High Martial Arts: Grinding for the Supreme Talent

Chapter 316: Chapter 316: The Might of Xia Country

”We don’t need subtitles. We can understand the Xia Country Language.”

”We’ve had to learn two foreign languages since we were kids: the Xia Country Language and English!”

”I wonder how strong the Martial Artists from Xia Country are?”

Many contestants were murmuring among themselves, full of curiosity about everything they were seeing.

”Welcome, contestants, to the first round of the Eastern Region preliminaries!”

”A total of 108,500 contestants are participating.”

”Our first round is a free-for-all battle royale, divided into ten matches. In each match, over 10,000 contestants will fight to the death. Only the final 1,000 survivors will successfully advance to the second round.”

”Additionally, even contestants who are eliminated will receive 1,000,000 Xia Country Coins!”

”And those who advance will receive at least 2,000,000 Xia Country Coins!”

As soon as this was announced, the people from the various countries grew restless.

”It’s as brutal as they say. Ten to one. We’re all geniuses from our respective countries, yet only the 1,000 strongest will advance!”

”I’ll be one of the last ones standing and make it through!”

”One million Xia Country Coins... that converts to a huge sum for us. I could buy so many resources with that.”

”Our country is too weak. The geniuses from nations like Xia Country don’t care about this money, but for me, it’s a completely different story.”

”Two million Xia Country Coins... I have to get it. I need that money so badly,” one contestant said, clenching his fists.

Not everyone looked down on this amount of money. For those from poorer countries, it could be used to purchase a great deal of resources.

A great many people were fired up.

”I’d like to wish all of you contestants the best of luck in advancing!”

”And now, let us welcome the contestants for the first match.”

Xu Wenji announced in a loud voice.

He spread his massive palm, and a giant arena began to expand wildly.

”BOOM!”

Before their very eyes, it transformed into a massive arena: the ruins of a city ravaged by Calamity Beasts.

Within the dilapidated city, crumbling walls and rubble were everywhere. The air was thick with smoke, filled with the oppressive aura of death.

At the same time, from the 24 Floating Islands, people were continuously transformed into crimson pillars of light, slowly descending into the arena.

A full 10,000 crimson pillars of light descended!

”All contestants have 30 seconds to select their Combat Suits and Weapons.”

Xu Wenji’s voice echoed in the ears of everyone inside. A screen appeared before each person, displaying prompts in different languages.

Everyone within began to choose their Combat Suits and Weapons.

[Countdown complete!]

[First Match of the Preliminaries now begins!]

As the automated voice made the announcement, the crimson pillars of light dissipated, revealing the 10,000 contestants.

”Kill!”

The contestants from different countries spoke in different languages, but their intent was the same.

Their faces twisted into savage expressions as their Qi Blood erupted. Their bodies grew frenzied, like ferocious beasts.

Everyone brandished the sharp Weapons in their hands and charged toward the nearest enemies.

”BANG!”

”CLANG! CLANG!”

In the span of a breath, the slaughter had begun. Weapons clashed, and in such a brutal contest, no one would choose to show mercy.

They attacked with their full strength from the very start. The system had even intentionally placed contestants from different countries together, so they felt even less pressure to hold back when killing.

”PFFT—”

From the Floating Island, Lin Qi could clearly see the battles unfolding in the arena.

His gaze was fixed on the contestants from powerful nations like Tianzhu, Japan, Silla, Tailande, and the Thousand Islands, wanting to observe their combat styles.

”The quality of contestants in this first round of the preliminaries is really high. The fighters from the other countries aren’t weak either,” Jiangtao remarked from the side.

Lin Qi nodded in agreement. The quality of the geniuses was indeed very high.

”Still, for Guan Shan, it’s just a matter of a single slash,” Li Zhou suddenly said.

Everyone looked over and saw a lean, powerful figure in the arena, engaged in a frenzied slaughter.

It was Guan Shan. He brandished a silver Battle Saber, as chilling as the winds from the North River.

He killed anyone he saw. The Martial Artists from other countries had never encountered a genius of this level.

Many contestants swung their Weapons to block, but it was like facing a bone-chilling gale. They couldn’t resist, their throats slit by the fierce wind as they died.

”PFFT—”

”It’s a genius from Xia Country! Run!”

A dark-skinned Martial Artist from a Small Country stared in terror at the warrior brandishing the Battle Saber.

The surrounding Martial Artists fell into a panic as they read the information floating above Guan Shan’s head.

[Name: Guan Shan (Xia Country)]

The Xia Country flag behind his name was incredibly conspicuous.

They all knew this was a Top-Level genius from Xia Country.

”Too weak!”

Guan Shan’s expression was murderous. He brandished his Battle Saber, but inwardly, he shook his head.

’These geniuses from other countries can’t even block a single one of my slashes.’

In less than a minute, he had already killed five people in a row. ℴ

He transformed into a phantom and charged at the Martial Artist before him.

His opponent was merely a Martial Artist from a Small Country. Sensing extreme danger, he turned, only to be met with a flash of cold light.

”PFFT—”

In an instant, his head separated from his body. His world turned upside down as his body turned to Void and vanished into thin air.

「Three minutes later」

[Match over!]

The automated voice sounded, and the remaining 1,000 people were returned to their home country’s Floating Island.

The first match didn’t last long, only a short ten minutes, but the reactions from the contestants of each country were vastly different.

「On the Floating Island of a certain Small Country.」

”They’re too strong!”

”I was insta-killed!”

”Me too! My opponent was way too powerful!”

”I was the top genius at my academy, and yet I was killed in a single slash.”

”Boss, our country lost 600 people in the first match. That’s over two-thirds of us.”

Hearing this, everyone fell silent. For the first time, they truly felt the gap in strength.

It was the same for the other countries.

”The strength of countries like Tianzhu Country, Japan, and Tailande is immense.”

”But the strongest is Xia Country. Their geniuses can each take on ten opponents, like tigers descending from the mountains. No one can withstand their Sharpness.”

In the second-tier area, the reactions from the Tianzhu and Japanese contestants also varied.

”Mr. Yokota, you performed well. It’s just a shame you lost to a genius from Xia Country.”

”Haha, I killed a lot of those Silla Kingdom bastards.”

”We and Japan are mortal enemies. When I get in, I’ll slaughter every last one of those guys.”

...

On the highest-level Floating Island, belonging to Xia Country, everyone was also in discussion.

”I killed 5 opponents. You?”

”I got 6. That’s one more than you.”

”The opponents are too weak. We have so many geniuses in Xia Country who are stronger than them. I don’t get why there are only 20,000 slots,” someone asked, confused.

”It’s probably to give the contestants from other countries a chance. Otherwise, there’d be too few people participating,” someone else answered.

After returning, Guan Shan shook his head and said, ”What a shame. It ended after I only killed 15 people!”

Jiangtao laughed. ”That’s pretty good! There were a few experts near you!”

”If you had kept killing, you might have run into them.”

...

”Alright everyone, let’s now welcome the contestants for the second match!”

Xu Wenji shouted loudly once again.

In the next instant, another 10,000 contestants were enveloped in crimson pillars of light and descended into the arena.

”Brother Qi is up!” someone suddenly shouted.

Many people turned their gazes to the arena. The top geniuses from Azure Sky Martial Arts Academy, Nether Sea Martial Academy, and Shanyu Martial Arts University, as well as the geniuses from the Tenth Institute, all looked toward the arena.

”The contestants from other countries in this match are screwed. No matter what kind of genius they are, they can only blame their bad luck,” Jiangtao said with a gloating laugh.

...