Dungeons of the Divine (Blue Phoenix Book 2) (21 page)

Gazing at the rising sun, Hui Yue could not help but think of the woman who was most likely playing around with five small children, living today like every other day she had lived for the past millennia.

It was early morning and usually the entire city was still sleeping, but nothing was as usual. The streets which were normally  filled with bakers and message boys was now bustling with citizens and mercenaries alike, walking wherever they wished and purchasing sweet treats or savory buns.

A few were purchasing medicine and medicinal plants to assist them in the finals while others were spending their prize money on armour or weapons.

Moving from the courtyard, Hui Yue was once more wearing his black cloak. This time it was not so much for the sake of being hidden as it was protection because it was capable of absorbing all attacks coming his way due to the nullifying inscriptions engraved on it.

Although the streets were bustling with people these people all made space for Hui Yue and his entourage, all of them aware of who they were. Finalists of the seeded tournament! If anyone within this town deserved respect, then it was those who had managed to become finalists of the seeded tournament.

Moving around, Hui Yue came across a stall where they sold weapons, something he had previously decided to buy for his friends. He paused slightly as he noticed that the weapons seemed to have been created with extraordinary materials.

Seeing Hui Yue stop there, the others followed suit and they all looked at the various weapons which were on display.

The majority of the weapons were made from black iron, much like Black Blood, and all of them had inscriptions to increase their durability and sharpness. There were swords and daggers, staves and halberds on display. The most beautiful ones were on display while the less shining weapons were gathered in a pile with the cheaper items.

Looking at the stall with so many weapons, Hui Yue decided that it was about time for them to each find a weapon which could assist them during their travels.

“Each of you pick a weapon from here. The Guild Master was right to say that we don’t know when death will catch up to us, so get a weapon to prepare for the battle today.”

Hearing Hui Yue say that, joyful expressions were visible on their faces as they started to look through the various weapons on display.

It did not take Deng Wu long to pick up a sword made from black iron. Its size was that of an average sword, yet its sharpness was far above what he expected from a good sword one would find in the world above.

Sha Yun picked the largest halberd she could find. It was two meters tall with an edge of half a meter by itself. The sheer size made it clear it was not to be messed with, and in the hands of Sha Yun, the snake-woman, the weapon could truly display all its might.

The halberd was made from black iron, much like Hui Yue’s dagger and Deng Wu’s sword. It had been fortified with inscriptions and two small magical gemstones which were located at the place where the blade was embedded within the handle.

The one who took the longest to decide was Wang Ju Long. She had looked at all the weapons which were on display, but none of them were to her liking. Eventually she decided to have a look at the ones which were at the cheaper part of the stall, and here her eyes were drawn towards a long staff, a bit smaller than herself.

Unlike the others, this was a glossy red staff made from unknown material with black iron tips at both sides. It had no inscriptions and the red body of the staff was looking fairly weather-beaten, as though it had been through many wars and had seen better days.

Looking at it, something within Wang Ju Long decided to pick that staff. Ensuring that it was the weapon she truly wanted, Hui Yue nodded and went to the merchant. He paid for the many weapons with the beast cores they had gathered during their time in the tunnels.

A deep sigh escaped Hui Yue as he saw how few beast cores were left, but it was as he expected. Using beast cores or demon coins would quickly deplete their wealth. Still, looking at the weapons, Hui Yue felt as though it was worth every core he paid.

Deng Wu, Sha Yun, and Wang Ju Long were not the only ones who were thrilled, the man who was selling items had never sold such a large order before, and he was greatly appreciative of his sudden newfound wealth. As to why they had bought the red staff, he had no idea.

As soon as they bought their new weapons, Hui Yue could not help but smile as he felt that death was even further away than it had been before, yet Xu Piao’s words etched themselves into Hui Yue’s mind. He was perfectly aware that every day could be the last for both him and his friends.

However, with great risks comes great opportunities, and living a safe life  would never allow for Hui Yue and his friends to continue their journey through the Dungeons of the Divine.

With his mind set on winning the tournament and afterwards participating in killing the Dwelling Demon Beast, Hui Yue lifted his head high and led his small group of five towards the arena.

Although it was still early and the finals were not until the sun reached the apex of the sky, Hui Yue still wished to enter the arena to allow for his friends to practice with the new weapons they had purchased.

Walking past the arena, Hui Yue could already smell the blood in the air as the semifinalists were battling for a spot in the lower ranked final which would commence as soon as the semifinals ended.

The battles were bloody and messy, but they had already pulled in a lot of visitors, every one of the outdoor stages was crowded and the people were standing on their toes to get a glimpse of what was happening on stage.

