Chapter 2245
Chapter 2245
The next morning, numerous martial artists once again gathered at the top of Mount Yan.
The third phase of Dragon Gate Project had officially begun.
Chen Jiuzhou's voice echoed throughout Mount Yan. "My master and the other three top-ranked martial artists in the Empyrean Ranking initiated Dragon Gate Project. This is a rare opportunity for all martial artists. We are not seeking rewards or wealth. Our only goal is to make everyone in this world excel! Therefore, my master and the other three formidable members of the Empyrean Ranking have decided to triple the number of available positions for the upcoming Dragon Gate training. We will admit thirty individuals in each training session."
The people situated at the foot of the mountain immediately cheered with excitement.
Even Lu Yanxi, daughter of Lu Tianhe, was overjoyed. The increase in spots meant that her chance of entering Dragon Gate had also increased.
However, War God and Sword Saint could not bring themselves to smile.
It's good news if the Dragon Gate training program is truly an opportunity for all martial artists. But if it was a conspiracy, wouldn't that mean that the speed of the world's downfall would be accelerated?
"Jiuzhou, haste makes waste. Aren't thirty spots a little too much? When it comes to martial arts training, we should pursue quality, not quantity." War God couldn't help but advise from the side.
With an air of unquestionable authority, Chen Jiuzhou cast a cold glance at War God. "Are you defying my master's wishes?"
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Before War God could continue, Chen Jiuzhou immediately interrupted, "There are no buts. This is an order, and you will carry it out!" He ascended into the air and forcefully stomped his foot, causing the ancient stone gate to emerge from the ground. "Dragon Gate is now open. All trainees, enter immediately!"
Following Chen Jiuzhou's command, the thirty martial artists on the list rushed in eagerly.
Chen Jiuzhou glared at War God and the other two. "Hmm? Why aren't you three entering?"
Of the thirty people who entered, only twenty-seven had gone through Dragon Gate. War God, Sword Saint, and King of Fighters stood at the side.
"The spots are precious, and the three of us have decided not to take them and waste this valuable opportunity," King of Fighters explained.
"No, you must enter. I won't allow any exceptions!" Chen Jiuzhou frowned and refused to listen to their explanations.
While they were arguing, three people in the crowd at the foot of Mount Yan disobeyed the order and rushed into Dragon Gate, taking the last three spots.
Boom!
As all thirty people entered, Dragon Gate closed with a loud sound and sank underground again.
"Damn it!" Chen Jiuzhou was furious that they had been outsmarted by a few people. But now that it had happened, he had no choice.
He glared at Ye Qingtian and the others. "I'll let it slide this time, but next time, you three must go through the Dragon Gate training! This is what my master wants, and no one can go against it!"
The episode unquestionably heightened War God and the others' doubts.
Such is human nature. Everyone has a rebellious inner self.
When War God and his companions actively wanted to enter Dragon Gate before, they didn't feel anything unusual.
But now, Chen Jiuzhou's efforts to force them in only made them even warier.
By the time Ye Qingtian and the others noticed something strange, the others were already immersed in the thrill of their power surging.
In total, twenty people had gone through the Dragon Gate training in the scorching summer; five were given the Supreme title. Except for a few who died in the gate, the rest were all at the pinnacle of the Grandmaster rank.
Such immediate results were bound to drive people crazy.
As a result, the popularity of the Dragon Gate training intensified.
Many martial artists from different countries got into fights over the limited training spots.
In order to alleviate the shortage of training spots, the Dragon Gates in China, Western Epea, Remdik, Smealand, and other places all increased their training spots drastically.
This was undoubtedly great news for the global martial arts world.
But soon, the negative effects started to show.
Due to the rapid expansion of the training spots, the quality of the people entering the Dragon Gate training started to worsen.
As a result, more and more people went in and never returned. They remained inside Dragon Gate forever.
Subsequently, the death rate even reached fifty percent.
Of course, that was not the scariest part.
What was even more frightening was that even those who walked out of Dragon Gate alive and gained power were found to have exploded and died three to five days later.
Initially, this was only a rare occurrence, happening to a very small number of people.
However, more and more similar cases began to occur.
The situation in China was slightly better as there were only three batches. Western Epea and Smealand, however, were in a dire situation. The death rate and explosion rate had exceeded seventy percent.
Undoubtedly, these terrifying figures dampened the spirit of the martial arts world.
Many martial artists gradually became sober. They were no longer obsessed with pursuing the Dragon Gate training.
Some were even calling for the suspension of the training.
War God, Sword Saint, and others had always been paying attention to the international situation and naturally attached great importance to the deaths in the Dragon Gate training overseas.
After discussing the matter, the three of them went to find Chen Jiuzhou and asked him to temporarily suspend the Dragon Gate Project.
When Chen Jiuzhou heard this request, he laughed.
"You three are considered veterans in the martial arts world, right? Don't you know that the path of the strong is fraught with death and danger? How can you hope to become stronger if you cower and retreat at the slightest hint of risk? You shouldn't be a martial artist if you're afraid of dying. Go back to your hometown and be a farmer," the man berated them.
However, War God didn't stop there. He argued, "You call this just a little risk? The last time fifty people entered Dragon Gate in Western Epea, only thirty came out. And even among these thirty, half exploded and died within three days of returning. The situation is even worse in Smealand. Less than ten people survived from the last batch of one hundred who entered. Reckless haste makes waste.
"I think it's time to stop the project. Otherwise, it's not cultivating talent; it's harming people and destroying the foundation! If you can't make the decision, we'll go directly to your master, Moryana!"
War God was very resolute. He was determined to stop the continuation of Dragon Gate Project.
Chen Jiuzhou sneered, "See my master? You three are not qualified! Also, there's no need to waste your breath. Dragon Gate Project was jointly formulated by my master, Odin, Asura, and others. It's an international project. What can you few old guys do to stop it? It's you three who should prepare well. The fourth batch of Dragon Gate training is about to start. This time, I have increased China's quota to fifty. You three, take the lead and enter."
Chen Jiuzhou regarded War God coldly.
"Chen Jiuzhou, I don't care if you agree to this. Sword Saint, King of Fighters, and I have already discussed it. We will do whatever it takes to stop Dragon Gate Project from continuing! We will never allow you to harm China's martial artists," War God shouted in anger.
Chen Jiuzhou chuckled nonchalantly. "Well, you can try."