novellaaa Chapter 24: Top 8 Matchups and Matchups Determined
Chapter 24: Top 8 Matchups and Matchups Determined
The day after the conclusion of the Secret Realm Trial, the Qingyang City Martial Arts Hall was even more bustling than usual.
The square, which could only hold 10,000 people, was now packed to the brim, with people even standing on the rooftops and treetops of nearby houses. Everyone was talking about the same name—Lin Chen.
That boy, who came from a poor family and lacked cultivation resources, only qualified for the competition after his last mock exam. He advanced to the next round with a perfect record in the group stage, and then made a comeback in the secret realm. He first confronted Zhao Xuan head-on, then crushed Chu Tiankuo with his strength, forcefully seized the core of the starry sky origin, condensed the silver star river luck that was once in a hundred years, and finally won first place in this round of secret realm points competition with an absolute advantage.
Lin Chen is no longer the grassroots boy who was ridiculed for "snagging a spot by chance." He is now the biggest dark horse in this competition and the contestant with the highest chance of winning the championship.
On the high platform of the main building, bigwigs from all sides arrived one after another, but the atmosphere was completely different from before.
Wang Hu, the mercenary guild leader, sat ramrod straight, his gaze frequently sweeping over Lin Chen in the contestant queue, his eyes filled with fervent anticipation. He could clearly see the swirling silver galaxy above Lin Chen's head, even more dazzling than yesterday—a sign that his destiny was absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to grow, enough to prove that Lin Chen's Dao heart and talent had already surpassed the realm of Qingyang City. He had made up his mind that no matter the cost, he would recruit Lin Chen into the mercenary guild, even if it meant giving up his own position as a bronze deacon.
Shen Qingzhou of Liuyun Martial Arts School gently swayed her folding fan, a faint smile playing on her lips. Her gaze fell upon the aura above Lin Chen and Su Qingyue's heads, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes: there was a subtle resonance between Lin Chen's silver starry aura and Su Qingyue's luminous white aura—a sign of their compatible Dao hearts. Her admiration for Lin Chen grew even stronger, and she had already drafted her recruitment conditions, waiting only for the finals to conclude before personally visiting him.
Lei Meng of the Fierce Tiger Martial Arts School had a complex expression. He still couldn't let go of his disciple Zhang Meng's defeat, but he also had to admit Lin Chen's strength. Now Lin Chen was at the height of his fame and fortune, and even if he wanted to suppress him, he wouldn't know where to start—forcibly making an enemy of a genius with such great fortune would only backfire on his own luck.
Zhou Cang of the Iron Fist Martial Arts School had a gloomy expression, his eyes fixed on the silver starry river above Lin Chen's head. His personal disciple, Zhou Lei, had also advanced to the top eight. If he were to encounter Lin Chen, not only would his chances of winning be slim, but he might even have his life's fortune shattered, and his path in martial arts completely severed.
Li Changfeng, the president of the Martial Arts Association, sat calmly in the center, his expression serene, though his heart was in turmoil. In his nearly century-long life, this was the first time he had witnessed such a flourishing and pure martial arts aura. He manipulated the Qi-observation incantation with his fingertips, clearly seeing the aura orbs of every youth present, their colors and brightness varying. He silently recited the secret rules passed down for centuries:
The Color-Based Rules of Martial Arts Qi (Secret Transmission by Li Changfeng)
- Silver: Exclusively inherited from the Star Martial Core, pure and immaculate, capable of devouring and transforming all fortune, a once-in-a-century find.
- Purple: Destiny and fortune, innate genius, blessed by heaven and earth, a once-in-a-millennium occurrence.
- Gold: Represents imperial fortune, leadership talent, and abundant blessings upon the region.
-Blue: Innate talent and luck, unmatched among those of the same level, cultivation speed far exceeding that of ordinary people.
- Cyan: Possesses exceptional talent and potential; with a little nurturing, they can achieve great things.
Green: Average luck, mediocre talent, diligence can compensate for shortcomings.
Yellow: Mediocre fortune, inferior talent, unlikely to achieve great success on the path of martial arts.
-Red: Auspicious and malevolent, with a cruel and violent nature, prone to backlash.
- Black: Declining fortune, the path of martial arts is coming to an end, with no further progress.
Lin Chen's silver fortune is the most superior of all fortunes, surpassing even the purple destiny fortune, and it can also devour and transform fortunes of any other color. He had a vague premonition that this young man's future achievements would far exceed the imagination of everyone in Qingyang City.
The contestants entered in a line, eight in total, each with a different aura, and the orbs of luck above their heads were even more distinct.
Chu Tiankuo and Zhao Xuan stood at the back of the line, their faces pale and their eyes dim. Chu Tiankuo's original blue aura of genius had dwindled to a mere wisp of pale blue-gray light, threatening to dissipate at any moment; Zhao Xuan's red aura of ferocity had transformed into a murky, dark red-black orb, filled with resentment and bitterness. Not only had they been defeated by Lin Chen, but their core auras had also been shattered, casting a thick shadow over their martial arts path. Even if they managed to advance to the top eight, they were destined to miss out on the championship.