Although Hui Yue could understand the sport in watching experts duel one another, but he had a hard time understanding how blood soaked life or death battles was something which could be seen as a form of entertainment.

During the time of the year where there was not a tournament, different teams would fight one another for bets, but it was never quite as many battles nor as intense as the tournament. Having spoken with Xu Piao about this subject, Hui Yue found out that one of the main reasons for the bloody battles was to help fight overpopulation, and that something similar to this tournament happened yearly in most of the caves.

Although experts were highly sought after, it was experts of a high rank or those with exceptional talents that were in demand. The rest would be great at battling the lower ranked demon beasts, or to die for the sake of entertaining the general public and ensuring that resources weren’t strained.

Thinking about all these complex things, Hui Yue sighed deeply and finally understood why something as precious as beast cores were used as common currency. Although they were useful for some cultivators and experts, what truly mattered when killing a beast was to bring back the flesh and anything edible from the beast itself.

Thinking about this, Hui Yue was glad that Deng Wu did not trade food for information in this new city they had arrived within. Hui Yue was not a cold person who did not want to help others, however if someone appeared with a massive stockpile of food and started trading it for information, it was likely to cause an uproar in the begger areas of town.

Sighing deeply, Hui Yue paid no more attention to the ways of this world, instead, he flashed his golden emblem to the guards at the arena and entered straight into the only place within town where no citizens could be seen.

Hui Yue entered first only to see something which caused him to frown slightly. Hui Yue and his group were not the first to arrive at the arena, even though it was incredibly early in the morning.

At the stage was the masked group of mercenaries together with Zhou Long. The group seemingly conversing with each other in a friendly manner, causing Hui Yue’s hairs to stand on end.

Something about Zhou Long was definitely not as it seemed.

Thinking about this, Hui Yue also knew that if Zhou Long wished for Hui Yue to be dead, then the white-haired boy would have been dead already. He was at least a King ranked expert, but Hui Yue had the impression that he was an even higher rank than that. That he was in fact an Emperor ranked expert.

The rank of Zhou Long was not the most important thing to consider, instead it was the familiarity with which the masked group and Zhou Long were talking, something which made Hui Yue feel alert. He once more reconsidered his previous decision about working together with the host of the competition later on when it came to the excursion towards the Dwelling Demon Beast.

Zhou Long had a high cultivation rank and as soon as Hui Yue saw them together, he too felt that they had entered the arena. Even though he was standing with his back turned to Hui Yue he still noticed them instantly, causing him to turn around.

At first surprise was evident on his face, but within less than a second everything was hidden beneath a gentle and welcoming smile.

“Ah to think that you would show up this early! Could it be you wished to practice much like the other participants?” He  asked in a friendly voice, making gestures which pointed towards the masked group.

“Oh new weapons!” He  continued as though nothing was out of the ordinary. “I take it that you wanted to test them? Please, please do not mind us and go ahead!”

With that Zhou Long vanished through the arena gate while the masked team seated themselves in the first row, all eyes falling on Hui Yue and his friends waiting patiently for his group to start practicing so that they could get a better understanding of Hui Yue and his friends’ performance.

Knowing that they would be giving away too much information if they were to truly practice in front of the other team, Hui Yue sighed deeply and all five sat down on the edge of the stage, facing the masked group.

There they sat for a couple of hours. Masks were faced towards the cloaked figures and the cloaked figures were faced towards the masks. In the end neither side managed to gain further knowledge of the other, and no one would be able to understand what exactly was going on between the two groups, nor the individuals involved.

Seated within the arena, at first it was possible to hear the surrounding cheers as the battles outside the arena were being determined. The cheering in sharp contrast to the quietness which prevailed within the arena until the third party suddenly made their entrance.

Unlike the masked group and the cloaked group, the third group had been living greatly in the spotlight the last two days enjoying all the attention and respect which was given to them for making it to the finals.

“Haha I see we are all here,” One of the last people who entered said. He was a large man, his body taut and muscles bulging under his skin. He was the complete opposite of Hui Yue with his tanned skin and black hair and eyes. But deep within those eyes was a determination to win, a determination very much akin to the one Hui Yue had glistening within his own ice-blue eyes.

“Don’t sell us short just because we aren’t wearing stupid masks or mysterious cloaks,” The man said with a ferocious grin on his lips, his face filled with excitement for the battle to come.

”Don’t sell us short just because we aren’t wearing stupid masks or mysterious cloaks,” Hui Yue looked at the man who spoke moments before, his eyes narrowed slightly as he observed the third group with which they would do battle.

