Chapter 45: Ring Number One

As the year-end approached, every restaurant in the imperial capital was packed to capacity!

Up on the Hero Tower, Gao Wu and his companions were finally enjoying a proper meal of the capital!

The fourth young master of the house was surnamed Wan, given name Fang. He was a Qi-Condensation realm saber-wielder, fond of making friends with heroes across the world, much like his father, Wan Jianfei.

Today, Wan Fang had originally only intended to gather casually with a few friends at the Osmanthus Tower. By chance, after seeing Gao Wu being mocked by Xiao Buqi, he brought Gao Wu and the others back to the Hero Tower to treat them with hospitality.

When the three women, whose faces had been veiled, finally revealed their true appearances, Wan Fang suddenly realized that today was not merely about rescuing Gao Wu from a tight spot; it was clearly his own stroke of immense good fortune!

As the young master of the Hero Tower, judging by his discerning eye, it was only natural for the beauty of these three maidens to rank upon the List of Beauties!

Coupled with the martial prowess the three maidens had just displayed, their identities naturally set Wan Fang’s imagination running wild.

"Thank you, Young Master Wan, for your hospitality today. We propose a toast to you!" Gao Wu’s voice raised in a toast interrupted Wan Fang’s train of thought.

"Brother Gao is too polite. Please, Brother Gao!" Wan Fang appeared even more courteous, showing not a trace of the arrogance typical of the capital's denizens or the young master of the Hero Tower!

"Brother Wan, what are your thoughts on the Seven Stars Tower suddenly recruiting talented individuals this time?" Gao Wu asked abruptly, without any preamble!

Wan Fang was equally straightforward by nature. Without overthinking, he replied, "This proclamation was issued only today, so I have yet to consider it thoroughly. However, barring any unforeseen circumstances, I plan to participate in the martial tournament three days from now to broaden my horizons!"

"Is Brother Gao also interested in participating in the Seven Stars Tower selections?"

"Yes, it is rare for the Seven Stars Tower to recruit people. With such a fine opportunity, I naturally must go and try my hand!"

Wan Fang nodded. Indeed, for martial artists without background or backing, this was simply a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

Under normal circumstances, the Seven Stars Tower would not recruit wandering cultivators from the martial world. Who knew what had gotten into them this time, actually deciding to recruit through an open martial competition!

As for Gao Wu, he harbored a rather peculiar sensation. Just as they had formulated a plan to find a way to join the Seven Stars Tower, the tower itself began making exceptional recruitments, as though some unseen force were orchestrating it all behind the scenes!

Having just entered the imperial capital today, although he had been looked down upon once, he had also made a new friend, making the day quite fulfilling!

As for Xiao Buqi, the third-ranked prodigy on the Talents List who dared to look down upon him, Gao Wu had never been a petty person, and he certainly would not let the fellow off!

Three days passed in the blink of an eye. This particular day happened to be the twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month, the traditional Lesser New Year.

The Seven Stars Tower had prepared no fewer than thirty-six martial arenas: six for the Qi-Condensation realm, ten for the Qi-Ocean realm, and twenty for the Innate realm.

The number of arenas corresponded precisely to the number of people the Seven Stars Tower would recruit for each respective realm.

For instance, the Qi-Condensation realm would recruit a mere six individuals!

Yet the Qi-Condensation realm was precisely the tier with the greatest number of participants, causing these six arenas to be overwhelmingly crowded from early morning!

"My friends, it appears I am in for a hard-fought battle today!" Hearing Gao Wu's words, the young women remained completely unmoved. "Hey, is there truly no one willing to offer me a few words of encouragement?"

"You are a Qi-Condensation practitioner who has previously slain an Innate realm expert, yet you still fear them? No one within the same realm can possibly be your match!" Zhou Zhiruo said with a hint of impatience. "Hurry up and get in line; the sooner you finish fighting, the sooner we can return to the inn!"

"Right, you all say we are about to enter the Seven Stars Tower, should we purchase a mansion here in the imperial capital? How large a property would be best?"

