Chapter 37, On and Off the Arena

Translator: Raznick

 

“Fellow Daoist Mu, you went easy on me.”

 

On the martial arts competition stage, Zhou Chun observed his opponent, whose protective barrier he had shattered and who was now at his mercy with a sword pointed to their heart. Smiling, Zhou Chun performed cupping hands as a gesture of respect before retrieving his artifact.

 

This was his second bout. His opponent was a cultivator from the Green Cloud Mountains’ Mu Clan, who did not possess a superior first-grade artifact in hand.

 

Thus, he was able to win this round somewhat easier, no longer as fierce as the first match had been.

 

After winning again, once the second round concluded, the number of participants from the youth group, originally fifty, would be reduced to just thirteen.

 

So Zhou Chun only needed to win one more match next and he would advance straight into the top ten.

 

However, after stepping down from the stage, as Zhou Chun looked at the remaining contestants, he remained cautious.

 

Because those qualified to compete for the top ten positions were either cultivators in late Qi Refining Stage with a superior first-grade artifact at their disposal, or like Zhou Chun, mid Qi Refining cultivators possessing a superior first-grade artifact.

 

All were tough opponents either way.

 

By the time the second round of matches had all ended, in the youth group, including Zhou Chun, there were only four from the Zhou Clan who remained.

 

The other three were Zhou Zhengkang, Zhou Zhengtao, and Zhou Zhengyong.

 

This result caused many Zhou Clan cultivators to feel surprised.

 

It was the clan leader Zhou Daoyi sitting in the audience who seemed to have anticipated this, showing not the slightest bit of surprise.

 

During the clan selection competition, when Zhou Chun did not utilize his superior first-grade artifact, he understood Zhou Chun’s intentions.

 

As for Zhou Zhengyong, once his Redtail Monkey spirit pet had been elevated to the rank of superior first-grade demon beast, its power alone was comparable to that of an ordinary late Qi Refining practitioner.

 

Moreover, he had good fortune; he did not face any overly formidable opponents, so managing to win two matches in a row was perfectly reasonable.

 

Zhou Zhengkang and Zhou Zhengtao were both at late Qi Refining cultivation level, each wielding a superior first-grade artifact, and were fully capable of defeating their opponents through sheer power.

 

Before long, the third round began.

 

This time, Zhou Chun drew the D 2 yin; his opponent would be the D 2 yang.

 

“My luck isn’t quite up today; if only it was D 3!”

 

He gazed at the wooden tag in his hand, unable to help feeling regret.

 

Because there were only fifteen people competing for the top ten slots, the person who drew D 3 slip could wait until the previous fourteen competitors vied for the top seven positions before joining in and competing with the seven eliminated individuals for the remaining three spots.

 

Since the opponent had fought one additional battle, their condition would certainly not be as good as Zhou Chun, who was well-rested. But Zhou Chun could also gain a clear understanding of the opponent’s skill through the previous seven battles.

 

But since the lot had already been drawn, it was pointless to say anything at this point. He could do nothing but calm himself and await his turn to step into the arena.

 

To Zhou Chun’s surprise, the first match turned into an internal conflict among four cultivators from the Zhou Clan.

 

The two who drew the first slip pairs were none other than Zhou Clan’s Zhou Zhengkang and Zhou Zhengyong!

 

“Oh no, I never thought I would end up against you, Seventh Brother. It looks like this is where my journey ends.”

 

On the stage, Zhou Zhengyong looked annoyed as he stared at Zhou Zhengkang across from him and sighed deeply.

 

He was of course not Zhou Zhengkang’s opponent, at Tenth Layer of Qi Refining. Therefore, in order to avoid wasting Zhou Zhengkang’s spiritual power, he had no choice but to concede defeat and step down from the platform.

 

After getting off the arena, Zhou Zhengyong went straight to Zhou Chun’s side and encouraged him, “Thirteenth Brother, it’s up to you now. You’ve got to make it into the top ten!”

 

Zhou Chun noticed that his frustrated expression remained unchanged and tried to comfort him, saying, “Brother Yong, you don’t need to lose heart. Since you took the initiative to step back for the greater good this time, when you return to the clan, the Clan Leader is likely to offer you some compensation.”

 

Unexpectedly, after hearing what he said, Zhou Zhengyong sighed and said, “Ah, I don’t care about those things, but I told Miss Yujiao before that I would definitely be in the top ten. How can I face her now!”

 

Miss Yujiao?

 

Zhou Chun was startled for a moment, then recalled the several female cultivators he had spoken with the day before. Before long, the image of a big-eyed girl wearing a pale yellow gown appeared in his mind.

 

The other party seems to be from the Sun Clan of Gold Maple Peak, right? The name appears to be Sun Yujiao?

“I wouldn’t have thought Zhou Zhengyong would act so quickly.”

 

“Don’t worry, Brother Yong,” he said with a smile as he consoled him. “From what I can see, Miss Yujiao is a discerning and reasonable person. Your willingness to yield to your clansman for the greater good this time might actually win her admiration. And isn’t this the perfect excuse for you to find another opportunity to get close to her?”

 

“Is that so?”