Looking at the man and his group, Hui Yue had to concede that he underestimated them so far. He paid too much attention towards the masked group, which, if he was not careful would lead to their demise.

Fighting against two teams at once made everything much more complicated. Hui Yue could not afford to underestimate the new arrivals, but at the same time he had to keep his eyes on the masked group. The threatening feeling Hui Yue perceived from them was in no way comfortable.

Sighing deeply, Hui Yue was suddenly tempted to forfeit. He was already approached by the Dragon Corps which was his goal to begin with, and although the prize money was tempting he still did not feel like risking the lives of his friends.

Thinking this, a sly smile appeared on Hui Yue’s face and he shook his head. He had been burning with excitement ever since the third group appeared, and he saw the exact same excitement shining from the eyes of his friends.

Although this was a battle to the death, it was certainly a battle which he wished to participate in. He wished to challenge his abilities in a life and death fight; he wanted to see just what his limits were.

Looking at the two groups, smiles appeared on the faces of all three groups and although two of the groups had their faces hidden completely beneath masks and cloaks, everyone within the arena knew that they were all smiling. They were all feeling the eagerness which preceded a life and death match.

Heading towards the stage, all three groups were now standing beside one another. They watched as the audience flooded through the doors. Smiles were evident on the visitor’s faces and their voices could be heard ringing through the stonewalls, laughter brightening up the atmosphere.

Were it not that Hui Yue knew better, otherwise he would have assumed that the audience arrived for the sake of viewing a theater play rather than a bloody deathmatch.

Hui Yue felt as though time was passing by slower than usual. Standing on the stage, constantly observing both sides he knew he had to plan for the worst case scenario, which would be that both teams ganged up against his.

The likelihood of that happening was quite slim, but as long as there was even a small chance he needed to watch out for it.

As they stood on the stage the audience filled up the arena and Zhou Long slowly appeared from the side. His was smiling as he looked right at Hui Yue, the smile dimming slightly as he looked at the rest of the cloaked group and eventually his eyes turned slightly icy as he looked at the masked group.

While the smile stayed on Zhou Long’s face, his eyes seemed icy cold. Hui Yue instantly noticed the change, his brows furrowing slightly.

“Ladies and gentlemen please find your seats,” Zhou Long spun around himself as he raised his arms, “Please find your seat so that the battle we have all been waiting for can commence.”

As always, Zhou Long’s voice was low and sounded very natural, yet it was still audible to every single person within the arena. Everyone heard his voice loud and clear and within a few moments, the audience seated themselves. Everyone was so quiet that a heavy atmosphere descended upon the three teams on the stage.

They were being stared at by thousands of viewers all of them excited about the battle that was about to commence, the blood which was to be spilled.

“Today we will see three teams fight, some will falter and die while others will stand strong and conquer! Today we will see a winner, today we will crown the strongest group of mercenaries within the Demon Dwelling Cave!”

Having said that, a roaring sounded out as everyone cheered on Zhou Long before he continued his speech, “There are three groups we have fighting today. The first group are the newcomers, the ones we all knew of moments after their arrival. The Cloaked Mercenaries. Although strong they have shown mercy to all groups so far killing none. Will they manage to continue this battle without killing, or will they finally have to sully their hands?”

“In the next group we have the Masked Murderers. Unlike our cloaked friends these merciless mercenaries have chopped the heads off of all their opponents. Will their killing streak end, or will they cover the stage in blood and emerge victorious?”

“Finally we have the famous Silver Edged Swords!” As soon as the name was mentioned cheering could be heard through the entire arena, “This group grew up within our very own city. Their hard work within the tunnel earned them a special spot and even now they have fought their way towards the final where they now face a pacifistic team and a murderous team. Will they manage to be victorious?”

Zhou Long paused slightly after having introduced the three teams and roaring cheers were still sounding out from within the arena, a satisfied smile was evident on the host’s face.

“The rules are simple, the last team standing on the stage will be the winner. There are no rules as to how you get rid of the opposition, neither does it matter if only one man survives. This is a battle royale, a fight to the death. Let the fighting begin!”

Hearing his final words, Hui Yue and his team backed up slightly, Black Blood summoned in one hand and a fire orb already flaring in the other. Hui Yue was astonished to see that the masked group did not even seem to notice Hui Yue and his friends, instead their focus was on the third group, the ones called Silver Edged Swords.

Standing back, Hui Yue narrowed his eyes. Were the Silver Edged Swords truly more dangerous than Hui Yue and his cloaked friends, or was there a specific reason as to why the masked group did not attack them?

