Chapter 51: The Arena Battle Begins

Shen Chen was truly a man who never failed to shock, and as soon as his extremely outrageous demands were voiced, the surrounding area erupted into chaos, with many people shouting in anger.

"What the hell does he think he is? He wants to challenge for a top three spot right from the start, treating us like air?"

"This kid is too arrogant, thinking that just because he killed Lin Hai, he can ignore the rules of the competition!"

"I think he's just gone mad for fame, saying such things to attract attention. It's infuriating..."

The anger of the disciples was not without reason. After all, the opportunity to stand on the arena and shine was incredibly precious, occurring only once every five years!

Many people had been waiting for this day to show off in front of their relatives and neighbors. Shen Chen, however, had the audacity to make such unreasonable demands right from the start. Who could bear it?

Especially those disciples with higher rankings, who now glared at Shen Chen with fury. In such a large sect, the idea of anyone truly respecting another was a joke. Those who had achieved good rankings in the inner sect were all proud and ambitious. Many people spent their days eyeing the top ten or even the top five rankings. Now, with a rare chance to fight for it, who would willingly give it up?

This was simply impossible!

Moreover, even the sect master, the five elders, and the various hall masters, who were part of the sect's upper echelons, had expressions of great surprise. Shen Chen's demands were so bizarre that they were caught completely off guard.

"Cough, cough... Shen Chen, are you sure you really want to do this?" Situ Chuan, standing on the arena, also felt a bit embarrassed. Shen Chen was a disciple he and the sect master highly regarded, but this kid was really too much. Why couldn't he do something else? Why did he have to insist on challenging the top three in the inner sect right from the start? It was completely unrealistic!

Originally, Situ Chuan thought that the best strategy for Shen Chen and Wang Yue to secure a top five ranking would be to first defeat a disciple ranked around fiftieth, thereby earning the right to challenge a disciple ranked around twentieth. In the second round, they could do the same, and by the third round, they would have a good chance to challenge for a top five ranking.

However, the old man never expected that Shen Chen would be so audacious, wanting to use all three of his challenges to go after the top spots. In the old man's eyes, this was not just reckless but unreasonable. Even if the other disciples were willing to let him, the old man did not approve of such behavior.

The old man even wondered if Shen Chen's brain had been crushed in a door, thinking that challenging for rankings was like hunting with many hawks. If Shen Chen harbored such侥幸 thoughts, the old man was truly disappointed...

"Shen Chen, your demands are likely to upset many people," the sect master Liao Yan, standing in the center of the VIP seats, could not help but stand up and laugh scoldingly.

"About that... I know it's a bit abrupt, but that's what I truly want. If it's really not possible, Sect Master, could you consider giving me a few more challenge opportunities?" Shen Chen's face was full of hope. He naturally knew that such a request would invite criticism, but he really had no other choice. He didn't want to attract too much attention, but he needed to stand up for himself and Wang Yue!

That day, the two elders had firmly decided to strip him and Wang Yue of their cultivation and expel them from the sect, without any regard for their feelings. Shen Chen might not have said anything, but he was not indifferent.

He might not be able to defeat those two eleventh-rank Blood Fusion Realm elders right away, but Shen Chen wanted to show Xiao Zhenhai and Lu Hao that he was not a lamb to be slaughtered. Shen Chen had already planned it out: once Wang Yue secured a top five ranking and he defeated Yuan Xiao or even higher-ranked opponents, he and Wang Yue would publicly announce their refusal to become the personal disciples of those two elders.

Refusing to become a personal disciple of one of the five elders in the Flowing Cloud Sect? The thought of the two elders' expressions made Shen Chen feel incredibly satisfied. This was just the first step...

However, this first step seemed destined to be difficult. After hearing Shen Chen's request, Liao Yan's expression turned troubled, clearly hesitating.

"Even if I give you a few more opportunities, it would still be hard to convince everyone. If we set a precedent, what if other disciples follow suit?" After a moment, Liao Yan frowned deeply.

The sect competition, though the largest event in the Flowing Cloud Sect, could not accommodate all the guests due to the sect's remote location. Therefore, each competition was held over a single day, requiring strict control over the number of battles. The three challenge opportunities per person were a carefully considered compromise by the sect's upper echelons.

While this system might be somewhat biased, it was generally fair. The competition for rankings usually did not have major upheavals, and three opportunities were usually enough for a disciple to secure an ideal ranking, even if they had made significant progress in cultivation over the year. Moreover, the arena battles started from the lower ranks and moved upward, so there was no waste of opportunities.

Even if the competition was held every five years, the inner sect rankings were contested annually in July. Those dissatisfied with their rankings could try again the following year. The primary goal of the competition was to enhance the Flowing Cloud Sect's influence in the surrounding area.

However, this year, things had taken an unexpected turn. Shen Chen's appearance had disrupted everything, causing even the sect master Liao Yan to feel a headache. While he did hope Shen Chen would fulfill the bet, he never intended for Shen Chen to advance further. Moreover, Liao Yan did not believe Shen Chen had the ability to do so. He knew what kind of disciples occupied the top three spots. This kid was being too presumptuous...

