Chapter 98: Where is Liyu?
Chapter 98
"Where is Liyu?"
the Clan Lord asked as he looked at the people before him. The guards all looked at each other, complicated expressions appearing on their faces; after a while, they sighed, shook their heads, and looked back at the Clan Lord.
"Sir... we don’t know," they replied. "We have no idea where he currently is."
Li San’s expression darkened upon hearing that. He had been waiting for Liyu to return; after all, the tournament would be starting early in the morning, and the sun had already begun to rise.
By now, many important figures from across the Night Region would already be making their way toward the tournament grounds. For a brief moment, Li San felt like punishing the guards, for he had specifically instructed them to make sure Liyu never left their sight. Yet now, they had absolutely no idea where he had gone.
The only person Liyu had informed was Elder Jushong. He had simply told the old man that he was going somewhere and would return before the tournament began. Yet even now, no one knew where he had gone.
For a fleeting moment, Li San wondered if the kid had run away, perhaps afraid that he wouldn’t be able to win. However, he quickly dismissed that thought. He had witnessed Liyu’s strength firsthand; the kid was already unbelievably powerful.
While still at the Body Refinement Realm, he had possessed combat strength comparable to a late-stage Qi Gathering cultivator, and according to Elder Jushong, he had already succeeded in breaking through to the Qi Gathering Realm. Meaning, he should have become even stronger.
So, Li San simply couldn’t see any reason for him to run away. After all, the kid was far from being a coward; one could even say he was a little too daring. So, where had he gone?
For another brief moment, the thought of Liyu running into danger flashed through his mind, but he quickly dismissed that as well. Neither the Shi Clan nor the Guan Clan would be foolish enough to openly target him, as doing something like that against someone from the Li Clan would practically be declaring war.
They weren’t stupid enough to do something so reckless, meaning Liyu couldn’t have been targeted by either of the other two great clans. So he shouldn’t be facing any danger.... unless...
Li San’s eyes suddenly trembled slightly. Could the kid have gone back to the Beast Forest? The thought appeared in his mind before he immediately shook his head. No, he couldn’t have. Why would he willingly endanger himself when he knew that today was such an important day, not only for the clan, but especially for himself?
No, Li San couldn’t believe that either. So the question still remained: where was Liyu? The Clan Lord pondered for a while before the voice of one of the elders reached his ears.
"We need to move now; we can’t afford to arrive late for the tournament. It would be taken as an insult toward the other two great clans, and that wouldn’t end well."
They truly needed to leave immediately; after all, they were already running slightly behind schedule. Li San clenched his fist, feeling somewhat conflicted. Should he personally go search for the kid?
Just then, Liyu’s confident expression flashed across his mind... the expression he had worn when he confidently declared that he would win the tournament. No, he shouldn’t worry so much; he should believe in the kid.
Liyu wasn’t the helpless and frail child he used to be, and he would make it to the tournament. Li San slowly relaxed his gaze. He had decided to trust him; the kid would probably arrive before the tournament officially began.
With that thought, he followed the elders outside. A large fleet of wagons was already waiting for them, and judging from the sheer number of wagons, it was easy to tell that a large portion of the Li Clan would be attending today’s tournament.
After all, the Li Clan was considered the favorite to win, and naturally, the clan members wanted to be there to cheer on their candidates.
The Clan Lord, the elders, most of the important members of the clan, along with countless cultivators and even ordinary mortals, all boarded the wagons before setting off toward Rayland City, the capital city of the Night Region.
It was where the largest battle arena in the entire region was located, and it was also where the Selection Tournament between the Three Great Clans would be held. After traveling at top speed for several minutes, they finally arrived at Rayland City, which wasn’t particularly far from Burnold City to begin with.
Just as many would have expected, Rayland City was where the Council Leaders resided. They governed the affairs of ordinary mortals, just as the Three Great Clans governed the affairs of cultivators throughout the Night Region.
The Ray Arena, the grand battle arena where today’s tournament would take place, had naturally been named after the city itself. Before one even stepped through the city gates, they could already see the towering structure of the Ray Arena rising proudly into the sky.
It was so unimaginably massive that it could easily accommodate several tens of thousands of spectators, and it was hardly surprising that this would be the case. After all, there were more than fifteen cities within the Night Region, and nearly fifty percent of the population would come to witness the Selection Tournament.
Before the tournament even began, the place would already be packed to the brim.
