The Fights continued one at a time, but Zhao found something interesting.
The Zhao clan had two young Core Establishment cultivators below the age of twenty, Zhao Xuri and Zhao Liying. Zhao Liying was nowhere to be seen.
It's rumored among the crowd that the girl will be over 20 years old during the National contest held 5 months from now.
'What bullshit. The clan didn't want her to beat this Zhao Ping's jade a** today.' Zhao Yao could guess the reason for the prideful girl's exclusion. 'And the clan never make to the National Contest anyway.'
It will take away the Birthday boy's glory as that girl won't show him any mercy and beat him up.
'Aiding him this much, huh.' Zhao Yao thought as he touched his right wrist. There was a new 'stone' bangle he made yesterday inside the sleeves.
There was already a very skewed boy to girl participant ratio, and the strongest girl was excluded for a petty reason. So much for gender equality but typical cultivation novel setting.
Hours passed, and the tournament reached the climax.
Zhao Ping had won all the matches he was in, just like the Core Establishment cultivator Zhao Xuri. No one dared to challenge them.
The finalists were very clear.
"Next, we have the exciting last fight of the Selection Contest. Zhao Xuri, the 19-year-old Core Establishment cultivator, will face the talented and young 16-year-old 9th Qi Gathering cultivator, Zhao Ping."
"GO, Young Master Zhao Ping."
"Zhao Ping."
"Zhao Xuri."
"Win, Young Master Zhao Ping."
The crowd chants irked Zhao Yao.
"Young Master Zhao Ping, Marry Me."
'The heck, this was still here?' Zhao Yao shook his head, hearing the cringe cheer. When will idiotic girls like this one realize he wasn't going to marry her, he will at most help in deflowering her, only and only if she had good looks.
The more the crowd cheered for Zhao Ping, the more Zhao Yao hated him, and the more he wanted to destroy him.
He was jealous.
The moment the fight began, Zhao Ping used a powerful fist skill, which Zhao Xuri countered with a kick.
Zhao Ping's powerful skill emitting red Qi evenly matched with Zhao Xuri's cultivation advantage.
Zhao Ping's then unleashed the barrage of punches he frequently used in the previous matches. Zhao Xuri tried to defend while counterattacking with 'Serpent Grappling' techniques that Zhao Yao was familiar with.
It didn't take him long to realize where the fight was going.
Zhao Ping was powerful and fought with the intent to destroy his opponent while his Core Establishment Realm opponent counterattacked but lacked any intention to seriously hurt the 'young master.'
'I hope Uncle Su is not that stupid to not see through this crap.' Zhao Yao thought. He didn't bother with the match any longer even though he was interested in the skills they were using.
But he couldn't see it clearly. Damn it.
The long hard fought match came to an end eventually.
"Young Zhao Ping had defeated the Core Establishment cultivator with his 9th Qi Gathering cultivation. He remains undefeated as this Selection Contest ends." The announcer continued to lick Zhao Ping's young a**.
"Excited members of the Zhao clan, we have a new young champion. Who can defeat the young scion of our clan? Is there a young warrior brave enough to challenge Young Master Zhao Ping?"
Yes. This was the moment he was waiting for. Even if the announcer didn't say anything, he had planned to interfere right at this moment, when Zhao Ping was at his peak of glory.
'Master.' He called in his mind. The crowd's cheering deafened his ears.
'Master, can you hear me? I need you to enhance my voice now.'
"Young Master Zhao Ping, unchallenged and undefeated, had won the right to represent the clan in the FuXi province Martial Competition." The Commentator continued.
Zhao Yao didn't hear any response, and he couldn't wait. He took a deep breath and yelled as loud as he could.
"I CHALLENGE YOU, ZHAO PING."
Zhao Yao's loud yell reverberated the arena and stunned the cheering crowd.
It worked. His Master made his voice loud.
"WHO IS THAT?"
The announcer's voice didn't hide his fury.
Zhao Yao willed his Master's soul sense to make his face change back to normal.
Dropping the big robe he wore over his father's clothes, Zhao Yao jumped over the barricade. He evaded the guard, who tried to stop him and ran close to the arena, making himself visible. His father's colorful red and yellow cultivator robe made him look like a young hero.
"I DID." He acknowledged. "ZHAO PING, I DARE YOU TO ACCEPT MY CHALLENGE."
"Is that you, Zhao Yao?" Zhao Ping recognized him and started laughing. "Hahahaaha...You are challenging me? A cripple challenging me?"
"GUARDS. Remove him." The announcer elder ordered.
The referee elder also came on top of the arena, and the guards grabbed him to take him away.
"ZHAO PING, Don't tell me that you are afraid of me?"
Zhao Yao's plan was to offer food in the mouth of the predator. Since he was here now, Uncle Su will reach out. But, Zhao Yao offered Zhao Ping an opportunity to silence him. He just had to beat Zhao Yao unconscious.
"Are you afraid of your Big Brother? What crapy champion are you?"
Zhao Ping chuckled. "It's fine elders, let him come."
"He didn't even register for the contest." The referee elder said.
"It's okay. He challenged me, so I will take care of it."
The guards left Zhao Yao, and the referee elder went back to his position. This stupid young master's word was law apparently.
'You couldn't refuse the bait, could you?' Zhao Yao gloated in his mind. Luckily Zhao Ping agreed or he had to expedite the plan.
When people make rat traps with cheese, some rats don't fall for it.
But for this rat Zhao Ping, the cheese grew hands and legs and walked to his mouth. And he couldn't refuse the delicacy.
Zhao Yao offered himself allowing Zhao Ping to publicly beat him up and humiliate in front of Uncle Su and the clan.
The only thing was, this idiot didn't realize that cheese didn't walk, they didn't have legs, they never offer themselves to the rat.
If he had a tint of the brain, he should be able to realize that this cheese was not the cheese he used to know. This was some weird Bad cheese one shouldn't try his luck with.
Zhao Yao didn't want to waste any more time. He didn't want to see Zhao Ping change his mind or someone else interfere and ruin his opportunity.
"Aaaaahhhh." Zhao Yao ran up the arena and rushed to his confident cousin, who stood without moving with a smug smile.
When Zhao Yao reached a two-foot distance of Zhao Ping, he released his Master's soul sense that was covering the 'Weakening stone' bangle and allowed the stone's unique smell to release.
Zhao Ping's face stiffened, and his eyes bulged like it was hard for him to breathe.
"Wha...t..ha...p." Zhao Ping tried to raise his hands, but they just hung weakly.
'Hehe. Subduing powder is so broken.' Zhao Yao acted fast and fully unleashed all his Qi on to his fist. He layered all his Qi as fast as he could to make his skill stronger.
"What did you do to my wife?" Zhao Yao yelled as he aimed for Zhao Ping's nose. The 9th Qi gathering cultivator could take some damage, and Zhao Yao didn't want to waste it on the cheek or hard bones like a jaw or skull.
He aimed straight for the soft cartilaginous nose and his front-row teeth.
'Eat my Fist....SLEDGEHAMMER.'
Using the full momentum, and using his full body weight behind the punch, Zhao Yao's fist connected with Zhao Ping's face.
Zhao Ping flew back like a broken kite, like a ball hit by a bat, like a rubber band released after stretching. Zhao Yao also stepped back due to recoil, and his fist had dripping blood, but that feeling of crushing that nose...it was great.
"I almost forget Little brother." Zhao Yao quickly said as he watched the Elders rushing towards him with murderous intent.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY."