Chapter 29: A Decisive Victory Sparks Uproar!
One hour later.
The first round had ended.
128 people had advanced.
128 people had been eliminated, of whom 18 had perished and 21 had been crippled.
Of Shiyang Academy’s seeded contestants, only 3—Gu Lin, Zhao Yao, and Zhu Yuting—had advanced.
The rest had been eliminated one after another, and Li Jiuzhi had lost his life.
Throughout the entire first round, only 5 people had drawn the most attention.
Chuwei Prefecture’s most acclaimed contender, Yan Xu of the Yan Family!
The Tyrant King, Chu Sheng!
The Qilin Young Master, Zhao Yao!
Young Master Order, Li Zhixu!
And Heaven’s Chosen Daughter, Song Shiwei!
Of the top 15 in the outside betting houses’ odds, only Cao Wuji had been eliminated—and he had lost his life doing so, simply because he’d had the misfortune of running into the Qilin Young Master.
With the first round concluded, the 128 who had advanced stood ready.
Nearly 100,000 spectators, still unsatisfied, fixed their full attention on the lottery device.
Naturally, they hoped for clashes between the strongest!
Of all 128 duels in the first round, only the Qilin Young Master’s match had qualified as a true visual feast.
Centurion Zhu of the Literary Dao Academy stepped forward, his voice booming like a bell:
“The second round begins!”
The instant his words fell, the device shot out two stones.
The first match: 16 arenas, 32 people.
Gu Lin was not drawn.
Zhu Yuting was matched against Taikang’s Second Hero, who stood at the peak of Energy Condensation Eighth Level. After just two exchanges, blood streaming from his wounds, Zhu Yuting conceded outright.
Back on the high platform, Zhao Yao glanced sidelong at him.
“Don’t worry. The Zhao Family has already sealed the contract—you’ll get your Blade-Bearer position for certain!”
Zhu Yuting bowed deeply, his gratitude genuine and heartfelt:
“I will follow the Qilin Young Master to the death!”
In that moment, he knew his earlier decision had been brilliant beyond measure!
Giving up his own fortune in exchange for the Zhao Family’s promise.
Only by truly stepping into this slaughterhouse of heaven’s chosen did he understand how impossibly steep the climb was. How many peers with even greater strength than his had already fallen?
He couldn’t help but glance toward Gu Lin, not far away.
Did he regret it now?
If he too had signed the contract back at the county office’s Household Affairs Bureau, a Blade-Bearer position would have been his for the taking—after all, the Qilin Young Master had displayed terrifying strength!
The first match concluded, with 16 people advancing to the Round of 64.
In that moment, the 16 who had advanced wore expressions of fierce excitement, their eyes brimming with anticipation.
Win once more.
Win just one more time, and a Blade-Bearer position was guaranteed!
The second round’s second match began drawing lots.
“Gu Lin. Wei Xiangsi.”
As the two stones burst forth, they pointed straight to Arena 1.
“Wei Xiangsi!”
Yan Shouxu, Wei Xuan, and the others sucked in sharp breaths of cold air.
Energy Condensation Ninth Level!
Ranked 15th in the odds!
The direct grandson of the Heavenly Sound Sect’s Grand Elder!
Up in the stands, a group of Heavenly Sound Sect elders shot to their feet at once.
“Who is Gu Lin? The name seems familiar.” someone asked, startled.
A beautiful woman pressed her lips together and spoke respectfully:
“A month ago, his strength was only Energy Condensation Third Level. In his last battle, he displayed inner energy at Energy Condensation Fifth Level. I personally descended upon the Gu family to invite him to join the Heavenly Sound Sect and offered him generous terms, but the boy declined.”
“I never expected Young Master Wei would end up facing him!”
Hearing her words, the crowd’s expressions relaxed, not a trace of tension remaining.
The woman immediately added:
“This boy’s greatest advantage is his exceptional willpower. During Shiyang Academy’s willpower assessment, he actually surpassed the Qilin Young Master, Zhao Yao!”
Someone frowned, but their brow soon smoothed out again.
If they were at the same realm, Young Master Wei would genuinely be at a disadvantage against him. But with such a vast gap in strength between them, it posed no threat whatsoever!
Up on the high platform, as Gu Lin stepped onto Arena 1, a strikingly handsome young man walked slowly toward him.
He studied Gu Lin for a long moment.
Boom—
The drum sounded abruptly.
Wei Xiangsi’s black hair whipped wildly, his robes snapping and cracking, energy surging around his entire body like a roaring tide, carrying a mountain-shaking might as it swept forward.
Gu Lin’s toes touched down, and he leaped into the air. His right leg erupted with the sound of thunder as he unleashed 18 consecutive aerial kicks.
Whoosh—
He shattered the surging energy with brutal force!
Wei Xiangsi staggered back two steps, a dull ache spreading through his chest.
“Energy Condensation Seventh Level!”
The spectators from Shiyang County could hardly believe what they were seeing.
