Chapter 1272: Chapter 1272: Five Fools Academy
A few days passed in the blink of an eye.
With the arrival of the last academy team, the Hundred Schools Competition, known throughout the Central Region, had fully gathered at the Heavenly Hidden Academy.
This also signified the official start of the Hundred Schools Competition.
...
The next morning, at the crack of dawn.
At the Five Spirit Peak, several Academy Stewards arrived, controlling the air.
The Five Spirit Peak is where the Heavenly Hidden Academy hosts its guests.
For this Hundred Schools Competition, all the academy teams are temporarily staying here.
The arrival of the Academy Stewards is to lead each academy team to participate in the grand competition.
Outside the Five Spirit Peak, adjacent to another mountain peak, is the Heavenly Hidden Twelve Peaks.
Those twelve peaks represent the cultivation grounds for the most outstanding disciples of the Heavenly Hidden Academy.
At this moment, between the Five Spirit Peak and the Heavenly Hidden Twelve Peaks, a massive Martial Arts Arena had been set up.
Around the arena, the viewing seats had already been arranged.
Before long, each academy team settled into their seats.
In the very front of the center was the seating area for the Heavenly Hidden Academy.
Sitting above these seats were naturally the elders of the Heavenly Hidden Academy, well-known powerful figures in the Central Region.
At this moment, an elder stood up from the seats and, with a flash, appeared on the Martial Arts Arena.
Xiao Yi recognized this elder.
It was indeed Deacon Youu.
Although Deacon Youu was only an Inner Sect Deacon, his power and status were no less than that of the Twelve Peak Elders.
Xiao Yi glanced at Deacon Youu, his expression indifferent.
The Heavenly Hidden Academy had only one Martial Arts Elder who impressed him, and it was none other than this person.
Deacon Youu’s ascension was merely to say some welcoming words to the various academy teams.
Xiao Yi wasn’t interested in listening because he knew that before the start of such grand events, there was always a lot of customary polite talk.
After ten minutes or so, Deacon Youu finally stopped talking.
Then, Deacon Youu began explaining the rules of the Hundred Schools Competition.
"The Hundred Schools Competition is divided into three rounds."
"The first round is the elimination match, held on this Martial Arts Arena."
"The second round, the Heavenly Hidden Secret Realm team battle..."
"..."
An entire hour later, Deacon Youu had finished explaining the rules of the event.
It’s not that these rules were complex or lengthy.
But because the Hundred Schools Competition is a grand event in the Central Region, marked by extreme solemnity and rigor.
Deacon Youu finished speaking and returned to the viewing seats.
The disciples of each academy team stood up and went to draw lots.
According to the rules, the first round is the elimination battle.
The disciples of each academy first draw lots, then determine their opponents and compete based on the drawn numbers.
Every academy team has 50 disciples participating in this competition.
Therefore, the total number of Heavenly Talents in the Hundred Schools Competition is 5,000.
The first round of the elimination battle does not count for ranking, but the outcome will determine whether a contestant can enter the second round.
Out of 5,000 Heavenly Talents, only 3,000 will proceed, eliminating 2,000.
In other words, the first round will eliminate nearly half of the Heavenly Talents.
The intensity of the competition is easy to imagine.
Moreover, those who come to participate in the Hundred Schools Competition are all elite disciples from various academies, be they Chiefs or Direct Disciples.
With such a large gathering of Heavenly Talents, how will victors be decided?
It’s easy to imagine that the first round of battles will reach an astounding level of intensity.
According to the rules, the second round is a team battle.
In an ideal scenario, if all Hundred Schools were of equal strength, each academy team would have 30 disciples entering the second round out of 3,000.
However, it’s evident that the strengths of the academies cannot be the same.
There will be differences in strength among the Heavenly Talents.
It means that some stronger academies may have all 50 disciples advancing to the second round.
Weaker academies might face complete elimination in the first round, with no one advancing to the second round.
Such rules undeniably make the first round of elimination battles extraordinarily important.
The already intense first round will further escalate in intensity due to the yet-to-come second round rules.
Xiao Yi finally understood why this grand event is called the Hundred Schools Competition, rather than the Hundred Schools Grand Meet or the Hundred Schools Event.
Because this is a contest that requires struggle.
Only the word ’compete’ could describe the intensity within.
In other words, unless you are lucky enough to draw an opponent significantly weaker than yourself.
Otherwise, for almost all Heavenly Talents present, a tough battle awaits.
...
It took a full hour for all 5,000 Heavenly Talents to finish drawing lots and return to their seats.
On the Martial Arts Arena, three deacons from the Heavenly Hidden Academy stood in the center, serving as referees for the first-round battles.
In the seats, there was a clamor of discussions.
At the Black Cloud Academy’s seating area, Xiao Yi glanced at his lot, "56."
Beside him, Qing Lin also looked at his lot, "Mine is 112, fortunately, I’m not against you."
The other academic disciples were also comparing their numbers.
The drawing of lots for the first round is random; no one knows who they’ll be up against.
But, the only certainty is that they won’t let Heavenly Talents from the same team compete against each other.
If coincidentally drawn against each other, they’d redraw.
Like Xiao Yi and Qing Lin, if they drew opposing numbers, they would need to redraw.
Since the first round competition determines how many disciples each academy team can advance to the second round.
Of course, the drawing for the first round needs to be fair enough.
At the Black Cloud Academy, there were no disciples requiring a redraw.
In other academies, dozens of instances required a redraw.
After another round of draws, ten minutes later, the three referees on the Martial Arts Arena finally confirmed, nodding.
"The Hundred Schools Competition, the first round of the elimination battle, begins immediately."
One of the referees spoke in a deep voice.
The bell-like voice resonated throughout the arena.
Next, another referee glanced at the document in his hand and loudly announced, "Number 1, Tong Ye from Black Cloud Academy, come on stage."
Indeed, Tong Ye drew number 1, stepping up first.
"Watch me bring us a good start," Tong Ye smiled confidently, and with a flash, leaped onto the Martial Arts Arena.
On the Martial Arts Arena, the referee continued, "Number 2, Yun Ju from the Five Fools Academy, come on stage."
"The Five Fools Academy?" A wave of discussions erupted from the surrounding spectators.
"Starting with the first match, a disciple from one of the Five Great Academies is fighting? Exciting."
The Five Fools Academy, one of the Five Great Academies.
Ranked second in the last Hundred Schools Competition, only after the Heavenly Hidden Academy.
The academy’s disciples are all formidable.
"Do you two have any questions?" The referee looked at Tong Ye and Yun Ju on the Martial Arts Arena and asked.
Both shook their heads.
"Very well." The referee nodded, "The first round, the first match, begins."
As soon as he finished speaking, the three referees instantly flashed to one side of the Martial Arts Arena.
Immediately, Tong Ye and Yun Ju both exploded with momentum.
As soon as the two started fighting, exchanging blows, the surrounding spectators gasped again.
"This Yun Ju is a Power Mad Disciple; that young guy from Black Cloud Academy is in trouble."
At the Black Cloud Academy’s seats, Xiao Yi frowned, "Power Fool?"
A moment later, Xiao Yi nodded, "Turns out he’s a Body Cultivation Martial Artist."
"What immense strength." Xiao Yi was slightly surprised.
On the Martial Arts Arena, Yun Ju suddenly stomped heavily, causing the entire ground to shake incessantly.
...
The third update.
