https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-495-Consecutive-Kills-Ruthless-Part-2-/12968952/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-496-Weakling-Fan-Jianqiang-Damn-He-s-Playing-the-Fool-Part-2-/12968954/
Chapter 496: Weakling Fan Jianqiang? Damn, He's Playing the Fool! (Part 1)
Chapter 496: Weakling Fan Jianqiang? Damn, He's Playing the Fool! (Part 1)
December 1, 2024
"It's over."
He Anxia turned and walked towards the spectator stands.
At the same time, he sent a sound transmission to Wang Teng and Fan Jianqiang, "Fellow disciples, I have not disgraced your trust."
Fan Jianqiang exclaimed in awe, "Amazing, truly amazing!"
Wang Teng clicked his tongue, "You're just too strong. Many are calling you the dark horse. I fear that in this Talented Youth Gathering, you will claim the top rank!"
He Anxia smiled and replied, "Why do you say that, Wang Shixiong? If you were to fight with full power, how could I possibly be your match?"
"Moreover, I must also thank Er Shixiong. If it weren't for his suggestion to use a magical artifact to conceal my abilities and system, I would have become the target of everyone's attacks long ago."
Fan Jianqiang smiled, "Nonsense! This is all your strength. Xiao He, I believe in you. You will definitely secure the top rank!"
Fan Jianqiang's words came from the heart.
He genuinely hoped that He Anxia would soar and directly claim the top spot, obtain the Immortal Grass, and fulfill his mission.
If that happened, wouldn't he be able to hide a few more trump cards?
With those trump cards...
Hey, wouldn't that make things more secure for him? His security would also mean more stability for them!
No problem!
...
"Rest for three days."
The referee calmly announced, "Three days later, the second round of battles will commence."
"Dismissed!"
"..."
The crowd dispersed one after another.
However, the heated discussions never ceased and only intensified as time passed.
The reason was simple: He Anxia's performance was indeed remarkable.
A mere Ninth Stage cultivator, with a magical artifact that was only at the Imperial Armament level, yet he displayed such dominance, consecutively slaying the three Talented Youths of the Heaven Cleaving Sect with quick kills.
He even once fought two opponents at once...
and forced the Seventh Rank of the Heaven Cleaving Sect to resort to unusual moves, still unable to save himself.
Such an exciting battle, occurring in the first round, naturally drew the attention of the crowd.
Moreover...
There were already numerous factions planning to recruit Talented Youths during this gathering, and He Anxia, or rather, I Ai Luo's performance, perfectly fit the description of a Talented Youth.
Consequently, over the next three days, there were many matters to attend to.
Many came to visit I Ai Luo under various pretexts and brought gifts, but I Ai Luo refused to see any of them.
At the same time, various betting pools quietly emerged.
I Ai Luo had a high level of support.
Numerous people believed that I Ai Luo could secure the top rank, and even if he couldn't, he would still achieve a good ranking.
After all, the strongest cultivator in this Talented Youth Gathering was only at the Thirteenth Stage.
And there were merely three of them.
All three were still at the initial stage of the Thirteenth Stage.
Could the initial stage of the Thirteenth Stage handle the Seventh Rank of the Heaven Cleaving Sect in such a short time? Not necessarily! But, there were also many who were skeptical about I Ai Luo's chances.
After all, he was merely a Ninth Stage cultivator.
He seemed powerful, but the gap in cultivation was simply too vast. The Mystic Gourd magical artifact was indeed bizarre, but it was only an Imperial Armament, and even calling it that was giving it more credit than it deserved. This item might be considered a treasure in the lower realms, but in the higher realms, it was nothing special.
An Imperial Armament would surely have its limits, right? In the eyes of some, the Mystic Gourd's ability to deal with Twelfth Stage cultivators was already its limit.
To handle a Thirteenth Stage cultivator? That was a joke! Did they really think there were no limits?
"I'm betting on I Ai Luo to make it into the top ten! One thousand Spirit Stones."
