After the first round of screening, the second group competition begins. This competition allows one to four people to form groups. All groups go to a pre-designated area of the sea to catch a certain type of swordfish. Only the top ten groups with the most fish will be selected, even if they are tied.
In this way, even if each group of people who entered the top ten had four people, the number of people competing in the end would only be forty.
After the first round of competition, excluding three pairs of opponents who were disqualified due to a tie, there were still 142 candidates left.
Luo Jiujiang naturally formed a team with Han Qianling. He had already made up his mind before this group competition to put an end to Du Yaochuan's mess.
The two stood at the edge of the designated beach, looking at each other, and could clearly see the smiles in each other's eyes. They had previously had a brief discussion about this competition, and Han Qianling even asked Luo Jiujiang, "Do you need me to 'sing'?"
"No need." Luo Jiujiang touched his chin and smiled in a nonsensical way, "This time... let's go rob."
…………
Of course, Luo Jiujiang doesn't rob just anyone.
Some civilian youths, not from any of the Twenty-Nine Surnames, were alone and unorganized. Even if Luo Jiujiang saw that they had made significant gains, he wouldn't rush into attacking them, even though he knew they might become a formidable opponent in the upcoming matches. This wasn't because he was afraid of facing a tough opponent, but simply because he understood how difficult it was for them to advance and didn't want to hinder them.
His main targets were the playboys who had some conflicts with him in the past.
Luo Jiujiang commanded the support of his peers, with relatives and friends scattered across Daimao Island and numerous friends on the other six islands. However, since he wasn't a spirit stone, he couldn't please everyone. Therefore, while he didn't have many rivals, he did have a few.
Some disliked his uninhibited and forthright style, some envied his cultivation, which far surpassed that of his peers, and still others were unwilling to see him dominate. The Seven Islands held annual gatherings and connections. Luo Jiujiang had been targeted by others in the past, and he had retaliated several times.
His reason for picking these people was simple: they all had some prior connections, were familiar with each other, and were easy targets. Furthermore, these rival groups often had several strong teammates to help them advance, so after two or three rounds, the top spot was practically guaranteed.
Luo Jiujiang and Han Qianling's rapport wasn't cultivated overnight, and their coordination was naturally far superior to those of makeshift teams. Furthermore, they were both exceptionally adept at swimming. After their initial "free range" period, they reaped a bounty, reaping a harvest like wheat, sweeping across the designated sea area like a whirlwind.
"Luo Jiujiang, you are so lacking in virtue!"
Putting his opponent's curses behind him as usual, Luo Jiujiang emerged from the sea and let out a long breath: "Is this the fifth one?"
Han Qianling nodded: "The targets you have decided on have almost been robbed."
"Then it's time to catch the big fish." Luo Jiujiang grinned, "Where's Du Chuan?"
Han Qianling immediately pointed in one direction.
"Excellent!" Luo Jiujiang put his hand on Han Qianling's shoulder and took a deep breath. "Let's go and meet him!"
——————
"Brother Chuan, this is the sixteenth one."
Du Chuan's team consisted of four people. Besides him, the other three were all elite disciples of the clan, and they all followed his lead. Du Chuan smiled and nodded at the young man who came to report, thinking that the disciples of the clan were indeed obedient and compliant. The situation now was different from when he was in the sect.
This match was already a sure win, so the next single-player match was naturally a piece of cake. Du Chuan's face revealed a certain irrepressible smugness, as if he could see himself entering that secret realm in the next moment, improving his cultivation, and returning to the sect to impress others...
But Luo Jiujiang and Han Qianling were a thorn in his side. Du Chuan's eyes gradually darkened as he recalled his father's repeated instructions to him that he must lose to Luo Jiujiang in this competition.
A young boy named Luo, still wet behind the ears, had no idea what kind of luck it was to have such a powerful master. But so what? A sneer slowly appeared at the corner of Du Chuan's lips: Let them be proud for a while, the day they enter the secret realm will be their death!
Even if Senior Brother Li didn't exchange the things for him... Thinking of this, Du Chuan's brows tightened again: He only knew that Li Renxing came here for some tasks, but he didn't know that the other party had such a big appetite and asked for a huge amount from him!
Bastards, bastards, just like those two brats from the Luo family, they were all worthless. One day, he would step on the corpses of these people and make them dare not say a word to him anymore.
Just as he was filled with resentment, he suddenly felt a chill on the back of his neck. Du Chuan turned his head sharply, only to see Luo Jiujiang's sharp blade!
"Luo Jiujiang!" Du Chuan quickly drew his sword to block the opponent's weapon. Shocked and furious, he blurted out without thinking, "You dare not even listen to your master?"
"Did the seawater flood your brain while you were fishing?" Luo Jiujiang looked at him in surprise. "Why would I come to trouble you? What does this have to do with my master?"
Du Chuan gritted his teeth and said grimly, "We clearly agreed that we would settle this at the finals... but you're causing trouble for me privately and ignoring your master's arrangements. Aren't you afraid that he'll blame you?"
"Ah, you really are meddling in other people's affairs." Luo Jiujiang laughed heartily, but the blade in his hand became increasingly fierce. "It's not your turn to worry about our relationship as master and disciple. Du Chuan, you wanted to kill me before. Did you really think that after all the fancy fights in the competition, you could pretend nothing happened?"
"You want to cover up the hatred of my life so hastily, Du Chuan, do you think I, Luo Jiujiang, am a coward who swallows my anger? Haha, come, let me wipe your eyes——"
Every word of his final words was like spring thunder, a powerful wave of sound blasting off Luo Jiujiang's tongue. Even Du Chuan, prepared for the situation, felt dizzy and dazed. In the blink of an eye, Luo Jiujiang's blade was already thrusting directly into Du Chuan's face! Even as Du Chuan pulled away, Luo Jiujiang's blade grazed his left cheek, leaving a bloody wound.
Witnessing the change in the situation and Luo Jiujiang's assertive stance, Du Chuan, unwilling to engage in further combat, decisively floated to the surface, his white flag in hand ready to signal his withdrawal. However, just as he soared a few feet, a sudden thought struck Du Chuan: Luo Jiujiang and Han Qianling, the twin peaks of the Seven Islands, have always been inseparable, and vice versa.
Before he could figure out where this ominous premonition came from, a figure appeared from the water waves as if out of thin air and stepped down on his face with a clean and decisive footsteps.
"Is your neck clean? Go down——"
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