Chapter 215: Chapter 205: Internal Competition (3)
Liu Shengnian then took a sheet of paper from within his robes and loudly read out the competition rules.
This internal competition was not a formal tournament, so the rules were simple. There were only three:
First, each match will last for five minutes. If a winner has not been decided by the time limit, it will be considered a draw.
Second, the use of weapons, hidden projectiles, poisons, lime powder, and so on is forbidden.
Third, a competitor is defeated if they are struck or forced out of the ring.
"Brother Xiang, are the rules for the Martial Arts Assembly the same as this?"
After listening intently, Zhao Lin turned to Xiang Shaofeng beside him.
"Not exactly."
Xiang Shaofeng shook his head. "In the round-robin stage of the Martial Arts Assembly, there’s a fifteen-minute time limit. But once you get to the one-on-one duels, the fights can go on for as long as it takes."
"The way they decide the winner is different, too. In the Assembly, as long as you’re still standing on the platform and haven’t surrendered, you can keep fighting. You’re responsible for your own life or death."
"In reality, everyone’s just looking for a chance to land a killing blow."
As he spoke, he pulled open his collar to reveal a long scar on his shoulder. Grinning, he said, "This is what one of my victories cost me."
"Heh, but the other guy didn’t get off easy. I broke three of his ribs."
Zhao Lin’s eyelid twitched. A chill went down his spine.
’Even without the flash of blades, the intensity of the Martial Arts Assembly is no less than a real battle with clashing steel and armored cavalry.’
On a table at the north end of the training grounds sat three wooden boxes of different colors. The instructors from the three sects had already collected their disciples’ waist tokens and placed them into their respective boxes.
Liu Shengnian drew a waist token from the Xingyun Sect’s box, and the instructor from the Li Yang Sect did the same.
"Bi Lan."
"Li Song."
The two disciples whose names had been called rose and walked onto the training grounds, taking their positions in one of the designated sparring areas.
The instructors continued to draw waist tokens from the boxes, and another six disciples took the field.
Four instructors walked to the sides of the four sparring areas and shouted in near unison, "One! Two! Three!"
Hearing the signal, the eight disciples immediately engaged in combat.
In an instant, hundreds of pairs of eyes focused on the eight combatants.
Zhao Lin released his ultrasonic waves, scanning with his eyes while listening with echolocation, simultaneously monitoring all four matches.
After watching for a while, he began to grasp the differences between the martial ways of the three great sects.
The Xingyun Sect was located in the north, where the people were known for their ferocity. Their techniques were hard, violent, and swift. The Southern Suppression Sect, by contrast, excelled in agility and fluid movement, their styles full of endless variations.
The Li Yang Sect’s martial arts had the distinct flavor of the Western Regions, primarily focusing on techniques like throws, kicks, and grappling.
The matches went by quickly. It was rare for a fight to last until the sand in the timer ran out without a winner being decided.
As soon as a match concluded, an instructor would draw new waist tokens from the boxes, and a fresh set of disciples would take the field in a constantly revolving procession.
In the time it took to drink a cup of tea, over twenty matches had been fought. The most impressive performance, by far, belonged to the Xingyun Sect.
Thanks to their seven-breath combat drills, the Xingyun Sect disciples attacked with bold decisiveness, never hesitating or wasting a move.
Even when unfamiliar with their opponents’ styles and strengths, they rarely bothered with probing attacks. Instead, they launched into a full-blown assault from the very beginning, catching the disciples of the Li Yang Sect and Southern Suppression Sect completely by surprise.
Many of them left the field in a daze, having been utterly unable to display their true abilities.
The Xingyun Sect had won nearly half of the matches, completely overpowering the other two sects.
The spectating Xingyun Sect disciples were visibly delighted, while those from the Li Yang Sect and Southern Suppression Sect could only wring their hands and sigh, some even starting to complain.
"What’s with these Xingyun Sect people? The instructor barely yells ’go’ and they charge like they’ve just run into their father’s murderer."
"I know, right? They have no martial honor."
"We’d better be careful when it’s our turn..."
