Curses from both banks of the river filled the air.
Wei Lu and Zhang Huaiyu stood on the boat, shame on their faces, yet felt that even a hundred mouths could not clear their names!
After all, the Golden Tower had arranged this contest for the two of them. Every stage had been designed beforehand, tailored precisely to their levels of cultivation.
The first trial was an appetizer, meant to whet every spectator's interest.
The second trial was meant to weed out all the small fry who had qualified, creating the dramatic effect of two prodigies breaking through together. That way, the Golden Tower would not have to pay out any silver, while the audience's anticipation would reach its peak!
According to the Golden Tower's estimates, only the two seeded contestants would be able to scrape through the second trial by the skin of their teeth. Everyone else would fail. They had never expected Xie Jinhuan to turn up!
And turning up was one thing, but Xie Jinhuan's foundations were so solid that he had forcibly blocked every hidden weapon. His display had been so intimidating that Wei Lu and Zhang Huaiyu had been forced to avoid his edge.
Thus, they ended up with a situation where "they had acted correctly, yet lost according to the rules." The spectators certainly were not going to accept that.
Realizing that the live show had gone wrong, the Golden Tower's proprietor was momentarily stunned. But his years as a host gave him quick reflexes, and he hurried to smooth things over:
"Young Master Xie's martial prowess is truly exceptional. Young Master Wei and Young Master Zhang were not unwilling to lend a hand, either. Rather, the Golden Tower failed to consider this trial thoroughly and left little room for assisting others. The responsibility