Chapter 391: Despair

The third round of the competition relied more on luck. Some people got lucky and ran into weaker opponents, advancing smoothly.

If you were lucky, you could keep encountering weak opponents and advance all the way.

Of course, there were also unlucky ones like Chu Wushuang. If you ran into that kind of situation, you were in trouble.

"That’s not necessarily true. I think you still have a bit of a chance. I’ll teach you a method. If you give it your all, it might just work," Chu Feng said.

"There’s no need, Brother Feng. I know my own limits. There’s no chance. The gap is just too wide." Chu Wushuang understood that even if Chu Feng taught him the most powerful method, it would be useless.

After all, the difference in their cultivation realms was plain to see. It wasn’t something that could be overcome by relying on some Cultivation Technique to turn the tables.

"You have a point. In that case, just let nature take its course. Absorb some more experience and aim for an early breakthrough," Chu Feng said.

The only reason Chu Feng had just offered to teach him a method was to stop Chu Wushuang from being so discouraged. For Chu Wushuang to win this match was nearly as hard as ascending to heaven.

Relying on his own strength, there was simply no way for him to succeed.

"Don’t worry, Brother Feng. I understand. After this Martial Arts Grand Ceremony, I’ve come to realize my own shortcomings. Compared to others, I still have a long way to go. So-called geniuses are a dime a dozen; I’m just an ordinary person," Chu Wushuang said with a wry smile.

’That’s right, this is only one of the Four Major Regions.’

’I’m already at the bottom of the rankings here. Including the other regions, there must be over two thousand people stronger than me.’

’With so many, how could I still have the nerve to call myself a genius? I’m not even worth a fart.’

"Don’t overthink it. Your talent and strength are still quite good. In the future, the entire burden of the Chu Family will rest on your shoulders. So no matter the outcome, I hope your original passion for the Martial Dao doesn’t change," Chu Feng said.

"Yeah. No matter how strong my opponent is, as long as the match isn’t over, I won’t give up. It’s just a shame I couldn’t surpass the record our ancestor set at the Martial Arts Grand Ceremony back in the day. The gap is too wide. I was too arrogant and proud before, and I wasted a lot of cultivation time," Chu Wushuang said with a sigh.

"It’s fine. It’s not too late to realize it now. From now on, you’ll just have to work twice as hard. The path of the Martial Dao is incredibly difficult to walk. Since you’ve chosen this path, you must overcome any and all hardships and obstacles you encounter. You must keep walking!" Chu Feng said.

Although Martial Cultivators might seem superior to ordinary people, with the strong ones far surpassing them in both personal combat power and social status, choosing to walk this path naturally required paying a painful price that ordinary people could hardly endure.

It was like a thousand soldiers and ten thousand horses crossing a single-plank bridge; the slightest misstep would send you plummeting into an endless abyss.

The two of them didn’t talk for much longer before Chu Feng left. Upon returning to the Venerable Hall, he found one of his Foundation Establishment subordinates and asked, "How are things? The competition starts tomorrow. Have the venues been arranged?"

"Reporting to Venerable Chu Feng, everything is ready. A total of ten venues have been arranged," the subordinate replied.

"Good." Chu Feng nodded.

"By the way, have any rewards been set for this third round of combat?" Chu Feng asked.

"Anyone who makes it to the third round, regardless of the outcome, will receive a weapon."

Soon, it was the next day, and the competition was about to begin. This time, everyone could spectate from a closer distance.

This was because the venues were much smaller than in the previous two selection rounds.

Although the crowd was still kept at a distance, massive electronic screens had been set up at the venues, allowing everyone to watch the battles taking place on the stages.

Each competition stage was guarded by dedicated personnel, and no one was allowed within thirty meters.

In this round of combat, as long as someone surrendered, the match would stop immediately. If they didn’t, then fatalities were permitted.

Early in the morning, a large crowd had already gathered in the combat area.

This time, all four Martial Arts Venerables were present. They had special, extremely comfortable seats here.

Not only were there high-end plush seats, but more importantly, there was also tea and fruit, making for a very pleasant experience.

After sitting down, Chu Feng began to drink tea and crack melon seeds, watching quietly.

Many people had already spotted them and were casting curious glances their way.

Bai Han wore the same attire as before, including a veil to avoid being seen by others. Her beauty was enough to easily mesmerize people.

Although Chu Feng was cracking melon seeds, his hearing was sharp enough to catch every detail of the conversations around him.

However, he acted as if he hadn’t heard any of the crowd’s idle chatter and discussions.

Soon, the first match began.

It was the number one expert against the last-place contestant.

The 500th-ranked contestant was in complete despair, not having expected to face the number one.

The second competition stage also began its match: the second-ranked contestant against the 499th.

And so it continued in like manner. With ten competition stages, twenty people fought at a time.

The entire third round of the competition had to be completed within the day.

The Cultivators ranked at the very bottom were on the verge of tears but had none left to cry. It was just too hopeless.