Pausing Hui Yue decided not to attack either of the two groups, instead he gestured to his friends that they should prepare their attacks, and be ready to attack with their strongest spiritual arts as soon as the winner of the other brawl was decided.

Nodding, the others quickly stood down before they prepared themselves. Hui Yue allowed for his Fire Orb to absorb an increasing amount of spiritual energy and soon it became too large to fit within his palm. It ascended above his head, radiating an immense amount of heat as it slowly created smaller Fire Orbs that orbited around the growing ball of fire like small planets around a sun.  

Feeling the increasing amount of heat and how more and more Fire Orbs were created, Hui Yue took some of the smaller orbs and casually tossed them towards the ten men who were fighting for their lives on the opposite side of the stage.

The entire fight was bizarre to watch. On one side ten men were fighting fiercely. Bones were broken, blood was flowing. Still no one had died, but the Masked Murderers clearly had an advantage. At the other side of the stage no blood had been spilled.

Instead five men were standing awkwardly staring at the other ten. In their hands were weapons which Hui Yue purchased earlier that day. A big flower was visible on the ground with its roots hiding underground, waiting for the first person to approach them.

Another was standing with four inscriptions floating around him, all infused with spiritual energy, ready to be activated at any second to annihilate an opponent as soon as they came within range.

Sha Yun’s tail was evident within her cloak, tapping the ground lightly clearly impatiently waiting for her turn to attack, because no one was coming into her range.

Finally their leader, Hui Yue, with fire raging above his head was clearly the most dangerous person and he was casually throwing the smaller orbs as one person after another was set on fire. Because one of the masked mercenaries had affinity with Water with tremendous effort he managed to keep the fire away from the masked men.

The Silver Edged Swords, however, were not nearly as lucky and the fire was eating away at their clothes, quickly burning their skin. Soon a nauseating scent of burnt flesh filled the arena.

Although the masked group of mercenaries were putting out the fires that Hui Yue randomly threw at them, none of them turned towards him or his friends. Their entire focus was on the other team giving Hui Yue a feeling that something was not quite right.

Zhou Long had previously spoken with the group, was matchmaking a part of the final? But if it was how could they do it this obviously?

Perhaps Xu Piao had something to do with it? Hui Yue quickly dismissed that notion  remembering how he previously was warned about the final fight that he should expect people to die.

A stern expression appeared in Hui Yue’s eyes. No matter what, he had not heard anything about a fixed result and he did not wish to see any of his friends dead.

“Sha Yun, make a large barrier in front of us with the soil of the stage,” Hui Yue said, explaining nothing more.

Sha Yun, obedient as she was requested no explanation, all she did was lean down and with her hands on the ground she used her affinity with Earth to raise a tall wall, almost surrounding the entire group.

The audience was puzzled as they saw the wall rising. Although it would protect Hui Yue and his friends, it also made it impossible for the young man and his friends to attack the others, no one would benefit from the barrier in the long run.

Completely ignoring the audience, Hui Yue gestured for his friends to stay back and with but a thought, the large Fire Orb flew into the sky, soaring past the barrier towards the fighting men.

There were currently fifteen men on the stage and Hui Yue had no problem aiming at them all, deciding that survival depended on their individual skill.

As soon as the Fire Orb touched the first man, a large boom could be heard as an explosion unlike any before was felt. The flames exploded out and only as they were about to touch the audience did Zhou Long move his hands.

A golden light appeared on his hands and within less than a second the golden light created a net which contained the explosive power of the fire. Surprise was evident on his face, but beneath the surprise was an approving gleam.

Hidden behind the earthen barrier, Hui Yue and his friends waited until the heat was less intense before Hui Yue nodded towards Sha Yun, and the snake woman allowed for the barrier to once more return to the stage floor.

Looking around the stage, Hui Yue could not help but raise an eye in astonishment. Thirteen men were still standing and no one seemed to have died, although seven men were writhing around on the floor trying their best to get rid of the flames.. Even the groupmembers who were not on the stage but standing by the side had been affected.

The entire masked team was still standing, but their clothes and masks took quite a lot of damage. They showed shocked expressions and beneath one of the suits Hui Yue saw the Dragon Corps emblem.

Three were still standing from the Silver Edged Swords, and Hui Yue had to admit that they truly were not someone to underestimate.

Without missing a beat, Hui Yue clasped his hands together as he fell to his knees and touched the ground, calling forth his earthen flame within his spiritual energy sea and created a small earthquake shaking the entire stage. Trying to make the men lose their composure.

“It’s our turn now!” Hui Yue said with a serious voice, and behind him his friends each took a step forward their bodies shining brightly from the release of spiritual energy.