—
Calculating the time, the next round outside, about to start, Lin Yun had to leave the One Thought Clarity Tower first.
Not long after exiting the tower, the arena tournament arrived.
The top hundred gathered at the central plaza, Lin Yun, Mo Qing, Zhi Jin among them, “The tournament’s starting!”
“These hundred, the empire’s finest young cultivators, the upcoming matches, they’ll be a sight.”
…
Everyone present, buzzing with anticipation.
After the hundred geniuses assembled, the imperial guard commander stepped before them.
“This round’s an arena match, dubbed the Battle of Geniuses, who among you is the genius of geniuses, the prodigy of prodigies, prove it with your strength!” the commander’s voice boomed.
He continued, “The format’s simple, a knockout draw, first round cuts 100 to 50, second round 50 to 25, third round 25 to 13, the eliminated get one revival round, if you break through there, you earn a spot, compete for the top ten.”
After the announcement, the draw began.
Per the rules, last round’s top fifty got to draw, Lin Yun didn’t make the top fifty, so he could only wait to be picked.
That’s the perk of a strong first round, this draw ensured the top fifty wouldn’t face each other, they’d pick from the bottom fifty of the Ten Thousand Flowers Leaderboard.
The bottom fifty, pretty unlucky, facing the top fifty this round, most likely out, the truly unfortunate might even draw the leaderboard’s top ten prodigies.
First-ranked Jiang Fengyu, stepped up to draw first.
As he did, the bottom fifty silently prayed, hoping not to be chosen.
Jiang Fengyu casually drew a bamboo stick, handed it to the imperial guard beside him.
“Jiang Fengyu versus Ge Mu!” the guard shouted.
At that, a young cultivator named Ge Mu, stumbled in shock, face paling, he was just 81st, how could he face the first-ranked Jiang Fengyu?
Next, second-ranked Li Shi, stepped up to draw.
The waiting crowd, tense, even Lin Yun’s heart quickened slightly, he’d crossed paths with Li Shi before.
“Li Shi versus Zhi Jin!” the guard announced.
Hearing this, Zhi Jin gave a wry smile.
“Zhi Jin, watch out for him,” Lin Yun warned.
“No worries, I’d lose to any top fifty anyway, snagging a thousand-year spirit fruit for free, that’s plenty,” Zhi Jin grinned, taking it in stride.
The draw went on, third, fourth…
One by one, contestants stepped up to pick.
Those waiting to be drawn, naturally hoped to be picked later, since later ranks were lower.
When Soul Refining Sect’s Gao Yuan drew, he desperately wanted Lin Yun, aiming to knock him out this round, but alas, he didn’t get him.
…
“Jiang Cheng versus Lin Yun!”
When 26th-ranked Jiang Cheng drew, Lin Yun finally got picked.
Jiang Cheng finished, turned to Lin Yun, flashed a sly grin.
“Him, huh? Interesting,” Lin Yun’s lips curled up too.
Back when they first arrived in Xingwu City, Lin Yun and the sect leader, they’d met Jiang Cheng and his master, Jiang Cheng had boasted then, if they met at the banquet, he’d beat Lin Yun!
Didn’t expect it’d happen so soon.
The draw continued, all fifty finished quickly, the arena matches officially kicked off.
First match, Jiang Fengyu versus Ge Mu!
The rest returned to their seats, waiting for their turn.
Lin Yun, Mo Qing, Zhi Jin, went back to the Heavenly Sword Sect’s area.
Both contestants, already on the arena, but Ge Mu’s face, looked grim.
“This match, no suspense, probably over in a flash.”
“Yeah, the gap’s way too big.”
Guests sipped wine, watched the arena, chattered and sighed.
Sure enough, as the match began, Jiang Fengyu, with thunderous force, knocked Ge Mu off the arena in one move, advancing smoothly.
Next, second match, Li Shi versus Zhi Jin.
The guests knew, another no-contest bout.
On the arena.
The match had started.
“You and that Lin Yun, both Heavenly Sword Sect disciples?” Li Shi eyed Zhi Jin coldly.
“That’s right,” Zhi Jin replied.
“Forfeit now, or I’ll make you suffer!” Li Shi’s tone, thick with menace.
“Forfeit? Sorry, that word’s not in my book,” Zhi Jin’s voice, firm.
Zhi Jin knew, even with the huge gap, surrendering outright in this grand event, it’d shame not just his pride, but Heavenly Sword Sect’s honour!
Even if defeat was certain, he’d never give up!
“Then pay the price!”
Li Shi’s words fell, he smashed his staff at Zhi Jin, power fierce and swift.
Zhi Jin swung his weapon to meet it.
Bang!
The moment they clashed, terrifying force poured onto Zhi Jin!
“Pfft!”
Zhi Jin spat blood, his whole body flew back, crashed hard off the arena with a “boom.”
“Pfft! Pfft!”
Zhi Jin, sprawled below, coughed up blood in gushes, mixed with organ shards, his breath fading to the brink.
“Zhi Jin!”
The sect leader and Heavenly Sword Sect members, all shot to their feet.
“Li Shi’s ruthless!”
The guests, stunned, gasped.
Lin Yun leapt to Zhi Jin’s side below the arena, propped him up.
“Take this,” Lin Yun pulled out a pill, fed it to Zhi Jin.
After swallowing, Zhi Jin’s decline halted.
“Brother, I… I shamed Heavenly Sword Sect, cough cough!” Zhi Jin’s voice, weak.
“That bastard, too brutal, if not for the arena’s no-kill rule, he’d have finished you!” Lin Yun’s dark eyes, flared with raging fury.
It was Emperor Xingwu’s birthday banquet, after all, so the pre-match rules banned killing.
Li Shi stepped to the arena’s edge, looked down, “Lin Yun, no need to rage, if you face me up here, same fate.”
Lin Yun glared up at Li Shi, the fire in his eyes, burning hotter.
Li Shi tossed his words, flew off the arena, Lin Yun supported Zhi Jin, returned to their sect’s seats.
“Sect Leader, I… I didn’t lose Heavenly Sword Sect’s grit!” Zhi Jin spat blood, forced out the words.
“That scum, too vicious!” Anger blazed on the sect leader’s face.
He hadn’t killed Zhi Jin, but left him clinging to life, only saved by the pill.
Aunt Mei, Elder Zhang, the other disciples, all fumed, Zhi Jin beaten like this, who wouldn’t be pissed?
“Zhi Jin, refine the pill’s power, heal up,” Aunt Mei urged.
At the front, by the throne.
“This Li Shi’s a fierce one,” Emperor Xingwu remarked.
As last round’s second place, they naturally kept an eye on him.
“A ruthless type like that, I quite like, a cultivator needs some edge, let’s see how he does next, if he’s good, I might take him as a disciple,” an immortal said.
On the arena, the next match began, still little suspense, third-ranked Lu Ju, crushed it easily.
Match after match rolled on, all won by the higher-ranked.
“Twenty-sixth match, Jiang Cheng versus Lin Yun!” A booming voice rang out.
“My turn at last!”
Lin Yun’s lips curved, he stood, leapt toward the arena.
—
