On the stage of the Martial Ranking competition, a massive screen displayed the ongoing battles and the rankings of the upcoming matches.
The Chen family patriarch and others were so tense their foreheads glistened with sweat.
They had leveraged a connection through Lin Yuexian's father to report Chen Jiuyang's situation to the Sword Bearer in Longjing.
However, they had no idea what the outcome would be.
The Sword Bearer of Longjing was also the commander of the Sword Bearer Legion, a position of immense prestige, and might not heed their request.
Chen Jiuyang's chance of successfully reaching the Martial Ranking competition was only one percent!
Even with this one percent chance, they were determined to fight with all their might!
For that sliver of hope!
Suddenly.
The large screen displaying the combat order and rankings flickered, showing a change.
The information for the sixth match, Chen Jiuyang, the champion of Feng Province's Martial Ranking, against Fang Hanyu, the champion of Guang Province's Martial Ranking, suddenly jumped, moving to the very last match.
"Whoa!"
The tens of thousands of spectators erupted in a collective gasp, their gazes all turning towards the Chen family patriarch and others, as well as the high platform.
There was a change regarding Chen Jiuyang's situation; could he still have a chance to appear here?
"Hmm?"
Hong Jiangjin's brow furrowed. He glanced at the high platform, then at the location of the Chen family patriarch and others, a glint of cold light in his eyes:
"Interesting..."
"To be able to persuade this esteemed individual, it seems the Shu Mountain faction still has some tricks up its sleeve."
"However, these tricks are far from enough. Pass down my order: ensure Chen Jiuyang is detained for exactly forty-eight hours before releasing him."
"Heh, what use is buying this little bit of time? In the face of absolute power, all petty schemes are futile!"
...
"Good!"
The Chen family patriarch and the others' faces flushed with excitement and joy.
They had managed to persuade the Sword Bearer of Longjing to move Chen Jiuyang's match to the very last slot!
That sense of joy, coupled with hope, surged through everyone.
"Next, we just need to wait for Jiuyang to arrive at the Martial Ranking arena!"
"Pray that Jiuyang makes it in time for the match!"
After the initial elation, a wave of pressure washed over them, their hearts silently urging Chen Jiuyang to make it to the Dragon Country Martial Ranking competition.
Yao Zixuan's palms were slick with cold sweat, her expression incredibly tense, her heart pounding.
Lin Yuexian's face was flushed. Though her posture appeared calm, her delicate body trembled subtly, her jade-like hands clenched tightly.
Ji Lengyue pursed her lips, remaining silent, but her mind was in turmoil, her gaze filled with anxious anticipation.
Qiu Yihan's face was as cold as frost, her eyes sharp and filled with killing intent. The Han Ling Sword in her hand hummed softly, mirroring her master's emotions.
Even the Chen family patriarch, Elder Han, Lin Buwen, and Yao Qianhe, individuals who had weathered many storms, could no longer suppress their emotions. Their expressions and movements were filled with anxiety and tension.
"First match, First King's Zhenxi Army's Gong Luque versus Southwest Autonomous Region's Quan Zizhuo!"
"Second match, Second King's Zhenbei Army's Yan Hongming versus Tibet West's Ami Luo!"
"Third match, Third King's Zhennan Army's Zhou Wushuang versus North Sea's Chai Yiran!"
"Fourth match, Fourth King's Zhendong Army's Huangfu Tianqi versus Lingnan's Zhi Guangyu!"
"Fifth match, Fifth King's Navy's Ye Taisheng versus Mongolia's Xin Gao Hong!"
"Sixth match, Sword Bearer Legion's Tang Jingxian versus Dongning Province's Yi Haoyan!"
"Seventh match, ..."
...
"Twentieth match, Feng Province's Chen Jiuyang versus Guang Province's Fang Hanyu!"
The Five Kings and the Sword Bearer Legion did not belong to any provincial Martial Ranking champions. Although the Sword Bearer of Longjing was arranged by province in alphabetical order, this wasn't strictly followed. Thus, the opening matches featured the offspring of the Five Kings and the Sword Bearer Legion against the champions of other provinces' Martial Rankings.
At this very moment, nearly all the young prodigies of the Dragon Country's martial arts world had gathered at the Longjing Martial Ranking arena. Regardless of how much they had previously concealed their strength, once on this stage, they were displaying their full capabilities under the eyes of hundreds of thousands, even millions.
