Heroes' Prison

Chapter 405 - 395: Kissing Under the Moonlight

Moving on to the semi-finals, the rules are the same as in the quarter-finals, determining the last two competitors.

The final match is the championship fight, where two players contend for the top spot.

Beyond these rules, the martial arts competition has a few thoughtful arrangements.

For instance, some widely recognized top experts or teams are intentionally scheduled apart to avoid early encounters, maximizing the reduction of regrets.

Moreover, players who have been granted titles can directly advance to the top 64 of the individual competition without needing to fight round by round, and they can directly receive the Stone Exchanges from the earlier matches.

The rewards for this martial arts competition are very substantial, including not just Stone Exchanges but also fixed rewards.

The champion of the individual competition will receive the supreme Martial Emperor Title! This title comes with attributes, similar to Huang Yi’s "Continent Guardian".

In addition, the champion will get 3 pieces of Legendary Equipment named after them, including the most important weapon, and any two pieces of armor or jewelry of their choice. They will also receive 10 A-grade Energy Stones and a direct Level Up of 3 levels. Finally, the champion will have the right to directly nominate someone for the next annual festival’s Best Individual Award!

The runner-up can obtain two pieces of Legendary Armor or Jewelry named after them, plus Energy Stone rewards, and a direct Level Up of 2 levels, with the right to directly nominate someone for the next annual festival’s Best Individual Award.

The third-place finisher can obtain one piece of Legendary Armor or Jewelry named after them, plus Energy Stone rewards, and a direct Level Up of 1 level, and they can automatically qualify for the next annual festival’s Best Individual Award.

The contestants from fourth to eighth place each get 10 D-grade Energy Stones and can qualify for the next annual festival’s Best Individual Award.

As for the team competition, every victory will earn each member a certain amount of Stone Exchanges, and there are also generous fixed rewards for the top few places.

The champion team’s leader can receive the Martial Saint Title, each team member’s level will increase by 1, and each will receive a storage ring named after the team with some attributes, and the right to directly nominate for the next annual festival’s Best Team Award.

The runner-up team can also nominate for the next annual festival’s Best Team Award.

The third place team is a little less fortunate; they can only qualify but not nominate directly.

At each annual festival, there are only 100 spots available for shortlisting and an even scarcer 10 spots for nomination for each award. The champions and runners-up of the personal and team competitions of this martial arts tournament will occupy two nomination spots for their respective awards each, which shows just how much Era Corporation values this event.

The martial arts tournament will officially commence in one month!

Huang Yi can foresee that in the following month, masters from all over the world will embark on a frenzied surge, drastically enhancing their strength in preparation for the upcoming tournament. Even if one doesn’t make it to the forefront, winning a few more matches is also good, at least to earn some Stone Exchanges to exchange for some otherwise hard-to-obtain items.

Huang Yi doesn’t need to rush for the moment; possessing a Name Bestowing, he can directly enter the final 64 of the individuals’ competition, saving him a lot of trouble.

Then, he left the forum and returned to The Second World.

For the following two days, Huang Yi traveled tirelessly, as leaving the Abyss required a lot of time. Using the Legendary Cloak’s Absolute Invisibility Skill, he encountered some dangers along the way but managed to leave the Abyss without incident.

During these two days, that Barbarian Man Tian didn’t appear again. The Eye of Supervision constantly indicated that the opponent was not within the continent’s range, suggesting its injury was quite severe and it wouldn’t be looking for trouble with Huang Yi any time soon.

That night, Huang Yi finally left the Abyss and arrived at Black Horn Town, the closest town to it. After several transfers, he returned to Dragon City, which he had longed for!

Dragon City was still as bustling and vibrant as when he left. The chase by the Celestial Realm Experts was like a shadow hovering thickly over the city. But now, the moonlight was bright, people wore serene expressions, and the crisis had finally been temporarily resolved by Huang Yi.

Huang Yi stepped forward and headed to the City Hall.

Along the way, the trees on both sides of the street had shed their autumn leaves, the night breeze was slightly cold, and there were some patches of snow beside the road.

The shops on both sides of the street had put up Magic Snowmelon Lamps to celebrate the annual Winter Snow Festival, and the pale blue light spectacularly illuminated the streets.

"Get your snowmelon here! Eat a snowmelon together for men and women alike, and you’ll get double Experience Points on December 21st, the Winter Snow Festival!"

"Snowmelon lamps for sale, cheap at a hundred Gold Coins each! Light them up with your loved one and let them soar!"

...

Along the way, many shops were bustling with sales, and the entire city was bursting with vitality.

