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99.37% Learning To Live As A Cultivator / Chapter 320: Chapter One Hundred and Twenty - It’s time for a new competition

Chapter 320: Chapter One Hundred and Twenty - It’s time for a new competition

The Main Event which was in its infancy, thus didn't yet have a formal name, was to be held in an arena that had been recently set up just for this occasion.

It was located within the depths of a large, shadowy basin, surrounded by mountains so tall that the hours of sunlight were few; a shichen before noon and a shichen following. This had caused the basin to be inhospitable to many lifeforms, it also had a stagnant air, with a hazy miasma floating above the swampy ground. The stunted, twisted somewhat black trees growing here and there seemed ominous, haunting as were the cackling and howls of the beasts that called this place home.

But however dark and disturbing the landscape was, it meant little to the strong cultivators that ran and taught at the Ascending Mountain Institute.

Seeming to float above the mire, shadowing the swamp even more so than before, was an arena some five times the size of that of the Inner Martial Artists' school. It's architecture was not fancy, no scrollwork carvings or gargoyles nor statues of dragons and phoenixes, but it was still imposing at first glance. Access to the arena was via bridges, straight and grey, with chains along each side, not so much necessary as an afterthought of decoration. Mage lights floated either side, above these chains at seemingly random intervals, providing the light that the sun dare not.

It was rumoured that the Institute's best Earth-skilled Cultivators toiled to create this building for seven days and seven nights, but Leon heard in passing from his Teacher, that actually, this building was an artefact from a hundred thousand years ago... they'd found it (in it's dormant form) in the Library's inventory, in a dusty corner.

The internal structure of the building seemed as if it was a mix of various other arena styles, with the familiar circular with raised seating either side, but also towers at its four major and four minor directional points.  Those four major had structures partially overhanging the main arena with huge windows allowing for excellent observation, while the minor ones had smaller windows every few feet skyward, for each small room hidden within.  The arena itself was lit by small Mage globes circling the rim, producing what Leon later could only inwardly compare to a neon display of another world.  Larger globes floated beneath the canopy of the four structures.  All of them lit up the arena excellently without being too glaring, almost as if the sun was directly overhead at all times, but tucked behind a wispy layer of clouds.

There had been much debate on what and how the competition would work; they couldn't use the formulas in the Standings, for example, as their own students would be seen to have unfair advantages over others, being more familiar. At the same time, the length of time that they had had to set up the competition was not long, they did not wish to do a hash job that caused them to lose face and create too many loopholes for exposure. It was not easy. In the end, it was decided to use some of what they already had in place, but with a revised competition format.

They settled upon hosting three different competitions in the end; a small team type competition, a large, school battle and a friendly solo competition to close, just like that ending the Interschool Exchange. Familiar students understood that it was best to settle grievances as well as compare notes in this so called 'friendly' round, before all bowed and departed. All of the competitions would be held in the imposing arena above the swamp, but also the first two competitions would be held within the illusionary world that the third competition of the Standings were held in.

This was as much as was released to all Students in the beginning and gave rise to speculations as well as assumptions.

"If it's like the Standings, doesn't that mean farming for points?"

"Ari will then destroy everyone as usual. His lone points were far greater than anyone's across all three schools."

"But Ari doesn't work well with a team..."

"I heard Ari may not compete at all!"

"Can anyone make a team?"

"Don't be stupid!  If anyone could, then the competition would be dominated by the Institute!  Those schools only brought around a hundred students each!"  This voice of reason had others nodding quickly, while those who hadn't thought that deeply scratched their heads, slightly shamefaced.  But it did beg the question; just how would those teams be formed?

"Join my team!"

In the early hours of the first morning of the Four Day break, these words echoed in and out of the small courtyard surrounded by trees. The two coeurl, who'd been about to escape from the unlocked gate hesitated for a moment in surprise, before brushing arrogantly/playfully past and rushing off into the woods. The unfortunate Leon was left to deal with the two men before him and the half opened gate.

"Um..." he was at a slight loss for words as the feeling of deja vu swept over him, but in the end, he finished opening the gate, securing it against the outer wall before letting the two men enter. Bowyer jostled Pike as they headed through the opening, following Leon into his home.

