The Secret Pavilion's Undercover Agent Disrupts the Arena

Day Six of the Martial Arts Tournament.

The sky over the capital was high and the clouds were thin. The sunlight, however, was far from gentle. It beat down on the dark stone slabs of the martial arena, making the grounds look like a massive whetstone.

Over the past few days, the entire capital had been repeatedly forged by the fiery fervor of the tournament.

First, the individual matches had been fought with sky-high bloodlust. Then, the team matches had suddenly emerged, forcefully pressing a group of arrogant, heaven-chosen youths into the mud, leaving them rolling in the dirt and completely disgraced. Many figures who had once boasted things like "My single sword suppresses ten thousand enemies" or "I walk the world alone" had been tormented by the rules until their faces were as black as the bottom of a pot. They cursed in their hearts, yet had to forcefully maintain their graceful facades on the surface.

Because everyone could see it.

This was no longer just a martial competition.

This was the Emperor of the Great Zhou, Wang Hao, using the younger generation of the world as raw materials to strike the iron and forge them right here on the spot.

And today, the team matches entered their final round.

City Defense Simulation.

On the eastern side of the martial arena, the thirty-six secondary rings had been removed. In their place stood a massive battlefield constructed overnight by the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of War.

Stone castles, trenches, arrow towers, abatis, array platforms, broken bridges, artificial mountains, fog zones, dirt slopes, and forest obstacles... layered upon one another, it lay before everyone's eyes like a miniaturized border battlefield. The brilliance of array formations flowed through it, with hidden killing intent rising and falling. Just a single glance was enough to make one's breathing grow heavy.

Above in the spectator stands, the crowd was like an ocean.

Compared to the boiling enthusiasm of the previous days, today held an indescribable tension.

Because everyone knew that reaching this stage of the team matches meant not a single mediocre fighter remained.

Every team had been forced to grind their way to this point, starting from a state of mutual disgust, undermining each other, and wishing they could just bury their teammates. No matter how terrible their coordination had been, after surviving the Bizarre Forest, the Resource War, and the Siege Battles, they had finally developed a somewhat decent semblance of teamwork.

But the more this was true, the thicker the conflict became.

Because everyone was discovering a cruel fact:

No matter how strong you are, it is not enough.

You must admit that others are useful.

And for many heaven-chosen geniuses, this was harder to swallow than losing a match.

High up on the platform, Wang Hao stood with his hands behind his back. His black and gold casual robes fluttered slightly in the wind. His expression was calm, but his gaze was like a deep well, bottomless.

Wei Zhongxian stood behind him, quietly taking a peek below, and chuckled softly, "Your Majesty, the number of spectators today has hit a new record. In the outer city, the inner city, the sect encampments, and even a dozen miles outside the city, people have set up tents to watch the projection arrays. The line at the gambling houses last night lasted until the hour of Yin, and the Ministry of Revenue is smiling so hard their gums are showing."

Wang Hao hummed in acknowledgment without turning his head.

"What about the betting pools?"

"The main pool for the team matches has surpassed twenty-three million taels, and the side pools are even larger." Wei Zhongxian's mouth twitched slightly as he spoke. "There are even people betting on 'which team will have infighting first', and the most bets are placed on Xiao Chen's team."

Wang Hao finally smiled.

"The eyes of the common people are indeed sharp."

Wei Zhongxian held back a laugh. "It's a pity that Guard Xiao has grown smart recently. He still curses, but he rarely raises his hands to fight his teammates anymore."

"Growing smart is a good thing." Wang Hao looked at the teams slowly entering the arena below. "I like talents that can be harv... cultivated the most."

Wei Zhongxian immediately lowered his head. "Your Majesty is wise."

"What about the hidden pieces?"

Hearing this, the smile on Wei Zhongxian's face quietly faded a bit, and his voice dropped.

