Chapter 147 Acceptance

Chapter 147 Acceptance

The second round of the competition was indeed between the remaining contestants from the first round and the Kunlun disciples.

When the rules were announced, there was an uproar in the arena.

Do I have a chance of winning against the Kunlun disciples?

Which of the Kunlun disciples present wasn't a top performer in the competition back then? Moreover, they had cultivated in the Kunlun Sect for at least three years. Three years in the Kunlun Sect is a world of difference compared to disciples who haven't even entered the sect yet.

The referee gestured for everyone to be quiet, then continued: "Your challenge is not to defeat the fellow disciples present, but to do everything you can to hold out against them for even a moment, or to knock the baggage off one of their backs to win."

Immediately, everyone looked at the Kunlun Sect disciples present.

Not all Kunlun Sect disciples carried packs on their backs; only a few did.

"Not everyone has luggage. Is it a matter of luck who gets to be assigned luggage?" someone asked.

"That's not fair."

"That's right, didn't those who didn't get a senior brother with luggage miss out on an opportunity?"

A murmur rippled through the room. He frowned slightly; something was amiss.

That's not what I meant.

There were more than fifty of them, while the other side had fewer people, so it wouldn't be a one-on-one fight;

Even in a one-on-one situation, the opponent is a disciple of the Kunlun Sect, who has cultivated the Kunlun Sect's unique skills for at least three more years than them. The disciple who can carry this bag must be one of the best among them.

The Kunlun Sect disciples who were assigned luggage seemed to have an extra condition for winning compared to others, but this condition for winning was almost impossible to achieve.

Therefore, it must not be such a rule.

The one-on-one match just now has already taken place.

One-on-one tutoring assesses each individual's foundation, abilities, and talents.

The referee's disciple said that one of the rules for winning was to knock the baggage off the back of one of the Kunlun disciples, which meant that several Kunlun disciples would be guarding the baggage together.

Similarly, they will be grouped into groups of several people.

The previous one-on-one competitions focused on the individual, but the upcoming group matches should assess the potential disciples' strategic thinking and their ability to cooperate effectively with others.

Suddenly, everything became clear in my mind.

The people in the arena were still protesting, and they looked at each Kunlun Sect disciple with their luggage one by one.

If he could let them choose freely, he would at least first distinguish the most capable ones.

For a quarter of an hour, you either stay in the game or take away the opponent's belongings.

If he had a choice, he would definitely choose this combination. In this group, the Kunlun disciples who don't carry backpacks are good at defense but not good at offense, which would increase their chances of lasting for a quarter of an hour.

But the one carrying the baggage must be the one skilled in attack.

Only those skilled at attacking will attack, and only through attacking will weaknesses be revealed.

Only then could the baggage on his back be knocked away.

If that's the case...

The attention that was being turned away from the group was focused on one of them.

Coincidentally, the other person was also looking at him; but in the brief moment their eyes met, the other person looked away, as if it had been his imagination...

"Everyone, please don't rush. Let me finish. This round is a team battle. There are 54 of you in total, divided into six groups of nine. Your opponents are your fellow disciples, who are in groups of four, with only one person in each group carrying the pack. Therefore, there is no issue of fairness."

"This round of competition consists of three matches. The first gong strike marks the start, the second gong strike indicates that there is still one incense stick's time left, and the third gong strike marks the end of the competition. If any one of the nine participants remains, or if any one of them has taken away their belongings, then the group is eliminated, and the winning group advances to the final round."

"Note that if the group fails in this round, everyone will be eliminated. Your talents have already paved the way for you in the last round. If you make one wrong move, we'll see you in three years."

Ah, a commotion erupted in the audience.

"You have one incense stick's time to choose your opponents. Those who choose the same group of opponents will form a group. Once there are nine people, they will automatically form a group. Stop when you're ready. After the gong is struck, you can choose to start."

After the referee finished speaking, he immediately struck the gong.

He unfollowed almost without hesitation, immediately choosing the group he had just been eye-to-eye with.

This time, he was certain he hadn't misread it.

Because when the other person saw him, the corners of their mouth curled up slightly.

He was certain it was the same as before.

Because of panic, people are prone to conformity, and at least 80% of the remaining 54 people are conforming out of panic.

