DDD Chapter 132: The Rising Heroes Tournament Resumes (Patreon)

The moment I heard the voice, I whirled around towards the direction it came from. At the same time, Lucius leapt up from his seat and pulled a sword from his storage ring, before taking a stance. To my surprise, I saw Big Sis Sidra standing at the threshold to Zayne’s room. She regarded Lucius and I with an amused expression on her face.

I stared at my Eldest Sister in disbelief. When did she get here? I hadn’t even noticed her arrival. How long had she been standing here?

“Big Sis? What are you doing here?” I blurted out.

Big Sis Sidra quirked an eyebrow at me.

“Why?” She asked. “Am I not allowed to be here?”

“No, that’s not…” I trailed off when I saw the smirk on my eldest sister’s face. “You’re teasing me.”

Big Sis Sidra chuckled.

“Of course I am,” she said, “It’s my privilege as your older sister.” She turned towards Lucius, who glared at her with sword in hand. “I suggest you put that away before you hurt yourself.”

Lucius continued to glare at her and didn’t respond.

“Lucius.” I called out.

He glanced at me, before putting his sword away. Despite this, he watched Big Sis Sidra with a suspicious expression on his face.

“You two have already met,” I said, “But I’ll introduce you two anyway. Lucius, this is my eldest sister. Eldest Sister, this is my cousin, Lucius.”

Big Sis Sidra gave Lucius a martial salute. After a moment, he saluted her back. My eldest sister then walked into the room, closing the door behind her, before stopping at the foot of Zayne’s bed.

“I overheard some of your conversation.” She said, studying Zayne’s sleeping form. “If you don’t know what to do with this one here, why not give him to me? I can take care of him for you.”

I frowned at her.

“You eavesdropped on us?” I asked.

Big Sis Sidra smirked at me.

“This is my courtyard,” she said, “Temporary though it may be. Nothing happens here without me being aware of it.”

That was a little unsettling to hear, I had to admit.

“You can’t take Zayne,” Lucius snapped. “I won’t let you use him as a human cauldron.”

Big Sis Sidra gave him a cool look.

“Brave words from a Foundation Establishment whelp.” She said. “If I really wanted to take Cultivator Zayne and use him as a human cauldron, you wouldn’t be able to stop me.”

I walked between the two of them, to avoid things from devolving into an argument. Mostly for Lucius’ sake, since my eldest sister could destroy him without much effort on her part. Her fight with the Devouring Demon’s soul fragment remained fresh in my mind.

“Eldest Sister,” I said, “Please don’t antagonize my cousin.” I looked at said cousin. “And Lucius, let us hear what my sister has to say. She’s a demonic cultivator, but she is one of the smartest and most reliable people I know.”

Big Sis Sidra gave me a pleased smile, while Lucius narrowed his eyes at me. After a moment, he nodded.

“Fine,” he said, “But only because you asked, Darian.”

I gave him a nod, before looking at my eldest sister.

“While the changes to Cultivator Zayne aren’t permanent,” she said, “It would take too much effort to change him back. I could do it, but after the way Cultivator Zayne treated Darian, I’m not inclined to.”

My heart sank a little.

“So,” I said, “Zayne is stuck as a human cauldron?”

Big Sis Sidra nodded.

“Yes,” she said. “However, that could still work in his favor. There are certain cultivation techniques out there that allow their practitioners to use their own bodies as alchemy furnaces.” She nodded to Zayne. “If he puts in the effort, your kin can become a superb alchemist. This will also increase his cultivation speed, since no one will be stealing his cultivation. In fact, with the right medicines, he’ll cultivate even faster than others with heavenly spirit roots.”

That wasn’t a bad idea. However, I wasn’t sure if it would work. When it came to cultivation and training, Zayne lacked diligence. Did he have the willpower to reform himself?

“Those cultivation techniques you mentioned,” Lucius said. “They’re all demonic, aren’t they?”

Big Sis Sidra nodded.

“Yes.” she said. “Cultivator Zayne is already technically a demonic cultivator because of the cultivation technique he practices. He might as well benefit from it.”

Lucius’ expression hardened.

“In that case,” he said, “It might be better to just kill him.”

I stared at Lucius. Disappointment filled me.