"I arrived first this time!" Bowyer hissed beneath his breath, while Pike shook his head and drawled;

"And? Leon is more familiar with my team, after all."

"That doesn't mean you can just waltz in and claim him this time!!"

"Claim who?" The two men paused in their bickering and looked down at the youth elegantly sitting at the low table, drinking tea as if completely within his domain.  It was not as if they'd forgotten that Jin Li would most likely be at Leon's place, more as they'd somewhat neglected to consider it.  Jin Li had been in closed cultivation during the last competition when they'd both attempted to conscript... invite Leon to their teams after all.  This not being the current case, both men had to rethink their strategy in order to recruit the only alchemist in school to have access certain pills.

"It's like this," Pike began to explain, "the competition between schools will start with a five-man team competition.  The institutes' teams will be led by the twenty top students across the Standings.  I'm sixth in the Standings, my place was already secured.  Then we'd discovered Ari dropped out..." He'd actually completely refused then hidden himself in closed cultivation that he would not be forced to compete... "so Bowyer also is expected to lead a team."

"Is it-t like the Exch-change?  You n-n-need an alchemist?" Leon asked before adding hot water to a fresh pot of tea.  A strong, mouthwatering aroma drifted from the pot and caused them both to suddenly feel thirsty and in need of refreshment.

"Actually," Bowyer admitted, "the rules for team building are a lot more lax than during that competition.  Some people are building teams completely based on strength." 

Take fourth place, Certi. He was a man who valued power and strength. He was formidable, himself, with a good knowledge of weaponry and martial arts. His fault was his straightforward thinking, which actually resulted in him losing to the eighth place Lopard in the Standings as he fell for a feint and couldn't recover in the confusion. This same straightforward thinking had him build this new team with some of the best and strongest talents from the martial arts, the beast tamer and Mage schools. There was not one alchemist nor scholar in his team.

It wasn't that this thinking was necessarily incorrect, just that Pike and Bowyer both believed that things may not be so simple. They both decided it was best to have at least one support team member in their teams. They both though having an alchemist was best and both decided upon Leon.


Chapter 321: Chapter One Hundred and Twenty One - We join a team together

It turned out that their thinking was not wrong, the Teachers really did have sly thoughts in regards to the composition of teams. However, no team would no this until after all teams were registered and only a day prior to the team competition commencing.

Prior to that, both Pike and Bowyer worked hard to recruit the alchemist they wanted, Leon. Apart from becoming each other's obstacle, there was also the bigger obstacle of Jin Li to overcome.

Pike wanted to more or less resurrect his former team, though with some adjustments. For example, the scholar Roman, was equally as non-combative as Leon, plus Pike could only recruit four others this time instead of five. As with most scholars, Roman did learn a secondary skill, but these talisman charms were quite basic and not strong. Roman's strength really lie heavily in his knowledge of crystals, it wasn't helpful in a more battle focused environment, which was what everyone felt as if this competition was likely to be. He could only be left behind.

Bowyer had similar thoughts and had already contacted Borean, the berserker who's steady rise from the outer to inner school and slowly through the ranks since had earned many martial artists respects. He'd also spoken to his Mage associate; Song and to the scholar Luto, who while was a scholar, he was also talented in the arts of exorcism and could hold his own for at least a short while, in a fight.

"What about Aries, did he not stand in as your alchemist during the Exchange?" Pike pointed out as they continued to bicker over the small alchemist in his own house.

"It's not that Aries is a bad choice," Bowyer conceded, "but I wanted Leon on my team this time! Leon, how about it?"

"Don't steal my alchemist, you thief!" Pike poked the other's chest with a finger, which was slapped away.

"Eh, whose alchemist?" Jin Li's face had become increasingly unhappy over the course of the morning, actually since the pair of clowns before him showed up. At first it was just noisy, but saying that they wanted his alchemist, claiming rights and such over him, his mood soured further, until he could abide them no longer. As expected, they both were silenced for a moment. Bowyer jeered at Pike who'd used the possessive term in the first place.

