On the Eve of the Hundred Domains Competition

Three years later,

"Father, Mother, I'm leaving." Jiang Ming waved goodbye.

"Liu Qingqing and Xuanyuan Tian will marry after the Hundred Domains Competition," Jiang Lingtian said.

Jiang Ming was slightly stunned. "I understand. I'll take care of it."

"Ming'er, if anyone bullies you, tell your mother." Ye Qingmei's face was full of reluctance.

"I know, Mother." Jiang Ming nodded.

"Father, don't send me to that backwater Azure Region again this time." Jiang Ming smiled.

"Don't worry!" Jiang Lingtian promised.

This time, Jiang Ming did not bring any maidservants. He left alone and kept a low profile. He intended to take part in the Hundred Domains Competition and see these so-called Central Province geniuses for himself.

As the dizziness faded, Jiang Ming looked around. Fine—a deserted little forest. He would have to find someone to ask for directions again.

Jiang Ming shot into the air and stood suspended in midair. After briefly trying to determine the direction, he gave up. There was nothing to distinguish; he could not tell anything at all.

He casually chose a direction. Spiritual power surged, and he shot off like a rocket, streaking across the sky with a crimson tail flame.

After an unknown amount of time, Jiang Ming finally spotted a flying boat.

Generally speaking, flying boats were larger than carriages, but they were not very fast. Jiang Ming quickly boarded it.

"Who goes there?" The people aboard the flying boat turned pale in shock when they saw Jiang Ming.

"My name is Jiang Ming. I am headed for Sky Martial City, but I could not find the way, so I came to ask for directions." Jiang Ming cupped his hands. Sky Martial City was the location of the Hundred Domains Competition.

"Haha, so it's Brother Jiang. I am Wu Er of the Martial Domain. We happen to be heading to Sky Martial City as well. Why not travel together?" A white-robed young master smiled. Naturally, he did not think Jiang Ming's Jiang was the Jiang of the Imperial Clan, and simply assumed it was the ordinary Jiang surname.

"I could not ask for more." Jiang Ming grinned.

"Second Young Master, this person's origins are unknown. I'm afraid this may be inappropriate," the person beside Wu Er said quietly.

"I have my own plans," Wu Er said indifferently.

The person beside him twitched at the corner of his mouth. Whenever the Second Young Master acted without reason in the past, he would say he had his own plans. Everyone knew that the Wu Family's Second Young Master loved making friends, had a kind heart, and was easily deceived.

Back then, when the Second Young Master said he had his own plans, he ended up being swindled out of one hundred thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones.

"Brother Jiang, come sit and chat." Wu Er beckoned.

Jiang Ming sat down opposite Wu Er.

"May I ask where Brother Jiang is from? Are you also here to participate in the Hundred Domains Competition?" Wu Er asked.

"I am from the Azure Region. I am indeed here for the Hundred Domains Competition."

Normally, each region selected its competition slots in advance and reported them to Sky Martial City. Jiang Ming's slot had naturally been arranged by Jiang Lingtian. The Azure Region had no regional lord, because it had never participated in the Hundred Domains Competition. Naturally, Heaven Domain would not pay attention to such a tiny place.

"The Azure Region? Haha, I've long heard of it, long heard of it!" Wu Er took a sip of water and glanced at the attendant beside him.

The attendant immediately understood and quietly said, "The Azure Region lies at the edge of Central Province. It has never participated in the Hundred Domains Competition before, and its strongest experts are only in the Nascent Soul Realm."

Wu Er nodded. Presumably, Brother Jiang was a once-in-a-century genius of the Azure Region. At such a young age, he was already at the Second Layer of the Nascent Soul Realm. In the Azure Region, he should count as an expert, right?

Wu Er smacked his lips. His own talent was fairly decent, and with abundant resources, he had now reached the Peak Ninth Layer of the Nascent Soul Realm.

"Brother Jiang, there are already five of us on this trip. The others are in their own rooms. There happens to be an empty room on the flying boat. Seeing that Brother Jiang must be tired, why not rest for a while first?" Wu Er asked.

