One hour earlier, Ding Baihe's group.
When he entered the arena, he saw a pink-haired girl already standing inside, wearing short denim shorts and a T-shirt printed with a little bear.
Besides her, two men in yellow Zhongshan suits stood side by side as he entered.
"The match begins!"
"Those are the Liu brothers, Liu Dong and Liu Xi, the Mantis Fist users."
"That girl looks like the granddaughter of Old Master Lu. I think her name is Lu Linglong."
"Then who's that handsome young man?"
"Don't know. I think his name's Mafario-Ode, from the Tianxia Association."
"That guy's such a coward. He hid in the corner as soon as he entered."
As the crowd discussed them, the four began to fight. The Liu brothers charged at Lu Linglong right away, while he took the opportunity to run to a corner.
The brothers' Mantis Fist styles complemented each other, one attacking low while the other targeted her upper body. They fought Lu Linglong evenly for a while, but she soon found an opening and finished them off.
Lu Linglong glanced at the fallen brothers, then turned and ran toward the corner.
"Clang~"
Lu Linglong struck a Tower Shield with her palm, producing a dull impact.
"Where did he get that shield?"
"I didn't see. It seemed to appear in his hand in an instant."
"It sure looks intimidating. That's a Lion Head Shield from Ironforge, too."
Lu Linglong's palm left a clear print on the Lion Head Shield. She quickly retreated.
"Miss Lu's palm strength is impressive. Good thing I brought a big shield, or she would've knocked me unconscious."
As he spoke, he planted the Tower Shield on the ground and crouched down, bracing both hands against the wall.
"Referee, isn't this against the rules?"
Lu Linglong stared at the Lion Head Shield in front of her, speechless. Who hid in a corner and held up a shield during a match? Wasn't that just playing dirty?
"Hey, aren't a weapon refiner's methods supposed to be about refining qi, Master Xingye?"
His unhurried voice came from behind the Tower Shield, carrying a hint of mockery.
"In theory, that's allowed. Miss Lu, this gentleman hasn't broken any rules. Continue the match."
Master Xingye of Dragon Tiger Mountain nodded, and the match continued.
A faint aura rose around Lu Linglong as she unleashed Yang Guan San Die, striking the Lion Head Shield with a powerful blow.
"Clang~ Bang~ BOOM!"
Her palm unleashed three waves of force, shattering the Lion Head Shield. The spectators all applauded.
Behind the Lion Head Shield, he had already gauged Lu Linglong's strength.
She was quick, but lacked power. He had taken four attacks in a row, and not one of them had triggered a judgment.
Lu Linglong couldn't break through his defense, so he remained crouched in the corner, covering his head with his arms.
He looked like he was saying, "The world is vast—go ahead and hit me all you want."
He stayed crouched like that for an hour. Lu Linglong kept pounding away for the whole time, until all the other competitors had finished their matches. That was how things ended up like this.
This outcome had been within his expectations. However, it was an accident that he'd caught Feng Baobao and Zhang Chulan's attention. That would make people even more certain of his methods.
"Miss Lu, your perseverance is admirable. Still, I think you'd be better off surrendering."
He slowly stood up. Lu Linglong, panting heavily, pressed her attack.
"I won't surrender, Mr. Ode! Here I come!"
Lu Linglong had only just charged forward when she ran out of strength and collapsed.
"Ding Baihe's group, winner: Mafario-Ode."
[Hunter Main Mission (2): Luotian Grand Ceremony - Stage 1 You have advanced to the top 32. Mission complete. Score: 100. Points have been added. Subsequent mission unlocked.] [Main Mission (2): Luotian Grand Ceremony - Stage 2] Mission Difficulty: LV5 Mission Description: Participate in the Luotian Grand Ceremony and reach at least the top 8. Mission Information: Defeat or bribe opponents to win. Mission Time Limit: 5 days Mission Reward: 4,000 Paradise Coins, 2 attribute points (reward varies according to ranking) Failure Penalty: Forced execution.
Feng Xingtong stared at the suit of armor and couldn't help thinking of what his older sister had said. It didn't seem so exaggerated after all. It was simply very good at defense.
Feng Baobao carried a shovel and stared at Wang Changle.
He keenly noticed Feng Baobao's gaze, but wasn't too worried. He had taken Lu Linglong's place.
According to the timeline, his next match would be against Yun. If he won, he'd face Zhang Lingyu after that. He wouldn't run into Zhang Chulan.
Since he wouldn't pose a threat to Zhang Chulan, he wouldn't be Feng Baobao's target.
But because of [Side Mission: President's Investment], he had to make it to the top 32 or beyond. In other words, he had to win his next match!
He put those thoughts aside and headed for the Tianxia Group hotel with Feng Shayan.
"Are you planning to keep taking hits like this all the way through the tournament?"
Feng Shayan was at a loss. The man clearly had skills, yet he loved to keep them hidden.
"I'll stick with this for now. My armor can still take it, and there are plenty of experts at the Luotian Grand Ceremony. I don't want to become everyone's target."
He shrugged and casually pointed out several names on the list.
"Hmph. Now that you mention it, I think you and that 'Unwavering Lotus' guy are pretty alike."
As Feng Shayan spoke, she couldn't help quickening her pace. This man was far too cautious. There was no talking to him.
"Of course. I'm not Jia Zhengliang, the five-hundred-a-night guy. Besides, with 'Unwavering Lotus' taking the heat, nobody will notice me."
Wang Changle muttered to himself, then abruptly stopped and turned to look at a black cat following him from a distance.
The man and the cat stared at each other for a long while. The Black Cat meowed and vanished into the bushes.
The corners of Wang Changle's mouth slowly lifted as he looked toward the spot where the cat had disappeared. Interesting.
The next day, at the Luotian Grand Ceremony on Dragon Tiger Mountain.
The match order hadn't changed. His opponent was still Yun, an expert in "Materialization."
With time to spare, he watched Wang Ye fight Tie Malu and Zhuge Qing fight the Little Fire King. Watching the matches in person had taught him a lot.
Wang Ye versus Tie Malu had especially caught his attention. Tie Malu's fighting style, combining Thousand Jin Drop and Golden Bell Shield, was very similar to his own. It gave him a few ideas for his upcoming fight.
The match that interested him most was Bai Shi Xue's. Her opponent was no longer Hu Jie, but a beast tamer who controlled six cats.
The six cats were different colors and seemed to have different abilities. They worked together seamlessly, kept Bai Shi Xue pinned down throughout the match, and won with ease.
There was no doubt that the girl wearing a leather skirt was also a Cycle Paradise contractor—and one who specialized in charm.
After winning, Leather Skirt Cat Girl pointed at him as if firing a gun.
He didn't respond to her provocation, instead heading toward his own arena.
"Mafario-Ode versus Yun. Begin!"
Inside the arena, Yun wore a mask and watched Wang Changle enter. The Heaven Measuring Ruler in his hand trembled slightly.
The stands were packed with people, including quite a few familiar faces.
The fight was about to begin!
Before you continue