Chapter 407: Blood Verdict Begins

The large square was devoid of any noise.

The area of the square was comparable to that of an official stadium. Rather, it was bigger by two notches.

To the left and right sides of the square were grandstands each. More accurately, those were not grandstands. They were called the ‘arbitration stands’.

Indeed, it was known as arbitration stand within Zero City.

According to the ancient rule of Zero City, the results for everything that happened in the square rested in the hands of those seated upon the arbitration stands.

To the left of the centre most position was a lone metal platform. Only one seat was placed there, a seat that was slightly higher compared to the other seats in the surrounding area and also located further away from the other seats.

This was the place for the genuine controlling arbiter. This figure would usually be an invited figure, an illustrious expert from Zero City’s Angel Corps.

The seat of this controlling arbiter was situated closest to the side-lines. It was also the seat with the best view.

The arbiter must, in accordance to the rules, take action whenever there was such a need.

For example, if someone was breaking the rule by using a prohibited skill.

Or, if someone was breaking a rule by using a prohibited equipment.

In a non-life and death battle, the controlling arbiter must possess sufficient amount of strength to ensure the safety of the participants. In case someone failed to hold back, a participant might end up dying. Thus, the arbiter needed to be able to take action at any given moment to stop a tragedy from happening.

This venue had a very simple official name. The ‘competition arena’.

However, the people in Zero City had another name for this place.

The ‘Meat Arena’.

…

In Zero City, the resolution for almost all grudges and disputes could be reached through this competition arena.

Because Zero City had an iron law. Any one person, and that meant anyone, inclusive of the formal members of the resident guilds, inclusive of even the Guild Leaders, inclusive of even the members of the Board of Patriarchs, they were all not allowed to fight using force in the public areas of Zero City!

That was an absolute! Anyone who dared break that rule would be subjected to the ruthless suppression from the Angel Corps!

As all-powerful figures, everyone living here was practically a ‘Superman’. Thus, there was a need for such a rule to be put in place.

Any one of the residents here could casually level a single building with their strength alone.

Therefore, the prohibition to fight in public areas was the iron law of Zero City.

Naturally, all grudges could be resolved in the ‘ruins’.

All that was necessary was to report it to the guild and apply for the use of this ‘competition arena’. Next, invite an arbiter from the Angel Corps.

There were many strange reasons for the decisive battles here.

Some were decisive battles that happened due to the grudges between two people.

Some were decisive battles due to the personal grudges between two guilds.

Occasionally, there would be some cases where there was a tangled web of grievances between several guilds and they had all simply chosen to resolve their grievances through a free-for-all decisive battle in this place.

Today however, the decisive battle that would be taking place here was different from any other decisive battles.

Because the name of today’s decisive battle was:

Blood Verdict!

…

Blood Verdict was Zero City’s most highly regulated and most important decisive battle.

To be able to apply for Blood Verdict, the applicant must first be able to represent all the members of a resident guild of Zero City. One person alone would be unable to request for Blood Verdict.

A Blood Verdict was the equivalent of putting everything that a resident guild had as gambling chips!

Blood Verdict was a place where situations of life and death would occur!

In other words, once the initiating side entered the arena, unless their combatants in the arena died, regardless of how advantageous or disadvantageous their side may be in, they would be unable to surrender.

Only until the initiating side had been completely wiped out would Blood Verdict come to an end.

Blood Verdict was considered to be the final gamble for every declining guild.

Because Blood Verdict had some special rules.

…

The rules of Zero City states:

The first rule: If a guild initiates a Blood Verdict, the other guilds must unconditionally accept it. Refusal is not allowed!

The second rule: Only when the initiating side is killed would they be considered to have lost. Admission of defeat halfway through is not allowed. The accepting side however, may stop the battles at any moment and surrender.

The third rule: For every Blood Verdict victory the initiating side gains, it will be able to gain three months’ worth of protection time. During that period of time, any motion to remove, punish or seize authority by the Board of Patriarchs will not be allowed to continue.

The fourth rule: To complete a Blood Verdict, it must be executed three times. Each Blood Verdict consists of three battles. The initiating side must win in all three battles to gain victory for that Blood Verdict.

The fifth rule: The initiating side may send out any member of their guild. The accepting side, the other guilds, must send someone out to do battle. The members sent forward can be discussed through and the guilds must send in at least one member. It is up to the guild if it wishes to send more.

In other words, now that Blade Mountain Flame Sea Guild has requested for Blood Verdict, the other six resident guilds in Zero City has to send their members out to accept it. Refusal is not allowed!

However, there are three Blood Verdicts, each of which consists of three decisive battles. In other words, the accepting side, the six guilds has to send out nine combatants without leaving a single spot vacant.

Even if each of the guilds sends out one member, there would still be two vacancies. Thus, there is a need for the guilds to coordinate with one another to decide which guild should send more.

However, the premise is that each guild must send out at least one person!

The sixth rule is the most interesting: The initiating side must put down three lists of wagers. These wagers must be the resources that the guild possesses; mines or something equivalent.

A corresponding amount of wager must be put up for each of the three battles of a Blood Verdict from the initiating side. Once the initiating side loses a battle, the pooled wagers will go to the winner’s guild!

The accepting side need not take out anything to wager.

The seventh and final rule: If the initiating side could win two Blood Verdicts, winning six of the nine battles, then… an end to the Blood Verdict could be pronounced. The initiating side would acquire victory and at the same time some special privileges. The other resident guilds will sign a guarantee; within a 10-year-period, the Board of Patriarchs may not propose the removal or seizure of any resources or authority belonging to the victorious guild!

