Chapter 842: Star Sky Martial Performance Ceremony (5)

Slash the crimson eye.

"Sigh, I can understand; when I first trekked over mountains and rivers from my village to the Imperial Capital, I felt the same way."

Tazimi recalled his first trip to the Imperial Capital, when the money on him was still pooled together by the whole village; a country boy's first time in a big city is always like that, everything feels novel.

But compared with Lu Ka's experience, his start was almost a hellish opening; he almost lost his life at that noble lady's house.

"Given Lu Ka's current mindset, winning the first round depends on whether the opponent is willing to give a chance," Naget drew a deep drag of smoke, watching Lu Ka, who bore Beloberg's people's hopes, now tormented by anxiety to the point of losing confidence; she couldn't help feeling regretful.

"The competitors are a mix of merfolk and dragons; the chance of winning the first round is fairly high, but if we face the local Cloud Cavalry of Luofu Immortal Vessel…" Ma Yin shrugged, "then it's a real challenge. Those Cloud Riders have been training swords for centuries; any one of them has more combat experience than Lu Ka. In the end, the Immortal race's gap in combat experience compared to the short-lived race is still huge—completely unfair."

In other civilizations, perhaps only a one‑in‑ten‑thousand sword prodigy could study swords for decades and then defeat the ordinary Cloud Riders of the Celestial Vessel. Though "genius" is a beautiful word, the weight of practical sword experience gained from centuries of battling the Celestial Vessel's Cloud Riders cannot be matched by a genius's few decades of insight.

Even if a talent as strong as Yan Qing, it still takes ten years of daily tens of thousands of sword swings to fulfill the gift and stand out among the Cloud Cavalry. For short‑lived races of other civilizations, Ma Yin truly doesn't know how they could win.

——

"First time stepping onto the field, it's inevitable to feel unadapted."

Lu Ka hung his head dejectedly: "Thanks for the comfort… sigh, actually I was mentally prepared. Seeing the world for the first time inevitably brings cultural shock, but I didn't expect it to be this overwhelming; I can't keep my footing."

"Where are those Beloberg companions of yours?" Ka Mei Li asked.

"Ling Ke went on an archaeological dig. She wants to learn the history before Igor returned to Yalilo‑VI through that gemstone pendant. Shi Wa Luo is off elsewhere playing with Hu Ke—he really knows how to take care of kids. I'm frazzled; the first match is about to start, and my condition is the worst it's ever been."

Lu Ka drooped his eyebrows, feeling aggrieved: "The next opponents are a few Cloud Riders… ah, the Silver Mane Iron Guard here… no, let me explain what this is; you definitely understand more than I do… I'm the one who knows nothing."

Ka Mei Li suggested: "Since the match hasn't started yet, let's go see the opponents of your first round. Sitting here idle will only make you more anxious."

Lu Ka nodded, followed Xing outside for a walk, and soon spotted the upcoming opponents not far away.

But that figure was far too familiar…

"Isn't that… Su Shang?"

Ka Mei Li was startled: "Hm? Do you know each other?"

Su Shang, seeing Xing, became very excited, rushed over and warmly shook Xing's hand: "Xing! You came to watch our match?"

"This is our next opponent, contestant Lu Ka." The Cloud Rider beside her had a keen eye and recognized him at a glance.

Lu Ka gave a brief self‑introduction, mentioning Beloberg… Su Shang had a vague recollection; Xiao Guizi seemed to have mentioned it briefly, but Su Shang knew little and asked what kind of place it was.

"It's a city‑state where heroes abound."

"Oh~ I love hero stories the most; when you have time, tell me in detail." Su Shang smiled brightly at Xing, her eyes shimmering like clear lake water, reflecting eager anticipation, "Xing, are you here to compete together with Mr. Lu Ka?"

Xing proudly lifted his head: "Exactly, you're scared, aren't you?"

Su Shang snorted, scolding: "Afraid? Afraid of you, you ghost! Let me see—no, your name isn't on the contestant list. You aren't Lu Ka's coach, are you?"

——

Jujutsu Kaisen.

"It's over! The first battle is Su Shang! And the two mighty Cloud Rider brothers behind her!"

Hu Zhang covered his face and cried out in pain, as if he already saw Lu Ka falling beneath Su Shang's sword.

"Ha, what kind of useless thinking is that?" Lu Ziyun glared coldly at Hu Zhang Yujin, "Since you're performing in the Martial Performance Ceremony aiming for the championship, you must treat any opponent as a defeated subordinate! This kind of useless thinking only hurts your own morale."

"I of course understand what you're saying," Hu Zhang, after being scolded for no reason, retorted irritably, "But please, you should also face the reality of the skill gap. Su Shang comes from a Cloud Rider family, has inherited a family sword technique, and even once duelled Yan Qing, who was possessed by the Year Sun; she's definitely a strong contender for the championship!"

"So what? The girl's swordsmanship is good, but in the end, there are plenty of Cloud Riders like her in this ceremony. If you can't get past her, there's no point in continuing the later matches."

Lu Ziyun ran his fingers over the metal staff he wielded as a weapon, "… Right now Lu Ka needs to consider how to smash that girl or the two Cloud Riders beside her with an iron fist. As long as one punch lands, even an Immortal race would be knocked out, right?"

——

A Cloud Rider soldier standing nearby stared at Lu Ka's arm and clicked his tongue in amazement: "Red‑haired brother, this forged‑iron arm looks truly mighty; definitely one punch per kid."

The other Cloud Rider, Soldier Yi, reminded, "We're not kids! The Cloud Cavalry's tactics emphasize coordination, using many to overwhelm few!"

"That's called 'Formation March,' okay?" Su Shang corrected irritably.

Lu Ka shook his head: "My tactic… uh, sorry, this is my first time stepping onto the Martial Performance Ceremony arena; I'm the only one on our team, I don't even know what tactic to use."

Su Shang, unreserved and enthusiastic, said, "Looks like this alien friend needs a little guidance. How about this: the match starts in half an hour; I'll give you some practical tactical advice on the arena!"

"Li Da Zhen Tou, that's over the line! A few of us asked you to coach us on tactics, why did you go stand for our opponents?"

Su Shang's usually rust‑spotted brain kicked into high gear, and she quickly thought of a suitable excuse: "Isn't it… that foreign friends need some help? When our Cloud Cavalry patrols and sees foreign friends, aren't we supposed to sincerely assist and guide them?"

A nearby Cloud Rider teased, "In short, if we lose, it's your fault."

"Don't be poor! Hurry up and get ready!"