Chapter 389: Tournament Rules (1/2)

Chapter 389: Tournament Rules

Three people, three separate rooms. Of course Lan Jue and Qianlin would meet at night to cultivate their powers, but it would be done secretly to avoid questions and preserve Qianlin’s reputation.

After the ladies left, Chu Cheng remained with Lan Jue in his suite. “So what’s the deal – what brings you to Luo this time around? The Avenue sent several representatives, young ninth level Adepts, but what’s the North’s play here?” Lan Jue asked.

As a member of the Hades bloodline and under protection of the North, Chu Cheng was naturally a member of the Great Conclave. His all-pervasive disinterest assured, though, that he didn’t have any real responsibility in the organization. But with his reputation, and his ninth level seventh rank Discipline, he was still a well respected member.

Chu Cheng replied. “On the surface, it’s all about friendly inter-Adept exchange. Underneath they’ve got other plans. One of them is of course to see just how powerful our competition is. The sudden rise of two Paragons from the Avenue, and it’s unexpected pressure on the two Citadels has made the Conclave nervous. They’ve changed tack.”

“One of them, you said. What are the others objectives?” He asked.

Chu Cheng’s normally jovial and impudent expression grew serious. “It has to do with those aliens. The North has gathered a fair bit of information about them after several exploratory missions. They even brought back some physical evidence. The science and tech department has been hard at work analyzing the findings. I believe they should share their findings sometime during the tournament. I don’t know the specifics, but if the reaction of the North’s upper brass is any indication than this is serious. These creatures are a hell of a lot stronger than we thought.”

Lan Jue’s face was hard as he peered in to the distance. He knew precisely how strong these things were. Between the Clairvoyant’s forecasts and his own experience on Taihua, there were probably few who understood them better than he.

The universe was vast. There had always been a significant possibility that some strong outside force might be encountered. It was wise for the North to use this opportunity to spread awareness. It was already a danger to the whole of the human species.

Chu Cheng went on. “All efforts in the hopes that we can survive what’s coming. The North already sent three Bastion ships out to the area as a precaution. If those alien planets are found encroaching on the territory, then war is inevitable. The Northern Alliance will be the first to face them.”

Lan Jue nodded. “If they do attack, I’ll be right there on the front lines. I plan to join the military. What’s your plan?”

“Military?” Chu Cheng shot his friend a surprised look. “Shoulder to shoulder with the big guy, eh?”

Again he nodded. “We don’t leave a man behind, right?”

Chu Cheng gave him a thumbs-up. “Word. I guess I’ll kick up some trouble myself if it comes to that, and join the army as well. Hopefully hostilities between the East and North will be forgotten by then and we can join forces. After all, we have a common enemy.”

Lan Jue grunted in acknowledgement. “That’s the hope. Unfortunately there’s a lot of history between the three Alliances. If it isn’t taken care of then It’ll be a serious handicap. So what else, other than this announcement. How is this tournament going to be run?”

“Nothing complicated,” Chu Cheng assured. “A simply show of strength. There was a period of indecision, but eventually they landed on some rules. Anyone under forty is allowed to participate, and the prizes are well worth the effort. I think at last estimation, there’ll be around two thousand Adepts competing – all top grade adepts. The actual match-ups will be decided by drawing lots so luck is also a factor. I think your first round is against a seventh level Adept. You won’t have any trouble… that is, unless you pull my name out later. Then you’re in for some trouble!”

Lan Jue patted his head in exasperation. “When pigs fly. Go on.”

“Well, with so many people they had to keep things simple. It starts with elimination rounds until we’re down to sixteen competitors. Then, they’ll be separated in to four pairs. Once the losers are eliminated, those four will compete. Anyone who gets passed the elimination rounds will getbonus prize – an a-ranked power gem for getting in the semi-finals. Anyone in the finals will get an s-ranked gem, with an extra s-ranked gem for the grand champion. Runners-up will earn stones whose rarity will be based on their final standing. But they don’t accumulate. You only get the highest award you’ve acquired.”

Lan Jue nodded. “Easy is right, but also the best way to go about it. The whole thing shouldn’t take too long to complete. Is it all one-on-one, or is there anything else going on?”

His companion shook his head. “Nope. But I did hear some talk about an all-in mecha melee between the three Alliances. It’s supposed to happen when DreamNet’s completed its upgrades. The idea is to inspire more young people to work hard and join up. Pilots are going to see combat so this is likely to help prepare everyone for what’s to come.”

“Good plan,” Lan Jue commented. “That was also the idea behind our competition with the Star Alliance. Has the North instituted a draft?”

“Not just yet. There’s still some time before the threat reaches us. They won’t just show up on our doorstep,” Chu Cheng said.