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Kaolos Province, like every year, is where the Young Black Dragon Tournament will be held!
The Tournament takes place every 5 years, where young people with a maximum of 25 years old are allowed to participate, there is no minimum age.
During the Tournament, the rules are 1v1 fights, where nothing else matters, you can use poison, demonic, sacred techniques and etc., even killing is allowed.
Of course, if you're going to kill, be prepared for the repercussions, as if you accidentally kill the son or daughter of a prestigious family, needless to say, they'll retaliate.
In fact many use it as a justification for starting wars.
In the end, the Black Faction is a Neutral Faction that doesn't care much about its "allies" or rivals, just in case of a common enemy, which is very rare to appear.
––––––
Kai was in a forest, walking calmly through it, looking for herbs, he learned that in this region, there are some interesting herbs and poisonous mushrooms.
He wants to see if he already has it, but so far he hasn't found anything interesting.
As for his family and the Silver Mountain Clan, they are camping together.
Kai also took advantage of his free time and outside the Clan's land, to investigate the Membrane, but so far he hasn't found any irregularities.
…
Arriving at the camp, Kai went to his tent, throwing the items he had gathered from the forest into a basket, then lying down.
He looked pensively at the cloth ceiling, he never fought seriously using Martial Arts, he practiced using scythes, swords, spears, bows, axes and among other weapons, but he was never interested in any.
Because of the Paranormal and Internal Energy, his body is something unique and together with his intelligence, he easily adapts and masters the basics of any Martial Art that he has had contact with so far.
Not to mention that using his knowledge of modern Martial Arts, even just a little bit, he managed to perfect many Clan Techniques, which significantly improved his power.
But in the end, even though he has a plethora of Martial Arts in his mind, he doesn't know how to use them well, as most of his combat experience is in fighting simple yet grotesquely powerful creatures.
As for Occultists and Agents of Order, both fought using Rituals and simple hand-to-hand combat techniques, nothing over the top or systematic like Martial Arts.
Kai has his doubts, some fears, but he never hesitated to participate in the Tournament, it will be a good opportunity, but there is something that worries him, he hopes he is wrong.
…
Kai left to eat, Calliope sat next to him, trying to hug his arm, but Kai dodged easily and ate his soup.
Calliope pouted empty, it was then that Kai stopped moving and looked in one direction, Thomas was already looking at her, so soon others reacted.
Slowly from the forest a group of 5 people came out, all wearing high quality purple robes.
An older man at the front had a smile on his face.
"Hello ladies and gentlemen, I'm Wiik Raasmun from the Raasmun Family, it's nice to meet you!" - Said the old man smiling respectfully.
"I am Thomas Snizer, Patriarch of Clan Snizer!" - Said Thomas in front.
Wiik smiled, feeling the power of Thomas then said. - "It is an honor to meet you Patriarch Snizer, I have heard a lot about you, a Master among the Masters of Martial Arts, blessed good beautiful wives and absurdly talented children, but what envy!"
"I have also heard of the Raasmun Family, but I heard that it was a Family that mainly dealt with land management, which are very skilled, even the Nobles tried to recruit them many times." Thomas said, nodding slightly.
"Indeed, my family has a lot of land, but in the end we are small businessmen, we cannot compare to giants like Clan Snizer!" - Said Wiik respectfully.
"But what is someone of your abilities doing around here with these few people?" - Thomas asked curiously.
"In my old age, I ended up being blessed with a very talented grandson, who wants to compare himself to the other geniuses in the Faction, like the loving grandfather that I am, how could I refuse?" - Said Wiik smiling and pointing to a young man around his 20s.
Thomas looked at him, a tall, bald young man, a well-built physique, a strong Inner Energy, really, talented, the aura of an Exalted Realm Master exudes from the young man.
"I am Raul Raasmun, it is an honor to meet a Master!" - Said the young man bowing in respect.
Thomas nodded and said. - "How about joining us? We just finished our meal and we have plenty!"
"Oh, that's great news, I'll have to accept your invitation." - Said Wiik smiling happily.
…
Soon more chairs were set up, where Wiik was talking to Thomas and Galiam, the trio laughing.
Kai had finished eating and got up to leave, with Calliope following.
Raul, who became very interested in Calliope, watched her chasing Kai, not understanding how she could be attracted to someone who looked more like a corpse.
But out of respect and fear, he didn't dare to do anything, as he doesn't know about their relationship.
…
In a clearing, Kai was in a lotus position, colored sigils flying around him, drawing in all the Raw Energy for Kai to refine.
Raw Energy gushed through her veins, entering her Dantian, Heart and Brain.
But slowly he opened his eyes, the sigils disappearing and slowly a figure appeared.
"Raul, right?" - Kai asked calmly.
"Yes, I wanted to introduce myself since you didn't say anything." - Raul said calmly.
"Kai, I didn't say anything as you don't have much to say, I don't like to get involved in my father's business." - Said Kai calmly.
"I know how it is, I've always been interested in Martial Arts, never the family business, it's boring!" - Said Raul smiling and leaning against a tree.
