Eternal Life: I Have the Favor System

Chapter 540: Chapter 228: One Man Holds the Pass, Ten Thousand Cannot Break Through

As the two stumbled, Tuoba Yunhong finally caught up.

A plan hatched in his mind, and he struck Meng Xiaochuan with his palm—as long as he could injure Meng Xiaochuan, a spot in the top three was guaranteed.

"Tuoba Yunhong!"

Sensing the danger, Meng Xiaochuan mobilized his Qi Sea Power to defend himself. But caught off guard, he was still sent flying by Tuoba Yunhong’s palm strike and suffered an internal injury.

A look of glee spread across Tuoba Yunhong’s face. The memory of Meng Xiaochuan mocking him was still fresh in his mind.

Pu Shiyi’s face went pale with shock, but remembering that a top-three spot was more important, he sprinted past them.

"Damn it! Don’t you even think about snatching a top-three spot right under my nose."

Meng Xiaochuan saw through Tuoba Yunhong’s plan and threw himself forward recklessly to block him from reaching the finish line. Though injured, he had landed ahead of Tuoba Yunhong when he was sent flying, putting him in the perfect position to intercept.

"Don’t push me!"

Tuoba Yunhong hadn’t expected Meng Xiaochuan to be so reckless. He felt a pang of regret. ’I never should have ambushed him.’

"Qin! We have no quarrel with each other!"

Pu Shiyi shouted to Qin Yu as he sprinted toward the finish line with all his might.

Qin Yu said nothing, simply drawing his bow and aiming another arrow at Pu Shiyi. His Five-Star Linked Pearls Archery was a technique that could silence even a full-grown Greedy Tiger. Pu Shiyi stood no chance charging head-on. A palpable sense of danger washed over him, and he instinctively slowed his pace.

"Qin, why are you doing this?"

he couldn’t help but ask.

"You lot are not worthy of the top three. Take one more step, and don’t blame me for what happens next."

Qin Yu declared, his voice ringing with conviction.

When Chu Lingguang gave up first place to go back and rescue Yan Zhen, Qin Yu had been both shocked and furious.

He was shocked that someone would abandon the number one spot to save a rival. He was furious because Chu Lingguang’s actions felt like a personal insult.

And who was Qin Yu?

He was always number one at the Imperial City Academy, a dazzling presence at every Martial Arts Examination. He had always kept even Yan Zhen a step below him. Since when was it Chu Lingguang’s place to *concede* first place to him?

He refused to accept it.

He disdained it.

That was why he now stood at the finish line, blocking the others. The top three spots had to go to Yan Zhen and Chu Lingguang.

For anyone else to share the rewards with him would be a humiliation.

He, Qin Yu, was someone who could ignore whether his rival Yan Zhen lived or died during the Martial Arts Examination for the sake of fame and fortune. By that same token, he could also offend everyone here to save second and third place for Yan Zhen and Chu Lingguang.

He admitted there was an element of spite and rivalry in his decision.

But more than that, it was a recognition of both Chu Lingguang and Yan Zhen. He felt they truly deserved their spots and shouldn’t fail the Martial Arts Examination.

’Secondly, Chu Lingguang was willing to abandon glory and risk everything to save Yan Zhen. He’s a man of great integrity. If I save one of the spots for him today, he’s sure to return the favor in the future.’

’By the same token, Yan Zhen must also be a man of integrity for Chu Lingguang to go back and save him. By blocking everyone else at the finish line, I’m making a lot of enemies, but I’ll also earn the respect of both Yan Zhen and Chu Lingguang.’

’In the future, with those two as allies in my official career, we could support each other and face any troubles together.’

’Compared to the enmity of a bunch of small fry, the approval of two powerful beasts is far more valuable.’

’And only by helping Yan Zhen and Chu Lingguang secure spots in the top three will I not feel ashamed of taking first place.’

Qin Yu’s actions were both a way of granting Favors to Chu Lingguang and Yan Zhen and a way of settling things with himself.

SWISH! SWISH!

Faced with such immense glory and temptation, Pu Shiyi was not about to be frightened off by Qin Yu’s arrows. He charged forward without a second thought, and Qin Yu was happy to oblige, drawing his bowstring to its absolute limit for every shot.

Everyone in the Hunting Ground was a rival.

Although killing each other was forbidden, conflicts were inevitable. Each of Qin Yu’s arrows was packed with intent, forcing Pu Shiyi to fend them off while trying to inch his way toward the finish line.

Locked in their struggle, Meng Xiaochuan and Tuoba Yunhong both still had their eyes on the top three. But the injured Meng Xiaochuan could no longer outpace Tuoba Yunhong, so he put all his remaining strength into simply obstructing him.

Tuoba Yunhong was filled with regret. Desperate for a top-three finish, he urged Meng Xiaochuan to look at what was happening with Pu Shiyi. He proposed they fight their way toward the finish line together and take second and third place for themselves.

They ultimately reached an agreement.

Unfortunately, they couldn’t fool Qin Yu.

Though he only had ten arrows, each was packed with incredible power. Seizing an opening while Tuoba Yunhong and Meng Xiaochuan were grappling, he fired two arrows that struck and injured them both. He sent the rest of his arrows after Pu Shiyi.

Pu Shiyi also suffered an internal injury as a result.

"Let’s get him together!"

Tuoba Yunhong roared, trying to rally Pu Shiyi and Meng Xiaochuan to attack Qin Yu with him.

However, just as they moved, arrows came flying from behind.

It was Xuanyuan Jinkang and Xia Tianzhong’s group of three.

The top three in the Imperial Examination would get to train beside a master from Yuanchu Mountain for a month. How could they possibly resist such a great temptation? Now that they finally saw a glimmer of hope, they were giving it their all to seize the opportunity.

For a moment, Tuoba Yunhong’s trio was attacked from both the front and the rear.

In front of them, Qin Yu blocked the finish line, his powerful Sword Momentum flaring. Behind them, Xuanyuan Jinkang’s group of three fired opportunistic shots. The finish line was right there, yet it seemed as distant and unreachable as if a great chasm had opened before them.

"HYAH!"

Finally, Chu Lingguang and Yan Zhen appeared in Qin Yu’s line of sight.

To avoid being intercepted by the Greedy Tiger—and to avoid inadvertently helping Yan Zhen escape, thus losing their own chance at the top three—Tuoba Yunhong and the others had all taken a detour.

Chu Lingguang and Yan Zhen seemed to have lost a great deal of time, but they had actually maintained a direct line to the finish. Empowered by Consciousness Manipulation Power and Wind and Wave Power, their great black horse’s speed far surpassed that of any ordinary steed.