novelraw Chapter 90 - 72: First Battle, Part 2
Chapter 90 - 72: First Battle, Part 2
Lin Cheng fell silent, then asked, "What kind of offer did the Cao Family make you?"
"Fifty taels of silver a month, a courtyard in the Inner City, marriage to a daughter from the main family line, Secret Martial Arts, and a one-hundred-percent guarantee of a disciple’s Dragon Ascension."
Lin Cheng fell silent again, the corner of his mouth twitching.
’This kid must be incredibly cautious to resist such a good offer from the Cao Family.’
’If someone had made me an offer like that when I was young, forget becoming a follower of some top-ranked genius, I’d have called him ’Dad’ on the spot.’
’A Dragon Ascension slot... Every examination, countless people lose their lives fighting for one.’
’A hopeless case.’
’He actually turned down such a good offer. It would have saved him so much trouble.’
"Do you know how much power the Cao Family wields in the Sect?" Lin Cheng asked.
Xu Yang shook his head. "I do not."
The corner of Lin Cheng’s mouth twitched again. ’He has no idea about the Cao Family’s influence in the Sect? He doesn’t even realize how good their offer was. No wonder he could resist the temptation.’
"Alright, I understand now. I won’t expose you. You may go."
Lin Cheng waved his hand, unconcerned that Xu Yang had used his name and even agreeing to help cover for him.
Xu Yang bowed. "Thank you, Master. This disciple will take his leave!"
...
「The next day.」
Amidst three beats of a drum, the second stage of the Martial Arts Examination began.
The chief official of the examination, the County Magistrate, walked out from behind his desk. He came to the front of the high platform, his gaze sweeping over all the examinees and the spectators in the stands. "This is the combat portion of the Martial Arts Examination. Fists and feet have no eyes. Life and death are decided by fate. Any who seek revenge afterward will have their entire clan exterminated."
This was the most important rule of the examination: no retaliation was permitted after a match.
Otherwise, with the number of deaths and injuries at every examination, the situation would descend into chaos if everyone sought revenge.
’Of course, rules like these are only meant to restrain the weak. If you actually believe them and kill a member of the Four Great Clans on the stage, just see if you don’t face retaliation.’
The County Magistrate announced a few more rules: you must stop fighting immediately if your opponent concedes, or you will be disqualified. Falling from the stage is a loss. The use of poison is forbidden and will result in disqualification. Unconsciousness is also a loss...
Finally, the County Magistrate raised his voice. "I received instructions last night! For this year’s examination, the Dragon Ascension slots will be awarded to the top sixty examinees."
"I now declare the examination open! I wish all examinees good fortune in your martial endeavors!"
The entire field erupted in an uproar.
Normally, only the top fifty were awarded Dragon Ascension slots. This time, it was the top sixty—an increase of ten. Some examinees who previously had no hope were now brimming with fighting spirit, their will to battle surging.
Only a little over one hundred sixty people were participating in this examination. If just one hundred were eliminated, the remaining sixty would all have a chance at Dragon Ascension.
Standing in the ranks, Xu Yang noticed several other examinees who remained perfectly calm. They had clearly heard the news in advance.
As the County Magistrate withdrew, several proctors emerged from the high platform and took their positions on the various fighting stages.
A large box was already on each stage. After a proctor ascended, he picked up the box, shook it a few times, and bellowed, "Examinees, come forward and draw your lots!"
"Group C examinees, draw your lots here!"
"Group A examinees, draw your lots here!"
...
The rules for the combat tournament were simple. Examinees from the four groups—A, B, C, and D—would draw lots to face each other. Winners advanced to the next round. Losers would have one more chance to draw for another match; winning that match would also allow them to advance, but losing would mean direct elimination.
This meant that luck played a huge role in the Martial Arts Ascension Dragon. If you ran into two powerful opponents in a row, even someone at the late stage of Qi Gathering Great Success could be eliminated.
This was mainly because there were too many participants. If they were to fight match after match to determine a true ranking based on strength, it could take ten days and nights, and the examinees couldn’t withstand such high-intensity combat. That’s why they used these simple, brutal rules.
Of course, if you were truly powerful, no rule could stop you.
After the first round, around forty people would be eliminated. The one hundred and twenty who advanced would continue to draw lots for their next matches, following the same rules as the first round.
Win your first match and you advance. Lose, and you get one more chance.
The second round would eliminate about thirty more people, and those who advanced would continue fighting in the same manner.
’I have to win my first match,’ Xu Yang mused.
’The rules are too brutal and the schedule is tight. Everything happens in one day.’