"They are all being watched. The Eastern Depot, the Brocade Guards, the Ministry of Rites' Registry Department, and the Ministry of Works' Array Supervision Directorate are controlling the situation across four lines. That person made contact with an apothecary in the western part of the city last night, and this morning, under the guise of changing into training uniforms, touched the base of the northern projection array."

Wang Hao didn't even bat an eyelid.

"It must not have been easy to hold back until now."

Wei Zhongxian asked softly, "Your Majesty, are you truly not going to close the net early today?"

"No."

Wang Hao spat out a single word.

He spoke very lightly, as if saying the wind was a bit strong today, or the tea had gone cold.

But Wei Zhongxian's heart trembled.

He knew this Emperor's temper all too well.

Not closing the net early wasn't because he lacked confidence.

Quite the opposite.

It was because His Majesty wanted that fish to jump out of the water on its own when it was most valuable, most lively, and when the most people were watching.

To kill a man, one must see blood; to close a net, one must see the catch.

Best of all, it must be seen by the whole world.

...

On the other side of the battlefield.

Xiao Chen rubbed his shoulders and rotated his wrists, his face dark.

He was still the temporary captain today.

Not far away, Rong Xiaotian and Lu Chenzhou were glaring coldly at each other, the air thick with the smell of gunpowder. Chu Wuxia squatted in the corner feeding bugs; a flashy, colorful tail would occasionally pop out of her bamboo basket, making one's scalp tingle with dread. Xu Lingjun hugged a formation map, his lips pale, looking as if he were either memorizing the flow of array lines or chanting his own reincarnation mantra. Lin Tiechuan remained as silent as ever, his fists wrapped in newly changed cloth strips, looking like two silent blocks of iron.

Looking at this group, Xiao Chen only felt his temples throbbing with pain.

Sometimes he really couldn't understand.

Why was a dignified figure like himself, destined to reach the absolute pinnacle of martial arts, spending every day doing trivial crap like mediating teammate conflicts, assigning positions, reminding them not to inflict friendly fire, and guarding against them going crazy on the battlefield?

The image of Wang Hao lifting a teacup on the high platform involuntarily surfaced in his mind.

Then, his chest felt stifled.

"Dog Emperor," he cursed under his breath.

Beside him, Lin Tiechuan heard it, froze for a moment, and asked hesitantly, "Vice... Captain, what did you say?"

"Nothing." Xiao Chen took a deep breath and waved his hand. "Listen up. When we enter later, Xu Lingjun will first seize the central array node. Lu Chenzhou will control the left slope. Chu Wuxia, don't scatter your things randomly and poison our own people first. Rong Xiaotian, if you dare to charge out of the defensive line without permission this time, I will break your legs myself."

Rong Xiaotian's eyes widened. "You—"

"What about me?" Xiao Chen sneered. "The scar on your left arm from Green Crow Ridge hasn't faded yet, has it?"

Rong Xiaotian instantly choked on his words.

Lu Chenzhou said faintly from the side, "Brother Xiao certainly has a grand air of authority."

Xiao Chen glanced at him. "Don't you be sarcastic either. Later, if you drag your teammates into your attacks just to show off your crowd control, I'll have Chu Wuxia use you to test her Gu worms."

Chu Wuxia looked up upon hearing this and smiled sweetly. "Sure, I'm not picky."

Lu Chenzhou: "..."

Xu Lingjun hugged his formation map, his hands trembling with nervousness. Listening to this group talk, he felt less like he was here for a tournament and more like he was here to write suicide notes for a bunch of lunatics.

As for the other side, the atmosphere in Ye Guyun's team wasn't much better.

Wanyan Gu held a heavy saber in his hand, his muscles like cast iron, his gaze fierce as if he were ready to chop someone down at any moment. Bai Zhantang waved a folding fan, smiling like he was out for a spring picnic. The other members all had different expressions, and it was obvious there was no trust between them.

Ye Guyun stood holding his sword, his black robes fluttering. His face was so cold it seemed nothing in this world could catch his eye.

