Seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortune: Starting with death row inmates

As soon as Huang Sancai finished speaking, the entire training ground erupted in an uproar.

"He won? Shen Chen won?"

"A True Qi Realm cultivator injuring a Meridian Opening Realm cultivator? What kind of monster is this?!"

"He reached the True Qi realm in just six months, and now he can even injure people beyond his cultivation level. Just who is this person?"

Shen Chen stood up, holding Huang Sancai's hand, his whole body aching and he grimacing.

That last strike almost drained all the vital energy from his body, and now he can't even stand up straight.

"Thank you for your mercy, Brother Huang," Shen Chen said, panting heavily.

Huang Sancai shook his head: "I didn't hold back, it's just that you proved yourself."

He patted Shen Chen on the shoulder, then turned and jumped off the stage.

Below the stage, the second-in-command, Huang Ahu, squinted at the scene, his face revealing neither joy nor anger.

Luo Tieniu snorted coldly: "Pretending, Huang Sancai is clearly deliberately going easy on you."

Lu Feng glanced at him: "If you're not satisfied, why don't you go up and fight Huang Sancai?"

Luo Tieniu's face stiffened, and he said nothing more.

Qin Pi strode onto the stage and helped the swaying Shen Chen up, saying, "Alright, come down and rest."

"I can stand up by myself," Shen Chen said.

"Standing my ass, you look like you could be blown over by a gust of wind," Qin Pi said irritably.

He helped Shen Chen off the stage, and Cui'er immediately came forward and handed him a bowl of medicinal soup.

"Master Shen, drink up."

Shen Chen took the bowl of medicine and drank it down in one gulp.

He frowned as the bitter medicine went down his throat, but his internal energy did recover somewhat.

On the high platform, Hu Muzhi stood up.

The training ground fell silent instantly, and everyone looked at the chieftain of Quanya Mountain.

"This concludes this year's martial arts tournament."

Hu Muzhi's voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.

"Huang Sancai, with his True Qi Meridian Opening, single-handedly robbed a caravan escorted by four True Qi martial artists. He is ranked eighty-third on the Heroes List and ranked second in today's martial arts competition."

"Shen Chen, who entered the True Qi realm in half a year, outwitted the traitor of the mountain stronghold, captured Zheng Yu alive by the Divine Eagle, and today crossed the border to injure his meridians, but still won the championship in the martial arts competition."

He paused, then scanned the entire area: "According to the village rules, the two of them have been promoted to leaders and their names have been added to the list of the Twelve Bandits of Dog Tooth Mountain."

Wow!

The drill ground erupted in cheers once again.

"The Twelve Bandits have gained new members!"

"How long has Master Shen been up the mountain, and he's already the head of the household?"

"They're capable, you do it if you're so good."

The crowd below the stage was abuzz with discussion, some envious, some jealous, and some resentful.

Qin Pi's face lit up with a smile: "Good brother, now we're on equal footing."

Zhuang Fu also came over, cupped his hands and said, "Congratulations, Master Shen."

Zhao Ying followed behind, a rare smile appearing on her face: "Not bad, the younger generation is truly formidable."

Shen Chen quickly returned the greeting: "Thank you for your care, gentlemen."

Not far away, Tang Long, Luo Xiong, and Mo Yuancai stood together, their faces all looking rather grim.

"Two more people have been given meat to share," Tang Long said in a low voice.

Luo Xiong said in a muffled voice, "Huang Sancai is one thing, but what makes Shen Chen so special?"

Mo Yuancai sneered: "On what grounds? On what grounds? Because he made me lose face and fined me."

He stared at Shen Chen's back, a sinister glint in his eyes.

On the high platform, Hu Muzhi continued, "Three days from now, a banquet will be held in the Hall of Righteousness to welcome the two new leaders."

Hu Muzhi surveyed the entire area, his voice steady: "The new leader has been decided. According to the village rules, if the old leader is interested, he can put on a performance battle for the brothers."

As soon as he finished speaking, Mo Yuancai stepped out.

"Chief, I have something to say."

The noise from the drill ground was instantly silenced.

Everyone looked at Mo Yuancai, the fifth-ranked leader of Quanya Mountain, who had a sneer on his face.

