Chapter 243: Chapter 232: Seeded Player
Before the official matches began, two things had to be done: first, an inspection of bone age, and second, a test of fist strength.
Disciples participating in the Martial Gathering could not be older than thirty. This was a rule that had been in place for centuries, and no mistakes could be tolerated. Each of the Five Nations dispatched a Primordial Realm elder to oversee the verification process.
One hundred and sixty disciples filed out from the viewing stands and, under the guidance of steward disciples, made their way to the west side of the courtyard.
Of these disciples, forty-one were from Wuzhu, thirty-two from Weizi, thirty-four from Great Yue, thirty from Wuche, and twenty-three from Xiuzhao.
With the exception of Weizi, the number of disciples from each nation was a fair reflection of their respective strengths over the past two decades.
Weizi had lost six spots due to the assassination incident, dropping them from second to third place in terms of representation.
On the west side of the courtyard, members of the Lotus Sect set up a long table. Five elders sat behind it, using the Jade Illumination Skill to inspect the bone age of each disciple in turn.
"Bolta, twenty-four years old. Muheli, twenty-nine years old..."
The Lotus Sect had specifically chosen a few Blood Realm disciples with booming voices. After each inspection, one of them would loudly announce the disciple’s age, ensuring even those in the opposite stands could hear every word.
The first to be inspected were the disciples from Wuzhu. Bolta stood out from the crowd like a crane among chickens, a full head taller than anyone else.
Zhao Lin sized him up for a moment. Even from a distance, the man’s presence was immense. ’With a frame that massive,’ he thought, ’his movements are bound to be slow.’
’But according to the book Sect Leader Lu gave me, he knows a cultivation technique called the Gathering Body Skill that can drastically increase his speed. I wonder just how fast he can get?’
The inspection proceeded smoothly, and before long, it was the turn of the disciples from Great Yue.
Zhao Lin walked to the front of the table and felt five streams of Primordial Qi enter his body from different points, sweeping back and forth across his ribs.
The elder representing Great Yue was Zhu Hong from the Southern Suppression Sect. Naturally, he knew there was no issue with Zhao Lin’s age, so he merely went through the motions before declaring, "Twenty years old."
The elder from Xiuzhao echoed, "Twenty years old."
The other three elders withdrew their Primordial Qi and nodded in agreement.
The herald disciple shouted, "Zhao Lin, twenty years old!"
A buzz immediately swept through the viewing stands. Many of the disciples from the other nations turned to stare in astonishment.
One’s twenties are the golden years for martial arts training. Each additional year of age provides a significant advantage, which was why most of the participating disciples were over twenty-five.
For someone like Zhao Lin, who had only just turned twenty, to be participating in the Martial Gathering was completely unheard of.
"Sect Leader Lu, that Zhao Lin is a disciple of your Xingyun Sect, is he not?"
In the stands, Shangguan Xi stroked his beard, a look of shock on his face.
The corners of Lu Chaohuan’s mouth curved upward. "He is indeed," he said with a smile.
Shangguan Xi spoke in a probing tone, "I have been observing the Martial Gathering for over thirty years, and if memory serves, I have never seen a disciple younger than twenty-three."
"I wonder, Sect Leader Lu, is this arrangement purely for the sake of giving him experience?"
The implication was clear: by all rights, someone as young as Zhao Lin couldn’t possibly achieve any respectable results.
The Xingyun Sect must have sent him to participate for the purpose of fostering his development and giving him training.
Lu Chaohuan’s expression turned serious as he shook his head. "Zhao Lin earned his spot with his own strength. It was not a result of any special favor from me."
"Is that so? My apologies for being presumptuous."
Shangguan Xi said hurriedly, his tone apologetic.
"Think nothing of it..."
Over in the Weizi section of the stands, Elder Gu jerked his chin slightly toward the field. "Is that the one Huo Shan wants eliminated?" he asked the man beside him, Elder Mai.
Elder Mai sneered. "That’s him! A twenty-year-old brat. How much of a threat can he be? I have no idea what Huo Shan is thinking."
Elder Gu let out a sinister chuckle, his eyes turning vicious. "Huo Shan has a good eye for people. I fear the boy will become a major threat in the future."
"It would be best if he’s grouped with one of our disciples. We could eliminate him directly in the ring..."
About half an hour later, the bone age inspection was complete. No issues were found with any of the disciples.
Next came the test of fist strength.
Before the first round of groupings, the disciples needed to be roughly categorized by strength.
A completely random assignment could easily place several of the strongest or weakest disciples in the same group, which would be unfair.
Many factors contribute to a martial artist’s overall prowess, but raw power was the most direct measure. For the Martial Gathering, disciples were divided into five tiers based on their fist strength: A, B, C, D, and E.
They would then be split up into groups by drawing lots, ensuring each group contained one disciple from each of the five tiers—A, B, C, D, and E.
Of course, there were disciples whose overall combat ability far outstripped their raw power, but the rules couldn’t account for every possibility. If such a disciple ended up in a group with a powerhouse, they could only blame themselves for not focusing enough on strength.
This was also why strength was considered a top priority in cultivation.
The five elders rose in unison and moved to a nearby Eight-legged Tripod.
This Eight-legged Tripod was larger and more robust than the one in the Xingyun Sect’s inner courtyard. Its Crystal Pillar was also more refined, with every increment marked in fine detail.
The fist strength test could not be conducted in a fixed order, as going first put a disciple under greater pressure and at a distinct disadvantage.
While the bone age inspection was underway, a steward from Xiuzhao had been writing each disciple’s name and nation on wooden plaques and placing them in a large wooden box.
Now, a plaque would be drawn from the box, and the disciple whose name was called would step up to strike the target.
"Wuzhu, Chi’Erhu," the steward disciple called out.
A burly man emerged from the Wuzhu disciples. He walked up to the Eight-legged Tripod, took a deep breath, lunged forward, and threw a punch.
BAM!
The mercury in the pillar surged upward, stopping at the three hundred thirty mark.
Each disciple had two attempts for the test. The burly Wuzhu disciple took a couple of breaths and threw another punch.
This time, his result was slightly better: three hundred thirty-two.
The burly Wuzhu disciple seemed dissatisfied with his score, muttering to himself as he walked to the side.
The Lotus Sect herald loudly announced, "Wuzhu, Chi’Erhu, fist strength three hundred thirty-two!"
A nearby scribe quickly recorded the result.
One after another, disciples from the various nations took their turns.
"Xiuzhao, Chen Guan, fist strength two hundred ninety."
"Weizi, Ai Li, fist strength three hundred five."
"Great Yue, Shi Xiutian, fist strength three hundred three..."
Most of the disciples shook their heads and sighed after striking the target, a clear sign that the pressure had prevented them from displaying their full strength.
Watching their performances, a powerful surge of confidence rose within Zhao Lin.
Strength was the first ability he had obtained from the Spirit Beast Scroll. From the very first old ox to the later exotic bear, it had been continuously reforging his physical body.
Although his power was no longer growing as explosively as it had in the beginning, he could still feel it changing.
The last time Zhao Lin had tested his fist strength was over a month ago, and he had just barely managed to touch the five hundred mark.
At that time, he had infused his Stone Roar Fist with Wind Attribute True Qi to unleash his strongest attack. His Ice Attribute Celestial Frost Fist, while its chilling energy was formidable, was actually slightly weaker in terms of raw power.
’In that case,’ he thought, ’my strength will definitely be among the top, which will give me an advantageous position in the group selections later on.’
’I’m a seeded competitor!’
At this thought, Zhao Lin’s ambition began to swell.
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