Wu Chen sat enjoying the lively competition with Ren Qiguang and Su Chunwen in the stands of the sparring arena. The competition had been set up as simply as possible considering the unexpected opening of the realm. It would be an easy elimination match. The winner of each battle would progress to the next round until each level gained its final allotment.

With the number of cultivators who had been close enough to Linan to sign up, it was decided to divide it so that there were 5 places for level 5 cultivators, 6 places for level 6 cultivators, and 9 places for level 7 cultivators. There were no cultivators over level 7 who could also fit the rest of the realm's strict criteria.

Wu Chen and Ren Qiguang were signed up for the level 7 battles.

Wu Chen sighed internally. It was at times like this that he truly regretted losing his cultivation levels, even if it was only temporarily. However, he couldn't deny that the restful sleep he had been enjoying had been beneficial to his mental and physical health.

There were three judges who had been hastily arranged. They consisted of the mayor of Linan, an Elder of the Thunder Palace in gold silk robes, and an Elder from the Duyegong (Venom Palace) in dark green. As these were the two sects closest to Linan, they insisted on being present when the realm gave its telltale hints that it was opening.

Zhang Boyan and Shi Feng both stood silently behind the judges. While they were acting as servers for now, when the realm opened, they would join several other disciples as guards at the realm entrance. Wu Chen had shared what he had heard in the common room of the previous inn, so they intended to be on high alert. Neither man wanted to see anything happen to Wu Chen, especially under their watch.

The level 5 and 6 battles had already taken place, and Su Chunwen had easily secured a slot amongst the level 6 cultivators. They were all waiting for the level 7 battles to begin.

'You'll have to work hard, shixiong,' Su Chunwen said with a grin, 'You can't just leave me and Wu Chen all alone in that realm without you to watch over us, right?'

'Tch!' Ren Qiguang glared at Su Chunwen and leaned towards Wu Chen, 'He won his slot, and his head has already swollen to the size of a ripe watermelon.'

Wu Chen laughed and turned his fox eyes on Su Chunwen, 'Su Chunwen, if you keep angering your fellows, you may end up wandering the realm alone even if we do win.'

'You would abandon me too, Wu Chen? After all I've done for you?' Su Chunwen pressed his hand to his heart dramatically.

'I don't think giving me the last pastry this morning counts as giving me your all.' Wu Chen countered with a wry grin.

A loud announcement echoed through the arena, 'Would all red contestants please report to the west side of the arena for the placement drawing. All blue contestants, please report to the east side of the arena for the placement drawing.'

'That's us.' Ren Qiguang said, standing up and stretching. Both he and Wu Chen had drawn red sticks in the first draw. At least he knew he wouldn't have to fight against his new friend.

They both got up to head down to the west side of the arena. Many eyes watched the two men as they made their way down. It was hard not to. They obviously were not from the same sect, yet they seemed to be together.

One stood tall with handsome features. His broad shoulders and muscular build, coupled with the light blue sect robes, created a heroic picture. While the other's beauty was simply stunning, almost unreal. He wore bright white robes, had a more athletic build, and intriguingly carried two swords.

When they reached the holding area, Ren Qiguang drew his lot and got a 2, and Wu Chen ended up with a 5. They both took their seats in the waiting area and focused on the battles now that they had a better view.

The two combatants took their places in the arena. A hefty young man in the dark green of the Duyegong stood to their left, his spear glistening in the late morning light. To their right, a delicate young lady stood holding a long piece of red silk, her soft yellow sect robes swaying gently in the slight breeze of late morning.

'I didn't know Sun Ruyun was here.' Murmured Ren Qiguang with a grin, 'Things just got a lot more interesting.'

'Do you know that woman?' Wu Chen asked, admiring the grace and beauty of the lady in the arena. She didn't seem to be carrying a weapon, so he figured she would be a strong qi combatant. He looked forward to seeing what she could do.

'Not well.' Ren Qiguang admitted with a laugh, 'She's from the Jinghui Sect. The important thing is that Chunwen-shidi has liked her ever since he first saw her practice with the red silk during an inter-sect competition. He becomes an outright fool when she's around.'

