Chapter 752: Second Round Point Competition

"East Court Sword Team wins!"

With the referee's announcement of the final result, the members of North Court's Second Team couldn't hide their disappointment.

They had given their all, yet still suffered defeat—a complete loss without even facing a single main fighter from the opposing team.

"It's fine. Victory and defeat are common in battle. As long as we tried our best, that's enough."

Nie Yuanzhou patted his teammates' shoulders. Life's outcomes weren't determined by a single match. With perseverance and perhaps a stroke of fate-altering opportunity, their trajectory could still change.

After all, history was full of late-blooming seniors who had achieved greatness.

"Yang Zhan!"

𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

At some point, Gu Tengfeng had approached the members of North Court's Second Team and extended his right hand toward Yang Zhan.

"Gu Tengfeng..."

Yang Zhan froze momentarily, staring at Gu Tengfeng in confusion.

"I apologize, Yang Zhan. I didn't mean to look down on you. But you know—everyone wants to be first. It's every swordsman's dream. So I hope you understand my intentions."

Gu Tengfeng spoke sincerely. In his eyes, Yang Zhan was a worthy opponent deserving of respect, which was why he took the time to explain.

"No need to say more."

Yang Zhan clasped Gu Tengfeng's hand tightly. "Gu Tengfeng, this tournament is our last battle together. I hope you'll carry North Court Second Team's hopes forward—fight your way to the very end and take down Central Court's Sword Team!"

"

Haha,

I will!"

Gu Tengfeng laughed heartily. The two captains shared a knowing smile—some things needed no words.

As both teams left the arena, today's matches concluded. Tomorrow would feature North Court Sword Team versus West Court's Second Team.

Though the absence of "star" players like Ling Feng and Li Bufan left many spectators disappointed, today's matches were still thrilling enough to etch one name into everyone's memory.

Gong Cheng!

For a vast empire, formidable martial prowess was undoubtedly important—but strategic minds like Gong Cheng's were equally indispensable.

Once Gong Cheng graduated smoothly from Tianwei Academy, his future career path would undoubtedly be paved with success.

"That Gu family boy has the bearing of a true commander."

General Deng stroked his long beard, smiling faintly.

As a fellow military general, Deng Xian was quite familiar with Gu Tengfeng's father, Gu Xichao. The saying "a tiger father won't have a dog son" held true—Gu Tengfeng truly embodied his father's legacy.

Deng Yongshi, however, pouted in frustration. "What's the big idea? I came all this way, and that guy didn't even fight!"

"

Haha,

you silly girl." General Deng shook his head with a chuckle. "Alright, we should get going."

"Fine, let's go then..." Deng Yongshi huffed under her breath, grumbling to herself,

That damned Ling Feng! He promised to visit and help me with my martial skills during the break, but he never showed up even once! That jerk isn't even... a good teacher!

...

The first-round matches proceeded methodically.

After the opening day, East Court Sword Team attended every subsequent match, observing closely.

Meanwhile, gambling dens across the capital had already compiled detailed lists of championship favorites and scoring predictions—often ahead of Tianwei Academy's official announcements.

The other three major academies were no exception. This season of combat presented prime opportunities for underground industries to reap massive profits.

For Tianwei Academy, the top contenders were undoubtedly the East Court Sword Team and Central Court Sword Team. But final scores, flag-capturing outcomes—these were all hot betting topics.

Of course, upsets were always possible!

In short, anyone keeping up with the tournament had likely placed a few bets. As the saying went, "Take a gamble, and an ordinary artifact might just turn into a treasured one!"

Three more matches concluded, narrowing the advancing teams to five:

- West Court Sword Team

- East Court Sword Team

- North Court Sword Team

- Central Court's Second Team

- Central Court's Third Team

Surprisingly, South Court Sword Team suffered a crushing defeat against Central Court's Second Team. The fact that both Central Court's second and third teams advanced highlighted their overwhelming overall strength—even their reserve teams couldn't be underestimated.

Meanwhile, inspired by East Court's strategy, other teams began conserving their strength during the first round, revealing little of their true capabilities.

From unknown sources, Gu Tengfeng obtained detailed profiles on every participating team.

Given the Gu family's connections to underground industries like the Blood Arena, their ties with major casinos made such intelligence accessible.

Central Court's Sword Team was undeniably strong, led by Li Yunting, whose cultivation had reached the second level of the Spiritual Element Realm. In terms of actual strength, he could likely rival an average mid-stage expert of the same realm.

Mu Liufeng's true strength, however, remained a mystery, marked only by a question mark.

Aside from them, there was also Lu Qingshan—another opponent who couldn't be underestimated.

Then there was Yue Yunlan, Central Court's flag keeper. Though Ling Feng was quite familiar with her, and her cultivation level wasn't particularly high, she excelled in adaptability. With the right teamwork, she could still play a pivotal role in the match.

North Court's Sword Team, the long-standing runner-up, was led by Yuchi Rui, who had seemingly advanced to the peak of the Transformation Realm, with one foot already stepping into the Spiritual Element Realm.

In terms of actual strength, he could likely overwhelm an average Spiritual Element Realm martial artist with ease.

Meanwhile, Central Court's second team—though technically a second team—had demonstrated overwhelming strength in their dominant victory over South Court's Sword Team. They were certainly not to be underestimated.

Their captain was a man named Luo Hong...

...

After going through the detailed report, Ling Feng gained a general understanding of each sword team's strengths.

Know yourself and your enemy, and you'll never lose.

Sword team battles were tests of both strength and strategy—no opponent could be taken lightly.

As the tournament's intensity grew, every team trained relentlessly outside match hours.

With the competition's overall strength at unprecedented levels, tension hung thick in the air.

Then, on the sixth day of the Five Courts' Sword Team Grand Competition—

The second round of point competition finally began!

The rules differed slightly from the first round. The five advancing teams would each face one another, earning one point per win, zero for losses.

Only the top two teams would qualify to challenge the Central Court Sword Team for the championship.

This format ensured fairness while delivering the high-stakes excitement audiences craved.