Tears of the Soaring Dragon: Condemning the Heavens, #4

By Tinalynge

A young man embarks on an adventure, trying his utmost to survive while cultivating inner energies and practicing martial arts.

 

Parting with Jiang Fengmian and the Vermilion Forest Kingdom, Xue Wei and Hei Gou continue their journey towards the center of the continent.

On their way, they encounter the Black Iron Fortress, an imposing citadel hosting a high-stakes tournament which could change their lives – or end it. Allured by the chance to grow stronger and gain precious resources, both man and beast halt their march towards the center of the continent to participate in the deadly tournament. But just who is behind it all?

Mortal danger, hidden treasure, and a bittersweet reunion await Xue Wei and Hei Guo in the Skyward Empire as secrets start to unravel and the truth is laid bare for all to see.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tinalynge
• Release date: Mar 13, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215242711

Book preview

Chapter 2 - Argent Moon Sect

Hei Gou was attractive . His hair was long and flowed like silk; the color was black like a raven's wing. His eyes were also black and resembled the darkest night where no stars shone.

His skin was fair and porcelain white; even a woman would envy him for his skin. His build was perfect in every way. He was taller than the average man, and his entire features seemed as if chiseled from a stone.

When one looked at him, one would have the feeling that he was a god that had descended to the mortal world. When one looked at him, they instantly thought that he was the male version of Guan Yin, the goddess of compassion.

Even Xue Wei was astonished by the attention that Hei Gou was getting. He knew that his friend was attractive, but was there any reason to make such a big deal out of it?

They were all martial artists, so what mattered was your strength, not your appearance. Still, all of these experts looked at Hei Gou as if they had seen their most fearsome foe to date.

Xue Wei was at a loss for what to do, but then he chuckled. It was human nature to be jealous, and his friend’s appearance was indeed worthy of such jealousy.

Even though Xue Wei’s true looks were not ugly, he was not as attractive as Hei Gou. And now that he was wearing the mask, he was as dull as one could be.

Xue Wei and Hei Gou conversed through compressed voice transmission. Sometimes, they would joke about the other experts, other times they would exclaim in surprise when they saw a strong expert. And from time to time, they would discuss what exactly could be the prize that brought so many geniuses together.

Do you think you can win? Hei Gou asked curiously, taking Xue Wei by surprise. I don't think I can, the latter replied honestly. Although I am now a first layer Sky Warrior, I am still a far cry from being even your opponent due to your Heavenly Warrior-level physical strength.

I am not participating, Hei Gou said seriously. You are not? Xue Wei was surprised, but he quickly understood why. Hei Gou could easily fool people into thinking that he was human when he just walked around, light battles included, but if he had to engage in a real struggle, then it was likely that he would have to use his innate talents. At that point, he would be forced to reveal his real self.

Well, I will fight, Xue Wei said after thinking about Hei Gou's situation. Our future might very well depend on this. We are still laying the foundation for our cultivation. We need to get some medicinal herbs and plants to help us, but we cannot afford them right now.

We need to get some proper clothes too, but we cannot afford even that. Everything we need, we cannot afford. For that reason, I will go all out in this tournament.

I will use Tianyi. I will use my overwhelming soul and Mind Infestation. I will not use my transformation yet though. I don't think they know about transformations here in the Skyward Empire, and I am not keen on finding out, Xue Wei said while grimacing.

Hei Gou nodded his head seriously. It is rather troublesome, but we cannot change it. It is for the best that you do not use the dragon claws in this tournament.

Having decided on using every other means than the transformation, Xue Wei could not help but feel rather eager to see what his enemies were like. He wanted to battle them all as soon as possible.

Since he had reached the Sky Warrior rank, he had been incapable of finding any opponents amongst the experts that had ambushed them on the way to the Skyward Empire. This made it so that he did not know his limitations. He only knew that a lot of energy was running through his body, a current of strength many times stronger than when he was an Earth Warrior. In fact, it would be no lie to say that he was at least fifty times stronger now.

This increase in power had shocked Xue Wei drastically. When he was an Earth Warrior, he was still capable of defeating a Sky Warrior, but now, as a Sky Warrior himself, just how many layers above him would he be able to overcome?

He was keen to find out.

