Three Objectives

The following morning, just as the first light of dawn rose above the horizon, Hoa Van Town began to wake.

Seen from above, rows of rooftops spread outward around the central district amid the vast sea of sand. Four main roads extended inward from the town gates, lined on both sides by shops, tea houses, smithies, medicine halls, and newly built residential areas. Water channels fed by the water-gathering formation ran through the inhabited districts before splitting into smaller branches, some leading toward the medicinal gardens and others continuing toward the spirit-grain fields outside the town.

Compared to when Hao Nhien had left, Hoa Van had expanded again, and the number of people moving through the streets had clearly increased.

Merchant caravans from Tam Thanh had already begun entering town from early morning. Sand Horses pulled long lines of wagons loaded with ore, tribes from deep within the Western Wastes brought medicinal materials, beast hides, and cores to exchange for pills and supplies, while wandering cultivators returning from the desert gathered outside the Hoa Van Treasure Pavilion to ask about the prices of their spoils.

The sounds of bargaining from the trading district mixed with hammering from the smithies and the rumble of wagon wheels over stone roads, creating a chaotic but lively rhythm.

Hoa Van Town was truly beginning to resemble a place capable of sustaining and expanding itself.

On the highest floor of the Hoa Van Treasure Pavilion, Hao Nhien sat across from Luu Van.

Between them lay the golden ranking token, small enough to fit comfortably in one palm. The three characters Quan Hao Nhien still glowed faintly across its surface, looking so ordinary that it was difficult to connect the object with something that had thrown the entire Eastern Plains into turmoil overnight.

The room had been quiet for quite some time.

Hao Nhien looked at the token, then at Luu Van.

After a while, he finally asked:

“Elder Luu means… I'm currently ranked first on the Eastern Plains Huyen Bang?”

“Yes.”

“Above every Foundation Establishment cultivator under thirty whose name appears on the ranking?”

“Yes.”

“And Doc Hanh was Co Lang?”

Luu Van looked at him and slowly nodded again.

Hao Nhien fell silent.

This time, truly silent.

He had known that the jade token Co Lang left behind must have had some history, and he had already suspected that Doc Hanh might have been a name or title the man had once used. But no matter how he thought about it, Hao Nhien had never imagined that after breaking a seal and carving his name onto a piece of jade, he would somehow end up sitting directly at the top of the Eastern Plains Huyen Bang before even understanding what had happened.

He looked down at his own name on the token for a long while.

“I thought this was only some kind of keepsake.”

Luu Van had already learned about the matter the previous night, yet even after seeing the ranking token in Hao Nhien's hand and hearing him openly admit that he had not known what it represented, the old man's expression still became extremely complicated.

In the end, Luu Van laughed.

“Alliance Leader, do you know how many young cultivators in the Eastern Plains spend ten years just trying to move up one place on the Huyen Bang?”

Hao Nhien looked up.

Luu Van continued:

“Some people repeatedly challenge others for years just to enter the top hundred. Some clans are willing to pour resources into a single junior simply to push that person's name a few places higher, because every higher position means more prestige, more opportunities, and more attention from greater powers.”

He paused, then looked directly at Hao Nhien.

“But first place is different.”

The smile on Luu Van's face faded, replaced by a rare seriousness.

“The person ranked first on the Huyen Bang is considered the most outstanding Foundation Establishment cultivator under thirty in the entire Eastern Plains. That name appears anywhere the Huyen Bang is displayed. Major sects, clans, and merchant associations will all take notice, and many factions even use that ranking as one measure of a person's potential before deciding whether to invest in them, form ties with them, or recruit them.”

Luu Van lightly tapped a finger against the ranking token.

“Doc Hanh held that position for several years. Most young cultivators had grown accustomed to looking at the top of the ranking and seeing those two characters there.”

His gaze slowly shifted toward the three characters Quan Hao Nhien.

“Last night, those two characters disappeared.”

“Then your name appeared.”

Only now did Hao Nhien truly begin to feel the weight of what he had done.

He leaned back in his chair, still looking at the ranking token.

“So right now…”

Luu Van smiled bitterly.

“Right now, more than half of the Eastern Plains is probably asking who Quan Hao Nhien is.”

