Chapter 103 Filling in the Gaps
Page 1
“The first place goes to... Song Qi from the Seventh District. According to the rules, he earns 30 points.”
A collective gasp!
Though everyone already knew the outcome, hearing it announced aloud still drew murmurs of astonishment from the crowd. Many contestants turned their heads toward Song Qi, whispering amongst themselves.
“Who would’ve thought? The Seventh District actually took first place in this survival match.”
“Usually, the top three districts sweep the podium. This year, a dark horse has emerged.”
“Is it really that unusual? I recall every few years in the Genius Tournament, a dark horse appears.”
“It’s not unheard of for another district to snatch first place in a single round.”
“But this time is different! This dark horse is darker than ever!” one person said gravely.
“This year, the First District sent Li Zong, a descendant of the Great Emperor Li Er, to compete!”
“With his pedigree, Li Zong should have crushed his peers with unrivaled dominance!”
“That’s the consensus among nearly everyone!”
“If someone had told you before today that Li Zong would lose even a single round, you’d have thought they’d lost their mind.”
“But now? He actually lost this round?”
“Who could have foreseen this?”
Another nodded in agreement.
“Li Zong’s reputation has grown immense these past years, with the authorities quietly fueling the myth, deliberately forging his legend. The First District even has a fan club devoted to him.”
“Once word spreads, even if Li Zong simply had bad luck, there will be people who refuse to accept it.”
Boom!~~
The man on the stage, seeing the crowd erupt into chatter, slammed his staff down once more and called out sharply.
“Silence!”
Buzz!~~
His voice wasn’t loud, but every student felt a ringing in their heads, quickly followed by clarity. The hall fell quiet at once.
“Now, let’s continue...”
“Second place: Li Zong from the First District, earning 25 points.”
“Third place: Bai Yuanjun from the First District, earning 20 points.”
“Fourth place: Lien Maynard from the Tenth District, earning 15 points...”
“Fifth place: from the Second District...”
...
For this survival match, the top five started at 30 points, decreasing by 5 for each rank.
Those ranked sixth through fifteenth received points starting at 9, decreasing by 1 for each subsequent place.
Those ranked beyond fifteenth earned no points.
After announcing the results, the white-robed, middle-aged man on stage raised his staff once more.
Page 2
“This competition has concluded. Please do not linger in the wild; return to your district as soon as possible.”
“Tomorrow at noon, the team match will be held in the central area of the First District. The exact location and time are detailed in your participant handbook.”
“Well, then... farewell!”
With that, he waved his staff and vanished instantly.
As he departed, the contestants erupted in excitement. Many rushed over to surround Song Qi.
“Wow! You beat Li Zong, the legend!”
“Hey, champ, any tips on training? You clear monsters so fast—do you grind levels in the wild a lot?”
“Hey, I heard you’re a summoner. Can you show us your summoned spirit?”
“I heard people from the Seventh District can’t even afford meat?”
“Strange, you don’t look particularly extraordinary...”
Song Qi was taken aback.
Come on, if you say I can’t afford meat, I’ll chalk it up to innocent curiosity.
But saying I look plain? That’s a bit much—that’s a personal insult.
Plain-looking? Me?
Song Qi glared at the offender.
Just wait, if I catch you in tomorrow’s team match!
Seeing this, Chu Shaojiang, who stood behind him, stepped forward and parted the crowd.
“Excuse us, please! You’re blocking the way!”
“My brother Song’s had a long day and needs to rest—let him through!”
“Song Qi, this way!”
Under Chu Shaojiang’s escort, Song Qi made it out of the crowd smoothly.
As he approached the teleportation array, he instinctively glanced back toward Li Zong.
He found that Li Zong, so different from how he’d been during their earlier interactions, now appeared proud and aloof, basking in the cheers and adoration surrounding him.
“So this is what he meant by maintaining his dignity?”
Song Qi scratched his head, unable to comprehend the behavior.
Why go to such lengths to put on a facade?
Was there some purpose behind it?
Finding no answer, he shook his head and stepped into the teleportation array.
...
Back in the district.
“Beep! Your account has been credited with one hundred eighty million!”
No sooner had Song Qi walked out than his phone received a notification.
He checked—those items he’d put up for auction earlier had all been sold.
Page 3
“Nearly two hundred million from the sale? That’s a pleasant surprise—fifty million more than I expected.”
Song Qi glanced around.
It was already ten o’clock at night.
Had he been in the Seventh District, which lacked nightlife, the streets would have been deserted by now.
But here in the First District, life seemed only to be beginning. Shop signs and streetlights illuminated the entire neighborhood as if it were daytime. Crowds drifted through the streets.
Song Qi sent Chu Shaojiang off, opened the map app, and made his way toward the First District’s Professional Hall.
He wasn’t going to summon his third spirit yet.
He still had four draws left before the system’s guaranteed lottery.
Having gauged the intensity of this Genius Tournament, he was confident of making the top three in the team match tomorrow.
As long as he placed in the top three, he’d earn four more draws—enough for a guaranteed reward.
Thus, he wasn’t in a hurry to summon tonight.
This time, he was heading over to see if there were any skills available for defending against soul attacks.
It was also a preparation for tomorrow’s match, in case someone actually had soul-targeting abilities.
The Professional Halls across the districts were built similarly.
Soon, Song Qi arrived at the auction area of the First District.
After some browsing, a legendary skill called “Soul Guard” caught his eye.
[Skill Book: Soul Guard]
[Quality: Legendary]
[Restriction: None]
[Skill Description: This is a passive skill. When the user suffers a soul-type attack, a soul shield is automatically triggered, blocking all damage. Shield strength is determined by the user’s mental fortitude, and can withstand soul attacks up to fifteen times the user’s mental attribute.]
[Max Level: Cannot be upgraded]
“A pure defensive skill, fixed price... eighty million?!”
“That cheap?”
“Then again, it makes sense. It’s purely defensive and only works against soul attacks, so the price is reasonable.”
If it were a soul-based offensive skill, it would fetch an astronomical price!
But soul-type defensive skills depend on demand. Since soul-targeting abilities are so rare, few are willing to waste a skill slot on them.
“Sold!”
Song Qi bought it outright without hesitation.
It might not be worth it for others, but for Song Qi, anything that could save his life was a great skill!
Soon, the skill book was delivered to him by the staff.