"Hmm? Isn’t that Brother Yi Instakill?" At that moment, a sharp-eyed member of the Hero Guild recognized Huang Yi, and immediately cried out in surprise.

His yell suddenly attracted the attention of the bustling crowd on the street. Dozens of eyes around them turned to look at Huang Yi. As word spread, more and more people learned of Huang Yi’s return.

Huang Yi surveyed the Hero Guild members around him, nodded slightly at their fervent gazes, and said, "Everyone, I’ve returned." His voice was steady, exuding a sense of reliability.

"Brother Yi Instakill even escaped the pursuit of the Celestial Realm Experts!"

"Brother will definitely win the martial arts tournament and earn the Martial Emperor Title!"

"Of course, and our Guild’s core team will surely win the championship in the team competition as well!"

The crowd immediately buzzed with excitement. The atmosphere was instantly ignited, and emotions soared, filled with fervor.

"Everyone work hard and strive for a good placing in the martial arts tournament. Those who achieve a good placing will be rewarded and recognized by the Guild internally! Let’s go, team!" After briefly rousing the crowd, Huang Yi left them and headed toward City Hall.

He had drawn the attention of passersby for a reason. He wanted to return in a high-profile manner, to let the world know he was unharmed, which would be a heavy blow for the Hall of Famous Generals. The Hall of Famous Generals was going public tomorrow, and in a few days, it would be the Sun Guild. Striking at the Hall of Famous Generals would directly aid the Sun Guild.

Soon, Huang Yi arrived at the square in front of City Hall. Under the moonlight, he could see, from a distance, a graceful figure standing quietly by the highest window of City Hall. Her beautiful long hair fluttered lightly in the night breeze, filled with soft beauty—it was Qin Shiyu.

Qin Shiyu also looked out the window at him from afar, like a wife waiting for the return of her beloved.

Suddenly, Huang Yi received an invitation notification. It was sent by Qin Shiyu, inviting him to rejoin the Hero Guild. He immediately chose to accept.

Afterward, Qin Shiyu passed the Guild President position back to him.

At that moment, more than ten million members of the Hero Guild, no matter where they were or what they were doing, all heard a voice—

"[Guild Announcement]: The President of the [Hero Guild] has changed to [God of Slaughter]."

This announcement conveyed a message awaited by the more than ten million members—they leader had finally returned!

Once again, they could follow in his footsteps, cutting through thorns and making their way through the vast Second World, overcoming one challenge after another, striding boldly forward, unstoppable!

Next, Huang Yi climbed to the top floor of City Hall and stood beside Qin Shiyu.

"Brother Yi," Qin Shiyu came up directly to Huang Yi and wrapped her arms around his neck.

At that moment, she wasn’t wearing a mask, her face was openly refreshing and clear. Her skin was white as snow, her nose was straight, her eyes seemed as if they could speak, her eyelashes long and curling upwards. The soft moonlight draped over her, making her seem like a fairy.

Huang Yi stared at Qin Shiyu’s face, which was close at hand, and felt a stirring within him. He had grown up with Qin Shiyu and seen her face countless times, yet he never tired of looking at her. Innately pure, yet trained by the organization with a set of enchanting skills.

When she wore her mask, she was proud, commanding, directing thousands of troops. When she took it off, she was bewitching, inspiring wild thoughts.

"Brother Yi, why are you staring at me?" At that moment, Qin Shiyu playfully said with a lazy voice at the end, mesmerizing. She exhaled a breath of fragrance across Huang Yi’s neck, teasing the back of his ears and sending a tingling sensation down his nerves.

"How come the moment I return, you start seducing me? Seems a bit sudden." Huang Yi reached out, lifting Qin Shiyu’s chin and bringing her face closer to his own.

"Are you playing dumb again? We grew up together, and I’ve always been thinking of you, every moment." Qin Shiyu pouted her lips slightly, staring seriously at Huang Yi.

"It seems we were meant to be," Huang Yi said with a slight smile, tenderness spreading across his elegant face. He slowly caressed her hair and said, "Actually, during the years I spent in prison, I often thought of you. Maybe it’s the age when one unconsciously starts thinking about matters of the opposite sex. Our once innocent relationship seems to feel a bit different now."

"Have you ever liked other girls?" Qin Shiyu’s eyes blinked, her arms tightening around Huang Yi even more.

"Maybe I have," Huang Yi suddenly remembered the silhouette he had seen in Thornbush City, his eyes dimming slightly. He pursed his lips, revealing the sentiments of an ordinary young man, and said, "I used to go to a garden just to look at the silhouette of a girl through a window. When I first saw it, my heart fluttered. I don’t know if that was liking someone, but looking back, I guess it was."