Chapter 501: Second Match: Military Formation Battle

On the second day, before the sky was fully bright, Cheng Feng woke up.

The Snake Coil Seal on his chest had been pressed against him all night; it was neither cold nor hot, as if it had merged with his own body temperature.

He rolled over and sat up, first calling up the Panmian to take a look. Overnight, Dragon Snake Nine Transformations had increased by another five points, more than he could manage in two days of bitter cultivation on his own.

This speed made his heart jump, and it also gave him a more realistic understanding of the weight of the four words "Bloodline-type Profound Weapon."

One had to know, in the past, he had to burn the midnight oil with his wives and Concubines, tilling the fields and cultivating bitterly.

Now, he didn't even have to perform the movements to circulate his Qi; after a night's sleep, the proficiency just jumped up on its own.

This was true passive income.

Cheng Feng stretched his muscles and bones, took the Snake Coil Seal from his bosom, and wrapped it up again with a black cloth.

This seal was unremarkable when not driven by Blood Qi, at most just heavy in the hand.

But once it resonated with his Dragon Snake Nine Transformations, it was like a living thing; the snake eyes would glow, and the scales would quiver.

He rubbed the scale patterns of the coiled snake on the seal's knob, his heart truly thinking of the others' concession yesterday:

The item was a good item, but it was a bit too good.

At the time, he felt that if he didn't take it, he was a fool; since the Lu Clan dared to give it, and with Wang Ji's signal, he just took it directly.

His own foundation was shallow, but Cheng Feng could still distinguish between substance and appearance.

Yet after returning and thinking it over carefully, he felt a bit embarrassed.

This Snake Coil Seal was only useful to him alone in the team.

Cheng Feng looked at that ancient seal, then looked toward the courtyard, like someone who had picked up a gold ingot outside while his companions could only watch empty-handed.

Last night at dinner, Cheng Feng placed the Snake Coil Seal on the table and finally spoke up: "With this seal in my hands, I am taking advantage of everyone. If not for you all, the Lu Clan would not have sent this thing to me."

Huo Luan was stuffing a bun into his mouth; hearing this, he made a "tsk" sound: "Why are you being so wordy? If they give it to you, just take it. I have no use for that thing; if I kept it, it would just be a stone to press down pickles."

Gu Niangzi also lazily raised her eyelids: "I raise bugs; what would I do with a snake seal? Let me have it bite me back?"

Liu Yu didn't speak, only nodded lightly, which counted as stating his position.

Wang Ji put down her porridge bowl, glanced at Cheng Feng, and said indifferently: "Don't tell me you think the Lu family is really that kind?"

Cheng Feng was startled: "I know the other party certainly isn't that kind, but I did take the item after all."

"Don't worry." Wang Ji pressed her slightly upturned lips with a handkerchief, very satisfied with Cheng Feng's performance.

Her tone was nonchalant, "This thing is rare, yes, but it is only useful for similar Bloodline-type techniques."

"In other words, to the Lu family, it is likewise a tasteless scrap."

"An ordinary person who gets it cannot use it at all and cannot trigger even half a bit of its power."

"The Lu Clan gave it to you not because it is valuable, but because it happens to be useful only to you."

"Furthermore, they wanted to sow discord among us; it's just killing two birds with one stone."

Hearing this, the bit of embarrassment in Cheng Feng's heart truly faded a little.

He thought about it and it was true; Lu Sanye was so straightforward when handing it over, without the slightest bit of heartache, clearly showing that this object had been in the Lu Clan's hands for who knows how many years, and had likely been tested countless times by others.

"You have already obtained the item." Wang Ji waved her large sleeve and comforted him, "Then you will certainly have fewer of the corresponding benefits in the future. Just consider it as having taken them in advance."

Cheng Feng looked around at his companions, and seeing that no one else spoke, he nodded firmly.

"I have noted it."

Some things, once taken, are taken. The debt of favor is recorded in the ledger, and he would just pay it back slowly in the future.

The daylight gradually brightened, and the stone slabs in the courtyard were covered with a thin layer of moisture.

Wang Ji stood under the veranda, looked up at the sky, and said calmly: "Get everything packed. The drawing of lots is at the Hour of the Dragon; today's battle will not be easier to fight than yesterday's."

Everyone prepared themselves.

Huo Luan squatted under the veranda sharpening his blade; the whetstone and the blade edge made a rustling sound, exceptionally clear in the silence of the early morning.

Wang Ji stood beside the osmanthus tree, holding a cup of warm water in her hand, sipping it slowly.

As the leader, she naturally did not need to do everything herself.

Liu Yu sat cross-legged, regulating his breath, ready at all times.

Gu Niangzi leaned against a veranda pillar, eyes closed in a light nap.

The Black Jade Snake poked a small section out from her sleeve, hissing and flicking its tongue in the Chenfeng.

"There is still time." Seeing Cheng Feng come out, Wang Ji nodded at him, "The drawing of lots starts at the Hour of the Dragon; we will leave at the second quarter of the Hour of the Dragon."