Hao Nhien remained silent for several breaths before suddenly laughing.

“Co Lang called this a small surprise.”

Luu Van laughed as well.

“If this only counts as a small surprise, I would genuinely like to know what Doc Hanh considers a major event.”

Hao Nhien shook his head and looked back at the token.

“So how exactly does this thing work?”

Only then did Luu Van pull the ranking token slightly closer.

“First, you need to understand the rules of the Huyen Bang.”

Hao Nhien asked:

“Does simply holding this token make someone number one?”

Luu Van shook his head.

“The new holder must still satisfy the Huyen Bang's conditions. They cannot be over thirty, must still be within Foundation Establishment, and the ranking token itself must accept their name. You met all of those conditions. Once the previous name disappeared, the position immediately recognized you as the new holder.”

Hao Nhien nodded slightly.

It sounded simple, yet that simplicity only made it clearer that Co Lang had not handed him the token casually.

Luu Van noticed his expression and smiled.

“Of course, reaching first place and keeping it are two different matters.”

Hao Nhien understood immediately.

“Challenges?”

“Exactly.”

Luu Van poured more tea.

“The Huyen Bang only records Foundation Establishment cultivators under thirty. Anyone who meets the conditions can issue a challenge to someone ranked above them, but if they want the challenge to be recognized by the ranking token, they must satisfy the condition set by the holder.”

Hao Nhien looked at the token.

“I set the condition at one exceptional-grade spirit stone.”

Luu Van nodded and continued:

“When an actual challenge is accepted, both sides must place the corresponding stake before the match. Under your current condition, you put up one exceptional-grade spirit stone, and the challenger puts up another. Both stakes are locked before the match, then distributed according to the result.”

Hao Nhien immediately understood.

“The winner takes both?”

“Yes.”

Luu Van smiled.

“So a battle for this position isn't only about reputation. An exceptional-grade spirit stone alone is enough to make most Foundation Establishment cultivators think very carefully before issuing a challenge.”

Hao Nhien slowly nodded.

The rule was straightforward.

Anyone who wanted the position had to pay a real price for the attempt.

He continued:

“Can the ranking holder refuse a challenge?”

“You can choose the opponent, decide the order, and request preparation time within permitted limits. But if you continue avoiding challenges beyond the Huyen Bang's deadline, the rank will be revoked.”

Hao Nhien asked nothing more.

He had never planned to take first place only to hide from every challenger.

Luu Van placed a jade slip on the table.

“Between last night and this morning, more than eighty people have already come to Thien Bao Pavilion asking to purchase information about you.”

Hao Nhien raised an eyebrow slightly.

“How many have challenged me?”

Luu Van looked at him with amusement.

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“You're asking me?”

Hao Nhien paused.

“You are the owner of the Huyen Bang token.”

Luu Van pointed at it.

“Send spiritual power into it.”

Hao Nhien picked up the token and sent a thin thread of spiritual power inside.

Golden light immediately brightened across the surface, while a series of messages appeared in his sea of consciousness.

Some names were completely unfamiliar. Others came with their current Huyen Bang rankings.

Hao Nhien scanned through them once.

“Eleven.”

Luu Van narrowed his eyes slightly.

“Eleven have already placed the required condition and been verified?”

“Yes.”

Hao Nhien continued examining the list.

All he needed to do was choose a name and accept. The ranking token would then allow them to determine the time and location. Once both sides completed the official stake before the match, the challenge would formally begin.

The corner of Hao Nhien's mouth lifted slightly.

“That actually makes things easier.”

Luu Van looked at him.

“You intend to accept them?”

“I'll choose a few first.”

Hao Nhien placed the token down.

“I also want to know whether I can actually keep this position.”

Luu Van considered for several breaths before nodding.

“Accepting challenges is fine, but you've just spent forty days inside the Lightning Sacrifice Mountain Cave. Your body and meridians have changed considerably. Before fighting continuously, it would be better to spend some time stabilizing everything.”

“I was thinking the same.”

Hao Nhien was still at the sixth layer of Foundation Establishment.

He was already extremely close to the seventh, but this time he had deliberately stopped before the bottleneck. After advancing so quickly over a relatively short period, what he needed most was to let his body completely adapt to the changes, rather than forcing his cultivation higher again.

For the next three days, Hao Nhien temporarily ignored every challenge.

He spent most of his time within the Cosmic Ark, deliberately keeping his cultivation at the sixth layer and allowing spiritual power to circulate steadily through the meridian routes tempered within the Lightning Domain until the recent changes gradually became a natural part of his body.

Three days later, Hao Nhien picked up the ranking token and checked again.

The list had grown considerably longer.

He paid little attention to the total number and focused only on those whose challenges had already been verified by the token.

Some were names he had never heard before, while several held fairly high positions on the Huyen Bang.

Hao Nhien studied the list for a while, stored the token, and left the Cosmic Ark.

That afternoon, he stood on the upper floor of the Hoa Van Treasure Pavilion and looked down.

A caravan had just entered through the eastern gate, several large wagons loaded with medicinal materials moving in line toward the trading district. In another direction, people from several Western Wastes tribes waited outside the Treasure Pavilion, while the shops along the main road remained crowded.

Hoa Van was developing quickly.

But compared with Thanh Van City or the major centers of the Eastern Plains, it was still far too small, and its reputation remained largely confined to one part of the Western Wastes.

Over the past three days, while stabilizing his condition and watching the number of challenges increase, Hao Nhien had thought repeatedly about that problem.

The people who wanted the number-one position would eventually come looking for him.

By that afternoon, as the challenge list grew once again, the plan in his mind had finally taken shape.

Not long afterward, Luu Van, Luu Thanh, Quan Khai, Quan Can, and Quan Lam gathered in the meeting room on the highest floor of the Treasure Pavilion.

Once everyone was seated, Hao Nhien placed the ranking token on the table.

“I checked it just now. There are currently sixteen verified challenges.”

Quan Lam raised an eyebrow.

“That fast?”

Luu Van stroked his beard and smiled.

“It would be stranger if it were slow. Thien Bao Pavilion alone received more than eighty inquiries in a single night. By now, the entire Eastern Plains probably wants to know how strong the new number-one rank really is.”

Hao Nhien nodded.

“That's why I called everyone here today. I've been thinking carefully about this over the past few days.”

He looked through the window toward the center of Hoa Van Town.

“If those people are already planning to come find me, then let them come to Hoa Van.”

Quan Khai immediately understood.

“The Alliance Leader wants the arena here?”

“Right in the central square.”

Luu Van's eyes brightened at once.

Having spent years in commerce, he immediately saw the value behind such a challenge.

“If the number-one Huyen Bang holder publicly accepts battles in Hoa Van, the challengers won't be the only ones who come. People who want to see how strong the new first place is will come. Representatives from sects and clans will come. Merchants who see opportunity will follow. As long as the first match attracts enough attention, we probably won't need to invite anyone for the matches after that.”

Hao Nhien nodded.

“That's what I want.”

He looked down at the increasingly crowded streets below.

“Hoa Van has developed quickly, but most of the Eastern Plains still sees the Western Wastes as nothing more than a barren region outside the main trade routes. We could travel everywhere telling people how much Hoa Van has changed, and many still wouldn't believe us.”

The corner of his mouth lifted slightly.

“So let them come and see for themselves.”

Luu Van stroked his beard, amusement already appearing in his eyes.

“As long as enough people arrive, they'll see the Treasure Pavilion, the trading market, the caravans, the medicinal gardens, and the trade routes connecting Tam Thanh and the tribes. A single Huyen Bang match could bring in more people than Hoa Van could invite even by spending spirit stones.”

“Exactly.”

Hao Nhien turned toward Luu Thanh.

“But drawing people here is only one part.”

Luu Thanh thought briefly.

“The Alliance Leader wants our people to watch these matches?”

“Not merely for entertainment.”

Hao Nhien rested one hand on the ranking token.

“Hoa Van has already gone through war, so our people don't lack experience in killing. But fighting demonic beasts, fighting within military formations, and facing elite young Foundation Establishment cultivators ranked on the Huyen Bang are three very different things.”

He looked around the table.