Even Deputy Magistrate Zhao and Headmaster Yan wore expressions of shock.
Could it be that Gu Lin had been concealing his true strength throughout the academy’s selection trial?
In a mere month, breaking through four realms in succession should have been impossible—it overturned everything they understood about cultivation.
Energy Condensation Seventh Level?
Li Qingwu was consumed with fury, her entire body trembling with rage. This monster—how vicious could he be? He’d possessed Energy Condensation Seventh Level strength all along, yet he’d deliberately humiliated her in public while claiming to be only Third Level, destroying everything for her and turning her into a laughingstock for everyone to mock!
“Heh…”
Zhao Yao let out a short, cold laugh.
No wonder he’d been so arrogant—so he’d already been at Energy Condensation Seventh Level all along, thinking he could carve out some reputation for himself in the sacred grounds’ selection trial.
Energy Condensation Seventh Level, and he thought he had the right to be so haughty?
Utterly laughable!
Zhu Yuting stared intently at Arena 1.
Although Gu Lin’s cultivation level shocked him, there was little suspense as to the outcome—the first move had only been a probe, and Wei Xiangsi had used merely 30 percent of his strength.
Sure enough.
Up on the arena, Wei Xiangsi laughed softly. This opponent was no mediocre talent; trying to finish him off with the least effort possible was clearly unrealistic.
Then he’d strike like thunder!
Every aperture on Wei Xiangsi’s body opened at once, his inner energy transforming into rippling waves like water patterns, an eerie wind howling like the wailing of hell’s ghosts. The terrifying sound waves even spilled over into the two neighboring arenas.
“It’s the Ghost Prison Yin Wind Howl!”
Someone cried out in shock.
Countless spectators turned their gazes toward Arena 1.
This move was the Heavenly Sound Sect Grand Elder’s own signature technique!
The Ghost Prison Yin Wind Howl—its sound waves carried mysterious yin and malevolent force, and once an opponent fell into the resulting illusion, their flesh would turn cold and their internal organs would shatter!
“Seal your apertures!”
“Seal your apertures, quickly!”
Many spectators shouted instinctively. Legend held that anyone caught by the Ghost Prison Yin Wind Howl had to seal off their apertures to block the sound waves, or else suffer a horrific fate!
Gu Lin didn’t move a muscle. Wave after wave of yin wind battered against his apertures, and every aperture across his body let out a droning hum, as if straining with all its might to resist the terrifying ghostly howl.
Standing below the arena in his Xiezhi robe, the Eastern Temple’s representative closed his eyes, looking thoroughly uninterested.
He was already prepared to declare Wei Xiangsi the winner.
Once the apertures sealed, this Gu Lin would inevitably suffer grievous injury!
Yet 99.9% of heaven’s chosen would choose exactly that—to seal their apertures against the ghostly howl!
Seeing his opponent remain motionless, Wei Xiangsi shifted left and right like a phantom, his footwork faster than flowing light, his ten slender fingers flicking through the air.
In an instant, the continuous sound waves transformed into a dense lattice of sword intent, the ring of blades echoing like ocean tides, the sword-force surging like waves—and with unerring precision, it stabbed toward every single one of Gu Lin’s apertures.
“The Tide-Born Melody of the Sea!”
“It’s the Heavenly Sound Sect’s most renowned technique, the Tide-Born Melody of the Sea!”
Countless powerhouses’ eyes lit up with admiration, many of them nearly unable to resist applauding.
Wei Xiangsi—what a prodigy!
Once the Ghost Prison Yin Wind Howl had been unleashed, sealing the apertures was the only path left to lessen the damage and preserve one’s organs and flesh.
But the moment the apertures sealed, the Tide-Born Melody of the Sea would arrive, and the opponent would become nothing more than fish on the chopping block.
Two cups of poisoned wine, and one had to choose.
What a magnificent offensive combination!
Wei Xiangsi—ranked merely 15th in the odds? Vastly underestimated!
The Eastern Temple’s representative in his Xiezhi robe raised a hand to disperse the sound waves below the arena, preventing them from affecting the neighboring platforms, but his gaze suddenly froze, his expression shifting to one of genuine astonishment.
For there stood Gu Lin, seemingly unaffected by any of it, dodging the dense lattice of sword-intent sound waves with total focus, the inner energy at every aperture across his body surging like a fountain. He was still unleashing those same 18 consecutive aerial kicks, gathering momentum and blood-energy, the sound of thunder growing several times more intense than before.
“He hasn’t sealed his apertures.”
“He’s not being affected by the sound waves at all.”
“Playing a lute to a cow?”
The Eastern Temple’s representative in his Xiezhi robe mused inwardly, unable to suppress a smile.
This Gu Lin truly was formidable!
Up on the arena.
The Nine Heavens Thunder-Runner Leg carved graceful arc after arc through the air, slamming directly into Wei Xiangsi’s shoulder. A sickening crack of breaking bone rang out, and Wei Xiangsi’s body flew backward several zhang like a kite with a severed string.
