existence.

That sparked a curious thought in him.

What else could be different here, compared to other xianxia worlds?

He took a step forward and spoke clearly: "Now then, question number two. What are the primary cores that constitute the nature of Qi? Same rules as before—but this time, explain it in under forty words."

Since this question might require slightly more thought, he allowed for a few extra words.

To his surprise, all seven participants immediately raised their hands. This one seemed far easier to them.

"Hmm... everyone, eh? But I must give Xúé the opportunity, as her hand was quickest." He nodded once. "Now, Xúé—give me your answer."

Xúé stepped forward and answered clearly, "Qi is made of six cores—Will, Spirit, Right Mind, Vigor, Intent, and Control. Each is essential for cultivating properly, and with focused training, they can be strengthened gradually even through ordinary methods."

"One point to Xúé," he said, another round of clap and applause happened.

Another difference... and a big one. I thought she'd answer with things like dantian, meridians, or something along those lines...

Though he had to admit one thing—the nature of Qi in this world was almost exactly like mana, at least according to the lore surrounding mana's origin. Both were internal and external forces, and surprisingly, both seemed to be composed of similar cores—or nearly so. Mana, according to the game, was made up of five: Will, Intent, Reason, Cause, and Effect.

But even then, those were more like surface-level concepts—written into the lore to sound profound. He remembered well: the game developers hadn't put much thought into the metaphysics behind it. They just wanted to make the story seem deep, even if it wasn't.

In reality, if he had to describe it himself, mana was more like a limited power source—one that appeared to let him break scientific laws, but actually didn't. Everything was still bound by causality, balance, and underlying mechanisms.

The spells he had access to weren't random magical nonsense either. Each came with a detailed explanation—scientific reasoning behind why it worked, how it worked, and under what conditions it would fail.

One could say he was using magic that was nothing more than an advanced form of science.

The same principle applied to the items stored within his inventory.

"Now, time for the third question," he said, continuing on with the quiz. And just like that, time passed—and the first round came to an end.

"Well then, it's time for a short break," he declared. "The scores for the first round are as follows: Sáxín – 2, Xúe – 2, Baízí – 1, Yúxíuwa – 1, Cící – 1, Súsheng and Líao – 0."

He then glanced over the participants with a faint smile.

"Participants, please leave the stage and return to your families..."

His voice suddenly took a darker turn.

"—I have an uninvited mouse to catch."

With those words, he suddenly vanished from the stage, leaving behind a confused and murmuring crowd.