The sky in the east slowly revealed a sliver of white.
The Feng Province Martial Ranking Competition was to be held today.
The Feng Province Gymnasium was closed to ordinary spectators today; too many martial artists could easily injure them.
The Six Gates had dispatched over a thousand constables to maintain public order in the vicinity.
Having hosted the Martial Ranking many times, the Martial Ranking Association understood that friction between martial artists was easily ignited.
"You looking at me? What are you going to do about it? Keep looking and I'll beat your ass!" Then, the fight would begin!
On several occasions, casualties had occurred before the competition even started.
Feng Province had thirty-six cities and nearly a hundred counties, with a total population of around forty million.
Next year would be the Jiazi year, marking another cycle of fortune contention. This year's Martial Ranking was particularly important. The Dragon Country's court had even canceled the ordinary people's Olympic-style sports competitions, replacing them with public viewings of martial artists battling.
This was no friendly game of "friendship first, competition second." Every martial artist who advanced through the Martial Ranking could develop towards the upper echelons of Dragon Country society and share in the nation's fortune.
Official media had set up cameras at the gymnasium long in advance.
Some people with connections entered the gymnasium and ostentatiously took out their phones to live-stream their commentary.
"Hello, my dear family members! Today is truly the most exciting day for our Feng Province. Dragons and tigers gather, and all major forces will send their top martial artists to compete."
"Whoever wins the championship will represent Feng Province in the National Martial Ranking competition. That's Longjing! It's an honor that every martial artist strives for with their life!"
"Hey, are there still people who don't know why the Martial Ranking competition is held?"
"Our Dragon Country is located in Asia, and several countries want to suppress us. Dragon Country faces immense development pressure. Through the Martial Ranking, we can select elite talents. Have you forgotten the National Fortune War sixty years ago? If not for the countless soldiers who sacrificed their lives on the Yalu River sixty years ago, would our Dragon Country have gained sixty years of peaceful development?"
"Next year is another Jiazi year, with changes in fortune and national destiny. Achieving a good result in the Martial Ranking is beneficial for oneself and for the country."
A young man wearing sunglasses held his phone, live-streaming and explaining the importance of the Martial Ranking competition to the ordinary people in his audience.
"The martial artists from all sides are entering."
"Let me tell you quietly, this is an opportunity to get rich. You can place bets on Caicai.com."
"Let me see who the martial artists from the thirty-six cities are."
"First to enter is Fengcheng's representative contestant, Chen Jiuyang. Chen Jiuyang, twenty-three years old, a genius Grandmaster rarely seen in Fengcheng in a century, mentored by Marquis Feng Han! The odds are nine to one. Damn, they're that high."
The young man in sunglasses frowned. This indicated that most people did not expect Chen Jiuyang to win.
He took out his tablet and opened Caicai.com, seeing many comments about Chen Jiuyang.
"Although Chen Jiuyang is a genius Grandmaster, he has only opened four acupoints. His offensive techniques are few, his experience is lacking, and he relies more on unorthodox methods and trivial tricks. He has almost no hope of winning."
There was also a video of Chen Jiuyang fighting He Feiyu of the Six Gates half a month ago.
Chen Jiuyang was suppressed head-on, and only by some unknown unorthodox method did he manage to defeat He Feiyu.
Although Chen Jiuyang won, he also revealed his ultimate move. In today's competition, people would surely guard against this tactic.
The young man in sunglasses sighed, "Indeed, besides Chen Jiuyang, most of the martial artists today are at the peak of the Profound Realm, or even half a step into the Earth Realm. For this Martial Ranking, they have suppressed their cultivation for many years."
After a sigh, the young man in sunglasses continued his commentary, "The martial artists from the thirty-six cities have all entered. The Prefect of Fengcheng is drawing lots to assign opponents. Friends, the show is about to begin!"
Inside the gymnasium, unlike last time when many spectators were ordinary people, this time, the entire twenty thousand seats were filled with martial artists and forces from all sides. The entire martial arts power of Feng Province was gathered here.
Instead of the previous roaring cheers, there was a heavy, suppressed restlessness!
Marquis Feng Han: "Jiuyang, the opponents you face today are all elites among Grandmasters. They have prepared for a long time for this Martial Ranking."
"Moreover, many of them were previously hidden by their respective factions and only revealed to outsiders during this Martial Ranking."
Chen Jiuyang nodded. Indeed, like the Grandmaster from the Jin family who he faced in the last Martial Ranking, Fengcheng had no prior knowledge of him, yet his strength was immense.
Chen Jiuyang: "Master, please rest assured, I am ready."
Then he said in a low voice, "What about the arrangements over there?"
Marquis Feng Han: "I will quietly leave the stadium later. Everything is absolutely foolproof today."
Chen Jiuyang nodded.
The Prefect of Fengcheng stood on a high platform, holding the small wooden box from last time. Each person submitted their identification token.
Yun Tiancheng announced loudly, "The Feng Province Martial Ranking Competition for the ninth month, twenty-eighth day of the Guihai year, commences!"
As his voice fell, the large screen in the gymnasium displayed the match-ups for the thirty-six contestants.
A large gymnasium that could seat twenty thousand people could not accommodate sixteen arenas simultaneously; only four arenas could be opened at a time.
After all, the situation was different from last time.
The contestants this time were all top-tier Profound Realm martial artists, and their actions could generate considerable power.
In truth, if one were to purely discuss martial arts prowess, Chen Jiuyang had no confidence in this Martial Ranking competition. However, he possessed the inheritance of the Medical Immortal and had numerous means to defeat his opponents one by one.
After the match-ups were assigned, Chen Jiuyang was not in the first round of battles, so he sat in the waiting area.
Chen Jiuyang was resting with his eyes closed, contemplating his plan in his mind and whether the details could be executed one by one.
Also, he was waiting for a signal.
He opened his eyes. On the high platform sat three people.
One was Prefect Yun Tiancheng of Fengcheng, another was the old man from the Martial Ranking Association, and the third was Xi Butui.
"Rumble!"
Four matches began simultaneously, and the continuous sound of true qi explosions filled the air.
The sheer spectacle of the action was far more thrilling than the Fengcheng competition last time.
Half an hour later.
"Ninth match, Chen Jiuyang versus Yu Yuanlong!"
Chen Jiuyang opened his eyes and stood up. True qi began to circulate within him as he walked onto the high platform.
At this moment, the gaze of over ten thousand people fell upon Chen Jiuyang. Among them were people he knew: He Feiyu, Hong Wu, Zhang Jialong, Zhu Jianjun, Zhu Yanyan, Qiu Yihan, and others.
Opposite Chen Jiuyang stood a rosy-cheeked old man in his sixties.
The two clasped their fists.
"Marquis Feng Han, Chen Jiuyang!"
"Misty Rain Sect, Chen Gaoming!"
Chen Jiuyang frowned. The Misty Rain Sect, wasn't that the sect that had offered him conditions and invested one hundred billion to cultivate him?
It was rather interesting that in his first match, he would encounter a force he had previously interacted with.