“Don’t misunderstand,” he continued, “If it became known that Zayne is a demonic cultivator, he will lose everything he holds dear. His family, his position as an inner disciple, his friends. Everything. I fear that Zayne will end his own life.” He shook his head. “And keeping it a secret won’t work, especially since Peak Master Righteous Fury is wary of our clan.”

Oh. That’s what he meant. I was always an outcast within Clan Wind Dance, so leaving it behind wasn’t difficult for me. However, it would be different for Zayne.

“If you want to kill Cultivator Zayne,” Big Sis Sidra said. “Go right ahead. However, leave his corpse intact. I can make good use of it.”

“That joke was in poor taste,” I said, giving my eldest sister a sideways glance.

“I wasn’t joking.”

I stared at my eldest sister in disbelief, while Lucius gave her a disgusted look.

“Is there no other alternative?” I asked.

Big Sis Sidra pondered it for a moment.

“Cultivator Zayne could always become a dual cultivator,” she said. “However, because of his condition, his partners would benefit more from it than he would. Unless…” She frowned and trailed off. “Unless he found a partner similar to him.”

I grimaced.

“That would take too much effort.” I said. “Not only would we need to find someone with a similar condition as Zayne, but they would have to be someone we could trust.”

Big Sis Sidra nodded.

“Yes,” she said, “It would be easier and simpler to go with my first suggestion.”

I turned towards Lucius.

“What do you think?” I asked.

Lucius rubbed his face, looking weary.

“I don’t know.” He said. “Let us ask Zayne and let him decide.”

I frowned.

“You would have to be the one to tell him, in that case.” I said. “If I tried, Zayne would think it was some kind of trick.”

Lucius nodded.

“It’s the best solution that I can come up with.” He said. “At the end of the day, it is his life. He should be the one to decide.”

“In that case, let us postpone this matter until after the Rising Heroes Tournament is over.” Big Sis Sidra said. “That way, you two can focus on your matches. In the meantime, I’ll look after your kin.” She studied Zayne with gleaming eyes. “I have a vested interest in him now.”

Lucius and I nodded.

“Thank you, Eldest Sister.” I said.

Big Sis Sidra smirked.

“Don’t thank me yet.” She said. “Cultivator Zayne is a stranger to me. If I’m going to help him, I intend to benefit from it as well.”

I sighed.

“Of course.” I said.

My eldest sister snorted.

“What?” She said. “I’m a demonic cultivator, not an altruist.”

“Your sister has a point.” Lucius said. “It would’ve been more suspicious if she helped us without demanding some kind of price.”

The two of them shared a look and nodded at one another. I wasn’t sure how to feel about that. In the end, I just shook my head.

Together with Lucius and Elliot, I said goodbye to Big Sis Sidra and left her courtyard. The moment we stepped outside, Lucius adopted his icy mask once more. I escorted him out of Divine Beast Palace. Neither one of us said a word the entire time.

“I’ll leave my kin here until he recovers from his injuries.” he said in a cold voice. “If anything else happens to him, I’ll hold you responsible.”

I made a dismissive towards him.

“Yes, yes,” I said, “I heard you loud and clear. Now leave, so I can go back to bed and enjoy my wives’ company.”

Lucius nodded, before leaving. The moment he was out of earshot, I sighed.

‘So much for severing ties with Clan Wind Dance.’ I said to Elliot through telepathy.

He snorted.

‘This is entirely your fault, Darian,. he said. ‘You’re the one who insisted on getting involved in this matter.’

‘Shush you.’

With that, the two of us headed back to my courtyard in Dragon Palace.

***

After that night, I put Zayne out of my mind and focused on my cultivation and training. Well, not quite. I told Elliot to keep looking after Zayne, just in case. I trusted Big Sis Sidra, but I wasn’t a complete fool.

As she said herself, my eldest sister was a demonic cultivator, not an altruist. I expected her to take advantage of Zayne’s situation for her own benefit somehow. While Elliot’s presence might not stop her, it would keep me informed if something did happen.

Over the next several days, I spent most of my time either cultivating, studying intent, or training. The Rising Heroes Tournament would resume soon, and I wanted to be in the best condition possible. Willow and Harlow felt the same way, so the three of us spent a lot of time sparring with one another. We also sparred with Ellen and Elliot, which I appreciated.