They resumed their journey for a full day and night before a large structure appeared in the distance. All the youths around them traveling to the same destination seemed to be eager when they saw this massive cluster of buildings. They all started rushing towards it.

It was indeed a fortress that met Xue Wei and Hei Gou. A fort made solely from Black Iron. It was glistening in the sun's rays, and many small palaces and castles made up the entirety of the fortress, which was surrounded by a massive wall that was at least fifty meters tall.

There was one entrance into the fort. Xue Wei and Hei Gou were quite eager to enter, but the sight of this massive fort caused them to hesitate.

None of the other youngsters hesitated and rushed into the fort, but Xue Wei frowned when he saw it. His experiences so far had drilled a sense of caution deeply into his bones. This was the perfect death trap if the fortmasters had something planned.

Well, fortune goes hand in hand with danger, Xue Wei said through gritted teeth. If he did not take risks, how would he ever be able to achieve greatness?

Don't forget that this is a high-profile event, Hei Gou reminded him. If every person participating in this vanishes, then there will be an uproar in the entire Skyward Empire that the Black Iron Fort won't be able to handle.

Xue Wei nodded his head. It was indeed the case. Experts appeared from all over the entire empire, and these experts came from both poor and influential families.

The Black Iron Fortress had spread the news far and wide; everyone knew that these experts were here for the tournament. If something were to happen, then they might not be able to deal with the aftermath.

Thinking of this, Xue Wei nodded his head and headed into the fortress closely followed by Hei Gou.

The two were on high alert, but the guards let them in without any problems. They even pointed them towards the location of the counter where they could sign up for the tournament, all of them acting incredibly polite and friendly.

The area around and in front of the castle of the fort made up a very large city with around seven million inhabitants and a wide variety of stores, which was currently teeming with youths from all walks of life.

The majority of these youths were either ninth layer Earth Warriors or first layer Sky Warriors.

There were a few people who had a cultivation base above this, and the ones who were stronger also seemed to have a whole group of followers behind them.

These experts instantly noticed Hei Gou when he entered. Although Xue Wei was with him, he was immediately regarded as Hei Gou's lackey, someone who followed Hei Gou for the sake of sucking up to him and gaining benefits.

Seeing this, Xue Wei could not help but shake his head helplessly. It was wholly inaccurate. These two friends considered each other brothers, but neither saw any reason to put effort into changing their opinions. They could think what they want. Xue Wei and Hei Gou knew the truth, and that was all that mattered.

Xue Wei and Hei Gou headed towards the location where they were told to sign up. When they reached it, they found a table surrounded by youths standing in queue, all of which were trying their hardest to push forward.

Xue Wei and Hei Gou just stood and waited for it to be their turn. They weren’t in a rush. They observed their surroundings and found that a lot of experts were also watching them.

It was natural that Hei Gou would draw attention with his cultivation base that looked to be in the fifth layer of the Sky Warrior rank. Even Xue Wei caused some of them to look at him curiously, but he was only a one layer Sky Warrior, so he was not their main focus.

When it was their turn to sign up, many were curious as to their ages. There was an age testing orb to ensure that these experts were not older than thirty-seven. They were curious as to how old they were to have already reached the rank of Sky Warrior.

To their disappointment, Hei Gou just smiled and stepped aside, allowing Xue Wei to sign up instead.

Is he saying that this tournament is below his attention?

Do you think that he is the guard of that kid maybe?

No way, is he trying to see the strength of his servant instead of signing up himself?

Many murmurs could be heard at that point, but most of them were puzzled. Many thought that Hei Gou saw himself above a competition like this since he already had such a high cultivation base.

And seeing that the Black Iron Fortress did not force anyone to sign up, they could only sigh in disappointment.

Although Xue Wei had reached the Sky Warrior rank, he was only at the peak of the first layer. For him to win the competition seemed utterly impossible.

Name? the guard that was responsible for sign-ups finally looked at Xue Wei. Ye Xiao, Xue Wei came up with a random name in a moment's time.

Where are you from?

We came through the Flowing Blood Prairie, Xue Wei said. Once more it was no lie, but he did not elaborate on their origins either. No one caught on, and the man nodded his head.

That makes sense for why you look so young! he said. Place your hand on this age testing orb, he said and beckoned towards a large glass bead that seemed to have a lot of white mist within it on the table.