Only a few people, like those who unfollowed others, had already decided on their opponents from the very beginning.

Everyone's situation is different. Some people with good agility will definitely choose a group that appears gentle and defensive, without attacking; others, like those who unfollow, might be able to launch a sneak attack...

In just a few breaths, all the groupings were completed.

The order of the three groups will be determined by drawing lots.

Undoubtedly, the first team to go on stage suffered a disadvantage, while the three teams that went on stage later could learn from their experience.

However, the draw itself was already fair, and those who competed first would have priority over the next three groups if they had the same time and the same score. In this way, no one had any objections.

Unfollowing doesn't really concern me.

When we were drawing lots and forming groups, all I could think about was what I had told him before we ate the fish.

The biggest difference between martial arts sects and wandering knights is that sects have many disciples who can coordinate their actions and do not have to fight alone.

This is an advantage, but also a weakness.

Because a large number of people means a large number of ideas.

If a group of people goes down the mountain on business, and each person has their own idea, then no matter how capable the group is, it will be a disorganized mess that can't accomplish anything. Even if they manage to get something done by chance, they will eventually start arguing.

Therefore, for martial arts sects, their disciples must have certain consensus, a sense of the big picture, and obey the sect's orders and arrangements.

Otherwise, internal strife can lead to disaster. The more powerful disciples a sect recruits, the faster it will perish.

Each martial arts sect has its own way of making a living.

These responses require manpower.

Disciples of the sect learn martial arts and must also follow the sect's arrangements, such as going down the mountain or completing tasks on the mountain.

This is the foundation of the sect.

Therefore, the essence of every task is not to show off, but to complete the task.

When a sect selects disciples, in addition to talent, it also selects those who are responsible, have a sense of the big picture, obey commands, and know that completing tasks is more important than showing off.

The Kunlun Sect also selects its disciples in this way...

Those with talent in the previous round have already been given a chance, but in the next round, even if someone is very talented, they won't be able to join the Kunlun Sect if they don't prioritize a strategic perspective.

I sigh with regret.

Although the fishing faction is small, their approach to eating fish is quite reliable; at least in terms of philosophy, they're on par with larger factions like the Kunlun School...

While they were thinking, the group had already begun discussing how to divide the work.

They were lucky to be placed in Group 3 of the second round, which allowed them to learn from the tactics and experience of the previous round.

Before the previous round began, everyone had to briefly introduce themselves and their strengths.

Make others remember you, let everyone know where your strengths lie.

The criteria for winning are not strict; only one person needs to succeed in either of the two conditions.

In other words, it's possible to have eight out of ten players guaranteed a win.

I believe that most groups would choose to protect one member out of eight, and not blindly.

The group discussion began.

Everyone stated their name, strengths, and opinions on the upcoming competition.

When it came to the part about unfollowing, after finishing what he said earlier, he paused and lowered his voice to say, "We can also do an eight-protect-one strategy, but we'll do a slightly different one."

The unfollow message instantly attracted everyone's attention, and all eyes turned to him.

Even those who were just lost in thought or had their minds wandering.

"What's different about the 'eight-to-one' policy?" someone asked.

Unfollow: "Eight to protect one, as the name suggests, means that as long as the last person is left on the field, we win. Everyone agrees on this."

Everyone nodded.

Unfollowing continues: "But similarly, we can imagine that our opponents are all people who have been through the previous competitions, and they can also imagine that. So, the eight-protect-one strategy seems the safest, but it is actually the least safe – because no matter who we are protecting, the moment the other side realizes it, they will eliminate that person first."

A collective gasp swept through the crowd; indeed, it was true…

Just hearing about it sends chills down my spine.

If the person they agreed on to protect ends up being the first to be eliminated, it means the entire plan is disrupted, and they're back to being a disorganized mess.

Therefore, what seems to be the best plan is actually the plan most likely to fail.

“Some groups will definitely do this later, and we can see if they will be the first to be eliminated.” After he said “unfollow,” everyone fell silent, because they knew he was right.

"Brother, what you said about the different 'Eight Guarantees One' is..." someone asked.

He waved his hand, signaling everyone to come closer.

From childhood to adulthood, he was not good at martial arts and was not big, but he was strong and had a lot of clever ideas.

