SWNOVELXO Chapter 28: A Three-Year-Old Toddler Joins the Competition?
"You want your dad to marry me?"
Upon hearing this, Long Yufei couldn't help but roll her eyes, a bit speechless at the bear child. Was this the normal thought process of a three-year-old? To find a second wife for their own dad?
"If your mom heard this, wouldn't she be furious?"
The female guards lowered their heads, holding back laughter, their pretty faces turning red.
However, the old lady's eyes revealed a thoughtful look. If they could pull that mysterious strong figure into the royal family, perhaps she really could arrange a match between Long Yufei and that mysterious strong figure when necessary.
Marrying a man as a concubine in exchange for gaining three super strong figures was quite a good deal.
Of course, these were just her own wild thoughts.
The sister of the illustrious Empress of the Jiuzhou Empire, Princess Yu Fei of the Jiuzhou Empire, how could she become someone's concubine?
"You little rascal,"
Chu Xin smacked Chu Chen's little head, hands on her hips, and pointing at Chu Chen's little nose, she chided, "We're here to rescue mom, not to find a wife for dad, nor to look for a stepmother."
"Oh, got it."
Chu Chen rubbed his little head, adopting an obedient and remorseful baby look.
"Such a teachable child."
A look of satisfaction appeared on Chu Xin's delicate little face as she touched Chu Chen's forehead, her expression filled with relief.
These gestures were obviously not typical of a three-year-old child and were clear signs of having been learned from their father.
Upon arriving at the State Mansion, Long Yufei arranged accommodation for the siblings and then sent her female guards out to hunt and bring back dozens of Demon Beasts for Chu Chen.
It was a promise Long Yufei had made earlier, and naturally, she had to keep her word, not to let others down, especially not two three-year-old children.
Two days later, the Lanzhou Tournament began.
The siblings decided who would go on to automatically be among the top ten by playing rock-paper-scissors. In the end, the more skilled sister, Chu Xin, took the slot from Long Yufei's hand, while the brother, Chu Chen, would participate in the Lanzhou Tournament.
However, the sister who got the slot was unhappy, while the brother who didn't get one was all excited, which left Long Yufei quite speechless.
Apart from Lanzhou City, there were nine other main cities in Lanzhou, each with one competition area. Ten Heavenly Prides were selected from each area, ultimately gathering in Lanzhou City to compete for the Lanzhou top ten positions.
The tournament was divided into eliminations and challenge matches.
The rules were simple: contestants drew lots to decide their opponents, with winners advancing and losers being eliminated.
There were ten arenas in each competition area operating simultaneously, and the final victor of each arena would be the top ten of that area.
Following the elimination matches were the challenge matches. Those who were dissatisfied with their loss could go on stage to challenge the top ten. If they won, they would directly replace the challenged and enter the top ten.
This was because in the drawing of lots for grouping and determining opponents, it was possible to have strong contenders face off early, resulting in the elimination of the strong and the advance of the weaker ones in other arenas.
These challenge matches thus presented a turning point for the unlucky strong contenders.
After the challenge matches, the top ten from the ten competition areas would gather in Lanzhou City. They all could enter the Secret Realm. Therefore, they could opt to give up competing for the Lanzhou top ten or continue through eliminations, vie for the top ten positions, and then proceed to the challenge matches to establish the final Lanzhou top ten rankings.
The Lanzhou top ten would get a map of the Secret Realm, the higher the ranking, the more complete the map.
Although the Secret Realm was fraught with immense opportunities, it was also full of peril. Having a map naturally provided an inherent advantage, so generally, competitors would vie for the Lanzhou top ten positions.
In the Lanzhou City Martial Arts Arena, tens of thousands of cultivators converged, some were participating Heavenly Prides, some were gamblers there to bet on wins and losses, some were youths planning to participate in the next Lanzhou Tournament who came early to observe the battles, and some were simply there to watch the excitement.
The competition hadn't yet started, but the scene was bustling and noisy.
Chu Chen was assigned to the first arena, looking around excitedly as he sat in the waiting area.
This was much more crowded than Big Stone Village; he had never seen so many people gathered together before—it was truly spectacular.
Moments later, a female guard flew up to the platform, waved her jade hand, and hundreds of tokens broke through the air, landing precisely in the hands of every participant in the waiting area. She then explained the rules, adding, "The numbers on your tokens match you with your opponent. Now, would the two participants with number 1 tokens please come up to the stage."
As soon as her words concluded, two youths flew up to the arena, embarking on an intense battle.
The two teenagers, about fifteen or sixteen, possessed the strength of the Martial King and could be considered quite talented.
However, Chu Chen lost interest after just a glance.
Too weak, not even as formidable as the twenty or thirty green wolves he had devoured.
Chu Chen checked his own token; it was number nine. It seemed he would have to wait a bit longer.
A chubby little hand held up a pudgy chin, while the other hand took out a bottle brimming with a chilly aura. He drank from it, boredly watching the ongoing match on the platform.
"So cold!"
The competitors around him shivered, first glancing up curiously at the dazzling sun above, then following the trail of the chilly aura to Chu Chen, where they all froze in shock.
"Wow, look! This little brother who's still drinking milk is actually here to compete?"
"Can it be a mistake? He's so young, yet he's allowed to compete?"
"Yeah, although the Lanzhou Grand Competition prohibits deliberate killing, blades and swords are blind, and casualties are inevitable. He's still so young; I fear one strike might be the end of him."
The competitors were initially trying to locate the source of the chilly aura, but upon seeing Chu Chen, they were completely distracted by his small stature.
They couldn't comprehend why a three-year-old toddler would participate in the Lanzhou Grand Competition.
Even if he made it through the competition, entering the Secret Realm was like seeking death, wasn't it?
The Demon Beasts, Fierce Beasts, and Heavenly Prides from other states in the Secret Realm wouldn't go easy on anyone.
Even the Heavenly Prides from their own state might very well attack their companions, with dangers lurking at every turn.
Of course, all of this was what their elders had told them, not from their own experiences.
Chu Chen wasn't annoyed. He extended the bottle in his hand, his pudgy face revealing an innocent smile, "Want some Beast Milk? It's very tasty."
"Hiss, so cold."
Everyone shuddered simultaneously, observing the chilling aura constantly wafting from the bottle, only then realizing that the chill came from this toddler's bottle.
Meanwhile, on the platform, one pair after another competed, until finally...
"Would the participants with number 9 tokens please come up to the platform, ready for the match?"
The female guard's voice echoed from the arena.
"It's my turn."
Chu Chen was overjoyed, put the bottle into his Sumeru Ring, and with a leap, thundered onto the platform where the ground trembled violently.
"Such formidable strength in his physique."
The crowd turned to each other in astonishment, having never seen a human Heavenly Pride with such terrifying physicality, let alone a three-year-old. Could he be a Fierce Beast in disguise?