Kai looked at him calmly and asked. - "Ask what you want and go back to the camp, I prefer peace and silence."
Raul looked at him, not understanding how someone so young could be so disrespectful.
Of course, he might be an Exalted Realm Master just like him, as well as much younger, demonstrating his talents, but he is older and has had more time to train, so he feels he has the advantage in physical and technical capabilities.
Even though he wasn't lucky enough to be born into a Martial Arts Clan, with High Quality techniques, he still had his luck and his family was very supportive.
"I was curious about Mrs. Calliope, she seems to like you, but you ignore her and push her away, why treat a lady that way?" - Raul asked calmly.
"..." - Kai looked at him, then giving a light laugh he said. -"My relationship with Calliope is not of interest to her, but if you are interested, try your luck, but I think it is impossible for you to get any advances with her."
"Are you doubting my abilities?!" - Asked Raul irritated.
"Calliope is smart and sensitive to people, which is to say, she has good taste!" - Said Kai smiling disdainfully.
"What are you implying?!" - Raul shouted advancing.
"That you're a very confident fool because your old people said you were a genius... I think it's cute, it makes me think of the frog in a well." Kai said laughing.
Raul was even angrier, standing in front of Kai and saying. - "Get up, let's settle this like men!"
Kai chuckled, before standing up easily and looking him in the eyes, then lifting his hand, Kai touched his finger to Raul's shoulder.
Raul looked at his shoulder, snorting, as an immense pressure descended on his body, choking him in shock as he circulated his Internal Energy and exhaled his Internal Strength to resist.
It helped him, but Kai's Inner Strength was so powerful, it far eclipsed his own!
Raul soon found himself on his knees, grunting painfully as he began to hallucinate, as if bloody, bony hands were gripping him.
AAAAAAARRGH!!!
A pitiful scream came from Raul's mouth, and he fell to the ground, writhing.
Soon several people came running, as Raul's earlier screams had attracted some attention.
When the Internal Forces began to collide, everyone was already here.
"RAUL!!!" - Wiik rushed to his grandson, who was covered in cold sweat and a terrified look.
"PATRIARCH THOMAS, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?!" - Wiik roared furiously looking at Thomas.
Thomas had an indifferent look and looked at Kai, practically ordering him to explain himself.
"Mr. Wiik, I just showed your foolish grandson, the difference between our strengths, it's not something that can be overcome just because one is good at a few sword and punch techniques!" - Said Kai calmly.
"WHICH?!" - Wiik roared furiously, but Raul grabbed him still in his terror.
"All I did was a simple trick, Inner Force, you should know, it was enough for him to stay like this, being that I'm from a Mid-Level Clan, which became High-Level less than 5 years ago, so imagine the descendants of the 10 Black Dragons and other Dark Faction forces?
Your grandson is indeed strong, but not strong enough to enter the giant stage!" - Said Kai calmly.
Soon going to his father, he let out a big sigh and said. - "I just wanted some peace and quiet, but here comes a brat with a hard-on talking about women!"
...
The next morning, as expected, the Raasmun Family left, showing that what Kai did to Raul was more than enough.
But Kai didn't want to terrorize the boy, this was due to his Internal Energy linked to the Paranormal, making it evil and affecting the target's sanity.
Okay, he could have suppressed it a bit, but why would he do that?
…
"Are you angry?" - Thomas asked calmly to his son.
"Angry, me? When have you ever seen me like this?" - Kai asked curiously.
"You don't act like that. You traumatized the lad, even more words from him before he left the scene, not his normal self." - Thomas said calmly.
Kai rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then shrugged and said. - "I'm not really angry, maybe a little frustrated."
"Frustrated? For what reason?" - Thomas asked curiously.
"…" - Kai said nothing, closing his eyes as the horse galloped.
Thomas rolled his eyes, soon thinking of Calliope and Kai's final words.
––––––
The journey continued to their destination, the City of Pillars of Heaven in Kaolos Province.
The City of the Pillars of Heaven is named after the 6 marble Pillars hundreds of meters high, which have been unshakable for over 2,000 years!
In the course of time, many researches were made, but nothing was discovered, so with the Dark Faction taking over the East and its majority, the 6 Pillars of Heaven are part of their domain and because it is a unique place, they use it for competitions.
Not to mention that the center of the pillars is a large platform made of a very resistant material, an ideal place for fights between Martial Artists!
After more than 1 month of travel, the Snizer and Silver Mountain Clan arrived in the City of Pillars of Heaven!
…
Already in the distance, one could see the city walls and its huge gates, but what most called attention were the giant pillars in the distance.
Kai raised an eyebrow, as he could feel something inside him vibrating, it was just for a little while, but indeed there is something Paranormal here!
…
Passing through the gates, one could already notice that the streets were busy, many luxurious carriages passing through the streets.
They left the carriages in a parking lot, while some servants rushed to the best inns to see the price and space.
Kai was eventually pulled over by Calliope, who now in front of the public, was acting more conservative and less… tomboyish!