 

Zhou Zhengyong hesitated slightly, then half in worry and half in hope muttered to himself, “I truly wish it’s as Thirteenth Brother said!”

 

Looking at his conflicted appearance, Zhou Chun actually understood.

 

He knew that Zhou Zhengyong was likely experiencing first love, though at the moment, it might still be one-sided.

 

Soon after, Zhou Zhengtao took the stage.

 

After a fierce battle, Zhou Zhengtao also succeeded in defeating his opponent and advancing to the top ten.

 

In this case, even if Zhou Chun were to fail, the Zhou Clan would still have two members in the top ten of the youth group rankings. They will not end up at the bottom of the rankings among the five cultivating clans.

 

Thus, Zhou Daoyi, the Clan Leader, who was seated in the audience also broke into a smile at that moment, his mind completely relaxed.

 

After an hour, when the first six duels were over, Zhou Chun finally came on the arena.

 

“Bamboo Grove He Clan, Hecheng Feng.”

 

“Nine Peaks’ Zhou Clan，Zhou Zhengchun.”

 

In the arena, Zhou Chun and his opponent exchanged their names and both stared intently at each other with serious expressions, waiting for the referee to declare the match would begin.

 

While in the audience seats, as the last match of the youth group’s top seven was about to begin, Clan Leader Wang Zhixiong suddenly narrowed his eyes and turned to Zhou Daoyi and He Clan’s Clan Leader, saying: “Fellow Daoist Zhou, Fellow Daoist He, do you think this martial arts competition will be won by…”

 

Hearing these words, Zhou Daoyi immediately lifted an eyelid and turned to look at him, then remarked in a calm tone: “We’ll just have to see who wins in the end. Does Fellow Daoist Wang have any thoughts?”

 

“It is not my area of expertise, but I feel that ultimately, the person who will emerge victorious should be that little guy from the Zhou Clan.”

 

Wang Zhixiong shifted his gaze, speaking softly about his opinion.

 

No sooner had he spoken these words than the He Clan’s Clan Leader expressed his displeasure: “Fellow Daoist Wang, on what basis do you make this claim? My nephew Cheng Feng clearly has a higher cultivation level and also possesses a superior first-grade artifact. Why would we be certain to lose to that young Fellow Daoist from the Zhou Clan?”

 

Wang Zhixiong, seeing this, casually waved his hand and said, “Don’t be upset, Fellow Daoist He. I am merely sharing my thoughts.”

 

Having said that, he continued, “I had this perspective precisely because of Zhou Clan’s youth and his spirit pet. The Rock Turtle spirit pet, which shares the same cultivation level as him, along with the nature of this arena, significantly impacts the outcome—far more so than just one layer of cultivation.”

 

He Clan’s Clan Leader didn’t refute either at that moment.

 

While watching the spectacle, the Sun Clan’s Clan Leader readily agreed with Fellow Daoist Wang, saying, “You make an excellent point. In such an arena, cultivators who tame spirit pets have an overwhelming advantage.”

 

Speaking of this, he half-jokingly yet seriously looked at Zhou Daoyi and said, “It seems that for future similar events, to prevent the Zhou Clan from hogging all the glory, we should consider changing the rules of the martial competition!”

 

When Zhou Daoyi heard this, his expression suddenly became serious. He waved his hand and said, “I don’t agree with what you said, Brother Sun. Why are the cultivators of my Zhou Clan generally lagging behind the cultivators of your families in cultivation? Isn’t it because we have invested a lot of resources in the cultivation of spirit pets? If you don’t allow the cultivators of my Zhou Clan to fight with spirit pets, wouldn’t that be like tying their own arms?”

 

After speaking, he swept his gaze towards each Clan Leader and said, “Moreover, training a spirit pet isn’t exclusively my clan’s special skill, is it? If you think that having a spirit pet gives one an advantage, then your descendants can also train their own spirit pet and carry it into battle as well!”

 

These words left Wang Zhixiong and the others standing in stunned silence, leaving them at a loss for words.

 

Theoretically, Zhou Daoyi’s words naturally posed no issues.

 

But during actual operation, many issues arise.

 

Without even mentioning how they managed to provide each clansman with a spirit pet, even they each had one, as Zhou Daoyi said, a spirit pet would need to quickly build up combat strength, catch up with their owner’s cultivation level, and still require a significant amount of resources.

 

Not every cultivator was willing to spend spirit coin on a spirit pet.

 

After a moment’s silence, Wang Zhixiong chuckled softly and said, “Fellow Daoist Zhou has made an excellent point!”

 

He smiled at Zhou Daoyi and jokingly said, “If everyone in our clan were to have their younger members train spirit pets, I’m afraid that the growth pills for spirit pets from the Zhou Clan might sell out!”

 

Zhou Daoyi heard these words and immediately burst into a mocking laugh. He said, “Haha, Fellow Daoist Wang is joking. If that were truly the case, wouldn’t the Wang Clan still profit? After all, it’s your clan who supplies the alchemy materials!”

 

In their lively conversation, they skillfully avoided mentioning the topic of restricting spirit pets in battle without any need for discussion.

 

On the stage, Zhou Chun was locked in a fierce battle with his opponent at this moment.