Chapter 133: Retreating at the Peak of Success

After being washed over by the ring of light, the twenty-five names on the surface of the stone tablet were reduced to just ten, with the remaining fifteen completely vanishing.

The ten names that remained were precisely the ten clearest ones on the monument, and they were the names of the top ten registered disciples for this martial arts tournament.

At this moment, the twenty-five registered disciples who had just left their names on the stone tablet all felt their hearts tighten, their gazes sweeping back and forth across the ten names that remained.

Yang Ze was no exception. After all, the naked eye could only give a rough estimate earlier; only under the judgment of the ring of light could one truly confirm whether their name was still on it.

He began to search, and finally, upon finding the ninth name, he spotted his own. A wave of joy surged in his heart, and a smile bloomed across his face.

While he was rejoicing, the remaining fifteen registered disciples around him wore gloomy, death-like expressions. The looks they cast at Yang Ze were filled with such intense hatred they wished they could carve him to pieces.

In their eyes, Yang Ze's strength was nothing special, yet he happened to possess a powerful weapon. Relying solely on that weapon, Yang Ze had snatched away a spot that would have otherwise given each of them a slightly better chance.

Powerful weapons were something even the strongest among these registered disciples did not possess. They envied Yang Ze's weapon and firmly believed that he had stolen what rightfully belonged to them.

Yang Ze naturally noticed the glares from the others, but he did not care in the least. He had finally become one of the top ten registered disciples; there was no need to suppress such joy.

Chang Jingyan and the others looked at Yang Ze with entirely different expressions. She murmured softly, "After so many years, a registered disciple with only the ninth stage of True Qi has finally become one of the top ten once again."

Yang Ze did not hear her low murmurs, but the next moment, a voice descended from the high platform, causing the jubilant Yang Ze to instantly straighten his expression.

"Congratulations on becoming the top ten registered disciples of this martial arts tournament." The speaker was none other than Xie Yuan.

The next second, pulled by a massive force, the stone tablet planted in the ground rose directly into the air, flying toward the high platform and vanishing from their sight.

With a wave of Xie Yuan's hand, his True Qi transformed into a gale that swept up the fifteen eliminated registered disciples, carrying them directly to the side of the spectator stands.

"Compared to previous years, this martial arts tournament has been far more exciting, especially with the emergence of a registered disciple at the ninth stage of True Qi breaking into the top ten. Such a sight has not occurred in thirty years. Yang Ze, you have done very well!"

Under everyone's gaze, Xie Yuan called out Yang Ze's name for the first time—an exclusive treatment enjoyed by not a single other person in this tournament.

The remaining disciples in the stands firmly etched this name into their memories upon seeing Yang Ze praised by the Peak Master. Being explicitly named by a fifth-realm powerhouse was by no means an honor granted to just anyone.

Yang Ze did not dwell too much on being singled out, but instead caught what Xie Yuan had mentioned: thirty years ago, someone had also reached the top ten with the cultivation of the ninth stage of True Qi.

He desperately wanted to know who that person was to have accomplished such a feat. He himself had only reached this point with the help of the black stone; if another ninth-stage True Qi cultivator had achieved this purely through their own strength, it would be truly terrifying.

"The top ten registered disciples have been decided. Now, we shall commence the final round of this martial arts tournament: the ranking battles among the ten of you!"

As soon as Xie Yuan uttered these words, the chaotic atmosphere instantly quieted down. The final round had finally arrived, and it promised to be the most thrilling stage of all.

"The ten of you are the top ten registered disciples. Your current rankings correspond to the order of the names as they previously appeared. We shall now begin the challenge matches. Those of you ranked lower may challenge those ranked higher. Succeed, and you shall take their place; fail, and your journey in this tournament ends here. Do you understand?"

Xie Yuan's voice clearly penetrated the ears of everyone present. This was the ultimate battle of the annual martial arts tournament—rankings decided purely by challenges.

Yang Ze recalled that his name was ranked ninth, meaning only one person could challenge him. If that challenger succeeded, they could continue challenging those ranked higher; if they failed, they would lose their eligibility to challenge further.

Having sorted the rules out in his mind, Yang Ze reached a decision. Looking toward the high platform, he suddenly shouted aloud.

"Reporting to the Elder, I have something to say!"

Channeling his True Qi, his voice reverberated across the entire venue. Xie Yuan and the other elders on the high platform all turned their gazes toward him.

"Yang Ze, what do you have to say?" Xie Yuan asked.

Undaunted by the collective gaze of these figures, Yang Ze spoke with unwavering firmness, "Reporting to the Elder, I wish to voluntarily forfeit my eligibility for this final round of challenge matches and be relegated to tenth place!"

