Chapter 59 Daily Arena Battles
Zhong Cai stood in a corner of the arena and gradually felt a dark cloud looming over him.
He quietly turned his head to take a look.
Wow, dozens of them came from all directions.
Although most of them were not enlightened cultivators, each family still had at least seven or eight people, which was quite frightening... Shouldn't they all be frantically attacking the arena and knocking their competitors off the stage?
Shao Qing noticed that doubt was gradually appearing on the face of this young man, Zhong.
After a moment's thought, he understood Zhong Cai's idea.
Shao Qing explained, "Brother Wu's strength is extraordinary. None of the disciples in this arena are his match. Naturally, they all want to see more of Brother Wu's skills and also to test their abilities. Moreover, Brother Wu's previous victory over Qiao Ming makes them even more curious."
He smiled again.
"The arena battles will end today. The champions of the other arenas have already lasted for seven or eight rounds, and some are in their final round. The challengers are all preparing near the arenas, and we can roughly tell how the defending champions will fare."
·
What Shao Qing didn't dare say was that because Wu Shaogan could usually defeat people very quickly, the cultivators who attacked the arena earlier, except for Qiao Ming, didn't have time to expend too much of their profound energy. It didn't even affect their ability to continue attacking the arena.
Qiao Ming himself had actually successfully defended his title.
He also relied on speed to defeat the enemy, and had already completed the mission a few days earlier.
Wu Shaogan directly defeated a champion, so the members of the Bai and Shao families were naturally very excited.
The Qiao family members, besides wanting to "take revenge" for themselves, also wanted to see the Bai and Shao families suffer a setback.
·
Zhong Cai could roughly understand Shao Qing's subtext from his expression, and her mood became somewhat complicated.
Although his old man Wu may not necessarily be the villain, he is definitely the boss. It's just a fight in the arena, and only one round has passed, but so many people have come all at once... It seems that they are also treating old man Wu as the boss to defeat?
Zhong Cai turned her head to look at the arena and clenched her fist.
Even if he gets rejected, his old man Wu is still the best!
·
Just as Shao Qing said, the three families began to send people up in a very regular manner.
The first family was the Bai family, then the Qiao family, then the Shao family... and so on, one family after another.
These people were all quite strong, but none of them were a match for Wu Shaogan.
Some cultivators tried to fly into the air to fight after entering the arena, but Wu Shaogan's movements in the air were just as fast and agile, making the challengers appear even more clumsy—although Enlightened cultivators can levitate, they are not particularly nimble to begin with. Since they couldn't defend against Wu Shaogan, there was no need to continue doing so.
It was as if they were under some kind of curse; the cultivators would all be defeated within ten rounds.
What's even stranger is that they had all watched the previous battles, and the new champion only used a few tricks each time. They knew they were useless, but they just couldn't block or dodge them!
After the match, we should ask them what they learned from it.
Their only takeaway was that they should hone their strength, learn better movement techniques, and practice flying.
It seems like I need to practice in all aspects.
Soon, all three sides had fielded their forces for three rounds.
This is the final match of the second round of challenges, and the one taking the stage is a young powerhouse from the Bai family.
He's about the same level as Qiao Ming, though slightly less famous, but both are considered promising talents from the Bai family.
Unlike the previous nine who quickly left the arena, this pride of the Bai family was able to persist in fighting Wu Shaogan.
·
The pride of the Bai family was extremely domineering in his actions. Although his speed was not as fast as Qiao Ming's, and even slower than Wu Shaogan's, his intuition was quite sharp.
Wu Shaogan chose to engage him in close combat.
Before he could even react, Bai Jia's pride instinctively began to defend himself.
Therefore, he was always able to block Wu Shaogan's attacks by just a fraction of a second.
Admittedly, Bai Jia's pride had to retreat a few steps every time he was attacked, but his movements were also very skillful, and even in great danger, he was never knocked off the stage.