A 10-year insurance period!

…

“This is Bluesea’s intention.”

Qiao Yifeng who was seated on one end of the grandstand had such a cloudy look on his face that it appeared as though it might rain at any given moment. His eyes were looking at the still vacant grandstand.

Qiao Yifeng understood. With their guild’s present level of strength, to execute a Blood Verdict against the other six great guilds was almost impossible – no, the ‘almost’ word should be taken out. It was simply impossible for them to win six decisive battles.

Their guild had no core battle power!

Bluesea’s intent was likely the three months’ idle period after each Blood Verdict.

After each Blood Verdict had ended, regardless of victory or defeat, the Board of Directors was not allowed to take any action against the initiating side.

Thus, even if Blade Mountain Flame Sea Guild were to lose all three rounds in the first Blood Verdict, they will gain a three months’ idle period.

Three months later, even if they were to lose all three rounds again, they will still gain three months’ worth of idle period!

That six months’ time would give the guild some time to persist somewhat.

Beside Qiao Yifeng were Qiao Qiao and Soo Soo.

The two girls were anxiously looking down.

The competition arena was still empty. However, the surrounding grandstands were already filled with people.

The grandstands on both sides were filled with figures. The only spot that appeared empty was the seat of the controlling arbiter, the one situated left of the centre most position and closest to the side-lines.

The seat was still empty.

However, the Blood Verdict occurring today had become the biggest matter of note for everyone in Zero City.

A Blood Verdict by a resident guild was something that would rarely happen throughout the decades!

Additionally, the controlling arbiter for today’s Blood Verdict was an absolute heavyweight.

The Deputy Guild Leader of the Angel Corps, the legendary expert known as ‘Angel Wu’!

The members of Blade Mountain Flame Sea Guild emerged and stepped onto the grandstand.

Qiao Yifeng’s inseparable subordinate, the man in black was seated somewhere close to him.

Additionally, there were several members with varying expressions on their faces. All of them had grievous and saddened expressions.

Tens of Sentinel mechs were stationed around the grandstands to maintain order.

These Sentinel mechs were not AI-controlled goods.

Each of them was piloted by a pilot from the Angel Corps!

Anyone who dared to disrupt the rules and order of the Blood Verdict will be ruthlessly put down!

Nearly 80 per cent of the people in Zero City had appeared and they were all crowding on the grandstands.

At approximately 10 o’clock in the morning, the crowd began to stir.

A muscular middle-aged man strode toward the controlling arbiter’s seat on the left.

He slowly looked around before taking a deep breath.

A loudspeaker sent his voice to the ears of everyone in the arena.

“By the powers vested to me by the Angel Corps, I will be taking on the responsibility as the controlling arbiter for this time’s Blood Verdict and ensure that all will proceed fairly. Anyone who violates the rules will be subjected to punishments from the Angel Corps and the Board of Patriarchs.

“For today’s Blood Verdict, there will be three battles. And now, I will be announcing the list of combatants for the initiating side for the three battles.

“The names are:

“Bluesea.

“Bluesea.

“And… Bluesea!”

Woah!

The audience broke into an uproar!

No small number of people within the grandstands exclaimed out!

The people from Blade Mountain Flame Sea Guild would actually make such a decisive judgement?

Bluesea… would fight for three consecutive battles?

They won’t be sending anyone else?

Three consecutive battles!

In other words, Blade Mountain Flame Sea Guild was participating in these battles with the determination to die!

The meaning behind having Bluesea fight three consecutive battles… if he were to die halfway through, then Blade Mountain Flame Sea Guild would have lost the other battles lined up for today!

…

“That guy is crazy.”

Somewhere in a corner was Nicole who had utilized a disguising equipment to disguise herself. She wore a baseball cap and sported a combed ponytail. Sighing gently, she said, “Tian Ji’s horse racing trick?[1] They really do have the gut to wager!”

…

There was no change in Qiao Yifeng’s countenance. However, his face trembled slightly.

He had long since known about this decision. Many of the important members within Blade Mountain Flame Sea Guild had shed tears over this as well.

They had all known of Bluesea’s decision.

Bluesea had determined to sacrifice himself for the sake of the idle period!

This was a gamble.

Bluesea was gambling on the possibility that the other participating guilds would not send out their top-ranking experts out for the first Blood Verdict.

Normally, the other side would send out second-rate experts for the first Blood Verdict to test out Blade Mountain Flame Sea Guild’s strength.

The real experts would only appear in the second Blood Verdict.

By sending Bluesea, one of the very best expert in Blade Mountain Flame Sea Guild for three consecutive battles, this could indeed be the Tian Ji horse racing trick.

If he could win the gamble, he might be able to win all three battles.

But if he lost.

Don’t forget the rules!

Only when Bluesea had died would the battle be over!

He must either win all three battles, or… die!

…

1 Tian Ji is a general in the Warring States Period. In a horse racing event where there are three matches of best horse vs best horse, average horse vs average horse and inferior horse vs inferior horse, Tian Ji kept losing every race. The strategist Sun Bin noted that there was not much difference in quality between the horses within the same categories.

Thus he suggested to Tian Ji to go inferior horse vs best horse, best horse vs average horse, average horse vs inferior horse. Some disguise was thrown in and Tian Ji won two of the three horse races.↩