Chapter 900: Mobilization

After leaving Chen Yang's residence, Han Li quickly returned to his own room and carefully pored over the materials Chen Yang had given him.

Chen Yang had evidently prepared for this well in advance and had put considerable effort into it. The materials were very comprehensive, listing not only the cultivation techniques and specialized abilities of the experts from other cities, but also detailed records of battles they had participated in, which were highly valuable for reference.

Time passed bit by bit, until a full three hours later.

Han Li put down the last page of material, raised his head, and a contemplative look flashed in his eyes.

He now had a general grasp of the strength of the people from each city.

After sitting quietly for a moment, Han Li took out an object from his bosom—it was the three-headed, six-armed statue—and placed it before him.

Then he took out a jade box containing a white beast core, the Heaven-grade beast core that Chen Yang had given him earlier.

There were still three months until the tournament. Although this period was not long, he did not want to waste it.

After taking a deep breath, a crystalline light shot out from between Han Li's brows and plunged into the black statue.

The black statue immediately began to dance and gesticulate, making various movements, and the back of the statue also revealed densely packed mystical texts of the Heavenly Devil Prison Suppression Art.

Han Li looked at these tiny characters and was about to take out the beast core to cultivate, when his brows suddenly lifted, and he looked at the black statue before him.

What he was looking at now was not the text on the statue, but the statue's various movements.

Ever since obtaining the black statue, he had always focused on the Heavenly Devil Prison Suppression Art inscribed on it, paying no attention to the statue's poses. Crab Daoist had never mentioned them either, so he had consistently overlooked them.

The twelve poses struck by the black statue should not be without purpose.

Han Li watched the continuous movements of the black statue, a thoughtful expression on his face. After a moment, he suddenly lay down on the ground, cradled his head with his left hand, raised his right foot slightly, and leaned his body backward, imitating the statue's first pose.

As soon as he assumed this posture, his eyes flew wide open.

…

Three months passed quickly, and the day of the Five Cities Tournament finally drew near.

In the reception hall of Chen Yang's residence in the City Lord's Villa, many people from Qingyang City had gathered.

Excitement was evident on their faces as they chatted incessantly, clearly looking forward to the upcoming Five Cities Tournament.

However, the atmosphere in the room, though excited, was also somewhat delicate.

Tomorrow was the Five Academies Tournament. According to what Chen Yang had said earlier, the list of participants would be announced shortly.

Chen Yang had brought about seventeen or eighteen people from Qingyang City, most of whom were top-ranked gladiators from various districts, but there were only twelve slots for participants, meaning nearly half would be cut.

Those who did not get to compete would miss out on the tournament, not only losing the chance to shine and make a name for themselves, but also the opportunity to win the various rewards set for the tournament.

More importantly, as long as one passed the first round of elimination, those bearing slave status could regain their freedom. Whether they stayed in the Gladiatorial Arena afterward would be entirely voluntary.

Thus, over the past thousand years, many had tried every means to improve their strength and status, all for the chance to participate in this Five Cities Tournament.

At this moment, eleven or twelve people had already arrived. Yi Liya sat at the center of the room, with Tu Gang, Sun Binghe, and several others gathered around him like stars around the moon.

The others in the room either gathered in small groups or sat alone in silence.

Although Du Long was also in the room, he was not beside Yi Liya at the moment; instead, he sat alone to one side.

He kept glancing at Yi Liya, his expression complex—some regret, some longing. Several times he wanted to get up and walk over, but each time, someone near Yi Liya would look his way with a cold gaze, preventing Du Long from approaching.

After several failed attempts to go over, Du Long finally resigned himself to sitting still.

Just then, the sound of steady footsteps came, and everyone in the room looked outward.

A figure appeared at the entrance—it was Han Li.

Compared to three months ago, his frame seemed slightly leaner, with faint traces of bone visible on his limbs, and he exuded a vigorous and sharp aura.

Yi Liya frowned slightly at the sight of Han Li, a glint flashing in his eyes.

The people beside him also noticed Han Li, and their expressions changed somewhat.

Han Li swept his gaze over the crowd in the room, then walked to a corner and sat down.

It seemed as if no one in the room had seen Han Li; no one greeted him.

Han Li did not mind this. After sitting down, he closed his eyes and rested.

Although he was alone, he did not feel suppressed by the others in the room; instead, he exuded a sense of standing out from the crowd.

Du Long looked at Han Li, his eyes flickering. After a moment, as if he had made up his mind, he stood up and walked over.

Yi Liya and the people beside him frowned at this sight.

"Brother Li, long time no see," Du Long said warmly as he sat down beside Han Li.

Han Li opened his eyes, glanced at Du Long, then at Yi Liya and the others in the distance, and a smile curled at the corner of his mouth: "So it's Brother Du Long. Long time no see."

"Tomorrow is the Five Academies Tournament. Seeing how calm you are, Brother Li, you must already have a plan," Du Long said with a light laugh, somewhat flatteringly.

"Not at all. I'm just a first-timer at such a grand event, a bit at a loss," Han Li replied with a faint smile.

"Haha, Brother Li really knows how to joke," Du Long laughed heartily.

The two of them chatted casually, as if no one else was around.

