Chapter 1027
Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW
Chapter 1027: I’m the Only One Participating!
During his few days in Nine Star City, Su Yi had remained secluded in his room, which left him somewhat behind on the latest developments.
“The first ten forces to enter the stage will be randomly drawn by me. Upon registration, each of you received a token with a distinct number. Once I announce ten numbers, the forces corresponding to those numbers will proceed to the platform and wait for their turn to be challenged!”
The middle-aged man, floating in the air, spoke again in a loud voice, clear enough for nearly everyone in Nine Star City to hear.
But the moment he spoke, confusion spread among the crowd.
In theory, waiting for your turn is usually more advantageous. After all, no one is foolish enough to rush into action first, risking being overtaken by others.
Furthermore, the initial forces to take the stage would likely face greater challenges.
“This method is rather interesting!” Su Yi stroked his chin, considering the implications.
He noticed that many around him had the same thoughts. After all, this alliance event only occurred once every fifty years, and many younger individuals had never participated, so the rules were unfamiliar to them.
However, the middle-aged man’s next statement quickly cleared up any confusion.
“Aside from the first ten forces drawn, each faction has only two opportunities for free challenges. If they lose, they are disqualified. To ensure fairness, even the first ten drawn forces still have two chances to challenge!”
Upon hearing this, the onlookers below seemed to understand the logic.
By this setup, the first ten forces weren’t at a clear disadvantage—rather, they essentially got an extra opportunity.
However, it’s clear they would likely use up their strength quickly, making them easier targets. This is a slight disadvantage, but it doesn’t hurt too much.
“Additionally, if an arena master isn’t challenged within an hour, they will automatically advance and claim one of the top ten spots!”
As people around him reflected on this, the middle-aged man made this announcement.
Su Yi took a moment to process the meaning, then realized the cleverness behind it.
“So, they’re forcing people to challenge. That’s a smart move!”
Su Yi nodded in approval, thinking that the rule was well-designed.
Given the caliber of participants in this tournament, no one would willingly rush to make a challenge. Everyone prefers to pick an easier target.
If there are powerful forces occupying the platforms, fewer people will want to challenge them directly. Instead, they’ll wait, hoping to target the weaker ones.
Moreover, most would likely wait until the last possible moment to act, letting others test the waters first.
But with this rule in place, if a challenger does not appear within an hour, the platform owner automatically advances. This will force many people to hurry and act.
With only ten spots available but many forces competing, if you don’t make an effort, you’ll miss your chance.
“The preliminary platform trials will last for two days. When time’s up, the forces standing on the platform will be declared the winners!”
The middle-aged man continued, then announced, “Now, I will randomly select the first ten forces to take the stage!”
“Number fifty-eight!”
As soon as the middle-aged man finished speaking, a loud commotion erupted from a group near Su Yi.
Clearly, their tokens had the number fifty-eight.
“I’m number seventy-six,” Su Yi said as he checked his own token. “It would be better if I don’t get picked. I want to see the overall strength of the other forces first.”
He wasn’t eager to go first, as it offered little advantage.
While the first ten forces had an extra chance compared to others, Su Yi wasn’t concerned about needing that opportunity. What mattered more was assessing the strength of the other forces.
Su Yi looked around, hoping to spot some familiar faces, like Ji Hanluo from Mysterious Sword Gate and the wandering cultivator Chen Chuan.
“Number forty-three!”
“Number one hundred eighty-four!”
“Number three hundred and seven!”
“Number 355!”
…
The middle-aged man continued calling out numbers, and every time, the crowd reacted with surprise.
When the final nine numbers were announced, many people who didn’t want to go up felt relieved.
Su Yi quickly put his token away, certain that his number wouldn’t be called.
“Number 76!”
At that moment, the middle-aged man’s voice rang out, causing Su Yi’s eyebrows to rise.
“Is it really that accurate?” he murmured, surprised at being chosen last.
Despite this, Su Yi wasn’t bothered. Going first didn’t matter much to him.
“Just call out the number and take the token for inspection!”
As the middle-aged man finished speaking, people around the arena took flight and landed near the platforms.
Underneath the platform, a faintly glowing stone had been placed, though no one seemed to know when it had arrived.
Each participant from a force needed to channel their energy into the stone.
“This stone measures a person’s age. Only those under thirty are allowed to step onto the platform!” A nearby person explained, and others around listened.
“Swoosh…”
As the first group of twenty people approached and touched the stone, each of their hands glowed with a green light, blinking repeatedly.
“Do you see? The green light indicates their qualification. Each light beam corresponds to one year. Count the beams to determine their age.”
Su Yi overheard some nearby conversations as people explained the process.
“They’re all about thirty years old!”
Seeing this, Su Yi observed the group and came to the conclusion that they were likely all around that age.
This made sense, as older individuals usually have higher cultivation levels, making it harder to find talented younger cultivators.
“The entire Daoyuan Sect has passed. Please proceed to the arena!”
Upon seeing the light, a large man beside the stone took one of the tokens and called out loudly.
He held a book, using it to cross-check the numbers and confirm which group the participants came from.
“Whoosh…”
Soon, the second group approached, repeating the same procedure. They touched the stone, infused their energy, and emitted a green glow. Once again, everyone passed and appeared to be around thirty years old.
After a few groups had passed, everything proceeded smoothly without incident.
After each token was collected, the big man next to the stone would announce the faction represented.
However, when the seventh group’s turn came, a young man stepped forward, touching the stone and infusing his energy. To everyone’s surprise, a red light erupted, leaving the crowd stunned.
“Bang!”
In the instant that the light flashed, the young man was thrown backward and crashed violently into the crowd, causing a bright splash of blood.
“Disregarding the rules of the assembly, this is a mild punishment for the first offense. Any further violations will result in immediate execution!”
The middle-aged man, who had been overseeing the rules, appeared in the spot where the young man had fallen. He coldly glanced at the figure on the ground and spoke.
This scene made the crowd uneasy.
While some visitors to Jiude City were forbidden from engaging in private fights, it seemed they had forgotten an important fact: this was the Chaos Realm, home to the most powerful forces. Anyone who dared to challenge the rules would pay the price!
“Dongliu Sect, nineteen people qualified. Please step forward!”
The person at the stone took the final token from one participant and announced the result without emotion.
This brief incident served as a reminder of the importance of following the rules and seemed entirely reasonable.
The following two groups continued without further problems.
“Each faction needs to gather twenty participants. Since Dongliu Sect is missing one, their strength will be severely weakened!”
“Yes, they should have known better than to try tricks here. They got what they deserved!”
“True! The older they are, the stronger they become, but they still want to compete. It’s understandable, but they clearly underestimated the system’s method for determining age.”
“Exactly! If possible, the best would be to select those at the maximum age to ensure the highest chances.”
The surrounding crowd discussed how the Dongliu Sect was likely to suffer due to their loss of one participant.
“Where is the last faction, number 76?”
At that moment, a large man beside the stone raised his head and called out.
“Here!” Su Yi quickly stepped forward, handing over his token. He then placed his hand on the stone.
“Wait!” The large man stopped him in his tracks.
“Is something wrong? Is there an issue?” Su Yi asked, puzzled.
“Are you from the Overlord Sect?”
The man flipped open a book, scanning the pages until he reached number seventy-six, then looked back up. “Are the others from your group not here yet?”
He seemed perplexed. Why was only one individual from the Overlord Sect present?
“I’m the only one attending from the Overlord Sect!” Su Yi smiled as he replied.
