The King of Urban Mercenaries

"Number one..."

Everyone looked at Butcher with a speechless expression. Butcher was also a bit helpless; he didn’t expect to draw number one, meaning he’d be the first to step into the arena. The point was, his strength...

Lin Fei and the others all knew that the first person to step onto the stage would attract significant attention, since the first match was crucial in grabbing people’s interest.

"That means your opponent must be either number two or the last one!" Xue Zhi spoke, gazing around, unable to identify who it was.

However, at that moment, after staff members had finished collecting some data, everyone put their number plates back into the box again.

Two minutes later, the list of 300 participants was posted on the bulletin board.

Lin Fei and his group looked towards the board and found Butcher listed as first, while Shangguan Mingshang was second. This made everyone worry for Butcher because Shangguan Mingshang possessed formidable strength and had even pulled a stunt to enter the ten-year division for revenge for his sister.

But it wasn’t only Shangguan Mingshang who resorted to this tactic; others had done so too. Their families had long calculated the date and sent formidable individuals to safer divisions. Shangguan Mingshang was one of them.

Not just Shangguan Mingshang, but Murong Gang from the Murong Family. This guy was definitely older than Lin Fei, yet he had shown up in the ten-year division!

Of course, Lin Fei wasn’t aware that victory in one division wasn’t their main concern. What they aimed for was to challenge the twenty-year division and enter a special division with unique rewards. These special rewards surpassed even the top ten rewards in the twenty-year division, prompting many families to employ such underhanded tactics.

This sort of thing is difficult to guard against. Naturally, in the ten-year division, becoming one of the top ten wasn’t something for ordinary people. Defeating them required immense strength.

When Lin Fei looked at Shangguan Mingshang, the latter also happened to glance over at Lin Fei and even smiled. But to Lin Fei, the smile felt dangerous. He was convinced that if Shangguan Mingshang faced his brother Butcher, he wouldn’t hold back and might even intensify his attacks!

However, the rankings were set and couldn’t be changed anymore. Lin Fei looked around and observed the vast arena they stood on, with eight similar-sized arenas lined up on the open ground, forming a straight line. On both sides of this line were two rows of audience seats.

This indicated that the audience could move to other arenas as they pleased.

Among these nine arenas, the centennial group had the least people, with increasing numbers in the others, until Lin Fei’s group, which had the most participants at 300.

But this group had fewer spectators, as they were all from the younger generation, whose strength varied greatly, lacking highlights. In contrast, the centennial group’s arena had the most people; the duels between top-tier experts were captivating. From these battles, they could discern their own path and determine their direction.

After all, paths are laid underfoot, but how to walk them was a mystery to many. Observing the paths of their predecessors might illuminate their understanding and lead to a smoother future.

As for Lin Fei’s side, the audience was mostly ordinary disciples from various sects, here to cheer and support their fellow members.

Hence, in Lin Fei’s lower-tier division, the audience was merely spectators, whereas in the centennial or ninety-year divisions, the audience sought comprehension rather than a mere contest.

Lin Fei eagerly wanted an end, knowing his fellow disciples were also engaged in this match, like Abba or Bai Qi, whom he had helped before. Bai Qi, despite not having Lin Fei’s strength, was assigned to the twenty-year group, indicating a lack of foul play. Lin Fei was quite anxious!

At times, this is how it is: if one cheats, they’re morally criticized, but not doing so often results in disastrous outcomes, subjecting them to ridicule. In such cases, those geniuses might not even appear in an entire sect.

Therefore, Lin Fei approached Butcher and advised him, "If you encounter Shangguan Mingshang, just concede. Don’t fight him!"

"Why, boss? I don’t want to lose. It’s humiliating!" Butcher was unwilling; his nature made it impossible to admit defeat so easily!

"Butcher, you better listen to our boss; he won’t harm you. I don’t think you’ll encounter Shangguan Mingshang. It’s probably the first number against the last," Radar offered his perspective, clearly having a different take.

Butcher glanced at number three hundred and scoffed, "I don’t want to fight a kid. I’d rather be thrown onto the battlefield for a thrill."

Lin Fei was speechless, but this wasn’t something Butcher could control. "It’s all about luck. Butcher, remember, you don’t need to win, just concede. This isn’t the time for reckless bravery; it’s a matter of life and death."

Lin Fei sincerely hoped Butcher wouldn’t face Shangguan Mingshang, as they were leagues apart—one being an amateur and the other a professional.

Though Radar felt a fleeting sense of relief, it wasn’t long before it was shattered.

At this moment, one of the hosts in the arena addressed the contestants, "Now, I give you two choices for the battle order. One is sequential: one versus two, two versus three, and so on. The second is one against the last, two versus the second last. Which do you choose? Raise your hand for choice one."

Immediately, many opted for the second method, breaking the silence, choosing what was more favorable for them.

Clearly, most of number three hundred’s group preferred the second option, including Lin Fei and his friends.

However, the elderly host nodded, "Since you’ve all decided, we’ll adopt the first option for the ten-year group. Prepare for battle!"