"Phew—" Lu Zhaozhao let out a long breath, expelling the stale air that had accumulated over the past three days.
The daylight outside the window was brilliant; the morning sun shone on the windowsill and onto her.
Lu Zhaozhao stood up and stretched her limbs. After three days of not moving, her joints were making a creaking sound.
She regulated her breathing and focused her mind to check her cultivation level in her dantian.
Mid-stage Nascent Soul stage.
Indeed, battle is the best way to hone one's skills. In the final battle of the first round, she fought with all her might, using up all her spiritual energy and true qi. First, she trapped Nan Rongrui and Changyu Lanshan, and then she severely injured Cheng Sangji, but she herself did not benefit from it either.
His internal organs were displaced and damaged, all the bones in his wrist where he wielded the sword were broken, the connected meridians were torn open, and his internal energy could not circulate, causing blockages everywhere.
It could be said that apart from looking pale, she was in a complete mess inside. That's why, when Thirteen Sister came forward to congratulate her after she passed the first level, she suddenly went black and collapsed into her arms.
Lu Zhaozhao's last memory was of Shisan Niang's exclamation and Tu San's hurried arrival; after that, she had no further memories.
When I woke up again, I was already in the small house in the bustling city.
Her wrist was wrapped in thick bandages, and her broken finger bones were fixed with a wooden board. All the external injuries were carefully bandaged. Without a doubt, it was Thirteen Sister and Tu San who did it.
Having gone through so much deceit and treachery, she is now eager to chat with them.
She pushed open the door and found the two of them standing outside. Lu Zhaozhao was delighted and wanted to greet them, but the spittle from their mutual insults flew past her even faster.
"What kind of quack doctor did you hire? He hasn't woken up after three days. Are you going to go to the second trial or not?" Thirteen Sister spoke first.
"Of course I'm not going. I'm already injured like this after just the first level, so of course I can't go any further!" Tu San chimed in.
"We've all passed the first hurdle! We're not going any further! There are less than two hundred people left now."
"You know there are less than two hundred people left! What about the others who participated? Did they not want to compete? Or are they all dead? You're sending her to her death!"
"I sent her to her death?" Thirteen Sister's tone turned sharp with anger. "I'm doing this for her own good. Among the remaining people, how many have higher cultivation than her? There aren't many in the eight clans, are there? You yourself are useless, yet you provoke others."
"I'm utterly useless?" Tu San was also furious, and rolled up his sleeves, ready to start a big argument.
Seeing that the situation was getting out of hand and that the two were about to start arguing, Lu Zhaozhao immediately stepped in to break them up.
"Don't get angry, don't get angry. Getting angry is bad for your health. Let's talk this out."
"Tch, I have nothing to say to him!" Thirteen Sister turned her head away.
"I have nothing to say to this old hag," Tu San said, turning his head away.
Caught between the two, Lu Zhaozhao was unsure which side to look at first, and stood there awkwardly.
Fortunately, the two of them paid attention to her first.
Thirteen Sister grabbed her arm and lifted it up and down, checking her over and over, asking, "Are you alright? Is anything bothering you? If so, I'm going to settle accounts with that quack doctor!"
“Hey, what are you saying? Wenlang is my friend, and I know his medical skills. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have called him to treat Guannan.” Upon hearing Shisan Niang’s words, Tu San immediately put down his clasped hands and reflexively replied.
"Who knows?" Thirteen Sister muttered.
Seeing that they were about to have another big fight, Lu Zhaozhao chose to flee the battlefield this time. She laughed and said, "I'm all better now, I'm all better now, I'm not hurt at all," as she walked out, waving goodbye and heading to the second competition arena.
After walking a hundred meters, she could still faintly hear the two arguing behind her, wondering what they were arguing about again. Lu Zhaozhao sighed inwardly, thinking: Why did I think of seeing both of them when I first woke up? Sure enough, I'm not suited for this kind of situation.
However, Lu Zhaozhao also thought that such a down-to-earth life was also enviable.
With many thoughts swirling in my mind, I unconsciously quickened my pace and soon arrived at the gathering point for the second stage.
Compared to the first level, there were far fewer people surrounding the second level, but the base number was large enough that it still looked like a considerable number.
Lu Zhaozhao knew the reason behind it all, and couldn't help but lower her eyes in sorrow.
She looked down at her toes, and suddenly a pair of cloud-patterned brocade shoes came into view.
Lu Zhaozhao raised her head in confusion. Standing in front of her was a man she had never seen before, who was more than a head taller than her. Making eye contact with him made it a little difficult for Lu Zhaozhao to keep up.
Lu Zhaozhao had a good memory; the person looked familiar, but she had never seen them before. After racking her brain, she finally matched the face with another one.
