Chapter 40: Geniuses coming forth in great numbers

At this point in time, Lu Jing finally realized what was wrong and laid down his son. He grabbed the butler and bellowed at him, his facial features contorted in fury. “Have you seen a ghost?! Qin Yu died in the Forbidden Area! Why would there be another Qin Yu?!”

The butler was sweating profusely out of fear and his teeth chattered as he spoke.

“Mas—master, I… I don’t know either! I heard someone else say it. When I got here, Young Master was already dead.”

“Useless scum!” Lu Jing shouted angrily as he kicked the butler out. The butler rolled far away and could not get up for a long time.

“Master Lu, please calm down. Let us clarify the murderer’s identity.” Qin Biao tried to persuade and stop Lu Jing as he spoke to the Lu Family’s subordinates.

“Bring over the shop owner.”

“Yes,” responded the Lu Family’s subordinates as they led the waiter and the owner of the tea house up.

Once they came up, the waiter and the owner of the tea house knelt on the floor and kowtowed non-stop. “Master Lu! Spare us! Spare us, please! This has nothing to do with us! Please believe me! Qin Yu is the murderer! It was that damned Qin Yu!”

“The Qin Yu that you were talking about, which Qin Yu is it?” Lu Jing shouted.

“It’s… it’s Qin Yu from the Qin Family!” the waiter answered hastily. He had completely forgotten that Qin Yu had just saved his life. One could only wonder what Qin Yu would think of it if he were to be here and know that the man he had just saved betrayed him.

Lu Jing ferociously clutched the waiter’s throat. “Nonsense! How dare you lie!”

He didn’t believe that Qin Yu from the Qin Family was still alive. Everyone knew that Qin Yu was forced into the Forbidden Area by Qin Chong. Plus, he was at the scene as well. Even a master like Qin Chong who was at the Transformation Realm did not dare to enter the Forbidden Area of the Yin Demon, so an Origin Realm Cultivator like Qin Yu would never survive it.

When the owner saw that Lu Jing looked like he was ready to kill someone, he broke into loud sobs. “Master Lu, why would I dare to deceive you? I would never dare to even if you give me a hundred guts! Qin Yu was really the one who murdered Young Master Lu. Many people were present when it happened and they also saw it. A lot of them even followed him to the arena where the Martial Arts Competition was hosted!”

Qin Biao swiftly stopped Lu Jing and tried to persuade him. “Master Lu, don’t be angry yet. Keep this useless thing alive until we confirm the killer. After all, we can always kill him later” After he reasoned with Lu Jing, Qin Biao turned towards the owner.

“You said that Qin Yu went to the arena where the competition was hosted?”

“Yes, that’s right! Many people ran after him,” the owner replied as he sniffled and sobbed.

“Quit lying! No one saw Qin Yu at the Elimination Competition!” someone from the Lu family shouted.

“This…” The owner didn’t know how to explain anymore.

However, Qin Biao, who stood aside felt uneasy. The name, Qin Yu, was like a nightmare.

Qin Biao was worried and planned on returning to the arena immediately. “Master Lu, I’ll return to the arena to take a look.”

Lu Jing grabbed him and panted as he spoke. “Brother Qin, do you really believe that Qin Yu is alive?”

Qin Biao looked grave and sighed. “What if he survived? It’s always wise to play things safe. Didn’t we all think that he was a cripple? Who knows if he would turn out to be...” Qin Biao didn’t need to finish his sentence for everyone to know what he was thinking.

“Okay, you should go first, I will arrive right after.” Lu Jing also hoped that Qin Biao could uncover the truth.

When Qin Biao returned to the competition arena, the three smaller arenas had merged back into a large one. On the arena, his son Qin Zhao was fighting with another youth.

Both of them were strong. Those who made it into the top ten were all elites. In the end, Qin Zhao managed to eliminate his opponent and throw him out of the arena since he was slightly stronger. Cheers and shouts came from the spectator stand occupied by the Qin Family.

“Good! Zhao’er is doing quite well.” Qin Chong grinned as he caressed his goatee.

“Second uncle.” Qin Biao walked over and called out to him softly.

Qin Chong turned his head.

“Qin Biao, great timing! Zhao’er successfully made it into the next round. Hmm? What’s wrong? Why does your complexion look so bad? Oh right, how is the situation with Lu Jing going?”

Qin Biao did not make unnecessary remarks and moved closer as he whispered into Qin Chong’s ear.

Qin Chong’s face hardened as his smile vanished.

“That’s impossible! I saw that bastard enter the Forbidden Area with my own eyes!”

“Second Uncle, we would never doubt that Qin Yu was forced into the Forbidden Area. What I’m worried about is that he made it out alive.”

“That’s impossible!” Qin Chong rejected that possibility again.

“Even if I were to enter the Forbidden Area, I would die, let alone a mere Origin Realm Cultivator!”

Qin Biao forced a bitter smile.

“Second uncle, what if...? Didn’t we all think that he became a cripple? Yet he turned out to be even stronger than before. I’m worried that he obtained some incredible inheritance which made it possible for him to survive even if he entered the Forbidden Area. Otherwise, why would he willingly barge into the Forbidden Area as if he doesn’t want his life?”

After Qin Biao said that, Qin Chong frowned. That was true, Qin Yu ran into the Forbidden Area without hesitation. No one could even stop him, as if he was rushing to commit suicide. Did he have a treasure that helped him block the Yin Demon’s Qi and gave him the courage to enter?

Thinking about that, the creases on Qin Chong’s forehead deepened. After some time, he lifted his head as his face looked gloomier.

“Qin Biao, bring a few skilled cultivators and keep an eye on the surrounding situation. If he really is at the scene, find some way to get him out. I want to see for myself whether he’s a ghost or a human.”

