Chapter 16 Start of the Competition
The three huge arenas were already packed to the edges with nearly ten thousand people. Most of them were spectators who had heard of the news.
Only a small number of people with outstanding talent or strength could participate in the martial arts competition.
There was no lack of exceptional individuals among them.
The top ten winners of the competition would have the chance to follow Luo Donghe to the Imperial City and join the ranks of the guards of the Imperial City, just like they wished for.
Once they became a part of the guards, they could gain achievements and status in the Yueming Kingdom.
It was even possible that they would become a genius in the Yueming Kingdom and receive the favor of the Five-Spirits Sect, which was holy ground for cultivators.
Among the crowd, there was a strong young man with eyebrows shaped like sharp swords. He was waving the Sky-Cloud Sword in his hand while the light in his eyes grew brighter.
That person was none other than Lin Yan.
"I now announce the start of the martial arts competition!"
"The rules are as follows. The two players who have their number called will enter the ring, and the winner will enter the next round, so on and so forth. The ten people who won the most rounds in the end will be allowed to join the ranks of the guards in Imperial City!"
Right then, an envoy in his forties from the Imperial City, who had reached the First Stage of the Foundation Realm, walked up to the stage and began announcing numbers.
"Round one, Participant No. 200 and 176!"
"Round one, Participant No. 34 and 78!"
"Round one, Participant No. 11 and 122!"
Fights would commence in all three arenas at the same time. As soon as the envoy spoke, two people would step onto the platform and salute one another.
A young lady in the Sixth Stage of Body Tempering stepped into Platform One in front of Lin Yan. Her figure was graceful as she held a long thorny whip.
A strong man in the Seventh Stage of Body Tempering stood opposite her. His upper body was naked, revealing scars that made people break out in a cold sweat.
Those scars cross-crossed his whole upper body, leaving no blank patches. They emitted a kind of savage, barbaric power.
"Begin!"
The young girl tapped lightly on her slender legs and she glided forward as light as a swallow.
She swung the long whip in her hand. Instantly it lashed out with the momentum of thunder. The thorns instantly pierced into the burly man's flesh and blood.
Drip, drip...
Fresh blood flowed out of the cuts.
The girl's face lit up with joy, thinking that her attack was effective. Just as she was about to continue her attack, the man suddenly flung his hand out.
He roared, grabbed the long whip, and pulled it towards him before throwing her out of the ring with his muscular, strong arms.
"Participant No. 176 has won!"
"Round two, Participant No. 55 and 88!"
......
Time swiftly passed. The situation in the arena was changing rapidly. Endless tactics were used to gain the upper hand. Some of them were so amazing that even Lin Yan was stunned when he saw them.
He was confident that he could defeat most of them in a single strike. Only a small number of them would be able to endure two blows from him.
So far, he could not find a person who could exchange even five moves with him.
"Round 15, Participant No. 12 and 43!"
As the judge's voice sounded, a familiar figure walked into Lin Yan's sight.
The girl was wearing a long, yellow dress. Her long hair danced in the breeze, revealing her fair skin.
The girl was beautiful, with delicate facial features. Her gaze was filled with cosmic starlight, which made her shine in the eyes of others.
Confidently, she raised her head and smiled, thus attracting the attention of all the men in the stadium.
"Who is this person? Since when was there such a beauty in Sun County?"
"Tsk, tsk. She's already so confident at such a young age. Imagine what she'll be like when she's older! It would be great if she were mine!"
The audience was noisy, engaging in a heated discussion.
"Nice to meet you. I am Huang Suqiu."
That girl was none other than Huang Suqiu, from the House of Hundred Treasures.
It had not been long since their last meeting, yet she had already become even more attractive. That kind of temperament was comparable to Lin Qiaoer's.
Standing opposite her was a rough young man with a beard, whose name was Zhao Xun. He did not show any tenderness as he sneered mockingly.
"I never remember the names of those who lose to me! You should just become a stepping stone for my way up."
He furrowed his eyebrows and stomped his feet on the ground, making a loud bang. Then, his whole body rushed forward like a cannonball.
His formation was swift and violent, his body was extremely strong. He formed a palm with his fingers and sent out waves of air.
"Mountain-Splitting Palm!"
At that moment, the delicate girl gracefully shifted her feet.
Against the buffeting winds, her limbs began to dance. She did not look like she was fighting, but dancing like a butterfly.
Her flexible body movements easily let her dodge Zhao Xun's attack.
Zhao Xun was stunned. Clenching his teeth, he continued to chase after Huang Suqiu with his palm.
However, no matter how he pursued her, or how much strength and Yuan Qi his body had, or how powerful his physical body was...
One, two, three, no, he struck thirty times! Yet none of his moves even touched the hem of her skirt.
It was like Huang Suqiu was toying with him.
"All you can do is hide. Are you a piece of trash? If you are, then get out of here!"
The more Zhao Xun thought about it, the angrier he got. However, the undeniable reality was that he couldn't even touch a hair on her head.
At this moment, the agile and nimble-looking Huang Suqiu showed a smirk as she appeared behind Zhao Xun.
"I'll do as you wish, then. Autumn Wind Palm!"
A cyclone, invisible to the naked eye, condensed on her palm, causing her whole momentum to change and her dress to flutter wildly in the wind.
Whoosh!
Before her palm touched Zhao Xun, the raging wind made him close his eyes.
"Mountain-Splitting Palm!"
The two palms slammed into each other in the air and then a terrifying sound wave burst out.
