The Yellow River Saga [ Epic Cultivation Fantasy Series]

Yu Chen watched Xue Lan's opponent reunite with the rest of his group before departing the grounds. The man must have felt his gaze. He looked over his shoulder, meeting Yu Chen's eyes for a brief moment before dismissing him with an arrogant toss of his head.

"Let's go," Yu Chen said, turning away from the stage as well.

"It won't get dark for a couple of hours," Sun Yuan protested, running ahead of the others to walk by his side, "We can still find another match, maybe even two!"

"They'll still be there tomorrow," Yu Chen replied before looking over his shoulder at Xue Lan. The young girl was trailing at the back of the group, her face sullen. "I'm starting to get hungry, let's find something to eat."

Sun Yuan muttered something under his breath as Serbo announced his approval from the back. Yu Chen ignored him, doing his best to navigate through the bustling city streets. The tournament was only beginning to heat up, but already it was bursting at the seams, with more fighters arriving every day.

It didn't take long before Sun Yuan returned to his old self, and he spent the rest of their trip across the city excitedly discussing the tournament, and the fighters that they'd seen. Soon they found themselves back in the part of the outer ring ruled over by the Thousand Cranes sect. It was medium-sized, covering the space of a couple dozen streets every which way, and friendlier than most to visitors.

The sect earned a great deal of spirit stones selling overpriced services to the visitors flocking to the city.

Yu Chen came to a halt outside the Fragrant Cloud, a popular teahouse only a stone's throw away from the inn they'd taken rooms at. The familiar man in front of the door nodded as they walked up and stepped aside to let them enter. He was a disciple of the Thousand Cranes, in charge of keeping the peace at the teahouse.

Before they could fully seat themselves, a hostess was already approaching. The rich scent of spiritual energy rose from the steaming pot of tea she carried in one hand, while the tray filled with jade rice balls, a treat of glutinous rice stuffed with all sorts of sugary fillings, shone under the amber lamps hanging from the rafters.

Any feelings of disappointment Xue Lan still felt from the loss disappeared, her wide eyes shining in the light reflecting off the rice ball's glossy surface. She snatched the first one off the tray before the hostess even sat it down. Yu Chen's lip quirked in amusement as Serbo au Serbo joined in. Xue Lan grabbed another, and soon the two were competing to see who could eat the most treats filled with honey, black sesame, and sweet red bean paste.

Surprisingly, she managed to hold her own. She was only half his size, but that didn't mean she was frail. Yu Chen still remembered the first time they'd met, and the surprising strength contained within her athletic body. The only time she paused was to take a sip of tea, a habit Serbo didn't share. The barbarian didn't quite understand why anyone would ruin a perfectly good pot of water, but he thoroughly enjoyed the snacks that came along with it.

The rest of them joined in. They ate in a comfortable silence together, broken only by the soft sound of chewing or the occasional, nearly imperceptible slurping of tea. Yu Chen appreciated the quietude. It was thanks to the formations in the teahouse; they deadened sound, offering a reprieve from the endless noise of the city and allowing them to relax in relative peace.

"So, are we going back in the morning?" Sun Yuan asked, the first to break the silence.

"Of course," Yu Chen replied, swirling the cup of tea in his hand, "unless you've got something better to do?"

"No," Sun Yuan replied, throwing a rice ball his way. Yu Chen caught it with a laugh. "I don't. I'm just in a hurry to see what the inner ring of the city looks like."

Yu Chen nodded, taking a sip of his tea. He understood the curiosity. The inner ring was and wasn't like the outer ring. There were shops there, inns and teahouses too, but the sects didn't let just anyone wander in. You had to possess the right qualifications first.

"The battles will be tougher there," Yan Ziqi mumbled as he stared into his cup.

"I know!" Sun Yuan said. His eyes lit up as he smiled, showing all his teeth. "Exciting, isn't it?"

Serbo au Serbo grunted his agreement, shoving the last rice ball into his mouth and swallowing heavily.

"Need good fight!" the barbarian stated, staring at the empty tray in dismay before turning towards the hostess hurrying over with another tray full of treats.

"You'll have to make it through the inner ring if you want the best fights," Yan Ziqi said, running a finger around the rim of his cup. "They take place in front of the Riverlord's palace, from what I've heard."

"What do you think the palace looks like?" Xue Lan asked, her first words since the loss.

A look of surprise spread across her face as everyone rushed to speak at once. She raised up a sleeve, laughing into it as their words tumbled over one another.

"It's far more massive tha–"

"Definitely stranger than anyth–"

"Probably terrifyin–"

"Strong!"

"And the Riverlord?" She asked when they finished speaking, a touch of amusement still in her voice.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

"Who knows," Yu Chen began, "He's myster–"

"Strong!" Serbo interjected, spreading his arms out.

"Indeed," Yan Ziqi said, taking a sip of his tea.

"Do you think he's stronger than…" Xue Lan hesitated, looking to the side before looking back at them.

She didn't have to finish, they all knew who she was talking about.

"A Riverlord's a Riverlord," Sun Yuan said breezily, folding his hands behind his head. "All I know is they are stronger than us. Who knows about the details?"

Xue Lan didn't reply, slowly chewing on a rice ball as she considered her thoughts.

"What do you plan to do after the tournament?" She finally asked, looking around the table.

Instinctively, the others turned towards Yu Chen. Sun Yuan's firm eyes met his with a nod. Serbo au Serbo stared at him in interest, but Yan Ziqi chewed at his lip, not quite meeting his gaze.

"I plan to continue further up the river," Yu Chen said. "I want to see what lies at its end, and Sun Yuan has agreed to carry me however far that might be. The rest of you are welcome to join us and see what lies along the way."