'Ah! Then I see how this realm trip could become rather interesting.' Wu Chen chuckled at his friend's plight.

Both men stopped talking when the battle started.

The young man with the spear put on a surprising burst of speed and attempted to slice the young lady. She made no move to evade. Instead, with a flick of her wrist, the red silk seemed to come alive. It wrapped around her waist and suddenly lifted her over both man and spear. Safely past her attacker, she stopped and seemed to float above the ground like a goddess. Her long dark hair billowed around her, and the silk undulated with elegance keeping her in the air. The crowd was mesmerized by her grace.

With a quick twist, she wrapped the silk around the spear and pulled as though she were catching a fish. This pulled the man off balance, and he was spun around quickly.

Realizing the danger, he dropped low to the ground and rolled to the right. To his credit, his spear remained in his hand. He came up and, with a great slash of his spear, sent a powerful blue qi flare headed towards the beauty floating in the sky.

She gripped the silk in her hand and gracefully spun out of the way. The red silk shimmered and drifted around her like a shield as she avoided the flare easily. Then, gripping the silk tightly, she sent it out like a whip and wrapped it around the man's left leg. She gave a gentle smile and pulled hard.

Unable to maintain his balance in such a situation, the man began to fall. To stop it, he used his right foot and flipped over the silk, grabbing a handful of it as he went.

Angry now, he yanked hard on the slippery fabric, only to have it wrap around his arm and lift him right into the air. The silk tossed him high up in the sky as his legs and arms flailed for purchase.

It was then that his spear fell to the ground.

The young lady was merciless. Once the man was in the air, the silk played with him. It wrapped around his legs and flipped him upside down. Then it tossed him in the air as though he weighed nothing and viciously sliced into him with whiplike lashes. Terrified screams could be heard as the man found himself flying, helpless, and under painful attack. He was far above the ground. If he really fell, it would be devastating.

After doing this a few times, the man finally yielded to the young lady and was set down gently by the dastardly silk. The poor man, truly thankful to be on solid ground, lay gasping on the floor of the arena. He looked quite green and was bleeding heavily from multiple lash marks.

The young lady used the silk to slowly float back down to the ground. Thunderous applause shook the arena as she landed lightly. The wicked red silk seemed to shiver, and the blood was quickly absorbed into the fabric, disappearing completely. Then, it wrapped itself around her slender waist all on its own.

'Winner! Sun Ruyun!' The announcement was nearly drowned out by the cheering in the stands.

Wu Chen's jaw had dropped, and his eyes were sparkling with wonder and delight. He had never seen a battle like this one! He had severely underestimated the lady when he had first seen her in the arena, but he would not do so again. Truly, one learned more once they left the safety of their home.

Ren Qiguang laughed out loud at the look on Wu Chen's face, 'I looked just this way the first time I watched her fight at the inter-sect competition.' He firmly patted Wu Chen on the back, 'She's actually pretty nice once you get to know her.'

'I have never seen silk used this way.' Wu Chen said, his eyes watching as Sun Ruyun bowed modestly and left the arena.

'Well, her silk is special.' Ren Qiguang said with a wink, 'It's actually an opportunity item she found while exploring a ruin with her Master. I hear it almost killed her before she was able to tame it.'

So that was it, thought Wu Chen. That silk was a qi item like Xiao Lei, only much more fluid and responsive.

'Don't go losing your heart to Sun Ruyun, Wu Chen.' Laughed Ren Qiguang, 'Chunwen-shidi would never forgive you.'

'That's really not a problem.' Wu Chen responded with a roll of his eyes. He was far more interested in the red silk she had used. How was the qi distributed? How could it flow like normal silk? Did it have a type of sentience? Did it have a spirit like Shandian? These were the things Wu Chen thought about as he watched the young lady join up with her excited group of friends.

The official waved from the arena entrance as a signal for the next battle. Ren Qiguang stood and smiled down at Wu Chen, 'Well, that's me. Meet me up in the stands when you're done?'

'En.' Wu Chen agreed, 'Good luck!'

Ren Qiguang grinned and headed into the arena at an easy lope.