"Sorry, I do not take alms in exchange for something else," said a man sitting beside a bustling high-rise restaurant. He sat on a thick, soft mat, cross-legged, but one could tell he reached at least six feet in height when he stood up. He had long, streaked black hair that reached the floor, softly arched eyebrows, and deep blue eyes.
The man wore a 'simple' dark grey robe, black pants, and black shoes. Beside him was a gourd and a curved plate with glistening coins on it.
"But The Great Beggar, I've walked past hundreds of planets for hundreds of years just to get here. Can you do me a favor?" the person in front of The Great Beggar said, urgency and worry in his voice. He wore very lascivious clothing—colorful, wide, and stylishly expensive. A solemn and suffocating aura surrounded him, making the onlookers stare at him, terrified and helpless.
He was accompanied by three 'guards' who stood at least five meters in height, their mere presence causing the air to swirl and churn. They had the same features as humans, but their size made them look like small giants. With giant swords in their hands, they protected the stylish old man.
"What's your name?" The Great Beggar asked.
"I'm... the guardian of the... in the Cosmos of..." the stylish old man said, puffing out his chest as great pride radiated from him.
Hearing this, The Great Beggar pointed at the sky. There were floating islands everywhere, with solemn-looking pavilions on top of them. Chariots pulled by winged horses passed by from time to time, and Cultivators flew around, either using swords or simply utilizing Qi.
However, what The Great Beggar was pointing at was beyond that—beyond the islands and the sky.
The stylish old man stared where The Great Beggar was pointing, his eyes zooming past the islands, piercing through the sky, and reaching the dark space beyond. But he was not done yet; his vision continued, passing by planets upon planets until it stopped at a massive mansion, thousands of kilometers across, floating in the emptiness of the universe. It sat on densely packed clouds.
The mansion was structured with jade-like materials that glistened in a solemn light, with massive white pillars intricately carved with the Four Heavenly Beast motifs.
In front of it were giant golden gates that emitted an ethereal glow, while the entire mansion radiated an aura of profound spiritual energy.
This structure was considered the brightest star in the universe.
"I want you to do something for me if you really want my favor," The Great Beggar said.
"The Temple of...?" The stylish old man turned back to The Great Beggar with an incredulous expression. "What do you want me to do?"
"Bring me back my foolish pet," The Great Beggar said, his eyes cold, and it was clear he was angry. "You will have the authority to use my name."
The stylish old man immediately knelt on the ground, disregarding his status, and placed his hand on his chest. "I will do as you command immediately!"
With that, he and the five-meter-tall guards turned into blinding white light before disappearing from the planet.
The Great Beggar put down his hand, just in time for someone from the restaurant beside him to come out with a tray of food.
"Master, your lunch," the person said, handing him the tray. However, just as The Great Beggar was about to touch it, the person said something that made him stop. "Room 9, 1."
The Great Beggar tilted his head. "Room 9, 1? Why are you saying that?"
Suddenly, the whole world experienced a great earthquake, and the sky began to fall apart.
Apollo opened his eyes with a yawn. "Ah, I fell asleep." He noticed people moving behind him as they went down the rooms and into the stages below.
After watching for about two and a half hours and eating various fruits, he had dozed off when it was Room 7's turn. The fights usually ended quickly because the strongest hadn't met yet, and even if a fight lasted through the first round, it wouldn't take more than 10 minutes for the winner to be decided.
As the fight continued below, Apollo sat up straight and recalled his dream. "It's been quite some time since I had a strange dream," he muttered. Since arriving in this world, he had been so focused on cultivation that he barely had enough time to sleep.
The dream he just had was very surreal. He couldn't remember most of it, but in the dream, he was still a handsome beggar. That was the most important part. Apollo had started to forget the details, despite trying his best to imprint his handsome face in his mind.
Soon, the entire dream faded from his memory, and at the same time, an announcement echoed through the room.
One more, and it's going to be my turn. Apollo stood up and began doing some simple stretches. About ten minutes later, his number was called.
Apollo smiled as he started walking toward the exit along with the other three participants. His opponent, who had previously shouted and called him a coward, asked the two others about their numbers, and after finding out, his eyes locked onto the masked man.
"You're number seven?" the man asked with a raised eyebrow. He had an average build, but a fiery aura radiated from him.
"I am," Apollo answered, glancing back in amusement.
"Ohhhh," the Fire Shrine student let out a long "Oh" before he shut his mouth. His previous demeanor disappeared as he observed Apollo from head to toe.
Soon, they arrived at the stadium where the stages were.
Apollo went to the stage where he was going to fight, but before he jumped on it, he stopped by the weapon racks. His opponent, on the other hand, landed on the stage and waited for him.
"Hmm," Apollo reached out his hand and took hold of a wooden sword. He swung it around for a moment, then shook his head while putting it back on the rack. "I wonder if I can use my sticks."
As he landed on the stage, his opponent smirked.
"You should use a weapon. At least with that, you'll look cool, even if you end up on the ground begging for mercy."
"Haven't you seen what I did back in the room?" Apollo asked, raising an eyebrow behind his mask. Didn't I just display something that shocked them? Why is this guy still talking big?
"You just caught Michael off guard; that's why you managed to land a hit on one of his men," the Fire Shrine student said. "Anybody could do that if they were prepared."
"Oh, that's why you're letting your arrogance show," Apollo nodded as if he understood.
"It's not arrogance," the man shook his head. "It's confidence."
"You talk big, and I hate people like you," Apollo said. Initially, he was just annoyed by people like the one standing before him, scattered all over the city. But as he encountered more of them, his annoyance turned into hatred. Whenever he saw one, the desire to crush them brewed within him. And now, an opportunity to do justice for all those who hate arrogant 'young masters' had finally come.
"Real weapons are prohibited. If you have one, take it out now," the referee said.
The Fire Shrine student shook his head. "I don't have one, and using a weapon to defeat this guy would be overkill."
"I should be the one saying that," Apollo replied, reaching under his robe before throwing the stick he found on the streets out of the ring, where it landed beside the weapon rack.
Seeing this, both the opponent and the referee fell silent, their eyes following the stick's trajectory. Only when it landed did they turn back to Apollo.
"Do you think of me as a pushover who can be defeated with just a stick?" the Fire Shrine student asked in a low voice, the temperature around him beginning to rise.
"Yes, but if you use my stick, you could end up dead," Apollo smirked.
The referee shook his head slightly. This kind of taunting before a fight was common, meant to anger the opponent or simply because some enjoyed the banter. However, it was the first time he'd seen someone use a stick to taunt their opponent. But since it worked, it was fine.
"Participants, ready!" The referee raised his hand between them.
Apollo lowered his body slightly. Tension built as the excitement of the audience echoed around them. They were watching five stages, and Apollo could feel numerous eyes on him, especially those three on the floating platform. Fortunately, he didn't sense any prying eyes trying to penetrate the mask's abilities.
He could see that his opponent was already on the verge of dashing towards him, which was quite amusing, given the expression on his face—smoke practically seemed ready to billow out of his nose.
"Ready! Fight!" The referee brought down his hand, and the moment the fight started, the Fire Shrine student used a movement technique that propelled him towards the masked man!