There were rumors that Nansi Yuangu was absent from the Elementus Domain, healing from injuries brought about by cultivation efforts gone violent! They hadn't expected Sheng Jizi would call forth Nansi Yuangu as his first champion, baffling everyone with a single announcement.
While everyone was looking at Sheng Jizi, awed by his declaration, Wu Yu's expression grew a little strange. Wasn't Nansi Yuangu injured? Wei Wuyin had surmised that the Nansi Clan's Earthly Saint was the third cultivator that had suffered injuries by the Legion Commander.
He was selecting an injured cultivator? That was baffling. Or perhaps, he had healed from his injuries in such an extremely short period of time? 'Guess I'll find out,' Wu Yu thought. If he was given the opportunity…
A dangerous glint suffused his eyes, threatening to pour out in a torrential storm of killing intent.
Ma Zheng and Sheng Jizi continued their selections. However, Ma Zheng's next selection strangled the air from everyone's lungs, their eyes widened with shock, disbelief, and a strong belief that Ma Zheng was insane!
"...select Faye Liying as my second champion." His announcement of that name was extremely calm! But no one was capable of doing so!
Pa!
Yangzi Yanshi slammed his palm on the table, his eyes intense. "Are you fucking crazy?!" He violently questioned Ma Zheng without holding the slightest. The vulgarity of his was unbefitting of the Second Branch Manager, but the situation somewhat called for it. The eyes of Shaung Xi, Shui Yu, Sun Li, and the rest all stared at Ma Zheng.
Sheng Jizi was the only one that remained totally calm, clearly having anticipated this event and this champion. "Are you certain?" He asked for verification purposes.
"IS HE CERTAIN?! Pavilion Master! This is the Soul-Rising Saint!! THE SOUL-RISING SAINT! A wanted criminal by the entire Ninestar Starfield! How can we permit this?!" Yangzi Yanshi was clearly panicking. The entire Ninestar Sainthall was hunting this woman! They had already declared that any who harbored her was declaring war against the entire Ninestar Sainthall!
Was he certain?!
Ma Zheng calmly responded as if Yangzi Yanshi's words were air, "She'll represent me as my second champion."
"..."
Sheng Jizi nodded acceptingly. Ma Zheng's connection with the Ninestar Sainthall wasn't insignificant or concealed to the astute. The War Devil Realm had sealed a contract with the Ninestar Sainthall to find Dharma Protectors for various youths, including an opportunity to receive masters through this deal.
Additionally, the Ninestar Sainthall had won the Golden Auction. Their wager limit was certainly higher than anyone could've expected. In hindsight, it was quite clear…
Sheng Jizi continued, "...select Yang Chaoyue as my second champion."
"...What?!" Another heavy bomb! The others looked at Sheng Jizi. Why did Yang Chaoyue, one of the Sky Monarchs of the Imperial Clan, accept to become another's champion?! Amongst the Sky Monarchs, she was certainly amongst the strongest, if not, the strongest, somewhat exceeding Huoyan Liulan's strength and reputation!
This was a challenge to test the means, rallying strength, and connections of these two. To call forth two Earthly Saints, one who defeated the True Element Sect, forcing the Lin Clan into a puppet position, and the other who was one of the top Sky Monarchs, how terrifying was this?
Wu Yu and Faye Liying were equally as terrifying!
These two were drawing upon all their connections and planning thus far! Who knew the stories of how the traitorous Soul-Rising Saint and Sky Monarch Yang Chaoyue were recruited?! Yet here they were! Yang Chaoyue's powerful reputation might even be linked to Sheng Jizi's investment!
Maybe even the Soul-Rising Saint's recent reveal of her foundation was linked to Ma Sujiang!
Not a single individual here wasn't impressed, deeply enthralled as theories and possibilities of millennia long plans floated in their thoughts so wildly.
According to the rules, the challenged announces their second and third pick together, while the challenged loses the advantage by saying their first and second before them. This gave those challenged some time to select appropriate counters to the first two match-ups, an extremely beneficial advantage.
However, the last pick was the challenger's advantage. However, considering this was a Pavilion Master challenge, where a single loss was a loss overall, this was all in the pavilion master's favor.
Sheng Jizi used the last advantage he could. As the Pavilion Master, he had the right to use personal strength to fend against all challengers! While he was the Life Branch Manager, typically disqualifying himself for this right, three predecessors ago, this matter came up and was changed to only factor in the challenged position that was in danger of being lost.
Right now, he was temporarily not the Life Branch Manager, just the Pavilion Master defending himself. As such, he did what any Pavilion Master should be able to.
"I, Sheng Jizi, select myself as my third champion!"
The others expected this, so the commotion wasn't much. But Ma Zheng threw the very last bomb! The greatest bomb yet!
"I, Ma Zheng, select MYSELF as my third champion!" Ma Zheng strongly announced, staring Sheng Jizi in the eyes without backing down in the slightest.
"Wait what?!" Yangzi Yanshi was thunderstruck. This was legal? He had a grin of disdain, "Has your mind become addled with your age? Branch Managers can't part-" His upcoming words clung itself to his throat as he stilled. Ma Zheng was no longer Branch Manager!
"Interesting." Sheng Jizi knew that Ma Zheng was considered as one of the strongest Demi-Mortal Lords in this era, the only one that had the slightest chance of overcoming the insane difference between Demi-Mortal Lords and Earthly Saints. With his position as Branch Manager gone and lack of a Golden Council status, he was fully within his rights to select himself!
It was an unexpected loophole!
Most challengers, no, every challenger thus far for the Pavilion Master seat has been a Branch Manager or Golden Council Member!
But it was as Sheng Jizi anticipated. Ma Zheng's third was Huoyan Liulan. He was left with no other choice but to choose himself. In Sheng Jizi's eyes, Ma Zheng wasn't weak. That said, Sheng Jizi wasn't an ordinary Earthly Saint either. While he might not be top-tier, he was definitely nothing to scoff at.
Unlike Alchemists, Forgers, and Architects, businessmen like them did not have to focus their time on studying complex matters. They could split their focus between managing and cultivating. It was why Ma Zheng could be so absurdly strong, and with their wealth accumulated from investments and delegating tasks, establishing profitable deals, making efficient trades, they had far, far greater cultivation resources than others.
Ma Zheng finding a replacement that could match Sheng Jizi in the short timeframe of a few minutes was extremely unlikely. And Sheng Jizi's thoughts weren't wrong. Ma Zheng's third in his original plans couldn't make it.
She was occupied with keeping her daughter out of the clutches of that unsavory organization. With Wu Yu as a replacement, it worked out just fine. He didn't press her to follow through with their plans because he felt it wasn't necessary. Not because he didn't expect Sheng Jizi's insidious trick, no, it's because he was confident in dealing with everything Sheng Jizi had!
'I will take back what's rightfully mine today!' All the pieces for Ma Zheng were there and at the ready. What was left was to ensure that he didn't lose a single match! To reclaim his spot as the Pavilion Master of the organization he spent his entire life building!
"Selections have been completed. All involved parties will summon their champions to these Void Coordinates! To the Prosperous Arena!" Sheng Jizi announced as everyone was seething with excitement. The battle of a lifetime, with an entire organization on the line, was now about to commence!
