The Villain's White Lotus Halo

26

Chapter 26 – Odds 1

The first one hundred sixty battles of the Flower Picking Festival will occur on four raised stages, each stage with four battles arranged; to be completed in ten days. These rules are especially made for the first round of the competition as there's likely to be a large difference in strength and the time taken for each battle not long. If a match went overtime, it would then be judged as a tie and both people will move on together.

The next round didn't have any such rules. The time for each match can be indefinitely extended until a clear winner is established or someone admits defeat. 　

After drawing lots, the young cultivators were given one day to prepare themselves.

On this day, the entirety of Ye City boiled over with excitement.

The teahouses were seated to full capacity, and applause roared like thunder from within each one. The marketplace streets were abuzz with discussions about the competitors of the day; each argument logical and convincing, as if they've seen the battles in person.

The brave people rushed towards ZhongMing Mountain and built some thatched huts at the foot of the mountain. They were still extremely far from the arenas; but hearing the sounds and seeing the lights, it was still enough for them to make them excited.

Of course, the main characters of the gathering weren't the citizens of Ye City.

On the north side of the city were the Bao Pu Zong disciples beside XinShui Bridge; in the west, the Lian Jian Zong disciples within the XingHua Forest; in the east, the Buddhist Cultivators near the TongAn canal; various other disciples of small sects in the inns in the center of the city; and the Cang Ya disciples on the shores Lake Qiu; each had different reactions to the results of the lot drawing.2

They collected information, analysed the strengths and weaknesses of their opponents, mulling over what moves and techniques to use the next day. After they were done worrying over themselves, they couldn't help but worry over their sect-mates.

The relationship between Bao Pu Zong and Cang Ya is Not Good; this is a fact everyone knows.

Within the first round, aside from the three of Yin Biyue's party, only Ruan Xiaolian drew the number of a Bao Pu Zong disciple.

But the most worrying one was not Ruan Xiaolian. 　　

"The other three matchups are at least similar in their cultivation realms, but what about Yin-shixiong?" the disciple who spoke showed a sorrowful expression, "......Yin-shixiong reached the Soul Condensing stage within three years of entering the sect; which is indeed very fast- but I heard...... Bao Pu Zong's He Lai, half a year ago, had already advanced to the Breakthrough stage!"

Although Duan Chongxuan turned up his nose at six of the "Seven Sons of Bao Pu", the reputation of the "Seven Sons of Bao Pu" still resounded loud and clear. 　　

No sooner were the words said, did someone retort, "So what if there's a gap in their cultivation realms! Yin-shixiong is a disciple of the Sword Saint! Think about when Jun Yu-shixiong was still Lesser Vessel stage and he was victorious over a Greater Vessel Elder!"

The disciple who said this admired Jun Yu ever since he entered the sect. When he was at his most fanatic, he even painstakingly imitated the way Jun Yu dressed and held his sword.

But not everyone saw the situation through the haze of emotion, and someone calmly stated, "But to overcome cultivation realms and obtain victory; that's something that only one in every hundred can do."

"But I believe that Yin-shixiong will win!" A crisp feminine voice sounded, He Yanyun's expression resolute.

Other people were also infected by her confidence: