Chapter 9: Will We Win?

The night of cultivation had ended.

When the sky was barely beginning to brighten, Zhou Yan had already left his room and headed straight for the training grounds.

This time, he did not see Li Guanqi, who had been there the day before, but the tall, short-haired youth who trained diligently with exaggerated weights was still there.

"Hello, I'm Zhou Yan, from the Nanming Sword Hall in Tianzun City. May I ask your name?"

Before starting his own training, Zhou Yan approached the youth after seeing him finish a set of weighted pull-ups.

Zhou Yan himself stood over 1.8 meters tall, and his physique had grown increasingly robust through this period of training. Yet, in front of this youth—who was nearly two meters tall and possessed bulging, knotted muscles—he still appeared somewhat small.

Hearing Zhou Yan speak, the short-haired youth instinctively straightened his body into a posture resembling a salute, then stammered, "Hello, I... I know you. Zhou Yan, the favorite to win the top spot in this exchange tournament."

He paused, then added, "Tied... tied with Li Guanqi as the favorite."

"Haha, I didn't realize I had a bit of a reputation," Zhou Yan laughed. "But you haven't told me your name yet."

"Yes!" The short-haired youth stood even straighter, his voice becoming a bit louder. "I am Nie Luo! I belong to the Mecha-Martial Arts Regiment of the Yicheng Division of the Vermillion Bird Army!"

Immediately after, he fixed his burning gaze directly on Zhou Yan. "I am also the top recruit among this year's Mecha-Martial Arts Regiment. Whoever wins between you and Li Guanqi today will be my opponent tomorrow!"

Hearing this, Zhou Yan couldn't help but smile. "I knew it; someone capable of such a training volume couldn't be a nobody. Nie Luo, I look forward to our battle tomorrow."

Nie Luo was taken aback. "You... you are so confident that you can beat Li Guanqi? I heard he is... he is a direct disciple of a big shot from the Vermillion Bird Palace..."

Zhou Yan chuckled. "Coincidentally, you know Luo Xuan, right?"

"I do. Your Hall Master, the number one genius of the Vermillion Bird Palace who was widely talked about a few years ago," Nie Luo replied instinctively.

This answer caught Zhou Yan off guard.

*Good grief, I had no idea Xiao Xuan had such a massive reputation.*

*If her future was so promising, why did she return to a secondary city like Tianzun?*

Zhou Yan then realized it likely had to do with the passing of Luo Huaiyi.

However, this was not the time to dwell on the details. Zhou Yan smiled at Nie Luo, "So, you see, Luo Xuan is the number one genius of the Vermillion Bird Palace and also a 'big shot.' I am her student, which makes me a student of a big shot. Why wouldn't I be able to beat Li Guanqi?"

"Th-that..." Nie Luo was momentarily stunned, unable to find words.

Zhou Yan patted the arm of the slightly dim-witted giant. "Think about it slowly; I'm going to warm up."

With that, he walked to a corner, turned on a Logic-Flow block machine, and began his sensitivity training.

He left Nie Luo standing there, scratching his head for a long while before the youth eventually returned to his hellish weighted training.

*

Meanwhile, inside a room at the Lihuo Pavilion apartment.

Li Guanqi, who possessed an ordinary face but an extraordinary aura, stood silently. He held his sword in one hand with his eyes closed, his eyelids trembling slightly.

He had been up since four o'clock and had maintained this standing posture ever since.

In his mind, a phantom of his opponent, Zhou Yan, stood with a blade in hand, engaged in a life-or-death struggle with him.

Based on Zhou Yan's effortless crushing of Zheng Keren yesterday, Li Guanqi had already adjusted his estimate of Zhou Yan's strength upward by another twenty percent. He had perfected this version of Zhou Yan in his mind, creating an opponent capable of engaging in a "mind battle" with him.

Now, having fought countless rounds against this mental image of Zhou Yan, the smile on Li Guanqi's lips grew more pronounced.