“Yes.” Qin Biao obeyed as he beckoned the Qin Family’s strong cultivators who stood at the spectator’s stand. They silently merged with the crowd.

Qin Yu had been observing everything that happened. As he watched Qin Biao led the men to carry out their search through the crowd as he grinned with contempt. He then hid in the large crowd and went in the opposite direction.

As Qin Biao continued his search in the stands, the battle on the arena continued.

The thirty competitors who made it through the round drew lots and fought one-on-one. They eliminated others one by one and eventually, only fifteen people were left standing. Qin Zhao and Lu Wushuang were among the fifteen people.

The following round would be the last battle for ranking in the top ten. This was the round everyone anticipated.

The rules remained the same. The remaining fifteen would draw lots and fight one-on-one to eliminate their opponent. There were fifteen competitors for this round, which was an odd number of people. Someone would not be matched with an opponent and could directly enter the next round. Everyone wanted to get this lucky spot but it was given to Lu Wushuang. She didn’t need to fight with anyone and would directly enter the next round.

After the lots were drawn, the battle began and it was another round of fighting. It was much more merciless and destructive. The remaining competitors were all extremely strong and they were all fighting to rank in the top ten. Soon, blood rained in the arena as bodies fell one by one.

Finally, eight competitors, including Lu Wushuang and Qin Zhao made it into the next round where seven people would be eliminated. Within the seven competitors that would be eliminated, four fought to the death. It was evident how ruthless this round was.

Qin Yu had yet to fight and didn’t have a chance to. He could not get onto the platform to draw lots. So he had no other alternatives besides entering the following round.

At this moment, the eight competitors stood at the tall arena and held their heads high. Their faces shone with pride as they looked down at the great crowd below them. Glory now belonged to them.

City Master Ouyang Cheng flew onto the arena and stood in front of the eight competitors, facing the spectators. His booming voice resounded in the arena.

“Everyone, after three rounds of battle, we’re finally at the most exciting last stage. According to the previous rules, the seeded players chosen in the previous competition may now step onto the stage.”

With that, the crowd swarmed with excitement. The final moment had finally arrived. Everyone’s gazes were fixated on the arena. They also wanted to witness the elegant demeanor of the seeded players. Within three years, how much had the chosen seeded players grown?

*Whoosh.* A lithe and graceful shadow flew onto the arena.

Dugu family’s Dugu Feiyan.

Some recognized that shadow and gasped.

Qin Yu stared at her and his brows twitched. Middle Stage of the Immersion Realm? She was indeed the chosen seeded player. She was an incredible individual of Luosang City to be able to reach that stage before twenty years old.

The judges on the platform saw Dugu Feiyan’s ability and were all visibly pleased. Dugu Congyun, the Head of the Dugu Family, grinned contentedly.

She was closely followed by another young man who leaped onto the stage. He had an air of arrogance and a body with harsh lines.

Qin Fang of the Qin Family, Middle stage of the Immersion Realm.

All of the spectators, including those on the platform, gasped in shock once again. Another incredible talent! There were so many of them in this competition!

There were some people who finally realized that the top genius of the Qin Family was not Qin Yu or the current Qin Zhao. In reality, Qin Fang was the strongest, most talented youth of the Qin family. Not seeing him for three years made people forget about him. Now that he had finally returned, people could see his terrifying innate abilities.

In the crowd, Qin Yu saw Qin Fang’s ability and his eyelid twitched slightly as a sharp glint flashed across his eyes.

Compared to the first two geniuses, the third talent who leaped onto the stage had a comparatively dimmer glow. It was Mo Badao of the Modao Hall who was clad in black and had an overcast facial expression. He was also a strong Immersion Realm cultivator, but he was only at the Beginning stage.

He gave a suppressive vibe and held onto a black sword. It was unsheathed and gave off a sinister vibe. Giving off such a demon-like sense of oppression, he was indeed from the Modao Hall.

The last one to step out was a fine and elegant young man who carried a long sword. His white clothing fluttered in the air. He landed on the platform, unrestrained and possessing a natural grace. All of the young girls in the crowd squealed.

Hidden Sword Mountain Villa’s Li Yijian who was at the Middle Stage of Immersion Realm.

The excitement of the crowd flared up. Three of the four seeded players were already in the Middle Stage of Immersion Realm. This was terrifying. In the previous competition, the strongest was merely in the Beginning Stage of Immersion Realm while the two others were at the peak of Origin Realm.

There was a complete revolution this year. Not only were all the seeded players in the Immersion Realm, but three of them were also already in its Middle Stage. Even among the non-seeded competitors, there were quite a few who were in the Immersion Realm, such as Qin Zhao from the Qin Family.

Qin Zhao currently had on an ugly expression. He thought that after Qin Yu’s death, he would be the top genius of the Qin Family. He never expected Qin Fang to rise and be even stronger than him.

Qin Biao who was in the spectator stand had currently given up looking for Qin Yu. He looked at Qin Fang on the stage and his son Qin Zhao. Then, he glanced at the other seeded players as his face darkened even further. He initially thought that even if Qin Fang appeared, he would at most be in the Beginning Stage of Immersion Realm like his son. Who knew that he would be at the Middle Stage?

Based on the current situation, the possibility of Qin Zhao ranking in the top three was slim. However, it wouldn’t be difficult for him to make it into the top ten. There were currently twelve competitors on the stage and only two would be eliminated. Qin Zhao would never be in line for elimination no matter what.

The spectators marveled at the large number of geniuses that emerged on the stage. This was the generation of geniuses coming forth in large numbers!

They were highly anticipating the fight among the geniuses and how destructive it would be.

At this moment, some of the spectators were so fired up that hot blood pumped within their hearts.

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