Realizer of Death : The Reaper

The thirty-two participants have gathered in arena D and are waiting for the referees to take the lottery numbers for the next round. Tenku looked around and found some people he recognized among them. He saw Gu Qingyang, Lin Zhantian, Long Aotian, and Wang Xiqing.

But the replacement outside participant of the second elder was nowhere to be seen and Tenku was sure that person didn't pass the preliminaries. He had expected that the first three people would enter the next round, but he was slightly surprised because Wang Xiqing could pass the preliminary round with his strength.

Wang Xin had joined Wang Zeming and the others. Unfortunately, Wang Xiuying was eliminated in the preliminary round. She didn't immediately return to the Wang family residence but gathered with the other participants who didn't make it to the next round.

Not long after, Jin Zhaohui appeared along with the other seven referees from each of the battle arenas. He stood in front of the other referees and opened his mouth.

"Congratulations on passing the preliminary round! After this, you will have the real match of the martial arts competition. We will use a knockout or single-elimination system in the next round. Thirty-two people will become sixteen people. Then sixteen will become eight, and so on until two people are left in the final." Jin Zhaohui stopped his explanation and smiled. After that, he spoke again.

"Now, line up and take your lottery numbers. Keep it well, and don't tell others. This is to make this competition run fairly and without cheating. If you get caught doing it, then you will be disqualified regardless of which family you come from." Jin Zhaohui emphasized the last sentence while looking at the Gu family participant.

Gu Qingyang knew that Jin Zhaohui was warning him. Jin Zhaohui and the seven referees must have realized what was happening in arena F. Twelve cultivators teamed up to attack a single participant. There must be someone influential behind them because there was no way they would gang up on a participant without cause. But Gu Qingyang didn't care about that and responded with a smile.

After the thirty-two participants heard Jin Zhaohui's words, they quickly formed a line to take the lottery numbers for the next round. Some casually took the paper in the box, and the rest chose it carefully for fear of meeting a strong opponent.

It didn't take them long to get their lottery numbers. The participants opened the paper in their hands carefully so as not to be seen by the people around them.

Tenku unfolded the paper in his hand and saw the number 28. After that, he folded it again and put it in his pocket. Tenku didn't know who his opponent would be.

"You have to remember your numbers well. The first round of the martial arts competition will start tomorrow morning. The thirty-two participants do not need to return to their homes because we have provided accommodation for them." Jin Zhaohui pointed at a three-story building not far away.

The building is big enough for a hundred people to live in, and all parts are made of wood but look very sturdy. They used the trees cut down from that place as materials.

When Tenku arrived at the competition area, he was confused by the building and thought it had existed long ago. But he didn't expect the building to be built along with the battle arena.

The organizers provided a building for residence because not all the cultivators participating in the competition were from Beijing. They come from various regions in all corners of China.

The residence could be considered a facility for participants who made it into the top thirty-two. Apart from them, the patriarchs and elders of the four major families and the city lord would also be staying at the place to watch over them.

"We understand, Elder Jin!" The participants answered in unison.

"In that case, you can disperse!" Jin Zhaohui said and left the arena with the seven referees.

"Brother! I will return to the Wang family residence together with the others. But I will come back here tomorrow to watch your match!" Wang Xiuying jogged over to Wang Xin. Her face looked sad because she couldn't join them in the next round. Wang Xiuying was embarrassed to have been eliminated in the preliminary round.

"Yes, you should go back and rest. Has your wound been treated?" Wang asked with concern.

"I'm fine now. Can't you see that I can run?" Wang Xiuying tried to show her older brother that she was fine and then turned her gaze to Tenku.

"I heard about your match, Tenku. One against twelve, and you beat them without breaking a sweat! You are amazing! I didn't expect you to be that strong!" Wang Xin said excitedly.

"I was lucky because my opponent was weak." Tenku shook her head and answered calmly. He didn't look arrogant or humble.

"If only I weren't injured, I would have come to arena F to watch your match." Wang Xin said disappointedly.

"Okay. You should return to the Wang family's mansion now. Can't you see that the others are waiting for you? You can still watch our match tomorrow." Wang Xin flicked his sister's forehead and reminded her.