"I'm putting a thousand Spirit Stones on I Ai Luo for first place."
"Haha, can you believe there are people betting on I Ai Luo for first place? A mere Ninth Stage ant, I can't believe you'd say that."
"It's absolutely ridiculous."
"It is a bit ridiculous, but it's equally ridiculous for a Ninth Stage cultivator to slay several Twelfth Stage cultivators, right?"
"That's true, hmph..."
"Heh, you place your bets, and we'll place ours. Why come here to mock us? Are you asking for trouble?"
"Hey, don't you know them? These people are lackeys of the Fourth Prince of Great Qin, so naturally, they're speaking up for their own."
"The Fourteenth Prince of Great Qin?"
"So that's it!"
"Pfft!"
"..."
The Fourteenth Prince of Great Qin was one of the three Thirteenth Stage Talented Youths in this gathering.
As a Talented Youth, he had every right to participate.
Moreover...
If he could secure the top rank, wouldn't he gain even more?
He could also establish a reputation as an unparalleled Talented Youth. Why not give it a shot?
...
Three days later, the second round of battles commenced! The same giant tower was used.
However, there were even more spectators this time.
This round, instead of a free-for-all, cultivators were paired off in smaller arenas.
Multiple 'small' arenas sprang up, and in each, two cultivators fought, with the winner advancing and the loser eliminated, with no second chances.
Of course, these arenas, though called 'small', were still relatively large, ensuring that the Talented Youths had sufficient space to display their abilities without feeling constrained.
Unless...
One side wanted to flee.
But in a gathering like this, what was the point of running and delaying? Therefore...
The size of the arenas also prevented such situations.
What if someone was weak but incredibly fast, and others couldn't catch up? The drawing of lots was 'random'.
There was no need for participants to be present.
A large box, capable of blocking spiritual probes, contained the names of all the Talented Youths advancing to the second round. The referee waved his hand, and a pile of 'names' appeared.
As these names spread out, the two closest names became opponents for that round.
Soon, the battles began! Fan Jianqiang's performance this time was not as 'eye-catching'.
He was neither strong nor weak.
He was perfectly average, embodying the 'median' among all participants.
So average that he couldn't be more average!
He was the epitome of mediocrity, easily overlooked in a crowd.
Not exceptional, but not the worst, he often engaged in prolonged battles with others, only to defeat them with a single decisive move...
In everyone's eyes, he could only earn a 'meh' evaluation.
Even some of the Talented Youths considered it a 'rookie fight'.
Therefore...
No one paid attention to him.
In comparison, Wang Teng's battles were much more exciting.
His first opponent was an Eleventh Stage, a whole realm higher than him.
Almost everyone thought Wang Teng would lose, but he unleashed a thousand consecutive strikes of his Artificial Sun Fist, directly beating his opponent to the point where he had to abandon his physical body and hastily beg for mercy.
If he didn't beg for mercy...
He would have been thoroughly killed.
Didn't you see him charging with a fist as bright as the sun?
"..."
"Did you win?"
"He fought across realms, an Eleventh Stage."
Wang Teng smiled.
"Master..."
"The Elemental Master is indeed very strong."
"But the gap between him and Master is truly vast."
"Master once said that if I treated the Artificial Sun Fist as a basic attack, my strength would greatly increase."
"Finally, I can make it happen."
"But what stage was Master at back then?"
"Around the Fourth or Fifth Stage, I think?"
"Master had already thought this far ahead back then, so how amazing must he be now?"
"Hiss!"
"Indeed, one must not be arrogant or complacent."
"I still have a lot to learn."
"The path I must walk is still long!"
He forced himself to calm down.
He couldn't be arrogant or complacent, or he would suffer greatly.
...
"I, I Ai Luo?!"
After his introduction.
An Eleventh Stage cultivator, upon seeing that his opponent was none other than I Ai Luo with the gourd on his back, trembled all over.
His pupils shrank!
"I forfeit!"
He didn't dare to fight I Ai Luo, and directly raised his hand to loudly declare his forfeit.
