Zhong Shenxiu took the ornament, observing it for a moment, then called Robin aside for a private conversation. Whatever was said, when Robin reappeared before them, his usual vibrancy had completely returned!
Two more days passed. During this time, Rino Bili, the hotel waitress Keni had once invited, arrived and officially became a member of the "Dark Chamber of Commerce." Her very first day on the job was accompanying Keni to negotiations concerning cooperation with the "Tesira Family." Keni conceded to Elissa, agreeing to collaborate with their family.
The talks proceeded smoothly. The "Tesira Family" agreed to every demand Keni presented, cooperating fully. In return, Keni consented to let the "Tesira Family" act as sales agents for three specific commodities. With this agreement, the "Tesira Family" and the "Dark Chamber of Commerce" were formally linked.
In the days that followed, things settled into a calmer rhythm. Zhong Shenxiu ceased leading the members of the "Misty Mercenary Group" on their usual rambles, instead dedicating himself entirely to his research endeavors.
Charlotte and the others were no less diligent, spending every day engrossed in cultivating the secret manuals Zhong Shenxiu had provided them!
Time flew swiftly, and in the blink of an eye, the day for the commencement of the "Royal Tournament" finally arrived!
The rules for the Northern Division of the "Royal Tournament" differed from those of the "Academy Ranking Competition"; it employed a system of one-on-one duels rather than team battles!
This meant the contest was fought between two individuals. Each participating student represented not only themself but also their academy. The true purpose behind this format was for the "Winter Moon Empire" to select talented individuals of proven strength, offering every contestant a chance to stand out!
Though this competition style appeared no different from simple single combat, there was a subtle distinction!
Students from the same academy would never face off against each other from the opening rounds all the way to the finals. The "Royal Tournament" explicitly forbade any confrontation between students of the same institution. If the final match were to ultimately feature two students from the same academy, no further fighting would occur; both of their represented academies would be declared joint champions!
The pairings were arranged from the start to ensure students from the same academy were separated, meaning they would not meet until the Grand Finals!
Because the "Royal Tournament" carried such immense importance, the leadership of the "Homebody Magic and Martial Arts Academy" personally escorted the remaining participating students. Each of them was bursting with excitement; this was their first time attending such an event, and regardless of their performance in the matches, their academy was already brought honor!
Although this day marked the official start of the "Royal Tournament," there were no actual matches scheduled. The primary tasks for the day involved the announcement of the groupings and explanations regarding certain procedural matters.
Wayne and the others remained with Zhong Shenxiu, thus they did not rejoin the contingent of participants led by the academy leadership. These individuals had once been students in the "Virtual Class" just like them, but because they accepted bribes from the "Stacy Family," they forfeited the opportunity to train alongside Zhong Shenxiu. Five million gold coins were indeed a substantial sum, enough to make many people alter their loyalties and discard their dignity. However, this could not serve as an excuse for them; having chosen wealth, they should have been mentally prepared for what they would lose!
Yet, these people could never have imagined that the fees Wayne and the others now commanded far exceeded that amount. Currently, virtually every member of the "Misty Mercenary Group" was wealthy!
The following day, the mutual contests finally began.
As expected of contestants in the "Royal Tournament," every participant was outstanding—truly the elite of the elite!
These battles had long surpassed the scope of mere student combat. The actual strength of these participants generally reached the level of instructors. Moreover, many already possessed the power of Sword Saints, albeit only in the beginner or low stages, which was nonetheless astonishing. To achieve such strength at such a young age indicated limitless future potential!
Even the elimination rounds erupted into fierce contests of strength. Students from every academy exerted their utmost abilities, striving to distinguish themselves.
In the "Royal Tournament," every single rank advancement led to a further stride toward a brilliant future!
It was no exaggeration to say that anyone who could participate in the "Royal Tournament" was guaranteed to secure a good position in the future! If they joined the national military forces, they could achieve an official post within a few years, with the possibility of being ennobled and thus rising to the ranks of the elite!
This was the allure of the "Royal Tournament," the very reason so many flocked to it!
Angelia and the others all advanced successfully in the Northern Division matches that day. Compared to the rigorous trials they had endured over the past two years, these battles felt like child's play!
Having accompanied Zhong Shenxiu through countless perilous ventures—dragon's dens and tiger's lairs—their minds, willpower, experience, and audacity had undergone a qualitative leap, placing them far beyond the reach of those who had remained studying in the academies. The disparity in their levels was immense! And that didn't even account for the exquisite techniques Zhong Shenxiu had taught them!
