Chapter 121: Chapter 102: Beast Tide Warning
"Sister Qiu, don’t be impulsive, forget it, forget it."
In the medical hall, Li An held back the enraged Li Qiuqiu.
The reason was that this time Li Jiuxiao was too harsh, the Li Family’s disciple’s Spirit Beast was almost paralyzed.
Even if healed, it would leave some aftereffects, naturally making Li Qiuqiu extremely angry, because Li Jiuxiao was well aware of this disciple’s usual strength.
If he wanted to hold back, he absolutely could.
But what made Li Qiuqiu most furious was that yet Li Jiuxiao still wanted to punish him afterward.
"Survival of the fittest, I can understand, but I think he doesn’t consider us his own family at all." Li Qiuqiu’s voice was somewhat hoarse.
Li An beside her was silent, and the Li Family disciples around were also silent.
This is an undisputed fact, within a big family, it’s also a kind of common sense.
The lives of those in the direct lineage within a large family aren’t actually that valuable either.
....
"I’ve helped Lin Chen with some research. If you want to turn things around in popularity votes, the best way is to meet Dasa and then give him a good beating."
At the draw site for the first round of the knockout stage, Qin Hao, amidst the bustling crowd, analyzed while watching Lin Chen draw lots on the stage.
At this moment, Lin Chen’s hand was drawing lots, and beside him, Bai Jiajia let out a gasp. Qin Hao said, "Really drew it?"
"No," Bai Jiajia said with surprise, "Lin Chen got a bye."
Lin Chen indeed was lucky, getting a bye in the top 16.
In this match, there had been quite a few withdrawals due to injury beforehand.
The player Lin Chen drew this time, number 133, had in the 32nd round a mutually destructive battle with the previous opponent, and after the doctor’s advice, could only withdraw due to injury.
So, Lin Chen made it into the top 8 by default.
The other contestants seeing this draw all sighed.
In their view, Lin Chen with a low-level Mortal Beast was a desirable opponent in this round.
They didn’t expect he would get a bye.
So, the other contestants set their sights on Dasa.
In the next round, it was Dasa’s turn, and this time luck wouldn’t help him, as he drew an opponent who was a Taming Bull prodigy from Black Mountain City.
The prodigy was incredibly excited upon realizing his opponent, declaring that he would defend the dignity of Cangling Ancient Country’s Cow Realm right after the draw.
As for the other draws, it seemed almost predetermined.
Eight people from the Li Family were participating, and aside from the two eliminated by Lin Chen and Li Jiuxiao, the rest all made it to the top 16.
In other words, the Li Family took six spots, a testament to their deep strength.
However, they didn’t have any internal battles this round, except for one who met Wan Ming.
Three days later, as the knockout stage officially began, the on-site popularity was even higher than before, especially Dasa’s match, which was packed with people.
Because Lin Chen got a bye this time, he didn’t go to the venue, staying at his place with Xiaobai to cultivate calmly.
In Xiaobai’s case, the more battles it fought, the faster it would level up.
Lin Chen, having watched Li Jiuxiao’s performance several times, felt uneasy.
With Xiaobai’s current strength, winning against the Beast King’s Cub seemed unlikely, as the opponent was leading by three levels.
The most reliable approach was for Xiaobai to advance to level 17.
Xiaobai also understood Lin Chen’s thoughts and continued to train diligently.
However, Lin Chen also advised not to cultivate for the sake of cultivation, as force-feeding wouldn’t yield the desired result.
"Advance if you can, if not, so be it," Lin Chen reminded.
It had been exactly twenty days since Xiaobai’s last level-up.
"Moo~~"
Only then did Xiaobai quell its impatience and began earnest cultivation.
...
That night, Qin Hao and the others returned, looking dejected.
"What happened?" Lin Chen guessed, "Lost?"
"Yeah," Qin Hao replied, feeling distressed, "That so-called little prodigy was supposed to win, but both he and his Spirit Beast got too excited and careless, directly leading to a counter-kill."
"Such good luck," Lin Chen couldn’t help but chuckle, saying, "It means he has some capability after all."
"Don’t mention it, now those people are in a complete panic," Cai Yuanji also said, "If they lose again in this 8 into 4 round, many people probably won’t dare to watch the matches anymore."
The situation indeed was as Cai Yuanji said; Dasa’s victory, along with his cliché phrases, made it impossible for the audience to suppress their "hidden" characteristics any longer.
"What kind of little prodigy are you? You can’t do it either."
"Being reckless, not knowing what you’re reckless about."
That little prodigy was directly "exposed," hiding at home, too afraid to go out.
The list of the quarterfinalists was also released at the end of the next day’s matches. Apart from Lin Chen, Dasa, and Wan Ming, the rest were all from the Li Family.
Li Guan and Li Jiuxiao were naturally very pleased, as the Wan Family had spent a lot to invite them over, only to boost the Li Family’s prestige in the end.
The list of eight included five from the Li Family, showcasing their formidable Taming Bull capabilities.
Amidst the palpable tension, the quarterfinals draw began.
When Lin Chen arrived, the venue was packed, and the audience was engaged in lively discussions, most of which were about Dasa.
"What if Dasa wins the championship?"
"No way, he’s only level 17. If he wins, I’ll eat..."
"That foreign guy has had a bit of good luck, struggling twice and barely making it in."
"Relax, with Li Jiuxiao and Wan Ming holding the fort, how could they lose?"
"I’m just worried about a scenario where Wan Ming fights with Li Jiuxiao, both getting critically injured, and then Dasa picking up the pieces."
With those words, the crowd grew even more anxious.
Soon, the eight contestants took their places as the draw began.
"Li Jiuxiao, number 3."
"Li Qiuqiu, number 5."
"Wan Ming, number 8."
"Lin Chen, number 2."
When Dasa went on stage, the audience stared intently. Someone started a chant of "number 4," soon followed by a resounding chorus as everyone joined in shouting for number 4.