The second round of the Duelling Stage had already entered its second half, in the two most eye-catching matches between Li Shan Sword Sect and Orthodox Academy, one resulted in conceding defeat and the other, a loss. It could be said that Li Shan Sword Sect had regained the dignity they lost at the Ivy League gathering, while Orthodox Academy was pushed to the edge of a cliff.
Though it had to be said that the duels are not team battles and that, in the end, the Grand Examination will only rank people based upon their individual results, the young examinees were, in the end, not something that had just bounded out of some boulder crags; whether be it in the eyes of the masses or acknowledged by themselves, their results would also represent the glory of their respective academies and sects.
The third person of Orthodox Academy to enter the stage is Chen Chang Sheng.
Luo Luo was the one recognised as to being the strongest in Orthodox Academy; since she was matched up against Tian Hai Sheng Xue, who had already completed his Ethereal Opening, the majority of people considered her chances of winning to be impossible, therefore, if the academy didn’t wish to see a total defeat in the second round, it was up to Chen Chang Sheng as to if he could pass this obstacle.
Even though he had won against that Heavenly Academy student in the first round, no one thought well of his chances, everyone knew that he was the weakest of the four Orthodox Academy students; even Tang Thirty-Six had lost, how was he going to avoid failing? A miracle? If such a thing was to happen frequently, it wouldn’t be a miracle, but something questionable.
The second reason why no one was optimistic for Chen Chang Sheng was because the lot drawing for the second round today, was questionable.
They all knew that someone must have manipulated the lot drawing.
Chen Chang Sheng’s opponent for this round was the scholar from Scholartree Manor named Huo Guang.
No matter from what perspective this was viewed at, this was the perfect choice, it wasn’t the best choice for Chen Chang Sheng, but it was the best choice for those who wanted him to fail.
From the Divine Empress to peddler and pawns; from the White Emperor Royal Couple situated in the faraway yao domain to the Capital’s storytellers. Everyone upon the central continent were paying attention to the Grand Examination that was being held in the Capital; following the announcement of his betrothal to Xu You Rong at the Ivy League gathering and the declaration of his intent to place first upon the First Banner by His Eminence, The Archbishop, countless eyes were focused upon Chen Chang Sheng.
Under these circumstances, those who wished to suppress Orthodox Academy and Chen Chang Sheng had to be extra careful in their deeds, at least to the point of not being uncovered upon a single glance.
If Chen Chang Sheng had been immediately matched against Gou Han Shi in the second round, anyone would have recognised that something was dubious, not mentioning whether if the Education Board might flip the table, the castanets on the tables of those storytellers within the Capital would definitely clack more often.
Huo Guang of Scholartree Manor was the perfect choice.
This young scholar had always stayed within Scholartree Manor, peacefully studying and had never left to train, hence, he was still unranked on the Proclamation of Azure Clouds, for those who didn’t know any better, he would seem to be exceedingly weak.
The truth however, was that Scholartree Manor had no weaklings, not to mention, Huo Guang was an individual the manor was concentrating on nurturing, preparing to enter the Grand Examination and shock the world, how could Chen Chang Sheng possibly be his match?
The atmosphere of the woodlands was rather dreary.
Tang Thirty-Six leaned on the white poplar, looking at Chen Chang Sheng’s back, he suddenly said: “If you can’t win then just withdraw, don’t let anything happen to you.”
He had previously said to Chen Chang Sheng that they can’t afford to lose again, this was because he knew that Chen Chang Sheng had some sort of reason why he had to place first upon the First banner in the Grand Examination, as such, he obviously couldn’t afford to lose.
Having suddenly thought of how, even if Chen Chang Sheng was to once again achieve a baffling victory and defeat that scholar from Scholartree Manor, in the end, he would still be unable to win against opponents such as Tian Hai Sheng Xue and Gou Han Shi, making Tang Thirty-Six want to take back the words he had said previously.
From his perspective, Chen Chang Sheng was still very young and had a lot of years remaining, with his talent and learning, who knows how far he could progress in the future? If he was to strive his utmost and yet still fail to place first, why should he strive so hard? Why not set his sights on the time to come, leaving it for the future, why be so cruel to himself?
Chen C