Jiu Shen took a glance at the battle platforms of Yang Zenke's group. He used his spiritual perception discreetly to check the cultivation levels of their opponents.
In just a few seconds, Jiu Shen was already able to picture out everything about their opponents. Including their cultivation level, weapons of expertise, etc. And from what Jiu Shen saw, he was confident that Yang Zenke and the others would emerge as the winners of their respective battle platforms.
'Yang Zenke, Han Sen, and the others shouldn't have a problem winning in the first round. As for Sulan's disciples, although their cultivation level is almost similar to Yang Zenke's group, their battle experience is practically non-existent, so some of them might have a hard time getting past the first round...' Jiu Shen's eyes continuously scanned the young disciples on the battle platforms and he already had his guesses on who among them would be the final 128. However, this was merely his assumption based on what he had seen from his spiritual perception.
Many things could happen in a fight. Not to mention a battle royale such as this which involves the best of Silver Wing Empire's younger generation. Jiu Shen may be able to deduce the power of the youths, but he could not guess the final outcome of the first round. After all, he wasn't a seer or a prophet.
Jiu Shen then glanced at Liu Mengdi who was silent throughout the entire time.
Right from the beginning, he knew that the young man was concealing his strength. Everyone could sense that Liu Mengdi only had an early stage 3rd-rank Crusader realm cultivation level, but Jiu Shen knew that this guy was actually an early stage 5th-rank Spirit realm! His strength was on par with the fourth prince, so their talents should be almost on the same level!
'The kid truly knows how to hide. He even deceived the entire Silver Wing Empire into believing that he is just a silkpants young master of a noble family. He must have his reasons as to why he is doing this.' Jiu Shen muttered in his heart as he observed Liu Mengdi who was surrounded by multiple youths who were eyeing him with malicious intentions. From the looks of their eyes, they wanted to kick Liu Mengdi out of the platform and make him as their stepping stone.
From Jiu Shen's experience, he could somehow guess Liu Mengdi's reasoning on why he was keeping up a facade all this time. 'According to the intel that Ren Shuang gathered, the Liu Family's internal affair is unstable. Liu Mengdi's uncles are vying for the patriarch position, and they are merely waiting for the death of their supreme elder before they would snatch it with force. Their supreme elder is already in his twilight years and it is only a matter of time before he leaves this world... To think that a kid as young as him actually managed to fool everyone... Such a talent! A pity that he does not have a supreme physique. However, it isn't a problem to let him join my sect...'
On Liu Mengdi's battle platform, he was in the encirclement of more than a dozen youths. Each of them carrying different weapons, and their eyes revealed their contempt.
Liu Mengdi smirked coldly in his heart, but he put on a calm expression on his face throughout this ordeal.
The youths that surrounded him were merely 3rd-rank Crusaders, and there were even some at the 2nd-rank Elite Warrior. It was truly laughable for them to believe that he was just a soft cotton that they could casually knead.
'I've been waiting for this day to come! I've had enough of everyone's contemptuous stares! This is the day that I, Liu Mengdi would be known by the whole Silver Wing Empire as a young elite!' Liu Mengdi screamed inside his head. His heart was beating wildly in excitement as he glanced at the group of youths around him.
"Young Master Liu, we apologize in advance for our offense. If you don't want to get hurt, you can jump out of the battle platform."
"That's right! We don't want to offend you Young Master Liu. You're an elite of the Liu Family, so it shouldn't be a problem if we join hands to take you out." A voice filled with sarcasm echoed about.
Liu Mengdi frowned and stared at the young man who had just spoken.
He had a short black hair and he was wearing a battle suit that fitted nicely to his bulky frame. The young man was two meters tall and he was holding a giant axe with both his hands. This guy was the strongest among the group of youths that surrounded him, and he was already at the peak stage of the 3rd-rank Crusader realm.
"Hahaha! Hahaha!" Liu Mengdi covered his face with his left palm as he guffawed exaggeratedly.
Everyone was stunned at his sudden peals of laughter, but they promptly shook their heads with different kinds of expressions. Some of them felt pity, regret, disdain, and even happiness.
"Looks like Liu Mengdi had gone crazy after being cornered like this. Sigh!"
"If I had his resources, I would have already been a 4th-rank Knight Crusader! Everything that was given to him was practically wasted! Beat him up!"
"Beat him up! He is just shaming the Liu Family's prestige!"
A few people from the crowd voiced out their scornful remarks. They weren't afraid of the Liu Family because they were also from noble families. The Liu Family might be one of the three great noble families, but it did not have the power to oppose multiple noble families simultaneously.
The Liu Family's patriarch had a dark look when he heard the insulting remarks aimed at his son. He knew that his son was merely hiding strength. In fact, he was the one who told Liu Mengdi to hide his cultivation level. The situation of their Liu Family wasn't good, and his brothers' fox tails were already showing. In a few months, they might try to assassinate him to get the patriarch position. Thinking about it made his heart filled with sadness.
He then recalled the things he talked about with Liu Mengdi the night before the martial arts contest.
"Son, show the world your real strength! And you don't have to worry about the retaliation from your uncles. Your father will handle them for you."
"But father! If I show everyone my true power, those bastards would surely feel threatened and they might ignore the supreme elder and kill you! Our plans would fall apart if we do this!"
"Son, I've already made up my mind. I have planned about this a few months ago, and I am confident that I could kill those bastards! Remember, the position as next patriarch of the Liu Family is only yours..."
The patriarch of the Liu Family clenched his fists tightly as he watched his son on his battle platform. He had a proud smile on his face as he looked at Liu Mengdi.
"My son, Liu Mengdi, show them who you truly are... Don't worry, I will handle everything in the Liu Family. Even if I die, the position of the next patriarch can only be taken by you..."