Chapter 365: Very Unreconciled

After clearing away the corpses, the staff members departed.

They weren’t allowed to interfere with the selection trials, so once they finished their cleanup, they had no choice but to leave.

All they could do was pray for the other contestants.

’Hopefully, those clueless fools won’t try starting any more fires.’

In truth, most people knew the consequences of starting a fire, so anyone with half a brain wouldn’t dare do such a thing.

Those who dared to do so were either ruthless... or absolute savages.

"Alas, these people... They probably lit a fire to lure others in, only to get ambushed and killed themselves," a patrolling staff member sighed.

"Who can they blame but themselves? Starting a fire in the dead of night is just asking for death," said another staff member from the Foundation Establishment Realm.

They were a pathetic sight, yet unworthy of sympathy.

When the last of the Heavy Saber Sect’s disciples were cleared out, their elders were devastated, filled with a grief so profound they couldn’t even cry.

The elites of their entire Sect had been wiped out.

They had hoped to make a brilliant showing at this Martial Arts Grand Ceremony and secure a high ranking.

But who would have thought? They hadn’t even survived the first day before every last one of them was dead.

But no matter how heartbroken they were, it wouldn’t change the outcome.

Everyone had known there would be danger before they entered.

By sunrise the next morning, over a hundred bodies had been cleared out of the Grand Canyon.

Nearly two hundred people had died in the selection trials for the Martial Arts Grand Ceremony, and the first day wasn’t even over. It was madness, but it also felt wrong.

In past Martial Arts Grand Ceremonies, only one or two people might die over the entire five days.

This time, however, the death toll on the first day alone had already surpassed the total from a full five-day event.

This was more than a little outrageous.

Thanks to warnings from Chu Feng and instructions from Chu Tianshan, Su Miaoke, Chu Wushuang, and Chu Wuqing were so far unharmed.

They had found a suitable hiding spot right after entering.

After all, there was no point in fighting for the Scoreboards right at the start. One wrong move and you could be killed by your intended victim. It was far too dangerous.

The most important thing was to stay alive and safe. If an opportunity presented itself, they would take it. If not, so be it.

They had five days, after all. If no opportunities came up, that was fine too. Staying alive was more important than anything else.

The three of them were terrified. Only one day had passed, and though they remained hidden, they had heard plenty of blood-curdling screams.

They had also witnessed people being killed, and the gruesome scenes had left a deep impact on them. As a result, they were still thoroughly frightened.

Before entering this place, Chu Wushuang had thought that even if his skills weren’t the best, they were at least decent. He figured he could probably surpass a good number of contestants.

But after coming here, he realized just how weak he truly was.

The truth of his own weakness hit him all at once.

Compared to the others, he was worse than trash.

"Brother Wushuang, what do we do now?" Chu Wuqing asked, his expression grim.

Throughout the night, Chu Wushuang and Chu Wuqing had taken turns standing watch.

But Su Miaoke was Chu Feng’s wife, so the two men insisted she not stand watch, ensuring she could rest soundly through the night.

"Let’s not make any rash moves," Chu Wushuang said. "We’ll stay here for now and wait for an opening. We still have four days, after all. There’s no rush."

He was naturally level-headed, and seeing so many people die had only reinforced his caution. He had no choice but to be steady.

’Now he recalled his spar with Chu Feng and realized how foolish he had been.’

The first time he’d met Chu Feng, he’d thought himself quite strong, full of confidence. This Martial Arts Grand Ceremony had made him truly understand that there was always someone stronger out there.

Here, there were plenty of people younger than them, and even more who were stronger.

Especially galling were those their own age who had already reached the Foundation Establishment Realm.

The terrifying auras they exuded left them breathless with fear.

"Sigh... the selection trials have only just begun and it’s already this brutal. Brother Wushuang, what are we going to do?" Chu Wuqing was losing morale. He was truly terrified. ’It’s insane! People are dropping dead left and right.’

He had personally witnessed over a dozen Cultivators being killed, and it had nearly scarred him for life.

"The Young Master and the Old Ancestor warned us that this Martial Arts Grand Ceremony would be extremely dangerous," Chu Wushuang said. "Our number one priority is to ensure our own survival. Everything else is secondary."

"Didn’t Chu Feng say that if things get too bad, we can go to the staff for help? He said he already made arrangements," Su Miaoke added.

"Young Master’s Wife, I can’t accept that," Chu Wushuang said, his tone indignant. "Back in his day, the Old Ancestor made it into the top thirty of the Martial Arts Grand Ceremony. Are we really going to fail to even pass the selection trials? How utterly humiliating would that be!"