C282
In the disarray of the room, Reinhardt sat silently on the only sofa that remained unscathed, a glimmer of wisdom in his eyes.
Indeed, Reinhardt was not himself today, and he was well aware of his own odd behavior. Yet, the unfolding events had surpassed his expectations.
Reinhardt and Cage had previously shared the same view of him. Reinhardt had little regard for Chu Yi. Despite Chu Yi's talent being on par with his own, Reinhardt simply couldn't respect someone like him.
However, today's encounter with Chu Yi up close prompted a shift in Reinhardt's perspective. Chu Yi was not at all as Reinhardt had envisioned. From a distance, one might not discern much, but upon closer interaction, Reinhardt felt a profound realization: Chu Yi was undoubtedly cut from the same cloth as himself. There was no concrete evidence, only an indescribable intuition, yet Reinhardt trusted this gut feeling.
If it were just about that, Reinhardt would never have engaged in such folly. The catalyst for his abrupt change of heart was a secret he harbored—a sense of fate, a vague yet potent perception of destiny.
This was Reinhardt's unique gift, akin to the special talent many believed Chu Yi possessed in repairing the virtual compass. Reinhardt truly had a remarkable sense of fate and destiny.
Perhaps from a great distance, due to his own limited strength, Reinhardt couldn't sense much. But once he was by Chu Yi's side, feeling the intermingling of their auras, Reinhardt was utterly astounded. It was frightening beyond words, a terror so profound that even the term 'terrifying' seemed inadequate.
In that instant, his unique perception conveyed to him that Chu Yi was endowed with karmic fortune. This, in itself, wasn't unusual. Every exceptional prodigy, every genius, and even ordinary beings carried their own karmic luck.
The distinction lay in the magnitude of that luck. Having sensed the karmic fortunes of numerous exceptional individuals and supreme beings, Reinhardt could confidently assert that his own karmic luck was the most intense he had ever encountered.
Even when compared to the Sky War God Level titan he had once met in Oleini, that individual's karmic fortune paled in comparison to his own, not even amounting to a third of what he possessed.
Reinhardt once believed himself to be the favored child of destiny, the foremost person on the planet.
But upon encountering Chu Yi and experiencing the magnitude of Chu Yi's fortune, Reinhardt realized his mistake.
How to describe Chu Yi's luck?
Reinhardt had only one impression.
If his own luck could be likened to a babbling brook, then Chu Yi's was the boundless sea, the Pacific, the entirety of the world's great oceans!
The disparity was simply beyond words.
While this revelation stunned Reinhardt, it also brought a twinge of disappointment.
Yet, Reinhardt wasn't one to wallow in self-pity.
Luck might dictate the opportunities that come one's way, but ultimately, a person's accomplishments largely hinge on their own efforts!
Thus, Reinhardt didn't see himself as inferior to Chu Yi in the long run.
Still, he had to concede that with such formidable fortune on Chu Yi's side, Chu Yi's potential achievements would likely surpass his own, making it easier for Chu Yi to reach the pinnacle.
With that in mind...
An idea struck Reinhardt.
Why not leverage fortune?
Of course, he didn't intend to usurp Chu Yi's luck, but to benefit from it.
This concept wasn't new; many throughout history, especially those familiar with the Adirang Region's past, had done the same. Like the so-called ministers of the dragon, they too had risen to great heights by riding the coattails of the era's destined ruler.
If it was possible for them, it was possible for Reinhardt.
However...
Given Reinhardt's pride, becoming a mere follower of Chu Yi was out of the question. He would rather forgo such fortune than compromise his dignity.
If he couldn't be a subordinate, and that was out of the question for life, then he would be a brother!
That was the best course of action Reinhardt could conceive.
Moreover, having acquainted himself with Chu Yi, Reinhardt knew he was somewhat older, which meant if they were to become sworn brothers, he would be the elder!
The idea of being the younger was out of the question, but assuming the role of the elder brother... that had a certain appeal.
Reinhard thought it was a pretty good idea.
Yeah, let's go with that!
Big brother, from now on, I, Reinhard, will be Chu Yi's big brother!
Rising slowly, Reinhard gazed out at the world of stars beyond the window and let out a deep sigh. "Hey, Second Brother, being a big brother isn't easy, you know."
"Try to cut big brother some slack..."
Lee Zi naturally couldn't fully recover overnight.
Unless Chu Yi lent a hand, which he didn't, it was impossible. Doing so would have drawn too much attention.
Moreover, since Lee Zi had already knocked out a seeded player and made it into the national war, there was no need for her to shine at this juncture.