Serbo grunted, and Yu Chen couldn't tell if it was a sound of interest, or something else entirely. Whatever it was he didn't clarify, turning his attention back towards his food instead.

"I'd like to," Yan Ziqi said, his eyes glazing over as he stared into the distance. "But there are still some things I need to do here."

Yu Chen nodded. He hadn't expected everyone to join him. They all had their own paths, and who knew where their dreams and desires might lead them? Perhaps they'd continue on together, or perhaps they'd split ways, but it was a problem to worry about after the tournament.

"I think I'd like to join you," Xue Lan said, speaking slowly as she pushed something around on her plate. "If you'll have me. There's nothing left for me here, and nothing waiting for me back home. Besides, I haven't even scratched the surface when it comes to the inscriptions on the Sleeping Lady."

"Xue Lan," Yu Chen said, meeting her eyes. "You're welcome anywhere I go. We'd be happy to have you; every spirit vessel needs a formation expert."

After that, the conversation turned to more light-hearted topics, such as the wonders they'd seen, and more importantly, the rewards waiting for them at the end of the tournament.

"There's hidden techniques, heavenly artifacts, life-changing pills," Sun Yuan said, leaning back in his chair, "I heard about it from one of the sect members of the Thousand Cranes. Simply making it to the finals gives you a chance at a number of items that would turn any cultivator green with envy."

"The inner ring sects will take you in too," Yan Ziqi added, still staring into the distance. "Making it to the Riverlord's palace is enough to earn a spot at any of them."

Yu Chen nodded. It was something he'd heard as well. Many of the cultivators who showed up in Baixian city would never make it to the Riverlord's palace of course, but the sects always kept an eye out for talent that slipped through the cracks. Finding a home in one of the inner ring sects could be considered a heaven-defying change of fortune for many. It was a place where even the Outermost disciples had the potential chance at a Golden Core.

"Do you have your eye on one?" Yu Chen asked, looking at the other boy.

"Something like that," Yan Ziqi replied, but he shook his head and didn't elaborate.

Yu Chen didn't push further, and the group fell back into silence, lost in their own thoughts.

By the time they got up to leave the sky had already begun to darken outside. Thankfully, it was a short walk back to the inn.

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They met outside the inn the next morning, feeling refreshed after a good night's sleep.

"Where should we go today?" Sun Yuan asked, yawning as he stretched.

"The battles over at the Nine Fang Sect should be lively today," Yan Ziqi replied, "I heard they've had a large influx of visitors recently."

Sun Yuan and Serbo au Serbo both smiled at the words, and Xue Lan didn't seem to mind.

"Alright then, lead the way," Yu Chen said, shrugging his shoulders.

The city wasn't quite as busy in the early morning, making their trip relatively uneventful. The same couldn't be said for the tournaments, however, and the sound of fighting reached their ears long before the battlegrounds came into view. It wasn't so different from the one they'd fought at yesterday; a wide green field filled with cultivators and three large marble stages with a separate fight taking place on each one.

Most of the cultivators on the grass and the large stands towering over the stage were in Foundation Establishment. The more powerful Golden Core cultivators preferred to keep their own company. They floated in the air far above, chatting amongst themselves and keeping an eye on the proceedings.

"Look over there!" Xue Lan suddenly exclaimed, pointing towards the stage in the middle of the field.

Yu Chen followed her gaze, but he didn't see anything of note. Confused, he looked around, but his eyes suddenly widened as they landed on a flag one of the groups beside the stage were holding. More specifically, it was the symbol on the flag. He'd seen it before, on the robes of a princess that had inadvertently saved his life long ago.

"Someone you recognize?" Sun Yuan asked, scratching his head doubtfully as he looked for himself.

"Maybe," Yu Chen replied, exchanging a glance with Xue Lan, "why don't we go and see."

He'd only made it halfway to the stage before he stuttered to a halt.

"What is it?" Someone asked, but the words sounded distant, and Yu Chen couldn't even tell who had said them.

Lan She must have felt his shock. The small snake stirred from where she napped by his waist, blurrily blinking her eyes open before slithering up to poke her head out of his robes. Together they watched the familiar figure blur across the stage.

Yu Chen raised a hand, unconsciously rubbing at a spot on his side. It was the same place the young man on stage had once struck him, viciously so, using the same strange metallic staff he was currently spinning in his hands.

What was he doing here? Yu Chen wondered as his robes shifted.

The wind picked up, swirling around the man as he swept his staff through a series of dizzying motions, until it'd spun into a veritable whirlwind encircling the cultivator. He was barely visible through the maelstrom, but his laughter, clear and joyous, carried through the shifting winds. Then they rose off the ground, drifting upwards as he spun his staff overhead, condensing and collecting at the tip of the staff. He spun with accumulated momentum, gripping the staff in two hands as though it were a living thing before slamming down with it at blistering speed.

His opponent surged qi into his blade, hastily raising it up in a desperate attempt to block the incoming blow, but the ball of wind-aspected qi was simply too powerful. It exploded on impact, blowing through his guard and sending him pedaling backwards with a cry of pain.

The staff wielding cultivator didn't let up.

He twisted his body, dropping low and swinging his staff in a wide circle around him. The scattered wind responded as he spun, forming into sharp blades that sliced through the air towards his opponent. The man's eyes widened as he did everything he could to keep the blades of wind away from his flesh, but he was completely unprepared for the gust of wind following behind–powerful enough to pick the man up and fling him from the stage.

"Victory to Blue!" The judge presiding over the fight yelled, looking at the fallen competitor.

The fiery young man on stage raised up an arm, showing off the blue strip of cloth wrapped around it. He leaned his staff against his shoulder, listening to the crowd's excited roar for half a moment before departing the stage.

"Cang Wuji?" Yu Chen called out, his voice hopeful and uncertain.