Prodigies like Qiu Yihan, with her special physique and background, did not need to go through the Martial Ranking, nor did she have the time. There were many like Qiu Yihan, and also individuals like Enfu Ben, meaning the young prodigies of the entire Dragon Country's martial arts world were not all present at this Martial Ranking arena.
It could only be said that most of them were.
After the match information was released.
Hong Damei, the Sword Bearer of Longjing standing on the high platform, his voice resonating throughout the arena, declared: "The competition, begins."
The first match lasted half an hour. Gong Luque, clad in dragon-patterned golden feather armor, resembling a war god, pursued his opponent relentlessly with his greatsword after unleashing his peak divine intent, securing victory!
The second match concluded swiftly. Yan Hongming, wielding a purple-gold phoenix-winged spear, displayed the Yan King's martial art, the Heavenly Dragon City-Breaking Spear Technique. With just two moves, he sent his opponent tumbling off the stage.
In the Dragon Country's martial arts world, the King with the strongest overt combat power was the Second King, the Yan King. His Heavenly Dragon City-Breaking Spear Technique, when displayed by Yan Hongming, drew gasps of admiration from many.
The Yan King's reputation was renowned throughout the Dragon Country. Stationed in the north, he had not personally engaged in battle for many years, and this spear technique had also been hidden from the public eye for many years. Its reappearance now drew boundless praise.
The third match saw Zhou Wushuang employing the martial techniques of his father, Zhou Fangzun. With immense effort, it took him an hour to barely defeat his opponent, but at least he did not disgrace Zhou Fangzun.
The fourth match featured Huangfu Tianqi with his Fangtian Huaji, which was domineering and unparalleled in its might. This battle also concluded in a short time.
The fifth and sixth matches held no suspense, with the son of the Fifth King and Tang Jingxian of the Sword Bearer Legion securing victories.
The Chen family patriarch and others paid no mind to the subsequent dozen or so matches. With each passing battle, time grew more pressing, and the closer it got to Chen Jiuyang's match, the less time there was!
However, Chen Jiuyang's figure remained conspicuously absent, filling them with immense anxiety and causing their expressions to change constantly.
"Tick-tock! Tick-tock! Tick-tock!"
Time ticked by, minute by minute, until finally, it was the last match of the first round.
The referee stood on the stage and announced loudly, "Twentieth match of the first round, Feng Province's Chen Jiuyang versus Guang Province's Fang Hanyu! Please, both contestants, take the stage!"
Countless people perked up, eager to witness the spectacle.
"Clang!"
Fang Hanyu, wielding a large saber, leaped onto the stage.
But Chen Jiuyang's figure was nowhere to be seen, not even a wisp of air indicating his presence.
Hong Jiangjing, who was recuperating his breath, heard the announcement and sneered, "It would be a miracle if he showed up."
The referee's voice echoed throughout the arena, but Chen Jiuyang's figure remained absent for a long time.
The referee stated, "If Feng Province's Chen Jiuyang does not appear within five minutes, Fang Hanyu will be declared the winner of this bout."
The forces that had obstructed Chen Jiuyang finally revealed their smiles. Had they not endured so much hardship and paid such a heavy price for this very moment?
"Hahahahahaha!"
Many burst into laughter.
The Chen family patriarch and the others had fallen into despair. Could Chen Jiuyang possibly appear within five minutes?
After such a long wait, his continued absence left them feeling as miserable as they had been expectant and excited earlier.
"Vroom! Vroom!"
"Rumble! Rumble!"
A long saber, carrying an unparalleled, domineering aura, streaked across the sky from outside the arena like a meteor, leaving a fiery red trail in its wake. The air itself seemed to ignite as it plunged into the arena, descending from above!
It then embedded itself into the stage!
Emitting a majestic and fierce saber aura, as if proclaiming the imminent arrival of its master!
"This is... Chen Jiuyang's saber..."
The Yan Sheng Saber, which had accompanied Chen Jiuyang through a thousand miles of bloody battles, who didn't recognize this saber?
The arena, with its hundreds of thousands of spectators, fell into a deathly silence, which then erupted into a frenzy!
"He's here!"
Qiu Yihan, Ji Lengyue, Lin Yuexian, and Yao Zixuan's delicate bodies trembled, their faces flushed, tears of excitement streaming down their cheeks!
The Chen family patriarch's eyes went black with excitement, and he collapsed, fainted from sheer joy!
Hong Jiangjing and many others' smiles froze and stiffened, replaced by expressions of absurdity and disbelief.
"This! Is! Impossible!"