strictlysupreme Chapter 165 Star Martial Arts Gathering
Chapter 165 Star Martial Arts Gathering
On the day of the competition, before dawn, the streets of Xingwu City were already packed with people.
At this hour, the streets are usually quiet only with early-rising sanitation workers and vegetable vendors heading to the morning market. But today is different. Overnight, countless temporary stalls have sprung up along the road from the city gate to the main stadium. Blue plastic tents stand side by side, selling kebabs, talismans, badges from various countries, and clothing worn by the athletes. The lively atmosphere, mingled with shouts, permeates the street from one end to the other. Someone carries a large flag bearing their country's national flag, weaving through the crowd. Wind chimes hang from the flagpole, tinkling with every step. A child rides on their father's shoulders, holding an uneaten candied hawthorn, their eyes shining as they gaze into the distance. Long queues form outside the roadside restaurants, the end of the line winding around two corners and extending deep into the alley. Someone squats on the curb, eating noodles, the steam rising from their chopsticks as they pick them up.
The main arena is located in the Central Training Ground of the Martial Arts Alliance, covering a thousand acres and resembling a massive circular fortress from the outside. High, gray-white walls encircle each other, the outermost layer being stone, the innermost layer steel, and the innermost layer reinforced with an array. The walls are covered with runes, and spiritual light flows between them like luminous rivers. The main gate is arched, twenty zhang high and thirty zhang wide, with four large characters inscribed above the lintel: "Martial Arts Alliance," written in a powerful and vigorous style by the previous leader of the Martial Arts Alliance. On either side of the entrance stand two three-zhang-high stone sculptures. The one on the left depicts a human warrior, wielding a longsword, stepping over the corpses of demons; the one on the right is a knight, with a halo of holy light above his head. Both statues wear armor from different eras, representing the two most glorious periods in human martial arts history.
As the five followed the Xingwu University delegation into the martial arts arena, the opening ceremony rehearsal was underway. On the high platform in the center of the arena, the leader of the Martial Arts Alliance was exchanging pleasantries with the heads of various national delegations. The leader wore a black tuxedo embroidered with silver cloud patterns, the hem of which trailed on the steps, held up by someone behind him. Beside him stood representatives from over a dozen countries, dressed in various formal attire—some in traditional martial arts uniforms, some in Western-style suits, and some in embroidered robes with ethnic characteristics. They stood together, their clothing and skin tones different, but their expressions were uniform—polite, exchanging greetings, and scrutinizing each other.
The seats in the stands were stacked one on top of the other, stretching from the edge of the field to the top, like a giant bowl. One hundred thousand seats, their colorful surfaces forming a vast map in the sunlight—the map of humanity. Some were already seated, some were searching for seats, some hung their national flags on the armrests, and some looked around with snack boxes in hand. Various languages intertwined and collided in the air, like a pot of boiling soup.
Teams from various countries have arrived one after another and taken their seats in the rest area.
In the left rest area, several Japanese athletes dressed in samurai attire sat cross-legged. Their samurai uniforms were dark blue, with white cloud patterns embroidered on the cuffs and collars. Their belts were tightly fastened, and katanas were sheathed on their backs, their scabbards black and undecorated. The eldest among them sat upright in the center, his eyes closed, his breathing steady and long, like a meditating statue. Beside him, a katana rested diagonally on a wooden stand before his knees, the lacquered scabbard gleaming faintly under the light. The sword was not drawn, but it seemed to breathe—not truly, but a faint resonance between the blade and the air, emitting a very subtle hum. He noticed Lin Chen's gaze and slowly opened his eyes.
Those eyes weren't sharp, lacking any razor-sharp edge. They were calm like a deep pool, their light not piercing, yet so profound it was impossible to look away. Their gazes met across half the arena. Miyamoto Ichiro nodded slightly, a very subtle movement, as if he didn't want anyone to see it. But Lin Chen saw it and returned the nod. Something lightly touched the air between them, then withdrew.
On the right was the European team. Arthur sat at the very front, his silver-white knight's armor gleaming coldly under the lights. The center of his breastplate bore the paladin's emblem—a circular shield with a cross and flames engraved on its surface. The cross was gold, the flames white, glowing faintly on the armor like a miniature star. A faint aura of holy light surrounded him, not deliberately cultivated, but a natural overflow, like the warm breath exhaled. Behind him followed several knights, wearing slightly lighter silver chainmail, swords at their waists, standing tall and straight, their gazes fixed straight ahead—clearly well-trained elites. Arthur noticed Lin Chen looking at him, turned his head, and when their eyes met, he smiled—not a provocative smile, but a friendly one, tinged with curiosity.
The US team members sat in the brightest spot in the rest area, dressed in matching dark blue combat uniforms with the Stars and Stripes and the Martial Arts Federation's dual emblem emblazoned on their chests. Some had their feet propped up on the armrests, some were tossing a ball at each other, some were talking loudly, and bursts of laughter erupted from time to time. Various colored supernatural lights—blue arcs of electricity, red flames, and white wind blades—swirled and danced across their bodies. Enveloped in laughter and light, their gazes held an undisguised scrutiny, like a group of hunters eyeing their prey, their eyes burning with intensity and directness.
In the far corner sat three men in black robes.
Their hoods were pulled low, the brims obscuring their foreheads and eyes, revealing only their noses and below—pale chins, chapped lips, and slightly twitching nostrils. The black robes were matte, non-reflective, like a light-absorbing coating that swallowed all light. They sat motionless, their breathing unreadable. The surrounding air seemed cooler than elsewhere; the heat dissipated within three meters of them, and people unconsciously avoided them. Other competitors occasionally glanced at them, but no one stared for long, and no one wanted to approach. The three black-robed figures stood like three tombstones in a corner of the bustling arena, a solitary, deathly silence.
"The one in the middle is the Black Crow Young Master." Su Muyue lowered her voice, leaning slightly towards Lin Chen. Her Martial Emperor bloodline quietly circulated at her fingertips, like an invisible probe cautiously reaching in that direction. Her fingers trembled slightly, not from fear, but from an instinctive repulsion of her bloodline, like fire meeting water, like light meeting darkness. "The evil power on his body is deeply concealed by a special secret technique; ordinary martial artists can't detect it at all. But he can't fool me."
Her gaze shifted slightly, sweeping over the black-robed man's sides. "The other two must be his guards, both at the late stage of the Transformation Realm. They're a level stronger than the evil disciples we encountered in the secret realm. Their auras are intertwined, like a net, mutually concealing and reinforcing each other."
Lin Chen didn't rush forward. The competition had its rules; without solid evidence, one couldn't attack the contestants. Alerting them now would be disadvantageous. He mentally noted the three people's positions, postures, and the strength of their auras, then withdrew his gaze.