Zhu Hong’s eyes flickered. He looked toward Yang Lin. "Brother Yang, I never imagined that after only two years in charge of the inner court, your disciples would undergo such a complete transformation. It’s truly admirable!"
Yang Lin wore a placid expression. "Junior Brother Chu, you flatter me. The competition has only just begun; it’s too early to tell anything. I believe luck has played a large part."
Zhong Yuntian was starting to lose face. Just a moment ago, he had been confidently demanding twelve of the spots, yet he hadn’t expected to fall behind right from the start.
Although their strongest disciples hadn’t fought yet, this small sample gave a clear glimpse into Yang Lin’s teaching methods. Zhong Yuntian couldn’t help but start to worry.
In less than two hours, all the disciples ranked below the top twelve from each sect had completed one round of matches.
But it wasn’t over. The winners would fight another round to gain additional practical experience.
This round was even more intense, but overall, the Xingyun Sect still held the advantage.
Zhu Hong and Zhong Yuntian exchanged a look, both seeing the surprise on the other’s face.
They both understood now. Their own disciples weren’t losing due to a lack of strength. Rather, it was because they couldn’t adapt to their opponents’ aggressive assault, and their own styles were too conservative.
Having figured this out, both men simultaneously began to ponder what changes they could make to prevent their disciples from being forced onto the defensive from the opening move.
When the matches concluded, Hu Xuancheng transcribed three copies of the results and presented them to the three elders.
Yang Lin merely glanced at the list before looking away. In a questioning tone, he asked Zhong Yuntian and Zhu Hong, "What are your thoughts on how the top twelve should compete? Shall we start from the top-ranked disciples, or from the twelfth-ranked?"
Zhong Yuntian answered without hesitation, "The last two times, we went in reverse order. Let’s start with the number one disciples this time!"
He made this proposal because the Li Yang Sect’s chief disciple, He Liancheng, was exceptionally powerful. Zhong Yuntian was confident He Liancheng could win the first match, which would in turn boost the morale of the other disciples and help them perform at their best.
Otherwise, if they lost a few more matches, he wouldn’t be able to show his face here any longer.
Zhu Hong had the same idea and agreed, "Brother Zhong’s words are exactly what I was thinking."
Yang Lin nodded and sent a message via voice transmission to the four instructors on the field, informing them of the elders’ decision.
Liu Shengnian and the other instructors bowed with cupped fists toward the viewing platform, then called their respective sects’ top-ranked disciples onto the field.
He Liancheng of the Li Yang Sect, Xiao Jin of the Xingyun Sect, and Huang Guanglie of the Southern Suppression Sect—the three chief disciples—stepped onto the training grounds one after another.
The first match was between He Liancheng and Xiao Jin.
Xiao Jin’s Gold-Slicing Chop was incredibly sharp. Like a keen sword, it slashed out, leaving behind trails of light.
He Liancheng also practiced a metal-based Cultivation Technique. His energy clung to the edge of his palm and extended all the way to his elbow, forming a blade-like arc that curved into a crescent moon.
With each swing, this crescent blade transformed into a golden radiance that soared and spiraled across the training grounds.
When the two streams of energy collided, they actually produced the sound of clashing metal.
The spectating disciples all held their breath, their eyes wide, not daring to blink for even a second.
Zhao Lin was inwardly astonished. ’I may have improved quickly,’ he thought, ’but I only entered the Blood Realm a year ago. There’s still a gap between me and these two, the strongest disciples in all of Great Yue.’
’It looks like if I want to place in the Martial Arts Assembly, I absolutely have to break through to the First Layer of the Blood Realm!’
He resolved then and there that as soon as this internal competition was over, he would stop practicing his energy-based Cultivation Technique and focus all his efforts on breaking through to the next level of his realm.
In the blink of an eye, the two on the field had exchanged dozens of blows. Suddenly, He Liancheng spun his arm in a continuous motion, swinging his crescent energy-blade in a full circle.
The circle collided with the Gold-Slicing Chop several times. With a series of sharp "CLANG, CLANG, CLANG" sounds, He Liancheng abruptly retreated and stopped his attack, a faint smile touching his lips.
Xiao Jin froze for a second. He looked down and saw a gash over a foot long on the hem of his robes by his right hip.
Comments