Daily life of a teacher in the martial arts department

He paused slightly and said, "Besides... where else besides Southern Qin would you find swordsmiths of this caliber who don't even have a single piece of modern equipment?"

Ying Qin Guan drew his sword, his fingers tracing the blade. The nicks left from the battle with the Earth Mother Goddess were repaired, and even the scratches disappeared... Such a thing would probably be difficult to achieve without magic.

"Thank you... Can I ask you for help with maintenance again in the future?" Ying Qin Guan asked.

"If it's this pair of swords, then yes, that's fine," the other party readily replied.

Ying Qin Guan bid farewell to the venerable old swordsmith and returned to the royal palace.

It was already early June, registration had ended, and the first round of eliminations had begun. There were only 32 people allowed in each of the three cities. Seven Stars had the most applicants, so the competition was the fiercest.

In the knockout stage, with so many participants, the rules are extremely rudimentary. In one round of elimination, if you lose, you're out. It's less about testing your strength and more about testing your luck. No matter how strong you are, you'll still lose if you encounter the strongest opponent. If you're a little weaker, you might just encounter someone even weaker than you.

This competition format is obviously not fair, but it doesn't matter, because it is a martial arts tournament to determine the best in the world. There is no distinction between second, third, fourth and fifth place, so there is no difference. Why? Because if you are the strongest, you don't need to care who your opponent is. You can just keep winning.

The Seven Stars' competition was held in the Grand Arena, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day, almost non-stop, for two days. After the first round of elimination matches, only 32 of the more than 100 martial artists from the Seven Stars' side were eliminated.

Jiu Yi was truly unlucky; in the first round of the elimination tournament, he ran into his old classmate and rival, Nephalem, whom he had never beaten. The two stepped onto the stage, and the moment they saw each other, Nephalem's smile was infinitely arrogant, while Jiu Yi looked miserable and struggled for a while. But as expected, he was no match for Nephalem and was quickly defeated.

Besides, most of the people Ying Qin Guan knew also fell in the first round of elimination: Ji Fa, the gray-haired man, Fu Feihan, Wu Changying... Only Yu Xietian and Nefertari had both strength and luck, and advanced to the second round of elimination.

Ying Qin Guan didn't care much about this matter, but quite a few people came to him, feeling it was a pity that he didn't participate in the competition. He was one of the few top-tier fighters in the world who didn't participate. Besides him, there was only Shadow, whose direct combat ability was really insufficient, Darius, who would be exposed when fighting against experts of the same level, and two others who were not interested. In total, there were five top-tier fighters who did not participate. As for the others, everyone who could come, they all came.

As the top seeds for the championship, these elite players naturally receive far more attention than other contestants. Many have already placed bets on them, and the clothes worn by these top players are almost entirely covered in advertisements. However, many others aren't wearing any; they're holding onto their positions, waiting to reach the final twelve-person finals and sell themselves for a better price. Who doesn't love money?

In the earlier elimination rounds, each person only appeared once or twice. Moreover, with so many people and such chaotic battles, it was difficult to even become a familiar face, let alone earn much money. The final is different; twelve people will fight back and forth, making the quality of the battles higher and more exciting. The level of attention received by both sides is also on a completely different level. Who has the time to watch all hundreds of battles in the elimination rounds?

—Speaking of which, Yorozuya was the first to think of this kind of blatant product placement with advertisements on clothing. It's a crude and barbaric method, and it's rarely applicable. After all, appearing on television requires considering the feelings of all parties involved. It was originally a useless act that was destined to be buried in the dustbin of history, but unexpectedly, it has now found such a suitable opportunity.

However, waiting for the best price to sell naturally carries corresponding risks, which is to be expected. Although risk does not always accompany profit, profit always comes with risk.

In the capital of Ice Lemon, a dark horse emerged, overwhelmingly defeating two champion seeds, who were also top-tier teams, and advancing to the second round of the knockout stage.

Whether it was luck or deliberate arrangement, there were almost no battles arranged for top-tier players to meet in the elimination rounds, and no top-tier player was eliminated as a result. In the entire first round of elimination matches, only two top-tier players were defeated by this person.