Xue Wei placed his hand on it as requested. The man’s jaw dropped to the floor when he saw the answer. S-Seventeen years old? he asked, stunned. A seventeen-year-old Sky Warrior was indeed a real genius, even in their Skyward Empire.

Although it could not compare to the geniuses from the center of the continent, it was indeed the best within their kingdom. The guard could not help but lament. If the contest was held a few years later, to what heights would he have grown then?

Seventeen? Should he not be in the army? a jealous man in the crowd around asked with a snort. Another cut in, He said he's from the Flowing Blood Prairie. Don't you know that their younger generation members aren’t part of any kingdom’s army?

Everyone can say they are from the Flowing Blood Prairie if they are a deserter, then! the first man continued, but the others just snorted at him. Was it that simple to lie about your identity?

Oh look! someone exclaimed. The fairies from the Argent Moon Sect have arrived!

Hearing this, Xue Wei was curious. The ripples of the Argent Moon Sect’s fame had even reached the distant Heping Kingdom. They had branches in every kingdom within the center of the continent, and apparently also had a branch in the Skyward Empire.

When Xue Wei lifted his head to look at them, he was indeed stunned. Eighteen young women were walking together towards the sign-up counter.

They were all wearing white dresses with silver and light blue embroideries. They had veils covering their faces, revealing only intelligent and gorgeous eyes.

The leading woman was as cold as ice; even her aura caused many of the experts present to shiver as if they had been dropped into a bucket full of ice water.

Xue Wei, on the other hand, was completely unaffected. After glancing at the women, he returned his attention to the guard, patiently waiting for his application to be processed.

Chapter 3 - Three Great Sects

The guard slowly adjusted himself and looked at Xue Wei. You have the qualifications to participate in our contest. I am to inform you of a few rules first, he said, slightly embarrassed after catching himself staring at the young group of women.

This guard was in no way old for a cultivator, but he was still most likely around the half-century mark. This meant that the girls that were moving towards him could all be his children. It was a slightly embarrassing episode for him.

This is your token. You are participant number five thousand and ninety-six. He then handed over a wooden token with the number five thousand and ninety-six engraved upon it.

The rules are simple; the battles will be held in the arena. There will be twenty battles going on at the same time.

While we prefer that no one kills their opponents, fists and kicks have no eyes, so we cannot guarantee safety. Be aware that you will have to accept that you might die in this tournament.

The top one hundred will get prizes. The higher you rank, the more marvelous the prize you receive will be.

I cannot announce the prize yet. It will be announced by the fort masters when the tournament begins, but I can tell you that it is wealth that far exceeds your wildest imagination.

Now take the token and get ready for the tournament. It will start in five days.

Oh right, all the inns in the Black Iron Fortress are free to use during the tournament, and all meals are on the Black Iron Fortress too, the guard said at the end. Xue Wei's eyes revealed that he was pleasantly surprised.

Xue Wei said his farewell to the guard before returning to Hei Gou, who was surrounded by pretty ladies trying to chat him up. He was smiling rather casually and making small talk, and it was clear that he was enjoying himself.

Still, when Hei Gou saw Xue Wei coming towards him, he instantly excused himself from the girls and went over to receive Xue Wei.

Done? he asked with a dashing smile that blinded everyone present. Xue Wei felt like hitting him for some unexplainable reason. The incredibly handsome Hei Gou made even Xue Wei get a headache.

But Hei Gou was his brother, so even if his personality and narcissism were slightly frustrating, it was a part of who he was. Xue Wei could not do anything about it, other than giving a wry smile and shaking his head.

At that same moment, the crowd spread apart and made a line for the disciples of the Argent Moon Sect to walk up to the guard responsible for sign-ups.

The other participants did not mind that they had stood in the queue for quite some time. All of them moved for the beautiful women. Xue Wei could not help but shake his head.

Women fawned over the handsome Hei Gou, while men were obsessed with those beautiful women.

Beauty was only skin-deep. No one knew about the personality behind the appearance, or about their actual strength. On that point, Xue Wei did not dare to look down on the women from the Argent Moon Sect, just based on the fact that they were from a continent-spanning sect.

After the women from the Argent Moon Sect signed up, another commotion emerged at the entrance of the fort.

