Tianlong City is the capital of the Tianlong Empire, situated in the Central region of Star Planet. This Central region is home to the most powerful sects and families, including my own, the Shi family. The reason is simple: the Qi here is the densest on the planet, making cultivation easier, and resources are far more abundant than in any other region.
The academy, however, is located in the eastern region, also known as the Mountainous East. The name speaks for itself- this entire area is covered in vast mountain ranges. Consequently, the majority of the planet's population resides elsewhere, as the terrain makes it unsuitable for large-scale settlements. Few sects establish themselves here, but that also makes it the perfect place for secluded cultivation.
The other regions of the supercontinent are known as the Arctic North, the Southern Desert, and the Tropical East. Excluding the Central region, each of these areas is comparable in size to the United States or Australia on Earth.
Of course, there's another side of the planet, but it's largely ruled by the demonic and beast races. Most humans know little about it, but as long as they don't harbor harmful intentions, we coexist in a fragile peace.
…
Two weeks passed in the blink of an eye, and it was time to set off for Tianlong City. The gathering is scheduled to take place in a week and a half, but the journey itself would take at least a week due to the sheer distance. Unforeseen delays could stretch the travel time even further.
As before, we traveled in separate beast-led carriages, each accompanied by an instructor. Expectedly, Instructor Jianfeng was assigned to my carriage, along with two girls and two boys.
As I gazed out the window, lost in thought, I felt a soft tap on my leg. A gentle voice broke the silence.
"Um… Brother Shi…"
I turned to see one of the girls speaking to me. Although I felt slightly awkward, I smiled and replied, "Hello… Do you need something?"
"Well… not exactly. I just noticed you're quiet and don't talk much. My name is Hua Qingxue…" she said, her cheeks tinged with a nervous blush.
"Ah, I apologize. I tend to get lost in my thoughts or doze off. It's nice to meet you… Sister Hua? Uh... is that correct?"
She nodded, mumbling softly, "For now…"
I caught the words and raised an eyebrow. "What was that?"
"Nothing, sorry! It's just a little habit of mine when I'm nervous…"
Odd. But at least my first conversation with a girl my age after twenty years didn't go terribly.
The carriage came to a sudden halt, and Instructor Jianfeng spoke. "We're making a brief stop at a city near the border between the Central and Western regions. We're still about three days away from Tianlong City. Stay put; I'll be back shortly."
He stepped out, closing the door behind him. For a few moments, silence reigned. Then, as if a dam had broken, everyone in the carriage bombarded me with questions:
"Do you have a fiancée yet?"
"How long have you been cultivating?"
"Can we be friends?"
Coming from Earth, it always feels strange how normal it is in this world to have a fiancée or arranged marriage between the ages of twelve and fifteen. I hadn't even considered it yet, but if I wait too long, people might assume I'm an eunuch of sort...
After addressing their questions, peace finally returned when Instructor Jianfeng re-entered the carriage. I took the opportunity to rest, closing my eyes.
"…the fire within…"
A faint, whispering voice echoed in the distance.
"Xingyun… hurry…"
There was nothing but pitch darkness surrounding me. Where was it coming from?
"Watch… out… for… ##@#$!"
Suddenly, a searing, burning pain engulfed my entire body.
"AHH, IT BUR-"
My eyes snapped open, and I found myself back in the carriage, everyone staring at me. Instructor Jianfeng's concerned voice broke the tension. "Xingyun? Are you alright?"
I stammered, "Uh, y-yeah… I'm fine. My apologies…"
What was that? A dream? But dreams don't feel that real- you don't experience pain in them. What was it warning me about?
After a while of pondering, I dismissed the incident. "Must've been one of those supposed lucid dreams everyone used to talk about…"
The carriage came to another halt, and the others began stretching. One of the boys spoke up. "At last, we're finally here! I can finally stretch my legs after sitting for so long…"
I stood up, groaning slightly. "Huh? We're there already? I just fell asleep for an hour…"
Instructor Jianfeng chuckled. "You were out cold for the rest of the trip. We couldn't wake you, no matter how loudly they screamed in your ears. Do you know how painful that was for me?"
I glanced at the group. "Screamed in my ear, huh? I wonder who dared to do that…"
The way they all turned away, whistling nonchalantly, made it clear they were all guilty. That's odd though, I normally would wake right up. In fact, even while I sleep, I always have my Qi Detection on high-alert, which would even pick up the slightest sound transmissions that enter its range...
"Well, maybe my body just needed the rest. When does the gathering start?" I asked.
"Tomorrow," Instructor Jianfeng replied. "We fell behind schedule due to a few necessary stops. It's good you got some rest because…"
He pulled out an enormous rulebook. "These are the tournament's rules. You're required to read at least sections one, two, and four. The rest pertain to spectators, businesses, and so on."
I glanced at the book, already dreading it. I decided on the spot: I wasn't going to read it, and no one could force me-
"Oh, and there's some kind of truth-detection method at the entrance," he added, as if reading my mind. "They check everyone. They'll know if you lie about reading the rules. I wouldn't risk it. Your father would kill me, and he would probably destroy the entire tournament too."
A lie detector? That's… advanced for a world like this. "Is my father really that strong?"
He rubbed his head, "Strong enough to destroy the tournament? Absolutely. He could probably wipe out everyone attending too. Strong enough to handle the backlash? Not a chance."
Sighing, I muttered, "Well, better safe than sorry. I've always been known for my stellar reading skills… ha ha…"
Instructor Jianfeng patted me on the back, grinning. "I knew you'd do the right thing. Now start reading; you don't want to still be at it when it's your turn to fight."
"Got it," I replied with exaggerated sarcasm, reluctantly opening the book.