“Absolutely nothing,” Ishin answered simply. “From the name, I’m guessing it’s a yearly-held tournament, though.”

  “A fine deduction,” Hou Lei laughed. “Yes, it’s a yearly tournament—but more importantly, it’s the yearly tournament.” He waved a hand abstractly. “Martials from not just Yellow Dome City, but also from other nearby large cities come here once a year to display their talents before the city and, more importantly, elders from prominent sects. It’s what Yellow Dome City is most known for. Well, that and the yellow dome.”

  “So it’s a tournament?” The Daihu Tribe had hosted its own share of martial tournaments throughout the years, with the Martial Hall holding one twice a year.

  “I don’t think you understand the significance.”

  “Is there some grand prize for the winner?”

  “There is—given by Lady Kurai Xue herself—but that’s only part of it.” Ishin recognized the Kurai clan name. He figured that Kurai Xue must be the noblewoman who ruled over the entire city. “The real lure for the participants,” Hou Lei continued, “is gaining the attention of the Notable Sects of the province. Plus, the Martial Schools use the tournament as a way to compete against each other.”

  That was a lot of information to absorb. “Okay. A few questions,” Ishin said. “First, who is Kurai Xue? Second, what are these Notable Sects and Martial Schools you mentioned?” If there were multiple factions involved with this tournament, then Ishin was going to make sure he understood who they were.

  “Lady Kurai Xue is the Matriarch of the Kurai Clan and the ruling City Lady of Yellow Dome City,” Hou Lei answered. He took a drink of water. “Have you heard of the Kurai Clan at all?”

  “Briefly.”

  Nodding, Hou Lei continued. “The Notable Sects are the five strongest sects within the West Falcon Province. They are the real cream of the crop, and they’re the sects that all disciples of the Three Martial Schools aspire toward.”

  “And we’re in the West Falcon Province?” Ishin asked for clarification.

  That elicited a laugh from Hou Lei. “Yes, we are. Heavens, do you folk from the Nine Striped Hills know anything about the rest of the empire?”

  Ishin leaned forward. “Assume I don’t.”

  The comment caused Hou Lei to become a little more serious. “Alright then. Yes, we are in the West Falcon Province.” He rubbed at his face. “Ugh. Okay, since you know nothing, I should tell you this—there are five provinces within the Heron Empire: West Falcon, North Wind, Green Leaf, Thousand Meadows, and Han. Make sense?”

  Ishin nodded. “So far.”

  “Good. Now back to what matters. The Notable Sects specific to the West Falcon Province are the Radiant Spear, Flame Devil, Void Wraith, Righteous Mantle, and Sea Farer Sect. Each one always sends an elder to observe the tournament for promising recruits. My personal goal is to get recruited by one of them this year.”

  “Okay, that all makes sense,” Ishin said, waving a hand. “And thank you for the overview. You mentioned Three Martial Schools earlier. Who are they?” He tapped a finger against the table, then added before Hou Lei could respond, “You’re a disciple from one of them, aren’t you?”

  Hou Lei raised his cup in salute. “You got me. Yes, I’m a disciple of the Eight Oaths Resolve School. The other two are the Three Blessed Petals and Red Burning Comet School.”

  Ishin engraved the names into memory. He figured those schools must be the city’s equivalent to the Daihu Tribe’s Martial Hall—but Hou Lei was noticeably stronger than any disciple back home. “Are all disciples as strong as you?”

  “Not at all,” Hou Lei admitted easily. “Several are at the second layer, like you. No, I’m one of the top three from the Eight Oaths Resolve School.” He steepled his fingers together. “That brings me to you.”

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  “You want me to join your school,” Ishin guessed.

  Hou Lei arched a brow. “That obvious, huh?”

  Ishin crossed his arms. “From what you’ve told me, there really wasn’t any other reason to bother helping me out. I’m also guessing you want me to participate in the tournament while representing your school.”

  Shrugging, Hou Lei said, “You’re correct again. Not a bad offer, right? Fight for the Eight Oaths Resolve School, maybe attract the attention of one of the Notable Sects. Who knows, maybe you’ll even win the whole thing and get the grand prize.”

