Fortune

?Fortune

The first round ended quickly. The fourteen Registered Disciples who advanced had to draw lots again and continue their martial arts matches.

This time, Bi Fan drew number one and was the first to take the stage.

His opponent wasn't even at the Inner Breath Realm and immediately conceded, letting Bi Fan advance with ease.

In this round, Iron Bull and Li Shu both advanced easily. The other four Registered Disciples who advanced were all at the Inner Breath Realm.

Of the seven disciples remaining, one would receive a bye.

When the results of the draw came out, Iron Bull had somehow drawn a bye. He burst out laughing on the spot, his mouthful of yellow teeth enough to turn anyone's stomach. He, however, didn't care in the least.

This time, Bi Fan's opponent was an Inner Breath Realm disciple named Yang Lin. He was slightly chubby and wore a smile.

"Yang Lin. Please show me your skills."

"Bi Fan. Please show me your skills."

As soon as Bi Fan finished speaking, Yang Lin dropped into a split and swept a leg toward him, moving with incredible speed.

Clearly, Yang Lin knew he would have a hard time beating Bi Fan and wanted to seize the initiative.

Bi Fan arched backward like an iron bridge, dodging Yang Lin's attack, then flipped upright like a carp leaping over a dragon gate.

Sweeping Across a Thousand Armies!

Bi Fan's leg shot out like lightning, sweeping toward Yang Lin. The kick was immensely powerful; if it landed, Yang Lin would have a hard time taking it.

Yang Lin actually rolled along the ground, dodging Bi Fan's attack.

After getting back to his feet, Yang Lin's expression turned grim.

He pulled a dagger from his robes. It was actually a low-grade Magic Tool.

"Bi Fan, you'd better concede. No matter how strong you are, you won't be able to withstand this dagger." Yang Lin looked rather pleased with himself.

Bi Fan said coldly, "Is that so? We'll have to try it and see."

Out of habit, he ran a finger along his chin as if stroking a beard. At his age, he had no beard to stroke, so the gesture looked rather comical.

Several female disciples in the stands chuckled.

"Honestly, what's with Bi Fan stroking his chin and acting like an old man?" muttered a female disciple from Jade Maiden Peak.

Yang Lin charged at Bi Fan with the dagger, thrusting straight at him at tremendous speed.

Bi Fan looked as though he'd been scared silly. His hand was still on his chin, and he didn't move an inch.

Yu Xiao Feng shouted, "Bi Fan, dodge!"

As the dagger closed in, Bi Fan smiled. Then his right hand darted out like lightning, two fingers slightly apart, and went straight for the dagger.

"Has Bi Fan gone crazy? He's actually trying to stop a low-grade Magic Tool with his bare hand! Does he think low-grade Magic Tools are handed out for free?" cried several disciples in surprise.

Bi Fan channeled his inner breath into his fingers and used the Carefree Immortal Finger—not to attack, but to defend.

So that was how the Carefree Immortal Finger could be used defensively: Bi Fan's hand flashed out, and his fingers clamped directly onto the dagger.

Look closely, and you could see that Bi Fan's fingers were translucent, like gold and jade.

The dagger was trapped between Bi Fan's fingers. No matter how hard Yang Lin pulled, he couldn't get it free.

Bi Fan raised his left hand and punched Yang Lin in the face.

Yang Lin had finally managed to get his hands on a low-grade Magic Tool and didn't want to lose it, so he hesitated for a moment.

"Boom!"

Bi Fan's punch landed, leaving Yang Lin with two black eyes.

Yang Lin shook his head, dazed. He couldn't even tell which way was which, yet he still clung tightly to the dagger.

"Get off the stage!" Bi Fan flung him away with all his might, hurling Yang Lin and the dagger right off the platform.

"Ah! Amazing..."

"He's so cool! Are his fingers made of diamond?"

"Incredible! His fingers aren't afraid of a Magic Tool's sharp edge!"

The stands erupted in astonished cries. Bi Fan had stolen the show this time.

Bi Fan paid them no mind. Without changing expression, he went straight back to the stands.

