CHAPTER 74: CHAPTER 74: BYE_1

After all, the duration was too short, and the period of weakness would cause a severe decline in combat power.

For some ambitious Inner Door disciples aiming for a high ranking, even if they wanted to use talismans and elixirs for reinforcement, they would wait until the last few rounds.

Time passed gradually, and the contests on the Martial Arts Stage came to an end one after another.

The losers exited dejectedly, while the winners eagerly prepared for the next round of battle.

After Elder Chu Chen announced the list of winners, a new round of drawing lots quickly began.

Shen Mo casually picked up the jade lot floating in front of him. It revealed the name of his opponent for the second round: Bai Yu.

This Bai Yu did not seem to be any outstanding genius.

Seeing that he had drawn Shen Mo, his complexion turned somewhat pale. After all, he had previously seen how Shen Mo had decisively defeated his opponent.

Without even having to fight, I already know I stand no chance, Bai Yu thought.

But the temptation of entering the top fifty newcomers and obtaining the training qualification for the Mountain River Realm was right in front of him.

Ultimately, he did not choose to give up and bravely stepped onto the Martial Arts Stage.

"Please give me guidance, Senior Brother," Bai Yu said after stepping onto the stage and slightly bowing, then swallowed an elixir.

Shen Mo could not determine what the elixir was called but guessed it was a temporary strength booster, similar to the spiritual medicine known as the Berserker Pill.

After swallowing the pill, Bai Yu’s aura noticeably increased, and the hand holding the sword no longer trembled.

"CLANG!"

He swung his sword, but it was suddenly deflected by Shen Mo, who had drawn his Dragon Sparrow Sword.

Ultimately, he failed to withstand even a single move from Shen Mo.

"I... lost," Bai Yu finally said, his face alternating between red and pale.

"This guy called Shen Mo seems to be quite strong..."

"I noticed him in the last round. He defeated his enemies in just one move both times. He seems to have potential as a dark horse."

"We really need to keep an eye on him."

This impressive record of Shen Mo’s also attracted the attention of some disciples watching the competition.

After the battle ended, Shen Mo turned his gaze towards Cao Ren.

He was quite lucky; his opponent was still a relatively weak newcomer disciple.

Taking advantage of the talisman’s amplification effects that had yet to disperse, he and his opponent were evenly matched.

In the end, he narrowly won the battle using a Frost Talisman.

After winning and successfully entering the top fifty, Cao Ren wisely chose to forfeit in the next round.

To me, achieving this result is already quite fortunate, he thought. Giving up sooner means I’ll take fewer beatings.

Shen Mo, on the other hand, drew a female disciple named Qin Ping for the third round.

Her foundation was solid, and she even wielded two forms of magic.

Alas, facing Shen Mo, she was still inevitably defeated and knocked out of the competition.

The drawing for the fourth round began.

After three rounds of competition, only twenty-five of the two hundred contestants remained.

Those who had made it this far were disciples with genuine skills.

Therefore, many disciples watching the competition were looking forward to some fierce contests in this round.

Xu Longxiang versus Liu Qing.

Zhao Yue versus Huo Qi.

...

In this round, many hotly tipped disciples indeed clashed head-on.

However, when it was Shen Mo’s turn, he found he had drawn a bye.

Who would’ve thought... I get a bye this round, he mused, looking at the large character signifying a ’bye’ on his jade lot. That’s fine. It saves me some trouble. I’ll just wait for the next round.

Among the contests in this round, the one that caught everyone’s attention was undoubtedly the confrontation between Xu Longxiang and Liu Qing.

Both had a high reputation among the outer disciples.

In the end, Liu Qing emerged as the victor.

Xu Longxiang, a burly figure who held everyone else in contempt, was dejectedly eliminated.

After another round of confrontations and eliminations, only thirteen contestants remained.

In addition to the hotly tipped disciples who had been in the spotlight all along, there were also quite a few dark horses.

Such as Shen Mo, and... Lu Ming.

Speaking of which, Lu Ming was clearly drawing much more attention than the others, even subtly surpassing Liu Qing and the rest.

Because all along the way, he came across many strong opponents, yet without exception, he managed to defeat each one with a single move. His record was extremely eye-catching.

Elder Chu Chen once again presided over the draw. This time, when Shen Mo opened the jade lot, he again saw a large character signifying a ’bye’.

"This guy, he’s gotten a bye twice! He really is damn lucky!"

"He jumped straight from the twenty-fifth spot to the top ten! The Foundation Pill is directly in his hands!"

Shen Mo himself was quite astonished by the consecutive byes.

Could this be my Special Destiny at work? he wondered. Getting two byes in a row is such heaven-defying luck; it’s truly rare.