“Anyone willing to stake an exceptional-grade spirit stone for rank will bring good cultivation methods, good artifacts, good movement techniques, and perhaps methods no one in Hoa Van has ever seen. How they reverse the situation under pressure, how they identify openings, how they use artifacts, and how they combine techniques during a battle between comparable opponents are all worth learning from.”

Luu Thanh slowly nodded.

“I'll select squad leaders and younger cultivators with potential to watch. After every match, anything worth learning will be recorded and analyzed.”

“Let those who haven't reached Foundation Establishment watch as well,” Hao Nhien said.

“They need to know how strong young cultivators outside the Western Wastes can become. Once they understand the gap, they'll understand how far they still have to go.”

Luu Thanh immediately understood.

“I'll arrange it.”

Quan Lam watched Hao Nhien for a while before asking:

“You spent several days planning this. I assume those aren't your only two objectives.”

Hao Nhien looked at him.

“Of course not.”

He paused briefly.

“I also want to use these matches to force Heavenly Eye to change.”

The room immediately fell silent.

The smile on Luu Van's face disappeared as well.

Hao Nhien looked down at Hoa Van Town.

“Right now, Heavenly Eye can still treat Hoa Van as merely another force within the Western Wastes. If they decide to move against us one day, they can find whatever justification they need, call us rebels, heretics, or anything else, then send an army.”

His gaze darkened slightly.

“But if Eastern Plains merchant associations start placing orders here, clans have people visiting regularly, disciples of major sects and wandering cultivators stay in Hoa Van to trade and gather resources, then the situation changes.”

Quan Can understood first.

“Attacking Hoa Van would then affect the interests of many people outside the Western Wastes.”

“Exactly.”

Hao Nhien nodded.

“I don't need those forces to stand on Hoa Van's side. I only need them to have people here, goods here, and spirit stones circulating through this place. Then Heavenly Eye will have to think more carefully before doing anything.”

Luu Van slowly stroked his beard.

“Interests can sometimes bind people more firmly than promises.”

Hao Nhien looked at him and nodded.

“And once Hoa Van becomes a place regularly visited by people from the Eastern Plains, the other tribes in the Western Wastes will see something else as well.”

His gaze moved toward the distance, where caravans were entering and leaving the gates.

“They can keep their tribal names and their own people. They can still trade, cultivate, take missions, and exchange merit for resources. Living better does not require kneeling before Heavenly Eye.”

The atmosphere around the table gradually grew serious.

Luu Thanh said in a low voice:

“If more tribes begin leaning toward Hoa Van, Heavenly Eye will be forced to respond.”

“That's exactly what I'm waiting for.”

Hao Nhien's expression remained calm.

“Right now, we know far too little about how Heavenly Eye operates, who stands behind it, and what its next plan will be. As long as they maintain the current situation, all we can do is wait.”

He tapped one finger lightly against the table.

“So we'll change the situation.”

“Force them to move people, alter their plans, change the way they approach the tribes, or try to block Hoa Van's growing influence. As long as they start moving, we'll have a chance to see the things they've been keeping hidden.”

Silence filled the room for several breaths.

Luu Van was the first to laugh.

“Now I understand.”

He looked at the golden ranking token on the table.

“Other people see first place on the Huyen Bang and think of reputation, resources, and challenges. You received it and immediately started thinking about how to bring the entire Eastern Plains to Hoa Van.”

Quan Khai laughed as well.

“And you're planning to use the crowd that comes to watch as another layer of protection around Hoa Van, then force Heavenly Eye to reveal itself.”

Hao Nhien shook his head.

“How much protection that gives us depends on whether Hoa Van can actually make those people want to stay involved.”

He looked around the table.

“The Huyen Bang can only open the door for us. Once people arrive, whether they choose to come back, trade here, or place their interests here will depend on Hoa Van itself.”

Luu Van slowly nodded.

“Then the first match has to be done properly.”

“Exactly.”

Hao Nhien placed a hand on the ranking token.

“Which means the important part starts now.”

He turned toward Quan Khai.

“I need an arena capable of withstanding peak Foundation Establishment combat, with formations to contain the shockwaves and protect spectators. How long?”

Quan Khai thought for a moment.

“We have the main materials already, and formation masters can be brought from Tam Thanh. If we prioritize a usable arena and protective formations for the first match, four days will be enough.”

