Chapter 14: Xiao Chen Wins His First Match

Chapter 14: Xiao Chen Wins His First Match "A bet?" The Alchemy King Xuanhuo was momentarily stunned. He’d struck up conversation with this kid Chu Feng simply because he was tired of bickering with the other old men. After all, every one of them believed their disciples were the best. Rather than argue endlessly, he figured an outsider’s opinion might be refreshing. That old ghost from the Heavenly Spirit Institute was impossible to reason with, so he turned to this inconspicuous brat instead. Who would have thought that as soon as the brat opened his mouth, he'd say something so outrageous—clearly showing he didn't place any of the institutes in his eyes! Just then, the Sword King of the Sword Institute suddenly spoke up, "Xuanhuo, old man, just take the bet with the brat. Don’t tell me you’re actually scared?" Sword cultivators were known for their pride. As the head of the Sword Institute, Sword King was no exception. He had always looked down on the other institutes, let alone Chu Feng’s Miscellaneous Dao Institute—and Xiao Chen, that disgrace of a disciple who had been expelled from the Sword Institute. If Xiao Chen actually won the tournament, it would be a slap right across Sword King's face. No, the moment Chu Feng accepted Xiao Chen into his sect, it was already a direct slap to the Sword Institute. Xuanhuo the Alchemy King stroked his beard, smiling as he looked at Chu Feng. "It's not like I can’t. But what exactly do you have to bet with me?" He was, after all, the head of the Alchemy Institute and a pinnacle Life Nirvana stage cultivator. Betting with a mere ordinary cultivator like Chu Feng felt like lowering himself. Even if it was a guaranteed win, he had no interest. Chu Feng smiled and said, "Since I was the one who proposed the wager, the terms are yours to set, Senior." Xuanhuo didn’t expect the brat to be so slick, even pulling a move like retreating to advance. "Very well. If you lose, go straight to the Headmaster and request to leave Wendao Academy voluntarily. How about that?" Previously, when the proposal to disband the Miscellaneous Dao Institute was brought up, Xuanhuo had been one of those who supported it. To him, the institute wasn’t even worth calling a burden—it was less than a chicken rib. As for Chu Feng’s feelings, none of the major figures cared. Chu Feng grinned. "Deal. It’s settled." All the bigshots present didn’t expect Chu Feng to agree so readily. They still remembered how this kid had clung tooth and nail to stay in Wendao Academy—not even hesitating to take in a "cripple" like Xiao Chen as a disciple. Now they couldn’t help but wonder: Could it be... Xiao Chen’s cultivation had been restored? Impossible. Absolutely impossible. They all knew how grave Xiao Chen’s injuries were. Without a legendary holy medicine, recovery was out of the question. Xuanhuo laughed. "Well, this old man is reasonable too. If you win, what do you want?" After all, he believed victory was in the bag. Might as well act magnanimous to avoid idle gossip later. Chu Feng replied with a grin, "I have a simple request. I want one of your disciples from the Alchemy Institute." What he lacked right now were disciples. As long as he took in a new one, he would receive ten years’ worth of cultivation. But recruiting in Wendao Academy was extremely difficult—even if Xiao Chen took first place, it wouldn’t change the fact that no one wanted to join the Miscellaneous Dao Institute. The institute had no heritage to speak of. To most disciples, even an outer courtyard champion held little appeal. Once they entered the inner courtyard, the gap in cultivation speed would widen drastically. "That’s it?" Xuanhuo paused for a moment but quickly understood. Chu Feng was just an ordinary man—of course he wouldn’t dare make an outrageous request. "Very well, I accept." The surrounding institute heads didn’t speak. None of them felt the need to join in or step on Chu Feng. He was just a mortal. There was no need to pay him any real attention. Especially since, after this tournament, he’d be kicked out of Wendao Academy and the Miscellaneous Dao Institute would be nothing but history. While the bigshots were chatting, the lottery for the preliminaries concluded. Elder Changqing, who was overseeing the tournament, had already sent judges to the ten battle arenas. Each arena would produce nine candidates, bringing the total to the top 100. As the judges were dispatched, the nine heads and Chu Feng all turned their attention to the tournament fields. Chu Feng scanned the crowd for Xiao Chen. Thankfully, the kid had a distinct aura and he quickly spotted him beneath Arena Nine. For whatever reason—intentional or not—Xiao Chen had been selected as the first to compete on that stage. The moment he stepped into the arena, chatter erupted among the students. "I’m so jealous of Huang Qi from the Alchemy Institute. He drew Xiao Chen in the first round!" "Yeah, seriously! What a free win!" "..." Let me know if you’d like the next chapter translated too. The group of elders on the viewing platform also noticed Xiao Chen on the arena. The Alchemy King Xuanhuo chuckled, “Xiao Feng, I didn’t expect your chief disciple to face someone from our Alchemy Institute in the first round.” Chu Feng replied, “Seems like we’re quite fated then.” Xuanhuo hadn’t expected the brat to be so confident. He was just about to say something more when the referee on the arena spoke. “Next up is the first match on Arena Nine. Begin!” Huang Qi stepped forward with his longsword, cupped his fists toward Xiao Chen, and said confidently, “Junior Brother Xiao, I didn’t think I’d get this lucky. Facing you in the first round? After I win, drinks are on me.” He was already delighted, knowing he’d move to the second round without breaking a sweat. Xiao Chen returned a small salute and coldly said three words: “Draw your sword.” Huang Qi hadn’t expected the so-called cripple to still be putting on a tough front at this point. “Then forgive me, Junior Brother—Blazing Fire Sword Technique!” As soon as he finished speaking, he drew his sword and slashed at Xiao Chen. A streak of fiery red sword qi surged toward him. Xiao Chen drew his sword and casually swung it in return. Clang! With a clear sword cry, an overwhelming surge of sword qi swept across the entire arena. It instantly shattered the fiery red sword qi. That wave of sword qi even carried a trace of Sword Intent. Huang Qi was so stunned, he froze in place, a single thought flashing through his mind—Impossible! Thankfully, the referee reacted in time to intercept the strike. Boom! A deafening explosion echoed across the arena. The referee announced, “Victory goes to Xiao Chen!” The moment he said it, the entire crowd fell silent! Every spectator was left wide-eyed, staring at the two figures on the stage in complete disbelief. Even the referee himself showed a look of surprise. He hadn’t lost focus earlier—on the contrary, he had been ready to save Xiao Chen at any moment. But Xiao Chen’s opening strike had been a killing blow. No mere Dao Foundation Stage cultivator should have been able to withstand it. The referee turned toward Huang Qi. “Do you concede?” Huang Qi finally snapped back to his senses and nodded with a trembling voice. “I concede. I concede.” That one strike had given him the very real sense that his life was hanging by a thread. Even though he had a life-saving talisman on him, if that sword had landed, he might not have survived. Xiao Chen said nothing. He simply turned and left the arena. Huang Qi put away his sword and quickly jumped down from the stage, heart pounding. Did I just see a ghost? Once both fighters had exited, the referee announced, “Will the next pair please step onto the stage.” Only then did the stunned crowd snap out of it, and the arena was instantly filled with exclamations and shocked cries... ==================================================================================== Get access to 20 chapters in advance and enjoy 2 daily updates by supporting the series. Available on Patreon: /Alex_Cruise or Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/anish_44