Chapter 90: The Challenge Begins (Third Update, Still Asking for Votes)

Xin Lang had read the Manual of the Martial Arts Academy. The academy had no fixed curriculum to speak of; students were mostly left to study on their own.

The rank system established by the Martial Arts Academy existed precisely to spur competition among the students. The higher a student’s rank, the better the privileges they enjoyed. In addition to discounts on lodging and meals, higher-ranked students could also subscribe to the academy’s martial techniques and cultivation methods at reduced prices. Thus every student took the academy’s challenge matches seriously, striving to earn more points.

The academy’s classes were little more than a formality; hardly anyone bothered to attend them. The duel halls, by contrast, were where the students went most often.

The Martial Arts Academy’s duel halls were divided into bronze-rank student halls, silver-rank student halls, gold-rank student halls, and promoted-student halls.

Because bronze-rank students made up the largest number, the academy had the most bronze-rank duel halls as well: twenty in all.

The four of them had no choice but to return once more to the academy cafeteria and eat the overpriced buns that cost five coppers apiece.

Qian Baidu took a bite and cursed, “Damn it, these buns are outrageously expensive! Five coppers each—this is robbery, plain and simple!”

“The buns being a little pricey is one thing, but they won’t let us leave the school grounds at night. How the hell am I supposed to go and have any fun? Looks like I really do need to hurry up and get myself a silver-rank student identity!” Gu Pangzi said.

“Right, that’s true! We really should get a silver-rank identity so we can eat cheap buns!” Qian Baidu agreed.

For once, Gu Pangzi and Qian Baidu were in complete accord.

Needless to say, Xin Lang also intended to obtain a silver-rank student identity. He looked at Hong Jingang and asked, “Brother Hong, what about you? I imagine you won’t be satisfied with only a silver-rank identity.”

Hong Jingang said, “A silver-rank identity certainly isn’t enough for me. My goal is the number one position on the Martial Arts Academy’s gold list!”

When Gu Pangzi heard this, he laughed. “Heh, Brother Jingang, if that’s what you think, then I’m sorry to tell you your wish may never come true.”

“Why not?” Hong Jingang asked, puzzled.

Gu Pangzi said, “With our boss around, the first place will belong to our boss forever.”

“Exactly. Student Xin is the strongest!” Qian Baidu and Gu Pangzi chimed in with perfect understanding.

Hong Jingang looked at Xin Lang. “Student Xin, you are indeed strong. But given enough time, I am confident I can defeat you.”

Xin Lang smiled. “Very well. Then let’s have a match first and see who can obtain a silver-rank identity sooner.”

Without the slightest hesitation, Hong Jingang said, “Fine. Whoever loses will be the other’s subordinate from now on.”

“Deal!” Xin Lang agreed without hesitation.

Xin Lang thought to himself, If I can take the future third-ranked Martial Saint of the Great Xia Dynasty and make him my follower, what a scene that would be.

The thought filled him with anticipation.

After the meal, the four of them went together to the bronze-rank duel hall.

The bronze-rank duel hall was a square building, not especially large, but able to hold one or two hundred people. Each duel hall contained ten combat platforms.

The four of them went into the nineteenth duel hall, the one nearest the cafeteria.

Each duel hall had a registration desk. Gu Pangzi, Qian Baidu, and Hong Jingang all took out their identity plaques and handed them to the martial arts instructor in charge of registration.

The instructor glanced at the three identity plaques, recorded the names and numbers on them, and then arranged their opponents and match times.

All challenges between students at the academy had to be scheduled by the academy itself, to prevent cheating and people helping one another farm points.

“The seventh combat platform, match thirty-two!” Gu Pangzi muttered to himself after receiving his match assignment.

Qian Baidu asked, “Student Xin, aren’t you going to register for a match?”

Seeing that the three had already received their match schedules, Xin Lang frowned. “I will, but this way of lining up in order is too time-consuming.”

At the pace Gu Pangzi had been assigned, it would probably be noon before his match came around. At that rate, earning two or three points in an entire day would already be the limit.

Xin Lang did not have that much time to waste. The upgrade device had given him only ten days. He had no intention of being erased by it.

He walked over to the registration desk and said to the martial arts instructor there, “I want to join a match immediately. Is there any way to avoid waiting in line?”

The instructor studied Xin Lang for a moment and said, “You’re a new student this year, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” Xin Lang said.

The instructor continued, “It’s possible for you to enter a match immediately, but I advise you to keep your feet on the ground. It’s good to have spirit, but you should also be able to bear the blow of failure.”

Xin Lang appreciated the instructor’s kindness, but still tossed his identity plaque to him. “I’m in a hurry. Thank you.”

Seeing how stubborn Xin Lang was, the instructor thought, Then I’ll let you suffer a little and knock some of that arrogance out of you.

He handed Xin Lang’s identity plaque back and said, “Take your plaque and go to the main combat platform. Today, the arena champion of our nineteenth duel hall is Ling Feng. You can challenge him.”

Among the bronze-rank students, many had already accumulated one hundred points, but a large number of them had not yet challenged a silver-rank student and advanced to silver rank. Such fully maxed-out students generally possessed considerable strength and were on par with ordinary silver-rank students. That was why the academy set up a main combat platform in each bronze-rank duel hall, allowing these point-maxed students to take turns serving as arena champions while the others challenged them at will.

Although losing a challenge against someone of the same rank did not deduct points, very few students went to challenge the arena champion. And the maxed-out students were even less likely to challenge one another, because such bouts were meaningless: winning brought no advancement and no points. Most of the time, the duel hall’s arena champion stood idle, with hardly anyone coming to challenge them.

“Ling Feng?” Xin Lang thought. “Could it be the same Ling Feng who was with Ouyang Feiyun yesterday?”

He took his identity plaque and went to the main combat platform of the duel hall. Beneath the platform was another registration desk.

Xin Lang asked the staff member there, “I want to challenge today’s arena champion. What procedure do I need to go through?”

The staff member did not try to dissuade him as the registration instructor had. In a flat tone, he said, “Put your identity plaque here. You can come back for it after the match.”

Ling Feng was an old student of the Martial Arts Academy. He knew that very few people would challenge the person occupying the main combat platform, but this was the academy’s rule, and he had to obey it.

Bored out of his mind, Ling Feng sat on the main combat platform, considering which silver-rank student he should challenge in order to seize the other party’s silver-rank identity. Suddenly, a dark shadow blocked the light before his eyes.