The Decaying World-Chapter 33 - 28: Unexpected (4)

HUMMM.

Now that the outcome was decided, a buzz went through everyone in the stands.

Everyone had seen victory before, but this was the first time any of them had seen someone win like this.

Lin Hui stood on the stage, noticing the commotion his victory had caused among the audience. Even the Ming Generation elders and Daoist Baohe in the main section were discussing something among themselves.

’Looks like I might have overdone it a little. But it’s fine. Soon enough, everyone will see I’m just as weak as the others. None of the top ten are lacking in strength.’ His heart was calm as he held his sword and waited for the next person to take the stage.

"Contender number fourteen, You Wushuang, please come to the stage!" the Daoist Child’s voice called out.

You Wushuang was a black-haired woman with glasses. She walked onto the stage carrying a Black Sword, her expression wary.

As soon as the gong sounded, she swiftly drew her sword. She unleashed the Nine-Section Swift Sword in a frenzied, ferocious assault on Lin Hui, clearly intending to give him no time to recover his stamina.

But...

CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG!!

The dense series of impacts sounded like a downpour. Amidst a flurry of steel, You Wushuang circled Lin Hui, attacking madly, but every strike seemed to hit a solid wall, only producing sharp, ringing clashes.

No matter which direction she attacked from, the result was the same.

Her opponent didn’t even turn. He just stood there, casually deflecting with one hand—forward, backward, left, and right—precisely blocking all her moves.

Soon, fifty strikes had passed.

Sixty strikes.

Eighty strikes.

One hundred strikes!

CLANG!

With a moment of carelessness, You Wushuang’s sword was sent flying from her exhausted grip, clattering into a corner of the stage.

She stood there stunned, her wrist red and her face a mask of humiliation.

"You can go pick it up and continue," Lin Hui said softly from across from her.

Pick it up?!

Are... Are you kidding me?!

You Wushuang’s ears were ringing. She saw countless eyes fixed on her, and her face grew redder and redder as she started to pant.

Ahhh!!

Suddenly, she turned, leaped off the stage, and bolted, not even bothering to retrieve her sword.

The surrounding stands fell silent, stunned by this turn of events.

In the main section of the stands, Daoist Baohe stroked his white beard, a look of appreciation on his face.

"His Nine-Section Swift Sword isn’t anything special, but the precision of his strikes is remarkably high. You can tell his fundamentals from his Seven-Section Quick Sword days were extremely solid."

"His understanding of the sword also far surpasses the others. There’s no need to even watch the matches for those ranked below the top ten," Mingchen added with a nod. "Which family’s prodigy is this? How come I’ve never noticed him before?"

Clearly, he had once again forgotten Lin Hui, whom he had already met twice.

"He’s not from any particular family, just the descendant of an old friend of mine," Mingde said from his seat with a chuckle. He never expected that this year’s grand competition, so similar to those of previous years, would actually hold a small surprise for him.

That kid, Lin Hui... he hadn’t realized his foundation was so solid before. Now, he had suddenly put on a huge show on the stage.

He had really brought him great honor!

"With such aptitude, he should be marked as a candidate for observation. He hasn’t taken a master, has he?" Daoist Mingxiu asked, swirling a wine cup, a hint of interest in his voice.

He had long been searching for a true closed-door disciple who could handle great responsibilities.

"When I first guided him into the temple, I also didn’t realize his potential was so good," Mingde said, immediately sensing the implication and staking his claim.

"I haven’t even said anything yet, and you’re already getting anxious..." Mingxiu said, speechless.

"Haha, haven’t I been fooled once before?" Mingde laughed, glancing at Daoist Baohe.

Back then, he had actually been the one to discover Chen Sui. But before he could even open his mouth, the Observatory Master...

Now, looking at Chen Sui, who was at the Ninth Grade of Body Tempering and whose swordsmanship could break through his shackles and step into the Inner Power Realm at any moment, his heart ached with regret.