He was genuinely afraid to fight!
Damn it!
He Anxia: "..."
Soon.
He was matched with his next opponent.
However, this person was even more straightforward. He didn't go on stage but instead, seeing that his matched opponent was I Ai Luo, he shouted from below, "I forfeit!"
The third opponent...
Didn't come forward to forfeit, but seemed to have vanished, never appearing on stage.
The fourth, fifth...
All opponents who encountered I Ai Luo, whether they were Tenth or Eleventh Stage, without exception, forfeited.
Even a Twelfth Stage cultivator, after much consideration, chose to forfeit.
"Why did you forfeit as well?"
"You're a Twelfth Stage Talented Youth!"
However, facing the crowd's doubts, he coldly laughed, "Sounds good, a Twelfth Stage Talented Youth? So what? Is the Twelfth Stage so amazing?"
"How many Twelfth Stages has he killed?"
"I have self-awareness, and I fought with the Duan guy from the Heaven Cleaving Sect before entering the city. Even though I used all my tricks, I still lost to him by a move or two."
"All three from the Heaven Cleaving Sect were defeated by him. Why should I bother fighting?"
Someone angrily protested, "So what?"
"Everyone has their own strengths. Maybe you just happen to be his counter."
"Besides, as a Talented Youth, how can you lack the courage to challenge stronger opponents???"
However, this Twelfth Stage Talented Youth looked at him as if he were an idiot, and sneered, "What the hell, where did this dog come from, trying to lecture me?"
"Such an idiot!"
"And as a Talented Youth, how can you lack the courage to challenge stronger opponents? So tell me, is he a strong opponent? A Ninth Stage powerhouse? He relies on that weird Mystic Gourd, right?"
"So, am I challenging a person or a treasure?"
"Moreover, family matters are best known by the family, and everyone has their own strengths. Do you understand me better than I understand myself?"
"Against others, I might still challenge, and at worst, I'd admit defeat. But under this guy, are there any survivors?!"
"Why are you whining here?"
"It's only because fighting is prohibited here, or else, you'd see if I wouldn't finish you off!"
This person: "..."
After being angrily scolded, he quieted down.
Mainly, he hadn't expected this Talented Youth to be so 'down-to-earth', without a hint of 'grace'.
Unbelievable!
At this moment, it was his turn to shiver.
Damn it...
This Talented Youth wouldn't target me and find a chance to finish me off after leaving the city, right?
...
It was said to be the second round.
In reality, it should be called the second 'stage'.
It wasn't a battle between two, with the winner advancing to the third stage.
Instead...
The winner continued to fight one-on-one.
The winner again, continued to match and fight one-on-one.
Until...
The total number of participants was reduced to thirty-two, then it was considered the third stage.
By this point, the Talented Youth Gathering had reached its climax.
Similarly, after three days of rest, the battles resumed.
During these three days, more people came to pay respects to 'I Ai Luo'.
However, I Ai Luo remained 'cold', not seeing anyone.
It's worth mentioning that the Great Qin Immortal Dynasty hadn't sent anyone yet.
At the same time, as I Ai Luo hadn't made a single move but directly advanced to the 'third round' at the fastest speed, his odds in the betting decreased again!
He was the only one to advance without making a single move, and all his opponents, upon seeing his name, either forfeited or went missing.
No one knew what kind of methods he had.
But his intimidation factor was maxed out.
Similarly, Wang Teng's odds were also constantly rising.
Although he was only at the Tenth Stage, he continuously 'defied the Immortals', defeating multiple Eleventh Stages and a Twelfth Stage, strongly advancing to the top thirty-two.
Odds Decrease...
This indicates that more people are betting on them.
And among the top 32, the person with the highest odds...
Unsurprisingly, it's Fan Jiangan.
This publicly recognized 'just okay' guy, one of the 'weaklings pecking at each other', has incredibly made it to the top 32 with his 10th Stage cultivation.
But...
No one has been able to find any flaws in him.
Because this guy's 'luck' is genuinely incredible.