He suddenly opened his eyes, a sharp edge flashing within them, and the blade in his hand thrust forward instinctively.

Fast, ruthless, and precise!

In his eyes, this strike had pierced the heart of the phantom in his mind.

Li Guanqi swiftly withdrew his sword and turned around, walking out of the room with immense confidence.

*Zhou Yan, I will win this battle!*

*

*

*

A few hours later.

After finishing training and breakfast, Zhou Yan accompanied Luo Xuan and Luo Ke to the arena.

Luo Xuan said, "Zhou Yan, today is the final day of the martial arts exchange between the halls. Both the semi-finals and the finals will be completed this morning. Your performance so far has been excellent; don't put any psychological pressure on yourself, just perform as you normally do."

Zhou Yan tilted his head to look at the calm genius woman. "Hey, does Instructor Luo think I will win?"

Luo Xuan looked at Zhou Yan quietly. After a few seconds, she answered earnestly, "In the semi-finals against Xiang Ping, you will definitely win!"

"Hmm," Zhou Yan said with a half-smile. "Xiao Xuan, you know I wasn't asking about Xiang Ping."

Luo Ke, standing nearby, chimed in, "Sister, you don't actually think Zhou Yan can't beat Li Guanqi, do you?"

Luo Xuan remained silent for a moment. "That Li Guanqi was accepted as a direct disciple by the 'Yinghuo Sword Monarch,' a top-tier elder of the Vermillion Bird Palace, last year. Zhou Yan, do you know what the title 'Sword Monarch' implies?"

"Yinghuo Sword Monarch?" Zhou Yan rubbed his chin. "That's a nickname, right? It feels a bit out of place with our daily lives—"

Luo Ke also struck the same chin-rubbing pose as Zhou Yan. "Are you sure this isn't a nickname that only appears in xianxia novels?"

The two of them, one tall and one short, one male and one female, struck the same thoughtful pose, looking unusually in sync.

Luo Xuan looked at them, speechless, and sighed softly. "Zhou Yan, so as not to affect your mindset, I will tell you about the Sword Monarch after the match. It will also be a good time for you to learn about more of the world's secrets."

Luo Ke quipped from the side, "Sister, you're like a tube of toothpaste; you only squeeze out a little at a time. I really want to use pliers to pry your mouth open and make you spill everything you're hiding."

Luo Xuan shot her sister a cold look. "Before that happens, I will beat your butt until it's swollen."

"Zhou Yan! Look at her!" Luo Ke immediately sought help from Zhou Yan. "Besides using physical threats, what else can this violent woman do?"

Veins bulged on Luo Xuan's forehead.

"Haha, alright, alright. Instead of bickering, why not help me think of Li Guanqi's weaknesses?" Zhou Yan's words immediately diverted Luo Xuan's attention.

She tilted her head slightly, thought for a moment, and then said seriously, "Li Guanqi has been training under the Yinghuo Sword Monarch for a year. It is said that his aptitude is rare to see in a century; he possesses a natural 'Sword Bone.' Although he was nineteen when he was discovered last year—one year older than me—and has only been practicing the sword for a year, as a disciple of a Sword Monarch, he certainly lacks no training resources. Top-tier talent combined with abundant resources, plus the careful guidance of the Yinghuo Sword Monarch... even if he hasn't reached the 'Mystic Level' yet, I fear his physical constitution has already been cultivated to the peak of the 'Fierce Level'."

As she spoke, Luo Xuan glanced at Zhou Yan again. "As for his swordsmanship, it goes without saying. He has at least mastered the Nanming Sword to the point of perfection, and he is surely proficient in the four secret sword techniques... perhaps even those taught in advance by the Sword Monarch herself..."

Luo Xuan paused slightly and sighed. "In short, Zhou Yan, while your growth speed is unprecedented, it will likely be very difficult to beat him."

"Then, care to make a bet?" Zhou Yan asked with a bright smile.