However, Wu Shaogan's movements were too elusive, and each time he made a move, it was with a brutality that was completely different from his temperament!
Each thrust of the hard bow's sharp tip produced a piercing sound, penetrating even the Bai family's pride's protective soft armor! The hard bow crashed down with extreme ferocity, producing a deafening explosion like metal shattering stone, forcing the Bai family's pride to dodge and deflect the force—he knew very well that even the slightest carelessness, a mere glancing blow from the hard bow, would cause immense damage to his body.
That bowstring was also extremely terrifying.
Even the seemingly gentle stroking sounded like tearing silk, carrying a chilling killing intent.
Bai Jiajiaozi felt his life was threatened every moment.
It's not that his response was inadequate, but rather that he lagged behind his opponent in every aspect.
Even though he was a seasoned veteran and could somewhat compensate for his shortcomings, he could only barely hold on and was unable to launch a sufficiently powerful counterattack against Wu Shaogan.
Gradually, the Bai family's pride was running out of Xuan power.
Wu Shaogan was already standing at the other end of the arena.
Almost no one saw what he did; all they saw was that his long arrow was already nocked on the bowstring.
He was always too fast when he drew his bow and shot an arrow.
The proud son of the Bai family immediately realized that the arrow tip was pointed at his brow.
At the same time, there was a faint killing intent emanating from his heart.
The pride of the Bai family quickly looked up.
It turned out that there was more than one long arrow on the bowstring.
His two vital points were threatened by the two arrows.
·
Zhong Cai wanted to applaud Old Wu, but he rolled his eyes and just chuckled.
Shao Qing's eyelids twitched slightly.
It wasn't anything else, but rather that he confirmed his discovery from Zhong Cai's snickering.
Brother Wu, you could actually have been even faster in dealing with the Bai Qiang.
But perhaps he also realized that the three families wanted to use him for training, so he chose to fight Bai Qiang in close combat—in fact, also to hone his own close combat skills.
Even his previous war of attrition with Qiao Ming might have been a way for him to hone his own movement skills.
After his initial frustration subsided, Shao Qing couldn't help but smile and praise, "Brother Wu, you have such a calm mind."
Zhong Cai said with a grin, "Shao Gan has always been this capable."
Shao Qing felt that he didn't think he was praising him like that, but what Brother Zhong said seemed to make sense.
The two continued to look at the stage.
Bai Qiang also admitted defeat.
·
Wu Shaogan sat down cross-legged as before and slowly regulated his breathing.
At the same time, he looked at Zhong Cai.
As expected, he received a bright smile and a concerned look from Zhong Cai.
Wu Shaogan stared intently at Zhong Cai.
Apart from Zhong Cai, everything around him seemed to be invisible to him.
Shao Qing did not interrupt the couple's eye contact.
He just thought about it for a moment and felt that this Brother Wu on stage was really quite...special.
It must not be my imagination.
If he, an outsider, were to get any closer to Brother Zhong, Brother Wu's gaze would sweep over him slightly, without any malice, but with a scrutinizing quality. However, if he maintained his current position—just close enough to speak without getting too close—Brother Wu would completely ignore him, as if he didn't exist.
Shao Qing touched his chin, somewhat sighing.
In his memory, he had never seen such a harmonious couple before.
·
The arena battles continue.
Many other champions, when defending, face too many opponents and inevitably spar with each other in their spare time, so they have some understanding of each other's techniques. Therefore, as the battle progresses, they are often targeted and attacked, leaving them in a very sorry state.
But to the children of all ethnic groups, such a disheveled state is seen as heroic.
No one will find it objectionable.
When it was Wu Shaogan's turn, he maintained a complete victory.
Many clansmen gritted their teeth and felt uncomfortable, but they also vaguely admired Wu Shaogan.
·
No one like Wu Shaogan appeared on the other levels of the arena.
Therefore, Wu Shaogan also attracted the attention of the powerful figures who were surveying the entire venue and sitting on the high seats.