"Qin Pi, we are both at the Innate Realm." Mo Yuancai's voice echoed throughout the arena. "Since we have the opportunity today, why don't we have a spar and let the brothers see who is more worthy of the Xie Zhi Iron Law Banner?"

Qin Pi, who was supporting Shen Chen, looked up upon hearing this, a fighting spirit surging in his eyes: "Come on!"

"Brother Qin!" Shen Chen tried to stop him. Qin Pi had already jumped up, and Mo Yuan followed closely behind.

Shen Chen's heart sank.

[Good fortune: Advise Qin Pi to stop this battle, resulting in a draw]

[Unfavorable divination: Qin Pi will face danger in battle; ominous.]

On the arena, the two stood three zhang apart, their auras beginning to rise.

Hu Muzhi glanced at the two men and slowly said, "Since we're going to fight, let's fight to the death. But we're all brothers, so stop when you've made your point; don't kill us."

"Yes." The two clasped their hands in a fist salute at the same time.

Mo Yuancai drew his Fish Intestine Sword, its blade slender like a fish skeleton, gleaming coldly in the sunlight.

Qin Pi then drew a thick-backed broadsword from his waist; the blade was broad and thick, with bloodstains accumulated on its edge.

Before he finished speaking, he had already moved.

With a stomp of his foot, he charged towards Mo Yuancai like a cannonball.

He raised the broadsword high, channeling his inner energy into it, and a faint layer of blood-red light appeared on the blade.

"Open the mountain!"

This strike was powerful and heavy, carrying the momentum to shatter everything.

Mo Yuancai remained calm and composed, shifting his body to the side and thrusting out the Fish Intestine Sword.

The sword tip precisely points to the side of the blade, using the momentum to pull it along.

Qin Pi's blade strike was deflected, and he swept past Mo Yuancai.

"Too slow," Mo Yuancai sneered.

Qin Pi landed on the ground, then turned and struck again.

This time he didn't chop hard, but swept horizontally.

The blade sliced ​​through the air, making a whistling sound.

Mo Yuancai lightly touched the ground with his toes and took three steps back to avoid the attack.

"Is this all the clumsy moves you know?"

Qin Pi did not answer, his sword thrusts continued unabated.

Chop, hack, sweep, flick.

Each strike carried immense force, each strike sealing off Mo Yuancai's escape route.

However, Mo Yuancai's movements were extremely fast, and his Fish Intestine Sword was incredibly agile.

He moved through Qin Pi's blade, the tip of his sword occasionally brushing against the blade, deflecting each attack.

The two exchanged blows, and in the blink of an eye, they had already gone through more than a dozen moves.

The audience watched intently.

"What a fast sword!"

"Master Qin's knife is fierce; if you get hit by it, you'll either die or be seriously injured."

"Unfortunately, I missed."

As Shen Chen listened to the surrounding discussions, he felt increasingly uneasy.

Qin Pi's knife skills were indeed formidable, but Mo Yuancai's swordsmanship was even more unpredictable.

Moreover, he noticed that Mo Yuancai was constantly retreating, seemingly being suppressed, but in reality, he was wearing down Qin Pi's stamina.

Although the true energy of a cultivator at the Innate Realm is abundant, it cannot withstand such a high-intensity attack for long.

On the arena, Qin Pi swung his sword down again.

This time, Mo Yuancai did not dodge, but instead raised his sword to parry.

clang!

Swords clashed, sparks flew.

Both of them took three steps back at the same time.

"Not bad." Mo Yuan flexed his wrists. "Warm-up's over, time to get serious."

His demeanor suddenly changed.

On the Fish Intestine Sword, true energy condensed into a thin layer of sword light.

"Qin Pi, you'd better watch out for this next move."

Mo Yuancai's figure flashed, and his whole body turned into a blur.

Sword light rained down, covering everything as it pierced Qin Pi.

"Swift Rain Sword!"

Qin Pi's pupils contracted, and he raised his knife to parry.

Dangdang Dangdang!

A series of impacts rang out, and Qin Pi's knife was shaken and forced to retreat repeatedly.

He gritted his teeth, channeled his inner energy to its fullest extent, and barely managed to block the attack.

But Mo Yuancai's sword strikes did not stop.

The sword light grew faster and denser.