Chapter 320: An Explosion of Enmity
Master Fang’s voice sounded again, “We are all a.s.sembled here now and you all know the rules so I won’t say much more. Now, I’ll just go over some details you should take note of.”
“The first detail -- in each three month cycle, you must each complete a hundred challenges. If you don’t complete this number, whether due to injury or other reasons, then each challenge you miss will become a loss. For example, if you complete only eighty challenges in three months and you won forty challenges, then the twenty that you lacked will also count as losses. In this regard, your score will become twenty wins and sixty losses, and your win rate calculated from this.”
“The second detail is that if you feel that the opponent challenging you is too strong, you can choose to forfeit to protect yourself from injury. Your opponent will win without having to fight, and each forfeit will also be deducted from the fights you win.”
“The third detail is that although we encourage only determining who is the victor instead of death matches, casualties are inevitable amongst these challenges. Each person is responsible for their own life.”
“The fourth detail, all forms of personal fighting are strictly prohibited during this time. If you’re lucky enough to avoid being caught, we can’t do anything to you. But if you are caught, you will be punished harshly.”
“The fifth detail…”
Master Fang listed out all the details without a hint of impatience.
Jiang Chen listened quite carefully, fully committing each detail to heart. Victory lay within the details, so under no circ.u.mstances could they be ignored.
“Alright, I have clearly gone over the details. If you still have any questions, you may ask me within the next two hours, after which I will no longer entertain your queries”
Upon hearing this, the sect disciples all asked questions proactively. Everyone was quite eager and touched on a variety of issues, but the questions raised all revolved around this trial.
Although Jiang Chen didn’t ask any, he listened quite carefully, focusing especially when he heard someone ask something he was more concerned about.
“Master Fang, I’d like to ask how many people are within the earth spirit quadrant?”
“There are a hundred within the sky quadrant, five hundred within the earth quadrant, three thousand in the mystic, and 3,500 in the yellow.” Master Fang provided precise numbers for everyone.
“Then will they be undergoing the same tests in these three months?”
“The content of the tests in the yellow and mystic quadrants are basically the same. They vary upon reaching the earth spirit quadrant, and become even more complicated in the sky spirit quadrant. The tests may not all be the same. If you can make it to the earth or even the sky quadrant, then someone will naturally explain their general gist to you. Don’t think that much for now for there is no advantage in reaching beyond your grasp.” Master Fang’s tone was distant.
“Master Fang, I’d like to ask if the sixty four selected for the final compet.i.tion will all be chosen from the sky spirit quadrant?” Another disciple asked.
“Yes indeed. The sixty four candidates will all be chosen from the sky quadrant. Therefore, you must try hard and aim for the sky quadrant, even if there is only a slight hope of success. Although the great majority of you will be destined to fail, but as the keeper of this quadrant, I’d rather like to see how many geniuses will emerge from my area and make it into the earth and sky quadrants, and even the sixty four places. If even one of you number amongst the sixty four, then I will feel proud in this regard!”
The sky quadrant were filled with the most premier geniuses.
On the other hand, the mystic quadrant was filled with the weaker sect disciples with lower potentials.
This division was drawn up according to their usual performance in the sects. Ordinarily speaking, there might be some hope for someone in the mystic quadrant to challenge the earth level.
However, it was a farfetched daydream to think someone in the mystic realm could shoot to the sky quadrant.
For someone in the mystic quadrant to make it into the list of sixty four was even more impossible!
“Alright.” Master Fang waved his large hand. “I will now split up the territory. First level disciples will have a residence to themselves. Second level disciples will live two to a residence. Four to a residence for third level, and eight to a residence for fourth level.”
The candidates naturally had to have a resting place throughout the testing period of three months.
The differences between the four levels were thoroughly apparent with the division of residences.
The first level candidates had the highest honor of having a residence to themselves.
Although the second level disciples didn’t live alone, they would naturally have more peace and quiet with fewer people around. During cultivation, the largest taboo was an excess of people and noises since cultivation would be adversely affected by too many distractions.
One naturally possessed a larger advantage with fewer people around.
As for third level candidates, although there were more people with four to a residence, their treatment was still better than the fourth level candidates.
Eight people to a residence was undoubtedly quite crowded. The most critical thing wasn’t just that it was crowded, but also with such levels of noise,small conflicts were inevitable.
“The fourth level candidates do indeed face discrimination wherever they go.” Jiang Chen sighed inwardly. However, he also knew that these were the rules and couldn’t be changed.