It's the ones from the Cerulean Starlight Sect and the ones from the Crimson Sunshine Sect! Together with the Argent Moon Sect, those three sects are the main sects of the continent! someone exclaimed out loud, causing the others to crane their necks to see the ones from the other two sects.

Two groups walked in. Where the women from the Argent Moon Sect were wearing white robes with silver embroideries, the ones from the Cerulean Starlight Sect were dressed in light blue robes with golden adornments of stars.

The ones from the Crimson Sunshine sect wore red robes with golden embroideries of suns.

There were eighteen members from the Crimson Sunshine Sect and eighteen members from the Cerulean Starlight Sect, equal to the size of the party from the Argent Moon Sect.

Had these three sects jointly decided on their numbers beforehand? Xue Wei did not believe that something like this could be coincidence, but he was not a member of the three great sects, so he could not speak for them and their methods.

The members of the three sects were all familiar with one another, and their haughty and arrogant demeanor could not be hidden.

Each group had a leader, and they stood out from the rest. When the three group leaders met one another, the rest of the experts present held their breath, eager to see a clash of egos.

The only ones who seemed carefree were Xue Wei and Hei Gou, who were about ready to leave.

Although Xue Wei figured that these fifty-four people would prove to be the biggest problem for him in the tournament, he did not feel that he would gain anything from seeing them butting heads before the fighting began.

He knew from experience that when one was on the battlefield, one was completely different from their usual demeanor. Although these experts from the sects were haughty, they were not dumb, or the sects would never have picked them.

Since they were not dumb, they would not display their strength now. They knew better than to demonstrate their power in front of their competitors from other, aspiring factions and places.

But they still had to keep the aura of their sects when they met. The three sects were working together to suppress all other sects, but at the same time, they also competed against one another for the top position among their three sects.

So when they met each other, they met as competitors despite considering each other allies.

My Crimson Sunshine Sect will win this contest, the leader of the Crimson Sunshine Sect's disciples said with a smirk on his face. We are here, so of course we will take the first place.

I do not understand why either of your sects bothered sending anyone, the woman from the Argent Moon Sect said. Her voice was colder than ice, and her eyes were frighteningly chilling.

I beat you before; I will beat you again. As long as I study the Frost Moon Scripture, you are not my opponents!

Don't brag too much Miss Xiong Bing, a dissatisfied voice sounded from the Cerulean Starlight Sect’s side.

Although you have beaten us before, I have gotten some lucky chances since last. I am sure I can defeat you now. Let us battle it out in the arena and see who will be the winner.

That was the last of that conversation that Xue Wei and Hei Gou heard before they made it out of the empty marketplace that had been temporarily turned into a reception area for the upcoming tournament. They went away in search of the closest inn.

The first inn was already filled. The second was also filled, but third time is the charm. This inn had seven free rooms left. Xue Wei and Hei Gou booked a twin room with separate bathrooms for more privacy.

When they entered, Hei Gou turned to Xue Wei. Those people were from some prominent sects? They behaved incredibly brazenly, as if they were above everyone else.

Xue Wei wanted to comment that Hei Gou had also caused quite a disturbance with his appearance, but he decided to stay silent. They were from the three great sects, Xue Wei explained.

The Argent Moon Sect focuses on Yin energy. They only accept talented women, and some say that the women have to be stunningly beautiful too. The sect spans over the entire Chang'an continent with branches in almost all of the kingdoms and empires, except the ones all the way out at the outskirts like our Heping Kingdom.

The Crimson Sunshine Sect is a sect that focuses on the pure Yang energy and only accepts talented male experts. It also spans over the entire continent with branches everywhere.

The final sect is the Cerulean Starlight Sect. It is the only sect of the three major sects that allows both women and men. They focus on the balance between Yin and Yang. It also spans the entire continent.

I don't know much more about their sects, Xue Wei said apologetically with a shake of his head. I don't know which one is the strongest currently since they, according to the books I read, have contests amongst themselves to determine their positions, but the books I’ve read are outdated, so I cannot say who is currently the strongest.

Hei Gou nodded his head. What Xue Wei told him was enough.

Although they are geniuses from some big-shot sect, they still have to enter the army when they are fifteen. But those geniuses are placed in a battalion of their own and treated vastly differently from the others.

