701: Enjoying the Festivities

Enjoying the Festivities

The days leading up to Xing Hou's ceremony and the duel passed by with ease. Everyone was busy, not just the royals but the people too. Decorations were being set up alongside food stalls, inns were being filled and people continued to stream in. 0

Most if not all of them were members of the other clans, coming in from all over the mountains. They wore differing outfits, from unique colors to styles that made them recognizable. 

Meanwhile, Ming Yue was solely focused on training and studying Tengri's Heart. 

"Huh, how much power is in this?" 

She turned the glowing gemstone around, inspecting it before setting it down. Frankly speaking, she had no idea what to make of it. Whatever its origin was, this was a path toward improving her Dao. 

"I didn't even absorb much but the energy of Wind and Lightning within me has grown", she thought to herself. 

Taking a moment to ponder, Ming Yue just clicked her tongue. 

"Ah, I'll put it off. I need to focus on my swordsmanship instead. I don't have much time left before I have to duel the Queen", she thought. 

Resting her chin on her palm, she started to think more about her opponent. 

"She created her own fighting style and succeeded. She's certainly ahead of me in terms of experience. I still have to figure out the meaning of 'Realm of a Hundred Swords' before I can think about the final stage."

Picking up her sword instead, she went on to converse with her other self.

"What do you think, Xue Yue? To perceive anything and everything as a sword, what did the Elder mean?" she asked. 

"I don't know. I'm sure Elder Zhen ould know the answer but he must want you to figure it out on your own", Xue Yue answered quite nonchalantly.

"Mm, but still, I feel like I'm missing something. All of the previous stages had some sort of intricacy to them. But for this, it is about one's perception but... how would that work? No matter what I use, whether it be a blade of grass or a twig, even if I treat it like a sword, it doesn't act the way I want it to act. I just don't know what to do."

Ming Yue just sat there, staring at Blood Moon, admiring the tinge of red on its blade.

"Maybe so, or maybe you're just overthinking it."

"Maybe so, perhaps I could ask the Queen about how she created her own style. In any case, I should practice a bit more, make sure that I've fully recovered."

It was then that she stood up, unsheathing Blood Moon, and stepped out into the courtyard.

The answer to Realm of Hundred Swords eluded her, without it, she could not progresses. And if she couldn't progress, polishing this sword art of hers would be impossible to do. Thus, time moved along until the day of celebrations had come.

There was a knock on the door as an attendant spoke behind it.

"Young miss, the royal family has sent me to inform you that the celebrations will begin shortly. You're welcome to explore our city and enjoy the festivities before the ceremony for the princess begins."

The other side was quiet but then the doors slid open as Ming Yue stepped out with her two beasts. 

She looked at the attendant and gave them a polite smile. 

"Thank you for telling me." 

The attendant bowed before turning to leave. As for Ming Yue and the others, they all shared a look before heading out. 

"Come on, let's see what's out there!" she spoke with an excited tone. 

Leaving the mansion, they were immediately greeted with a colorful swathe of noise and ornaments. Banners draped from building to building, flowers were scattered everywhere, and streamers flapped high up on the rooftops. 

And aside from the food stalls and little markets, there were even competitions being held. Everything from running to arm wrestling could be found with just a simple look. 

The trio went off in an eating frenzy, tasting what the Endless Peak Kingdom had to offer. 

Much of it was either grilled or fried. There were skewers of various types of meat, both seasoned and marinated, hearty stews, filling dumplings, and a plethora of other dishes. 

"Mm, the flavors are different, more salty and sour."

Ming Yue took note of these flavors, thoroughly enjoying her time. 

"Ming Yue!"

As she walked through the streets, someone called out to her. The young woman turned to see Xing Hou and Xing Juren coming up to her. While they were both dressed in extravagant clothing, Xing Hou's clothes outshone her brothers. 

She was dressed in white and yellow robes, multiple ivory rings as well as bangles, and a necklace. Her hair was tied into braids and had a headdress with tassels hanging down from it. Someone had done her makeup as well, giving off a more mature look. 

The young girl looked at Ming Yue excitedly. 

"Are you having fun exploring the city?" she asked her. 

Before the woman could even respond, the two beasts answered for her, chirping and yipping excitedly. Ming Yue just looked at the two before smiling. 

"Yes, we are! There are a lot of things I've never seen before! And the food is very delicious."

Both siblings looked at her from head to toe, seeing the little parcels of food in her hands. It was a sight neither of them had expected to see. The brave heroine that killed a Frost Flame Bear was now gleefully eating away at street food.

Xing Hou couldn't help but giggle a bit. 

"Then do you want to join us? We can show you around the city, all of the little hidden spots, there's a lot of places that only locals like us know!"

She puffed out her chest with pride though her own brother barely held in a snicker at her actions.

And Ming Yue obliged. 

"In that case, I would like to join." 

And so, the trio joined the siblings, touring the city and seeing the sights. But that had to stop as the sun was beginning to set. 

Moving through the city, they all stopped near the center where crowds of people began to gather. 

There were already tables and seats being set for the leaders of the other clans while a large arena was set. All of this took place before the royal family's home. 

And standing there was Xing Huang, dressed in her full regalia. She stood there on one side of the arena, her arms crossed as she waited for her opponent to arrive. 

Seeing her there, the two siblings turned to Ming Yue who looked at the woman in the arena. 

"Right, you have to duel our mother", said Xing Hou.

Xing Juren then walked up to Ming Yue with a serious look.

"Even if she limits herself to your cultivation, her Godfist fighting style is extremely oppressive. Prepare yourself for that and good luck", he told her. 

The young woman nodded before looking up at Xing Huang. The Godfist noticed her stare and looked back at her, beckoning her to come. And she did.

Ming Yue leaped through the air and ended on the arena. Her entrance grabbed everyone's attention as the people turned quiet. 

She already had both swords out and pointed to the ground. 

Xing Huang smiled, putting her armored fists together with a clink. 

"Now then, are you ready?" she asked.

Both took their stance. Blood Moon was pointed forward while the Black Blade was put behind Ming Yue. On the other side, both fists were up as the Godfist leaned a bit forward. The both of them were still waiting for the signal to which Xing Long, the king, did. 

With a firecracker in his hand. he lit it up and tossed it into the air. Seconds passed before it popped above the two fighters and the duel began.

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