novellaaa Chapter 6 Rulemakers
Chapter 6 Rulemakers
A grand competition in a small paradise!
Fang Qi's spirits lifted.
"This grand competition is overflowing with treasures—spiritual swords, magical artifacts, cultivation techniques, supernatural abilities, and even Foundation Establishment spiritual objects!" Xiao Dacheng exclaimed excitedly. "Who wouldn't want to give it a shot?"
Even if we don't manage to snatch the treasure, being noticed by one of the elders is still an incredible opportunity!
"The number of people buying elixirs, swords, and talismans naturally increased."
The Small Cave Heaven Grand Competition is held irregularly by the Dongxi Sect. Every time it is held, almost all the Qi Refining disciples go crazy, especially outer disciples like them.
Without connections or resources, this kind of competition may be one of the few opportunities they have in their entire lives.
If you manage to seize a great treasure or achieve a good ranking, you will be like a roc riding the wind for ninety thousand miles in a day, and one day you will become a celestial being!
"A Foundation Establishment Spiritual Being!"
Fang Qi longed for it.
Foundation building is extremely difficult; so difficult that countless people spend their entire lives trying to even touch the edge.
Especially for someone with ordinary spiritual roots like him, under normal circumstances, reaching the late stage of Qi Refining already signifies great fortune.
Foundation building is extremely rare, one in ten million.
However, if one can obtain a Foundation Establishment spiritual item, the probability of Foundation Establishment will be greatly increased.
Such spiritual objects are rare in the outside world, and only appear in grand events of the immortal sects, such as the Small Grotto Heaven Grand Competition.
Despite his excitement, Fang Qi remained remarkably calm.
The Small Cave Heaven Grand Competition has no cultivation level limit; anyone in the Qi Refining stage can participate. At that time, there will be many in the mid-stage and many in the late stage. As someone in the early stage of Qi Refining, he will definitely be cannon fodder.
"Is Senior Brother Xiao planning to participate?" Fang Qi asked Xiao Dacheng.
"Of course I'll participate!" Xiao Dacheng clutched two protective talismans in his hand. "I've been preparing for this day for a long time! What about Junior Brother Fang? Why don't we go together?"
"Thank you for your kindness, Senior Brother Xiao, but my cultivation is weak, and I'm afraid I would only be a burden to you if I went in. So I'll participate this time instead." Fang Qi smiled self-deprecatingly.
That so-called Small Cave Heaven Grand Competition is indeed tempting, but compared to the entire Republic of China world, it's just a drop in the ocean. He doesn't need to take that risk.
As for Senior Brother Xiao, he originally wanted to offer some advice, but upon further consideration, he realized that the other party's cultivation was much higher than his own, and he was also a talisman master with many methods. How could he possibly start the Foundation Establishment opportunity just because of a few words from him?
"Wishing Senior Brother Xiao a triumphant return in advance."
"Haha, thank you for your kind words, Junior Brother!" Xiao Dacheng waved his hand, and two talismans landed in Fang Qi's hands. "Junior Brother's Jade Marrow Ointment last time worked very well. These two protective talismans are for you. When you return to Little Cave Heaven, I'll find you for a drink!"
"Thank you, Senior Brother." Fang Qi bowed in gratitude.
A protective talisman costs one and a half spirit stones, which is more expensive than a Golden Gang Talisman, so he usually can't bear to buy one.
I'll remember this courtesy.
When Senior Brother Xiao returns, he will definitely bring some good medicine.
After leaving Xiao Dacheng's stall, Fang Qi found a stall selling pills, bought two bottles of Qi Gathering Pills, and quickly left the noisy market.
The Little Cave Heaven Grand Competition appears lively on the surface, but it's actually quite chaotic behind the scenes. Cultivators of the Tribulation and Demonic Realm often take advantage of this time to make their fortune, so it's best to stay away from the outside.
......
The Republic of China era, Tianjin, tomorrow will be bright.
The Fang residence was exceptionally lively today.
In the open space outside the mansion, a fighting ring was built high.
Dozens of people surrounded it.
These people were all robust and had an extraordinary presence.
Especially the five people in the middle, just standing there without making any movement, exuded an invisible pressure that made people around them afraid to approach.
"My lord, there are fifty-one people participating in the martial arts competition."
Inside the main hall, Fang Qi leaned against the couch, while Jia Si reported on the martial arts competition.
"There are 25 people from Xingyiquan School, Fenglei Martial Arts School, and Black Dragon Society, and another 26 people from other second-rate martial arts schools."
"Among them, Fu Yi of Xingyi Quan School has achieved the Great Perfection of Ming Jin, with a total of seventy bones connected; Ding Lang and Ding Nan of Feng Lei Martial Arts School have sixty-eight bones; and Lin Zhan and Lin Zhou of the Black Dragon Society have sixty-five bones."
These five individuals are the five most powerful Ming Jin masters in this martial arts competition, and the pre-selected top five.
Fang Qi picked up a slice of iced watermelon, and the icy sweet juice melted in his mouth.
There were detection talismans placed over the arena, so even without Jia Si's report, he knew the strength of those dozens of people very well.
For example, Lin Zhan of the Black Dragon Society, who was clearly close to the perfection of Ming Jin with ninety bones in his body, only said to have sixty-five bones in his body.
It seems either they're pretending to be weak to take advantage of others, or they have ulterior motives.
But it doesn't matter.