Several powerful cultivators were conserving their energy, waiting for their battle to begin. Therefore, those accompanying the city lord and supervisors were all elders from the Fusion Realm of their respective families.
City Lord Yang, also a Fusion Realm cultivator, had already noticed a larger crowd gathering near a certain consecrated arena and ordered his subordinates to investigate. He himself had also scanned the area from afar with his divine sense.
The supervisors beside them were powerful experts who hadn't paid much attention at first, but after seeing Lord Yang's actions, they glanced at him.
After watching several scenes of his juniors being defeated, the elder of the Shao family chuckled slightly: "These youngsters were so arrogant before, but now that they've met their match, they know how big they are!"
The elder of the Qiao family pondered, "Qiao Ming has never shown it on his face, but he actually thinks highly of himself. Relying on his Black Ming Flag, he doesn't take his peers seriously. It's fine in our small town, but when he goes to the big city and competes with other prodigies, he will definitely suffer. It's good that he can experience it in advance."
The elder of the Bai family said irritably, "Although your son suffered a crushing defeat when he was on top, he has a firm will. Instead of being discouraged, he was able to adjust quickly and successfully passed this hurdle. His future will definitely be bright... You old codger, just be happy, why are you saying all those high-sounding things?"
The elder of the Shao family suppressed a laugh and said, "The Qiao family lad is indeed quite good. We cultivators have always gone through hardships, how can we always be victorious? Losing on the arena not only saves our lives, but also broadens our horizons, which is much better than encountering such a life-or-death crisis while traveling."
The elder of the Qiao family immediately smiled broadly and said in a good mood, "I will accept your praise for Qiao Ming on his behalf."
The elders of the Bai family were too lazy to pay him any attention.
The elder of the Shao family smiled kindly again.
Beside him, City Lord Yang was also satisfied.
Competition between families is often extremely bloody.
Perhaps due to the abundance of resources throughout history, the three top families in Jade Dragon City are engaged in healthy competition.
There was overt vigilance, but no covert underhanded actions.
For him, the city lord, this was naturally very convenient.
The supervisors seemed to be doing alright.
They weren't just responsible for the orders of one city; there weren't many places as relaxed as Jade Dragon City.
However, Lord Yang and the supervisors were not very interested in the fact that the consecration arena was being guarded by outsiders.
Given their background, they've seen far too many exceptional individuals.
A level four city is only considered to be of the lower-middle level, and the energy of heaven and earth is not very rich, so even those with heavenly-grade talent rarely emerge.
But if it's a city of level two or higher, the Heavenly and Immortal grade geniuses there...
Some of them were only in their twenties when they had already built palaces!
The difference between cities and the difference in talent resulted in such a terrifying disparity.
·
The arena battle lasted for several hours.
A cycle can be completed in about half an hour.
Although Wu Shaogan's moves remained largely unchanged in the previous nine matches, the challengers who came up to challenge him were incredibly diverse, using a dazzling array of mysterious weapons and techniques.
In the final round, the battles often last longer.
However, as the games progressed, Wu Shaogan may have improved, or he may have become impatient, and the time he spent on the game gradually decreased.
Seeing this, some members of the clan continued to call for more people, while others couldn't resist joining in themselves.
·
Zhong Caizhen has seen quite a few companion treasures... or imitations of companion treasures.
Mysterious artifacts are one thing, but most of them are just the eighteen kinds of weapons.
However, he also encountered some cultivators who had summoned the souls of rare beasts.
Some of these beast souls are used for auxiliary combat, maintaining a strength similar to that of cultivators, and can be used in two-on-one battles... although they are not very useful.
Some are "cavalry," flying through the air and swooping down, or riding beast spirits to charge, while wielding weapons themselves, bringing even greater attack power.
Some beast souls attach themselves directly to cultivators, causing changes in their physical form, such as increasing their speed and strength several times over, or giving them an extra layer of armor or a pair of beast claws.