“Certain?”

“Certain.”

Hao Nhien nodded.

“Then four days is the target.”

He then assigned Quan Can to prepare lodging, water, and food for the large number of visitors who might arrive over the next several days.

Quan Lam would handle entry rules, viewing areas, and identity registration.

Luu Thanh would strengthen patrols around the square and town gates, while also preparing reserve forces in case the number of visitors exceeded expectations.

Finally, Hao Nhien looked toward Luu Van.

“As for Elder Luu…”

Luu Van laughed loudly.

“No need for the Alliance Leader to say it. Thien Bao Pavilion will make sure everyone who should know about this match hears about it.”

Then his eyes returned to the ranking token.

“But if you want the first match to truly create momentum, the opponent needs to be chosen carefully.”

“I've been thinking about that as well.”

Hao Nhien picked up the ranking token and sent spiritual power inside.

The list of challenges immediately appeared in his sea of consciousness.

He scanned through the names one by one before suddenly stopping.

“Sa Binh?”

Everyone around the table looked over.

Hao Nhien checked again and raised an eyebrow slightly.

“I didn't expect him to still be ranked seventy-ninth.”

Luu Van asked:

“You know him?”

“We've met.”

Hao Nhien answered.

“Young Clan Leader of the Sa Moc Tribe. There was some conflict between us at Cat Loi before.”

Luu Thanh immediately remembered.

“The one who once tried to force the Clan Leader into submission?”

“That's him.”

Quan Lam asked:

“How strong is he?”

Hao Nhien looked at the name on the token for a moment.

“He personally witnessed me fight at Cat Loi, yet he still chose to issue a challenge.”

That made everyone think more carefully.

Sa Binh clearly knew how strong Hao Nhien had been at the time, yet he had still put up an exceptional-grade spirit stone and submitted a challenge.

That meant he had some reason to believe he could truly fight him.

Quan Khai spoke first.

“He works well for the opening match. He has some reputation in the Western Wastes and is already ranked on the Huyen Bang. If the battle is held in Hoa Van, news will spread in both directions.”

Luu Thanh smiled slightly.

“And there's old history between you. Settling it on the arena is clean.”

Quan Can considered the practical side.

“Rank seventy-nine is high enough to prove he has real strength, but not so high that the first match becomes impossible to control. We still need to test the arena, formations, security, and our ability to handle large numbers of visitors. Choosing someone with enough reputation while keeping the first event within a manageable range makes sense.”

Hao Nhien nodded.

That was exactly what he had been thinking.

There was no need to immediately select someone from the very top of the Huyen Bang.

Hoa Van still needed to test every part of the event, while Hao Nhien himself needed actual combat to accurately judge his current condition after the Lightning Sacrifice Mountain Cave.

Sa Binh was suitable.

Hao Nhien looked toward Quan Khai.

“Four days to build the arena, then one extra day as a buffer. The first match will be on the fifth day.”

After saying that, he sent his spiritual sense into the token.

Sa Binh.

Challenge accepted.

Golden light immediately rippled across the jade.

Hao Nhien continued sending his intent.

Location: Central Square, Hoa Van Town.

Time: Five days from now.

A point of golden light immediately emerged from the ranking token, passed through the window, and vanished into the distance.

The room remained quiet for several breaths.

Hao Nhien placed the ranking token back on the table.

“It's confirmed.”

Luu Van was the first to stand.

“Then I'll go spread the news.”

Quan Khai immediately rose as well.

“I'll begin building the arena today.”

Quan Can gathered the ledgers on the table, while Quan Lam and Luu Thanh also excused themselves to handle their respective responsibilities.

Less than an hour later, the entire Hoa Van Town began moving.

Stoneworkers were called to the square.

Formation masters in Tam Thanh received messages.

The grain stores began taking inventory.

Patrols around the town were strengthened.

And a large section of land in the central district was quickly marked out for construction of the arena.

From the high window, Hao Nhien watched all of those changes before lowering his gaze to the golden ranking token in his hand.

Five days from now, only two people would step onto the arena built on that marked ground.

But if everything unfolded according to plan, what the Eastern Plains would truly be shown was not merely a battle.

It would be all of Hoa Van.