The Organizer

He tried a few more times.

Lin Sheng quickly figured out how it worked.

The Sanctuary Gray Seal gave him more than just tougher skin. It strengthened his entire body.

His skin, muscles, and bones had all been enhanced.

That was why no matter what he did—whether hitting a tree or stabbing himself with a knife—he wouldn't bruise his bones.

After exercising for a while, he noticed it was getting late.

Lin Sheng packed his things, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and headed home.

When he got back, his father seemed to have been doing better in business lately. There was a much bigger smile on his face.

His mother's salary had returned to normal, too, and the family's income had improved considerably.

Lin Sheng felt much more at ease as well.

In the dream, he stayed in Valen Temple for several days in a row, devoting himself to meditating on the Gray Seal.

He planned to keep meditating on it. By his estimate, there had to be a limit to the Gray Seal's defensive enhancement.

Otherwise, Valen Temple would have been invincible long ago. There would have been no need to recruit ordinary Temple Knights; they could have simply produced a few more knights who had grasped the Gray Seal and dominated Black Feather City.

The days passed.

At last, the official fencing tournament began.

April 13.

Huaisha City Sports Complex, Third Indoor Gymnasium.

The bustling gymnasium was mostly empty. A large number of long, gray mats had been laid out in one corner on the right.

The mats had been arranged in a circle.

At the center of the circle stood a square platform. Wire mesh surrounded it, and dark red wooden boards covered the floor. Several staff members in yellow uniforms were inspecting everything.

Lin Sheng and Russell walked at the front, with Xiayin and Madilan behind them.

Led by the person at the front, the group made their way along the edge of the gymnasium.

Their guide was a staff member organizing the qualifiers, a middle-aged, bald man in a gray suit named Li Heng.

"We've rented part of this gymnasium for the event. Since Huaisha City doesn't have many contestants, we hope you'll bear with us.

"If everything goes smoothly, we should finish the qualifiers this morning."

He spoke with a genial smile, the sort of accommodating man who never wanted to offend anyone.

Then he began explaining the rules and things to keep in mind for the tournament.

Russell walked beside Lin Sheng, glancing around. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he pointed into the distance.

"Look over there! Those are other contestants!"

Lin Sheng looked up and followed his gesture.

On the opposite side of the gymnasium, another group was being led inside by staff.

Chen Huan was among them. Beside her was Xu Yi, the stylish woman who had signed Lin Sheng up earlier. A few young people who seemed to be ordinary students followed behind them.

Chen Huan wore a tight white fencing uniform, her long hair tied in a ponytail. She looked poised and striking, a helmet tucked under her arm and a cool expression on her face.

Lin Sheng's gaze swept over her, then quickly shifted to another team behind her.

Another group of contestants was following the staff guiding Chen Huan's team.

There were only two of them, seemingly a brother and sister. Both had blond hair and blue eyes, with tall, athletic builds.

The man stood straight and wore a fencing uniform, holding a straight sword without a guard.

Lin Sheng narrowed his eyes. The man seemed like no pushover.

The fragments of memory he had absorbed from the Elite Rotten Swordsman included ways of assessing an opponent.

Their steps, movements, alertness, and other details could give him a rough idea of their fighting ability.

It seems there are skilled fighters in the real world, too. Lin Sheng grew a little more cautious.

Soon, the staff led each team to the edge of the competition area, where they sat on the mats.

A banner was unfurled along the second-floor railing nearby. It read: "Warm congratulations on the official opening of Huaisha City's Seventh National Amateur Fencing Tournament qualifier."

After Lin Sheng and the others sat down, Chen Huan's team soon took their places on a mat not far away.

There were only ten teams in all, and they sat around the competition platform. It was easy to see one another.

Chen Huan glared at Lin Sheng for a while, her eyes nearly bulging out.

But before long, her gaze shifted to the other blond man, and she stared at him as if facing a formidable enemy.

Lin Sheng sat cross-legged, his sword upright beside his leg.

"What's that man's name?" he asked, pointing at the blond man with the calm expression.

Russell shifted beside him and lowered his voice.

"Sears Kami. He's a local businessman who's really into this. When you weren't around, he and Chen Huan were the ones competing for first and second place."

Lin Sheng nodded to show he understood.

The blond young man, Sears, seemed to notice his gaze. He turned and gave Lin Sheng a friendly smile.

Lin Sheng nodded slightly, his face expressionless, returning the courtesy.

Before long, the host went onstage to test the sound system. Deafening music rang out.

"We're delighted to be here on this sunny day, in the largest gymnasium in Huaisha City, the Third Gymnasium, to hold our Seventh National Amateur Fencing Tournament—"

The host went on at length, thanking the sponsors.

"There aren't even fifty spectators around. What's the point of these qualifiers?" Russell muttered.

"A medal to show off wouldn't be bad," Lin Sheng said with a smile.

After a lot more pointless chatter, the so-called fencing qualifiers finally began.

There were ten teams in all. They first drew lots to determine matchups at random. The winners advanced, while the losers were eliminated.

There wasn't much to the qualifiers. If you lost, you were out. There were no second chances.

Xiayin went up with the other teams to draw lots for Lin Sheng's group.

She looked at the number she drew. Five.

"Fifth match. Not good, not bad. It all depends on who we get," Xiayin said quietly.

Their opponents would be the team that had also drawn number five.

"Now, please welcome the number one contestants to the platform. The first to be hit three times loses. Anyone unable to continue fighting also loses," the host announced into the microphone.

Lin Sheng sat below and watched two men walk up the wooden platform from opposite sides and face each other.

The referee stepped onto the platform and stood between them.

Clang.

A gong rang out.

The referee chopped one hand down between the two men, signaling the start.

They immediately took up the Roof Stance.

The difference was that one held his sword upright beside his ear, while the other raised his sword over his head.

The Roof Stance was the most common and popular stance because it made downward strikes easy.

But after glancing at their footwork, Lin Sheng shook his head slightly.

One man's steps were weak and unsteady, while the other was standing in a plain, feet-apart stance. Both had parallel stances, their feet positioned along the same horizontal line.

With that posture and such unsteady footing, either one would fall over with a single shove. They had no ability to withstand a blow.

"Teacher, what do you think of those two?" Madilan leaned closer from behind and asked quietly.

Lin Sheng didn't answer, only shook his head.

Sure enough.

Both men let out a fierce yell and swung their swords hard at each other.

Thud.

The taller man had longer arms and landed the first hit, winning the match. His opponent fell to the ground, injured.

The winner was clear.

They were like wild boars!

The few people around them gave a sparse round of applause.

Soon, the winner left the platform, and the second match began.

Once again, the man with longer arms won.