"I didn't mean it in that way," Pike attempted to quickly reassure the short-tempered youth. "Leon was an excellent member of the team that time and got on well with the others, it's the sort of dynamic that shouldn't be tampered with by poachers." He glared at Bowyer, who just responded with a short laugh. "In fact, if you are concerned for Leon and want to help, you could also join my team, Jin Li."

Neither Jin Li nor Leon could help but turn their attention to Pike's words. Jin Li could compete this time? "Oi, oi, Jin Li's a first year, he's not eligible," Bowyer was quick to point out. No first years were eligible for any competitions in their first year, that had always been the rule. The Teachers used this as part of their tempering of egotistical nobles, submissive former servants and hotheaded village boys to name a few groups that needed to shed their former identities while being a part of the Institute.

"First years are being given the chance to participate this time," Pike sipped his tea, nonchalantly, however there was a smug look within his eyes.

"I've not heard of this?!" Bowyer protested. If he'd known, would he have not also tried the tactic of recruiting both Jin Li and Leon together!! But now, he had only one space left in his team.

"Teacher Corne told me," Pike admitted. Teacher Corne did not look like it, but there was a quick mind behind his intimidatingly large exterior. Likely, he'd passed on this information to his lone student as there was truly an exceptional talent not yet on the Standings list, not yet having a ranking and well known outside of the martial arts schools, not even that well understood within either.

"What about Troy," Bowyer mumbled, thinking of the second martial artist on Pike's former team.

"Troy requested leave to return home recently for a family emergency," Pike replied. "He left two days ago."  He placed down his empty tea cup with a sly grin and turned to Jin Li.  "Well, want to join my team along with Leon?"

All eyes fell on the youth who had already regained the expression of being owed by Bowyer and Pike.  While he respected them for their martial art talents and abilities, he still disdained the fact that they were disturbing his alone time with his small alchemist.  Come to think about it, was Pike not also to blame for Leon not being here when he returned from closed cultivation having achieved his goal and formed his core?  And also wasn't Bowyer to blame for making him accompany him to spar during those free hours when he could (and should) be doing other things with his small alchemist?  Jin Li dismissed the fact that there were others (Teachers with much higher cultivation than his own and also greater authority considering their location and everything) also involved in these matters.

Pike was not slow to interpret the changing expression upon Jin Li's face and knew it was time to bring out his trump card, which was another piece of information imparted on to him by his Master and Teacher, Corne.  Just as Jin Li was about to spill the negative word that he did not want to hear, Pike mentioned; "I heard that yourself and Leon had a bit of trouble recently with some rogues from that Academy."

"Tch." Jin Li was successfully distracted, while Bowyer could barely contain his curiosity.  Pike briefly summarised how those three had attacked Leon and tried to steal his pill recipes while Jin Li was away hunting and that they didn't succeed, but were caught and handed over to their Teachers.

"Bastards," Bowyer crossed his arms.  "Only those egotistical Qilin arseholes would dare do such a thing on others' grounds!"

"Indeed," Pike didn't disagree.  Like Headmaster, like student was the general consensus there, with thick skin and never thinking they were wrong to run roughshod like so.  It was a wonder they failed to notice how inelegant their actions look considering their standings regarding nobility and reputation.  "And I heard that they really got off lightly in the end.  Just some scolding.  They are free to make or join their own teams in the competition."

Both Leon and Jin Li frowned in unison.  With such a weak punishment, what was the likelihood that those three had learned a lesson?  They might not bother Leon again; he had Jin Li at his side, but what of others?  What if they decided to take it out on Tor, for example?  And Jin Li was acutely aware that he could not always protect Leon, no matter how much he wanted to physically tie him to himself.  It had been Leon who'd been mostly uncomfortable with Jin Li's idea to throw them over the cliff edge, but hearing that, they both really couldn't help but regret.  After all, being thrown off a cliff would probably stop those people from doing more bad things.

"Apparently, they are considered fairly talented amongst the Qilin students," Pike continued to say, "It would be a shame for everyone if they managed to do well..."

"I won't let them mwffffff...." Whatever Bowyer was about to say was cut off by Pike's large hands covering his mouth.  Leon tilted his head, questioning the other's actions at first, but he realised Pike's plan when he heard his lover finally speak;

"This Lord will join your team."


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