"Bet on what?" Luo Xuan asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Let's bet on whether I can beat Li Guanqi." Zhou Yan looked at the girl and pointed to the silver-white case she always carried.

"If I win against him, Xiao Xuan, let me see the power of this 'Divine Machine' of yours. How about that?"

Luo Xuan looked down at the Divine Machine she never let out of her sight, then said calmly, "Even if you don't win, you can see it if you want. But since you want to make a bet, then let's make it."

"Great, great, great! It's a deal!" Before Zhou Yan could say anything, Luo Ke, upon hearing that she might get to see the Divine Machine, became immediately excited.

ヽ(ω)ノ

*

After making the bet with Luo Xuan, Zhou Yan was notified to change and head to the arena.

By the time he had put on his protective gear, grabbed his competition sword, and stepped into the arena, he saw his opponent, who had entered before him.

Xiang Ping—the youth he had met briefly before the first day of the exchange, the one who helped him force Zheng Keren to leave the elevator in defeat.

The sword hall he belonged to seemed to be very high-performing; its hall master was named Bai, a "Supreme Level" master who was even more formidable than most Nanming Sword Hall masters.

Back then, Zhou Yan had thought that if he didn't wear his Life-Armor and relied only on his base strength, he might have struggled against this Xiang Ping.

But now...

Zhou Yan stood firm with his sword and smiled at Xiang Ping from across the arena. "Xiang Ping, as you said, we really did run into each other."

Xiang Ping, on the other hand, had a bitter smile. He looked at Zhou Yan helplessly. "I had originally envisioned that my opponent in this round would be Zheng Keren."

"And that I would defeat him to fight for the first place."

As he spoke, he looked at Zhou Yan. "But the formidable rival I imagined was easily defeated by you... no, 'defeated' isn't the word. It was a brutalization."

Suddenly, Xiang Ping pulled down his mask, his voice muffled. "Give me some dignity; let's settle this in one round!"

Zhou Yan also gently pulled down his mask. "Forget one round."

"One strike to decide the winner!"

"Fine!"

The two took their stances and stood in silent confrontation, instantly immersing themselves in the standoff.

Xiang Ping's spirit was highly focused. From observing Zhou Yan crushing Zheng Keren the day before, he realized that Zhou Yan was the deepest dark horse in this tournament.

His strength, agility, and swordsmanship had all reached an extremely high level.

However, as long as he remained within the scope of humanity, there was still a chance to win.

*My advantage lies in my superior perception compared to others and my solid fundamentals.*

*As long as I can catch one mistake from Zhou Yan...*

Xiang Ping's expression was calm, and he felt his hand holding the sword becoming increasingly steady.

The referee soon entered the arena and struck a long staff, signaling the start of the match.

*Whoosh!*

Zhou Yan moved with rapid footsteps, shooting forward like a bolt of lightning.

Xiang Ping's eyes flickered rapidly, locking onto Zhou Yan's form with his excellent dynamic vision.

*He's fast, but I can see him!* Xiang Ping's lips curled slightly. Immediately after, he saw Zhou Yan's wrist flip with fluid motion during his sprint, switching to a reverse grip on the sword.

*He's going to use the 'Green Sickle'!* Xiang Ping's heart raced, and the method to counter the Green Sickle technique flashed through his mind instantly.

This was the opportunity he had been waiting for!

In the blink of an eye, Xiang Ping had already adopted a stance specifically designed to counter the Green Sickle.

And Zhou Yan had already swung his sword in a reverse-grip slash.

*I've won!* Xiang Ping's lips curled, but they instantly froze.

The blade he had pushed forward to intercept met no resistance whatsoever at the moment of contact with Zhou Yan's blade.

Under his superior dynamic vision, Zhou Yan's horizontal reverse-grip slash blurred for a split second.

*Thud!*

Xiang Ping felt his throat guard take a heavy blow, and the impact sent him into a backflip, lifting him into the air.

