Youth Martial Arts Tournament, Part One

Before the Defense Clan chief had finished cheering, a louder shout from below caught the chiefs' attention.

"Yang Wu of the Breaking Clan! Martial Soul: Soul Breaking Spear! Innate Soul Power: level eight!"

At the announcement, the other three clans erupted like boiling pots.

The Breaking Clan had already begun cheering as one.

"Yang Wu is incredible!" "Yang Wu is number one under heaven!"...

The Breaking Clan chief was beaming. The moment he opened his mouth, he launched into a humblebrag: "My son has already awakened his Martial Soul, but what can I do? The Breaking Clan simply has too many geniuses."

The Defense Clan chief took it well. His clan had produced a genius too. The other two chiefs, however, had had enough.

"Get him!" At the Strength Clan chief's roar, both chiefs sprang forward and went straight for the Breaking Clan chief's face.

After a bout of scuffling, the four chiefs sat down again. The Breaking Clan chief's face was a size rounder than when he had arrived.

Tang Yue rose. "All right, all right, enough fooling around. Look at you. At your age, you're still so, uh, wild and unruly. What an embarrassment."

Having admonished the four chiefs, Tang Yue channeled his Soul Power so his voice would reach every corner of the Clear Sky Sect.

"After discussing it with the four clan chiefs, I have decided that we will hold a grand tournament to test the strength of our younger disciples." Three chiefs nodded. Only the Defense Clan chief had no idea what he was talking about.

The Defense Clan chief stared wide-eyed at the chiefs beside him.

Seeing that they all appeared to know, he grew even more bewildered.

He sent them a message through Soul Power. "You all knew about this?"

The other chiefs exchanged baffled looks, then hurriedly replied the same way. "You didn't know? Someone from your Defense Clan was the one who sent us the message."

The Defense Clan chief was dumbfounded. One of my own clansmen told you and didn't tell me, the chief?

As he stood there at a loss, cursing the messenger under his breath, a dark figure behind a tree suddenly sneezed. That sneeze drew every chief's attention.

"Old Rhino, he's the one who brought us the message," the Breaking Clan chief said, turning to him.

The Defense Clan chief peered at the figure. The closer he looked, the greater his shock. Wasn't that his own younger brother?

"Niu Qiang, did the sect master tell you to notify every clan about the Youth Martial Arts Tournament?"

Recognizing his elder brother's voice, Niu Qiang nodded hastily. "Yes, big brother."

Niu Qiang's answer made the Defense Clan chief feel as though the sky were falling. Suppressing the urge to hit him, he asked, "And did you tell me?" Niu Qiang's heart dropped. Oh no. I forgot.

Niu Qiang had yet to say a word, but his brother understood. The bastard had forgotten.

The Defense Clan chief restrained the urge to beat him to death. "Just wait until this is over." Then he shut his eyes, unwilling to face the scene before him.

Above them, Clear Sky Sect Master Tang Yue was still delivering his impassioned speech. "Blah, blah, blah... All right! I declare the first Youth Martial Arts Tournament officially open!" The crowd below had been nodding off, but when the sect master finally finished, they burst into thunderous applause.

Led by the sect master and the clan chiefs, they headed for the arena Niu Qiang had built.

When the sect master looked ready to speak again, the elder beside him could bear no more and cut in. "There are only three rules. First: no crippling or killing anyone. Second: you must be under twenty-five. Third: you may leave the arena only after surrendering. If a referee saves you, that also counts as surrender. But referees will intervene only when your life is in danger." After that brief explanation, the crowd, still recovering from the sect master's long-winded speech, cried out from the bottom of their hearts.

"Good!"

The sect master tried to reclaim the spotlight, but under the threatening stares of the elders and chiefs, Tang Yue kept it short. "Matches will be decided by drawing lots. Number one fights number two, number three fights number four, and so on until only one remains."

There were 401 disciples competing. Matches would be decided by lot, with opponents paired off for three rounds a day.

The first round would have 200 matches and one person advancing without a fight. The second would have 100 matches, the third fifty... and so on until the final.

Tang Chen had good luck. His first opponent was a Strength Clan member who had reached only the Soul Master level.

The Clear Sky Sect's newly built arena was enormous. It had more than enough room not only for Young Disciples to test themselves, but even for Titled Douluo to fight.

Before long, all 200 matchups had been set, and the disciples entered in order.

"Number one, Contestant A, versus number two, Contestant B. Contestant A wins."

Soon it was Tang Chen's turn. The moment he stepped into the ring, Teddy charged at him. "First Soul Skill: Mighty Fist!"

Tang Chen thought so little of him that he did not even bother summoning his Martial Soul. He simply channeled Soul Power into his fist and met Teddy's punch.

As expected, Tang Chen won with ease, sending Teddy flying with a single blow.

"Number thirty, Tang Chen, versus number thirty-one, Teddy. Tang Chen wins."

The next few matches held little interest, until the thirty-fifth.

Yang Ping'an stood with his spear and cupped his hands. "Yang Ping'an. Martial Soul: Soul Breaking Spear. Level twenty-two Soul Grandmaster." Seeing his courtesy, Contestant C copied him. "Contestant C. Martial Soul: Clear Sky Hammer. Level twenty-eight Soul Grandmaster."

Once the courtesies were over, they prepared to fight. Yang Ping'an studied Contestant C, then struck first. "First Soul Skill: Pierce!" He thrust his spear at him.

Seeing the danger, Contestant C raised the Clear Sky Hammer. "First Soul Skill: Clear Sky Guard!" Three earthen-yellow shields flashed into being before him.

Under Yang Ping'an's attack, however, the shields were quickly pierced.

Contestant C used the opening to retreat a few steps and steady himself.

"Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer!" Reaching the edge of the ring, Contestant C began the hammer technique.

Yang Ping'an did not rush to attack. He searched for an opening and soon found the perfect angle. "Second Soul Skill: Penetrate!" His spear slipped through a gap in the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer technique and stopped before Contestant C's throat.

With the spearpoint against his neck, Contestant C sighed. "I surrender."

"Number seventy, Yang Ping'an, versus number seventy-one, Contestant C. Yang Ping'an wins."