But winning wasn't the end of it; he won by overwhelming force. More importantly, this person was previously unknown, and almost no one had ever heard of him.

This person is none other than Himura Danzakura.

He won both of his two matches, single-handedly eliminating two top-tier fighters and becoming famous throughout the land. Soon, someone dug up his past: he was once an orphan adopted by the son of the Sword Saint, later becoming the Sword Saint's disciple, winning the Sakura Junior Sword Tournament, and then betraying the Sword Saint's tutelage, disappearing without a trace. Now, he has reappeared and become one of the top contenders for the championship, showing the potential to become the number one fighter in the world... It has to be said, it has the feel of a typical overpowered protagonist novel.

At this point, the pressure shifted to the Nephalem. This guy was single-mindedly focused on winning the championship, and Ying Qin Guan's absence was fantastic news. Otherwise, there would be no hope at all, and no tactics would be effective. However, then came Kui. Kui is fine, he's much better than Ying Qin Guan. Kui's fighting style means he's destined to get injured and lose. But then came Himura Tan Sakura... Frankly, the Nephalem felt he had little chance of winning.

But martial artists are all high in offense and low in defense, so it's not that they have no chance of winning.

Nephalem cheered himself up like this. Compared to him, Yu Xietian, whose ambitions weren't in the championship, didn't have so many worries. He rented out advertising space and made a fortune. Ying Qin Guan heard from Ye Qu that they were already preparing for their cherry blossom trip during the summer vacation.

Is it really true that life and death are preordained, and wealth and honor are determined by fate?

Several more days passed, and a total of ninety-six top martial artists from around the world gathered at Seven Luminaries. Many others followed them, hoping to witness this epic battle. Although it could be watched on television, watching it on TV and being there in person were, of course, different experiences.

A large influx of martial artists into the Seven Luminaries caused considerable friction, but fortunately, the Seven Luminaries had prepared for this for a long time and were able to barely control the situation.

Under these circumstances, the second round of elimination matches, from 96 to 12 and then from 8 to 1, began at the Seven Stars Arena.

Chapter Twenty-Three: Let Me Die

The knockout stage is a quarter-final, with twelve groups. To advance to the finals, you must win three consecutive matches.

Yes, the second round of elimination is still zero-tolerance; losing a single match means you're out of the game.

Ying Qin Guan only glanced at the twelve groups and was somewhat amazed by Yu Xietian's luck. His group was simply a dream group, with no super-first-class members and all normal first-class members. The only one who was slightly stronger was Chu Kuangren, who had tried to challenge all the heroes in the world in imitation of Ye Jiaofang. This guy was alright. Although he was quickly defeated by Nephalem, his strength was already very close to that of a super-first-class member. It was very difficult for Yu Xietian to beat him.

It must be said that, apart from first place, all other rankings are somewhat inflated. For example, the Yu Xietian group is clearly the weakest, and some top-tier groups, being grouped with Himura Dan Sakura or Kai, are basically eliminated. To enter the finals, strength is certainly important, but unless you break through to the top-tier level, luck becomes even more crucial.

If Jade Celestial makes it to the finals while Nephalem doesn't...

Thinking of this comical scene, Ying Qin Guan couldn't help but chuckle. In that case, the Nephalem would probably be unable to hold their heads high in front of Yu Xie Tian.

He was eating in the Imperial Academy's dining hall at the moment. A television was installed in the hall, randomly playing some programs. The program currently being broadcast was naturally the World's Number One Martial Arts Tournament. Jiu Yi even gave the Martial Arts Department a holiday because of this, instructing the students to watch the program on time and, if possible, to go to the venue. Such a grand event where the world's top martial artists gathered together was rare.

Ying Qin Guan did not go to the scene. If it were a battle between acquaintances, he might have gone back to take a look, but he decided against it now.

"What a surprise." A cold voice rang in his ears. Ying Qin Guan looked up and saw Mu Nan Dong. He was holding a plate, and the food on the plate was so plain that it made people lose their appetite.

—This "vegetarian" does not mean the absence of meat, but rather the monotony of color and ingredients.

