Chapter 627: The Final Round

Luo Tian’s astonishing results left many mentors shocked and envious.

The mentors who had ganged up on Luo Tian, in particular, looked absolutely furious.

‘Are we targeting him, or is he targeting us?’ they wondered.

Whenever their students faced Luo Tian’s, they suffered miserable defeats. Their performance suffered in subsequent battles, leading to more losses than wins.

As a result, fewer of their students made it into the top two hundred than they had anticipated.

“We really did underestimate that kid. But just because he has a lot of students in the top two hundred doesn’t mean they’ll do well in the third round’s ranking tournament.”

“That’s right. Several of his students only barely scraped into the top two hundred.”

“And I refuse to believe that kid knows the weaknesses of all two hundred students.”

The mentors muttered amongst themselves, trying to find some consolation.

The third round of the Chuyang Grand Competition, the ranking tournament, was still the domain of the veteran elite mentors.

“Shut up.”

Peng Yuweng suddenly snapped, and the nearby mentors fell silent.

His expression was dark. ‘What a bunch of idiots,’ he thought, ‘still using such flimsy excuses to console themselves.’

Luo Tian had six students in the top two hundred.

That alone was enough for Luo Tian to reap enormous benefits in the upcoming Ancient Secret Realm!

“Master, there’s no need to be angry. In the upcoming ranking tournament, I’ll cripple all of Luo Tian’s students. That’ll solve everything.”

A man with a narrow face offered with a smile.

He was none other than Peng Yuweng’s most prized disciple, Du Hongfei—the top contender and favorite to place first in the Chuyang Grand Competition.

“Mm!”

Looking at Du Hongfei, Peng Yuweng’s expression softened, and he nodded slightly.

Since things had come to this, there was no point dwelling on it.

At the very least, he still had more students in the top two hundred than Luo Tian, and he was certain their final results would be far superior as well.

By the end of the Chuyang Grand Competition, he would still be the biggest winner.

…

The crowd gradually dispersed to prepare for the next day’s ranking tournament.

“Master Luo, you have to tell me, how did you do it?”

Tutor Hu Chao walked over, his expression pleading.

“Do what?”

“How did you make your students so incredible! You actually got six of them into the top two hundred!”

Hu Chao was emotional, his voice filled with extreme envy.

If his own students could achieve such results, Hu Chao would be thanking his lucky stars.

In reality, he only had one student make it to the top two hundred—a pathetic result, by comparison.

Hu Chao’s jealousy and resentment had given way to a humble plea for guidance.

“Is six a lot?”

Luo Tian asked.

‘Didn’t Master Peng from the War Martial Institute get eleven students into the top two hundred?’

‘If I had enough students, or just a little more time, getting ten students into the top two hundred would have been no problem at all.’

With only six students in the top two hundred, Luo Tian wasn’t particularly satisfied; he felt the result was just average.

“…”

Hu Chao was rendered completely speechless.

‘I only got one damn student into the top two hundred!’

“Master Luo, don’t be so secretive. We’re close colleagues, after all. What can I do to make my students as outstanding as yours?”

Hu Chao asked in a hushed voice.

“Have your students study under me. Then they’ll become this outstanding.”

Luo Tian stated matter-of-factly.

“Fine, don’t tell me then.”

Hu Chao hurriedly pulled his student away.

He was genuinely afraid Luo Tian might try to poach his student.

After every Chuyang Grand Competition, many students would choose a new mentor.

Luo Tian’s performance this time was dazzling, and some students were undoubtedly considering asking him to be their mentor.

Hu Chao departed.

But other mentors came over to speak with Luo Tian.

It was true that Luo Tian’s achievement was simply too astonishing. For a new mentor to get six students to break into the top two hundred was unheard of.

Luo Tian surely had some secret technique.

Among the mentors who approached him, there were even some who had secretly plotted against him.

When Ye Shuiyun heard about Luo Tian’s results, she too was surprised.

“This man really has some skill,” Ye Shuiyun sighed.

First, there were his excellent results during the mentor evaluation.

Then, in the competition for the Celestial Spirit Valley quotas, Luo Tian took first place four times, outshining all the veteran mentors.

And now, he had once again made a name for himself in the Chuyang Grand Competition.

Ye Shuiyun’s curiosity about Luo Tian was growing. She wanted to understand him, learn from him, and improve herself.

Just as she pushed open her door.

A voice called out from nearby, “Shuiyun, where are you off to?”

“Oh, Master Yan. I was just going to visit Luo Tian. His results in the Chuyang Grand Competition were quite unexpected.”

Ye Shuiyun didn’t think much of it.

“Luo Tian?”

Yan Feixiao had taken note of Luo Tian after the events at the Celestial Spirit Valley.

‘It’s him again?’

Yan Feixiao was somewhat surprised.

‘For Ye Shuiyun to think so highly of him and take the initiative to visit… Luo Tian really is something else.’

‘But Ye Shuiyun is mine!’

Yan Feixiao didn’t believe Luo Tian had what it took to steal Ye Shuiyun from him, but he still disliked seeing the woman he adored interacting too much with other men.

“He’s just a Junior Tutor. How could we trouble you, Shuiyun, to visit him personally? Let’s just wait here. I’ll send someone to summon him.”

After speaking, Yan Feixiao walked right into Ye Shuiyun’s residence.

Ye Shuiyun felt it would be rude to turn him away, especially since Yan Feixiao held a high position in the Saint Institute and outranked her as a mentor.

Even her own grandfather had told her to consult with Yan Feixiao more often.

“Alright.”

