Standing at the main gate of the sect, I couldn't help but feel a little nostalgic. While I spent only about a month of my life in here, I still got quite used to the overall peaceful atmosphere of this place, it's people, Stella, the smithy, Eve's mansion, Leila… All of that was now going to be left behind, as I would follow the Eve on her attempt to top everyone in the inter-sect tournament!
With "Utopia" handing from my hip and "Final solution" from Eve's, I felt confident about our chances and security both on the road and in the arena itself. Not to speak about fancy, shining leather armour that my beloved on refused to take off ever since I presented it to her!
"Once again, I'm insanely thankful for your help. With this, it won't be long before I reach the spirit realm as well!"
As I shook Stella's hand, I could notice small bits of moisture gathering in the corner of her eyes. It's no wonder she can't hold her emotions back. Convinced by Eve, I decided to kinda use my insights on the cultivation as the bargaining chip for Leila to officially become Sect Master's direct disciple and successor. With that, all of the ties that bound me back to the sect were wholesomely completed and severed.
"Thank you for everything, Master."
Not even daring to stand up from her kowtowing position, Leila was sending me off bowing with her entire body. From entrusting my first partner, windslord into her care, to securing a future seat of sect master and even filling her womb with my seed, after Eve allowed me to do so, I did everything in my power to pay her back for what the fate forced on her. Using the four days that I had to absorb as much of her Yin essence as I could, I managed to not only recover a full two thousand of my attribute points, but also learn that by cultivating energy of girls of lower cultivation level, I was actually able to absorb it from a few of them simultaneously!
With all that I actually gained from Leila, I couldn't leave her with just my sword!
As I regained the energy back at the smithy, I wasn't really satisfied with crafting only two weapons and armours. Using the item randomizer, I managed to turn the rest of the ingredients obtained from the shop into quite a bit of useless stuff, but gained four complete sets of jewellery while at it!
While they might not be as useful in terms of statistic gain as the armour or weapon, they still were a tool that could tilt the arms of the scale in a life or death situation! With my honest and generous nature, I didn't forget to leave worse two sets to Stella and Leila respectively!
"I wish you safe travels!"
With the coachman already hurrying us to board the carriage and depart, we said our last farewells before sitting inside.
"Are you really okay with leaving the sect? It's not too late if you want to go back…"
While it would be the worst choice possible in my book, Eve's happiness is my absolute priority. Speaking from experience, even the strongest resolve could waver when the time of absolutely final decision came.
"Yeah, don't worry about it."
Hugging herself into my upper body, Eve murmured silently.
Thanks to departing one day early, the entire spacious wagon was for our use alone. While the coachman was still the one riding it, with a wooden wall and his entire small quarter separating us, we could have at least a tiny bit of privacy.
As the hours passed, absolutely nothing happened except for some occasional bumps on the rather well-maintained road. It even got me wondering who was taking care of it!
With the single night that we were forced to spend in the open, we allowed the coachman to get a good night of sleep, while just talking with eve for the entire duration of the dark hours of the daily cycle.
Thanks to our kind attitude towards this rather surly driver, he apparently hurried the horses, which allowed us to reach the arena city just by the middle of the second day. As I looked outside, it was truly magnificent.
With high walls extending almost to the skies, one would think that there would be no buildings that would ever be visible from the outside. But to my astonishment, you could see the top of the arena itself that the city took its name from well before reaching the walls of the city!
Compared to our sect, almost every single one of the crowd that I could see from the carriage while the coachmen was dealing with our documents at the city gate, was far better dressed than almost anyone that I could see back in the sect! It was like a whole new world appeared before my eyes, blinding me with its splendour!
After getting inside, bidding farewells to the couch and strolling leisurely through the city for a short while, we finally asked someone to tell us the direction where the contestants for the yearly tournament should register themselves.
When I thought that being one day early was a good idea, no one dared to object. But who would've thought, that the registering house had a queue that extended for at least two hundred meters outside the building already?
With no other choice, we simply stood at the very end of the line, and patiently waited for the people in front of us to register. Apparently, contestants would only flash their participation token if coming tomorrow, but those who came in today and wanted to register early could count on the free accommodation and small pocket money from the city!
That would explain the queue then. I guess there are some sects were participating in the tournament is just a hassle, and people from those sects come only to leech onto the city hall!
"What the hell are you doing here, thrash?"
As if everything would go all right… Right? The big change to enviroment, big perspectives, nice place… Something HAD TO go wrong!
Turning around myself, I look at the invasive man who dared to insult me right off the bat with wonder who did I actually insult to deserve such treatment, only to freeze on the spot.
WHAT THE FUCK IS MY COUSIN, A FUCKING CLAN LEADER WHO BANISHED ME FROM THE FAMILY DOING IN THIS DAMN PLACE?
Weren't he like, I don't know, surfacing level back when he threw me out of our family mansion? How the hell can I feel an aura of mortal enlightenment cultivator coming from him then? How did he jump three entire cultivation realms in a span of a single month?
And most importantly, what the heck should I do?