Path Of The Dragon (A Dark Fantasy Cultivation Wuxia Xianxia Progression Series)

Chapter 29 The Tournament: Round One

Six months passed this way. And Jie broke through seven times, reaching the eighth star of the Adept rank. Her dantian hummed with more power than ever before, yet Jie still felt deeply unsatisfied as she had so much further to go...

After yet another grueling day of training, Elder Shi watched over Jie as she stretched to keep her body supple.

"Have you entered the tournament yet?" Elder Shi asked.

"Yes," Jie said, "I filled in my entry after training yesterday."

Elder Shi smiled. "Good. I have high hopes for you," she said.

"Do you know of anything that can heal a god ranked cultivator?" Jie asked suddenly.

Elder Shi frowned. "A god ranked cultivator? Why?" she asked.

"Humor me. Please," Jie said.

Elder Shi shrugged. "Another god ranked cultivator who specializes in healing, I suppose? But they're not exactly easy to find. Why do you ask?" she asked.

Jie frowned. "What about lower ranked healers? Can't they do anything?" she asked.

"I doubt it," Elder Shi said.

"Why not? It's all just bodies isn't it?" Jie asked.

"You're a very strange child. But, no. It isn't so simple. A pebble cannot hope to heal a mountain," Elder Shi said.

Jie nodded. "Then where would I find a god ranked healer?" she asked.

"Why do you want to know any of this? You're far from a god ranked cultivator. Unless... Oh," Elder Shi said, her eyes going wide.

Jie's intense blue eyes flicked to Elder Shi and in that moment the elder shivered slightly.

Damn. This girl has a frightening presence, Elder Shi thought.

"I think I understand why you wish so badly to learn of a healer. I only know of one that might have such power... but they're impossible to get to. I'll ask around and see if I can find another," Elder Shi said.

Jie nodded. "Thank you," she said.

Jie wondered what Elder Shi thought she'd figured out. But decided to ignore it. Questioning it seemed like it'd only risk giving away more information and for now, at least, Elder Shi seemed to be on her side.

***

The academy grounds bustled like an insect hive on the day of the tournament. Students ran to and fro, filled with too much excitement to keep still.

Jie, however, calmly cultivated as she waited outside the arena she'd been assigned. It was a massive, elliptical building of red and white stone. With statues of the red woman The Crimson Academy seemed to admire so much flanking the wide staircase that led up to the doors of blood-red metal.

Many other youths were arrayed at the base of the enormous staircase to the arena, and more than a few sent her strange glances. But Jie showed no sign of noticing them let alone acknowledging them. She did, however, scan them with her spirit sense just to get a feel for them.

The weakest were at the sixth star of the Adept rank with the strongest being at the ninth star of the Adept rank. Though there were only a handful of those. Most tended toward the middle of the range.

Several students discussed what prizes might be on offer, but such useless conjecture wasn't worth Jie's time.

The only thing she needed was strength. She frowned as she thought of Ming, alone in her residence and still busily trying to heal himself.