When Ling Xiao arrived at the competition plaza, the grand finals had already been underway for nearly half an hour.
The grand finals followed a challenge format.
That is to say, the one hundred and ten participants in the finals could challenge someone ranked higher than them based on their original rankings.
However, there was a restriction, a single challenge couldn’t skip more than ten ranks.
This was to prevent a warrior from being overwhelmed by a series of consecutive challenges.
After all, at this stage, the disciples of the Genius Hall didn’t have a vast amount of gang qi, if they were challenged repeatedly, the likelihood of losing would be quite high.
Additionally, only those with lower rankings could challenge those ranked higher, this was to stop some higher-ranked disciples from seeking personal revenge or deliberately humiliating those below them.
Under such rules, even arriving half an hour late wouldn’t disrupt the overall rhythm of the competition.
“Ling Yihang has defeated Ling Dapeng in a challenge and is now ranked sixth!”
Ling Xiaotian’s voice echoed across the competition plaza, as the patriarch of the Ling clan and one of its top experts, his personal oversight of the grand finals underscored the event’s importance.
Ling Xiao looked up, the vast arena had only one combat platform, though it was noticeably larger than the previous ones, with a sturdier protective barrier.
It was likely that during the elimination rounds, Ling Yihang’s battle with Ling Xiao had damaged the platform, causing some unease among the Ling family elders, so they reinforced the barrier for safety.
Near the combat platform, there were seats originally meant for the one hundred and ten competing disciples, but at that moment, two stools were empty.
One belonged to Ling Feifan.
The other belonged to Ling Xiao.
Ling Xiao noticed that Ling Yihang, Ling Yixue, Ling Tieshou, and Ling Fei had already completed their challenges, as all four had risen into the top hundred, with Ling Yihang even climbing to sixth place.
Ling Yixue’s rank had also entered the top twenty.
“Honourable referees, I, Ling Xiao, was delayed by some troublesome matters and arrived late, I hope you’ll grant me a chance.”
Ling Xiao knew he was in the wrong for arriving late.
No matter the reason, tardiness was never a good look, so his attitude was sincere and humble.
“Hey, Ling Xiao’s here, that bottom-tier disciple who took first in the elimination rounds!”
“Bloody hell, how did his cultivation jump to the peak of Martial Vein Fourth Layer, that’s way too fast!”
“He probably arrived late because he was cultivating.”
Since Ling Feifan hadn’t arrived yet, Ling Xiao’s appearance naturally drew a lot of attention.
“A nation has its laws, a family has its rules, no matter how well you did in the elimination rounds, since you’re late, it means you’ve forfeited, you no longer have the right to compete.”
Though the head referee was fond of Ling Xiao, he still shook his head, if a family lost its discipline, it couldn’t endure for long, chaos would surely follow.
Ling Xiao gave a wry smile inwardly, though he’d anticipated this outcome, hearing it still left him a bit disappointed.
How could he not be disappointed? If he took first place, he could sneak into the library pavilion and steal books, what he urgently needed now was a top-tier martial technique and a top-tier soul cultivation method, but he had neither at the moment.
He was about to turn and leave when suddenly another figure appeared, leaping over the crowd and landing directly on the seat for the top-ranked participant.
“It’s Ling Feifan!”
“What incredible qinggong movement!”
“The top of the Genius Hall is truly number one, so cool!”
“But he’s late too, right? Can he still compete?”
“Probably not, if Ling Xiao can’t compete, letting him would break the rules, wouldn’t it?”
“What right does Ling Xiao have to compare with Ling Feifan, the elimination round’s first place is just the best among trash, how can it compare to the Genius Hall’s top disciple?”
Hearing such comments, Ling Xiao paused his steps to leave, he wanted to see how the Ling family elders would handle this.
“Hahaha, Feifan, you’re late, but no matter, you’re a special case, the rules don’t bind you!”
The head referee beamed at Ling Feifan, laughing heartily.
“Thank you, Head Referee, thank you, esteemed referees!”
Ling Feifan didn’t stand, merely sitting there and giving a casual salute, his arrogant posture making him seem like the Ling family’s top expert already.
“Hold on!”
Ling Xiao suddenly shouted, “Head Referee, I thought you were impartial, Ling Feifan arrived even later than me, if he’s allowed to compete, why am I not?”
The head referee looked a bit awkward, he was about to speak when another referee sneered, “Who do you think you are? Ling Feifan is the top disciple of the Genius Hall, the Ling family’s number one genius, he’s tied to the clan’s prosperity, the future of the Ling family rests on him, of course we’d give him a chance, what right do you have to compare with him?”
“Exactly!”
Before Ling Xiao could respond, another voice rang out, this time from Ling Shisan in the audience.
Ling Shisan’s face was dark and grim.
He stood up and said, “Everyone knows Feifan is the disciple our Ling family is heavily investing in, he enjoys privileges within the clan, you, Ling Xiao, aren’t even fit to shine his shoes, yet you dare compare yourself to him?”
Ling Xiao frowned, this man was utterly shameless.
He was almost certain that the one who hired the black-scarf thieves to kill him was this Ling Shisan.
He hadn’t even settled the score with Ling Shisan yet, and here the man was, relentlessly pushing him, it seemed Ling Shisan needed to be dealt with soon.
“Right, what is Ling Xiao anyway, just a bottom-tier disciple, he got first in the elimination rounds through tricks and schemes, and now he thinks he’s untouchable?”
“Yeah, there’s no such thing as absolute fairness in this world, if you want privileges, beat Ling Feifan first.”
“Hahaha, him beating Ling Feifan? He probably couldn’t even get past Ling Yun.”
Within the clan, there were plenty who delighted in others’ misfortune.
After all, a dark horse like Ling Xiao, rising straight from the bottom, was hardly popular with the privileged class.
They were naturally eager to kick him while he was down.
“Hmph!”
Suddenly, a cold snort sounded, and Second Master Ling stood up.
He narrowed his eyes and scanned the crowd, instantly silencing many.
“Didn’t someone just say a nation has its laws and a family has its rules? If Ling Feifan can break the rules, why can’t Ling Xiao? If you’re truly impartial, then make Ling Feifan withdraw from the finals too.”
Second Master Ling had once tried to win over Ling Feifan but was rejected, Ling Feifan’s arrogance meant he didn’t take anyone seriously except the clan’s grand elder.
But he’d succeeded in recruiting Ling Xiao, so naturally, he spoke up for him now.
“How can you say that, Second Brother? Ling Feifan is a piece of white jade, Ling Xiao is just a rough stone, how can they be compared?”
Ling Jiu stood up to object.
“Enough!”
Ling Xiaotian couldn’t stand it any longer, once he spoke, all the chatter stopped.
“Ling Xiao, I’ll give you one chance, out of these one hundred and ten people, if you can defeat any one of them, I’ll let you compete, how’s that?”
As the patriarch and the clan’s top expert, Ling Xiaotian had sharp judgment, he didn’t want to offend Ling Feifan, nor did he want to alienate Ling Xiao.
Both were the future hope of the Ling family, so this middle-ground solution should satisfy everyone, right?
