Chapter 10: Unfathomable Depths
Chapter 10: Unfathomable Depths
The night passed by without any incidents, then came the second morning.
The sun gradually rose from the east. The outer of independent courtyards for the ranks of one hundred strongest new disciples had been fully packed by new disciples who heard the news. Some of them laid down on the rocks, some of them climbed up on trees, others stood on the plain ground. They were all waiting for the spectacular battle to commence.
Every one of them were excited, as if they were the main character today!
"Yesterday was too great. All of you would have never thought that Senior Brother Lin Yi with his sword alone, consecutively defeated twenty seats from the ranks of one hundred strongest new disciples. He had even left his words, that he shall challenge another twenty today!"
"*giggle*, you guys didn't see the expressions of the one hundred strongest new disciples rankers. They were comparable to pig's liver!"
"They deserved it. Who told them to act so smugly and arrogant before. They think that they had moved into the courtyard so they are really the one hundred strongest new disciples. Now this is really a slap to their face!"
"I really look forward to see their swollen faces with slaps from Senior Brother Lin Yi!"
"I also look forward to see Senior Brother Lin Yi challenge Han Bai and bring him down from the position of first seat. When that happens, Han Bai's expression must be very amazing, right?"
"Han Bai? The level of difficulty is very high! It isn't as if you didn't see the scene from few days ago. Han Bai is simply not a human. He didn't even put his heart into it when he defeated all of us. The depth of his strength is unfathomable!"
"Yeah, even before he joined Huashan, he was a well-known genius back at his place. Now that he had joined Huashan and learned three martial arts of silver grade, his strength must have increased even more. Moreover, no one knows which mastery has he reached in Huashan's martial arts. It's possible that he has reached intermediate stage!"
"Intermediate stage? Heavens, that's too terrifying! It has been only one month. I only managed to reach initial stage. This Han Bai is simply not a human!"
"*chuckle*, Han Bai may be powerful, but Senior Brother Lin Yi is unfathomable as well! If the two of them were to face against each other, then it will surely turn into a clash between dragon and tiger!"
"Haha, just the thought of that scene makes me excited!"
.
The one hundred strongest new disciples' rankers who lived in the independent courtyard also woke up early in the morning. Every of them climbed up to their roof, waiting for the challenger to come. It was even more true for those who were placed at eightieth to sixty-first in the ranks of one hundred strongest new disciples, each of them had recuperated and built up their strength, waiting to welcome the challenger with a vigorous look.
The scene from yesterday was still too shocking for them. None of the hundredth to eighty-first seats of the ranks of one hundred strongest new disciples managed to probe into Lin Yi's strength and got defeated. Lin Yi had left a heavy pressure on them.
Among the one hundred strongest new disciples' rankers, the one placed at the eightieth seat had the most ugly expression. His forehead was already covered in cold sweat, feeling enormous pressure. Facing such an unfathomable challenger like Lin Yi, he wasn't confident he was able to keep the challenger at the outside of the eightieth rank!
"Hey, relax a bit. Your most important task isn't to beat him, but try to find out the depth of his strength and his skill mastery and it's a success for you today. As for the task of blocking him, leave it to us!" The people around him patted him shoulder while comforting him.
"Okay" He smiled wryly.
"He's here!"
It was at this moment, the crowds suddenly let out a noise and made out a path among them. Holding his sword in his hand, Lin Yi walked in with a graceful bearing. Behind him was Jiang Xiaoyu with a satisfied and complacent expression, waving his hand and greeted the people around him constantly.
"Thank you, everyone, for your supports. Our Senior Brother Lin Yi won't disappoint you all as today he will challenge another twenty seats from the ranks of one hundred strongest new disciples!" Jiang Xiaoyu yelled towards the crowds.
Hearing his words, the expression twenty rankers who would battle today darkened and stared at him with killing intent. Jiang Xiaoyu seemed to not care about this, instead he waved at them triumphantly.
".." Those twenty rankers were all speechless.
"Everyone sure woke up early today!" Lin Yi walked to the front of the eightieth courtyard, faintly smiled and looked at twenty of them with strange expression. Those twenty rankers shivered, feeling a cold down to their bones, as if Lin Yi wanted to swallow them whole.
In fact, that was the truth. In the eyes of Lin Yi, they were not rankers from the ranks of one hundred strongest new disciples, but a lump of experience instead!
Having obtained enormous 20,000 combat experience points made Lin Yi addicted. This made Lin Yi who disliked challenging the others suddenly changed into someone who was keen to challenge!
Challenge is good, if you won, you could even earn experience!
Only a fool wouldn't go to challenge!
Lin Yi thought secretly and his smile became warmer and filled with sincerity.
"Look at Senior Brother Lin Yi's aura. He is so close to people, devoid of air of arrogance unlike other experts! I like him so much!"
"You're right. Compared to Han Bai, Senior Brother Lin Yi is much better. I am starting to like him as well!"
The crowds of new disciples started to discuss among themselves. At this moment, most of them had turned into the fans of Lin Yi.
Surrounded by so many people, Lin Yi was like a superstar.
This feeling felt especially good!
After intoxicated in this feeling for a while, Lin Yi shook his head and woke up from his stupor. Experience was more important! He took a step forward, cupped his hands towards the eightieth courtyard and shouted, "Lin Yi has come to challenge!"
"I accept your challenge!"
The eightieth ranker walked out from his courtyard, cupped his hands, and replied monotonously with a clear face. However, his slightly trembling eyelashes exposed that his current state of mind wasn't calm, but nervous instead.
Lin Yi didn't concerned himself with this as he only had a single thought in his mind.
Time to gain experience!
The eightieth ranker, without further ado, unleashed the skill he was most skilled at, Huashan Swordplay which had reached novice stage. At the same time, he also executed Huashan's Arts of Lightness which had reached novice stage as well!