Zhong Cai couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.
"Wow!"
"Whoa!"
"hiss--"
But every time he exclaimed in surprise, the next sentence would always be: "Old Wu beat him up!"
Shao Qing's emotions fluctuated at first, but later she became somewhat numb.
No further thoughts.
·
At this point, Wu Shaogan had reached the final round.
The cultivators from the three families had agreed to give him an even greater challenge.
As a result, all the previously defeated geniuses, such as Qiao Ming and Bai Qiang, returned to the arena to challenge the champions.
This is also a war of attrition.
The main person consumed was Wu Shaogan.
Geniuses are all somewhat arrogant. Even though they had decided to deal with Wu Shaogan this way, they all wanted to fight the first match—the one where Wu Shaogan was at his full strength.
Finally, they drew lots to determine the order.
·
Zhong Cai took everything in, glanced at Old Wu who was still recuperating, and said to Shao Qing beside him, "I feel that your strength is no less than theirs, why don't you go up and have a match?"
Shao Qing raised an eyebrow and asked, "How do you know, Brother Zhong, that my strength is no less than theirs?"
Zhong Cai said matter-of-factly, "The Young Cadres Association often sparred with me, and he also taught me how to distinguish the aura at each minor level of the Enlightenment Realm."
Shao Qing smiled and said, "The two of you have a very deep relationship."
Such praise is actually quite repetitive; every time Shao Qing talks to Zhong Cai, he always has to give her a compliment after a few sentences.
But Zhong Cai loved listening to it!
Since Shao Qing always praised him like that, Zhong Cai would always pay attention to him.
In reality, while Shao Qing genuinely felt that the two had a good relationship again, he was also well aware that no matter how patiently Wu Shaogan taught Zhong Cai to distinguish auras and helped him adapt to them, it would be useless if Zhong Cai himself was not perceptive enough.
Zhong Cai could not only discern the level of enlightenment, but also sense the approximate range of Shao Qing's strength even before Shao Qing released his pressure. This demonstrated his exceptional sensitivity to aura.
If I'm not mistaken, Zhong Cai himself is quite skilled when fighting against others.
·
Shao Qing thought for a moment, and was about to speak to Zhong Cai, but then he saw that Zhong Cai had already looked towards the arena.
He glanced at the ring and immediately shut up.
·
At this moment, Wu Shaogan had recovered his Xuan power and was quietly looking at Zhong Cai.
Zhong Cai gave him a thumbs up.
Wu Shaogan smiled slightly.
His smile didn't fade when his gaze returned to the ring; it remained on his lips.
Wu Shaogan smiled as he looked at his opponent who was taking the stage.
The opponent is Qiao Ming.
He was still sinister, and even though he knew he would lose when he went on stage, he still wanted to have another match against Wu Shaogan.
I was lucky during the draw and was the first one to go on stage.
only……
Even before Wu Shaogan made a move, Qiao Ming sensed a faint chill creeping up and spreading from his back when facing him.
Qiao Ming looked at Wu Shaogan's slightly gentle expression, but felt a chill run down his spine.
What happened...?
Qiao Ming felt as if every hair on his body was slightly standing on end, which was extremely strange.
He looked at Wu Shaogan carefully for a moment before he suddenly understood.
Wu Shaogan's smile was kind, but his eyes showed no emotion whatsoever.
The curve of her lips remained fixed in that position, and every bit of skin, texture, and feature on her face was fixed.
It's like Wu Shaogan demanding of himself to be so kind.
However, this is merely a facade of precise control, devoid of genuine emotion.
So it feels very disconnected.
·
Qiao Ming possesses the Black Night Flag, and he can easily cause trouble for others if he's not careful.
But now, he was shocked by Wu Shaogan.
Wu Shaogan also possessed an extremely handsome face, coupled with a smile that seemed subtle at first glance but was strange upon closer inspection...