"First, take inventory of what you should bring; don't wait until you're on the field to find out you've missed something."

Cheng Feng responded.

Today was the military formation competition.

Last night, Liu Yu had equipped him with a half-body round shield; it wasn't large, just enough to protect half his body without affecting his punches.

Cheng Feng picked up the shield and weighed it; it was about forty pounds, lined with cowhide, wrapped in iron plating on the outside, and the edges were polished extremely sharp, so it could be used as a weapon when necessary.

Hard-body training plus a shield, the main focus was being a defensive tank.

The second transformation of Dragon Snake Nine Transformations was still more than two hundred points away, and the Snake Coil Seal could help him shorten this time by a segment.

But once he truly stepped onto the stage, relying on these alone would not be enough.

After returning last night, he had only practiced for two cycles in his room before stopping.

Cheng Feng asked himself that he still needed to work hard.

Just past the Hour of the Dragon, everyone left the house.

A long line had already formed at the side gate of the Great Drill Ground.

The second round was not like the chaotic human-sea battle of the first; the twenty teams had only a hundred or so people, but there were more spectators outside the arena than yesterday.

The bulletin board under the south wall was crowded with people; a literate scholar was reading aloud the battle records of each team and the second-round match-up table posted last night.

As Cheng Feng walked by, he caught a bit of it: "Zhe Family Shield Formation," "Black Wolf Cavalry," "Huaiyang Bai Clan," and a few other names he hadn't heard of, being recited over and over by the spectators.

They arrived early, and there were not many people yet in front of the drawing table.

A clerk in a green robe sat behind a long table, on which sat a red-lacquered bamboo tube; the bamboo slips were inserted upright, and the ends were marked with numbers in vermilion ink.

Two Golden Guards stood beside the table, long sabers hanging at their waists, their faceplates covering half their faces, revealing only a pair of eyes devoid of ripples.

On a high platform further away, the people from the Immortal Sect had not yet arrived; only a few young acolytes were adding incense to the burners on the tables.

"Seven-nine-three, Zhennan Wang Ji Team." The green-robed clerk looked up at Wang Ji, then looked down to put a checkmark in the register, and signaled for her to step forward and draw a slip.

Wang Ji walked up, reached out and paused for a moment above the bamboo tube, then pinched one of the slips and pulled it out gently. The vermilion ink on the end of the slip read "A-Two."

She handed the slip to Liu Yu, and Liu Yu only took one look before saying in a low voice, "A-Two versus A-Five, Yunzhou Zhe Family."

Cheng Feng's eyebrows twitched slightly.

The Zhe Family was the team whose shield formation they had torn open during the first round of preliminary screening. He hadn't expected to run into them again in the second round.

Huo Luan laughed as soon as he heard: "Those few from the Zhe Family had their pants practically beaten off by us in the last round; haven't they learned their lesson yet?"

Liu Yu, however, did not laugh. He frowned and said, "The fact that the Zhe Family could make it into the second round shows they still had strength in reserve during the first round.

A family of Formation Technique, their trump cards are often kept for the end. Don't underestimate them."

Wang Ji placed the slip back on the table and glanced toward the Zhe Family team waiting in the distance.

Those five had already changed into new armor, and their shields had been replaced with a thicker layer of iron-clad wood; the formation leader stood in the middle, whispering something to the team members.

They had clearly seen the drawing results as well, yet there was no sign of panic, but rather a sense of composure.

"A-Two versus A-Five, the venue is the West Three Array Platform." The clerk announced again, then continued to call the next team.

The group waited by the side of the field for about half an hour before the first match began.

The West Three Array Platform was near the southwest corner of the Great Drill Ground; the platform was about three feet high and five zhang square, surrounded by thick hemp ropes.

The surface was newly replaced bluestone, with anti-slip patterns of varying depths carved into the stone.

Below the platform, spectators were packed three layers deep inside and out, and clerks from several gambling dens wove back and forth through the crowd, the betting slips in their hands snapping as they flicked them.

Cheng Feng stood below the platform, watching the two teams in the first match.

One team used spears, the other used sabers and shields; they fought by the book, nothing spectacular.

The spear team relied on the length of their weapons to keep the saber-shield team suppressed, but the saber-shield team defended extremely steadily, dragging the fight out until the incense stick burned out.

In the end, the referee ruled the spear team the winner, and the saber-shield team did not argue, simply cupping their hands and stepping off the platform.

"Dragging out the time is also a method," Huo Luan muttered, "it's just ugly."

"Ugly doesn't matter, as long as we can advance," Wang Ji said. "But we can't just rely on dragging it out. The Zhe Family is no weakling; if we drag it out, we might not have the advantage."

While they were speaking, the second match had already begun, and the people from the Zhe Family were walking toward the West Three Array Platform.

Cheng Feng loosened his shoulders and neck, and strapped his round shield to his left arm.

