Lin Xun felt somewhat uncomfortable being the center of attention. He smiled bitterly in his heart. Itâs troublesome being famous.
Fortunately, a melodious and clear bell soon rang, raising the curtains to the second round of the examination.
A total of 2,600 cultivators took part in the second round of examination and the examination rules were the same as the first round. Candidates drew lots to choose their opponents and fought in the arena.
However, the duration of the exam had been changed from one hour to half an hour!
In other words, both sides would be eliminated if a winner couldnât be decided within half an hour.
Lin Xunâs opponent was called Yue Zhongtian, which was an unfamiliar name to him. He was arranged to fight on the no. 49 arena and was scheduled to appear in the fourth set of matches.
In other words, Lin Xun would duel in the arena in the fourth set along with ninety-nine cultivators.
Soon, the first set began and two hundred cultivators began to fight with their chosen opponents in the one hundred arenas.
All sorts of cheers, shouting, and excited roars erupted from the audience, shaking the sky and ground. The atmosphere buzzed like never before.
Lin Xun waited in the examination zone, closely watching the battles. Fierce battles broke out one after another and he found that every cultivator was the best among the best.
However, very few were worth his attention. It wasnât that the cultivators werenât strong, but Lin Xunâs strength had long exceeded the normal level. Even cultivators with extraordinary powers didnât interest Lin Xun.
Even so, Lin Xun still watched carefully as different cultivators practiced different cultivation techniques and arts that he could learn from.
Suddenly, a sneer sounded in the distance. âHmph, I donât need you to remind me. I know Lin Xun is powerful but do you think I, Yue Zhongtian, am weak? You guys might fear Lin Xun, but I donât!â
Lin Xun looked over and saw a slender man look offended by the reminder from a group of people.
The slender man was Yue Zhongtian, Lin Xunâs opponent in the second round!
He was slender and tall and dressed in a sapphire blue robe. He had a piercing gaze and exuded a terrifying aura.
He raised his chin slightly, showing arrogance and superiority. He was a prideful young man.
As Yue Zhongtian met Lin Xunâs gaze, his lips curled in a cold smile. Then, he stared at Lin Xun provocatively.
The cultivators near Yue Zhongtian looked awkward when they saw that Lin Xun had noticed them. They secretly cursed Yue Zhongtian for his big mouth. They had only reminded him to be careful out of good intentions. He not only ignored them but also deliberately said it out loud for Lin Xun to hear it.
Lin Xun was surprised to see Wen Mingxiu, Qi Yunxiao and Yuan Shu among the cultivators around Yue Zhongtian!
Wen Mingxiu and the others avoided his gaze and drew away from Yue Zhongtian as though they were afraid that Lin Xun would misunderstand.
âIt seems that guy is a student of Haze Academy,â Lin Xun said thoughtfully as he withdrew his gaze.
Lin Xun ignored Yue Zhongtianâs provocative expression. He wouldnât be so petty to be angry because of a glance.
Who would have thought that Lin Xunâs reaction was a sign of fear and avoidance in Yue Zhongtianâs eyes?
Smiling, he strode towards Lin Xun.
âLin Xun, many people think itâs not good to mess with you but I disagree.â
Yue Zhongtian came to a stop three feet away from Lin Xun, narrowed his eyes, and arrogantly sized him up.
It was a blatant provocation!
Yue Zhongtianâs comrades turned ashen-faced and inwardly scolded the youth for acting too arrogant and looking for trouble.
However, they all knew that was Yue Zhongtianâs personality and no one could do anything about it.
As Lin Xun had speculated, Yue Zhongtian was indeed from Haze Academy and was quite well-known there.
He had just turned sixteen but was already at the Earth Dipper Stage. Although he wasnât as dazzling as Xue Shaolin, Yu Wenjing, Le Zhiyou and Yun Zitong, he was still one of the top figures in Haze Academy.
However, he was obnoxious, arrogant, and had a big mouth. He had caused a lot of trouble in Haze Academy and wasnât very likable. If he wasnât exceptionally talented, he would have been expelled from the school long ago.
The cultivators from there couldnât help shaking their heads and sighing when they saw Yue Zhongtian actively trying to provoke Lin Xun.
Some people watched from afar like it was a show.
However, Lin Xun didnât even glance at Yue Zhongtian and completely disregarded him. It was as though he felt the teen was a weirdo and didnât want to lower himself to engage with him.
However, the more Lin Xun ignored him, the more Yue Zhongtian wanted to push him further. He said aggressively, âDo you want to know what I think of you?â
âNo,â Lin Xun answered very bluntly.
