The door to the room was kicked open with a resounding crash.

Jiang Wang turned his head, only to see a man clad in luxurious robes, with a nose like a hawk’s beak, glaring at him with palpable anger. Beside him stood two tavern servants, attempting to block his path, yet clearly hesitant to use force against him.

“Is it you? You, this half-decayed old man? One foot already in the grave and you haven’t even opened the Heaven-Earth Gate! And you dare to steal a quota from me?” He shoved aside the obstructing servants, barging into the room, his expression a mixture of disbelief and fury.

“Get out,” Zhong Xuan Sheng said coolly. The usual amiable expression on his plump face was gone, his voice not loud, but his eyes narrowed to slits.

The hawk-nosed man’s face stiffened. He forced a reply, “Brother Sheng, do you truly believe this half-old man is stronger than me? Cultivation is not measured by years!”

“Brother, please,” Jiang Wang couldn’t help but interject, “take a closer look. White hair doesn’t necessarily mean old age.”

This person, unwilling to directly challenge Zhong Xuan Sheng, showed no mercy towards Jiang Wang. “Who are you calling brother? Go take a piss and look at yourself!”

While Jiang Wang wasn’t one to be easily provoked, he found it difficult to maintain a pleasant disposition.

At this moment, Zhong Xuan Sheng’s broad hand lightly patted his shoulder.

“Brother Jiang, there’s no need to be polite to every stray cat and dog,” the corpulent man said with a hint of reproach. “Does he deserve it?”

The hawk-nosed man’s face paled. He couldn’t help but blurt out angrily, “Brother Sheng, you need to remember your family name! Are you insulting our Zhong Xuan family for the sake of an outsider of unknown origin?”

“Zhong Xuan Xin, you are not qualified to tell me how to act,” Zhong Xuan Sheng said, regarding the hawk-nosed man with languid eyes. “You are you, I am I. I don’t even represent the Zhong Xuan family, so what makes you think you can?”

“Fine!” Zhong Xuan Xin gritted his teeth. “Let’s put that aside. I came today simply to ask you, Brother Sheng, we are of the same family, yet you’ve taken my quota and given it to an outsider! Do you think that’s appropriate?”

Zhong Xuan Sheng slowly rose from his chair. He patted Jiang Wang’s shoulder again, gesturing for him to remain at ease. He walked over to Zhong Xuan Xin, his gaze fixed on him. “This entry into the Tian Fu secret realm is centered around me, and everything will proceed according to my strategy of locking down a divine ability within the inner mansion. This is the highest decision reached by the family elders. I can choose whoever I believe will best assist me. In other words, I will give the quota to whomever I please.”

“Now, tell me, why is this inappropriate? How is this inappropriate?”

Zhong Xuan Xin’s eyes darted slightly, but he still held his neck stiffly. “Regardless, I am more trustworthy than an outsider, and I am also stronger than him! As for helping, perhaps I can be of greater assistance to you? Otherwise, just let me fight him. Let’s see who is stronger, and who is more qualified to take this quota!”

“Zhong Xuan Xin, I will say this one last time,” Zhong Xuan Sheng, weary of further argument, extended a thick finger and pointed at Zhong Xuan Xin’s chest, his voice utterly calm. “Get out.”

Zhong Xuan Xin’s face contorted with shame and anger, a truly complex expression. However, in the end, he dared not utter another word. He slowly retreated, increasing the distance between himself and Zhong Xuan Sheng’s pointed finger, then turned and left with heavy strides, his footsteps echoing loudly against the floorboards.

“Young Master Sheng,” the tavern servants bowed and explained, “Young Master Xin insisted on rushing in. We…”

Zhong Xuan Sheng didn’t speak, merely waved his hand, signaling for them to leave. The door was quietly closed behind them, and the servants departed without a sound.

Jiang Wang smiled and said, “Actually, a fight wouldn’t be impossible. I shouldn’t lose.” Having traveled ten thousand li, he had only sharpened one sword. Not even Jiang Wang himself knew how sharp his sword would be when it was finally unsheathed. But he was certain that against any cultivator of the same realm, he possessed the qualification to fight and the chance to win. This included the Zhong Xuan Sheng before him. Even with his two great secret arts fully unleashed, Jiang Wang believed he had a fifty percent chance of victory. This was considering the new means Zhong Xuan Sheng must have acquired after advancing to the Tong Tian realm. As for the clearly inferior Zhong Xuan Xin, there was even less to say.