"That works." Jiang Ming nodded and followed the attendant aboard the flying boat into a small room.

The moment he entered, Jiang Ming lay down on the bed. Wu Er and his people seemed decent enough, without too many schemes up their sleeves.

"Second Young Master, after this person entered the guest room, he began resting. There have been no other unusual movements."

Wu Er frowned. "Little Five, you have followed me for some time now. Since I chose to keep Brother Jiang here, it means I regard him as a friend. You secretly monitored him—are you disregarding me?"

"This subordinate knows his mistake. Please punish me, Second Young Master!" Little Five knelt.

"Let there be no next time!" Wu Er flicked his sleeve and entered the flying boat.

Night fell.

"Brother Jiang, we are holding a dinner outside. Would you like to join us?" Wu Er knocked on Jiang Ming's door.

"I'm coming." At the mention of dinner, Jiang Ming agreed at once. He did want something to eat.

By the time Jiang Ming and Wu Er reached the deck, four people were already seated around the table—two men and two women.

"Let me introduce everyone. This is Jiang Ming, Brother Jiang." Wu Er said with a smile.

Jiang Ming nodded to the group. Two men and one woman nodded back, while the last woman, who had a snake-like face, ignored him.

"This is Lin Hu, this is Xu Jiang, this is Mo Ling'er, and this is Qiu Shuihan." Wu Er introduced them one by one.

Lin Hu was broad and muscular, while Xu Jiang was thin and short; the two formed a stark contrast. Mo Ling'er had a baby face and twin ponytails. Qiu Shuihan, the last one, was the woman with the snake-like face.

They took their seats. Many dishes had been laid out on the table, most of them demon beast meat. For cultivators, demon beast meat was highly nutritious.

"Did only Brother Jiang come from the Azure Region?" Wu Er asked, then added, "Brother Jiang is from the Azure Region."

The other three smiled upon hearing this but said nothing. Where was the Azure Region? They had no idea.

"Only me." Jiang Ming said calmly.

"Brother Jiang Ming, where is your Azure Region?" Mo Ling'er asked curiously.

"South of the Cloud Domain." Jiang Ming took a bite of beast meat.

"Is there anything fun in the Azure Region?" Mo Ling'er's eyes sparkled.

Jiang Ming smiled at her. "No."

"I'm from the Mo Family of the Martial Domain." Mo Ling'er giggled.

Jiang Ming glanced at her. Another naïve sweetheart? He nodded in response.

"Everyone is here for the Hundred Domains Competition. Let's chat together." Seeing that the atmosphere was off, Wu Er said with a chuckle.

"A mere Second Layer of the Nascent Soul Realm cultivator is just cannon fodder if he enters. What is there to talk about?" Qiu Shuihan said coldly.

All five people present were at the Peak Ninth Layer of the Nascent Soul Realm. Only Jiang Ming was at the Second Layer of the Nascent Soul Realm. In past competitions, Second Layer Nascent Soul Realm cultivators had never appeared.

Wu Er's expression darkened slightly. "Brother Jiang, don't be angry. That is simply how she is."

Then he said to Qiu Shuihan, "Shuihan, don't go too far."

"Did I go too far? I merely spoke the truth. Some people cannot recognize their own strength and come here to throw away their lives. During the Hundred Domains Competition, people will strike to kill." Qiu Shuihan said disdainfully, "Isn't it good enough to be a genius in your own little place? Why come out here to suffer?"

Jiang Ming looked baffled, unable to understand where she got so many thoughts from.

Wu Er looked at Jiang Ming apologetically. He had not expected Qiu Shuihan to be so unwilling to give him face. Although Brother Jiang's realm was indeed not high, there was no need for such sarcastic mockery. They were all out in the world; one more friend meant one more road. How could someone offend others the moment she opened her mouth?

However, he did not reprimand Qiu Shuihan over it. Though they were all from the Martial Domain, he knew Qiu Shuihan's temper. If he dared criticize her now, she would dare fight him. He was not afraid of fighting, but he did not want to offend anyone.