Most of the early Foundation Establishment cultivators had been eliminated during the preliminaries. From this point on, most of our opponents would have higher cultivation bases than us. Since Ellen and Elliot were both in late Foundation Establishment, they made for perfect sparring partners.

Thanks to the training I received from Mom in her domain, I could hold my ground against either of the snake twins. However, I couldn’t defeat them. Both were tricky opponents, though for different reasons.

Elliot excelled at fighting from a distance, thanks to his azure bow, as well as up close. He specialized in subduing his opponents using grapples and holds. Once he got hold of someone, it was difficult for them to break free.

As for Ellen, she specialized in poisons and puppets. Each on their own was annoying. However, when used together, they made for a lethal combination. Even Harlow, who also specialized in poisons, found it difficult to deal with Ellen. Worst of all, she was a slippery opponent. Landing a blow on her in the first place proved challenging.

Sparring with the snake twins helped us improve our battle prowess. We honed our skills and corrected our flaws. By the time the Rising Heroes Tournament resumed, we were more than ready for it. Now that the preliminaries were over, it was time for the real tournament to begin.

***

It was a beautiful day out when the Rising Heroes Tournament resumed. All of us woke up bright and early, eager to get started. After eating a hearty breakfast, courtesy of Ellen, we joined the other disciples of the Dawn and Dusk Sect as they prepared to head out.

Unlike with the preliminaries, where each disciple acted independently, we would be moving as a group. The next round of the tournament would take place in North King City’s central plaza, instead of the smaller arenas that dotted the city. It was located at the base of Black Iron Mountain, the mountain that occupied the center of the city and home of Clan Black Iron.

However, before all that, we had to go through the opening ceremony first. According to Big Sis Sidra, the ceremony was a simple affair. The North King himself would give a short speech, after which the tournament would resume.

All of the disciples of the Dawn and Dusk Sect gathered in front of Divine Beast Palace. They were divided into two groups: those who were participating in the next round of the Rising Heroes Tournament and those who were not. At a glance, there seemed to be about a hundred of the former. Most were in the loser’s bracket, while a couple dozen were in the winner’s bracket. I ranked in between the two, since my last fight in the preliminaries ended with a draw.

The sky above was clear and cloudless. The morning sun bathed the world with light. Despite the winter chill, everyone was in high spirits, myself included. Anticipation filled the air with an electric charge, figuratively speaking. Some people bragged about their achievements, some speculated about who would win, and some made bets. The sect elders stood nearby, making sure that nothing got out of hand.

After everyone gathered, we all left for Black Iron Mountain. Due to the restrictions in place, most of us couldn’t fly there ourselves. Instead, Clan Black Iron provided us with several flying barges. Otherwise, it would have taken us hours to reach our destination. Those participating in the tournament boarded the same barge, while everyone else boarded the others.

As we flew towards Black Iron Mountain, I stood at the bow of the flying barge, flanked by Willow and Harlow. The flying barge didn’t have any restrictions to keep out the weather, so I felt the full force of the winter wind. A mortal would have found it bracing. I found it invigorating. The cold did little to cool my excitement. It was all I could do to contain myself. Willow and Harlow found this amusing.

Our destination, the central plaza located at the base of Black Iron Mountain, looked less impressive than I imagined. It was large, but there was nothing else special about it. There were no decorations or anything of the like. It was a simple square made from gray stone.

Of course, since it was located at the base of Black Iron Mountain, I wouldn’t have paid much attention to the plaza even if it had been more decorative. When I first saw the mountain from a distance, I found it impressive. However, seeing it up close like this made me realize just how massive it really was. Black Iron Mountain wasn’t the tallest I had ever seen, but it was the broadest. It almost seemed to fill my entire vision. No wonder Clan Black Iron chose it as their crest.

Several massive platforms floated in the air above the plaza in a neat fashion. Each one had tiered seating atop it, and I realized that these were for the audience. When we drew near the plaza, the flying barges split up. The one with the participants flew towards the plaza, while the rest flew towards one of the massive floating platforms. 

When our flying barge landed, we all disembarked. We were the first ones to arrive, so we were the only ones there, aside from the tournament organizers. The lack of people made the plaza seem empty and desolate.