As soon as these words were spoken, an uproar erupted throughout the venue. No one could have imagined that Yang Ze, having come this far, would actually give up his qualification for the challenge matches.

Even though all ten were top ten registered disciples, advancing further—especially entering the top three—offered far more generous rewards.

Hearing Yang Ze's declaration, the crowd buzzed with continuous discussion, all debating this bizarre turn of events.

Xie Yuan, whose expression had been quite composed on the high platform, suddenly changed color upon hearing this.

He had felt a touch of sentimentality and admiration for Ning Teng's discernment upon seeing Yang Ze truly secure a spot in the top ten, but Yang Ze's sudden abstention caught him completely off guard and ignited a spark of anger within him.

For how many years had disciples fiercely contested the glorious status of a top ten position? Not a single person had ever declared an abstention in such a setting, willingly settling for tenth place.

"Give me a reason," Xie Yuan's calm voice drifted down from the high platform, chilling everyone to the bone.

"The reason is that this disciple does not wish to fight any further," Yang Ze replied, neither servile nor overbearing.

"Then why didn't you wait until the battles began to forfeit, instead of making a scene at this moment?" Xie Yuan continued to question.

"Because this disciple does not believe he is no match for others, but simply unwilling to waste energy on this. If I surrender now, I am only giving up the opportunity to fight. If I surrender once the fighting starts, that would be fleeing from battle. As a martial artist, I refuse to flee from battle, but I am permitted to pass up this opportunity."

Yang Ze stated his reasoning. In truth, he was simply too lazy to fight anymore. Even if he continued to battle, he stood no chance of entering the top three, and the rewards for anything below third place were identical.

Why exhaust himself, risk injury, and chase after something fundamentally unattainable?

Moreover, choosing to forgo the opportunity was acceptable to him, but actual cowardice in battle was out of the question.

As a martial artist, facing challenges required pushing forward to maintain an indomitable spirit. If one fled in the face of battle, their inner resolve would be damaged, ruining any prospect of future cultivation.

It was precisely this realization that led Yang Ze to his decision: by forfeiting the chance now, he denied others the opportunity to challenge him. This way, he would neither waste energy nor damage his martial spirit.

As for fame, his reputation had already risen considerably through this martial arts tournament, which was more than enough for him.

With his seasoned insight, Xie Yuan saw right through Yang Ze's intentions. For a moment, he could hardly believe that someone so young could be so slick and calculating, able to utter such words with a straight face.

"Are you truly certain you wish to forfeit the opportunity to challenge?" Xie Yuan asked once more, a subtle shift evident in his tone.

"This disciple's mind is made up. I ask the Peak Master to grant this!" Yang Ze cupped his fists and said.

Xie Yuan's expression turned somewhat unsightly as he simply uttered, "Fine, go stand by the spectator stands."

With a flick of his wrist, a surge of True Qi wrapped around Yang Ze's body and hurled him directly toward the side of the stands. The force was so violent that Yang Ze was practically flung downward, crashing heavily onto the ground.

Ignoring the gazes of others, Yang Ze dusted off his clothes and stood up. Regardless of the process, his goal had been achieved. Avoiding meaningless fights suited his wishes perfectly.

Standing to one side, Yang Ze found a spot and sat down. In the central arena, the other nine registered disciples were already standing by, preparing for the commencement of the challenge matches.

Amidst the continuous battles, day gradually faded into night. Blocks of jade set around the edges of the platform began to emit a brilliant glow, resembling miniature suns that illuminated the entire arena as bright as day.

Having lived in this world for a fair amount of time, Yang Ze had grown familiar with such objects. These stones capable of providing light in the dark were known as luminous stones, and they possessed quite marvelous properties.

The moment the luminous stones flared to life, the first match officially began, with two half-step first-realm martial artists engaging in a fierce battle on the arena stage.

Only nine people remained in the arena, yet everyone watched the ensuing fights with undivided attention, knowing these would be the most spectacular bouts of all.

Yang Ze was no exception. Even though he had opted out, he remained deeply interested in the combat, eager to witness the exact gap in strength between himself and the absolute strongest among the registered disciples.

As it turned out, watching the matches proved his decision entirely correct.

The aura erupted by the tenth-ranked disciple and the eighth-ranked disciple during their clash was something he had no confidence in handling.

Both of their strengths far surpassed that of Shui Ziming, and the density of their True Qi was simply incomparable to the newly forged True Qi Shui Ziming wielded.

Fortunately, he had not blindly entered the fray; otherwise, he would have undoubtedly ended up battered and bruised, delaying his subsequent cultivation.

This round of challenge matches lasted a full day and night before finally concluding. When the final rankings were settled, even Yang Ze was somewhat surprised.

The disciple who claimed first place was none other than Chang Jingyan, while the second-place spot unexpectedly went to Meng Liwei!