Chapter 160: The Award Ceremony Begins!

However, Wang Chen shook his head. "I don't think that's the reason."

"Cai Kun's profession is also one that excels in mental prowess, yet you saw how he was still affected by the ring."

Wang Chen pondered, "It must be something else entirely."

Long Wushuang heard Wang Chen's words and found them reasonable. But this was not the time to investigate such matters; the top priority now was to reach the exit of the secret realm as quickly as possible and participate in the final tally of the University Tournament.

Wang Chen called for Tang Ruotong, who was waiting to the side, and the three of them left the mist together. Seeing Cai Kun’s team members waiting outside, the trio came to a halt. Although Cai Kun had already lost the loyalty of his team, there had been a degree of hostility between Wang Chen and them previously, which made the members momentarily nervous. They instinctively reached for their weapons.

Noticing their small gestures, Wang Chen flicked his Forest Gale, and the mist behind him gradually rose and dissipated.

"Cai Kun brought this upon himself by provoking the Mud Boar, and he is currently being trampled by it," Wang Chen said. "Handle it as you see fit."

With that, Wang Chen led Long Wushuang and Tang Ruotong away at a brisk pace. The swordsman student watched them until their backs disappeared.

"This Wang Chen is actually quite decent; he didn't make things difficult for us," the swordsman sighed. "If he hadn't dispelled that spell, it would have taken us quite some effort to rescue Cai Kun."

The archer student sighed as well. "That’s why I envy Wang Chen’s teammates. Compared to him, our Young Master Cai really doesn't measure up."

The other members heard this and felt the same, sighing in resonance.

"Well then!" the archer waved his hand. "Let's go, brothers, let's go rescue our Young Master Cai."

The three of them headed toward the direction of the screams.

...

In front of the open space at the exit of the secret realm, students had been emerging one after another. Some who had been delayed by the terrain or fierce beasts on the way were being rescued by teachers carrying portable teleportation arrays. It was expected that everyone would be accounted for in a short while.

Wang Chen's team had emerged from the secret realm early. Although they had ventured deep into the heart of the realm, the three of them had traveled quickly, bolstered by the power of high-speed movement.

In a shaded spot in the open area, Wang Chen and his group sat down to rest. Tang Ruotong was inspecting her equipment; her armor had become slightly deformed from several bouts with the beasts and needed some adjustment and maintenance. Long Wushuang was loosening her bowstring; when not in combat, the string needed to be relaxed as much as possible so it wouldn't lose its elasticity due to constant tension.

Wang Chen, meanwhile, was checking the stock of potions in his storage space. After this excursion, he estimated he would have to visit the trading house to restock. Although money was just a number to him thanks to his system, he still felt a pang of heartache watching it flow out like water. Fortunately, during his time in the secret realm, he had collected some carcasses of the beasts he killed, planning to refine them in his Mysterious Toad Wine Gourd to see if he could achieve self-sufficiency in potion production.

...

Before long, all the students had arrived, including Cai Kun. He was seated in a wheelchair by medical staff, his arm having been reattached. His eyes had lost their luster, filled with a dull, ashen gloom. The medical staff had no choice but to use a wheelchair, otherwise, he wouldn't move, and getting him back to the venue would have been a major issue.

The students passed through the warm white light in an orderly fashion and returned to the venue. The Organizing Chief and Ouyang Yue were waiting. Seeing Cai Kun return, they quickly stepped forward to check his condition, frequently questioning the medical staff at his side.

Wang Chen and Long Wushuang looked on coldly from the side, while Tang Ruotong felt a sense of pity. Ouyang Yue and the Organizing Chief fussed over Cai Kun for a while, but received no response; his eyes remained as vacant as a vegetable. The two sighed and eventually left, accompanied by their secretaries. Cai Kun did not have to remain at the venue to stand with the other students; instead, he was taken to a medical tent to wait for his parents to collect him.

Cai Kun was not the only one experiencing such psychological trauma. Some had been killed by beasts in the secret realm, and the lingering fear of that death still caused them to break out in cold sweats. Others, whose point totals were far from ideal, couldn't help but burst into tears. They were all receiving counseling and treatment from the medical staff.

Cai Kun’s case was merely the most severe. However, the procedures of the tournament could not be delayed for them. After the brief period of consolation, the overall atmosphere in the venue remained festive; most students were satisfied with their performance, or at least felt they had given their all.

On the high stage, the host announced, "The testing phase of the University Tournament has now come to a close. We will now present awards and prizes to the top ten students on the leaderboard."

Hearing this, the students turned their gazes toward Wang Chen and his companions; they were undoubtedly the focal point of this tournament. Their path to victory had not been smooth, but rather filled with drama and twists. As a result, everyone was less concerned with the other teams in the top ten and more focused on Wang Chen's team.

The host felt somewhat helpless seeing this. He knew what everyone was thinking, but as an official, he had to follow the procedure. He began announcing from tenth place and worked his way up.

The prize for tenth place was an unlimited qualification pass for the Luzhou Teleportation Array for each member, valid for four years, making it easier for students attending universities across the country to return home. The prize for ninth place was a brand-new model of new-energy vehicle from the Xindu brand for each member.

Eighth place...

These prizes were not particularly significant; the segment was essentially a showcase for the various sponsors. For instance, when the ninth-place team went on stage to receive their awards, personnel from the Xindu Group presented them personally.

Because this segment provided advertising opportunities for the prize sponsors, the press was allowed to enter. They were kept far to one side of the venue, capturing footage of the winning teams with their various cameras. Soon, they would have the opportunity to interview the winners.

It wasn't until the top three that the prizes began to become truly noteworthy.

"Third place team, captain Meng Liwen! Please come on stage to receive your award!"

While Cai Kun was dawdling and bickering with Wang Chen, Meng Liwen had been consolidating her lead in the silver region, farming more points and surpassing Cai Kun's team.

Meng Liwen ran onto the stage with a charming smile, thanking the host in a soft, sweet voice, and accepted five potions from the representative of the Luzhou Pharmacists Association. These potions were worth a fortune and could prove vital in life-or-death battles. This also finally meant that the prizes were beginning to align with the needs of professional combatants.