“The Foreign City has been isolated from the realms for a long time, and the King of the Others bears a deep grudge against both the celestial and demon realms,” mused Feng Xian, stroking his beard with a touch of curiosity. “Why did Your Excellency decide to hold the tournament there, and how did the King agree?”
The Wu Tong Phoenix Tournament had always been held on Phoenix Island, with a history stretching back a thousand years. This time, while Leng Quan Palace had proposed a different kind of tournament, the location and method had been Jin Yao’s decision.
“The King of the Others sent a letter to the Celestial Palace a month ago,” Jin Yao said quietly.
“Oh?” Feng Xian raised his eyebrows. “What was he requesting?”
“He hopes that the Others can establish goodwill with the two realms and walk freely within the Three Realms.”
Feng Xian looked surprised. The Other King was known to be aloof and reclusive, holding his own city in isolation for millennia. Now he wanted closer ties with the realms? Likely for his people’s sake…
A gentle-hearted Phoenix Clan member, Feng Xian sighed at the thought of the Others’ plight but shook his head. “The two realms have a deep-seated prejudice against them. The King’s hope may be challenging to achieve.”
“Which is why I chose the Foreign City for the tournament,” Jin Yao explained with a sigh. “While the Others are known to be fierce, they are straightforward and sincere. The participants this time are all young talents from the celestial and demon realms. If they can learn to get along with the Others, it may pave the way for better relations across the realms.”
“Your Excellency is indeed compassionate. I hope these juniors will learn something,” Feng Xian replied with a smile, placing a piece on the board.
Jin Yao waved his hand, and an image of the Foreign City appeared in a water mirror. The city inside was brightly lit, with Others dancing and singing around bonfires, while the disciples from the realms wandered freely and interacted peacefully with the residents.
The two men, seeing this scene, shared a satisfied look, their faces relaxing.
Jin Yao waved again, dispersing the water mirror, and the two continued their game.
Back in the Foreign City, Bai Shuo gripped Fan Yue’s hand, but the further they walked, the more anxious she felt, her legs trembling with each step.
The city was ominously quiet. Though a few lights flickered here and there, the only sound was the shuffling of their own feet. It was like a city of the dead.
Even if the Others shunned the celestial and demon realms and shut themselves in, what about all the disciples who had come here for the tournament? Over a hundred of them were eager to find the phoenix wood core within a three-day limit, so why was it so silent? And where was Ah Zhao? Bai Shuo’s heart tightened with worry.
“Senior Brother, something is wrong,” Ming Xin whispered to Nan Wan, just as Bai Shuo was about to ask a question. The Yun Xiao disciples, feeling the unease, clutched their swords tightly.
The group had just reached an inn—one of the few places in the city with lights still on.
“Let’s go in and take a look,” Nan Wan ordered.
Ming Xin immediately raised his sword, pushing open the inn’s main doors. With a creak, the doors swung wide to reveal a brightly lit but entirely empty hall. A gust of eerie wind swept through, making the red lanterns by the entrance sway precariously.
The Yun Xiao disciples gulped, moving closer together. In the eerie isolation of the Foreign City, their once-abundant spiritual power reduced to a mere trickle, even these typically haughty disciples found themselves unsettled.
Bai Shuo felt a chill along her spine, shivering slightly, but Fan Yue held her hand, his calm gaze reassuring her. Hua Hong, watching the pair, looked at them with a strange expression, then suddenly wedged herself between them, peering around and shrieking in her loudest voice, “You scoundrel! What kind of hellhole have you brought me to? Not a soul in sight! Did they all die or something?”
Hua Hong’s brash yell dissipated much of the group’s unease.
Nan Wan shot a frown their way, and Bai Shuo quickly jabbed Hua Hong, whispering, “Keep quiet and stop shouting!” She turned to Nan Wan. “Your Excellency, there’s certainly something off about this place… Why isn’t there a single person…?”
She hadn’t finished her sentence when suddenly, a flash of sword light came hurtling down from the second floor. The blade split into a dozen streams, aimed directly at the Yun Xiao group.
“Oh my heavens!” Bai Shuo shrieked.
“Ahhh!” Hua Hong screamed as well. The two reacted almost in perfect sync, with Bai Shuo instinctively pulling Fan Yue in front of her as a shield, but Fan Yue moved faster. Without hesitation, he shielded Bai Shuo with his body, turning his back to the oncoming sword light.
The dozen rays of sword light moved with frightening speed, leaving Hua Hong scrambling with a loud cry, covering her head.
With a metallic clang, Nan Wan’s sword flew up, intercepting the sword light and dispersing it in midair.
Relieved to have escaped harm, Bai Shuo quickly grabbed Fan Yue and Hua Hong, pulling them behind the Yun Xiao disciples.
Nan Wan stepped in front of the group, his hand trembling slightly as he coldly called out to the second floor, “What celestial sect dares ambush us?”
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