It possesses a kind of "beauty" that confuses and confuses one's reason.
·
Wu Shaogan did not take the initiative to act.
But Qiao Ming's mind wavered, and before he could react, he transformed into a shadow and appeared in front of Wu Shaogan.
This time, instead of using speed to fight a war of attrition, he revealed a pair of dark, strangely made ghost claws and slashed hard at Wu Shaogan's hard bow.
The sound was like scratching, extremely grating, making one's scalp tingle and one feel anxious.
Qiao Ming was already used to it.
Or perhaps, the strangeness brought about by the Ghost Claw was intentional, designed to weaken his enemies.
However, Wu Shaogan was completely unaffected.
His expression remained unchanged; with a slight smile, he swung the hard bow and smashed it onto the ghost's claw.
Its bowstring rotated simultaneously, hooking onto the hook of another ghostly claw.
Qiao Ming felt a sharp pain in his palm.
The ghostly claw nearly slipped from his wrist.
Qiao Ming hurriedly gripped the ghost claw and retreated quickly.
Wu Shaogan's figure was always one step ahead of him.
The farther he retreated, the farther Wu Shaogan pressed him.
·
Zhong Cai stared intently at her husband, Lao Wu.
Shao Qing had been observing Wu Shaogan very carefully, and because of the constant interaction between Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan, and because he had chatted with Zhong Cai, he naturally understood things better than other cultivators.
So he watched as Wu Shaogan's gaze shifted from Zhong Cai to deathly stillness in an instant.
Shao Qing also saw Wu Shaogan's smile clearly... The curve was still gentle, but there wasn't much emotion left, so it was a bit scary.
Then, the fight between Wu Shaogan and Qiao Ming was much stranger than many of the previous ones.
Shao Qing even felt that Wu Shaogan's mind was a little abnormal.
Subconsciously, he looked at Zhong Cai.
Zhong Cai's expression remained the same as before, still quite radiant.
Shao Qing hesitated for a moment, but couldn't help himself and whispered, "Brother Zhong, is Brother Wu acting a little strange right now?"
Zhong Cai looked at Wu Shaogan and said, puzzled, "There's nothing wrong with it."
Shao Qing: "..." Seriously? Isn't something wrong?
Seeing that he didn't speak, Zhong Cai continued to look at Lao Wu.
Shao Qing paused, then, after choosing his words carefully, said, "Brother Wu doesn't seem very happy right now."
Zhong Cai shook his head and said, "I'm not unhappy about doing less."
Shao Qing decided to be more explicit: "Brother Wu's emotions seem... not to match his expression."
Zhong Cai finally understood and was a little speechless before saying, "Senior, you're being too tactful."
Shao Qing: "..."
Zhong Cai smiled and said, "Senior doesn't understand. Shao Gan is just expressing goodwill."
Shao Qing: "?"
Zhong Cai explained to him, "Isn't this the final round? In the previous nine rounds, the young cadre was feeling the strength of his opponents and thinking about how to deal with them, so he seemed a bit aloof. He didn't mean it, so now that it's almost over, he wants to be more friendly."
Shao Qing's lips twitched slightly.
Such an expression...is it friendly?
Zhong Cai said frankly, "Senior, please don't mind. Shao Gan is still very young and a bit shy. He's not very good at dealing with people. He might be a little emotional right now, but he's already tried his best."
After hearing this, Shao Qing was at a loss for words.
If Wu Shaogan was using facial muscle control to express goodwill... then he certainly tried very hard.
After finishing her conversation, Zhong Cai continued to look at Lao Wu.
He had just discussed it with Lao Wu. Lao Wu had almost broken through the ring, and it wouldn't be good if the three families took turns losing to him while he was still cold-faced.
Old Wu thought so too, so he cooperated readily.
Isn't that a rather gentle smile?
Her facial expressions are very well controlled.
·
Wu Shaogan was indeed very cooperative with Zhong Cai.
