Chapter 338: Chapter 168: Fiery Hot
’...Even though he had now reached Perfection of Contemplation, condensed his Divine Sense, and developed a nearly photographic memory.’
’It was still just as irritating!’
’...God knows he would much rather be cultivating alone in some remote, quiet place.’
’If only he had a Root Technique...’
’Perhaps, after I get my hands on a Root Technique, I can go back to Old Ox Back to cultivate?’
’That way, he could avoid all these tedious and troublesome matters...’
...But Qin Fang knew this was just a fleeting thought.
The situation with his master and the others was unknown, and he had to find out what happened.
...He owed his master an immeasurable debt. If not for him, he would have died more than a year ago.
He never would have encountered the martial path, let alone reached his current level.
Master, Mistress, Senior Brother... and even Monkey, Xiao Qi, Qinghe, Xiao Jiu...
These were the people with whom he had formed true bonds since coming to this world.
Now, they were all missing.
To put it grimly, their fates were unknown!
...He chose to be high-profile because he wanted to enter the Heavenly Gang Wuji Sect as quickly as possible and secure a relatively high starting point. Then, he would try to find information about his master and the others.
If his master and the others were still alive, all would be well.
But if something had truly happened to them...
...Qin Fang’s fists clenched, and a grim, blood-red light glinted in his eyes!
「The next day, at the crack of dawn.」
They assembled once again.
This time, however, only the people from D Building gathered.
About two to three thousand people were left.
Many people had been eliminated on the spot during yesterday’s preliminary selection.
...These were the ones whose Cultivation was only at the Early Anjin Stage.
Qin Fang, of course, left early in the morning and went to his usual spot at the teahouse to watch the matches.
The place was bustling with excitement. Although Qin Fang hadn’t deliberately disguised himself, no one recognized him...
...Even though he had stolen the show the day before yesterday, the viewing area for the common people was a good few hundred meters from the arena. How could an ordinary person make out someone’s face from that distance?
Even a Mingjin Martial Artist wouldn’t be able to.
Only experts at the Middle to Late Anjin Stage, whose five senses had begun to sharpen, could have likely made out his features clearly.
’...Besides, who would expect that ’Qin Fang,’ the man predicted to be the top candidate of this Martial Arts Examination, would show up at an inconspicuous teahouse early in the morning to watch the matches?’
The people of Lanyang City clearly knew today was the day of the arena tournament, which was far more exciting to watch than the preliminary selections of the first two days. After all, this was a real fight between Martial Artists!
Naturally, no one wanted to miss this grand annual event.
Therefore, the crowd was nearly as large as it had been on the first day of the examination.
The clashes between Anjin Martial Artists were actually quite a spectacle. Their fists and feet moved like the wind, their speed was incredible, and their every leap and maneuver drew waves of cheers from the crowd.
Qin Fang noticed that, sure enough, many people dressed like they were from various Commerce Associations or wealthy families had appeared nearby. They pointed at the arenas, clearly interested in recruiting some of the participants.
Commerce Associations, Escort Agencies, wealthy families in need of guards...
...Don’t be fooled by the harmony within Lanyang City. Outside its walls, this world would eat a person alive.
Anjin Martial Artists were considered formidable experts out in the wider world.
Qin Fang also saw some commanders of the Black Armored Soldiers—figures around the rank of Hundred Households—scouting for talent. They were likely looking to recruit certain Dark Force Powerhouses into their ranks.
The Martial Arts Examination was intended to select disciples for the Heavenly Gang Wuji Sect.
However, it was also a way for the Court to recruit talented individuals.
It was just that the vast majority of top-tier talent ultimately chose to enter the Heavenly Gang Wuji Sect.
「Day by day, time slipped away.」
The site of the Martial Arts Examination remained feverishly intense each day.
A Nineteen Courtyard was also swarmed with visitors daily.
It reached a point where Qin Fang didn’t dare return to the Post House until the Hour of the Ox.
During this time, the residents of the other three courtyards and one building all began sending gifts to Qin Fang.
This included Shen Han, Xue Yi, Fu Chen, and the rest...
...The Divine Clans backing them all sent lavish gifts!
It was a clear signal that they were seeking peace.
...To be blunt, he had no deep-seated, irreconcilable hatred for these Divine Families.
In retrospect, their previous disputes were nothing more than minor squabbles.
The people from the Divine Families weren’t fools. Were they really going to fight to the death with the top candidate of the Martial Arts Examination over such trivial matters?
For Shen Han and the others, being repeatedly defeated and humiliated by a country bumpkin was naturally a great insult.
But if that person was the top candidate of the examination...
How could that be called an insult?
Faced with the olive branch they extended, Qin Fang was not one to be unforgiving. He even took the rare step of personally receiving them.
Facing the young masters and ladies, whose expressions were still a bit stiff, he smiled and raised his wine cup. "The fact that I was able to reach the True Essence realm before the Martial Arts Examination is all thanks to the ’angel investment’ I received from you all... As the saying goes, we wouldn’t know each other if we hadn’t fought. We’ll be fellow disciples in the future, so let’s not dwell on our past minor conflicts. Come, I’ll toast you all."
Although none of them understood what Qin Fang meant by "angel investment," their eyes gradually brightened when they saw him raise his cup for a toast.
Realizing this was Qin Fang’s way of putting their past friction behind them, they all naturally raised their cups in return.
After a cup of wine, smiles of relief appeared on everyone’s faces, and they even gradually began to chat amongst themselves.
Among them was Liu Rushi. The look she usually gave Qin Fang was always tinged with resentment, but now...
Her eyes were full of longing, her gaze captivating...
It was getting a little intense.
...Qin Fang pretended not to notice.
「In the blink of an eye, five days had passed.」
Early that morning, Qin Fang and the others were assembled.
Because today, their rankings would be officially announced, and they would proceed with... their second round!
When they arrived at the familiar plaza, a massive ranking board stood tall in the center.
As they were all Huajin Martial Artists, their eyesight was astonishing. Qin Fang looked up and immediately saw his name.
"First Place: Qin Fang. 590 Points! (Pending Inner Sect)!"
Five hundred and ninety points!
Qin Fang wasn’t surprised, however.
His score from the first round of the examination was actually 580 points. One meter, one point. Simple and direct.
But the final point calculation involved other factors...
Namely, age!
Using thirty as the baseline age, one point was deducted for every year older, and one point was added for every year younger.
He was exactly twenty years old... one month shy of turning twenty-one.
So, he was awarded a full ten extra points.
As for second place...
"Second Place: Hong Tao, 138 Points. (Pending Inner Sect)"
’It’s not Duan Ling?’
Duan Ling was in third place with a final score of 130 points.
His first-round score was 127 points for 127 meters. The three additional points meant he was twenty-seven years old.
"The second round—the arena tournament—will now begin!"
"Those under thirty with ’Pending Inner Sect’ status may challenge anyone in the top twelve seats. Those within the top twelve may also challenge those ranked higher to secure their position. If you wish to issue a challenge, please fill out a challenge slip over there!"
A Black Armored Soldier stepped out from the crowd and announced loudly.
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