But if one looked closely, they would find that his grip on the sword was slightly tighter than usual.

It wasn't nervousness.

It was annoyance.

He was also starting to understand Xiao Chen's sentiment of "sometimes I really want to casually slay the Emperor."

Of course, it was just a thought.

After all, no one was stupid. Thinking and doing were two different things.

Thinking could vent one's emotions.

Doing it would probably result in a very complete death.

A bell rang.

"The final round of the team matches—City Defense Simulation—begins!"

As the voice of the Ministry of Rites' chief official echoed throughout the arena, array patterns lit up simultaneously across the massive battlefield. Layers of light screens rose, clearly dividing the inner and outer areas.

Several teams flooded into the arena like a tide.

The stands immediately erupted into cheers like a roaring tsunami.

Some shouted Xiao Chen's name, some called for Ye Guyun. People were waving flags, placing bets, or simply watching the spectacle with flushed faces.

The Great Zhou Times' recording arrays were also running in sync. Dozens of suspended light screens illuminated every corner of the battlefield with crystal clarity.

Everything felt like a grand play pushed to its absolute climax.

And the stage was lit to its brightest.

All it needed was a spark to ignite it.

...

At first, the competition was exceptionally fierce, yet still relatively normal.

Xiao Chen's team defended the middle section of the stone city. Xu Lingjun performed exceptionally well for the first time, setting up half a Spirit-Locking Array in just twenty breaths, forcibly halting a wave of enemy assaults outside the trenches. Lu Chenzhou's water-attribute true qi transformed into dozens of slender water blades that hovered and slashed in mid-air; though his mouth was as stubborn as ever, his hands were much steadier than in the previous rounds. Rong Xiaotian cursed incessantly while fiercely defending the breach, and Lin Tiechuan stood at the very front like a silent, impenetrable wall.

On the other side, the team with Ye Guyun and Wanyan Gu relied on their overwhelmingly strong individual combat abilities to forcibly tear open the flank defenses. Meanwhile, Bai Zhantang roamed the entire field, stealing points, destroying flags, and flanking from behind—doing all the most dishonorable yet highly effective dirty work.

Several strong teams clashed and attacked each other across the field. Fist winds, sword qi, array lights, poison mists, water gleams, and fire trails intertwined, making this simulated battlefield practically boil over.

The roar of the crowd in the stands rose in wave after wave.

The odds at the gambling houses were also fluctuating wildly.

But just when the competition was at its hottest, the atmosphere at its most explosive, and everyone's attention was firmly captivated—

A sudden mutation occurred!

In the northwest corner of the battlefield, a young genius who had performed remarkably well earlier suddenly froze.

His name was Zhao Qianheng, hailing from a moderately sized noble family in the Central State. In the previous rounds, he had shown a steady demeanor and strong team awareness. He had even won a lot of applause for two crucial rescues, leading many to view him as one of the dark horses of this tournament.

At this moment, he was standing atop a half-collapsed arrow tower.

In the next instant, he violently raised his hand and struck his own chest with a palm.

Pfft!

A mouthful of essence blood spurted out, instantly exploding in the air and transforming into densely packed dark red runic patterns.

These runes were not ordinary martial arts seals, but rather some kind of extremely cold and eerie pattern. The moment they appeared, several nearby recording arrays emitted ear-piercing buzzes simultaneously. The light screens twisted, and even the battlefield's array foundations began to tremble violently.

What is that?!

Someone has tampered with things!

The recording arrays are malfunctioning!

Protect His Majesty! Secure the arena!

The stands instantly fell into chaos.

And Zhao Qianheng's eyes completely changed at this moment.

He was no longer that calm and restrained young talent. Instead, he looked like a snake that had lurked for years and finally bared its fangs, so cold that he lacked even a trace of human warmth.

Flipping his hand, a grayish-black thin slice appeared in his palm. Fine, hair-like silver lines flowed across its surface, remarkably resonating with the main array of the Genius Rankings.

