Born in Blood



Liam grew stern.

"Chaos aside, how are you going to hide the fact that I'm a darkness cultivator? It's just you and me on this continent with that element."

"Echoria is still salty about what I did to them."

Usan didn't turn around, his gaze forward.

A few seconds of silence passed, with only the sounds of wind whistling past them.

"You're right. I probably can't hide that fact."

Liam grimaced.

He'd have to fight in the tournament nevertheless, but he had to hold ba—

"But I don't really have to. I've already made the necessary allegiances with the right people. No one, not even the Moyong family, could afford to attack you without becoming enemies."

"Still, I'll try to remove you from the public eye."

Liam almost heaved a sigh of relief.

"Thanks."

Usan chuckled.

"You're going to ask me for a Rank 4 cultivation technique now, aren't you?" 

There was silence.

Usan scoffed lightly, but he wasn't angered.

"Focus on the tournament first. You can't afford to have your attention on so many things at once."

Liam grumbled a bit but didn't disagree. He didn't really trust himself not to cultivate either.

Eventually, the Monolith Lion entered the Main Lands' boundary.

So many faces!

There were at least a million or so people spread across the region. The cheers, roars and intelligible words combined into a confusing mixture.

All the domains were filled, except the light-made palace. 

Even the mountain chains that stretched over the distance were filled with people, peering at them through special lenses and other artifacts.

Even though Liam's appearance was drastically changed, he couldn't help but feel uncomfortable.

Just a general dislike for being seen.

In the very center of the seven domains was an empty patch of ground made from a glossy marble. And it was huge, spanning across 2,500 kilometers.

At first glance, it was empty, but Liam could see inky writings beneath the surface of that massive field. 

With so much space available, all the participants could fight to their heart's content. No one would be held back by their environment. 

All around the Main Lands were different Clans – separated by their colors – intent on participating in the tournament. 

Most knew they wouldn't win, but they joined anyway. Even winning once against another powerful Clan could raise their Sector's status.

Upon Unforgiven Shadow's arrival, the cheers took a strange turn. Some cheered even louder, while others went quiet.

Usan paid them no heed and flew above his lion, while seven other figures left their individual domains.

They directly hovered over the center, giving one another neutral looks.

No one could afford to offend another.

After all, depending on the outcome of the tournament, one of them was set to become the next Rank 6 powerhouse of the world.

"I take it everyone has thought of a rule?" Myriad Brush said. Only the seven could hear him.

All of them nodded.

Myriad took out an oversized bowl from his ring and held it forward. 

No words needed to be exchanged. All eight took out some sort of inscribed piece of paper and threw it into the bowl. Immediately, the Myriad hurled the bowl upwards.

BOOM!

The bowl exploded into a dazzling display of fireworks, gaining another roaring cheer from the crowd. At the same time, ethereal letters began to form midair. 

Rules:

Inscribed items are allowed.

Bestial companions can participate along with the fighter.

Poison is allowed.

Pills and elixirs between fights are not allowed.

Fatal injuries are allowed. 

Specialized Clan Arts are allowed.

What followed was a series of dictations made by the eight.

Matches between fighters will be dictated by Myriad Brush. 

The fighters themselves could impose a special rule between each fight. They can even change the nature of the fights – Unmoving Mountain.

Battles to the death are not disallowed. If both parties agree, they can battle to the bitter end – Sun's Spear.

Swords will only be used by wind-users – Felling Wind.

Any sort of artifact that suppresses toxins or poison is not allowed – Miasma Queen.

Dragons are allowed – Cerulean Dragon.

All those present will take a Binding Oath not to reveal the Moyong family's martial arts – North Star.

And finally, the final line made all those present frown gravely. Some even spewed a nasty curse or two.

The Temples' battles are done under a strict Isolation Barrier. No one, not even the Sect leaders – except the fighters themselves – will witness the battle.

"Wait, you can't do that," Felling Wind said. His saber-like brows furrowing. 

Everyone looked at the Unforgiven with narrowed eyes. The crowd instantly turned on him, too. Everyone came to Main Lands for this specific reason!

"I can. You all chose your rules, I chose mine," Usan said unrepentantly, unbothered by the deathly looks shot his way.

Despite that, they couldn't disagree. Sun's Spear and Felling Wind didn't regret their choices, but they clearly didn't take advantage of the rule making.

As annoyed as they were, they relented nevertheless. 

The Myriad took out his calligraphers brush and started to stroke the air in seemingly random but dramatic patterns. 

Ink formed from the tip and blotched the air. They were names, each one of a specific clan.

In total, more than 16 clans were to fight. Most had opted out, choosing long-term allegiances. 

All the current participants were monsters anyway. There was a slim chance of winning, and not all of the groups were interested in gaining notoriety. 

Since it was a point based tournament, if a group managed to get the highest points then got knocked out, there's still a possibility they could win.

"Identify your fighters," North Star said calmly, no emotion in his monotone voice. 

And so they did.

Liam put on a cold face. 

The Unforgiven gestured upwards and Liam was raised beside him. 

He was flying!

Well, hovering.

He was so high up.

The distance to the bottom was… terrifying.

But there wasn't any happiness or fear on Liam's face. 

More than a million eyes connected with him.