Just as Gao Wu's voice trailed off, a group of swordsmen walking past suddenly halted their steps. One of them spoke in a cold voice, "Shameless boasting! You haven't even fought in the arena, yet you already contemplate purchasing a manse in the capital! Daydreaming!"

Every single one of these swordsmen possessed striking features—the men handsome and the women stunning—all of them gifted with top-tier appearances. It seemed this sect either strictly screened for physical beauty when taking in disciples or had simply dispatched all its finest specimens.

After delivering this reprimand to Gao Wu, the group bypassed the waiting crowd and strode straight toward the buildings situated further back!

Gao Wu casually reached out to grab a wandering martial artist and asked, "Brother, who are they? Why are they exempt from waiting in line?"

"People from some prestigious and prominent sect, naturally. According to the notice issued this morning, major prestigious sects and renowned experts on the rankings may register over that way—it is called the VIP passageway!"

Gao Wu’s eyes lit up. Such a fortunate perk existed? After thanking the martial brother, he immediately led the three maidens and walked in that direction.

Just as the group arrived at the registration area, the martial heroes who had already completed their registration were already engaged in combat. Today, the Seven Stars Tower had dispatched a sufficiently large force, with a five-star expert presiding over each arena to maintain order.

Gao Wu caught sight of that group of handsome youths and fair maidens once more, though this time the two parties merely brushed past each other; the opponents clearly had their respective arenas assigned and were rushing over in haste.

Whether Gao Wu’s luck was favorable or ill remained to be seen, as he was assigned to Arena Number One.

The three women had fared quite well; placed in separate arenas, they would not be forced into mutual slaughter.

They each departed for their respective arenas to compete, while Miaochengtian and Zhong Xiaokui followed alongside Gao Wu—on one hand to cheer him on, and on the other to provide a protective escort!

The rules of the tournament dictated that securing ten consecutive victories would grant direct advancement to the next round!

Arenas One through Six were all designated for the Qi-Condensation realm, clustered together in a single section.

Upon the roof of a building not far from these six arenas, the Empress stood with her hands clasped behind her back, quietly observing the combat unfolding across the platforms below.

Behind her, a dark-haired youth sprawled lazily upon the tiles, while on the other side, a small child was eagerly devouring cheese. Judging by the empty containers piled beside her, she had evidently already consumed quite a quantity.

"Empress Sister, I want more!"

"Eat any more and your teeth will fall out!"

"Hmph, stingy!"

The Empress ignored the child entirely, keeping her full attention focused on the arenas below. After a moment, she shook her head in disappointment. "Little one, what were you muttering just now?"

"I said Empress Sister is entirely correct; one must not eat too much cheese!"

"Hmph!" The Empress cast another sidelong glance at the lethargic youth sprawled upon the ground. "Little Black, your master has returned, yet you do not seem the least bit pleased?"

"Naturally I am displeased. Master said that only upon his death could I inherit the Hall of All-Knowing, inherit the Mirror of Rankings, and even possess a true name. Now that he has returned, I am profoundly disappointed."

"You deserve a beating!"

Down below, at Arena Number One, a bare-chested, two-meter-tall stalwart had already secured five consecutive victories—the very first competitor to win more than five matches in a row.

This individual practiced hard-body external martial arts to a terrifying degree, rendering his defense utterly impenetrable to opponents of the same realm!

Gao Wu pondered how he might shatter such a shell if he were to face this tortoise-like defense.

Relying on brute force was unviable, for the opponent possessed even greater strength.

His own proud physical attributes seemed to offer no significant advantage against this opponent.

As for relying on technique, that was even less appropriate; he was hardly a master of subtleties. To attack the enemy's greatest strength with one's own weakness was a foolish endeavor he preferred to avoid!

A flash of golden light suddenly gleamed in Gao Wu’s eyes as he glanced toward the stalwart’s groin area—rumor had it that this region was frequently the fatal vulnerability of hard-body martial arts.

It seemed today he would have to ruthlessly pluck some feathers, hehe...

Upon the arena, the stalwart was beating his chest like a gorilla, displaying his might to intimidate his challenger.

Suddenly, he felt a chill descend upon his lower extremities, as though some deeply ominous event were about to transpire!