The competition continued day by day, and the battles grew increasingly spectacular.
Up to this point, students from various Magic and Martial Arts Academies had experienced both wins and losses—the "Jiyuan Academy" was no exception. However, none of those eliminated were members of the "Misty Mercenary Group," meaning all the defeated were those who had failed to grasp their true opportunities!
To cut the preamble short, let us focus on today’s match.
Today, Laurent’s opponent turned out to be Garibe from the "Juyi Magic and Martial Arts Academy"!
Laurent and Garibe had a past grievance. Yet, strangely, Laurent was exceptionally calm this time, showing no immediate explosion of rage against his opponent, nor did he launch a fierce attack right away. Instead, he watched Garibe with a detached air. The shifting tides of the mortal realm were truly unpredictable!
Laurent mused inwardly, while Garibe was inwardly smug, completely confident in this match. Setting aside the fact that he had easily defeated Laurent before, his own efforts over the last two years had propelled his strength to a new plateau.
Garibe had already decided: this time, he would once again toy with this kid!
However, he failed to realize that while he had been improving steadily, Laurent had been leaping forward by leaps and bounds; his true strength could no longer be measured by previous standards!
"Kid, I truly didn't expect to run into you here. Looks like you've made some progress too," Garibe regarded Laurent from a position of superiority, his arrogance clearly visible on his face.
Laurent paid him no mind. He would not engage in petty verbal sparring with a clown; doing so would only tarnish the reputation of the "Misty Mercenary Group"!
"Feeling nervous, are we? Heh, if you beg me now, I might go easy on you later, ensure you don't lose too embarrassingly." Garibe laughed louder and louder, as if he could already picture Laurent prostrate at his feet.
Laurent still ignored him, instead glancing at the referee, who was ready to begin. Since all necessary procedures had been clearly explained on the first day of the "Royal Tournament," the referee would not repeat the rules but would announce the start of the match directly!
"Kid, before I strike, you still have time to beg. Otherwise, don't say I didn't warn you," Garibe continued his self-absorbed rant without launching an attack.
Just as Garibe was savoring his moment of gloating, Laurent slowly walked toward him, a flicker of profound boredom crossing his face!
Garibe froze, taken aback by Laurent’s utter composure. It was as if Laurent hadn't even considered him a worthy opponent. This was intolerable! It seemed he had forgotten the lesson from two years ago and needed a refresher!
With that thought, Garibe suddenly lunged toward Laurent.
THUD! A muffled impact echoed, followed immediately by an uproar from the spectators.
Garibe, moments ago so arrogant, was now sprawled on the ground, his body curled up, shaking uncontrollably, as if severely injured!
Many in the crowd hadn't clearly seen what happened, and even those with keen eyesight only caught a glimpse of Laurent throwing a punch at that instant. They couldn't discern precisely where the blow landed or how many punches were thrown!
It was too fast—supremely fast! By the time the sound registered in people's ears, Garibe had already fallen!
Laurent looked down coldly at Garibe beneath him, regarding him as nothing more than an ant!
"Y-you..." Garibe couldn't form a complete sentence for a long time. His face was terrifyingly ashen, and sweat beaded on his forehead!
Just then, Laurent delivered a sudden, powerful kick, sending Garibe flying straight out of bounds, immediately ending the match!
This was likely the fastest match since the "Royal Tournament" began! If the audience hadn't witnessed the strength Garibe displayed in his preceding matches, they would have surely assumed he was an incompetent fool!
Laurent, however, didn't spare the now-unconscious Garibe a second glance, turning with an indifferent expression and walking off the platform. His opponent in this match hadn't even provided him with the excitement of a proper fight!
On another ring, Angelia encountered her own old rival, Austin!
"Classmate Angelia, I didn't expect us to be so fated!" Austin maintained that familiar smile masking malice.
Angelia ignored him and attacked directly.
Under Austin's gaze of utter disbelief, Angelia’s side kick slammed squarely into his abdomen!
The speed was too great; she kicked him airborne in the blink of an eye! Fortunately, Austin reacted quickly enough, deflecting his body slightly with his sword at the critical moment, thus avoiding being knocked out of bounds!
However, one could state with certainty that he would have been better off falling out of bounds, as that would have spared him what came next...
[Ti: Dear readers, the current chapter has reached the final page of this book]