Seeing this from afar, a cold glint flashed in Yi Liya's eyes, and he was about to say something.

Just then, another set of footsteps sounded, and two graceful figures entered—Gu Qianxun and Yao Li, who was always by her side.

A faint crystalline light seemed to shimmer on Gu Qianxun's face, which also appeared somewhat changed from before.

"Sister Gu, you've been in seclusion cultivating all this time, and it seems you've made considerable progress. In this tournament, you'll surely advance even further," Yi Liya immediately stood up, greeted her with a smile.

"You flatter me, Brother Yi," Gu Qianxun said indifferently, glancing at Yi Liya before sweeping her beautiful eyes over the rest of the room.

Her eyes suddenly brightened. She nodded slightly to Yi Liya and then walked toward where Han Li was sitting.

Seeing this, Yi Liya's handsome face stiffened, a trace of livid color appearing on his cheeks as he slowly sat back down.

"Brother Li, do you mind if I sit here?" Gu Qianxun asked with a light smile, pointing to a seat next to Han Li.

"Of course not. Please, have a seat, Sister Gu," Han Li said with a smile.

Gu Qianxun sat down beside Han Li. Yao Li pouted slightly but still sat down next to Gu Qianxun.

Seeing this, a flicker of surprise passed through Du Long's eyes.

"Tomorrow is the Five Cities Tournament. Brother Li, how are your preparations? Do you feel confident?" Gu Qianxun asked with a smile, her words carrying a hidden meaning.

"The Five Academies Tournament is full of strong competitors. My meager skills are hardly worth mentioning. I'll just do my best," Han Li replied with a faint smile, knowing what Gu Qianxun was hinting at.

"If there's anything I can help with, Brother Li, please don't hesitate to ask," Gu Qianxun said, her beautiful eyes flickering.

"Then I'll thank you in advance, Sister Gu," Han Li said with a slight nod.

Hearing their exchange, Du Long and Yao Li both looked puzzled but tactfully did not ask.

Time passed little by little. The others from Qingyang City arrived one after another, and the last to come was the one-horned giant, Xuan Yuan Xing.

This man did not join Yi Liya's group like the others. He merely nodded slightly to Gu Qianxun and Han Li, then found an empty space and stood with his hands behind his back.

Han Li looked at this referee of the Qingyang City Gladiatorial Arena, feeling a slight doubt, but then he dismissed it.

After all, there was no rule forbidding a gladiatorial arena referee from participating in the Five Cities Tournament.

"Hehe, sorry to keep you all waiting," Chen Yang said as he walked out of the inner chamber, laughing heartily, looking quite pleased.

"Greetings, City Lord!" Everyone bowed.

"No need for such formalities," Chen Yang said with a wave of his hand, then took the main seat.

"Tomorrow is the day of the Five Cities Tournament. Are you all fully prepared?" Chen Yang's expression turned serious as he looked over everyone in turn and asked slowly.

"Rest assured, City Lord, we are fully prepared," Yi Liya said, glancing at Gu Qianxun, his voice resounding.

The others also shouted in unison, their momentum truly impressive, causing the entire reception hall to tremble.

Due to the change of city lord, the upper echelons of Qingyang City had undergone a major reshuffle. Most of those who came this time were newcomers, very confident in their own strength. Only Xiong Pi and a few others who had participated in the previous tournament remained silent.

"Good. Next, I will announce the list of participants for this tournament," Chen Yang said with a nod and a smile, but there was a peculiar glint deep in his eyes.

Hearing this, everyone's bodies tensed, and nervousness appeared on their faces.

"First, Gu Qianxun; second, Li Feiyu; third, Yi Liya; next, Tu Gang, Sun Binghe, Xiong Pi... Du Long, and Xuan Yuan Xing!" After a pause, Chen Yang read out twelve names in one breath.

Hearing this, the expressions of those in the room varied—some showed joy, others disappointment and sighs.

Gu Qianxun and Han Li remained calm, their expressions unchanged, as if they were not surprised by the result.

Yao Li was not among the twelve, and her pretty face darkened, while Du Long let out a light sigh of relief.

Yi Liya frowned, glanced at Han Li, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes. He was clearly displeased that his ranking in Chen Yang's list was below Han Li's.

"This tournament is very important for our Qingyang City. The twelve on the list must strive to excel. If anyone makes it into the top four, besides the tournament rewards, I, the city lord, will give additional generous prizes!" Chen Yang said solemnly.

"Yes!" Everyone present answered in unison.

"Alright, tomorrow is the tournament. You all go back and rest, make your final preparations! Li Feiyu, stay behind," Chen Yang said.

Hearing this, everyone in the room glanced at Han Li with surprise, then got up and took their leave one after another.

Yi Liya's eyes grew even colder, and he stood up abruptly and left.

Soon, only Han Li and Chen Yang remained in the room.

"Brother Chen, did you keep me here because there's news about Zi Ling and Shi Kong?" Han Li asked directly.

"Yes. Over the past three months, I sent people to investigate painstakingly, and we've finally found some leads," Chen Yang said, but his expression was slightly unnatural.

"Please, go on, Brother Chen," Han Li said, his heart stirring as he looked into Chen Yang's eyes.