Chapter 17: Shortlisted_2

Hearing this, Lin Yuan felt somewhat helpless, and the words 'already victorious' were swallowed back down.

"You're right, winning today is indeed quite difficult." Lin Yuan nodded slightly, agreeing with some of what the man with the leather wrist guard said, and didn't argue.

He was a kind-hearted person.

"To win in the first two days, one needs not only powerful martial arts skills but also considerable strategic wisdom. If your skills are lacking, getting selected will be extremely difficult."

These words made Bai Zhi and Dong Qing tense up, their breathing becoming more rapid.

"Once these people are selected to move on and no longer participate in the competitions, that's when there's an opportunity. So for those with lower skills, the chances of succeeding in the selection increase as the rounds go on." The man with the wrist guard suggested, then stared intently at Lin Yuan.

Lin Yuan nodded without speaking.

After hearing this, Dong Qing and Bai Zhi visibly relaxed a bit.

"Don't even think about it, you have no chance." Another skinny man looked at Lin Yuan, his tone icy, and left as soon as he finished speaking.

Lin Yuan was speechless. When words don't agree, saying more is just too much, so he immediately turned and went back into the house.

Confidence is invincible!

Let them think whatever they want, what does it matter to Lin Yuan?

The next day, Lin Yuan left early to continue observing others' matches. After watching various fights, the exciting battles gave him more understanding of the techniques.

At this moment, he was standing next to an arena, watching the match in the ring.

In the middle of the arena stood a person.

Eight people were already lying sprawled at his feet. He was holding a dark brown long sword, but the sword had not yet been drawn. His expression was indifferent, as if the match in the arena was beneath him.

"That's Floating Wind Sword Du Miao. I recognize him; he's the future heir of the Du family sword dojo. I heard he just rushed back today to participate in the selection, and the academy even made special arrangements for him." Someone in the audience exclaimed in a low voice.

"So strong, I didn't even have time to see clearly and those eight people were already down." Another person spoke with admiration, their tone amazed.

"I don't believe it, how much power does Floating Wind Sword Du Miao really have? Now that others aren't in the way, this is my chance. Watch me defeat him."

At this time, a burly young man was standing right in front of Du Miao in the arena. Seeing the fear in everyone's eyes, he raised his right hand and clenched it in the air.

As the burly young man approached, Du Miao's indifferent gaze remained unchanged.

"Watch the fist."

The burly young man initiated the attack, his legs like an elephant's, stomped the ground and suddenly exploded, propelling his body towards Du Miao.

The crowd sensed the intimidating aura after the burly young man circulated his Qi-Blood, his strength surpassing theirs by a margin.

"Defeated." Du Miao's arms unfolded as he released a light punch that collided with the burly young man's attack.

"Ahhh, my hand."

The burly youth clutched his left hand on his right arm, his eyes bloodshot, groaning in pain.

Looking at him again, his right arm's bones were shattered, with the fractured tibia driven out by immense force, piercing through the skin. The crimson broken bones, paired with the oozing blood, made onlookers' scalps tingle.

"A person's name and a tree's shadow, Floating Wind Sword is mighty, not to be provoked." The crowd looked alarmed, deeply fearful of Floating Wind Sword.

Vanquishing a formidable opponent with a mere punch, if he used his powerful sword techniques, how terrifying would his strength be?

"His Qi-Blood is complete, his bones tempered beyond ordinary. The burly youth's skin and bones weren't trained enough, leading to such a result."

Lin Yuan carefully analyzed, feeling somewhat shocked himself.

"Boom."

Unknowingly, another bell chime sounded, marking the end of the second day's arena matches.

Lin Yuan stepped into the courtyard and saw that everyone's faces looked somewhat unpleasant.

It turned out that the skinny man who had said Lin Yuan would surely fail was already carried back lying down, groaning in agony could faintly be heard from inside the house.

The others in the courtyard couldn't help but feel pessimistic about their first matches.

Especially Dong Qing and Bai Zhi, who questioned themselves if their strength was less than that of the skinny man. Given his severe injuries in the first match, tomorrow's match for them seemed bound to be extremely difficult.

No one was in the mood to say much, each returning to their rooms to practice.