Ling Xin Ya gave Bi Fan a long, deep look and said, "This boy stays remarkably calm in battle, and it seems he's had quite a few fortuitous encounters. As long as his background checks out, he's worth investing heavily in."

Then he called over a disciple and sent him to investigate Bi Fan's background.

"Bi Fan, let me see your fingers." Without waiting for his answer, Yu Xiao Feng took his hand and examined his fingers closely.

"Hey, there isn't even a scratch. How did you do that?"

Bi Fan's hand was held in Yu Xiao Feng's delicate, jade-soft one. It felt wonderfully warm and soft.

He closed his eyes, savoring the feeling, and didn't hear a word Yu Xiao Feng said.

Yu Xiao Feng let go of his hand and said, "Are you going to tell me or not?"

"Tell you what?" Bi Fan asked, looking blank.

"Why your hand wasn't hurt!" Yu Xiao Feng glared at him.

Bi Fan said, "I used a clever technique, and my fingers never touched the dagger's edge."

"I don't think that's all there is to it." Yu Xiao Feng's eyes were full of suspicion.

"Everything I said is true," Bi Fan said, gritting his teeth.

Before long, the other two groups had also decided their winners. Li Shu proved remarkably strong and defeated his opponent to advance; the other disciple who advanced was named Zhou Feng.

The final four still had to compete for their rankings. The reward for fourth place was worlds apart from the reward for third.

This time, Iron Bull had bad luck in the draw and was matched against Bi Fan, while Li Shu and Zhou Feng were paired together.

For the matches that followed, they used just one platform so everyone could watch more closely.

Bi Fan and Iron Bull took the stage first. As soon as Bi Fan stepped onto it, Iron Bull suddenly said, "I concede."

Then he grinned at Bi Fan. "Heh, heh. You're too strong. I'm no match for you."

Even Bi Fan felt a little sick looking at Iron Bull's yellow teeth up close. He hurried off the stage, as if he were the one who'd lost.

Iron Bull was at a loss, then strode off the stage.

Next up were Li Shu and Zhou Feng. They saluted each other, and the match began.

The winner would face Bi Fan for first place, so Bi Fan watched their match closely.

Li Shu and Zhou Feng were evenly matched, trading blows back and forth in a thrilling contest.

The fighting on the platform was fierce, and the spectators in the stands cheered without pause.

Both Li Shu and Zhou Feng had learned a few simple martial techniques. Their fight was exciting, so the applause was only natural.

Bi Fan watched closely, even committing each of their techniques to memory.

Without the secrets behind them, martial techniques couldn't be practiced. Still, it was good to study them. If he ever faced them in the future, he would know how to handle them.

Li Shu and Zhou Feng traded several powerful blows. Both were badly injured, but in the end, Li Shu won by half a move.

After that, they rested for an hour before the contest for third and fourth place began.

The hour passed quickly, and Iron Bull and Zhou Feng strode onto the platform.

Zhou Feng's movements looked a little unnatural as he walked. Anyone with a sharp eye could see that his injuries hadn't fully healed.

"The match begins!"

Iron Bull went straight for a bear hug, hoping to end the fight with that move.

Zhou Feng was nimble and dodged with a quick sidestep.

At the same time, Zhou Feng struck with a palm, landing it squarely on Iron Bull.

Iron Bull had no other great talents; he was simply sturdy. He took Zhou Feng's palm strike without the slightest sign of injury.

"Heh, heh!" Iron Bull grinned and went for another bear hug.

He was determined to wear Zhou Feng down, using both arms and legs to try to wrap him up.

At first, Zhou Feng dodged each attempt, but as time passed, his injuries flared up. He was half a beat too slow, and Iron Bull caught him in a bear hug.

"I concede!" Zhou Feng said, utterly frustrated.

If he and Li Shu hadn't both been badly hurt, Iron Bull wouldn't have stood a chance against him. Losing like this left a bitter taste in his mouth.

The reward for fourth place was the same as the reward for tenth, and far worse than the reward for third. That only made him more frustrated.