Therefore, he comes up with many bad ideas and causes a lot of trouble.

But over time, the more you use your brain, the more clever ideas you have...

The man lowered his voice and said, "We have nine people. On the surface, we're protecting A (who is in charge of A, B, C, and D) to attract the enemy's attention. Actually, we're protecting B. It's like a smokescreen, confusing the enemy so they'll keep attacking A, giving B a chance."

“So,” said the unfollower, taking a deep breath, “B needs to be flexible and good at acting, because from the beginning, he has to join the ‘eight’ in the ‘eight-to-one’ competition, and even act out the scene of sacrificing himself for A to show the opponents. Even if he is on the verge of being eliminated, he has to have the ability to handle things with ease and truly make it to the end.”

Perhaps it was because I was too nervous and confused beforehand.

Hearing Guan's words suddenly seemed to dispel the fog before my eyes. Because I truly saw the hope of victory, an overwhelming joy and excitement welled up in my eyes, and a surge of passion and excitement welled up within me...

Regardless of whether we win or lose this game, it's sure to be exciting.

As the saying goes, in the world of martial arts, what seems to be a contest of skill is actually brains. If you use your brain, you will attract people who also use their brains, but if you use brute force, you will attract people who also use brute force.

Hearing this, Wang Sumo began counting on his fingers: "Grandpa, Grandpa Weng, Brother Zhao, Bai Cen, Yu Tang..."

Yes, birds of a feather flock together; everyone at Bazhenlou is a smart person.

Wang Sumo applied what he had learned and continued: "I guess, eight protect one... Grandpa, you already exposed your survival ability in the arena in the last round. You can avoid being knocked out of the arena no matter what. So, eight protect one, on the surface you are protecting you, and other Kunlun disciples will believe it. In reality, you are protecting someone else."

The old man smiled without saying a word, the scene from the competition being vivid in his mind.

They did indeed deceive everyone, making everyone believe that the group was protecting one person out of eight, and that person was the one being protected.

"Actually, there is another way." Wang Sumo's voice rang in his ears, and the scene in his mind was vivid, as if it had just happened yesterday.

“Everyone on the other side thought that the group was protecting you, Grandpa, out of eight. And your random guy in the group also managed to fool everyone with his superb acting skills. But if a group puts all its hopes on one person, any mistake by that person will mean failure. So, you chose to have double insurance.”

Wang Sumo took a deep breath: "At the last moment before Passerby B lunged to 'save' you, he chose to dodge, catching the four Kunlun disciples off guard. By the time they realized that the 'eight-for-one' strategy involved protecting Passerby B, it was too late. They, including the Kunlun disciples carrying their packs, all rushed towards Passerby B. In fact, Passerby B had already calculated the timing and was safe. But you still had a backup plan..."

"When the opponents all rushed towards Passerby B at the end, you, who were already eliminated in the eyes of others, used the Water-Fetching Palm to push yourself back at the edge of the arena. More importantly, the Kunlun disciple carrying a bag exposed his back to you."

The old man looked at her, and the final scene was exactly the same as Wang Sumo's description. The scene was vividly recreated as if it had been described by Wang Sumo, lively, tense, and exciting...

He reached out, and closer, the luggage was right in front of him.

This is double insurance!

The Kunlun disciple in front suddenly turned around, a slight smile playing on his lips, as if he had guessed his plan.

He turned around, facing him, with his luggage behind him.

He can no longer remove it.

The smile on the other person's face was confident and composed.

But there was no panic in his eyes. He circulated his inner energy, and as he approached his opponent's chest, he unleashed the Stone-Piercing Palm—

The other party was shocked, clearly feeling the force of the palm strike, but he was unharmed, only his luggage was knocked off his back by the force of the palm strike.

The other person looked at him in surprise—

How did you do that?

In her astonished gaze, she forgot that she was also falling. She reached out, grabbed his arm, and pulled him back, preventing him from crashing heavily to the ground.

He smiled and took the bag from behind him, saying, "Thank you for the courtesy!"

[Author's Note]

Duan Duan: Where am I? Where am I? Why was I left out? ┭┮﹏┭┮

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This chapter also includes weekend red envelopes, which will be distributed together tomorrow at 12 PM.

See you tomorrow!