However, it became lively as more and more people arrived. Like us, they arrived in a flying barge provided by Clan Black Iron. Each of the Seven Great Northern Sects arrived in their own flying barge, while everyone else arrived in the same one. Once again, this reminded me of how powerful and influential the Seven Great Northern Sects were.

Soon, over a thousand people filled the plaza. The Seven Great Northern Sects had about one hundred participants each. The rest either belonged to smaller clans and sects, or were rogue cultivators. Despite this, the plaza never felt crowded. It was large enough that there was plenty of space between each group of people. Not only that, but the tournament organizers kept everyone out of the center of the plaza, leaving it free and clear.

The participants from the Seven Great Northern Sects glared at one another and hurled insults at each other. I stayed out of it, since I didn’t see the point. Meanwhile, the group consisting of the smaller sects and rogue cultivators kept to themselves.

I looked around and caught Cultivator Vivian’s eye. She stood at the forefront of the group from the Thousand Blade Sect. I waved to her. However, instead of waving back, she huffed and turned away from me. I blinked at her in confusion. Before I could ponder on it further, a heavy hand landed on my shoulder.

‘Darian.’ Willow said to me through telepathy. Her voice had an edge to it. ‘I see that you’re on friendly terms with that woman over there. I thought you two were just rivals.’

I felt a chill run down my spine.

‘We are!’ I protested. ‘There is nothing going on between us.’

Willow gave me a look of disbelief, before shaking her head.

‘Perhaps we should set a limit.’ She said. ‘Otherwise, you may end up with dozens of wives. It’s bad enough that I have to share you with four other women.’

‘I’m not that bad.’ I said. ‘Am I?’

Willow smirked at me and didn’t respond. Harlow, who hadn’t been included in the conversation, gave us an odd look. However, before she could say anything, the sound of a horn blowing cut through the air. It came from Black Iron Mountain. The sound started off quiet, but grew louder and louder as the seconds passed. Despite this, it never hurt my ears.

When the sound stopped, I noticed movement on Black Iron Mountain. A procession of Golden Core cultivators emerged from one of the buildings that dotted the mountain’s face and flew towards the plaza. There were several dozen of them.

The procession consisted of a troupe of beautiful dancers, both male and female, who put on an enchanting performance. In the center was a band of musicians, who also looked beautiful. The sound of their music roused a myriad of emotions in my heart, ones I couldn’t put into words. Several soldiers of the Black Iron Guard flanked the dancers and the musicians, escorting them.

The procession flew down from Black Iron Mountain and landed in the center of the plaza. In particular, the dancers caught my eye. Their movements hinted at profound secrets that I had yet to discern at my current cultivation base. I wondered if I could speak with one of them and exchange cultivation insights. Unlikely, but it was worth the attempt.

When the dancers and the musicians finished with their performance, they formed a circle around the center of the plaza. Afterwards, they all turned towards Black Iron Mountain.

“All hail the North King!” They shouted in unison.

A moment later, I heard a loud boom and watched as a figure flew out from the peak of Black Iron Mountain. No. The figure hadn’t flown out. They had jumped. Moments later, the figure landed in the center of the plaza, cracking the stone and throwing up a cloud of dust into the air. A shock wave exploded out, forcing me and everyone else to take several steps back.

When the dust cleared, I caught my first glimpse of the North King. I had no doubt about the figure’s identity. The North King was a tall and imposing man with fierce features. While he was shorter than Willow, his presence dwarfed hers by magnitudes. He wore gray robes with intricate designs embroidered on it. The back depicted the image of a black mountain. His robes seemed to strain against his muscular physique, as if they would burst at any moment.

The most noticeable aspect of the North King’s appearance was the color of his skin. It was black, similar to mine when I used my Demon Form innate ability. However, the North King’s skin looked glossy and metallic, almost as if he were a metal statue come to life. The North King was also completely bald and left his head unadorned. It was quite eye-catching. My eyes kept straying to his shining bald head, despite my attempts otherwise.

I couldn’t sense the North King’s cultivation, meaning he was either in the Domain Creation realm or above.

All the sect elders, including those from the other Seven Great Northern Sects, gave the North King a martial salute. A moment later, everyone else followed their example.

“We greet the North King!” Everyone shouted.

The sound exploded out like a roar. The North King opened his mouth and let out a boisterous laugh.