Soon, Li San and the rest arrived at the Ray Arena. It loomed like an ancient titan, its sheer size leaving many who beheld it speechless.
It was so unimaginably vast that it could easily accommodate tens upon tens of thousands of people who were already seated, and yet, it still didn’t feel crowded. Just as Li San had expected, many spectators had already filled the seats.
It also seemed that their rival clans, the Shi Clan and the Guan Clan, had already arrived as well. They had indeed come rather late.
The Clan Lord and the elders headed toward the towering building situated beside one side of the arena; it was an exclusive area reserved for the clan leaders and the most reputable figures throughout the Night Region. Upon their arrival, Li San and the elders were respectfully guided toward that building.
The moment they stepped inside, Li San noticed that nearly everyone had already taken their seats. Several influential figures were present: the three heads of the Night Region Council, the rulers of Rayland City themselves, the Shi Clan Lord, the Guan Clan Lord, along with the two elders each clan had been permitted to bring with them.
Seated at the very center, however, was another figure. He wore elegant light blue robes, while a subtle yet overwhelming aura of the Golden Core Realm quietly radiated from him. Despite not intentionally releasing his cultivation pressure, his mere presence alone made him appear immensely powerful.
And he truly was; after all, he was none other than Yi Ting of the Rising Wave Sect from a neighboring region. He was a powerful elder of the sect, and undoubtedly the strongest person present within the entire arena.
As Li San and the elders approached, they cupped their fists in greeting.
Yi Ting nodded with a faint smile. "It’s a pleasure to meet you, Clan Lord San. I’ve heard quite a lot about both you and your sister; Lady Shiyuen is indeed an extraordinary talent." His expression gradually became solemn.
"You have my condolences. I was deeply saddened when I heard about the tragedy that befell her." Li San’s expression also became slightly solemn. He slowly nodded. "That is all in the past now. We should focus on the present."
The middle-aged man smiled before warmly welcoming Li San as though greeting an old friend. He even gestured for him to occupy the seat closest to himself. Guan Ju, who had originally been sitting there before being asked to move, looked toward Li San with even greater hatred than before.
Despite sensing that gaze, Li San didn’t react in the slightest. His expression remained as calm as ever as he quietly took his seat.
"Speaking of the present..." Yi Ting continued with a warm smile, "I am truly looking forward to the performance of your candidates. I wonder how they will handle the other clans’ candidates. It makes me rather curious. I wonder if another outstanding genius has risen within your clan."
Before Li San could answer, Shi Gubing, who clearly wasn’t pleased with the interaction, shifted his gaze toward Yi Ting. "Sir Ting, I believe you know why you’re here among us," his tone remained respectful. Yi Ting casually waved his hand.
"Of course I know. I’m here to oversee the tournament, to ensure fairness, and to make sure none of the clan leaders attempt to interfere with the competition using their superior cultivation." He smiled faintly.
"More importantly, I am genuinely eager to witness the young geniuses of the Three Great Clans compete against one another." As he spoke, he gently stroked his neatly trimmed beard. The Shi Clan Lord simply smiled before speaking several moments later.
"I do feel rather sorry, though." Yi Ting raised an eyebrow. Shi Gubing continued, "I have a feeling the Li Clan... the clan you’ve placed such high hopes on... is going to disappoint you.
If the information I’ve received is correct, almost all of their candidates are only at the Qi Gathering Realm, with only one having reached the very First Stage of Qi Refining. With such a lineup, I simply don’t see any possible way for the Li Clan to win."
Yi Ting’s eyebrows rose slightly in surprise. He turned toward Li San. "Is that true, Clan Lord Li?" Li San calmly nodded. "Indeed. Most of my candidates are in the Qi Gathering Realm, and only one has reached the Qi Refining Realm. That part is true."
He paused before a confident smile slowly appeared on his face. "But the part about us losing... they are completely mistaken."
Li San slowly shifted his gaze toward the enormous battle platform below. It had been constructed entirely from powerful marble stones, forming a massive arena capable of withstanding battles between cultivators. His gaze remained calm, steady, and filled with absolute confidence.
"Because," he declared, "my Li Clan will not be losing." Guan Ju couldn’t help but let out a mocking chuckle when he heard that. "You really think so, Clan Lord Li?" the Guan Clan Lord asked with a mocking grin on his face. "You might end up being the one who gets surprised instead of surprising us."
