Chapter 767: Round Robin.
Shi Lang followed the markings and quickly moved through the crowd to reach the fourth arena. He was not alone; many were moving through the crowd to reach their allocated arenas to compete for glory.
The Terran sighed as he thought Hope City was the biggest city he had ever visited. He had been inside the city for half an hour and been running non-stop. He could not help but feel frustrated. However, he suddenly spotted a huge coliseum before him, and his spirit was rejuvenated.
He arrived near the building and found a few people discussing how competitors have different passageways. Shi Lang used his ability and quickly located a passage with a few people moving in and out. He turned in that direction and found himself standing before a guard.
The person mumbled, "Another one almost missing the shot of his life."
Then he continued, "Please head in straight and wait for the person from the Martial Council to announce the commencement."
Shi Lang nodded and left quickly. He did not wish to partake in a conversation with this guy. Inside the city, he noticed the restrictions being placed on them. The people could not fly, and they could not fight. Another thing that stuck out as a sore thumb to him was the patrolling guards.
He was sure all these people had seen their fair share of bloodshed and were not just common guards. He used spiritual communication and found that everyone he knew was assigned to different arenas. It would not be easy for them to meet until the final battle.
Shi Lang sighed as he waited inside a grand hall with a hundred other people. One guy approached him and asked, "Are you perhaps thinking why none of them are talking to each other?"
The Terran was not startled and faintly nodded in reply. The young man communicated with him using a spiritual sense, so it was obvious that other people could do the same. The young man continued, "I am Heim. What about you?"
Shi Lang replied, "Ace."
The young man nodded and said, "Which city are you from?"
Shi Lang raised his brow and asked, "I am from the Forger City."
Heim was surprised and checked out Shi Lang from head to toe before he said, "I am from Dew Lake City. It is a small place compared to the Forger City."
Shi Lang nodded faintly and asked, "Do you know how the final round works?"
Heim turned around, pointed at a normal scroll pinned to the wall, and said, "They posted it there. So, hundreds of us will compete in a round-robin, where you can get hit from anywhere or by anyone. Then, the last twenty men and women will randomly be selected and matched by the martial council before they are reduced to eighty. The rounds will continue till there are twenty people left.
These twenty people will have to face a challenge from any of the people in the loser bracket. After all, luck is a part of your strength, too. If you defend yourself, you must fight among the twenty people. The one who comes at the top will be crowned the strongest centurion."
Shi Lang thought briefly and said, "Fine."
Heim continued calmly, "Yeah, two people get to ascend the top twenty by doing nothing, but if challenged by any of the people at the top and they lose, they might have to forfeit their lives."
Shi Lang nodded and replied, "None of those work hard like those who rely on their luck."
Heim nodded and said, "Yes, they do not."
A bell rang outside the hall as they talked, and a man walked inside. This man wore a green robe with a logo embroidered on the hem. Heim commented, "Hmm, a retainer from the martial council."
The retainer said, "Hello, everyone, the gates are now closed. We can begin the final round round. Please get ready and follow me to the main arena ground."
The person did not take any reaction from anyone and left the room. Many people quickly followed them. Shi Lang came out and found himself standing inside the main arena, and it would be a lie to say that he was not shocked. At this moment, a defeating sound echoed around him.
The cheer of a million people was soul-shaking. He used his spiritual energy to cover his ears from the sound waves. Suddenly, an old man appeared in the void and cleared his throat. His gentle cough was strong enough to drown the cheer of the millions. The people calmed down, and the old man said, "I am Sovereign Hammer Fist.
I commend you all for advancing to the final stage of the Centurion tournament. However, I also know how you all thirst for glory."
Shi Lang nodded slightly. The old man made sense. Hammer Fist continued, "After I vanish, you all must fight for the top twenty positions in this arena. It will be a mess, so I hope you all are ready. Bring your jade tokens and tie them around your neck or waist. Once the jade token breaks, you will be teleported outside the arena, and your path will end."
Everyone followed the instructions, and Sovereign Hammer fist said, "Your jade token will change darker as you fight and eliminate your opponents. The darker your jade pendant, the higher your rank."
The next moment, Hammer Fist vanished, and Shi Lang drew out his spear to attack the person closest to him. He was not the only one, but many others did the same. The chaos began, and the people were eliminated. The crowd was going bonkers as they cheered madly.
Many people could not bear the pressure and were pushed into a situation where they had no option but to use defensive measures. However, it did not help them against multiple people. The entire arena was filled with flashes of spiritual attacks.
Shi Lang moved quickly. He was like a god of war. Just like he had lived during the training sessions and countless battles in the federal army, he was fighting against people similar to him in skill level. He was filled with exhilaration. The mad rush to beat people without having to worry if they will die was very satisfying to him.
It was not just the spear that he was using; he was even using his sniper rifle with one hand to steal people from other people. None of the people could understand who was stealing their kills, but they did not have the time to bother about it.
...
In the void, several sovereigns were looking at multiple arenas. They all looked indifferent to each other. Hammer Fist said, "The young people are energetic."
Many others nodded, and someone asked, "Who is this kid? He is using that new weapon to take down people."
Hammer Fist stroked his beard and said, "Is that guy not related to you, Heavenly Dragon?"
Tian Long nodded and replied, "He is the champion of the dragon army."
The others were surprised, and someone asked, "Why did you rush too early to select him? That girl with the whip is also good. I have taken a liking to her. If she reaches the top twenty."
The speaker was a lady. Tian Long replied, "I have my reasons. Can you all watch it silently? So old, yet you cannot stop talking."
...
Many other people were doing the same thing, but despite all the action, Shi Lang was still not the top contender. Many people were ahead of him. They all used wide-area attacks to defeat multiple people simultaneously. At the same time, Shi Lang was focused on one person at a time.
After two hours of mad fighting and dodging the attacks, Shi Lang reached the top twenty. He looked around and found that while no one was weaker than him, no one was stronger either. Shi lang could understand that they have not used their complete strength. This was obvious, after all. Who knew what kind of monster they would face in the further stages?
Shi Lang stood tall in the arena, looking listlessly in the void. His sensory abilities were locked on everyone in the arena. One of the contenders defeated the last person and finished the round-robin process.
Sovereign Hammer Fist appeared in the void again and said, "Congratulations, young ones. You all are the top twenty among the hundreds who fought in this arena. You all have the right to brag now."
The old man chuckled, and the crowd in the viewing stands laughed. The old man said, "Now, without delay, we will begin the last stages of the final round."
The people were surprised, and the old man waved his hand. The next moment, the arena began to tremble, and people panicked. Old Man Hammer Fist said, "Do not worry, it is normal. I am just going to layer the Arena on top of the other. The four arenas will stack over each other, and you can witness four fights simultaneously."
Shi Lang had no other thoughts in her mind, and he was only worried about how he would face Amelia. As he thought about it, his heartbeat quickened.