ATG 208 - MTL/Edited

Against the Gods - Chapter 208
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Systran + Editing (Disclaimer: edited MTLS are not error free and are not a replacement for real translations! )

Status: Complete. MTL Complete; Editing Complete

*Note*: One edited chapter is like making four non-edited chapters so I probably won't do many unless they're really necessary like this one or if I just feel like it.

3rd of 3 chapters for 10/9/15: 8:00 PM PST release
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Chapter 208 - First Battle

	"These people are really too much! All this taunting... hmph! When the Ranking Tournament starts, Brother Yun will definitely make them obediently shut their mouths!" Cang Yue shouted indignantly, not at all like a princess. Everyone around them was ridiculing and making a mockery of Yun Che and the Blue Wind Royal Family. Being ridiculed by this many people made her very uncomfortable.

	"No need to mind them for this is actually the most normal situation." Qin Wushang's face remained unchanged as he answered gently. In his opinion, not being ridiculed would actually be the unexpected situation. If another Sect were to do what they did, even if he wouldn't openly mock them, in his heart he would naturally despise them as well.

	"Brother-in-law, which number did you draw?" After Yun Che came back, Xia Yuanba impatiently asked.

	Yun Che lifted the badge in his hand. The numbers on the badge were 1505.

	After clearly seeing the number, Qin Wushang explained: "This number is used to divide the competition. The first two numbers signify that you belong the the 15th group and will carry out your battles on the 15th Sword Stage. The first to fight on the stage will be number 1545."

	"The First Round Group Matches will last for three days and is divided into 30 groups. Each group has about 50 participants and each participant must fight twelve battles. The disciples who make it into the top ten, 300 disciples total, will be able to enter the Second Round Group Matches. The 1200 disciples who do not make it to the Second Roup Group Stage will be able to carry on their battles in the Lower Competition Field. However, except for the Sects involved, not many people pay attention to the lower competition."

	Saying up to here, Qin Wushang lightly sighed. He did so because in the past Ranking Tournaments, after the First Round Group Matches, the Blue Wind Royal Family has always been sent to the Lower Competion Field. At least since the time he was born until the present time, the Blue Wind Royal Family has never had anybody enter the Second Round Group Stage. Although they dreamed of entering the Top Hundred, this goal was never attainable.

	"The Second Round Group Matches similarly last for three days. The 300 disciples who enter this phase of the competition must fight 15 opponents! After the battles, depending on whoever achieves the most wins, the top 32 and the top 100 will be immediately decided. The bottom 200 will be sent to the Lower Competition Field and likewise ranks 33 to 100 will be sent to the Lower Competition Field however, if one of the ranks 33 to 100 refuses to do so, he will be given an opportunity to challenge someone in the top 32. If the challenger wins, he will then obtain his opponent's ranking and will thus be able to enter the Top 32 Final Elimination Stage.
(TL: The above paragraph is the main reason I wanted to edit this chapter. This paragraph was so confusing that I had to consult multiple MTLs. I'm fairly confident that it's mostly correct now! Understanding the rules of the tournament will make the future's rough translations a little more bearable!)

	"The final rankings obtained in this tournament will surely follow every participant. Their performance will not only affect themselves, but affect the Sects who sent them."

	Xia Yuanba began to count his fingers, then his eyes widened as he exclaimed, "Say, if someone were to make it to the Second Round Group Matches, then they would have to fight 27 battles in six days!!"

	Cang Yue face became solemn as she said, "This is correct. The atmosphere of the Ranking Tournament has always been intense, however, during the First Round Group Matches it is somewhat easy to conserve one's strength. Since the disparity in levels of strength is so great during the first round, one can usually end a match quite quickly. Each day it is common to see hundreds of matches. Brother Yun, remember to conserve your strength and do not forget that you promised us... that you would reach the Top 100!"

	"Of course I didn't forget." Yun Che smiled as he nodded, his gaze focused on the face of each disciple as they entered their matches... If he's able to advance to the Top 100, he'll be able to shock the entire audience. Everyone who ridiculed him would stare with dumbfounded faces, he would be famous, and the Blue Wind Profound Palace would be beside themselves with pride and ecstasy. More importantly, Qin Wushang and Cang Yue would have enough joy to last a lifetime...

	However, his true goal was absolutely not the trivial Top 100!

	Eventually, the Profound Strength Tests taking place on the Sword Stage finally finished. Ling Wugou read out the rules and procedures of the Ranking tournament for a long time but afterward, the Blue Wind Tournament finally formally started.

	"... During the fight, whoever falls to the ground for over ten counts or takes the initiative in admitting defeat will be declared the loser! Furthermore, after 30 counts your group can admit defeat for you! ... And now, this old man announces that this year's Blue Wind Tournament... officially begins!"

	Ling Wugou profound strength made his voice so loud that it was heard all around. Suddenly, over the 30 Small Sword Stages, transparent profound strength barriers were simultaneously erected. These profound strength barriers isolated the battle fields in order to avoid collateral damage and defined the battle areas.

	Afterward, 30 prepared middle-aged men dove onto each of the respective 30 Sword Stages. These men were the 30 referees of the First Round Group Stage matches. However, each of these 30 men were actually known as "Profound Void Crossers", meaning that all of them were Sky Profound Realm powerhouses. This fact alone made many ignorant young disciples immediately fall down in adoration.

	The 30 Small Sword Stages were set up to be evenly distributed around the Main Sword Stage. Using Profound eyesight, just by slightly shifting one's gaze, one could take in the entire situation of each and every Sword Stage with a glance.