Most importantly, the event was organized in a way that made people feel good.
In the cultivation world, the big shots hold a grand competition, and he, a lowly newbie, goes in to fight.
But here, he's the "big boss." He not only doesn't compete, but he also organizes competitions and sets the rules.
"Let's start the match. There are no rules in the ring, just don't kill anyone."
There are many rules and regulations for martial arts competitions in Tianjin, but Fang Qi doesn't like being constrained by rules and regulations.
The more freedom those outside have to express themselves, the more genuine insights he can gain.
The sound of a golden gong echoed throughout the mansion.
"The match begins!"
Chen Qing and Hou Bai, as the only two guards of the Fang family, were responsible for drawing lots, maintaining order, and arranging the competition.
"It's already started? There isn't even a referee?" Everyone looked around, but apart from Chen Qing and his companion, there was no one else.
"Everyone says that the master of this Fang family is an outsider, and now it seems that's probably true, since there aren't even many guards."
"Not many are good! The rewards for this martial arts competition are so high, even the loser gets a lot of money, which shows that this master is generous. The guards here are worth a try!"
"That makes sense!"
The crowd buzzed with discussion, and the competition on the stage officially began.
According to the drawn number cards, they competed in pairs. There was only one rule: if someone fell out of the ring or was unable to fight, the winner was determined.
Fifty-odd people may seem like a lot, but in reality, progress is very rapid.
In a battle between martial artists, victory or defeat can often be decided in an instant.
More than twenty matches were all completed in less than two hours.
The loser receives a dollar, and the winner continues the draw.
The second and third rounds were faster, taking only an hour in total.
At noon, the final eight winners were determined.
Needless to say, the five Ming Jin masters defeated their opponents with almost every move, naturally standing until the end.
The other two came from a second-rate martial arts school called White Crane Martial Arts School. They had only connected thirty bones and were not among the strongest of the fifty people.
However, both of them used underhanded tactics, which was truly unethical and despicable.
What angered everyone even more was that someone skipped the first three rounds of the competition and stood with these seven people.
"Who's that kid in black? What's he doing standing there?"
"I'm afraid it's some young master from the Fang family who wants to hone his skills."
"Young Master? There are no brothers or fathers on the arena. Don't be looking for your teeth on the ground later."
The crowd was filled with righteous indignation, and criticisms were endless.
Chen Qing and Hou Bai couldn't help but twitch as they looked at the young man on the stage.
"Brother Chen, if something happens, we won't be able to explain ourselves even if we're in the right."
Those seven people on stage are all seasoned veterans; wouldn't that guy be asking for a beating if he went up there?
If the host family is injured, the boxing gym must hold them accountable!
"Keep a close eye on them. If anything seems amiss, rush in and stop them as quickly as possible."
After much deliberation, Chen Qing could only come up with this solution.
Me? To stop?
Hou Bai immediately fell silent.
Any one of those people on the stage could send him flying with a single punch, so how could he stop them?
But now that things had come to this, Hou Bai understood another layer of meaning in Chen Qing's words.
The attempt to stop it is a pretense; the real intention is to express a stance.
If something really happens, and they risk their lives to save the boxing gym, then the gym can justify their actions.
But today, I'm bound to suffer a beating.
Despite the doubts of the crowd, the martial arts competition continued.
In the first match, Lin Zhan of the Black Dragon Society faced Guan Kun of the White Crane Martial Arts School. Although Guan Kun used many underhanded tricks, Lin Zhan, who had mastered the Ming Jin technique, was superior and won by a narrow margin.
Of course, this danger is what others see; what Fang Qi sees is another side of the story.
"Lin Zhan is a man who keeps his true nature very well hidden."
In the second match, Fu Yi from Xingyi Quan School faced Ding Lang from Fenglei Martial Arts School.
On paper, Fu Yi was stronger, but he unexpectedly lost, as Ding Lang's Wind and Thunder Kick was even more ferocious.
In the third match, Ding Nan from Fenglei Martial Arts School faced off against Sun Hao from Baihe Martial Arts School.
This match was the most exciting of the first three. Ding Nanming, who had achieved the Great Perfection of Ming Jin, dominated the early stages, but was suddenly ambushed in the lower body by Sun Hao, who had achieved the Lesser Perfection of Ming Jin, and fell out of the ring in disarray.
In the final match, the young man in black faced off against Lin Zhou from the Xingyi Quan school.
"Lin Zhou has already pierced through sixty-five bones and has never been defeated on the stage. Those he defeats are all seriously injured. That kid who cut in line is really unlucky."
"Three days ago, there was also a martial arts competition in the East District. Lin Zhou directly shattered his opponent's skull. That kid will probably be next."
As soon as he stepped onto the stage, the crowd below overwhelmingly sided with Lin Zhou.
After all, cutting in line is shameful, but getting a direct lift is even more infuriating.
Almost everyone wanted to see the young man in black get beaten up by Lin Zhou.
Contrary to everyone's expectations, Chen Qing and Hou Bai stood nervously at the edge of the ring, ready to fight to the death for their master.
clang!
With the sound of a gong, the competition began!
Holding a long sword, Lin Zhou kicked off with his back foot and shot forward like an arrow.
The swordsmanship was so fierce that everyone seemed to already see the black-clad youth being cleaved in two by this single strike.
Bang!
Fang Qi didn't move, but Lin Zhou's fierce slash missed its mark, and he fell directly off the stage.
"I lost."