The core data of the rankings, the true essence spectrums of the participants, the life breath archives...

He murmured softly, a hint of near-fanatical light gleaming in the depths of his eyes.

The Pavilion Master was right. The Great Zhou gathering all the geniuses of the world in one place is indeed the perfect opportunity.

Before his voice faded, the dark runes beneath his feet completely exploded!

Boom—

The arrow tower shattered as dozens of black lights spread out like a spiderweb toward the surrounding array platforms, lunging straight for the core of the recording arrays and the roster pavilion.

This move was too sudden and too ruthless.

If he succeeded, not only would the entire arena turn into a chaotic mess, but the massive amount of genius information, combat data, and life breath archives accumulated during this tournament could all be swept away.

That was the truly terrifying thing.

Because this meant that a faction hiding in the shadows could prematurely figure out the bone structures, habits, weaknesses, combat styles, and even the future potential of the younger generation.

This was not merely causing trouble.

This was digging up their roots.

In the stands, countless people's faces drastically changed.

Several sect elders and noble family Dao Protectors stood up abruptly, their eyes filled with horror.

They had originally just come to watch the competition, fight for rankings, and bet on the outcomes.

But now, they suddenly realized—

From beginning to end, this tournament had been harboring another darker, deeper, and colder battlefield.

...

Stop him!

The chief official of the Ministry of Rites screamed in panic.

In the battlefield, the few geniuses closest to him attacked almost simultaneously.

Xiao Chen shattered the stone slabs with a single step, his fist momentum like a dragon, charging straight at the exploding dark runes. Ye Guyun's sword was even faster; a chilling sword light slashed across the sky, chopping toward the grayish-black thin slice in Zhao Qianheng's hand. Lu Chenzhou surged with water light; Wanyan Gu roared and hurled his heavy saber; Lin Tiechuan didn't even think, directly throwing himself at the spreading black runes in front of the roster pavilion.

But Zhao Qianheng seemed well prepared.

He completely avoided tangling with them. Clasping his hands together, his entire aura instantly fissured, and a gloomy, cold fluctuation that did not belong to a normal martial artist surged from the depths of his spirit platform.

With my heart's blood, ignite the dark runes!

With my life soul, open the heavenly secrets!

Buzz—

Around the battlefield, several faint dark seals that had already been planted lit up simultaneously.

The mock city walls built by the Ministry of Works, the recording arrays installed by the Ministry of Rites, and the simulated military formations laid out by the Ministry of War were unexpectedly linked together at this moment to form a massive net.

It was not for killing.

It was for—transmission.

To transmit the life breaths, martial arts parameters, array reactions, and combat instincts of those geniuses!

He's trying to steal the rankings!

Someone roared hoarsely.

The entire audience was in an uproar.

But just at the instant the chaos was about to completely explode, high up on the platform, Wang Hao, who had remained motionless all this time, finally raised his hand.

Just raising his hand.

Nothing more.

The next moment—

Along the outer edge of the entire martial arts arena, the thirty-six stabilizing copper pillars originally used to maintain order suddenly lit up in unison.

Chains of golden light burst from the ground, instantly locking down the surrounding void like an inescapable net.

The Ministry of Works' battlefield array platforms, the Ministry of Rites' main recording array, the hidden sentry array nodes planted by the Eastern Depot, and the Imperial Guards' lockdown grand array completely interlocked at the exact same moment, forming a massive, long-prepared sealing array.

It was not a makeshift response.

Rather—they had been waiting for this all along.

The fanaticism on Zhao Qianheng's face froze for the first time.

He abruptly lifted his head and looked toward the high platform.

Wang Hao was also looking at him.

Their gazes collided across half of the martial arts arena.

One horrified, the other calm.

One looked like he had finally realized he was not the hunter, but the prey; the other looked as if he were watching a snake that had finally lost its patience and slithered out from the grass.