Early on the third day, Lin Yuan observed another full day of matches. However, today's matches held little interest for him, especially as the afternoon saw some amateurish fights, diminishing his interest.

In the courtyard.

Yang Liqi was packing his belongings, ready to return to his village. His face was blue and swollen, coughing incessantly.

Upon seeing Lin Yuan return, he cupped his hands and barely said farewell before leaving dejectedly.

In today's arena match, he was struck in the chest by a sneak attack, unable to participate in further matches, losing hope in being selected.

Watching him leave, Lin Yuan cupped his hands, feeling a bit sentimental.

Next to him, Tong Qing and Bai Zhi also had pale faces, their expressions dejected. Both had fallen in the arena today.

At that moment, their eyes carried a sense of confusion, uncertain about what fate held for them.

"No need to be so lost, just try your best, there's still a chance," Lin Yuan comforted them.

"Leave it to fate," Bai Zhi sighed, and then both fell silent.

The reality is such that some things can't be changed simply through effort.

Lin Yuan shook his head and turned to go back to his room.

Not long after, a female voice reached his ears.

"Did you get selected?"

"Sigh, just a little bit short," the voice of the man with the wrist guard was full of regret.

After the sound of a few doors closing, the courtyard fell silent.

On the fourth day of matches.

After watching for half a day, Lin Yuan went home. Today held little meaning for him, filled with scheming tricks, piquing no interest.

As he returned to the courtyard, he happened upon a man quietly packing his belongings, leaving. The man glanced at Lin Yuan, said nothing, and left silently, a stark contrast to the confidence from when he arrived.

Lin Yuan didn't think much of it and went back to his room to practice.

Quietly meditating, he didn't know how long he'd been training until the warm strength of Qi-Blood in his body subsided. He immediately got up to step outside for some fresh air.

When he opened the door, it was already evening.

Lin Yuan sat casually on a stone bench in the courtyard, sipped some water, contemplating how to write a letter to inform the village chief about the good news of being selected.

At this time, the man with the wrist guard, along with Dong Qing and Bai Zhi, returned.

"How are you doing, Lin Yuan?" Bai Zhi saw Lin Yuan still there but seemed a bit absent-minded when asking.

"Still the same as before," Lin Yuan answered softly, seeing that she and Bai Zhi were not in high spirits.

At this moment, the man with the wrist guard saw Lin Yuan's calm demeanor while he was very irritated, and a nameless fury rose within him.

"Why are you still hanging around here? Everyone else has left, aren't you going? Do you seriously think you have a chance?"

"A person should know their own limits!" The man with the wrist guard sneered, venting his frustration from failing to be selected.

He was unlucky again today, narrowly missing being selected, seeing Lin Yuan with such low martial prowess still hoping for luck here. Did he really think selection was like picking up money by the roadside?

"So what?"

"Have you won any arena matches in these four days?"

"Were you selected?" Lin Yuan's eyes turned slightly cold, speaking coolly.

But the man's words made Lin Yuan's heart ripple slightly. He didn't want to explain much to them, taking into account Bai Zhi and Dong Qing's feelings.

Did they really think he was made of clay?

He immediately retorted in a three-question combo, a decisive strike.

The result was as Lin Yuan expected, the man's face flushed crimson, his chest swelling with anger, eyes glaring wider than a cow's.

"You've got guts! Looking for a beating, are you?" the wrist guard man spoke in a somewhat exasperated tone.

"Alright, alright. Everyone, calm down, focus on how to break through tomorrow," Tong Qing and Bai Zhi hurriedly persuaded.

"Just you wait!" He feared a fight today might affect tomorrow's arena matches, so he flung a few harsh words.

After the two consoled him, the man with the wrist guard shot Lin Yuan a few fierce looks and left.

Watching him leave, Lin Yuan cupped his hands towards Tong Qing and Bai Zhi and turned back inside.

Only the two women remained in the courtyard.

"Sigh!" After a moment of silence, Tong Qing sighed, her gaze filled with a sense of shared plight, "Rest well, aim to break through tomorrow."

"If I don't make it tomorrow, how can I face the village's earnest expectations?" Bai Zhi, unable to hide her dejection, said as her eyes gradually moistened.