These geniuses are to become the future pillars of humanity. They are to fight against the Primordial Beasts when they mature, and although they are in the army, it is more like a ten-year training camp for them. Even their commanders are from the major sects themselves.

Hei Gou snorted. I hope they all kill each other, he said. It was clear that he had no warm feelings towards either humans or beasts any longer. He had lost all empathy towards other living creatures.

Xue Wei was a little stunned by these words, but he quickly agreed. Humanity had severely disappointed him time and time again, and he had no love for the Primordial Beasts because of the Ice Harpy.

Since he had no love for either side, he too felt above the fight between the two races.

Perhaps we should find a chance to leave this continent, Xue Wei sighed. Although the humans and beasts are fighting one another here, they can't be competing on every single continent. We can find one that is at peace and settle down. A place where no one knows us, and we can focus on reaching the apex before returning here and taking our vengeance.

Hei Gou's ears perked up when he heard the words 'other continent.' He had always wanted to see the other worlds, and he was more than willing to leave behind this continent of Chang'an which had only given him one good thing - a friend like Xue Wei.

But first, I have to enter the center of the continent, Xue Wei said with a sigh. I have to meet up with Prophet Lan. There are a few things I need an answer to, he said thoughtfully. There were questions about his past that he needed to uncover.

Over time, he was starting to realize that something was odd. When he regained his memories back in Lingyun Town, the memories of his father or Xiao Lei were not among them

Xue Wei was quite confident that something was blocking these memories, but why was that so? What was there in his past that someone did not want him to discover?

Also, how could he and he alone survive when a Primordial Beast had eradicated his entire hometown? It was clear that things did not add up.

Although Xue Wei did not want to doubt his uncle, he could not help but feel a bit hesitant. Why had his uncle vanished? Why had he suddenly found a cultivation method for him just as he disappeared? There were so many questions he wanted to ask him, but he had not seen his uncle for a long time already.

Xue Wei was in deep thought and sighed deeply. Seeing his friend like this, Hei Gou said nothing. He just waited for Xue Wei to feel better.

Let us go and grab something to eat, Xue Wei said with a sigh as he pushed all the troubling thoughts to the back of his mind again. He had to focus on breaking through to the second layer as a Sky Warrior this night so that he that he could perform at his best in the contest.

Chapter 4 - Restaurant

Hei Gou quickly agreed to go eat. He could feel that if Xue Wei were left alone, then he would succumb to depression for an indeterminable amount of time, and that would be detrimental to preparing him for the tournament.

When they left their room, they found that the inn was packed with people. The inn was very standard: all the rooms for guests were on the first, second, and third floor, while the ground floor consisted of the entrance and a restaurant. The basement was where the kitchen was located.

When they left their rooms on the third floor, they found that even the hallway was filled with people, and the staircase had experts rushing both up and down.

When they came down to the restaurant, they saw that it was filled to the brim, every chair was occupied.

The Black Iron Fortress pays the food, so buy whatever you want, eat the most delicious meals, and order any delicacies you desire! Black Iron Fortress promised to pay it all! someone yelled to his comrades as they headed past Xue Wei and Hei Gou, throwing themselves into the restaurant and hoping to snatch a table somewhere.

I think we should look somewhere else, Xue Wei said, a bit aghast. He was shocked to see the frenzy these experts were in to get a table. Although he knew that both he and Hei Gou could snatch a table with their strength, he was not willing to cause such a ruckus.

Hei Gou nodded his head. He had no real reason to object, and he was not overly hungry. He only wished to interrupt Xue Wei's train of disturbed thoughts.

Together, the two men pushed their way out of the inn. The roads outside were also bustling with life. Young experts were everywhere to be seen. New faces still arrived, and there was still a long queue of people signing up to the contest at the empty marketplace that Xue Wei and Hei Gou walked past on the way towards a restaurant.

The many inns were all busy and bustling with life. Every inn had a built-in restaurant, and they were filled with clamoring young experts.

But they were not the only restaurants that were in the fort. There were also independent restaurants. Many of these places had now changed their usual rules - where everyone was usually welcome, only Sky Warriors and above were invited in now. This was because the food in these restaurants was more extravagant and much more expensive. If everyone was invited, then the cost of hosting the many youths would be too much for the Black Iron Fortress.