"He is quite good, but it’s only potential. Compared to Huang Shan, Qiu Yiren, and Wucheng, he’s still a step behind. After all, the Seven-Section Quick Sword Body Tempering is inferior to the Qingfeng Swordsmanship. The earlier one tempers their body, the better the effect, and the wider the gap will become," Daoist Baohe said with a light laugh. "So, you all don’t need to fight over him. Huang Shan and Qiu Yiren can be one for each of you. Don’t try to take this Lin Hui from Mingde."

He was known throughout the temple for his good temper. Now that he was playing peacemaker, the three from the Ming Generation couldn’t very well continue to argue. They settled down and turned their attention back to the stage.

By this point, another person had already taken the stage. In the time it took them to talk, Lin Hui had already won another match in an instant, and was now fighting the next opponent.

This time, his opponent was much stronger than the previous ones, having reached the Third Grade of Body Tempering.

His Nine-Section Swift Sword was also extremely proficient, his understanding of it profound. His strikes lacked nothing in speed, ruthlessness, or precision.

Lin Hui no longer just defended, but exchanged blows with his opponent.

About two minutes later, with a soft clang, the man’s longsword was knocked from his hand. He took a step back, a small cut now visible on the side of his wrist.

"Thank you for your mercy, Junior Brother Lin."

"You went easy on me."

Lin Hui cupped his fist. His breathing had also become a bit ragged.

Defeating three people in a row was no small challenge for his stamina. He had originally thought he could handle four straight opponents without a problem, but now it seemed he had been overconfident.

"Next up, ranked tenth, Ouyang Zhong!" The Daoist Child’s voice was getting a little hoarse.

The gong rang.

With a whoosh, a figure leaped into the air, cleared the railing, and landed steadily on the stage.

This was clearly not a Qingfeng Temple Body Technique, and it immediately sparked discussions in the surrounding stands.

"Qingfeng Temple doesn’t forbid learning outside Martial Arts. This Ouyang Zhong came here with his family’s own techniques, an accomplished martial artist before he even joined. He’s not the only one; several of the top ten are like this. For example, Second Senior Brother Zhao Jiang’an has integrated multiple schools of Martial Arts and is extremely powerful, second only to First Senior Brother Chen Sui," Deputy Chief Yu Zhenhao quietly explained to Chief Ning Shaosheng in the stands.

"In that case, this Lin Hui is in danger. From what you’ve said, he only started practicing Martial Arts halfway through his life, and his merchant family has no inherited techniques to speak of," Ning Shaosheng said thoughtfully.

"Indeed. These External Martial Arts Halls are very different from the Inner Sect you came from, sir. For the Outer Family, the more types of Martial Arts they practice, the stronger they become. The Inner Family, however, emphasizes purity. Their focus is fundamentally different," Deputy Chief Yu Zhenhao said with a nod.

It wasn’t just them discussing it. By now, the vast majority of spectators in the stands had their attention captured by Lin Hui’s winning streak.

Some had even begun to speculate on how many more matches he could win, and whether a five-win streak was possible.

Chen Zhishen sat in a distant section of the stands with Ah Hu beside him. Both were watching the stage nervously.

"See that? Isn’t your Uncle Lin strong?"

"Strong!"

"Let me tell you, even if he loses this match, it would still be a glorious defeat for your Uncle Lin. After all, how long has he been practicing Martial Arts? That Ouyang Zhong has been training since he was a child, for over a decade now. They’re not on the same level at all," Chen Zhishen said in a hushed voice.

"Uncle, why are you more nervous than the one on stage?" Ah Hu asked, puzzled.

"Because this is the crucial match! If he wins, he’ll be in the top ten! Your Uncle Lin will have it made!"

Chen Zhishen clenched his fists, feeling his palms slick with sweat.

The top ten! The title of being one of Qingfeng Temple’s top ten elites carried enough weight to make some of the smaller, shadier organizations in the Outer City think twice. It would also get him on the special attention list at the Government Office.

Some of the major families and clans would also focus their attention on them, investing resources early to build connections.

After all, today’s top ten could very well achieve the same strength and status as the Ming Generation in the future.

In the lawless Outer City District, such martial prowess was nothing to scoff at.