He sat down and said calmly, "You're not going to participate? I don't know much about martial artists, but you are very strong."

Mu Nandong had already sensed this when they were in the snowy mountains. Jiu Yi was still far away when Ying Qin Guan arrived and defeated the two of them in a single exchange, displaying overwhelming strength. Since his debut, Ying Qin Guan had never lost a single battle. Before the list of participants was released, he was considered the biggest favorite among humans to win the championship, second only to Kui, who was an alien race... But in the end, the news that Ying Qin Guan did not participate shocked everyone.

"Ah... I don't think it's necessary. There's no reason to participate, and no reason not to participate. If it's something I don't have to do, then it's fine not to do it." Ying Qin Guan replied to Mu Nan Dong, but he clearly didn't know what to say either, and his words were a bit incoherent, but that didn't matter, he was always like that anyway.

"A rare level of awareness," Mu Nandong said succinctly, "like an elderly person reaching retirement age."

"..." Ying Qin Guan couldn't figure out whether Mu Nan Dong's words were a compliment or an insult for the time being, so he decided to remain silent and wait and see.

But after saying that, Mu Nandong didn't say anything more. On the other hand, Ying Qin Guan suddenly remembered what Ye Qu had told him on his birthday, asking him to thank Mu Nandong. Ying Qin Guan had forgotten about it at the time, but after so long, he suddenly remembered it.

He was somewhat conflicted. So much time had passed; perhaps Ye Qu and Mu Nandong had already forgotten about it. And bringing it up now was rather awkward.

Ying Qin Guan hesitated for a moment before finally speaking, saying, "There's something I forgot to mention... It's about Nocturne's birthday. She thanked me for the gift and asked me to relay it."

".."

Mu Nandong fell silent for the first time, and after a moment, he slowly spoke.

"If my memory serves me right, and if there has been no time-space distortion, then I remember... Nocturne's birthday was a few months ago."

Ying Qin Guan scratched the back of his head and laughed, trying to bluff his way out, "Being a little bit late is no big deal."

"...It seems that your old-fashioned nature extends beyond just your awareness."

"Ah! I understand! You're saying I have a bad memory! How annoying! Don't underestimate me! I just happened to forget about this!"

"So, you have a good memory, and you remember everything else?"

"Of course!" Ying Qin Guan, feigning retreat, attempted a counterattack, shouting nervously, "You can test me if you don't believe me!"

Mu Nandong asked calmly, "What are the Ross-African equations? Memorize them. This is basic knowledge for high school students, though it's a bit complicated. But if you have a good memory, you can memorize it."

".."

Ying Qin Guan's expression gradually became distorted.

How could he possibly answer that?!

Damn it, it's not that I can't memorize it! It's that I simply don't know it!

Am I about to be exposed for being illiterate?! Don't be ridiculous! I've managed to hide this for so long and gain everyone's trust, and now it's all going to be exposed just because I was being stubborn?!

No... you don't want to expose me! Mu Nandong, you're still a hundred years short, leaving a fatal flaw! I know which label is more important: illiteracy or a bad memory!

He thought about many things, but in reality, it only took a moment. Ying Qin Guan instantly realized what was going on and laughed, "The Ross-African equations, huh? Haha, of course I know them. It's that... I can't remember for a moment, but it's that one. Sigh, you're right. It seems my memory is indeed not very good; I've forgotten a bit."

Mu Nandong nodded calmly, and Ying Qin breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed he had gotten away with it... Yes, as long as he admitted to having a bad memory, that was fine, no matter what—

"Rossian equations?" Suddenly, a beautiful voice rang in her ears. Ying Qin Guan looked up and saw it was Ye Qu, who was carrying a tray and walking over with a smile. "What Rossian equations? I've never heard of them before."

"Of course you haven't heard of it," Mu Nandong said calmly, putting down his chopsticks.

"Because I just made this up."

Nocturne looked puzzled. "Why would you make up something like this... Hey, Teacher Ying, where are you going? You haven't finished eating yet."

Ying Qin Guan, who was about to leave, turned around with a peaceful and serene expression, like an enlightened Buddha. He clasped his hands together and spoke in a calm and undisturbed tone.