’Losing once means I have to fight an extra match, which will consume a lot of True Qi and stamina. That would be a disadvantage in the later rounds. The variables are too great. If my luck is bad and I run into one of the masters vying for first place, I’m not confident I could win even if I used every trick up my sleeve.’
’So, if you’re lucky, you could secure a Dragon Ascension slot in just four matches. If you’re unlucky, it could take seven or eight.’
’Fighting seven or eight matches... even the top contenders would find it hard to keep going by the end. No wonder clans like the Gu Family are sparing no expense to recruit masters to fight for them.’
The process of drawing lots was slow. To prevent examinees from cheating by swapping numbers, each draw had to be recorded.
"It’s a shame we’re in the same group. No chance for a duel," Jiang Yi taunted, having come over to provoke him again.
Xu Yang glanced back at him coldly, a murderous chill rising in his heart.
’There will be a chance!’
Only the first round of matches was divided by the A, B, C, and D groups. The subsequent rounds would be open, meaning he could end up fighting anyone.
"Look, Senior Brother Xu is over there!"
From the viewing stands, Qiu Wenjie pointed excitedly in Xu Yang’s direction.
He had also come to watch today’s combat duels.
Not only him, but the Qiu Yongqiang brothers were there as well. The training grounds were far more crowded than yesterday; the place was completely packed.
"Ah Yang will definitely achieve Dragon Ascension!" Qiu Yongqiang clenched his fists.
Everyone knew that Xu Yang was sponsored by the Qiu Family. If Xu Yang achieved Dragon Ascension, the Qiu Family’s business would surely skyrocket.
"Senior Brother Xu will definitely make it. Dad, you guys should go ahead and prepare a celebratory gift."
He had the utmost confidence in Xu Yang.
"You’d better hope you don’t run into me!"
On another side of the field, Lu Ren was also watching Xu Yang.
After yesterday’s events, he’d noticed people starting to look down on him. They felt that despite using so many resources, he still hadn’t managed to create a significant gap between himself and Xu Yang, the one with a Lower C-class Root Bone. They thought his reputation was undeserved.
He was eager to face Xu Yang and prove to everyone that Xu Yang was his inferior.
You could say that even the disciples from Gale Hall didn’t want to fight Xu Yang as badly as he did.
"C-5!"
Xu Yang hadn’t expected to be linked with the "C" designation again. He had drawn a lot for Stage C, scheduled to fight in the fifth match.
He put away his number token and hurried to the area below Stage C to wait.
After a short while, Sun Tao and Zhang Hong also arrived. Apparently, they were also assigned to Stage C. As for Zhang Yong, he had been assigned to a different stage this time.
The three of them exchanged nods but didn’t ask about each other’s match numbers.
One by one, more people assigned to Stage C began to arrive. Surprisingly, Miss Wu of the Liu Family, Liu Qian, and Lin Wei were also assigned here.
After a few slight nods of acknowledgement, the lot drawing concluded, and the matches on the stage began.
The fighters in the first four matches were all strangers to Xu Yang. They all seemed to have cultivation at the initial stage of Qi Gathering Great Success, but he watched their bouts attentively all the same.
"C-5, to the stage!" the proctor called out.
Xu Yang took a deep breath, rose, and stepped onto the stage, handing his number token to the proctor. He also got a look at his opponent: a man about his own age with a solemn expression.
"Junior Brother Xu is pretty lucky. He’s got a secure spot in the next round," Lin Wei remarked, a hint of envy in her voice.
"Junior Sister Lin, you recognize his opponent?" Sun Tao asked, intrigued.
Lin Wei nodded. "He’s a disciple from the Tiger Roar Boxing Hall. He was in my group, and his score in the lock-lifting yesterday was Upper D-class."
Xu Yang’s score was Middle C-class. The difference was plain to see.
Zhang Hong, standing beside them, also looked envious. Facing a weaker opponent not only guaranteed advancement but also meant conserving True Qi and stamina.
They couldn’t believe Xu Yang’s luck was this good, drawing such a weak opponent for his very first match.
In reality, it wasn’t that Xu Yang was lucky. The majority of examinees were at the initial stage of Qi Gathering Great Success; there weren’t many at the mid-stage or higher.
"He Dong of the Tiger Roar Boxing Hall. I ask for your guidance."
He Dong breathed a silent sigh of relief. He didn’t recognize his opponent, which meant the man was probably unknown and not a top-tier fighter.
He also wasn’t from a rival faction, so even if he lost, his opponent probably wouldn’t try to kill him.
Xu Yang clasped his fist in return. "Xu Yang of Weiyuan Hall. I ask for your guidance."