“Based on intelligence gathered from the Stranger's Forum, over a thousand young Strangers will participate in this year's Heavenly Ranking Tournament.”
“The competition rules set by the Ten Masters involve several group battles to eliminate most of the contestants.”
“The remaining dozens of elite contestants will then face each other in a one-on-one format, with the final two battling for the championship!”
“In this group battle mode, four people form a group. After one round, only about two hundred people remain. Another round, and there will be about sixty to seventy people left.”
“These sixty to seventy are the elite contestants, worthy of our attention.”
Master Rongshan looked at Fang Yang.
“Little Junior Brother, you'll have to fight through the two group battles alone, because the pairings are decided by random draw.”
“You could be drawn against anyone!”
“However, the Ten Masters are also concerned about the possibility of elite contestants facing each other in the early rounds, so they will intervene to prevent elite contestants from meeting prematurely.”
“So, you'll have to deal with the small fry in the first two rounds. Should be no problem, right?”
Before Fang Yang could reply, Eighth Senior Brother Liang Guofu spoke up.
“Definitely no problem!”
“Among young Strangers under thirty, most have only reached the first level of cultivation, aside from those who lack talent.”
“Most are at the second level.”
“Young Strangers at the third level are considered geniuses.”
“Little Junior Brother, though your training time is short, his aura has reached the mid-second level.”
“Master even mentioned his aura is pure and balanced, indicating that his Qi quality is undeniably high!”
“Coupled with the Golden Light Spell and the Yang Five Thunder, our Longhu Mountain's two great techniques, Little Junior Brother will surely conquer all at the second level!”
“Even those third-level Strangers who challenge him above their level won't stand a chance!”
“Therefore, we need to closely monitor young Strangers who are somewhat famous in the Stranger world, because they are all third-level cultivators.”
Tang Youyou pulled out a laptop from her backpack.
“I've been following the Stranger's Forum closely, and people have already started placing bets on who will win the championship.”
“The lower the odds, the more we should focus on them.”
“Among them, the heir of the Zhuge family, Zhuge Qing, is the one we need to pay the most attention to!”
“Rumor has it that Zhuge Qing is the only person in the Zhuge family to have learned all the Martial Marquis's Eight Trigrams in the past few decades.”
“He’s definitely a formidable opponent!”
For a moment.
A look of solemnity crossed the faces of both the Old Master's Eight Disciples and the Love Apartment crew.
Fourth disciple Zhao Huajin muttered softly:
“Hmm, this art of Eight Trigrams is indeed powerful, capable of averting misfortune and attracting good fortune.”
“It can even control myriad transformations within the Eight Trigrams formation!”
“Unless one’s cultivation surpasses that of the art practitioner, it’s difficult to escape its influence!”
“I've heard of this young man named Zhuge Qing a few years ago. He's already a third-level cultivator, right?”
A shadow of doubt crept into the hearts of the Old Master's Eight Disciples.
Little Junior Brother is only at the second level. He’s inferior to Zhuge Qing in cultivation. Once trapped in his Eight Trigrams formation, he’ll inevitably be affected. Winning will be incredibly difficult.
Lü Zi Qiao let out a scoff.
“What’s so hard about that? We can ambush him. Find a deserted spot and bash his head in. He won’t be able to participate in the Heavenly Ranking Tournament, right?”
Old Master's Fifth Disciple, Qian Da Hu’s eyes lit up, and he looked at Lü Zi Qiao with a sense of kinship.
“Good idea! As long as we nip the danger in the bud, Zhuge Qing won’t be able to cause any trouble for Little Junior Brother!”
Zhang Qian He coughed.
“Fifth Junior Brother, don’t talk nonsense. We’re from Longhu Mountain, a legitimate organization, not a gang. How can we just beat someone up?”
“But… what if Little Junior Brother loses? Are we really going to let an outsider from the Martial Marquis sect control our Longhu Mountain?”
Qian Da Hu had a quick temper and never held back his words.
Everyone was at a loss.
At that moment.
Fang Yang spoke slowly, “Zhuge Qing won't be a problem for me!”
Everyone looked at him, with varying expressions.
But no one believed him!
They thought Fang Yang was simply being stubborn.
After all, young people are usually defiant.
Especially when facing someone their age!
Master Rongshan was worried that Fang Yang was underestimating Zhuge Qing, so he reminded him, “Little Junior Brother, you don’t know how powerful the art of Eight Trigrams is. Zhuge Liang is considered one of the most formidable Strangers in history because his Eight Trigrams formations are nearly impossible to break!”
Hu Yi Fei agreed, “That’s right! The art of Eight Trigrams can be used to determine auspiciousness and misfortune based on location. Your every move, every strike, he can predict and avoid.”
“At the same time, he can predict your weaknesses and attack!”
“And the Zhuge family's Martial Marquis's Eight Trigrams is even more outstanding among the art of Eight Trigrams.”
“Perhaps only the legendary Eight Extraordinary Techniques, the Wind Master's Eight Trigrams, could defeat it!”
No, not just defeat it.
It would be a complete and utter victory!
As a witness to Wang Ye and Zhuge Qing's fight, Fang Yang knew very well that Zhuge Qing's Martial Marquis's Eight Trigrams stood little chance against Wang Ye's Wind Master's Eight Trigrams.
“So, we have to find a way to get rid of Zhuge Qing for you…”
Before Hu Yi Fei finished speaking, she suddenly felt a change in the surroundings.
The Old Master's Eight Disciples also noticed it.
They instantly turned their gazes towards the source of the change.
Fang Yang!
“The art of Eight Trigrams… I know it too!”
Fang Yang smiled faintly, planted his feet, and unfolded his own Eight Trigrams formation.
He has reached 60% of his comprehension of the Martial Marquis's Eight Trigrams in the One-Punch Man world!
If that was all.
He wouldn't be able to counter Zhuge Qing's full potential in the Martial Marquis's Eight Trigrams!
But Fang Yang has also comprehended 20% of the Wind Master's Eight Trigrams!
And.
In the twenty days since returning to Love Apartment, Fang Yang hasn't been idle.
He sought out numerous books and diligently studied professional knowledge related to the I Ching and the Eight Trigrams.
Now.
Fang Yang's comprehension of the Martial Marquis's Eight Trigrams has reached 80%!
And his comprehension of the Wind Master's Eight Trigrams has reached 30%!
The combination of the two, even if it couldn't completely defeat Zhuge Qing's Martial Marquis's Eight Trigrams, could perfectly nullify their Eight Trigrams formations.
At that time.
He could defeat Zhuge Qing with other techniques!
At that moment.
The Old Master's Eight Disciples and the Love Apartment crew were standing within Fang Yang's Eight Trigrams formation.
Their emotions were nothing but shock!
“What an incredible Eight Trigrams formation!”
“I've also studied the art of Eight Trigrams, but I can't understand Little Junior Brother's Eight Trigrams formation at all!”
“This should be the 乾 position, but why is it the 坤 position?”
“I can't understand! I don’t understand anything!”
Fang Yang chuckled, “In this Eight Trigrams formation, I am the position, I am auspiciousness and misfortune!”
“Though I'm not fully proficient yet, it should be enough to handle Zhuge Qing?”