Aside from the demonic markings on his face, this person bore an uncanny resemblance to Changyu Lanshan. However, their temperaments were vastly different—one impetuous, the other composed—giving their similar features entirely different impressions, which caused her to pause in surprise for a moment.
With the same appearance and still in the Ming Palace, this person's identity is quite clear.
"Commander Longyu." Lu Zhaozhao took a step back and nodded in greeting.
Lan Guan, who was standing in front of him, was somewhat surprised and asked, "Do I look a lot like Lan Shan?"
“They are practically identical,” Lu Zhaozhao replied. She had heard before that the two brothers had different fathers, but they were still of the same clan, so it was reasonable for them to look alike. However, she did not expect them to look this alike.
Upon hearing this, Changyu Languan seemed pleased and continued, "I heard that you single-handedly defeated Lanshan and the little girl from the Nanrong family, so I wanted to see what kind of person you were. Seeing you today, I can confirm that you are indeed extraordinary."
Wasn't she here to avenge her brother and cause her trouble? Lu Zhaozhao was a little confused, but still nodded her thanks.
Changyu Languan seemed to have come to take a look, said a few words and then left for the high platform, it seems he was the chief examiner this time.
As Lu Zhaozhao watched his departing figure, she thought to herself: These two brothers have such different personalities.
Within moments, the members of the eight clans arrived. Cheng Sangji smiled and nodded at her. Tu Danxi followed Cheng Sangji's gesture and nodded back, though he looked somewhat foolish. Nan Rongrui, however, was no longer as unruly as before. He gave her a cold look and then turned away. She had expected Changyu Lanshan to be angry after being trapped last time, but instead, he only glared at her fiercely before turning to look at Changyu Languan on the high platform, his hatred even greater than when he had looked at Lu Zhaozhao.
"What grudge could they possibly have?" Lu Zhaozhao thought to herself.
On the high platform, Changyu Languan strolled to the edge, as if he wanted to say something.
The noisy crowd below the stage fell silent instantly, craning their necks to look at him, as if trying to hear every detail.
Standing atop a high point, Changyu Languan's deep voice echoed throughout the area: "I will be in charge of the second round of the competition. Please listen carefully and do not violate the rules. The second round..."
"Wait!" A clear voice came from the side, interrupting Changyu Languan's words.
The crowd below the stage was somewhat surprised, thinking to themselves, "Who is so blind as to interrupt Commander Changyu? They must be tired of living."
Lu Zhaozhao was also surprised. She turned her head to look in the direction from which the voice came. When she glanced at Changyu Lanshan, she saw a mocking smile on his face, as if the person who was embarrassed on stage was not her own brother.
Not far away, a man dressed in a blue robe stood in the middle of the road. His gentle and refined appearance seemed completely out of place in this bloody competition; he looked more like a scholar who had passed the imperial examination.
Upon seeing the face clearly, both the Eight Clansmen and Lu Zhaozhao were startled.
The person who arrived was Wen Sheng.
Changyu Languan walked down from the high platform and stood in front of him. The two looked at each other and were speechless for a moment.
From Lu Zhaozhao's perspective, the two were about the same height, but the pressure that Chang Yulan Guan brought to her when he stood in front of her was far greater than that of Wen Sheng. Could it be because Wen Sheng was always so amiable to her whenever she met him?
She was somewhat puzzled, but the two people with the highest status in the room were clearly at odds.
One is a commander, the other is a demon king.
One was the main force opposing the Demon Lord, and the other was the Demon Lord's most powerful supporter.
The atmosphere between the two was tense, as if they were about to fight at any moment.
Everyone watched with bated breath, some filled with anticipation, others with worry.
But the scenario everyone expected did not happen. Chang Yulan took a step back and bowed. Wen Sheng smiled warmly and supported him with both hands. To those unaware of the situation, they seemed to have a close relationship.
Wen Sheng said a few words, and Chang Yulan Guan replied with a smile. The two walked side by side onto the high platform.
“Your brother and the Demon King have a good relationship.” Jie Yi rubbed against Changyu Lanshan with his hand, but Changyu Lanshan dodged away in disgust, saying, “I’ve already told you he’s not my brother.”
Jie Yi nodded, not intending to argue with him.
After Wen Sheng stepped onto the stage, he said, "The second round of the competition will take place within the Ming Palace's forbidden area. The area inside was personally hunted by the Demon Lord and sealed. The levels inside and outside are different, and the points obtained from hunting them are also different. The rules are very simple: whoever gets the highest score in the end will have a higher final ranking. The top fifty will advance."
"Finally, I wish you all great success in your military endeavors!"
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