Yue Zhongtianâs face stiffened. Then, he smiled coldly. âYou are indeed very arrogant. I admit that youâre strong, but itâs a shame about your character. To make money, you didnât hesitate to help promote a business during the exam. You have tarnished the name and integrity of cultivators!â
He was not only rude but pointed Lin Xun in the face and berated him.
Many people were dumbfounded. Although they knew that Yue Zhongtian was nuts, they didnât expect him to be that crazy!
Lin Xun was his opponent in the next match. What if Lin Xun defeated him in the arena?
It didnât end there. Yue Zhongtian continued to sneer, sounding arrogant and conceited, âOf course, this is your own clown behavior and itâs fine as long as you donât bother other people, but donât forget this is the provincial exam and what you do doesnât just affect you! Youâ¦â
Lin Xun finally responded. He glowered at Yue Zhongtian and interrupted him, âWhat are you trying to say?â
This guy is too noisy. He has rambled endlessly like an annoying fly. Even good-tempered people would lose their patience at this point.
Many nearby cultivators felt a chill as they realized that Yue Zhongtianâs endless attacks had finally angered Lin Xun.
âThat guy is just asking for death! Just because he is at the Earth Dipper Stage, he is looking down on Lin Xun. Heâs too naive and immature!â Qi Yunxiao whispered. Even if he hated Lin Xun to the bone, he had to admit that Lin Xun was a monster. Various previous incidents had already proved that whoever underestimated Lin Xun would suffer!
However, Yue Zhongtian recklessly tried to provoke Lin Xun. What a joke!
A lot of people had the same thought as Qi Yunxiao. People like Wen Mingxiu and Yuan Shu had already had a taste of Lin Xunâs ability in the past and knew that Yue Zhongtianâs action was incredibly stupid.
Yue Zhongtian unexpectedly said, âItâs very simple, I want to make a bet with you.â
Lin Xun frowned. âBet what?â
Yue Zhongtian smiled coldly, âBet that you canât knock me out of the arena like how you defeated Tan Long!â
What bet was that?
Everyone almost couldnât believe what they heard. Yue Zhongtian acted so arrogantly just now, so how could he propose such a bet?
Knock him out of the arena within one move? Is there such a bizarre bet in the world?
If they hadn't witnessed it with their own eyes, they would think that Yue Zhongtian was crazy. They would never agree to such a ridiculous bet let alone Lin Xun.
One move?
Clearly, he wanted to stand in an invincible position. Only an idiot would agree to the bet.
In many peopleâs view, Yue Zhongtian might not be a match for Lin Xun but he could easily block Lin Xunâs attack without being defeated!
Based on that, Yue Zhongtianâs proposed bet was not only absurd but also completely unreasonable.
Lin Xun was taken aback at first. He thought that Yue Zhongtian had some ability given how arrogant and conceited he acted, but who would have thought that it was all an act to provoke him to accept his ridiculous bet?
âWhat, are you afraid? Ten moves is fine too. Of course, since itâs a bet, there has to be a wager. Letâs each bet ten thousand gold coins.â
Seeing that Lin Xun didnât say a word, Yue Zhongtian became increasingly smug, and his face was full of disdain.
Just when everyone thought that Lin Xun would refuse, he smirked. âAll right, I accept. Ten thousand gold coins, right? Prepare it for me!â
Yue Zhongtianâs eyes lit up. He didnât expect Lin Xun to agree!
The others thought that he was extremely arrogant and that he was stupid to provoke Lin Xun repeatedly, but only he knew that he did it for the bet!
Regardless of how crazy Yue Zhongtian was, he wasnât an idiot. Otherwise, he wouldnât have earned the strength and reputation he had today. He knew that his chance of winning was slim against Lin Xun so he thought of a way to minimize the impact of a failure.
The proposed bet may seem shameless and ridiculous but Yue Zhongtian was confident in winning the bet as long as Lin Xun agreed to it. If he won the bet, even if he lost to Lin Xun in the second round, it wouldnât be as humiliating!
This was Yue Zhongtianâs thought. His face was alight with excitement and a hint of smugness when he heard Lin Xun agree.
However, Lin Xunâs next sentence made his heart tremble.
âYou donât need to change the conditions of the bet to ten moves. One move is enough.â
Lin Xun turned around to leave the area.
Yue Zhongtian should have been more delighted, but for some reason, as he watched Lin Xunâs handsome figure leave, a bad feeling rose in his heart.