At this time, many disciples who were watching the fights were also in an uproar.

"Silence!" Elder Chu Chen frowned slightly. "Cultivation, by its nature, is unpredictable," he stated. "Luck is also a part of strength."

His words settling the matter, the previously somewhat noisy crowd immediately fell silent.

Since he had no match this round, Shen Mo could only sit in the spectator seats, watching others fight.

At this moment, there were a total of six contests going on at the Yuxu Altar.

The fight that Shen Mo was most concerned with was Lu Ming’s.

His opponent was Liu Qing, who had just won the previous round against Xu Longxiang.

Interesting fellow, Shen Mo thought.

Although he did not know that this person was a specially recruited disciple of the Thunder Body type, with the blessing of the Bright Vision Destiny, Shen Mo’s vision was extraordinary, with a certain ability to discern Talent.

He could tell this guy was no simple character.

The battle between Lu Ming and Liu Qing was very intense.

Liu Qing, unlike the usual disciples, had a very solid foundation and had the aid of the profound-level magic artifact, the Jade Water Sword, as well as the Grade I magic, the Green Lotus Sword Santra.

Under normal circumstances, a cultivator of the same level could win even in a two-on-one fight.

However, she was unable to withstand even ten moves from Lu Ming and was blasted off the stage.

"You lost," Lu Ming said, his eyes cold as he looked down on the defeated Liu Qing from a higher position, ending the battle neatly and cleanly.

"This lad is not bad," Peak Master Zhou Shili of Stars Peak remarked, his eyes on Lu Ming, nodding in satisfaction from atop the high platform.

Since the start of the newcomer competition, he had watched every single fight involving Lu Ming.

As someone who possesses a Spiritual Body, he is indeed extraordinary, Zhou Shili thought.

This Lu Ming not only had a solid foundation, but due to his special Spiritual Body, he also practiced various thunder-attribute magic. Moreover, he had cultivated each one to a very high standard.

His Vitality, cultivation method, martial arts, Lightness—he had almost no weak points in any aspect.

The Lu Family was not a particularly prominent or wealthy clan. To have reached this point, it was evident that after discovering this kinsman with a Thunder Body, the entire clan had poured all their resources and hopes for their immortal destiny into him.

With robust Vitality and excellent Talent, he is indeed a rare gem, showing signs of great potential, Zhou Shili mused. The more he watched, the more satisfied he became, even thinking of accepting him as his disciple.

"If he can secure first place in this newcomer competition and join Stars Peak, I am willing to break the rules and accept him as a disciple."

"Peak Master, are you serious?" Lu Yao exclaimed, overjoyed upon hearing his words.

The position and power of the three Peak Masters in the Riverside Sect were second only to the Law Master and the Supreme Elder.

If the Peak Master is willing to accept Lu Ming as his Direct Disciple, it will undoubtedly be a great opportunity for him, Lu Yao thought. Moreover, this opportunity will not only benefit Lu Ming but also extend to the entire Lu Family. Even as Lu Ming’s elder brother, I’ll be able to benefit greatly from it within the Peak in the future.

"The words of this Peak Master are naturally true," Zhou Shili said, then glanced at Guo Zhao behind him. "However," he continued, "whether or not this boy can truly secure first place in this newcomer competition remains to be seen. Guo Zhao, the newcomer competition has reached its midpoint. How do you assess Lu Ming’s strength? Compared to the one you favor, does he have a chance of victory?"

Guo Zhao hesitated for a moment before finally shaking his head. "It remains uncertain," he replied.

He indeed regarded Shen Mo as an extraordinary presence among the new disciples of this generation. After all, simply possessing three full Dantians put him well ahead of many ordinary disciples.

However, when faced with top-tier Talent like a Thunder Body, Shen Mo is still a step behind, Guo Zhao thought privately. Especially after seeing Lu Ming fight a few times, I also secretly feel that Shen Mo’s chances of winning aren’t high. The Thunder Body is simply too powerful. Furthermore, Lu Ming seemed to hold back in his previous fights. It’s uncertain what hidden cards he might have if he meets a strong opponent.

Guo Zhao really could not guarantee that Shen Mo would be able to defeat this person.

"In that case, let’s wait and see," Zhou Shili spoke lightly. "For this newcomer competition, regardless of who among them secures first place, I, as Peak Master, will make an exception and accept a disciple. It’s up to them to prove they have the capability."

Zhou Shili indeed favored Lu Ming, but this favor derived from Lu Ming’s strength and Talent.

However, if Shen Mo had the ability to defeat Lu Ming, it would mean that he was an even more promising character.

Zhou Shili naturally wouldn’t mind transferring his favor to an even more outstanding disciple.