Ye Shuiyun nodded.

But a short while later.

One of Yan Feixiao’s servants returned. “Sir,” he reported, “Master Luo says he’s not available.”

“If he’s not available, then we won’t insist. I’m a very easy-going person.”

Yan Feixiao waved his hand, dismissing the servant.

In reality, the servant had never delivered the message, and there was no way Luo Tian would have come regardless.

‘This way, won’t I be able to spend time alone with Ye Shuiyun?’

The corner of Yan Feixiao’s mouth curled up. “Miss Ye, I finished a painting yesterday. What do you think…?”

With that, Yan Feixiao took out a scroll and unrolled it. The painting’s subject matter clearly depicted the romantic affection between a man and a woman.

…

「The next morning.」

The third round of the Chuyang Grand Competition began.

The final results of this ranking tournament would be compiled into a list and posted at the Chuyang Tower of each of the ten branch institutes.

All two hundred of the top-ranked students were brimming with fighting spirit, raring to go.

Luo Tian and his six qualified students entered the arena.

‘Those mentors who ganged up on me won’t give up so easily. They might go even further in this final ranking tournament.’

That was why Luo Tian decided to accompany his students for the third round as well.

“Let the ranking tournament begin!”

“Based on your performance in the first two rounds, the Saint Institute has created a provisional ranking. First: Du Hongfei. Second: Liu Meihong. Third…”

“This is a provisional ranking. Each of you has five opportunities to challenge. If you win a challenge, you will take your opponent’s rank!”

“Furthermore, malicious serial challenges, battles of attrition, and the like are forbidden…”

The referee announced the rules.

If battles of attrition were allowed, even the person in first place could be easily defeated.

“So, Du Hongfei really is ranked first provisionally.”

“That Du Hongfei broke through to the Half-step Celestial Pool Realm six months ago and even has a victory against a Celestial Pool Realm cultivator on his record. He can probably break through to the full Celestial Pool Realm at any moment.”

“To think my most prized student is only ranked fifteenth.”

The spectator stands immediately buzzed with discussion.

Luo Tian checked his own students’ rankings.

Luo Xiaoting was ranked seventh!

Guan Hongfei was ranked fourteenth.

Zi Qing was ranked fifteenth.

His other three students were ranked much lower.

“The third round officially begins! Challenges will start from rank 200.”

The referee announced.

A female student at rank 200 immediately shouted, “I challenge the student at rank 190!”

The ensuing battle proved that the rankings established by the Saint Institute’s leadership were not arbitrary and held a good deal of authority.

The female student was defeated in under twenty moves.

The next few challengers were all defeated as well, with none managing a victory.

After that, the challengers grew more cautious, and a few victories gradually began to emerge.

“I challenge rank 169!”

A tall student challenged one of Luo Tian’s students.

The two took the stage, and the battle erupted.

The tall student was slightly weaker than Luo Tian’s, but his goal wasn’t simply to win. Like in the last round, his aim was to wear down and severely injure his opponent.

‘It looks like those mentors want to injure my six students to drag down their rankings!’

Luo Tian was not surprised.

The battle ended quickly.

Luo Tian’s student had a slight edge and won the match, sustaining only minor injuries.

A short while later.

It was this same student of Luo Tian’s turn to issue a challenge.

“Challenge rank 160…”

Luo Tian helped his student choose an opponent and provided a corresponding strategy.

As a result, Luo Tian’s student won the battle with extreme ease, leaving his opponent grievously injured.

‘Random pairings have too many uncertainties. Being able to choose your opponent makes things much easier…’

A smile touched Luo Tian’s lips.

‘I can have my students pick the opponents most suited for them to defeat, and in doing so, inflict the maximum amount of damage!’

The last opponent was a perfect counter for Luo Tian’s student. Knowing the opponent’s weaknesses, the fight was completely one-sided.

“Damn it! How could he be so vicious!”

An angry mentor fumed in the spectator stands.

In truth, they had also instructed their own students to be ruthless when facing Luo Tian’s, they just hadn’t succeeded.

Before long, another student challenged one of Luo Tian’s.

This time, Luo Tian stepped in to coach, and his student won again.

The ranking tournament involved many participants, and the Saint Institute had forbidden malicious or serial challenges, so the enemy mentors couldn’t target Luo Tian’s students too brazenly.

As long as the exhaustion and injuries weren’t too severe, his students had enough time to recover between matches.

Therefore, the situation wasn’t as dire as he had first imagined.

On the contrary, almost every challenge issued by one of Luo Tian’s students resulted in their opponent—one of the rival mentors’ students—being severely injured. This was making many of those mentors regret their actions.

They had joined the plot mainly because they thought they could easily suppress Luo Tian.

But it wasn’t easy at all. From start to finish, they had paid a heavy price for their meddling, and it was a bitter pill to swallow.

Soon, it was the turn of Zi Qing, ranked fifteenth.

“Challenge rank eight!”

The moment Luo Tian spoke, shocked and astonished gazes from all over the arena turned toward him.

Zi Qing was ranked fifteenth.

And Luo Tian was actually having her challenge the eighth-ranked contestant, who was at the Half-step Celestial Pool Realm!

Most of the mentors and students had heard of Zi Qing’s reputation—a good-for-nothing whose Martial Arts cultivation had stagnated for years.

‘Even if she can cultivate again, her Martial Arts has been neglected for so long. Her strength can’t be that impressive!’

‘Yet Luo Tian is having her jump so many ranks to challenge a Half-step Celestial Pool Realm cultivator. This is definitely a mistake.’