"Death is everyone's destiny. From the moment we are born, we are all inevitably heading towards it. We sail on a ship called fate, not knowing when the next reef or wave will come. Living is nothing more than worrying and fearing on this ship. So, what I mean is..."

"Let me die!"

Chapter Twenty-Four: Defeat

The final battle of the ninth group in the Grand Arena, also known as the weakest group, is about to begin.

Reaching the finals certainly requires some luck, but winning the championship has nothing to do with luck, a fact even the organizers acknowledge.

The ninth group, which is Yu Xietian's group, didn't have a single top-tier player. Their final battle was against Chu Kuangren, and they were far too weak.

The Nephalem's group was practically hell; five out of eight were top-tier fighters. The Nephalem had to defeat three of them to barely make it to the finals. Even for him, defeating three top-tier fighters in a row would have been exhausting. Although there was ample rest time in between, his opponents had been able to observe his habits and style from the earlier battles. Fortunately, in the end, the Nephalem proved to be the superior fighter.

The Nephalem group is considered quite hellish, but the truly hellish group is the one with Kai and Hisumura Dan's character. That's not just a matter of hell or not; there's absolutely no chance of advancing.

And if these eliminated people have any thoughts, then without a doubt, they are thinking about...

Why am I not in Group 9?

In the final battle of Group Nine, Yu Xietian faced Chu Kuangren, neither of whom were top-tier. Moreover, none of the eight members in the entire group were top-tier; calling it the "Heavenly Group" wouldn't be an exaggeration. Many eliminated top-tier individuals could easily dominate in this group. But what's done is done, and the current situation is that the final battle of Group Nine is being fought between two strong top-tier individuals.

Before the match, in the preparation room, Yu Xietian felt immense pressure.

He was naturally under a lot of pressure because he never expected to get this far. Reaching the second round of the knockout stage was already a worthwhile investment in advertising, but he never imagined he would make it this far.

Is Yu Xie Tian Qiang?

To be fair, he was indeed quite strong. On the snowy mountain, he fought two opponents while protecting Mu Nandong. Before the Sword Saint showed any signs of wanting to fight to the death, he dared to stop the Sword Saint—of course, there was the element of the technique that countered his own.

But to say he's strong enough to make it to the final twelve?

It's really not that bad.

So, getting to this point certainly involved a lot of luck... but now that we've come this far, who would be willing to give up if we couldn't go any further?

Yu Xietian exhaled a breath of stale air. The announcement came over the loudspeaker that it was time for him to go on stage.

Stepping into the circular arena, he was surrounded by a deafening roar of shouts from the audience, a cacophony of noise that made it impossible to hear anything clearly. Although no battle had yet begun, the arena was so packed with people that Yu Xietian felt as if the entire world was there.

The Grand Arena is indeed enormous. Just maintaining the space is an excessive expense, and even with the secret gambling operations, it barely manages to stay afloat. After all, there aren't many martial artists willing to fight here, and the betting pool can't be too large, since the Seven Luminaries aren't a country where gambling is legal.

However, the days when the stadium was packed with spectators like this are probably thousands of years ago. This industry was destined to decline and is now just a stage.

Yu Xietian looked up and saw Chu Kuangren standing there, wearing jeans and a tight jacket, with bandages wrapped around his hands, doing small jumps in place to warm up.

Yu Xietian made no attempt to conceal his weapon, a fact already revealed in previous battles. Now, it was no longer a surprise tactic. He immediately drew a soft sword from his waistband. The sword was drawn so fast that the tip was still trembling when Yu Xietian stopped. This scene once again drew gasps from the audience. Unlike the contestants, the audience was more casual, and seeing such a bizarre hiding place for a sword inevitably elicited gasps of surprise.

The two walked to the center of the arena, standing twenty meters apart. Several projection machines floated in the air, a dozen meters above the ground. For the machines, this was a high-risk profession; several projection machines had already been destroyed in the previous battle.

Yu Xietian struck a pose.

"please."

Chu Kuangren remained expressionless and said:

"please."