But neither Xue Wei nor Hei Gou had any issues entering these restaurants, and they picked a random one that looked rather magnificent from the outside. It was a four stories building, with the kitchen located in the basement, and the ground floor and second floor had tables placed in one large room, while the third and fourth floor had private rooms and chambers.

Xue Wei was only a first layer Sky Warrior, so he was not allowed a private room, but because he was together with Hei Gou who seemingly had strength equivalent to a fifth layered Sky Warrior was allowed a private room, he too was given permission to enter the upper floors.

Once again, Xue Wei was treated as Hei Gou’s lackey, but he did not mind. On the contrary, he was rather happy that they were allowed to enter a private room because of Hei Gou, so his mood was rather good.

Xue Wei and Hei Gou were being led by a young woman towards the upper floors of the restaurant. When they walked through the first and second floor, many looked at them with envying gazes, and hesitation. These experts were the geniuses of many small families and sects, and although they had made it into the restaurants, they did not have the qualifications to sit in a private room. This was a true blow to their self-esteem and views on their strength.

The young woman opened the door to a room and gestured for Hei Gou to enter. It was as if Xue Wei was invisible in her eyes.

Shrugging his shoulders, Xue Wei did not care and entered the room together with Hei Gou. After this, the woman spoke for the first time since she had received them at the entrance of the restaurant.

Young Master, we will provide a set of dishes of our finest quality. The food in this restaurant is made from the finest Fierce Beast meat, medicinal herbs, and plants.

All of it is cooked in spiritual spring water from our very own spiritual spring well, and made to ensure that the consumer gets not only the most appetizing meal but also something that can nourish and strengthen the cultivator's base strength.

The young woman bowed towards Hei Gou and backed out of the room. Seeing her behavior, Hei Gou was getting annoyed. Although Xue Wei did not mind that he was being ignored, Hei Gou did.

They were good friends and shared their glory and downfall. If one was insulted, one had insulted both; if one was ignored, it was actually a slap to both their faces.

Leave it, Xue Wei laughed when he saw Hei Gou's blackened expression. I am benefitting from this. The more I am being underestimated, the better it is. Even I am not confident in this contest, he smiled.

The three great sects have even sent eighteen youths each. These youths have gone through ten years of training in the army; they are likely to be fierce and quite strong as well. Defeating all of them will be troublesome.

Hei Gou just smiled when he heard Xue Wei's words. You will win, he said with certainty. You have a lot of tricks up your sleeve, not to mention your soul skill can make you dominate even normal fifth layer Sky Warriors. As long as you do not reach someone who has strengthened their soul, you are fine.

The ones from the three great sects are quite likely to have strengthened their souls, Xue Wei said with a wry smile. They are from the great sects, after all. They cannot be compared to normal cultivators.

Well, you won't know until you try. Hei Gou had endless faith in Xue Wei, who smirked when he heard Hei Gou's words.

I am going to give it my all. Let us see how powerful those real geniuses of the strongest sects are!

Xue Wei and Hei Gou smiled at one another, noticing the fighting spirit in each other's eyes.

It was indeed a shame that Hei Gou could not participate in the battles. He did not have enough innate abilities yet, and his Swallowing the Moon required him to be in his original shape.

Although he could depend on his physical strength and his claws, it would be difficult to explain why he had such a physical power, and even harder to explain why he was not using any martial arts at all.

Since it would be hard to explain things, it was better to avoid it. Hei Gou did not worry about them not ranking high enough. After Xue Wei had broken into the Sky Warrior rank, he had become incredibly strong.

They had been traveling for a long time since he broke into the Sky Warrior rank, and he had stabilized his strength, which meant he could break through to the second layer at any time as he pleased. He just did not want to rush it, instead focusing on consolidating every layer properly.

While chatting with one another about what they thought they could expect in the tournament, a gentle knock sounded on the door. After calling out for whoever it was to enter, the lady from before entered with a trolley where there were at least fifteen dishes.

It was clear that these restaurants held nothing back when catering to the young geniuses, and both Xue Wei and Hei Gou were almost salivating at the sight of this much food that looked and smelled delicious.

It has to be said that they had not had any delicious food since they started their journey. They had been eating roots at the beginning, and later they were lucky enough to encounter mortal beasts they could roast, or enter plain inns where they could eat congee or other simple meals.