20demayo Chapter 14: The Gathering of the 32 - The Secret Realm Opens
Chapter 14: The Gathering of the 32 - The Secret Realm Opens
With the previous round of group matches concluded, the arena in the center of the martial arts hall gradually quieted down, but the noise from the crowd below did not diminish at all.
The notice board displayed the list of the top 32 contestants who advanced, its lettering gleaming in gold. Below the rankings, the final points from the previous group stage and the advancement rules were clearly indicated:
Group stage ranking rules:
1. Basic points: 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss;
2. When players have the same score, the player's net wins (total number of wins minus number of losses) will be considered first.
3. When players have the same points and net wins, the total time taken to defeat opponents in the group stage will be compared (the total time taken in all matches; the shorter the total time, the higher the ranking).
4. If players still have the same points, net wins, and total defeat time, the final ranking will be determined by comparing the average strength of their opponents in the group stage (i.e., the average points they defeat; the higher the average points, the higher their ranking).
In this group stage, a total of 6 players achieved a perfect 7-0 record with a total score of 21 points. Following the rules above, the final rankings are as follows:
1. Zhao Xuan (Experimental High School): Total points: 21, net wins: 7, total defeat time: 1 minute 23 seconds, all opponents were defeated in one move.
2. Chu Tiankuo (Qingyang No.1 Middle School): Total points: 21, net wins: 7, total defeat time: 1 minute 47 seconds, only used two moves in one game.
3. Su Qingyue (Qingyang No. 2 Middle School): Total points: 21, net wins: 7, total defeat time: 2 minutes and 11 seconds, all of which were stoppages with no injuries.
4. Zhou Lei (Iron Fist Martial Arts School): Total points 21, net wins 7, total defeat time 2 minutes 38 seconds, representative of the school's practical fighting style.
5. Zhang Hu (Fierce Tiger Martial Arts School): Total points 21, net wins 7, total defeat time 2 minutes 52 seconds, his physical training allows him to overwhelm most opponents.
6. Lin Chen (Qingyang No. 3 Middle School): Total points: 21, net wins: 7, total defeat time: 3 minutes and 7 seconds, all with a one-hit kill, but the average strength of his opponents was slightly weaker than the top five.
Looking at the list, most of the spots in the top 32 were occupied by three prestigious high schools, and the few remaining were all elites from various martial arts schools. Lin Chen was the only one among all the winners who came from a bottom-tier ordinary high school, and he was also the most eye-catching presence in the entire competition—the only grassroots boy who advanced to the top 32 with a perfect record.
In the stands of No. 3 Middle School, teachers and students were all moved to tears, their shouts echoing for a long time. In contrast, the No. 4 Middle School team wore grim expressions. Li Qiang, filled with resentment after losing to Lin Chen in the group stage, stared intently at Lin Chen's name on the leaderboard, a murderous glint in his eyes. He had inexplicably tripped and fallen while walking, scraping his knee and drawing blood, attributing it to bad luck before the match, unaware that it was a harbinger of his impending doom.
-Martial Arts Luck Rules:
1. Conditions for becoming visible: Normally invisible and intangible, only elders of the Martial Arts Association can observe it using secret methods; it will automatically become visible in places with rich spiritual energy, such as secret realms, life-or-death duels, and when breaking through to a higher martial arts realm.
2. Color Tiers (from highest to lowest): Silver (Exclusive to Star Weapons - Special Top-Tier) > Purple (Destiny) > Gold (Emperor) > Blue (Genius) > Cyan (Talent) > Green (Common) > Yellow (Mediocre) > Red (Fierce) > Black (Decay)
3. Core Function:
- Directly impacts opportunities in the world: The stronger one's own luck, the easier it is to encounter spiritual herbs, avoid traps, and obtain inheritances; the weaker one's luck, the more likely one is to encounter poisonous snakes while gathering herbs, step into traps while walking, or suffer from qi deviation when breaking through cultivation.
- Directly affects daily fortune: Strong personal luck will bring smooth sailing in everything, even finding spirit stones on random objects; weak luck will cause problems like swallowing cold water, tripping on flat ground, and weapons breaking.
-Amplifying the power of cultivation techniques: The purer the Qi, the smoother the operation of the technique, and the stronger its power within the same cultivation realm.
4. Increase and Decrease of Fortune: Slaying powerful enemies, seizing treasures, and upholding the righteous path can accumulate fortune; bullying the weak, plotting against others, and having wicked intentions will quickly dissipate fortune.