All his opponents have been at the 10th Stage.
Not to mention those at the 12th Stage.
He hasn't even faced a single opponent at the 11th Stage.
They're all at the 10th Stage, and they're all at a similar level to him, the kind of match where both sides need to fight for a long time, where the weaklings peck at each other for many moves before a winner can be decided.
He won...
And he did indeed advance to the top 32.
But no one has seen any 'strength' in him.
It's all luck!
And for someone like this...
The odds are naturally high.
One evening, when Wang Teng returned from his outing and brought back Fan Jiangan's odds, Fan Jiangan's eyes widened, almost unable to control his ancient power.
One-hundred to one odds!
If he were to bet a large sum on himself, putting his entire fortune on the line...
Wouldn't he fly with joy?
But...
"No, no."
"I need to stay calm."
"I must keep a low profile."
"I absolutely must stay low-key..."
"Otherwise, something big might happen."
He muttered to himself for a long time before managing to control the ancient power within.
But...
There's no harm in not betting, but with such a great opportunity, if he were to let it pass, wouldn't he be asking for a thunderbolt from the heavens?
Emmm...
That night.
A group of mysterious people quietly appeared, roaming various casinos, specifically to bet on Fan Jiangan making it to the top 10...
...
"This Fan Jiangan..."
The organizers of the Talented Youth Gathering assembled, looking at the list of the top 32, especially at the information related to Fan Jiangan, and their eyebrows twitched.
"How could someone like this make it to the top 32?"
What the hell is going on here?
Among the top 32, besides Wang Teng, the dark horse with overwhelming offensive power, and I Ai Luo, the freak, there's only one person who hasn't reached the 11th Stage, and that's Fan Jiangan!
Everyone else is at the 11th Stage or above.
In fact, there aren't many at the 11th Stage.
Most are at higher stages, with three at the 13th Stage.
If Fan Jiangan had performed as brilliantly as Wang Teng, it would be understandable, but he's just an unremarkable weakling. How could he make it to the top 32?
What's going on here?
"He's just lucky, perhaps blessed by fortune?"
"Luck?"
"They're all talented youths, who would have bad luck?"
"Could someone be tampering with the draw?"
"??? No way." The 15th Stage referee frowned, "I drew the lots personally, who could tamper with it?"
"Could it be..."
"Is someone among you secretly interfering?"
Suddenly, he realized what they were implying and slammed the table, "Are you suspecting me?!"
"Cough!"
"Don't get angry!"
"We're not suspecting you; it's just that this matter is beyond belief."
"Actually, it's mainly because Fan Jiangan is so average, with no standout qualities. It's a bit illogical for him to make it to the top 32, and his matches aren't very exciting either."
"So..."
"Old Deng, he... must be stopped at the top 32, you understand, right?"
Referee: "..."
So, this is what you want?
You want me to rig the draw and give him a stronger opponent to eliminate him directly? Why not just say it directly?
But...
That's not right.
With his current strength, any of the other 35 in the top 32 could easily defeat him. Why do you need to warn me to rig it? Are you guys crazy?!
He was speechless.
But thankfully, he understood they weren't suspecting him; they were just... all a bit slow.
However, he wasn't just anyone; how could he be questioned like this?
He frowned, his face darkening, "Then tell me, who would be the most suitable opponent for him? Who could he possibly beat?"
Upon hearing this, everyone froze.
Then, they all started to ponder.
As they thought...
They realized.
Oh no!
"Um, what... My soup is still cooking at home, Old Deng. I'll be going now."
"Ouch, my stomach hurts. You guys carry on."
"..."
"My stomach doesn't hurt, but um, what was it? Oh, right, my mistress is waiting for me. I'll be off."
"..."
Soon, everyone 'disappeared', vanishing in an instant.
Only Old Deng was left, flipping through the pages.
"Okay, okay..."
"A bunch of old fools, all of them senile."
"..."
...
The third round begins.
Old Deng draws the lots again.
(End of Chapter)
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