Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The square soon turned into a chessboard. Everyone, including Jiang Chen, was like a chessman.
“Stand in your square. Every two people should be spaced five squares apart. Get ready to deal with the Spiritual Sea! The Spiritual Sea will hit you with a powerful impact. If you can’t handle the impact and take five steps back, you will be eliminated!”
“If you do not have to take even one step back, you are qualified.”
“Those who take two, three, or four steps back will have to fight with those who take the same steps back.”
Blood Shadow Royal Uncle read the rules. Thousands of people were standing on the square. It was a spectacular scene if you looked at it from a great height.
If those who only have to take one step back want to play a trick, they can make it two steps. Jiang Chen thought to himself. As to why people would do that, it would depend on what they were aiming for. For example, if Li Bai took two steps back, and someone who only had to take one step back took one more step back intentionally, the latter would fight with Li Bai and eliminate him. If they really wanted to carry out such a plan, they must have put a lot of thought into doing so.
At this thought, Jiang Chen noticed the Fire Spirit, the Earth Spirit, and the Wind Spirit were exchanging looks. Some other Spirits were looking toward them accidentally, gloating.
Jiang Chen was alone. He could not avenge them with such rules. However, he could frustrate them and make them gain nothing.
“Get ready. We’ll start soon!”
Eight strong Spirits, each from one Spirit clan, came up to him, as soon as Blood Shadow Royal Uncle declared the start loudly. Then, nine other Spirits sat down in a circle, making the same mudra at the same time. It suddenly became very quiet on the square. All of the noise was gone.
The young people on the square were kind of nervous. Those out of the square were looking at them attentively.
“Ho!” Suddenly, the nine Spirits shouted in a loud voice at once.
A sea appeared over their heads, as if they were connected to a deep sea and the endless seawater would pour down any time. However, it would be worthless to mention if it were only seawater. What the square would be flooded with was a sea transformed by an unparalleled spiritual power.
Boom…
The whole place was quaking slightly. The Spiritual Sea was on the verge of breaking out. The shapeless Spiritual Sea rushed over at some point. The Spiritual Sea was not moving fast, but it was overwhelming.
People watched the Spiritual Sea rushing to the first row of the square. More than half of the participants there involuntarily stepped back in an instant.
One step, two steps…
Some took five steps back, stepping through all of the squares that they were allowed to step through. As a result, all of them were eliminated. Others managed to steady themselves after two steps. The first person who did not take even one step back was in the second row. It was the person wearing the black mask.
Crossing his arms over his chest, he did not seem to have done anything. However, the Spiritual Sea could not make him move at all.
“He hasn’t even used any vision. He is really strong!” Many people were shocked. They assumed he was a Spiritual Son of the Earth Spirit. That was why he had such a powerful strength.
Then more and more people managed to stay where they were without stepping back.
Fan Yao exerted the Sacred Light from God again. He looked brilliant. As solid as a rock, the angry waves of the Spiritual Sea could do nothing to him.
Holding a blade between two of his fingers, Han Qianye exerted a sword movement facing the Spiritual Sea. The sword cut the Spiritual Sea open. Everyone on the square was doing whatever they could to resist the Spiritual Sea.
Soon, the Spiritual Sea came to where Jiang Chen was.
His friends were standing on his left and right sides. All of them were very focused, as if it was a very important enemy that they were going to deal with.
Jiang Chen took a deep breath. For strange things that he had never dealt with before, he would always go all-out. No matter how trivial the thing was, he would just try his best. However, when the Spiritual Sea came up to him, it was not as powerful as he had thought. However, its power kept accumulating until it completely passed through his row.
Jiang Chen did not recede even a little bit, as if his feet had been nailed onto the ground. Many people who had been paying attention to him were not surprised to see that. Some people had expected to see Jiang Chen fail and turn himself into a joke, but, in the end, they were disappointed.
Those beside Jiang Chen were not as lucky as him. Tian Ling took half a step back. According to the rules, it was the same as taking no step back. Fengyu Duo both took one step back, and Li Bai took two. What amazed Jiang Chen was Ji Yinyi did not move either. She did even better than Tian Ling.
So Tian Ling wasn’t just being polite.
Jiang Chen knew Ji Yinyi was from a small desolate land. What she had achieved would shame many young ladies from aristocratic families.
Ten minutes later, the Spiritual Sea had passed through the whole square. It was a severe competition. More than half of the participants took five steps back and were eliminated as a result. These people were not ashamed, since they had only aimed to gain experience in the competition. Those who had taken three or four steps back knew they only had a low chance. They were quite frustrated due to that. Those who had taken two steps or one step were counting how many people had not moved.
The result came out soon—40 people had not taken even one step back!
“It’s record-breaking!” Someone exclaimed.
The qualification battle had been held many times. People had been keeping a record of those who had not taken any steps back. According to their experiences, the more people managed to stay where they were, the more exciting the Title Battle would be. The previous record was 34 people. This time 40 people had achieved it, which was a pleasant surprise.
Then people counted again. Since there were only 100 places, those who had taken three or four steps were also eliminated. It was because more than 200 people had only taken one step or two steps back.
“Why can’t those who took only one step back pass directly?” First-comers asked.
“The Spiritual Sea is only a test method. No one can guarantee the result is 100 percent accurate. Taking zero steps back and taking three or four steps back represents the highest and the lowest levels, but it’s more complicated for those who took one step or two steps back.”
“Those who took one step back will fight together. Whoever loses the fight will fight again with those who took two steps back.” Someone who knew the rules resolved their puzzle immediately.
“It will be difficult.” Li Bai smiled bitterly when he found his result was the worst in his group.
“It’s fine. Try your best so that you won’t regret it,” Jiang Chen encouraged him.
“Okay.” Taking Jiang Chen’s words very seriously, he made up his mind to try his best.
“Tian Ling, one of his friends even took two steps back. You really shouldn’t stay with him,” Jiang Zhe took the chance to say. He was certainly strong enough to stay where he was to get qualified. If even people like him could not pass, other people would have a lower chance.
Tian Ling frowned. She really did not want to hear such comments after what she had experienced.
“I said it for your good. Do you want the result of your hard work to be destroyed? I know how important the Civil and Martial Arts Institute is for you!” Jiang Zhe added.
Tian Ling felt she had to spit it out, although she knew he thought he had said that for her own good.
“Even if you do everything for her good, it shouldn’t be an excuse to restrict her freedom.” Fortunately, Jiang Chen came in front of her and spoke what she wanted to say.
Certainly, Jiang Zhe would not listen to him. He said with a cold smile, “You should worry more about your own friends.”