“Nothing is impossible,” Zhong Xuan Sheng said, settling back into his chair. “But on what grounds? What is he, that he would demand my friend, Zhong Xuan Sheng’s friend, prove himself to him?”

“Brother Jiang, look around Tian Fu City. How many people want to squeeze into the Tian Fu secret realm? How many are unwilling, indignant? Should I ask you to prove yourself to them one by one?” Zhong Xuan Sheng picked up the wine pot and filled two cups. “I invited you to come; your only responsibility is to be here. Other matters are not for you to resolve. The incident just now was my oversight. I apologize to you.”

Great clans have their own complexities. Jiang Wang could completely understand. Even the small Fang family in Fenglin City was filled with intrigue. How much more so the Zhong Xuan clan, a family that could be called a giant overlord in the state of Qi. The state of Qi was a contemporary power, listed alongside Jing, Qin, Chu, Jing, and Mu as the six heroes of the world. The Zhong Xuan clan, deeply rooted and thriving in such a powerful state, possessed strength not inferior to a typical small nation. Internal strife was unavoidable.

Jiang Wang took the wine cup and drained it in one gulp. He didn’t mind such matters.

The third day of the third month. This was the time when the Tian Fu secret realm would open. The location was precisely in the center of Tian Fu City. It was a deep, round pool, known as the Tian Fu Pool, or the Full Moon Pool. Usually unremarkable, the pool water was clear, allowing one to see the bottom with ease. Some people had examined this pool water countless times and found nothing special about it. However, every twelve years, at the time the Tian Fu secret realm opened, the entire Full Moon Pool would become unfathomably deep. At this time, the Full Moon Pool was bottomless, and no one had ever been able to penetrate it in this state.

The entire Full Moon Pool was protected by a grand array. Outside the grand array, high walls and surrounding corridors were erected. These were all the work of the Qi state officials, to prevent those without quotas from causing trouble and affecting the exploration of the Tian Fu secret realm. Tian Fu City was originally built around the entrance of the Tian Fu secret realm. Thus, the city center was the most crucial location. A permanent troop of the Qi state was stationed here, ensuring that Tian Fu City was as stable as a mountain. Every year, those reckless evil demons and outsiders who sought death were all killed.

The Qi state officials had already decided on the ten quotas released this year. These ten quotas were not restricted by nationality, origin, cultivation sect, or even by good or evil. Only the strong could obtain them. The continuous days of intense selection battles were also a major reason for the prosperity of Tian Fu City. Of course, with the dust settled, the most crucial moment had finally arrived.

The Tian Fu secret realm would open tonight. Jiang Wang, following Zhong Xuan Sheng, arrived early at the waiting area outside the Full Moon Pool. They weren’t the only ones; most people had arrived early at the Full Moon Pool waiting area because no one knew what would happen inside the Tian Fu secret realm. This also meant that anything was possible within the Tian Fu secret realm. Every participant in the secret realm could be a competitor, so it was essential to observe them early and make certain preparations. From this perspective, one could also see the importance Zhong Xuan Sheng placed on this entry into the Tian Fu secret realm.

The majority of the people in the field were cultivators participating in the Tian Fu secret realm, almost all of whom were at the Tong Tian realm of cultivation. This was the upper limit of the Tian Fu secret realm. In fact, many Qi state cultivators who held quotas intentionally suppressed their cultivation at the Tong Tian realm, unwilling to open the Heaven-Earth Gate, just to wait for the opening of the Tian Fu secret realm. If luck was good, they only had to wait a year or half a year. If luck was bad, they had to wait the full twelve years. Whether it was worth it was a matter of individual perspective.

Many family elders were also waiting here, doing nothing more than helping their disciples assess their opponents before the battle and offering guidance. The cultivators of the Tian Fu City officials guarded the surroundings, maintaining order and preventing accidents. People chatted amongst themselves with those they were familiar with.

Amidst the bustle, a fierce voice suddenly shouted, “What kind of family is this Zhang clan? How can they also have a Tian Fu quota? Was there no competition? It’s fine for the renowned sects, but this Zhang family is one I’ve certainly never heard of in the state of Qi!”