Chapter Thirteen: The Battle Begins

Zhou Tian’s eldest and second brothers had spent years campaigning far from home. In the fragmented memories of his former self, he had only met them a few times, but he knew they were peerless talents, figures who stood atop the pyramid of their era. Zhou Tian nodded and said, “I see. Then I shall wait to witness Third Brother’s brilliance when the time comes!”

Zhou Xunchuan shook his head and replied, “Don’t count on me to shine. We are different from the others. The Youth Tournament is divided into the regular competition and the elite competition. Only those who make it into the top hundred in the regular competition are eligible to join the elite round, but we enter directly.”

“All the prodigies from every province will arrive then. We’ll have to see about Gu Zhen and the others...” Zhou Tian laughed, “Third Brother, don’t be so modest. If you are not up to the task, what would Gu Zhen and the others think…”

Their generation was quite numerous—not only royal offspring, but also children of the capital’s elite. All were descendants of powerful figures, nurtured with the finest resources and care, so there were plenty of geniuses among them.

Gu Zhen, son of the General Who Guards the Frontier, Gu Feng, was an outstanding example. Raised from childhood by his father’s military training, he inherited the iron-blooded spirit perfectly. Not long ago, he had already condensed his True Aspect, his strength formidable.

He was only one among several. Comparable to him was Li Xuanyi, son of the commander of the Imperial Guard, already at the True Aspect stage. Upon forming his True Aspect, his blade’s radiance split the sky, causing the sound of blades to echo across half the city and startling the entire capital.

The Prime Minister’s daughter, Liu Yan, was worth mentioning as well. She possessed a unique constitution: the Body of Wind and Flame. At birth, the wind roared for three thousand miles, flames burned half the sky, and it was said even the Qin Emperor was alarmed.

Then there was Zhou Zui, son of the Prince of Freedom—who was the Qin Emperor’s brother, though not a full sibling. In his youth, he was a wild soul, and after the Qin Emperor ascended, he was granted the title Prince of Freedom. His son resembled him exactly, roving about the capital in pursuit of pleasure. Yet his strength was considerable, having clashed several times with the others, always ending in a draw. Some speculated he had never exerted himself fully. Notably, he and Zhou Tian had a good relationship—they often frequented the entertainment districts together.

There might have been others, but Zhou Tian couldn’t find them in his scattered memories—they must have been lost.

The one before him was no simple figure either; his self-deprecating words were mere jest. Just days before Zhou Tian’s arrival, the palace had been shaken by the roar of a dragon, a phenomenon much like those seen when the other princes formed their True Aspects.

Zhou Xunchuan smiled lightly, offering no further explanation and changing the subject.

The two continued their conversation for a while, with Tianling quietly listening nearby. Soon, half an hour had passed…

Ziyuan stepped forward and spoke in a low voice, “Your Highnesses, the eighty-win tier battle is about to begin.”

Zhou Tian glanced at Zhou Xunchuan, who seemed glued to the sofa, and asked tentatively, “Third Brother, why not stay and watch with me?”

“Haha! Since you’ve invited me, then I’ll stay!” Zhou Xunchuan laughed heartily, making himself comfortable on the sofa.

Zhou Tian was helpless; even without his invitation, Zhou Xunchuan would have stayed. He turned to Tianling, feeling a pang of disappointment—he had hoped to embrace his beloved Ling’er, just like watching a movie in his previous life, but now he had to give up the idea.

Zhou Xunchuan had clearly seen through his intentions; this third prince was mischievous and seemed determined to thwart his plans.

Tianling looked at Zhou Tian’s helpless expression, puzzled.

Meow meow meow?

Why are you looking at me?

Ziyuan reopened the projection array, and the scene of the arena appeared once more on the wall.

Unlike the earlier sixty-win tier battle, this contest’s venue was much grander. Instead of a conventional arena, it was an independent space: dense forests, streams flowing gently, a grassy mound covered in green.

Once competitors reached eighty wins, most were at the True Aspect level. Their battles affected such a wide area that ordinary arenas could no longer contain them. These independent spaces were constructed by powerful spatial arrays combined with the force of creation.

Within that space, two figures stood in the void. To say two people was not quite accurate—only one was human. The other was a humanoid creature with snowy white wings, not flesh but feathered, each feather about the length of a palm. It stood around three meters tall, with androgynous features, sky-blue eyes, clad in bright silver armor inscribed with runes.

Opposite stood a young man in linen robes, unremarkable in appearance, but his gaze was exceptionally bright and resolute.

“A member of the Celestial Race!” Zhou Tian exclaimed in surprise. That winged humanoid was clearly of the Celestial Race, a people from Fengtian Province, known for the wings on their backs.

In the chaotic ages of antiquity, every pair of wings fetched a sky-high price, almost driving them to extinction. After vanishing for ages, the Celestial Race gradually regained strength and returned to activity only after the major powers divided the world and established order in recent history.

They were born with mastery over the power of wind, and were extremely attuned to space—nearly every adult Celestial was a spatial master.

Zhou Tian turned to Zhou Xunchuan and asked, “Third Brother, is he the one you’re rooting for?”

Zhou Xunchuan shook his head, “No, after all, he’s not of our race. I have a mental block when it comes to fostering him. It’s the man opposite him.”

Zhou Tian nodded, refocusing on the arena.

Both were veterans of the competition. At the sound of “Begin” in the void, they wasted no words and launched straight into battle.

The Celestial’s wings quivered, whipping up gale winds that uprooted trees and vanished from sight.

His opponent remained calm, golden light flashing in his eyes. His left leg shook, tearing through space as it lashed backward.

Clang!

A metallic clash rang out—the left leg, powerful enough to rip space, halted before the Celestial’s arm guard. Runes all over the Celestial’s body glowed, unleashing a force that sent the man flying.

Swish, swish!

The wings quivered again, launching white feathers like darts. As they streaked through space, black fissures appeared—manifestations of space being torn.

The man who’d been repelled turned jet-black, his body shimmering with metallic light. When the sharp feathers touched him, they fell harmlessly.

This was his divine ability, allowing him to strengthen his body. The Celestial, seeing this, had his blue eyes flicker coldly. His wings radiated divine light, runes surged, and a massive winged shadow appeared behind him. As his wings quivered, the enormous shadow followed suit, unleashing endless white radiance that dyed the world in white and split the void.