As Chu Yi pointed out, the national war was the ideal stage for Lee Zi to make her mark.
Only by giving her all in the national war could Lee Zi garner the most attention.
Whether or not Lee Zi competed wouldn't affect the course of today's events.
What followed was the sixth day of the national exam.
It was also the fifth and final round of the group matches.
The day's events drew an extraordinary level of interest. Nearly two billion people in the Adirang Region, with at least one billion two hundred million of them tuning in to watch today's matches.
Such a viewership was staggering, likely unparalleled even by the Spring Festival Gala in his previous life.
Naturally, the reason so many were captivated by today's matches was that they promised to be exceptionally thrilling.
Indeed, they were set to be thrilling to the utmost.
Today, the battles would be among the seeded players!
The victors would move on to the top eight, while the losers would enter a different ranking to determine their places among the top sixteen.
However, the last place in the top sixteen had already been claimed by Lee Zi.
There was no helping it; Chu Yi had already chosen to have Lee Zi bow out.
It was regrettable, but understandable.
Having secured her spot in the national war, there was no need for Lee Zi to jeopardize her foundation by engaging in further combat.
And the common folk? They were quite content.
After all, Lee Zi hadn't just beaten any run-of-the-mill opponents to reach the top sixteen; she had triumphed over a seeded player, one who had even revealed his full potential.
It was truly extraordinary.
Following the battle involving Lee Zi, another earth-shattering duel took place during the eighth round of the group stage semifinals. One contender was the only one among the four young masters of Fairmoor who hadn't become a seeded player, while his opponent was a formidable elite from the government ranks.
To be a seeded player, one must possess an exceptional foundation, and these government elites were no exception. Their innate abilities were fearsome, and when combined with their substantial backgrounds, they matched the most outstanding talents from the noble families.
However, the clash between these two titans fell somewhat short of the intensity seen in the fight between Lee Zi and Young Master Lee. The audience had yet to witness such devastating combat techniques and the gripping struggle between life and death.
Ultimately, the battle concluded in a surprisingly peaceful manner. In essence, one of the Fairmoor young masters opted to concede defeat. He had already abandoned the notion of vying for victory, and the relationship between his family and the government was quite harmonious.
Persisting in a relentless battle would only have forced his adversary to reveal their ace in the hole, depleting it against him. Even then, he would still face defeat, and his opponent's secret weapon would have been squandered. Neither by sound nor by sight was this a prudent choice.
To proceed in such a manner would have meant deeply offending the government or, more specifically, the faction to which the elite genius belonged. Clearly, this was not in the best interest of his family. Had they invested heavily in providing him with the same elite resources, perhaps a confrontation would have been justified. But under the current circumstances...
Thus, the young master chose to step down, abandoning any further thoughts of combat. And with that, the sixteen finalists for the national competition were decided.
Today's matches will feature the showdowns between the seeded contenders. Their resources, amassed for this moment, were tailored for today's challenges. Despite the significance of the national war, these contenders are well aware that it wasn't designed with them in mind. They've secured their spots, but whether they'll actually take the stage remains uncertain.
The information they've received suggests that they might only make a brief appearance. Hence, this national exam stage is their ultimate platform, their last chance to showcase all of their abilities.
Moreover, there's another crucial aspect to consider. The government has already offered a plethora of incentives. While the perks of making it to the top sixteen are considerable, they pale in comparison to the aspirations of these elite prodigies.
The true prize they were all vying for was the array of rewards for the top sixteen rankings.
Each rank signified not just a reward, but potentially a life-changing opportunity!
Among these was the coveted chance to enter a secret realm!
Hence, it was a given that the seeded players would bring their A-game, sparing no effort as no one was willing to yield at this crucial juncture.
At present, the entire venue had been cleared, leaving a singular, unified arena.
The fifth round wasn't a one-day affair but spanned over two days, featuring four battles each day.
Every battle was a spectacle, capturing the undivided attention of the masses!
Over twenty of the finest Diamond Level Great Generals had already taken their positions around the vast arena.
And lurking in the shadows, a few beings of even higher stature, though not quite War Gods, were certainly at the Half Step to War God level.
To ensure the competition proceeded without a hitch, the Fairmoor City government had spared no expense, deploying all available measures.
Chu Yi made his way to the heart of the arena with measured steps.
Facing him was a formidable adversary from the military, a true elite among elites.
Assigned to the first group, it wasn't certain that his opponent was the absolute best among the government's elite demon seedlings, but he was undoubtedly among the top three.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have been chosen to stand here.