Zhao Xun's expression changed. A terrifying palm force came from the girl's arm, violently knocking him away. The blood in his body gurgled at the force.
Thud, thud, thud!
He only managed to stabilize his body after taking six steps back. His chest heaved up and down and his breathing became erratic.
Just as his eyes were full of shock and fear, a delicate palm slapped him on the face.
Smack!
The slap landed on his forehead and the whirlwind-like strength of it immediately threw him out of the arena.
"Participant No. 12 wins!"
Lin Yan was slightly startled when he saw that. Zhao Xun's strength was at the Eighth Stage of Body Tempering as well. He was so powerful that it was impossible to block his coordinated movements.
Although Huang Suqiu's attack seemed gentle, it was strategic. It could overpower most people at the Eighth Stage of Body Tempering, maybe even some at the Ninth Stage.
In particular, her body movements were so elegant and flexible. As she swayed in the wind, it was hard to predict what she would do.
"Round 16, Participant No. 99 and 145!"
The voice of the envoy continued to ring. Lin Yan was at a bit of loss as he looked at the number 99 in his hand.
Finally, it was his turn to fight.
He leaped up and stopped in the middle of the platform. Just then, he heard a series of subtle and complicated discussions around him.
"Huh? Isn't that Lin Yan? I heard that he had his meridians and Elixir Field destroyed by Lin Tianyou's scheme. I heard he became trash not too long ago."
"But considering how he looks, it seems like he's recovered. What can someone at the Sixth Stage of Body Tempering do, though? All he can do is get thrown around!"
"Shh, quiet down. Don't you know that Lin Yan relied on his strength at the Fifth Stage of Body Tempering to get first place during the Assembly of Stars a few days ago?"
"What did you say? The Fifth Stage of Body Tempering? And he got first place? How is that possible?"
"Why not? He practices the Art of Sword-Drawing, which is extremely mysterious, even for people like me who've never cultivated the way of the sword!"
"Who knows, he might make it into the top ten in this competition."
The people below the stage chatted amongst themselves as they looked at Lin Yan with the same eager gaze.
He ignored what they said and instead subconsciously looked in a certain direction.
Huang Suqiu was smiling and looking right back at him.
Lin Yan blinked in surprise before nodding to her.
"My name is Miao Kong. I come from the faraway Supreme Temple. It's my pleasure battling you today."
The bald monk in front of him, Miao Kong, put his hands together in front of his chest. His bronze muscles could be seen through his robes, and a rope tied around his stomach could be seen.
"The Seventh Stage of Body Tempering?"
Lin Yan sized up the man in front of him as he muttered softly.
Although Miao Kong was only at the Seventh Stage of Body Tempering, he had likely approached the Eighth Stage based on physical cultivation alone. He could break steel and move boulders.
However, in front of him, he wouldn't even be able to withstand two moves.
He wouldn't have to use the Art of Sword-Drawing or the Separation of Yuan Qi at all.
"Master! You're no match for me. Why don't you go?" Lin Yan tried to persuade Miao Kong.
He had good intentions, but an uproar broke out among the audience.
"Lin Yan is so condescending. He's only at the Sixth Stage of Body Tempering. He hasn't even begun the Cleansing of Body yet he's already so arrogant!"
"Do you really think that you can make it into the top ten in the martial arts competition just because you got first place in the Assembly of Stars?"
"Hmph! I think he's all bark and no bite!"
When Miao Kong heard this, his face darkened and he clenched his jaw.
"Aren't you too arrogant, Master? The winner will only be determined after we fight."
"Take this!" He roared.
He clenched his fists, emitting a faint bronze glow.
Before the fist landed, the wind it generated had already touched Lin Yan's face. It was boiling hot and turbulent, like a fierce, ancient beast.
"As you wish, then!"
The expression in Lin Yan's eyes changed the next moment and he unsheathed the Sky-Cloud Sword in his hand. A dark-silver sword glow was emitting from it.
However, in only an instant, both lights intertwined with each other as they came into contact.
The Sky-Cloud Sword was pressed against Miao Kong's arm and gently slashed it.
A stream of blood slowly flowed out, flowing along his arm and into the air.
As the numbing pain passed through his body, Miao Kong finally realized that Lin Yan had actually broken through his defenses. His heart was immediately filled with shock.
All kinds of thoughts poured into his mind. He subconsciously shouted and put his palms together as they were fighting.
"Golden Bell Shield!"
Boom!
A tremor shook through the air, and the aura of Miao Kong's body suddenly increased. A layer of faint golden light condensed on the surface of his skin.
Miao Kong was shrouded in golden light, while blue veins that looked like earthworms kept appearing on his clenched muscles.
He bellowed.
"Fist of the Dragon's Wrath!"
He clenched his fist and a few strands of fine golden lines appeared within his fists, coming straight towards Lin Yan.
However, such a series of actions only added a little more color in Lin Yan's gaze.
He took a step forward. Instead of withdrawing, he advanced. The Sky-Cloud Sword in his hand changed like a mirage due to his fast movements. No one could tell where he was going to strike.
Just when everyone thought that normal sword techniques couldn't break through Miao Kong's defenses, the Golden Bell Shield on Miao Kong's body was slashed through like paper.
Swoosh!
Lin Yan suddenly stopped, so did Miao Kong.
The sword was against Miao Kong's neck, with blood oozing out of the cut on his skin.
Miao Kong's eyes were filled with shock. His entire body was drenched in sweat as he looked at Lin Yan in front of him, stunned.
"I lost!"