Volume Two: Travels in the State of Qi, Chapter 132: The Center of Attention

"Brother Qi, is there anything else?"

"Brother Zhang, why don't you stay here in the imperial palace? It would be convenient for you to participate in the Imperial City Tournament and also easier to help my father. What do you think?" Qi Xuan revealed his intention; he wanted Zhang Heng to stay within the palace walls.

"Then I shall trouble you with the arrangements, Brother Qi." Zhang Heng agreed. To him, it mattered little where he stayed.

However, with the Imperial City Tournament currently underway, countless cultivators and commoners clamored to enter the palace grounds to watch the matches whenever the gates were opened. If he were to stay outside, Zhang Heng wasn't entirely certain he could push his way through that massive crowd.

The palace grounds were vast, with millions of courtyards, all luxuriously decorated. Qi Xuan led the way himself, and before long, they arrived at one such courtyard.

"Brother Zhang, please forgive the modest accommodations. If you need anything, just let me know."

"Many thanks, Brother Qi." Zhang Heng pushed the door open and entered.

Living in the imperial palace—now that was a novel thrill.

"You are too kind, Brother Zhang; it is I who should be thanking you." Seeing Zhang Heng enter, Qi Xuan said, "Brother Zhang, please get some rest." With that, he turned and left.

It was a small, three-story building with a garden filled with flowers and plants. Inside, the rooms were decorated with extreme extravagance, equipped with every imaginable luxury, yet Zhang Heng had no heart to enjoy it. He was preoccupied with only one question.

"System, tell me, what exactly is that black aura?"

*Ding. That black aura is Demonic Qi.*

After so many inquiries, the system finally deigned to answer.

Demonic Qi? What was Demonic Qi? Zhang Heng asked in confusion. Although he didn't know what it was, "Demonic" had always been synonymous with villains, which fit everything they had encountered so far.

*Ding. This system did not want to say, but the host insisted on asking. Now that I have told you, you do not even know what it is. Since you do not know, why must you ask?*

Zhang Heng was stunned. This system had an attitude? "I'm asking precisely because I don't know! If I knew everything, what would I need you for?"

He patted his chest, calming himself down. *I am a human; why am I getting worked up over this broken machine?* Forget it, he would just go to sleep. All the mysteries should have answers once the Imperial City Tournament concluded.

*Knock, knock, knock.* Just then, a knocking sound rang out. Zhang Heng was about to get up to open the door, when to his surprise, the person outside walked straight in.

The visitor was Qi Sisi.

"Shouldn't you be taking care of your father? Why are you here?" Seeing her, Zhang Heng didn't think much of it. This was the imperial palace, and she was a princess; it was certainly easy for her to find him.

"My father is only infected with the black aura; he's not about to die. He doesn't need anyone to take care of him at all. Besides, there are so many palace maids; even if he did need care, it wouldn't be my turn." Qi Sisi replied. Knowing that the Emperor was not in immediate danger, her mood had also lightened considerably.

"Then why are you here?" Zhang Heng looked at her with disdain. Apart from causing trouble, this girl didn't seem to have any other skills.

Qi Sisi walked toward Zhang Heng with a smile. "This is my home, after all. I can go wherever I want and do whatever I please."

Zhang Heng was startled and quickly retreated. This was someone else's territory, and he was but a thin, weak lamb. If Qi Sisi were to force the issue, should he resist, or should he... not?

In the blink of an eye, he had backed up onto the bed. Qi Sisi didn't let up, pressing closer. The two grew nearer, and the atmosphere became increasingly ambiguous.

"You were quite strong today," Qi Sisi whispered, leaning close to Zhang Heng.

Zhang Heng quite liked hearing that. "Nonsense, when am I not strong?"

"I've never tried, so how would I know?" Qi Sisi's voice was filled with allure.

"Try it and you'll find out." Zhang Heng gave up resistance. As the saying goes, when under someone else's roof, one must bow one's head.

Just then, Qi Sisi suddenly stood up. "Think carefully about how to save my father. If you cure him, he will surely reward you handsomely. If you fail, I will certainly make you regret it." Without waiting for Zhang Heng to react, she hurried out.

Zhang Heng smiled; he knew she was all talk and no action. Forget it, time to sleep; there was a competition tomorrow.

Early the next morning, Zhang Heng arrived at the training grounds. The palace courtyards were complex and winding, but fortunately, his memory was excellent, or he might have taken a wrong turn.

When Zhang Heng arrived, many of the geniuses who had advanced yesterday were already there. Looking closely, good heavens, they were all at the Origin Core Realm, and high-stage ones at that. Standing here as a cultivator at the third stage of the Qi Sea Realm, he felt particularly out of place.

Although his aura was weak, no one looked down on him. While those high-stage Origin Core experts hadn't seen Zhang Heng's heroic deeds with their own eyes, most had heard of them. They all knew that this little Qi Sea third-stage cultivator was a truly ruthless individual.

As time passed, more geniuses arrived.

Suddenly, a voice rang out behind Zhang Heng. "Brother Zhang, why are you here so early?" Zhang Heng turned to see a very excited Yu Xiaochuan appearing behind him.

Now with two third-stage Qi Sea cultivators, Zhang Heng felt slightly less awkward.

"Brother Xiaochuan, why are you so excited?" Judging by his expression, he looked like he had done something mischievous last night.

"Brother Zhang, did you know? Because of my heroic performance in the preliminary round yesterday, one of the big shots in the imperial city has taken a liking to me. He said that no matter how I perform next, I can enter the palace to serve."

"Then congratulations." Zhang Heng was sincere. Yu Xiaochuan was just a rogue cultivator; if he could enter the palace, his cultivation resources would increase significantly. This was his good fortune.

"Brother Zhang, thank you." Yu Xiaochuan bowed deeply. He knew the royal family had done this entirely because of Zhang Heng.

Zhang Heng smiled casually and said meaningfully, "Brother Xiaochuan, opportunities are also very important for a cultivator."

The two laughed heartily in the middle of the arena, looking like a pair of madmen.

By now, most of the geniuses had arrived. Standing at the front were still those few individuals. In the center, since that fellow Qi Xuan had yet to appear, only Mu Wanqing remained.

She stood like a goddess from the nine heavens, capturing the attention of every cultivator; the men admired her, and the women envied her. The so-called geniuses around her were already outstanding, yet they could only watch from afar.

Zhang Heng smiled. Since he was prepared to take first place in the Imperial City Tournament, he might as well let everyone know who he was.

Thus, to the astonishment of everyone, Zhang Heng walked toward Mu Wanqing with a confident stride.

The two looked at each other without speaking, standing quietly. But the entire arena's gaze was fixed upon them. One was the top figure among the younger generation—a peerless genius who had reached the ninth stage of the Origin Core Realm at twenty, with impeccable grace and form. The other had easily defeated a fifth-stage Origin Core expert while only at the third stage of the Qi Sea Realm.

Although he was impressive, everyone found him eyesore, and they all gritted their teeth in frustration.

"Too arrogant. Once the fighting starts, you had better pray not to run into me. Otherwise, I will trample you into the dirt," some of the geniuses thought to themselves.

Even though Zhang Heng had shown monstrous talent, his spiritual energy level was only at the third stage of the Qi Sea Realm. Every high-stage Origin Core genius in the arena was confident they could defeat him.

Feeling the angry gazes of everyone, Zhang Heng couldn't be bothered to care.

*Let the storm rage even harder,* Zhang Heng thought wickedly.

He reached out and gently brushed a lock of hair from Mu Wanqing's cheek.