In the span of one month, the fact that he managed to reach novice stage in both martial arts was enough to prove he was worthy of his rank.
Lin Yi faintly smiled in his heart, unsheated his sword, used a move from Basic Sword Arts[1] to block. Other than this, he didn't reveal any other martial arts.
In the courtyard, the remaining seventy nine new disciples' rankers had a serious look.
"In the end, we still didn't manage to find out his bottom line. Other than Basic Sword Arts, we don't know what the other skills he has!"
"Not quite, though he only used Basic Sword Arts, but his moves could easily block Huashan Swordplay of novice stage can only mean his Basic Sword Arts has reached intermediate stage! As for Arts of Lightness, though he didn't execute any skills, but from how he managed to move without a single misstep, his Arts of Lightness mustn't be low, at least at novice stage!"
The one hundred strongest new disciples gathered and discussed among themselves, trying to find out the bottom line of Lin Yi.
Unfortunately, even when the eightieth ranker used up all moves of Huashan Swordplay, he didn't managed to find out Lin Yi's real strength.
Lin Yi abruptly raised his strength, his sword caused the other sword to fly away. His sword's edge was now 3 cun[2] away from his opponent's neck.
The chilly sword flash made the eightieth ranker felt a shiver in his heart. His body was trembling, with a wry smile, "You have won! Your skill is higher than mine, I admit my defeat!"
System Notification
Quest Rewards : Defeated the eightieth seat of one hundred strongest new disciples, awarded 1,000 combat experience points.
Lin Yi nodded his head then glanced at the experience points he gained and smiled faintly. According to his old rules, he told his opponent his flaws, and some suggestions on how to improve his sword arts.
Soon, the eightieth ranker revealed a grateful look, feeling touched in his heart.
This unfathomable Senior Brother Lin Yi, not only did he let him play out his full ability before using a move to defeat him. After defeating him, instead of mocking him like the others, he gave him guidance on sword arts patiently.
Compared to that cold, arrogant Han Bai
He liked Lin Yi better.
Lin Yi was very satisfied with the grateful look on the eightieth ranker. Bribing' lower courtyard's disciples was something he sowed for the seat of head disciple.
Even if there were no head disciple, for the sake of that 1,000 combat experience points, he would still guided his opponent. Guiding someone would not waste much time and energy. It could even gain their goodwills and make the others feel grateful towards us. So why not?
Lin Yi quite liked this feeling of, defeating the others then give them guidance afterwards.
"Lin Yi has come to challenge!"
"I shall accept your challenge!"
Without stopping, Lin Yi continued to challenge the seventy-ninth seat from the ranks of one hundred strongest new disciples. These disciples were quite straightforward. All of them accepted the challenge directly without wasting any words.
Soon, without a doubt, the seventy-ninth ranker was defeated!
Obtained 1,000 combat experience points.
Issued challenge to the seventy-eighth ranker.
Battle started!
The seventy-eighth ranker was defeated!
Obtained another 1,000 combat experience points.
Under the exclamation by the crowds, one after another prominent one hundred new disciples' rankers were challenged and defeated.
The seventy-seventh ranker was defeated!
The seventy-sixth ranker was defeated!
The seventy-fifth ranker was defeated!
.
The sixty-ninth ranker was defeated!
The sixty-eighth ranker was defeated!
The sixty-seventh ranker was defeated!
.
The sixty-first ranker was defeated!
Completed his mission to defeat twenty seats from the ranks of one hundred strongest new disciples, another 20,000 combat experience points was now in hand!
Lin Yi displayed his martial arts panel.
System Notification
Huashan Swordplay : Intermediate Stage +20 attack, next stage (Advanced Stage), 50,000 combat experience points needed.
Current Experience : 44,200
Another five thousand and eight hundred combat experience points to go, and he would be able to upgrade Huashan Swordplay to advanced stage.
Lin Yi nodded with satisfaction. Nothing else could let him earn combat experience points faster than challenging the ranks of one hundred strongest new disciples. After pondering for these few days, he had gained deeper understanding on how to obtain experience points.
In Great Pugilistic World, as long as he could defeat reputable opponent, he would be able to obtain rewards from achievement quests.
The ranks of one hundred strongest new disciples, in the eyes of more than ten thousand new disciples, were all reputable people, so defeated them would be able to obtain rewards from achievement quests.
One thousand combat experience points, neither too much or too less.
But he's unable to hold much longer. There were too many one hundred strongest disciples!
There were one hundred strongest disciples among new disciples, there were also one hundred strongest disciples among lower courtyard disciples, there were also one hundred strongest disciples in upper courtyard!
With so many one hundred strongest disciples, just how much experience points could he get?
Just the thought about it made Lin Yi trembled with excitement.
On the path to contend for the seat of head disciple, experience points obtained from the rewards of defeating opponents were his biggest gain!
"Old rules, tomorrow I shall come and challenge another twenty ranks!"
Holding the sword with both hands, he lifted his sword facing the independent courtyards, and said plainly. After bidding his farewell, Lin Yi turned around and left. The surrounding crowds quickly made a way for Lin Yi.
Watching Lin Yi's back gradually faded into the distance, the surrounding crowds all felt their blood boiling!
"Senior Brother Lin Yi is so cool!"
The remaining sixty seats which had not been challenged yet had really ugly expression with a serious look to the utmost.
"How unfathomable!"
Everyone thought secretly in their hearts. Even the one who never put Lin Yi in his heart, Han Bai, thought like that as well. He was under pressure, feeling like his position was about to crumble!
[1] It is indeed basic sword arts here (). I'm also curious when did he learn it since the skill he learned previously was basic blade arts ()
[2] 1 cun is approximately 3.2cm