Chapter 192 - 129: In Scholarship, No First; In Martial Arts, No Second

The sixth round of arena battles was the true main event, the part that all the factions and examinees had been eagerly awaiting.

This was the only round where the contestants would fight for real.

In literature, there is no absolute first; in martial arts, there is no second place.

Only after a few rounds in the training grounds would it become clear who truly possessed real skill.

...

The training ground was vast, divided into over a dozen areas.

The examinees who had already been eliminated could watch the battles from distant pavilions. Seeing the contestants take the stage, a wave of excitement passed through them.

In past years, the Three Great Sects would fight tooth and nail during this round for the honor of the top three places.

This year, the competition was even fiercer. Rumor had it that both the Demon Sect’s Saint Heir and the Buddhist Sect’s young monk were in attendance.

The two Major Sects not only fought fiercely over territory, but they were also vying for the title of the greatest Sect of the age.

And the current Martial Arts Examination was a good opportunity to flex their muscles to the entire world.

Neither of the two Major Sects would ever allow the other to come out on top.

Ma Dongyang was in the crowd as well. He scanned the area, and upon spotting Li Chang’an, he shouted a few words of encouragement.

The rules for the sixth round of the Martial Arts Examination were very simple.

Those confident in their strength could occupy the center of an arena as its defender. A streak of three consecutive victories would advance them to the next round of duels.

If they failed.

Then the challenger would inherit the loser’s win streak.

For example, if a defender won two matches in a row but was defeated by a challenger in the third, the challenger would inherit the two previous victories and would only need to win one more match to advance.

Such rules might not seem fair.

Because the first examinees to fight would expend the most stamina, they would be at a significant disadvantage.

But the Martial Dao itself was not a path that pursued fairness. A win was a win, and a loss was a loss. No one would listen to the loser’s excuses.

In other words, those with the courage and confidence should step up.

Those lacking courage and strength could also find a way to snatch a cheap win or two.

In any case, none of the examinees who had made it this far were to be underestimated.

After understanding the rules, Li Chang’an didn’t rush to make a move. He looked up at the nearby training grounds; by now, all fifteen combat areas were already occupied by defenders.

And below the platforms, challengers were waiting for their turn.

As soon as the examiner announced the start of the duels, contestants quickly took to the platforms, and intense battles broke out.

The examinees who had overcome every obstacle to reach this round were mostly Martial Artists whose physical bodies had been tempered to Perfection. A good number of them had already generated Inner Qi.

A very small number had even broken through to the Postnatal Realm.

However, the ones who first stepped up to defend the arenas were not these powerful experts, but rather the Martial Artists who only had Inner Qi.

This was because most of those present were from the Three Great Sects.

The rhythm of the challenges on the training grounds was also very obvious. Demon Sect Disciples would wear down Buddhist Sect disciples, and Taoist Sect disciples would occasionally clash with the other two sects.

After watching three consecutive rounds, Li Chang’an began to see the underlying strategy.

In this round of the examination, those disciples with only a few layers of Inner Qi were basically cannon fodder, specifically used to drain the stamina of disciples from other sects.

Meanwhile, the stronger Postnatal Masters would wait until a defender had won two rounds before stepping in to reap the rewards.

As explained earlier, if a defender won two matches but lost the third, the challenger inherited those two wins. They would then only need one more victory to advance.

By having a Postnatal Master swoop in, they could not only conserve the stamina of fighting two matches but also avoid any unexpected upsets.

Once he understood the game.

Li Chang’an found a Demon Sect Disciple in the crowd who had won two consecutive rounds and walked directly onto the arena platform, saying, "I’m here to challenge you!"

Word of what had just happened in the examination hall had already spread among the contestants. Even the spectators in the pavilions knew that Li Chang’an had provoked the Three Great Sects.

Now, seeing Li Chang’an take the stage.

The onlooking contestants’ eyes all lit up, and a buzz of discussion rose among them. They wanted to see if Li Chang’an’s fists were as tough as his talk.

Even if his fists were half as tough.

It was bound to be big news.

...

Not far from the examination grounds, Empress Liyang, Su Ying, also saw Li Chang’an take the stage and said worriedly, "Lord Shi, how far do you think this boy can go?"

Chief Examiner Shi En looked at Li Chang’an seriously and replied, "Although this child just turned nine this year, he was able to reach the sixth round with a perfect score. Such talent is truly that of a Demon. He must be at least a Ninth-Layer of Internal Qi Martial Artist. Under normal circumstances, surviving three rounds on the martial stage should be no problem!"

Su Ying raised a delicate eyebrow and sighed. "But that’s the best-case scenario..."

Shi En didn’t speak.

Because he also knew that the ideal situation wouldn’t happen. The Three Great Sects would absolutely not tolerate Li Chang’an continuing on. Being targeted, he’d be hard-pressed to even pass the second round, let alone the third.

...

Under the gaze of the crowd, Li Chang’an walked into one of the combat arenas.

The Demon Sect Disciple in the arena, who had won two consecutive rounds, was an Eighth-Layer of Internal Qi Martial Artist.

An Eighth-Layer of Internal Qi was already considered one of the best among the examinees. Seeing Li Chang’an stroll onto the stage, this disciple couldn’t help but sneer and say, "You want to reap the rewards too? Who the hell do you think you are? Why don’t you take a piss and look at your own reflection?"

Li Chang’an ignored his taunt.

He merely lifted his eyes and glanced indifferently at the official responsible for maintaining Order in the examination grounds, asking, "Can we begin?"

That official glanced at Li Chang’an and gave a reminder, "You may begin. If you feel you are outmatched, remember to surrender!"

Li Chang’an nodded but didn’t reply.

Everyone was very curious why he dared to directly provoke the Three Great Sects.

And now, Li Chang’an was about to satisfy their curiosity.

The official’s voice had barely faded when Li Chang’an had already vanished from his spot. By the time everyone came to their senses, he had appeared at the other end of the arena without anyone noticing.

Appearing right in front of the Demon Sect Disciple.

...