	Along with the appearance of the barriers and 30 referees, 60 disciples' number plates began to shine simultaneously. The 30 referees' penetrating and powerful shouts resounded in a synchronized manner, announcing that the first 60 fighters must quickly make their way to their respective Sword Stages. The Ranking Tournament has officially started.

	"After thorough investigation, we have found out that Yun Che is number 1505 and will be fighting on the 15th Sword Stage. We've explain to his opponents, that under any circumstance and no matter what the cost, they must guarantee that he does not make it to the Second Round Group Matches. We told him to use any means necessary to ensure that he ends up crippled, half-dead... or lacking a few arms and legs."

	Fen Juecheng shot a glance at someone on Sword Stage 15 and slowly nodded.

	The seat Yun Che is on is still far away from the 15th Sword Stage. Since his match is the fifth one, he didn't wait nearby but instead chose to remain at his seat, silently watching the competition.

	There were more than 500 groups at the tournament. Some were sword masters, some blade masters, some spear masters, and some were even whip masters... Various kinds of weapons, attributes, and profound techniques were on display. Some used heavy weapons, while some used light and lively ones. There were all kinds of fancy profound skills like fancy spear techniques.

	At least for Xia Yuanba, he deeply felt that his two eyes were not enough to take it all in.

	At the moment, it's only the First Round Group Matches, the most basic part of the Tournament, but even so, watching those matches was surely a luxury. The fighters were all 20 years old and younger Spirit Profound realm practitioners! These were the geniuses of the geniuses! This tournament was a place where only the top of the top talents came together.

	"Look! Hurry! Look! It's Elder Sister!"

	Xia Yuanba cried out in alarm as he pointed toward the Ninth Sword Stage.

	After a quarter of an hour, the Ninth Stage had already carried out three battles. The fourth fighter was the veiled Xia Qingyue causing many members of the audience to turn their attention to and talk about the Ninth Sword Stage. Any time one of the Four Great Sects entered a stage, they immediately became the center of attention.

	Opposite of Xia Qingyue, a 20-year-old youth walked forward, his face truly ugly to behold as he secretly complained in his heart. He was a practitioner at the fourth rank of the Spirit Profound Realm and was considered to be in the middle to upper parts of the Ninth Group. But unfortunately, how could he expect that his first match would be against a disciple of the Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace!

	However, since his opponent was a 17-year-old girl, he really couldn't bare to lose face and immediately admit defeat, so he braced himself and drew his sword. "Mirage Sword Sect Han Yunzi! I ask the fairy maiden to grant instruction!"

	As his words fell he suddenly took a step forward and thrust out his sword as he used his strongest unique skill, "Three Living Swords". Surging colored sword qi formed around three swords as the three swords swooped into a triangle formation, ready to attack Xia Qingyue.

	Xia Qingyue's bright eyes were indifferent as she stood in place. She welcomed Han Yunzhi's sword qi with a gentle raising of her snow white right hand...

	"Ahhh!!!!"

	An exceedingly cold wind blew like countless knife blades cutting Han Yunzhi's face, the sword qi defeated and dispersed in a flash. His whole body similary felt like he was in an ice cold hell, his four limbs incomparably stiff. Before he managed to maintain his posture while wielding his sword, but soon he could no longer grip his sword as his fingers were practically unable to be moved.

	Magnificent hoar frost began to cover him in an instant. From the tip of his sword to the top of head, his whole body was completely covered in ice.

	 Everyone who saw the Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace's "Frozen Cloud Secret Arts" for the first time, even those prestigious Sect Disciples, were badly startled.

	"I... admit... defeat..." Han Yunzhi's shivering lips managed to squeeze out these three words with great difficulty. He thought that even though there was a difference in four ranks that he would manage to at least make her expend some energy... However, he soon learned that he didn't even possess the qualifications to appear on this stage.

	"Mirage Sword Sect's Han Yunzhi admits defeat! Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace's Xia Qingyue wins!"

	After the Sword Stage referee declared his judgment for the Ninth Stage, the cold frost covering Han Yunzhi disappeared. Han Yunzhi suddenly knelt down on the ground and began to breathe heavily for several moments, his gaze incomparably awed as he watched Xia Qingyue take several small and graceful steps down the Sword Stage.

	The Heavenly Sword Villa, Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace, Xiao Sect, and Burning Heavens Sect are called the Four Great Sects but why is it that another sect has not been able to rise to make it the "Five Great Sects"? This was because the other sects simply did not have the qualifications to be anywhere near the level of the Four Great Sects. Compared to other Sects, the difference between them was like the difference between the clouds and the mud. Inside information, wealth, resources, the power of secret practice methods... because of these facts and more, the prestige of the Four Great Sects was simply unmatched, the huge gulf between other sects never shrinking. For several hundred years, the Top Ten names of the Ranking Tournament always belonged to the Four Great Sects. Without exception, not one disciple from other sects could ever possibly intrude.

	"So powerful... Elder Sister is unexpectedly so powerful." Xia Yuanba stared with circular eyes at Xia Qingyue without blinking until she went down from the Sword Stage. After a while, he dully asked, "Brother-in-law, you saw how powerful Elder Sister is... do you... do you think you can fight against Elder Sister?"

	"Hahaha, that's completely impossible!" Qin Wushang responded with a smile. "If I have guessed correctly, your elder sister is most likely a core disciple who the Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace has nurtured for years with special care and attention. Such a girl is the pride of heaven, and is simply not someone that we of the Blue Wind Profound Palace can compare to."

	Yun Che, whose face has remained tranquil throughout the competition, did not speak.

	At this time, on the 15th Imperial Sword Stage, a referee could be heard shouting,

	"15th group's fifth match, Blue Wind Royal Family, 'Yun Che"! Southern Territory's Jade Cloud School, 'Fu Yanjie!"