<h4>Chapter 716: Chapter 721: The Grand Gathering of the Heavenly Secrets (3)</h4>


    Several minutes had passed, and it was dead silent below the arena, with no one stepping up to the challenge. It seemed that everyone was aware of Yang Zhe’s prowess and no one of his age wished to cross hands with him.


    In the blink of an eye, ten minutes had gone by. Su Mei, seated on her chair, saw that still no one hade forward and thus stood up and said, "If no one is willing to step up and challenge, then this round will automatically advance Yang Zhe to the next one."


    Upon hearing this, the crowd below started buzzing with discussions, looking at Yang Zhe with great envy. Advancing to the next round without lifting a finger was not an opportunity that came by for everyone.


    After Yang Zhe stepped down, someone immediately leaped onto the arena, cupped his hands towards the crowd, and bowed in greeting. This person had barely been on the stage for a few seconds before several others eagerly jumped onto the arena.


    Ling Chen nced around; these young people were all around twenty years old, quite young.


    He guessed that these individuals were very close in strength, which is why they were eager to take the stage. Besides that, Ling Chen also noticed that among the crowd, Song Yi and Liang Zheng near Tong Nan appeared to be itching to go but seemed hesitant. After a moment of deliberation, they ultimately gave up the thought of going on stage.


    "Yang," Ling Chen turned to Yang Tao beside him and asked, "There’s a big gap in strength among the disciples of Yangxin Pavilion. If a Dragon List master stepped up, wouldn’t they be afraid of an Earthly List master taking advantage?"


    "Even though there’s no rule prohibiting it, nobody would do such a thing. Whoever it is, they’d have to consider their own and their master’s face. An Earthly List master bullying a Dragon List master is something no one can afford to lose face over. Remember, thispetition is not just about the disciples; it’s a struggle between masters. It’s just that the masters are old and their skills are formidable, and using them could easily lead to disputes, so they have their disciplespete on their behalf instead," Yang Tao exined in a low voice, adding, "Now you should understand why the Master is so worried about you. In fact, his concern isn’t really for your safety but for Elder Su’s reputation. Elder Su holds high prestige in Yangxin Pavilion, and nobody dares to disobey him, not even other masters."


    Ling Chen nodded. He had suspected that Su He’s standing in Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was high, but he hadn’t realized it was that high.


    As he pondered, the arena had cleared out the extras, leaving only twopetitors.


    After a few nces, Ling Chen lost interest in the match. Both contestants were Dragon List masters, and it was indeed rare for someone around twenty to make it to the Dragon List. However, this was Yangxin Pavilion after all, where everyone was a talented individual. What’s more, Ling Chen’s strength was not inferior, capable of matching the top three of the Dragon List, so he was not very keen on watching a duel between Dragon List masters.


    The matchsted for about four or five minutes until, by a narrow margin, a winner was determined.


    Including Yang Zhe just now, a total of two people had smoothly advanced to the next round. Before Ling Chen could react, he saw several individuals rushing towards the arena, including Song Yi and Liang Zheng.


    Seeing others a step quicker than himself, Song Yi huffed softly. With a tap of his toe on the ground for leverage, his body swiftly flew towards the arena. At the same time, he twisted his waist,unching a sideways kick at a young man beside him.


    Caught off guard by Song Yi’s sudden attack, the youth had no time to dodge and was immediately kicked, sent falling towards the ground below the arena.


    Seeing this, the others didn’t hesitate andunched attacks on their nearbypetitors.


    Instantly, a melee broke out among the crowd, even before they had stepped onto the arena.


    Ling Chen was startled and looked at Yang Tao with a puzzled face, asking, "Yang, what are they doing?"


    "There’s no need to make a big fuss; this is quite normal," Yang Tao replied indifferently, "Only eight people can advance to the next round, and the spots are limited. If one misses the chance, there’s no hope left. It doesn’t matter who it is or how powerful your background is; if you miss your chance, there’s no remedy. This is just the beginning. Theter it gets, the more intense thepetition. To fight for the right topete on stage, you have to prove you’ve got what it takes."


    After hearing this, Ling Chen understood the reason behind it.


    "Yang, when do you n to make your move?" he asked.


    "There’s no hurry; let the others have a go first," Yang Tao paused, then changing the subject, he said, "Ling Chen, if you want to take action, you’d better seize the opportunity soon and not dy any further. As thepetition intensifiester on, especially against Earthly List masters, it will be much harder for you to win by then."


    "I understand."


    With Yang Tao’s reminder, Ling Chen turned his full attention to the arena, quietly waiting for the right moment.


    Both Song Yi and Liang Zheng had the strength to rank within the top three of the Dragon List and were only a step away from the Earthly List. Naturally, no one else stood a chance when they made a move. Before long, Song Yi had firmly taken his ce on the arena, alongside another young man.


    Looking at Song Yi’s opponent, Ling Chen couldn’t help but frown. These two guys were too cunning!


    Such a tactic.


    When the crowd had mored for a chance to get on stage, Song Yi and Liang Zheng must have conspired together. Song Yi went for the opportunity to get on stage, while Liang Zheng took care of the rest. However, while he was helping out, he purposefully let one youth go, allowing him to get onto the arena easily.


    At that moment, the audience below the arena shook their heads, knowing that Song Yi’s opponent was weak and stood no chance of winning.


    Ling Chen shook his head inwardly; this was tant cheating. But since Su Mei didn’t object, even if he had an opinion, it was useless.


    The duel ended in less than two minutes, and unsurprisingly, Song Yi won with ease, advancing to the next round.


    There were now three people who had advanced, leaving five spots remaining.


    After much thought, Ling Chen set his sights on Liang Zheng. His strength wasparable to Liang Zheng’s, and if Liang Zheng took the stage, Ling Chen could give it a try. Although he couldn’t im a hundred percent certainty of victory, at least he held a seventy percent chance.


    As he pondered, a loud ’ng’ suddenly rang from the crowd, instantly drawing everyone’s attention.


    However, it was at this moment that Liang Zheng and another youth from the crowd leaped onto the arena together. By the time the others reacted, both were already securely standing on the stage.


    Damn!


    Ling Chen couldn’t help but curse, "That’s too despicable, using such methods." Turning to Yang Tao with indignation, he asked, "Yang, aren’t they going to do anything about this?"


    "How to intervene? They’re using fair and open measures, not underhanded tricks. Besides, martial arts contests are not just about strength, but also wit. Sometimes, a clever mind is far more important than pure power."