Li San didn’t bother replying to him or paying any attention to Guan Ju’s taunt; those two were always trying to annoy him and find fault with him. Elder Ting, hearing the words exchanged between the three Clan Lords, couldn’t help but stroke his beard once more as he smiled. "This is surely bound to be interesting..."
Meanwhile, Li San looked toward the distance, his gaze fixed on the entrance, waiting for a particular someone to walk through it. Yet, there was no such figure. He still couldn’t see him. "Where is Liyu?" he couldn’t help but think.
"The kid better hurry up... the tournament is about to begin." Not long after that thought crossed his mind, the great gong beside the referee’s platform rang loudly throughout the arena.
"Dong!"
The referee, a man from the Rising Wave Sect just like Elder Ting, slowly stepped forward. Although this man was only at the Peak of the Bronze Core Realm, he was still an exceptionally powerful cultivator without a doubt.
He enhanced his voice with Qi, allowing it to effortlessly reach every corner of the enormous arena and the tens of thousands of spectators gathered there.
"I welcome every one of you to the Selection Tournament between the Three Great Clans," he announced. "As tradition dictates, once every fifty years, the Three Great Clans shall send forth their finest prodigies to represent them.
Fifteen prodigies, fifteen dreams, fifteen ambitions. But there are only five Golden Tokens. Meaning, only five among the fifteen competitors will earn the opportunity to enter the Gold Valley Sect... the number one sect within the entire land... and begin a brand-new Chapter on their cultivation journey.
As for the remaining ten, they will leave with nothing but experience, regret, and an even stronger determination to become more powerful." He paused briefly before continuing.
"Remember this: this tournament shall be fair. There shall be no favoritism and no mercy. You carry the names, the honor, and the reputation of your respective clans. So make them proud. Fight with every ounce of strength you possess. Display the true spirit of a cultivator, and show us the fruits of all your years of hard work."
The man finally finished his speech. Immediately afterward, a thunderous wave of applause erupted throughout the arena. Countless cheers echoed from every direction. There was no doubt about it; the entire crowd had already become fired up.
Everyone was eagerly waiting for the tournament to begin. There were several anticipated matchups that the audience simply couldn’t wait to witness, such as the battle between the Battle Princess of the Li Clan and the Beast Slayer of the Guan Clan.
There was also the anticipated clash between the Devil of the Shi Clan and the Iron Behemoth of the Guan Clan, along with several other famous geniuses.
The atmosphere had already reached its peak. After a while, the crowd gradually quieted down once again. The referee proceeded to the next part.
"The candidates of the Three Great Clans shall now enter the arena and take their respective seats inside the three pavilions." Each pavilion had been specially prepared for one of the Three Great Clans. "The Li Clan candidates shall enter first.
For the first candidate, Lady Yuexin, also known as The Battle Princess." The moment the crowd heard her name, a tremendous uproar instantly erupted. "Battle Princess! Lady Yuexin! Battle Princess!" The cheers grew louder and louder.
Soon, a young lady dressed in an elegant sky-blue dress slowly entered the open arena. Her beautiful blue eyes remained as calm as the surface of a tranquil lake.
Without the slightest hesitation, she walked toward the Li Clan’s pavilion situated beside the massive battle stage before quietly taking her seat.
Soon afterward, the referee called another name. "The second candidate, Li Feng, The Dark Genius of the Li Clan." Li Feng also entered the arena. He received loud cheers and applause as well, although they paled significantly compared to Yuexin’s overwhelming popularity.
He was dressed in a dark red robe designed to neither restrict nor hinder his movements in any way, allowing him to fight with complete efficiency. He calmly walked over before taking a seat beside Li Yuexin.
He noticed that her gaze had already shifted toward the other two pavilions belonging to the Shi Clan and the Guan Clan. He could roughly guess what she was thinking; she was probably wondering who her opponents would be and just how powerful they were.
He couldn’t help but feel curious himself. Who would he end up fighting? Still, he remained completely confident in his own victory.
Meanwhile, Li San’s gaze once again drifted toward the entrance of the Ray Arena. Yet, the kid still hadn’t arrived. His name would soon be called, and if he failed to appear, he would immediately be disqualified from the tournament.
That was something Li San absolutely couldn’t allow. No matter what, Liyu had to enter the Gold Valley Sect for his own safety. And to do that, he needed one of the Golden Tokens, which meant he absolutely couldn’t be removed from the competition.
Li San slowly gritted his teeth as he stared toward the entrance, silently praying that the kid would appear before it was too late.
"Come on, kid... where are you...?"