He looked up at the high platform; the people from the Immortal Sect had already taken their seats, still those few serene figures.

Among them was one in a green shirt who, for a change, was sitting up straight today, holding a Jade Tablet in his hand and looking toward their side.

Cheng Feng was not sure who he was looking at, only feeling that the gaze was as clear as water, yet it felt as heavy as a mountain when it landed on him.

"Let's go," Wang Ji said.

The five of them walked up the stone steps to the platform. The five from the Zhe Family had also already taken their positions.

Both sides stood at opposite ends of the Battle Platform, separated by a vermilion-painted center line.

Cheng Feng stood to the front left of Wang Ji, Huo Luan to the front right, Liu Yu in the center toward the back, and Gu Niangzi to the back left.

This formation was a variation of the "Snake Coil" formation decided upon last night, most suitable for a small Battle Platform.

Shouts began to rise from below the platform, and the sound of drums began to urge them on beat by beat.

The referee was a gaunt old man standing at the side of the platform, holding a thin incense stick in his hand; he inserted it into the incense burner and said in a hoarse voice, "Incense lit, begin the fight!"

The Zhe Family moved first.

The formation leader gave a low shout, and two large shields pushed forward simultaneously, protecting one step to the left and right, while three short-spearmen reached out from behind the shields, pressing directly toward Cheng Feng.

It was the same frontal pressure as the first round, only fiercer this time. The two shields were almost joined into an iron wall, with spear tips thrusting out from the gaps between the shields, fast as a viper flicking its tongue, one high and one low, forcing Cheng Feng to keep his distance.

Cheng Feng did not meet them head-on. He slid his feet to the side, circling along the shield wall toward the left.

Military formations focus on coordination, not individual shows.

Huo Luan simultaneously wrapped around from the right, his Steel Saber clashing heavily against the shield surface, sparks flying everywhere.

The Zhe Family formation leader was prepared; the formation suddenly dispersed, the two shields separated left and right, and the three short-spearmen lunged forward in a triangular formation, pointing toward Cheng Feng, Huo Luan, and Liu Yu respectively.

The formation leader himself stepped back, a Short Spear in his hand, guarding the center.

"They changed their tactics," Liu Yu said in a low voice, his tone cold and urgent, "Three spears advancing separately, forcing us to fight individually. Don't fall for it, close in!"

Cheng Feng and Huo Luan retreated almost simultaneously, tightening the dispersed formation back up.

Wang Ji stomped her foot lightly at the heart of the formation and said in a low voice, "Liu Yu, slash the left spear. Cheng Feng, entangle the shield. Huo Luan, force the right spear. Gu Niangzi, seal the formation leader."

At the command, the four of them erupted simultaneously.

Liu Yu's Narrow Saber left its sheath, the blade light like a silver snake, sticking to the shaft of the left spear and slicing upward.

The spearman could not retract his hand in time, his web between thumb and forefinger was grazed by the blade, blood splattered, and the Short Spear nearly slipped from his grasp.

Cheng Feng lunged forward one step, his left-arm round shield slamming hard against the left shield surface, his right fist hooking out from under the shield to strike the shield-bearer's waist and ribs.

Huo Luan was more direct; he parried the right spear with his Steel Saber, slammed his body into the opponent's chest, and with a knee strike and elbow blow, knocked the man over in the blink of an eye.

Gu Niangzi had already circled to the side and rear, and three Black Bees flew out silently, their target being the Zhe Family formation leader.

The Zhe Family formation leader swung his axe to knock down two Black Bees, but the third slipped in from the blind spot of the axe's wind, stinging him lightly on the back of the neck.

The formation leader's expression changed abruptly, his hand slowed by half a beat, and Liu Yu's saber was already held to his neck.

"Stop," Wang Ji commanded.

The Zhe Family formation leader froze in place, the blade cold against his neck.

He gritted his teeth, finally released his Short Spear, and lowered his hands in defeat.

The area below the stage was silent for a moment, then erupted into a great roar of cheers.

Cheng Feng retracted his shield and stepped back, only to discover that Huo Luan had rammed the Short Spear wielder until they were foaming at the mouth and could no longer stand.

He frowned but said nothing.

Wang Ji stepped forward and cupped her hands toward the Zhe Family formation leader: "I concede the advantage."

The Zhe Family formation leader wiped the line of blood on his neck, his voice hoarse as he returned the salute: "The Zhennan Prince's princess lives up to her reputation. I, Zhe, am convinced."

As the group walked off the stage, the man in the green shirt on the high platform seemed to glance over here once more. Cheng Feng did not dare to be certain; he only lowered his head to unbuckle his shield and exhaled a breath of stale air.

"We don't know who we're up against in the next round. But this hurdle of the Zhe Family is passed."

Huo Luan spoke while wiping her blade with a rag, her eyes terrifyingly bright.

Cheng Feng looked up at the sky; the sun was climbing toward the zenith, shining brightly down upon the Great Drill Ground. The next round would not be far off.