Dressed in white, Su Qingyue stood beside Lin Chen. Her aura of coldness was elegant and restrained, and the pure, gentle, crystalline aura above her head was like moonlight, untouched by any dust. Her gaze towards Lin Chen held a hint of curiosity and anticipation—she could sense a strange attraction between her crystalline aura and Lin Chen's silvery starry aura.
The other four contestants had unremarkable luck: Wang Peng's was light green, Li Yao's was also light green, Zhang Hu's was dark yellow, and Zhou Lei's was earthy yellow. They looked at Lin Chen nervously, their eyes filled with awe. They knew that the gap between themselves and Lin Chen was not something that could be bridged by effort; it was an absolute crushing of luck.
Lin Chen stood at the forefront of the group, his expression calm, his aura restrained. Above his head, the silver starlight flowed slowly, dazzling yet unassuming. The Star Martial Core within his dantian was slightly warm, continuously absorbing the spiritual energy and dissipated pure fortune of heaven and earth, allowing his strength to steadily increase.
"quiet!"
President Li Changfeng raised his hand and pressed down, his deep voice carrying through the entire square with spiritual energy, instantly silencing all the noise.
"The finals of this year's citywide high school martial arts competition are officially beginning!"
The finals will be a single-elimination tournament, with two teams competing against each other. The winners will advance and the losers will be eliminated until the final champion, runner-up and third-place winner are determined.
The competition rules are the same as those for the group stage: prohibited drugs and hidden weapons, and attacks on vital points are forbidden; violators will be disqualified immediately.
To reiterate: Martial arts destiny is the foundation of a martial artist. Those whose destiny is scattered will never be able to break through their current realm. Those who maliciously plunder the destiny of others will also have their own destiny tainted, backfiring on their Dao heart. We hope everyone will uphold the true spirit of martial arts and engage in fair duels.
Now, let's proceed with the draw for the quarterfinals!
Staff carried in a bronze lottery box, and the eight finalists came forward one by one to draw lots.
Su Qingyue was the first to step forward and drew number 3, meaning she would appear in the second match. Just after she finished drawing, a small bird landed on her shoulder, drawing gasps of surprise from those around her.
Chu Tiankuo drew number 1, and Zhao Xuan drew number 8. The two will meet in the first match, staging a bittersweet duel between two geniuses. After drawing their lots, both sighed simultaneously, their expressions becoming even more grim.
Zhou Lei drew number 2. When he saw that his opponent was Lin Chen, who had drawn number 7, his face turned deathly pale, and his legs trembled slightly. The bamboo tube in his hand fell to the ground with a clatter and rolled a long way away.
The lottery results were posted on the notice board, and the entire room erupted in uproar:
Quarterfinal Matchups
Match 1: Chu Tiankuo (Qingyang No.1 Middle School, light blue with gray aura) VS Zhao Xuan (Experimental High School, dark red with black aura)
Second match: Su Qingyue (Qingyang No.2 Middle School, Yingbai Bingqing Qiyun) VS Wang Peng (Experimental High School, Danlv Qiyun)
Third match: Lin Chen (Qingyang No. 3 Middle School, Silver Galaxy Luck) VS Zhou Lei (Iron Fist Martial Arts School, Earth Yellow Luck)
Fourth match: Zhang Hu (Fierce Tiger Martial Arts School, Deep Yellow Luck) VS Li Yao (Qingyang No. 2 Middle School, Light Green Luck)
"Zhou Lei is so unlucky! He actually drew Lin Chen! That's Silver Galaxy Luck!"
"Is there even a need to compare? Lin Chen will definitely win! Zhou Lei can't even beat Zhao Xuan. Zhao Xuan's luck was even scattered by Lin Chen. Wouldn't Zhou Lei just be offering himself up as food?"
"I think Zhou Lei should just admit defeat to avoid getting injured and having his remaining earth-yellow aura scattered, preventing him from even breaking through to the Body Tempering Realm!"
The surrounding whispers reached Zhou Lei's ears, his face grew even uglier, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked, and his eyes were filled with resentment and fear.
Seeing this, Zhou Cang quickly transmitted his voice to Zhou Lei, his tone urgent: "Don't be afraid! Although his silver aura is strong, your earth-yellow aura is mainly defensive, heavy and stable. As long as you fully activate the Iron Fist Technique and concentrate your aura on your fists, you might be able to break through his star power! Remember, don't try to outlast him; find an opportunity to deliver a fatal blow!"
Upon hearing this, a fierce glint flashed in Zhou Lei's eyes, and he nodded. He took a deep breath, suppressing his fear, and forcefully circulated his internal energy, making the earth-yellow aura above his head even thicker. Even if he couldn't win, he had to fight with all his might; he couldn't disgrace the Iron Fist Martial Arts School, and he couldn't allow his aura to be completely shattered.
Lin Chen took in everything without changing his expression.
In the face of absolute strength and a superior level of fortune, any struggle is futile.