Chapter 2680: Chapter 2680: The Final Day
The last day of the ’Sixteen County Martial Arts Tournament’ will feature the strongest ten fighters determined from the previous days facing off.
Of course, whether these ten might truly be the strongest who came to participate in the ’Sixteen County Martial Arts Tournament’ hosted by King Cooper’s Mansion is uncertain.
Because, among the young strong fighters from the sixteen counties who came to participate, many have yet to make their move.
This time, King Cooper’s Mansion established a rule:
In the sixteen counties, any county can choose one person as a ’Trump Card’ to compete on the last day and directly contest for the ’top three’ of the tournament.
The rule is intended to allow the strongest young fighter from each county to conserve their energy and prepare in the best condition to contest for the ’top three’ of the tournament on the last day.
However, if the young fighters chosen as ’Trump Cards’ from the sixteen counties fail to make it into the tournament’s ’top ten’, the county they represent will face a penalty, having to submit three times the usual amount of top-grade celestial stones annually for the next ten years.
Of course, any county among the sixteen can decide not to keep a ’Trump Card’ if they lack confidence.
King Cooper’s Mansion does not enforce this decision upon them.
But once a county has decided to keep a Trump Card, they must adhere to the rule set by King Cooper’s Mansion. If the Trump Card does not make it into the tournament’s ’top ten’, they will face a penalty of increased celestial stone submission for ten years.
Among King Cooper’s sixteen counties, three have no confidence in their young fighters and have not kept a ’Trump Card’.
However, the other thirteen have kept their Trump Cards.
Including ’Nine Nether County’.
The ’Trump Card’ of Nine Nether County is Wyatt Barnes, who until now has not made an appearance.
Today, if Wyatt Barnes does not appear and compete for the ’top three’ of the tournament, he will be viewed as absent, automatically excluded from the tournament’s ’top ten’, and Nine Nether County will face a penalty.
For this reason, the people of Nine Nether County have been very anxious in the past two days.
"It’s the last day... Why hasn’t Wyatt Barnes arrived yet? Could something have really happened to him?"
Ares Cooper is currently the only fighter from Nine Nether County to have made it into the tournament’s ’top ten’.
Of course, this ’top ten’ isn’t enough to cheer the people of Nine Nether County, as thirteen fighters have yet to show their strength, and twelve of them are ’Trump Cards’ from the other counties, their power on par with Ares Cooper.
Only after the Trump Cards from the thirteen counties have participated in contesting for the ’top three’ and the final top ten are determined, can they receive rewards from King Cooper’s Mansion.
Even though Ares Cooper has entered the ’top ten’ of the tournament, it doesn’t mean he can stay there.
Even if Wyatt Barnes doesn’t come, Ares Cooper still faces twelve strong competitors.
Therefore, Ares Cooper remains calm and composed.
Nevertheless, this moment stirs an unavoidable concern within him for Wyatt Barnes’s safety...
"County Governor Field."
At some unknown juncture, the County Governor of Peaceful Mountain, Carter King, approached the Nine Nether County Governor, smiling faintly and said, "Your Trump Card from Nine Nether County should be ’Wyatt Barnes’, shouldn’t it? But it seems he hasn’t appeared yet."
"I’ve heard that he left Nine Nether County’s County City nearly a year ago, and was gone from Nine Nether County... During this time, might he have perished outside?"
As he continued, Carter King’s smile grew ever more radiant.
"The Sixteen County Martial Arts Tournament... isn’t over yet, is it?"
Field squinted his eyes, speaking calmly, "County Governor King, you seem to wish Wyatt Barnes doesn’t come... Seems like you don’t have much confidence in your ’Julian Yorke’ from Peaceful Mountain County."
As he spoke, Field’s tone carried a hint of sarcasm.
Julian Yorke is the Trump Card from Peaceful Mountain County participating in the tournament, yet he hasn’t shown his strength.
Nevertheless, Julian Yorke’s power is acknowledged throughout Peaceful Mountain County, although it might not match Wyatt Barnes, his fame there matches Wyatt Barnes’s fame in Nine Nether County.
"Against others, I wouldn’t lack confidence in Julian Yorke... But facing Wyatt Barnes, I truly lack confidence in Julian Yorke. And not just Julian, I believe the Trump Cards from the other counties would also lack confidence against your Wyatt Barnes from Nine Nether County."
Carter King didn’t flinch at Field’s remarks, responding naturally, "After all, Wyatt Barnes from Nine Nether County demonstrated nearly Daai Law Golden Immortal-like strength a year ago at the Mullins Family in your County City."
"Even your former Daai Law Golden Immortal-first-ranked ’Nathanael Knight’ admitted inferiority to him."
"One may ask... when confronted with Nine Nether County’s now-first-ranked figure under Daai Law Golden Immortal, how could I have confidence in our Julian Yorke? It’s well-known that Julian’s power doesn’t even compare to your former Daai Law Golden Immortal-first-ranked ’Nathanael Knight’."