"Alright, it seems there's no room for negotiation on this matter." Seeing Liao Yan's troubled expression, Shen Chen sighed. He understood the sect master's dilemma, given the many eyes watching.

Just as Shen Chen was about to give up, suddenly, one of the inner sect disciples stood up.

It was none other than Cao Shun, the current fifth-ranked disciple, Iron Hammer Cao!

"Kid, you're pretty arrogant. You want to challenge the top three, right? Fine, I'll give you the chance. If you have the ability to take it," Cao Shun, who had long been annoyed by Shen Chen, glared fiercely, "I'll write your name as my first opponent. If you beat me, the fifth rank will be yours temporarily. If you can hold it, you can challenge the top four!"

Upon hearing this, the crowd was taken aback. In the history of the competition, it was almost unheard of for a higher-ranked disciple to challenge a lower-ranked one. No one could put aside their pride.

But this year, not only did Shen Chen appear, but such an event also occurred. Truly, strange things happened every year, but this year was particularly unusual!

However, the disciples soon understood. Given Shen Chen's earlier remarks, most people already wanted to beat him. Cao Shun's actions were reasonable. Moreover, while Shen Chen's words were arrogant, his ability to kill Lin Hai was not to be underestimated. A battle with Cao Shun would not tarnish his current fifth rank.

"Brother Cao Shun, good luck, we believe in you!"

"Brother Cao Shun, after so many years, we're sure you'll shine this time!"

"Show that kid the power of Iron Hammer Cao!"

Cheers erupted from the crowd. On one hand, Shen Chen's earlier remarks had made him unpopular, and on the other, many people were curious to see how the once formidable Cao Shun had improved over the years.

However, Shen Chen paid no attention to the others' reactions. Hearing Cao Shun's words, he felt a surge of joy, pondered for a moment, and then smiled, bowing to Cao Shun. "Thank you, Brother Cao Shun, for this opportunity!"

"Hmph! Win against me first!" Cao Shun glared, not accepting Shen Chen's gratitude.

In his eyes, it was a blatant insult to assume victory before the battle even began. No one could tolerate such arrogance.

With so much animosity directed at him, Shen Chen had no choice but to step aside.

"Truly a troublemaker, but I hope you don't disappoint me..." Liao Yan, sitting in the VIP seats, sighed with a bitter smile. For some reason, he felt a small sense of anticipation. Shen Chen's actions were too unusual. Could this kid really have the confidence he claimed? Liao Yan could only wait and see...

Similarly, Situ Chuan on the arena was also eagerly awaiting Shen Chen's performance. However, it was not yet Shen Chen's turn. The old man composed himself and resumed his stern expression, looking around and announcing, "The arena competition officially begins. Elder Fei, who is the first lower-ranked disciple to be challenged?"

An elder in a blue robe walked to the side of the arena, bowed to the old man, and then turned to the two hundred qualified disciples, announcing, "Ma Cheng, inner sect disciple, ranked 172. Four people have challenged you in the first round, all valid. Please step forward!"

Hearing his name, a young man in his late teens, dressed in a silver robe, leaped onto the center of the large arena.

"Elder, I am ready!" Ma Cheng, who had been eagerly waiting, was the only one from his village, fifty miles away, to be selected in the last Flowing Cloud Sect recruitment. In the most recent recruitment, no one from his village was chosen, making him the village's sole honor. Everyone from his village who could walk had come to see him, filling him with a mix of emotions and a strong desire to perform.

"Very well, the first challenger, step forward!" Situ Chuan nodded.

Next, a muscular, bear-like man jumped onto the arena, and the battle began without further ado.

It must be said that Ma Cheng, carrying the hopes of his entire village, had trained very hard over the years. His current mid-fourth-rank Blood Fusion Realm cultivation was a significant achievement in the Flowing Cloud Sect. In just a short time, all four challengers were defeated one by one!

"Excellent!" When the two elders helped the last injured challenger off the arena, Situ Chuan nodded in approval. The young man's talent was average, but to achieve this at his age was commendable, worthy of the old man's attention.

"Thank you, Elder, I will work even harder!" Ma Cheng's face turned red with excitement.

In the outer square, many men from Ma Village cheered, and some women even wiped away tears. They had come from far away to witness this moment.

Over the next two hours, similar scenes played out repeatedly. Some were elated, while others were disheartened. Not every arena champion could sweep their challengers like Ma Cheng. Many were defeated in their first match, surrendering in defeat!

According to the competition rules, once an arena champion was defeated, the new champion would take over and defend the rank until all challengers for that rank were eliminated.

This made the competition seem endless, but in reality, each rank usually had only a few challengers, ranging from two to eight.

Moreover, in the first round, the number of challengers for each rank was usually limited. With only three challenge opportunities, the disciples were very cautious in choosing their opponents. Sometimes, even lower-ranked disciples would go unchallenged, a comical situation.

As the ranks above one hundred were gradually settled, the arena soon saw some formidable opponents.

At noon, when the 98th-ranked inner sect disciple, Zhang Lin, stepped onto the arena, he found that all five of his challengers were from the ranks below 150, including some outer sect disciples who had luckily obtained purple badges.

"Damn, you brats, come at me all at once!" Zhang Lin shouted, his face contorted with anger.