Naelia conversed with several Yang-Dao Sect guards out front, then led John and Zuri into the sphere. As he stepped through the barrier, John felt the familiar tinge of the spatial Dao, as if space was bending and twisting. The formation was not a transportation formation, but merely seemed to alter the laws of space.
John found himself in a large hallway of obsidian, which stretched forward for several hundred yards. Small glowing formations hung in the air above, appearing like nine-petalled lotuses giving light to the hallway. He continued to follow Naelia and moved with many other entrants through the hallway.
Bright light shone from the other side, which he arrived at a short while later. He stepped out of the hallway and onto a large obsidian colored platform, one that stretched to both sides, clinging to the walls of the sphere, like walkways that wrapped around the entire interior.
Before him, an expansive scene came into view, one completely breathtaking. The space before him was not several miles wide, but several hundred miles wide. A world teeming with forests, mountains, rivers, lakes, valleys, volcanoes, lakes of fire, cities and more appeared before him, as if it was a true world of its own. Only the walls of the obsidian sphere enveloping the entire land revealed that it was a spatial realm, and not another space in the real world that they had been transported to.
Clouds hung in the sky, the land illuminated by an artificial sun that hovered at the very top of the massive spherical space. In the very center of the vibrant land was a massive building, easy to spot despite it being over a hundred miles away.
The building itself was roughly one hundred miles wide, a dozen miles tall, and was circular in design when looked down on from above. Even from this distance, he could faintly hear roars of celebration, as if millions were in that distant building, crying out in unified celebration.
"Impressive, huh?" Naelia said, appearing next to John with a satisfied smile on his face.
John nodded his head, still taking in the breathtaking view.
"This place is used as training grounds for my sect, and also serves as the tournament area for the Three Dao Tournament," she said, then beckoned him to follow her. "It's even better once you enter the arena."
"I bet it is."
John and Zuri followed Naelia as she walked down the right side of the platform that circled the sphere. The platform was several hundred yards wide, and nearby the entrance was a series of transportation formations, each controlled by a Yang-Dao Sect member.
Naelia hopped on the largest of the formations, which several hundred other cultivators already stood on. The cultivators ranged from eager youths ready to watch the tournament or even join it, to elders guiding their sect geniuses to the tournament grounds. The designs and colors of the robes the cultivators wore were varied, indicating there were representations of dozens of sects and clans on this formation alone.
Excited discussions of the youths and elders alike filled the air, joining together to form a chaotic mess of excitement. John and Zuri hopped on as well, while more continued to gather on the formation until it was rather crowded.
The Yang-Dao Sect member controlling formation then activated it, transporting the ground to another location. John looked about the room he instantly appeared in, which was a large room several hundred yards wide and long. The room contained several other formation platforms, although theirs was still the largest.
He and the others stepped off the formation, which flashed a short while later as another group was taken to this place. He followed Naelia into a hallway, one which was several hundred yards wide and tall. The hallway stretched outwards to both sides, the ends unable to be seen. Lotus shaped formations hung in the air, illuminating the hallway which was buzzing with activity.
Thousands moved through the hallway in both directions, while shops, bars, restaurants, lounges, and more were visible on both sides of the hallway as well. Detailed statues, carpets, and other furnishings lined much of what he could see, giving the place a grand and luxurious feel.
Formation screens appeared in many locations. They were visible in the hallway itself, spaced every few hundred feet, as well as in front of the shops and restaurants, as well as within them. The formation screens seemed to be showing a battle of some sorts, which the eyes of many were glued to, their discussions regarding the battle they were watching.
John followed Naelia down the left side of the hallway, which had more shops, restaurants, and other sources of entertainment. John raised his eyebrows in surprise as he heard moaning coming from a nearby entrance, one that was only covered by beads hanging down from the top of the entrance.
Scantily dressed woman stood outside, beckoning for passersby to follow them inside. It was the last thing he had expected to see at a tournament arena, although everyone else seemed to consider it rather normal, paying it no heed at all.
"The Yang-Dao Sect is a very….passionate sect," Zuri said, noticing his surprise. "They embrace fiery passion in everything they do, from combat, to….that."
John peeled his eyes away from that place, shaking his head with disbelief, and continued to follow Naelia who walked just ahead of them. A short while later, a cacophony of roaring cheer sounded out from a side-hallway, catching John's attention.
He peered down the hallways and spotted an open area on the other side, one filled with cheering people. He branched off from Naelia, moving down that hallway instead.
"Hey," Naelia called out, startled by his branching off. She quickly rushed to catch up to him. "Your lodging is this way."
John ignored her, his attention focused on the electric scene before him. The hallway had led to the stadium proper, which was absolutely massive. The circular stadium was around one hundred miles wide and a dozen miles tall. Seats stretched out from the base of the arena all the way to the top, which were occupied by millions upon millions of roaring, cheering people.
It was like a living ocean of humans, shouting out in excited unison. The atmosphere of this place was absolutely electric and irresistible, causing John's blood to heat up with excitement as well. This tournament was unlike anything he had experienced before.