During their eye contact, A-Cai told him to be kind, and he became kind.
Anyway, at least A-Cai should see his kindness.
·
Not long after, Qiao Ming lost.
Then another genius went up, also bathed in Wu Shaogan's kind smile, and gritted his teeth to fight him.
They still lost.
Then the third, the fourth...
Wu Shaogan's smile seemed to be glued to his face, remaining unchanged.
·
Shao Qing felt strange and didn't initiate any more conversations with Zhong Cai.
Zhong Cai ignored him, her attention completely focused on Old Wu.
"Five games already..."
Six games!
"seven……"
Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out.
The sound was a little far away, but it reached his ears very clearly.
"Master Zhong Dan".
Zhong Cai was taken aback and turned to look.
Ten steps away, a middle-aged man with a weathered face stood quietly.
Beside him was another burly man.
Both of them exuded a deep and oppressive aura, making one instantly aware of the pressure they exerted.
Zhong Cai immediately smiled: "Senior Tang, you're back?" Then she looked at the burly man beside her, "And who is this senior?"
Tang Lie strode forward and introduced Zhong Cai, "This is the patriarch of the Shao family."
Zhong Cai bowed politely and said, "Greetings, Senior Shao."
Shao Ying smiled amicably at Zhong Cai.
He quickly realized Zhong Cai's age—she was only twenty.
A twenty-year-old, a level two alchemist.
Such abilities may be common in higher-level cities, but they are rarely seen in level 4 cities.
·
Shao Qing also noticed the arrival of his ancestor. Upon seeing the other party's attitude, he understood that "Senior Tang" must also be integrated.
He immediately bowed to Tang Lie and said, "Greetings, Senior Tang."
Tang Lie nodded at him as well.
Shao Ying asked Tang Lie, "Brother Tang, who is your other employer?"
Tang Lie smiled and said, "It is indeed the one on the stage."
The two fighters on stage were locked in a fierce battle, and Shao Ying could tell at a glance that Tang Lie's employer would win easily.
Shao Ying's mind raced, and he summoned Shao Qing.
Shao Qing quickly recounted the story of the new champion.
Shao Ying understood.
Besides the young level-two alchemist, there is another equally young invincible master who has attained enlightenment.
·
In the battle for ranking, any champion who successfully defends their title can be called invincible in their realm.
Being invincible in the same realm doesn't mean having no opponents at all, but rather winning every battle is enough to earn such a title.
·
Shao Ying knew very well that the young cultivator on the stage still had plenty of profound energy and would definitely be able to hold out in this final round.
Tang Lie was a special Dao soldier, and he didn't actually know the true abilities of his two masters.
He didn't show it on his face, nor did he say much, letting Shao Ying guess—this also allowed Shao Ying to be certain of his own judgment and reduce his suspicions about him.
Now Tang Lie also looked at the scene on the arena and gained a better understanding of Wu Shaogan's abilities.
He truly deserves to be called a prodigy who can summon the Command Platform; the abilities he displays are indeed worthy of it.
·
Shao Ying didn't stay there for long. He quickly said goodbye to Tang Lie and went to guard the gate.
Of course, he also found out where Zhong Cai and the others lived—after all, Tang Lie would be staying there later.
Shao Qing also avoided the topic.
In the previous few hours, he could chat with Zhong Cai from time to time, but now that a Fusion Ancestor has arrived, it is clear that he and Zhong Cai still have things to talk about, so he can't be so oblivious.
After Shao Qing left, Tang Lie said to Zhong Cai, "I have not failed in my mission."
Zhong Cai understood, and a smile appeared on her face.
Tang Lie went there to collect the upgrade resources that the altar and the command platform still lacked, and now he has rushed over to join them for only one reason!
Resource collection complete!
Zhong Cai was radiant.
After Lao Wu finishes his fight, he can discuss with Lao Wu when to do the upgrade!
·
Half an hour later, Wu Shaogan defeated the last person.