  Ishin wasn’t convinced. “There’s just one thing I don’t understand. Why me?” Hou Lei seemed surprised by the question. “You’re vastly stronger than me, and your school has at least two others just like you. I can only assume the other two schools have similarly skilled disciples. Odds are there’ll be some other powerful cultivators.

  “I’m sure you’ve looked at my cultivation. I’m only at the second layer. Surely being a lightning cultivator isn’t a significant enough reason for you to think I’m valuable enough to help your school.”

  Ishin doubted that Hou Lei could provide believable enough answers to assuage his suspicions. What’s his real aim?

  “You’re right,” Hou Lei admitted. “There are dozens of disciples at my school with higher cultivations than yours. That said, the tournament isn’t for another two months, and there are ways to increase your cultivation before then. And yes, your lightning qi is the primary reason I think you’re worthy of my school.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes!” Hou Lei moved his bowl of food to the side. “I saw you kill a third-layer Initial Realm cultivator with a single technique. That tells me you have a way to defeat any Initial Realm cultivator—if you can land a direct strike. And that’s while you’re only at the second layer. With the help of my school, I bet you could reach the third layer. Imagine the possibilities!” he said eagerly.

  The mention of Ishin’s earlier kill didn’t sit well with him. “That was… I can’t do that more than once.”

  “Once is enough. After the first round, the tournament transitions to one-on-one duels. You’ll only need it once at that point.”

  Ishin cocked his head. “After the first round? What is the first round then?”

  “A team-based competition,” Hou Lei answered easily. “Don’t worry about it right now. My point is, your chakra aspect is worth more than you realize.”

  “Because I can kill someone at a higher layer?”

  “Yes, and because none of the other competitors will likely know how to fight against a lightning cultivator.”

  That was a point Ishin hadn’t thought of. So I’m a strategic resource?

  “Eh,” Hou Lei grimaced. “If you want to think of it that way, then sure. All I know is neither of the other schools will expect us to have a lightning cultivator on our team. I think you’ll give us an edge.”

  “Team? Each school has a team?”

  “That’s right. Only teams of four are allowed to join the tournament. The first three members of our school are pretty much already decided. The fourth spot is up for grabs.”

  “So I’ll have to prove myself against the other disciples?”

  “Correct.”

  Ishin pondered this. Hou Lei was undoubtedly strong, but still only at the fourth layer of the Initial Realm. With seven layers in each realm, Ishin was surprised that there weren’t any disciples above the fourth layer participating. “Are there cultivation limitations for the tournament? Or is truly anyone allowed to join?”

  “Heavens, no,” Hou Lei laughed. “Anyone joining… ah, no, it’d be a bloodbath if that happened. Although, could be fun.” He shook his head. “No one older than twenty can participate. The tournament is supposed to be a way for the younger generation to showcase their skill. I don’t think anyone beyond the fifth layer has ever joined, and most of the time, there’s no one above the fourth. Does that help?”

  “It does,” Ishin admitted. That at least explained why someone like Hou Lei was participating.

  “Let me get this straight,” Ishin went on. “You want me to join your school’s team and participate in the tournament in two months. The first round is team-based, and afterward, it turns into individual fights. If I do well, one of the Notable Sects might try to recruit me. Is that all accurate?”

  “Precisely.” Hou Lei lifted his spoon to take another bite of rice, but reconsidered and set it down. “Sound good?”

  Ishin rolled the idea over in his head. He still didn’t know much about the martial schools, but he figured it would be similar to being a disciple at the Martial Hall. From what Hou Lei was saying, it sounded like he might be able to reach the third layer fairly quickly by doing so. That was tempting. What’s more, if I could get the attention of a powerful sect… perhaps that would lead me toward further heights. Although, power alone wasn’t his goal.

  “It’s tempting, but I have two more questions for you first. Well, one question with two parts, really.”

  Hou Lei sat up straight. “What can I answer for you?”

  Ishin took a deep breath and looked Hou Lei square in the eyes. “Have you ever heard of Spear Shore… or a group called the Hidden Ring?”