Beyond all that, the most crucial benefit was that the top ten could hold a position at the Government Office, gaining official status and, with it, reductions in taxes and exemptions from forced labor.

Chen Zhishen knew perfectly well, as a farmer’s son from the bottom rungs of society, he had long suspected that the lives of the lower class weren’t treated as lives at all.

When exploring the fog, the Government Office needed guides. It was common for them to randomly grab a few low-class people living on the edge of the fog to scout the way.

If they died, they died. A small compensation was paid, and that was the end of it.

Every so often, when the Government Office needed something built or repaired, they would forcibly conscript laborers from the lower class. Not only that, but the laborers had to bring their own rations. They would be gone for months, missing the farming season, which meant no harvest for the entire year. They could only rely on their stored grain.

Those without stored grain could only sell their sons and daughters. Life was unbearably bitter.

And even so, the common people couldn’t escape, because the fog completely blocked all escape routes. Without a large merchant caravan to lead the way, escaping was just another way to die.

Shaking off these thoughts, Chen Zhishen looked toward the stage. Watching Lin Hui’s figure clashing continuously with his opponent, he silently cheered him on.

*

* 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

*

On the stage, Lin Hui parried left and blocked right. They were evenly matched. Both took a step back, panting heavily.

"The top ten, just one win away from a five-win streak. Senior Brother, why not do me the favor and concede this once?" Lin Hui said softly.

"Junior Brother, you’re already so exhausted, yet you’re still struggling to hold on. Why push yourself so hard? It’s just a spot in the top ten. Is it really worth fighting to this extent?" Ouyang Zhong practiced his family’s Martial Arts. His stamina was immense, and his leg techniques were superb. Combined with his Swordsmanship, he was putting a great deal of pressure on Lin Hui.

"Senior Brother’s family is wealthy, so of course you look down on a top-ten placement. But I’m different. The temptation of the top ten and a five-win streak is too great. I have no choice but to go for it..." Lin Hui said earnestly.

"Junior Brother, you are mistaken. The top ten is determined purely by strength. If it were decided by concessions, why hold a grand competition at all? We could just all negotiate the rankings amongst ourselves off-stage," Ouyang Zhong sighed.

"Senior Brother..." A troubled look suddenly appeared on Lin Hui’s face. "Fine... For the sake of the top ten, I’m afraid I have no choice but to offend you."

Now that he understood the significance of the top ten, and with victory so close, the line he had drawn for himself was beginning to waver.

’Just once.’

’I’ll use it just once, to secure a spot in the top ten and the five-win streak. That’ll be enough.’

"Actually, I was born with just a little more explosive power than the average person."

Lin Hui quickly made up his mind. He would use Light Body once. A single moment would be enough. As long as it wasn’t too exaggerated, he could pass off the increased Sword Speed as a burst of potential.

"Explosive power? Then let me see just how strong this explosive power of yours is, Junior Brother!" The moment the words left Ouyang Zhong’s lips, he had already struck, his sword thrusting with extreme speed toward Lin Hui’s waist.

The tip of the sword vibrated, and the subsequent feints completely cut off all of Lin Hui’s escape routes.

This Swordsmanship was on a completely different level from his previous opponents, truly matching Lin Hui’s current level.

Hah!!

Just then, Lin Hui let out a fierce roar.

He raised his sword, its speed suddenly exploding. It felt as if his entire body’s strength was pouring into the blade.

This upward slash, rising from below, generated a sharp Sword Wind before it even reached him, making Ouyang Zhong’s chest and abdomen tingle.

’Light Body Special Effect, activate!’

In that instant, Lin Hui’s arm became a blur. The speed of his swing more than doubled!

The terrifying Sword Speed was so fast his opponent had no time to react. He couldn’t block, and he couldn’t dodge!

Ouyang Zhong could only stand frozen, his attack halted. He stood rooted to the spot, his head tilted back, watching the silver blur of the sword flash before his eyes.

SHIIING!!!

The sword-image streaked past his face, severing a few strands of black hair and creating a sharp whistle as it cut through the air toward the sky. It had missed splitting him in two by a hair’s breadth.