This is Shao Hua, the pride of the Shao family.
He is a seeded player of the Tsukiguchi clan who can fight Qiao Ming to a draw even though Qiao Ming is very fast.
When facing Wu Shaogan, Shao Hua also felt the pressure from all sides and did his best.
Shao Hua was also a gentleman. When he had tried all the tricks and still couldn't win, he readily admitted defeat.
At this point, Wu Shaogan successfully intercepted one hundred powerful cultivators from various factions.
More than 80% of them were members of the three top families, and there were also more than a dozen geniuses from families of slightly lower levels, or self-proclaimed experienced rogue cultivators.
At the same time, Wu Shaogan was also the only cultivator among all the defenders of the arena these days who was not from the three major families.
However, after these battles, everyone was truly convinced of their superiority.
Several families even planned during the battle to befriend Wu Shaogan after he finished defending his position.
It would be great to recruit such a young and powerful individual into one's own family, but if that's not possible, it would be good to make friends and build good relationships with each other!
only……
Even after the fight was over, Wu Shaogan still wore that unchanging smile, which made them hesitate a little.
But the next moment, the family members noticed that the guy's smile suddenly wasn't so strange anymore.
Shao Qing, who was already standing to the side, glanced at it silently.
It was indeed not strange, because Wu Shaogan looked towards Zhong Cai again.
Those eyes, which had been devoid of emotion, suddenly filled with feeling.
Doesn't that go perfectly with a smile?
And if you look closely, the forced lines of the lips are no longer so stiff!
·
Wu Shaogan darted off the stage and went straight to Zhong Cai's side.
Zhong Cai generously opened her arms and rushed over to give him a fierce hug!
Old Wu! So handsome!
Wu Shaogan returned the hug without hesitation.
For neither of them, this was a situation they had never experienced before.
After Wu Shaogan fought and displayed his skills, Zhong Cai was finally able to congratulate him warmly in front of everyone.
They had been looking forward to this for a long time.
At this moment, Wu Shaogan's heart softened, and he unconsciously tightened his grip on Zhong Cai's arm.
Zhong Cai was overjoyed, patting his back repeatedly, almost jumping for joy.
Wu Shaogan: "..."
·
Even if they are a married couple, it's not appropriate to hug for too long in public.
After Zhong Cai released Wu Shaogan, she patted him and told him to let go as well.
Wu Shaogan obediently let go.
At this moment, the two noticed that many eyes were silently watching them.
The two of them didn't seem embarrassed at all, and instead smiled at everyone.
The two of them weren't embarrassed, but the onlookers were a little uncomfortable.
The family members who had originally planned to make friends with the couple were caught off guard by their deep affection for each other and were at a loss for words.
Zhong Cai ignored them, simply nodded to them, and then pulled Wu Shaogan towards the exit of the Dragon Fighting Arena.
Tang Lie stood guard beside them.
Shao Qing was slightly more familiar with Zhong Cai, and after a moment's hesitation, he still followed after her.
In the last few games, Shao Qing also pondered some things.
For example, he heard Senior Tang address Zhong Cai as "Master Zhong Dan," and he also noticed Zhong Cai's keen sensitivity to breath...
·
Zhong Cai chattered excitedly to Wu Shaogan.
"I didn't have the heart to tell you that you needed to rest during the breaks between rounds, because you were so incredibly smooth on stage!"
"Seriously! These guys are way stronger than your previous opponents, and they don't talk nonsense, they're all focused on fighting!"
"I knew you had a great time, right?"
"There are a few others who are quite good, but none of them can compare to you!"
"I didn't even understand several of those games before you won. You'd better explain them to me later!"
Wu Shaogan listened and smiled as he agreed.
Zhong Cai then spoke with even more enthusiasm.
The two were talking happily when suddenly, Shao Qing's voice came from behind.
"Brother Zhong, Brother Wu, please wait!"