Kai also maintained a more cold and reserved demeanor, receiving many peculiar looks, which he didn't mind.
So Calliope took him to various places, visiting the city, a servant came at that time to let them know where they would stay, while they waited for the Tournament.
...
Calliope and Kai didn't do many things in the city, as they soon went to where they were and went to see their rooms.
Kai spoke with his father for a bit, asking if he needed anything from him, but for the moment nothing would be needed.
Kai then decided to spend the rest of his time cultivating.
…
The days went by, more and more families and prestigious clans arrived in the city, making it even more alive, all kinds of merchant groups arrived to show their delicacies.
There were also many auctions being held, with opportunistic people auctioning off pills that help improve one's strength or Internal Energy, selling them for 5 to 10 times their normal price.
And many bought at this absurd price, because they want as much advantage as possible.
Kai decided to make some money too, taking advantage of the fact that the city is full of rich people.
He put up for auction several pills he created, most of which were antidote pills, as there are many forces that use Poison as a weapon and it is not prohibited in the tournament.
Of course, Kai has avoided selling pills containing Paranormal Energy, as he doesn't want to attract unnecessary attention.
But even though his best products are Paranormal Energy, he still has many high quality ones worth thousands of gold coins.
As he has 40 Years of Internal Suffering Energy, which is already quite pure and full of depth, such pills cannot bring him any benefit, but it is useful for others.
And so money rained into his pocket, making even Galiam envy him, saying he wished he'd had an Alchemist son, so money wouldn't be an issue.
But that made Thomas laugh, thinking of the more than 2 million Gold that had been spent in the last 4 years, since Kai's pills became a success, his expenses had increased by a lot, for his experiments and training.
So practically 1/3 of the money that entered the Clan, went to Kai and his experiments, the rest was used for Clan expenses and some luxury.
Of course, compared to the past, there is no comparison, even Sasha was no longer against supporting Kai since he was bringing so much wealth to the Clan.
...
Kai was sitting in a restaurant, enjoying a red fruit tea, it's sweet, a little sour, he loved the combination.
He was relaxed, but his mind was like a computer, thinking about several things at once, analyzing the effects of certain herbs and poisons, the likely effects of their combinations, ways to improve the manufacture of pills.
Among them is the manufacture of Firearms, Kai besides being an Occultist, he was also a great shooter, knowing its structure in full, he has several projects in his mind, including already managed to create gunpowder.
But he's still on the fence about whether he'll bring Firearms into this world now, because if the government finds out, they're likely to come rushing in to buy or take over the blueprints.
Even though his father is strong, being among the world's top forces, an Unrestricted Realm Master, but in this world there are countless individuals on that level.
Not to mention that the Unrestricted Realm is the limit for many Martial Arts Masters, as the Profound Realm is a threshold that allows you to be called the Supreme Master.
The strongest in the Profound Realm can be called Gods if they prove themselves!
Even though Supreme Masters hardly ever get involved in the mundane world, the Emperor is one such master, as there are said to be 2 or 3 other Supreme Masters serving the Empire.
Not to mention the Masters of the Unrestricted Realm.
If we were to consider the strength of Thomas in the Unrestricted Realm, let's say that the most powerful in the Realm are at 100%, Thomas at maximum would be around 20%.
That is, there are Masters of the same Cultivation Realm, who are 2 to 5 times stronger than Thomas.
…
While sipping his tea, Kai noticed someone approaching, normally he would ignore it, he's in a restaurant, it's normal for people to walk by, but feeling the gaze on him, it's obvious that it's him.
Opening his eyes and stopping his thoughts, Kai looked at the group of youths in black robes approaching.
Soon they were in front of him, Kai was blinking slightly at them, not saying anything.
"Hey!" - A young man with a red mohawk spoke rudely, Kai looked at him.
"Get out, the young master wants this table!" - Said the young man with the mohawk fiercely.
"There are empty tables around, don't bother me." - Said Kai waving his hand in indifference.
"You bastard, do you know who we are?!" - roared the young man furiously.
"I have no idea and I don't care!" - Said Kai rolling his eyes in disdain.
"We are from the Demon Peak Sect, now that you know, leave!" - Roared the young man hitting the table.
"Demon Peak? Oh!" - Kai slammed his fist into his palm, his mouth open in understanding, until his face fell and he said. - "I have no idea what it is!"
Finally the youth at the front lost his composure, his Inner Force exploding and pressing down on Kai, who smiled slightly and also exerted his Inner Force.
Quickly an intense pressure probed the surroundings, the young man in the lead was surprised that Kai could hit head-on with his Internal Energy.
"Which force do you belong to?!" - Asked the young man coldly.
"It doesn't interest you, since I don't want to make friends, send your puppies to research." - Said Kai waving his hand and the Internal Forces stopped colliding.
The young man looked at him and then said. - "Know that when the tournament starts, I will behead you! So remember the name Souzones!"
Kai yawned, making Souzones even angrier, but he soon turned to leave, smirking as he trembled in anticipation.