“What a warm welcome!” He gestured to the crowd around him. “I know you’re all eager to begin, so I shall keep this short and simple.” He looked towards Black Iron Mountain and grinned. “However, I shall wait until my kin have taken their seats before I begin. In my eagerness, I rushed ahead of them.”

I followed his eyes and saw a group of people flying from the mountain towards one of the massive platforms that floated above the plaza. The North King’s presence distracted me so much that I hadn’t noticed them until now. Those in Golden Core and above flew on their own, while the rest rode in flying carriages and the like. I realized that this was Clan Black Iron. Soldiers of the Black Iron Guard, all in Nascent Soul, escorted them.

When the members of Clan Black Iron reached the massive floating platform and took their seats, the North King leapt up and joined them. He didn’t use any innate ability or mystic art. Instead, he relied purely on his physical prowess. The musicians and dancers, as well as their Black Iron Guard escorts, flew up towards another floating platform.

After taking his place, the North King gazed down on everyone.

“Welcome, Everyone!” He shouted. “To the Rising Heroes Tournament! Those of you participating are the future of our Northern Region, the best and brightest of the younger generation. This includes those in the lower rankings, the so-called loser’s bracket. Despite the name, reaching this far is an achievement in and of itself. Be proud of yourselves!”

The North King let out another boisterous laugh, before his expression grew serious.

“However,” he said, “Do not grow complacent and rest on your laurels, especially those of you in the winner’s bracket. The pursuit of immortality is a long and arduous journey, where one must reach greater and greater heights. You must continue to strive forward, lest you fall and render all your efforts up to this point meaningless. My ancestors started the Rising Heroes Tournament to challenge the younger generation and invigorate their competitive spirit, a tradition we continue to this day. So fight, my fellow cultivators! Fight and may the strongest among you rise to the top!”

With that, he let out a roar. All the other participants joined him, including myself. I couldn’t help myself. It was like being pulled along by the current of a raging river. His words made my blood boil with excitement and my nerves thrum with anticipation.

“Now then,” the North King said after everyone quieted down, “I’ve spoken enough. I’ll let my retainer, Gordon, explain the rest since he’s more familiar with the details than I am.” He gave everyone a mischievous grin. “However, I will say one thing: this iteration of the Rising Heroes Tournament will be different from previous ones.”

Everyone looked at the North King with confusion and curiosity in their eyes, including the various sect leaders and elders. It seemed that they hadn’t known about this either. Regardless, this made little difference to me, since this was my first time participating in the Rising Heroes Tournament.

A middle-aged man with a stern face flew over and landed in the center of the plaza. He wore the gray robes with black mountain crest on the back, indicating that he was a servant of Clan Black Iron. From his aura, I sensed that he was at peak Golden Core.

“Greetings everyone,” the middle-aged man said, sounding as stern as he looked, “I am Gordon, a retainer of Clan Black Iron and the organizer of this iteration of the Rising Heroes Tournament. As per my lord’s orders, we decided to do something different this time around.”

Senior Gordon pulled a scroll out of his storage ring and tossed it up into the air. It flew to a specific spot before it stopped and unfurled itself. As it unfurled, the scroll expanded until it rivaled the plaza in size. I saw that the scroll was a painting, one that depicted a variety of landscapes: rolling hills, scorching deserts, verdant forests, and so on. Whoever painted it did so in such detail, that I almost believed it was a still image from a recording crystal.

“Instead of the usual format,” Senior Gordon said, gesturing to the painting hovering in the air above us, “The participants will all be teleported to the hidden realm contained within the Myriad Landscapes Painting, where they will fight one another in a battle royale that will last for an entire day. Tomorrow at dawn, any remaining participants will be teleported out of the Myriad Landscapes Painting.”

As soon as he finished speaking, all the participants broke out into excited chatter. Some looked worried, some looked eager, and some maintained composed expressions. I was one of the eager ones. This was far more interesting than I had anticipated, and I couldn’t wait to get started.

“Why did you make such a change, Your Majesty?” An elder from the Divine Talisman Sect called out. “Not that I’m doubting the wisdom of this decision. However, I hope that you will indulge my curiosity.”

Everyone looked towards the North King, including all of the sect leaders and elders.