What he could do was to shake off this ident.i.ty as soon as possible.
All the candidates were allotted their residences after around two hours. As a fourth level candidate, Jiang Chen was a.s.signed to one of the residences closer to the back.
The number of his residence was nine hundred something.
Jiang Chen didn’t mind. Since he couldn’t change anything at the moment, he might as well make the best of what he was given.
He grasped his residence token and searched according to his number, finally locating his residence after walking twenty to thirty li.
The mystic spirit quadrant had built layers of residences at the halfway point of the mountain.
The first level residences were at the peak, with second, third, and the fourth level residences following beneath them.
“Heh heh, the fourth level candidates are lower than everyone alright. Not only do they live eight to a house, but they’re located on lower geographic terrain compared to the others. Indeed, when one’s rank is low, one is stepped upon wherever one goes,” Jiang Chen reflected.
Although this wasn’t literally being stepped on by others, the layout of the residences made it very apparent -- the first levels sat loftily on high ground, stepping on the other levels beneath them.
Jiang Chen finally saw where his house was located as he continued walking.
There was already a figure loitering outside the house. The thin figure walked up to Jiang Chen in welcome.
“Are you staying here as well?” The person wore the uniform and mask of a secular disciple.
“Yes, and you’re the first runner up of the first selection, candidate number two.” Jiang Chen had an impression of this figure.
The person started slightly and smiled, “I didn’t think you’d actually remember me. I observed you when they were handing out the tokens and you didn’t pay any attention to anyone at all. How do you know of me?”
Jiang Chen had indeed not paid much attention to the rankings of others, but that didn’t mean that he didn’t remember them.
His memory was quite strong. As long as he paid a little attention, he’d basically remembered all those who ranked in the front.
However, he naturally wouldn’t explain anything now and smiled, “You live here too? This means that all the secular pract.i.tioners live in this house?”
Jiang Chen actually didn’t mind that. All the secular candidates were wearing masks and no one knew anyone else which meant that no one would have to put up with att.i.tude from anyone else. This was rather nice.
Jiang Chen felt that he’d rather live with the secular candidates than with the sect disciples.
The skinny candidate number two smiled ruefully, “That’s what I thought too, but we’ve actually been separated into five groups. Each group has been arranged with six other fourth level sect disciples. This means that we’re the only secular candidates in this house.”
Jiang Chen was rather surprised that the secular disciples hadn’t been all grouped into one house.
It looked like cohabitation with the sect disciples was inevitable.
He didn’t like that, but wasn’t particularly against it either. Although it was the same house, each person had their own room.
“Let’s relax and enjoy it since we’re already here. Let’s go in instead of loitering around outside.” Jiang Chen smiled faintly and walked inside.
Candidate number two caught up to him and asked, “There’s not that many of us secular candidates and we’ll be discriminated against wherever we go. What should I call you, brother? We should rally together since we’re beneath the same roof. What do you think?”
Jiang Chen smiled, “Since everyone called me Boulder during the first selection, you can call me Boulder.”
Candidate number two blinked blankly before replying, “Alright, Brother Boulder, you can call me Xiao Fei.”
Jiang Chen nodded and the two were about to walk in when they heard a crude and arrogant voice complaining inside.
“The f*ck. I heard that two ordinary candidates were a.s.signed to our house? How freaking unlucky. We, n.o.ble sect disciples, need to share a roof with ordinary trash. Who the h.e.l.l arranged this?! This is an insult to us!!”
Before even seeing him, it was likely the speaker was just as vicious as his tone.
He was likely one of those tyrannical and domineering bullies.
Another sinister voice spoke up afterwards, “Brother Tiger, we all know that you’re someone who values face. In my opinion, you should show them up in the very beginning. Let them know that ultimately, ordinary pract.i.tioners are just village sparrows with no right to live together with us phoenixes from the sects.”
“Yeah, Brother Tiger, let them know who’s boss! They need to know that sect disciples are an existence they always have to look up to, not something these mundane ants can be on par with.”
That vicious voice chuckled now, full of self pride. “Don’t worry, we’ll teach those two b.u.mpkins a lesson when they come so that they’ll obediently carry out our commands.”
“Brother Tiger is Brother Tiger! We brothers will leave it all to you! Come to think of it, it’s not a bad thing to gain two slaves to order around.”
Jiang Chen and candidate number two looked at each other, a wry expression in their eyes.
Enmity had already exploded before they’d even set foot into the house!