Chapter 286 - 161: Child of Destiny

News that a Great Zhou Prince was hosting a Martial Dao tournament for the Jianghu quickly spread like wildfire throughout the realm.

Due to the tournament’s age restriction, the various families and sects could only send members of their younger generation to participate in the grand event.

Even so, the number of applicants was far greater than anticipated.

Li Yuanqing brought a list of top-seeded contestants to Li Chang’an, his tone somewhat nervous as he asked, "Big Brother, there are so many participants this time. Many of them are even disciples of famous masters and are incredibly strong. Will the person you’re looking for really be among them?"

Li Chang’an glanced at the list and said noncommittally, "Who knows? With your strength, you’ll definitely make it to the final rounds. You might even get a chance to test your skills against him yourself."

Li Chang’an couldn’t be one hundred percent certain whether the mysterious Child of Destiny was among this batch of contestants.

After all, this Martial Dao tournament was being hosted by Li Yuanqing, not by Li Chang’an himself as the original trajectory of fate dictated.

This meant the Martial Dao tournament was bound to have more complications.

Li Chang’an couldn’t be sure if the Child of Destiny was drawn to the Martial Dao tournament itself, or if he was coming for Li Chang’an personally.

If the Child of Destiny was coming for Li Chang’an personally, he definitely wouldn’t show up if Li Chang’an wasn’t at the tournament.

But if the Child of Destiny was after the tournament itself, or something related to it...

Then there was a high probability he would take the bait.

However, Li Chang’an was fairly certain the boy wasn’t coming for him personally.

After all, if he were really targeting him, he wouldn’t have forgotten his name by their second meeting.

The original Li Chang’an even had to introduce himself before the other boy finally realized who he was.

Following that line of thought, Li Chang’an was ninety percent sure he could figure out what this so-called Child of Destiny’s deal was this time.

...

「A year passed quickly.」

This year, Li Chang’an turned nine.

According to the original trajectory of fate, this should have been his most unlucky year.

The legend who had been advancing triumphantly on the Martial Dao, a figure watched by all, was meant to fall in an instant, becoming nothing more than a stepping stone for a young man of unknown origin.

This time, however, Li Chang’an had also set the stage.

The only difference was that he had become the hunter setting the trap, while the Child of Destiny of unknown origin had become the prey about to step into it.

’It just remains to be seen who will emerge victorious, and who will become a stepping stone for whom.’

At this thought, the corner of Li Chang’an’s mouth couldn’t help but curl into a cold smile.

’He couldn’t wait for the show to begin.’

...

The territory of the Great Zhou Dynasty was divided into twelve commanderies and twenty-four prefectures.

The Martial Dao tournament was to be held in Taizhou Prefecture, the most prosperous and wealthy region in the heartland of Great Zhou.

With the news that the Martial Dao tournament was to be held—and that the Second Prince himself would be in attendance—the already bustling Taizhou Prefecture became even livelier. Officials were busy managing the influx of people and preparing the venue.

The Martial Artists who had come for the spectacle were equally busy, gathering information and scouting out accommodations to rent in advance.

The closer a rental was to the tournament grounds, the higher its price and the scarcer it became. No one wanted to miss this rare Jianghu spectacle.

As for the contestants who had officially registered, the Government Office had arranged special lodging for them, and they were all currently training without pause.

Every last bit of training counted.

By the ninth day of the seventh month, when the Martial Dao tournament officially began, the entire Inner City of Taizhou Prefecture was crammed with Jianghu Martial Artists.

Everywhere you looked, there were Martial Artists who had come for the spectacle.

To say nothing of the spectators, a full twenty thousand young Martial Artists had initially registered to compete.

Because the number of applicants was so immense, anyone who hadn’t even reached the Martial Apprentice Realm was eliminated in the initial screening.

This left only two thousand participants, all of whom were official Martial Artists who had achieved a cultivation Realm.

These two thousand individuals would have to fight one another to advance through the ranks.

Only the top one hundred would earn the right to compete on the same stage as the Second Prince of Great Zhou.

They would vie for the title of "Supreme King of the Younger Generation Under Fifteen."

Jianghu People are all about face, and the young, even more so.

Never mind the fact that the Great Zhou Imperial Court was offering substantial prizes of gold and silver for the tournament.

Even without any reward, plenty of young people would have fought tooth and nail for the glory of an officially recognized title like "Supreme King of the Younger Generation Under Fifteen."

The tournament proceeded by randomly drawing lots.

The two thousand Martial Artists would step forward in turn to draw their pairings. Those who drew a matching pair would face each other in a duel. The winner would advance; the loser, be eliminated.

The rules were simple and eminently fair.

It required both luck and strength.

The youngest among this batch of competitors was not even ten years old and looked quite green.

But despite being so young, their strength was already quite extraordinary.

Some were even stronger than many youths several years their senior.

This was no surprise.

Those who were young and still dared to compete were, by and large, geniuses who were extremely confident in their own talent.

Most of them were direct descendants of major, well-known powers and, compared to the other Martial Artists from motley backgrounds, possessed a staggering advantage when it came to resources.

Li Chang’an stood in the Imperial Court’s exclusive viewing area.

He wasn’t wearing the Python Robe reserved for the Crown Prince today. Instead, he had on an exquisitely tailored long robe, making him look, from a distance, like a handsome young master from a wealthy family.