Carter King’s words didn’t just acknowledge Wyatt Barnes’s prowess, they extolled it extremely.
Anyone ignorant of the situation might mistake him for belonging to Carter King, rather than Nine Nether County.
And the individual referred to as Nine Nether County’s foremost figure under Daai Law Golden Immortal, is none other than Wyatt Barnes, who left Nine Nether County nearly a year ago, with no news since.
"County Governor King has a sense of self-awareness."
Field didn’t quite know how to respond to Carter King’s praises for Wyatt Barnes. After giving him a profound look, Field uttered this single sentence.
"County Governor Field... hasn’t your Wyatt Barnes from Nine Nether County arrived already? Are you hiding him?"
Carter King looked deeply at County Governor Field and asked with interest.
"Lord County Governor seems very interested in Wyatt Barnes."
County Governor Field said.
"That’s natural... I think not only me, but even the governors of the other fourteen counties are very interested in Wyatt Barnes. Even the ’King Cooper’ of our King Cooper’s Mansion is said to have mentioned Wyatt Barnes both in public and private."
As he spoke, a trace of envy appeared in the depths of Carter King’s gaze.
"County Governor Field, I am really curious... has Wyatt Barnes come yet?"
Carter King asked again.
Even he didn’t realize that when he asked again, his tone had become somewhat urgent, as if he was very eager to know whether Wyatt Barnes had come or not.
"Didn’t Lord County Governor just say... Wyatt Barnes might have fallen outside?"
County Governor Field said indifferently.
"I was just joking earlier."
Hearing County Governor Field’s words, Carter King’s expression froze for a moment, and he couldn’t help but smile awkwardly.
"If Lord County Governor wants to know whether Wyatt Barnes has come... won’t it be clear in the afternoon? Today, the final ’top ten’ and ’top three’ of the sixteen counties martial arts competition will be decided."
County Governor Field said indifferently: "Wyatt Barnes may not show up... but if he does, he will definitely appear this afternoon."
"However, I think... Lord County Governor you, surely don’t want him to appear, right?"
Saying this, County Governor Field looked at Carter King with a hint of mockery.
"Why would I!"
Carter King shook his head with a smile, "I am looking forward to his appearance... although knowing that once he appears, today’s ’first place’ in the sixteen counties martial arts competition will undoubtedly be his. But, I still want to witness his style as the number one under the Daai Law Golden Immortal of Nine Nether County, who is less than a hundred years old."
What Carter King said was very sincere, as if this was indeed his true inner thoughts.
But, is that really the case?
"County Governor Field, the competition for the ’top three’ of the sixteen counties martial arts competition is about to begin... each county’s ’trump card’ is about to take action. I’ll go back to the audience seats where our people from Pingshan County are."
After exchanging greetings with County Governor Field, Carter King left.
"No need to see me off!"
With a glance at Carter King’s departing figure, County Governor Field said slowly.
And after Carter King left, the depths of County Governor Field’s gaze involuntarily showed a hint of anxiety...
Today is the last day of the sixteen counties martial arts competition.
Yet, up until now, he still hadn’t seen any sign of Wyatt Barnes, it was as if Wyatt Barnes hadn’t arrived at the royal city or King Cooper’s Mansion at all.
On the other side.
Carter King returned to the audience seats where the group from Pingshan County was, and approached a figure whose full body was cloaked in a gray robe, making it impossible to discern their appearance. He respectfully transmitted a message to this person saying: "Senior, I probed County Governor Field... but couldn’t get anything from him."
"He’s very cunning, always evading the subject."
Carter King transmitted the message.
"It doesn’t matter."
An aged voice transmitted into Carter King’s ear, with an incredibly calm tone, "Today is the last day of the sixteen counties martial arts competition... if Wyatt Barnes has come, he will appear by the afternoon at the latest. If he doesn’t appear, it means he never intended to participate in the sixteen counties martial arts competition from the beginning."
"Who is that person?"
The elders and sacrificial officers from Pingshan County, upon seeing their county governor standing beside that mysterious figure in gray robes, subtly showed a respectful attitude, causing them to tremble with curiosity.
Curious about who this gray-robed person really was, and why they were treated this way by their county governor.
"This person... couldn’t be a strong martial artist invited by the Lord County Governor to kill Wyatt Barnes, could he?"
An elder from the County Governor’s Mansion of Pingshan County speculated in a low voice.
"That’s unlikely, right?"
Another elder said: "If the Lord County Governor dared to invite someone to kill Wyatt Barnes at this time... would King Cooper let the Lord County Governor off? After all, this is King Cooper’s Mansion!"
"Wyatt Barnes hasn’t shown up till now, he might not come... if he doesn’t come, Julian Yorke is hopeful to win the ’first place’ in this sixteen counties martial arts competition."
A sacrificial officer from the County Governor’s Mansion of Pingshan County also spoke.