Zhou Yan had already appeared behind him.

*Bang!*

"Too bad. My Green Sickle is even faster than you imagined."

Lying heavily on the ground, unable to move, Xiang Ping listened to Zhou Yan's calm words and sighed helplessly.

"So, tell me... why do you monsters come here to torment us ordinary people?"

"Winner of the first round of the semi-finals: Zhou Yan!"

The referee's voice resonated throughout the arena.

Xiang Ping honored his agreement and surrendered immediately after being taken down by Zhou Yan in the first round.

The expected outcome didn't bring Zhou Yan much joy.

Xiang Ping was a top-tier fighter among those at the Fierce Level; his physical attributes were on par with Zheng Keren's, roughly two to three times that of an ordinary person, and his reaction time and vision were a cut above.

Unfortunately, he was up against Zhou Yan, who could now wear his Life-Armor properly and had undergone a significant surge in strength.

Even without counting the special effects of his circuits, all three of his main attributes had exceeded one hundred.

In other words—he possessed the strength of ten men in one body.

Even so-called grandmasters did not hold an advantage over Zhou Yan in terms of attributes, forced to rely only on martial arts and experience to compete.

With such power, even if Zhou Yan deliberately restrained his strength, his astonishing bodily control and spirit could easily defeat any student.

Xiang Ping had no possibility of defending against him.

*

Five minutes later.

Zhou Yan sat in his lounge, downing a supplement provided by the Lihuo Pavilion.

He watched the screen as Li Guanqi defeated his opponent in a single strike.

A smile curled on his lips.

He stood up, put on his helmet, and grabbed his weapon as he walked out of the room.

He muttered to himself in a low voice, "I will win..."

Just like that, he crossed the corridor and soon arrived at the arena.

Then, the first thing he saw was Li Guanqi, who had not left the arena after his victory.

Zhou Yan stepped forward. "What, no need to rest?"

Li Guanqi returned a calm smile and shook his head gently.

From his gaze, Zhou Yan could see the man's unparalleled self-confidence.

At that moment, the referee approached.

Zhou Yan looked closely and saw a familiar face.

The Pavilion Master of the Yicheng Lihuo Pavilion—Cong Shiyun.

"The final exchange match. The winner will be the new top student of our Yicheng Lihuo Pavilion this year and will receive training resources specially supplied by the Vermillion Bird Palace—resources sufficient to support you in reaching the Mystic Level or higher within three years, provided your talent is enough."

The Pavilion Master of the Lihuo Pavilion said this with a face full of smiles.

Zhou Yan was slightly interested in the so-called resources, but what interested him more was the Pavilion Master himself.

As the master of one of the seven main Lihuo Pavilions in the Vermillion Bird District, his strength must have surpassed that of a grandmaster, right?

If so, what tier of the "True Realm" would this Pavilion Master be at?

And what kind of secret arts did the Vermillion Bird Palace provide to practitioners of the True Realm?

Just as Zhou Yan was pondering this, he saw the Pavilion Master turn to look at Li Guanqi. "Guanqi, how has Elder Zhang been lately?"

Li Guanqi bowed respectfully to the Pavilion Master with his sword, nodding with a smile.

Cong Shiyun also turned with a smile to look at Zhou Yan.

"Since this is the most critical battle, how about I serve as the referee for this match?"

Zhou Yan nodded gently and raised his blade.

Li Guanqi, on the other side, did the same.

***

(There will be another 4K chapter this afternoon.)

(Celebrating reaching 3,000 average subscriptions, so I'll be doing 8K daily from now on. I'm going all out for you guys!)

1,500 initial subscriptions, ten days, and I've reached 3,000 average subscriptions. I feel the performance is quite good.

I still need to thank all the readers for their support. The worldview is gradually unfolding, and there is still a lot planned to be written later. I'm aiming for at least two million words; the author has ambition for this book!

Everyone, rest assured and just keep reading!