“I… I concede!”
Wei Xiangsi screamed hoarsely, his face utterly despondent as he stared in despair at the figure before him.
The Eastern Temple’s representative in his Xiezhi robe stepped onto the arena and announced loudly:
“Gu Lin wins, advancing to the Round of 64!”
In that moment, tens of thousands of people stared at Gu Lin in disbelief.
The tide of battle had turned in an instant.
No—not merely turned, but utterly crushed!
What they had assumed would be certain defeat had, in Gu Lin’s eyes, been nothing more than a game.
That was right—a game!
He had been toying with Wei Xiangsi from start to finish!
He hadn’t been affected by the Ghost Prison Yin Wind Howl at all!
Energy Condensation Seventh Level had actually trampled over Energy Condensation Ninth Level and stepped into the Round of 64?!
This Gu Lin—hadn’t even ranked in the top 30, had he?
Under the weight of countless eyes, Gu Lin walked calmly and unhurriedly back to the high platform.
His own willpower being so formidable—opening the Literary Palace’s Righteous Energy was only a small part of the reason. The greatest reason had to be the confidence the Book of Merit had granted him. And confidence meant an unstoppable, forward-marching will.
Unlike his previous battle, when he’d gone unnoticed and unremarked upon, countless eyes now fixed upon Gu Lin.
Even peerless talents like Chu Sheng and Song Shiwei were sizing up this Energy Condensation Seventh Level cultivator with open curiosity.
Shiyang Academy had only 10 competition slots, and everyone had been so focused on the dazzling glow surrounding the Qilin Young Master that they’d completely overlooked a figure like this.
As Gu Lin approached, walking straight toward him, Zhao Yao’s eyes turned sharp as blades, and he sneered coldly:
“Wei Xiangsi lost to a piece of trash like you—what rotten luck for him!”
He knew this Gu fellow had some special fortune that had forged his willpower—otherwise, how could he himself have suffered a setback?
Since his willpower was so strong, it naturally countered sound-based attacks. Wei Xiangsi had been fighting with his hands and feet bound in chains and shackles—facing this Gu fellow, he hadn’t been able to bring out even 40 percent of his true strength.
Letting this Gu fellow squeeze into the Round of 64 on nothing but luck!
Gu Lin’s expression remained impassive, his mind clear and untroubled, as he returned to his seat.
Wei Xuan, Lin Yan’er, and the others wore complicated expressions—none of them had imagined that, apart from Zhao Yao, it would be Gu Lin who stepped into the Round of 64 from Shiyang Academy.
Just as the sacred grounds had said, luck too was a part of one’s strength. Though Gu Lin had indeed countered Wei Xiangsi through his terrifying willpower, had his actual strength been insufficient, he would have already lost in that very first probing exchange.
“Congratulations.”
“Congratulations.”
Yan Shouxu, Wei Xuan, and the others offered their congratulations with smiles that carried a bitter edge.
Their own defeats were painful enough to bear, but a fellow academy talent’s success stung them even more deeply!
Zhu Yuting lowered his head, deep gloom pooling in the depths of his eyes—he’d never imagined that Gu Lin would end up shining even brighter than himself.
One more victory, and Gu Lin would secure a Blade-Bearer position!
“I hope he doesn’t draw a weak opponent.”
Zhu Yuting murmured under his breath, and to his own surprise, found himself actually praying for it.
He himself had paid an enormous fortune just to secure the Zhao Family’s promise, while Gu Lin had flatly refused any such deal, determined to earn his position through his own strength alone. The comparison filled him with unbearable anguish.
***
Among the nearly 100,000 spectators in the stands, the name Gu Lin had sparked an uproar.
What had his pre-tournament ranking been again?
Many people flipped through their program booklets.
“128th place—Gu Lin!”
128th place, and now he’d stepped into the Round of 64—and the critical detail was that his drawn opponent had been Wei Xiangsi, ranked 15th!
Could Gu Lin be forging a miracle? Had the pre-tournament prediction of “ranked over 100th but still securing a Blade-Bearer position” actually come true?!
“It’ll be difficult!” someone with reliable information spoke up rapidly:
“Word from the Heavenly Sound Sect side is that Gu Lin’s greatest advantage is his terrifying willpower—drawing Wei Xiangsi was simply a stroke of good luck for him. Wei Xiangsi’s signature killing move was completely neutralized because of it.”
“Wei Xiangsi miscalculated—he paid the price for his own arrogance. He tried to gather his strength for a single decisive strike, hoping to win as quickly as possible to save more energy for recovery. If he’d instead drawn things out gradually and dragged the fight into a prolonged battle, relying on his two-realm advantage in inner energy, he would certainly have won!”
Seeing the analysis laid out so reasonably, many spectators nodded in agreement.
So it had just been a fluke after all.
No wonder—ranked over 120th before the tournament even began, yet somehow still poised to make a run at a Blade-Bearer position.
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