Cultivation ground

CULTIVATION GROUND ✓

Few slaves and other city residents were allowed to stand and watch the cultivation festival. Every member of the royal family and of other noble families were also present, to participate in the event.

"In the Xi's dynasty, two cultivation periods are always held every two years and this is the cultivation festival where we get to know those has been dedicated to cultivating their spirit with their soul and mind ---"

At this period, Prince Xi Yuan wasn't listening to the speech anymore, he was already getting tired. 

 "Crown Prince Xi Lehua, Prince Xi Hunian, young prince Xi Yuan ---" Prince Xi Yuan rolled his eyes, must they add 'young prince' everytime? Everyone already knew he was the youngest prince.

"Princess Li Xian, Princess Juna, Princess La-ang, Prince Ji, Prince Pian ----" Names were announced for more than ten minutes. 

Prince Xi Yuan regretted why he didn't come late. "Whoever steps out of this cultivation ground will be put to death by the thousand arrows method!" Gone are the days when he uses dubious means just to pass the cultivation tests.

People watched Princess Li Xian, the first contestant step outside. "Everyone says she's the most beautiful woman ever since she stepped into this city because of the cultivation festival." Some people whispered. 

Princess Li Xian dragged her left feet backwards in a circular motion, her sword going to the back with her curved hands. She stomped her non bent right feet at the front, on the ground as she bent backwards with her face up to the sky. She shifted the sword, controlling her feet all together until a white light appeared.

At first, they weren't fazed - it was barely up to the completed level 1 of Xi dynasty's cultivation. In a second, she drew the sword into two and cornered it together as she waved it frontwards and backwards until her light increased to a darker shade of pink.

A low gasp escaped the crowd's lips. Princess Li Xian closed her eyes, fixing the two swords together, the light became like water bubbles which were moving in a very fast motion. She got lifted from the floor, on the water until she was up in the air. She back flipped twice, piercing her sword through the water and landed it on the ground.

"It was never a two sided sword." The second prince, Xi Hunian smiled, watching as the princess bowed, liking her.

"Qualified!" Her name got stamped. 

The second contestant was the first prince. Grumpily and coldly, he stepped out and sat on the ground. The Empress adjusted her sitting position, she trusted her son so much and knew he would be the winner. 

Within two seconds, the whole place radiated with a piercing blue light. It wasn't just a light, it was like water waves mixed with lightning. He controlled the rubbing of the water with his hands, enlarging it so that even a daft one would know the water could drown him.

Crown prince Xi Lehua controlled the water, shifting it forward in a snake-like motion. It got controlled until it wrapped one of the people in the crowd, lifted him up and threw him to the ground aggressively. The prince wasn't stopping, his eyes were closed which meant he was controlling his cultivation from inside.

He didn't stop, his appearance separated. His normal body was still sitting on his floor but his connected mind had split into two - only the ones who had high cultivation could sense it.

Everyone was confused until they saw the statues in the ground raised up with the crown prince's blue light. The statues rose in the air so high and they got slammed back to their normal positions again. The whole crowd cheered and shouted his name when his name got stamped.

"He will learn, with this cultivation festival." The Empress muttered, looking at the list of contestants. He is very weak with cultivation and can't even control a bubble of water, she doesn't understand why he insisted on taking part in the cultivation festival.

Xu Ye's heart trembled because of his master, it doesn't mean he wasn't happy. He was sure the young prince would perform well, now that that sword is in his possession but Xu Ye is afraid of what might happen if the prince gets controlled again like earlier.

Prince Xi Yuan had closed his eyes and just simply walked out earlier when his sword was about to control him. Xu Ye couldn't thank the gods more than he already did.

Prince Xi Yuan placed his left foot on the ground, forming something called nonsense with his hands. Xu Ye got confused, what is the prince doing?

Empress Xi Yui gave a low chuckle, "His foot placement is wrong." Her maidservant whispered. Even though maids and slaves aren't allowed to practice cultivation, she still had an idea of it.

At last, the margin Prince Xi Yuan was trying to create eventually fell on him. He fell to the ground. "You failed --- woefully." The anchor announced. The crowd roared with laughter.

"You are too weak to be Xi's young prince!" A slave in the midst of the crowd threw a pancake at him when Xi Yuan tried to do the cultivation again and he suddenly paused.

A golden fireball formed in between the young prince's hands, it grew larger and larger while his eyes were closed. In the next minute, "Ah!...." He slammed the fire ball to the snowy earth. The fire ran forward in different lines underground, cracks followed.

The Empress stood up in her seat, shocked equally like every other person on that ground. Prince Xi Yuan's eyes were still closed, he balanced his fight qi as he raised his hands up. The fire beneath the ground rose up, building thick walls where he was standing.

The fire breath waved across the people and they screamed like it was burning them. "Prince ---" Xu Ye's mind bubbled with fear. What if the prince loses control? Oh God!

Crown prince Xi Lehua stood up, his face hardening with anger when he saw his brother create bubbles of water that grew ice in the middle of firewalls which quenched it.

"Prince Xi Yuan...." Xu Ye called, going closer to his master but he was dragged backwards with so much force. "Walls, invisible walls...." Xu Ye muttered surprisingly. The Prince built a barricade around himself. 

A dull blue color lit Prince Xi Yuan's belly. "Blue belly Qi!" It was the Emperor's turn to be more than shocked. When did the young Prince pass four out of nine stages of the fight Qi? It was impossible!

Prince Xi Yuan was deep into it, everything in his body was increasing. He could feel energy running through his body as he channeled his fight Qi but he was doing it in the wrong place - the cultivation ground.

"Xi Yuan!!" The crown prince was annoyed by the fact that his brother was outshining him, probably getting all the credits and taking his place away from him - he aimed at Prince Xi Yuan.

Nobody could warn him ahead because he leaped in the air with his own energy too. People watched what was going to happen.

"Ya - hh!" Crown Prince Xi Lehua's sword got targeted at his brother whose position was still the same. Before the sword could collide with the young prince, he came out of his energy - channeling mode and hit his sword on the ground.

A small amount of the sword's energy spewed powerful dust which threw the crown prince and everyone else off their feet, except the Emperor and some other high elders. Screams filled the air. 

"I am no longer weak." Prince Xi Yuan removed his sword, looking directly at the Emperor, his eyes held rage.