Wu Shaogan also recognized the voice—the Shao family member who had chatted with A Cai many times during the arena battles.
Zhong Cai turned her head and looked at Shao Qing with a puzzled expression.
This guy has already asked him a lot of questions, hasn't he? He hasn't missed anything about Lao Wu or him.
What, is there something else going on now?
·
Shao Qing quickly approached and stood three steps away.
Zhong Cai then looked questioning.
Shao Qing asked directly, "Brother Zhong, I heard you're an alchemist?"
Zhong Cai nodded: "Yes, that's me."
Shao Qing's expression relaxed, and he asked with a smile, "I wonder if you are interested in miscellaneous studies?"
Zhong Cai was taken aback: "What do you mean by 'comparison of miscellaneous studies'?"
Shao Qing then explained frankly.
·
It turns out that after the family-designated arena battle ends, several parallel tests will be conducted.
First, the elders of the three families will engage in a contest between themselves in a closed space.
The city lord and several supervisors were responsible for judging their strength.
After they finish their competition and accumulate a certain number of points, it will be a friendly competition between the patriarchs of the palace.
The judges were also the city lord and the supervisor.
However, these high-level battles will not be revealed to other cultivators.
Then, other competitions will take place over these five days.
It was a contest of miscellaneous knowledge.
·
The so-called miscellaneous studies include weapon crafting, alchemy, talisman making, formations, puppetry, and many other things.
However, for powerful families, the main test to judge their strength in this area is their alchemy, array, artifacts, and talismans.
Of these four miscellaneous studies, the test of alchemy is the most important and scores the highest.
Thus, although it was still a ring battle, it was no longer a matter of defending or attacking the ring.
The clansmen trained by each family who are skilled in these four arts will be tested in three levels.
In other words, it's a series of miscellaneous knowledge tests, ranging from level one to level three.
Each level has four arenas, each showcasing one of four different skills.
·
The reason Shao Qing mentioned it to Zhong Cai was to invite him to participate in the arena battle for Level 2 Alchemists.
At that time, many level-two alchemists will be on the same stage, exchanging skills in alchemy.
Although Zhong Cai is not a member of the family, as long as he participates in this arena and achieves certain results afterward, he will be able to receive generous rewards from Jade Dragon City.
·
Upon hearing this, Zhong Cai first asked, "Is there a reward for Shao Gan's successful defense of the title?"
Shao Qing was surprised that Zhong Cai would ask this, and immediately replied, "Of course there is."
Zhong Cai looked at him.
That means they didn't receive any reward at all.
Shao Qing explained, "Brother Wu's achievements will be recorded separately, and the city lord will issue them after the ranking is completed."
Zhong Cai suddenly realized: "What reward will I get if I win?"
Shao Qing said, "If Alchemist Zhong wins, he will receive a pill formula from the City Lord's Mansion. Our three families will also offer several of our most valuable pill formulas to Alchemist Zhong." He added, "These will be pill formulas that are at least one level higher."
In other words, the winner of the second-level alchemist competition will receive a third-level alchemy recipe.
Zhong Cai: "You also provide elixir formulas? Wouldn't that put you at a huge disadvantage?"
Upon hearing this, Shao Qing knew that Zhong Cai had great confidence, otherwise she wouldn't have spoken with such an air of "the prescription is already in my possession".
He said with a smile, "We would prefer to use this opportunity to make friends with outstanding alchemists."
Zhong Cai understood, turned to look at Wu Shaogan, her eyes shining.
Wu Shaogan's eyes softened, and he said softly, "I'll accompany you tomorrow."
Zhong Cai immediately asked Shao Qing, "When and where?"
Shao Qing replied, "Starting tomorrow, the competition will begin at the beginning of the fourth hour of the day, with one round each day. After the first four days, the winners will compete in a final round on the fifth day to determine the final rankings."
"The fighting arena is also located in the Dragon Fighting Arena, but... there will also be many cultivators watching."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