"Ah, I'm sorry! In that case, I'll take my leave now and go home with them! You should rest to recover your stamina and strength after the match! See you tomorrow!" Wang Xiuying waved to Tenku and the others and left the place with the eliminated Wang family participants.

"Finally, she's gone. By the way…" Wang Xin sighed and then looked at a girl who shouldn't be with them.

"What is Miss Yuxin doing here?" He looked at Huang Yuxin next to Tenku. Wang Xin couldn't help but recognize one of the most beautiful women in Beijing.

Wang Ruyue and Wang Zeming looked at each other and smiled bitterly. On the other hand, Tenku could only sigh and walk away from that place towards the building that would be their residence. Wang Zeming and the others followed behind and left Wang Xin without giving him an answer.

"What happened to them?" Wang Xin said confusedly.

***

Time flies and the day has turned to night. Badaling National Forest Park's atmosphere was noisier than usual because many people passed by. Part of the area has been converted into a battle arena and a building. In one of the rooms within the residential building of the competition's participants, Gu Qingyang sat opposite his grandfather, Gu Yuxuan.

"What should we do, grandpa? I saw firsthand the boy's fighting ability. If he were allowed to grow, he would harm the Gu family." Gu Qingyang said seriously.

"I also saw the match. I didn't expect Wang Haotian could get such a great disciple. If he was allowed to live, he would become a thorn in the Gu family's plan." Gu Yuxuan said in a low voice. He agreed with his grandson's words. Tenku's fighting ability was terrible, and he could feel the threat from the boy even a little bit.

"Then, what are you going to do, grandpa?" Gu Qingyang asked impatiently. He wanted to kill Tenku with his own hands for humiliating him today. If he can't, he will hand it over to someone else as long as Tenku dies.

"You don't need to worry. I have discussed this matter with the patriarch, who has given us the approval to act tonight." Gu Yuxuan smiled to comfort Gu Qingyang. He knew his grandson was furious at being humiliated in front of so many people, and he felt the same way about him.

"But how are we going to do it, grandpa? Have you forgotten that someone is protecting him secretly? We have lost two practitioners in the Sky Origin realm, which has become a great loss for us. If we lose another one, then the strength of the Gu family will decrease drastically.

Do I have to do it alone in the battle arena? Even though he's strong, I'm sure I can beat him easily with my strength." Gu Qingyang said confidently. He was hesitant to send another assassin to kill Tenku because he was worried about the person secretly protecting that boy.

The Gu family had to be careful because they didn't know how strong a cultivator was. If they randomly sent people to kill Tenku, they might get the same results as they did yesterday.

"I know about it. You don't need to worry because I already have a plan. This time I'm sure we can get rid of that boy. Once they act, I'm sure the cultivator protecting the boy won't be able to do anything about it, and the organizers of the competition won't find out about it either." Gu Yuxuan explained.

"When are we going to act, grandpa?" Gu Qingyang felt excited when he heard Gu Yuxuan's words. He wanted to kill Tenku immediately and see the expressions of Wang Ruyue and Wang Zeming tomorrow.

"That plan has been running since you, and I chatted here. So he will die tonight!" Gu Yuxuan smiled horribly and followed with his grandson's evil laugh.

***

After finding his room inside the building, Tenku didn't immediately rest but sat cross-legged on his bed and cultivated. He felt the Qi within the building was abundant, though not as much as in the Wang family residence. But it was enough to help him practice.

Tenku didn't want to waste any time and kept trying to increase his strength. But while focused on cultivating, he heard a knock on the door.

Knock!

"Who?" Tenku opened her eyes and asked, but he didn't hear any reply from outside. He got up from his bed to check who had come into his room at this hour. But when Tenku opened the door, he saw no one in front of his room and only found a letter on the floor.

Tenku quickly took the letter and opened it. He suddenly smiled as he read the contents.

"Didn't they underestimate my IQ? I wonder what they are planning now." Tenku said in a low voice and quickly put the letter in his pocket. He changed his clothes and left the building in secret.

Tenku walked for quite a while until he arrived at a valley far from the competition area. Fortunately, the letter explained in detail the location where he should go. Otherwise, he would get lost as he was not familiar with the area around Badaling National Forest Park. But when he stepped foot in that place, he frowned as he felt an energy suddenly appear and trap him inside. After that, Tenku saw twenty black-clothed people appear from behind the trees.