“I always felt like the usual tournament format was too tame, too neat.” The North King said. “Battles in the real world are often bloodier and messier.” He nodded towards the Myriad Landscapes Painting. “I decided that simulating such conditions, while putting measures in place to ensure the participants’ safety, would be far more educational.” He chuckled. “It would also be more entertaining for those of us watching.”

For some reason, my intuition told me that the North King made these changes more for the latter reason than the former. Not that I blamed him. To someone of his cultivation base, a fight between two Foundation Establishment cultivators was rather slow and dull.

“Your Majesty,” an elder from the Ancient Blood Sect called out, “If the second stage of the Rising Heroes Tournament is a battle royale, then how will the participants’ specific rankings be determined?”

That was a good question. Everyone looked at the North King and waited for his answer. However, he gestured to Senior Gordon instead.

“Simple,” the latter said, “Participants will earn points by fighting and eliminating one another. The number of points one has determines one’s ranking. Participants with higher cultivation bases are worth more points than those with lower cultivation bases.” He nodded to the crowd that surrounded him. “The tournament tokens given to the participants contain more details on the rules.”

I pulled my tournament token out of my storage ring and pressed it against my forehead. Senior Gordon spoke the truth. My tournament token now contained all the rules for the second stage of the Rising Heroes Tournament. I didn’t know if it had been there the entire time, remaining hidden until now, or if the tournament organizers somehow transmitted the knowledge to my token. In the end, it didn’t matter.

I pulled the tournament token away from my forehead and focused on Senior Gordon once more.

“Now then,” he said, “Are there any more questions? If not, we will begin the second stage of the Rising Heroes Tournament.”

“I have a question, Senior Gordon.” I called out.

Countless eyes turned towards me. All the attention made me feel uncomfortable, but it was too late to back down now.

“Yes, Junior…?” Senior Gordon asked, trailing off.

I gave him a martial salute.

“My name is Darian, Senior Gordon,” I said.

“What is your question, Junior Darian?”

“When you said that we would earn points by fighting and eliminating one another,” I said. “Did you mean that we must merely defeat our opponents? Or were you being literal when you said eliminate?”

One of the other participants, a disciple from the Divine Talisman Sect, scoffed loud enough for everyone to hear.

“What kind of foolish question is that?” He asked. “Of course he wasn’t being literal.”

Several of the other participants broke out into laughter and regarded me with derision. Anger blossomed in my heart, though I kept my anger in check and maintained my composure. However, I made a mental note to target the disciple from the Divine Talisman Sect after we entered the Myriad Landscapes Painting. He was in mid Foundation Establishment, so I had a decent chance at defeating him.

“Why are you laughing?” Senior Gordon asked, looking around. “Junior Darian asked a valid question. And the answer is yes, I was being literal. To earn points, you must try to kill the other participants.”

Silence fell over the plaza as everyone stared at him in shock. Even I was surprised, and I was the one who asked the question in the first place.

“Worry not.” Senior Gordon continued. “As His Majesty mentioned, we took measures to ensure everyone’s safety. Your tournament tokens are similar to teleportation talismans. Just before you are about to suffer a lethal injury, it will activate and teleport you out of the Myriad Landscapes Painting.” He looked around. “However, accidents can and will occur. You may suffer serious injury, or even die. If you do not wish to take that risk, then I suggest you forfeit now.”

All of the participants, as well as most of the sect leaders and elders, regarded Senior Gordon with horrified expressions on their faces.

“What sort of lunatic came up with this idea?” A rogue cultivator asked.

“Me,” the North King said in a dry tone. “As I said earlier, I wanted to simulate real battle conditions.” He looked around. “If any of you have any objections to this, feel free to voice them now.”

Everyone looked at one another with hesitant expressions on their faces, but no one said anything. I wasn’t surprised. No one wanted to risk offending the North King.

“Very well.” The North King said. “We’ve talked long enough. If any of you wish to forfeit, then crush your token. Be quick about it. You have one minute before you will be teleported into the Myriad Landscapes Painting.”

The participants all glanced at one another with fearful and worried expressions on their faces. Despite this, only a few crushed their tournament tokens and walked away. The rest put their tournament tokens away and steeled their resolve.

“Excellent!” The North King said after the minute passed. “Let us begin!”

He made a series of hand seals, before a suction force pulled all of the participants off their feet and towards the Myriad Landscapes Painting. We rushed towards the painting, and in the blink of an eye we disappeared into it.