Chapter 112: Chu Feng’s Open Stratagem: Ladder Combat Duel!

Just as thousands of people were facing off on the Main Peak Plaza, the atmosphere so tense it felt like a single string could snap at any moment.

“Dang——!”

A clear and melodious bell chime rang out from the summit of the Main Peak, resounding throughout the entire Qingyun Sect.

This bell was neither a warning bell nor a gathering bell, but the “Welcome Bell” that was only struck when the sect held its grandest celebrations.

As soon as the bell rang, all the disciples on the plaza who had been at swords’ points froze.

What did this mean?

They were about to start fighting, yet they were welcoming guests? Welcoming whom?

Under everyone’s uncertain and startled gazes, a figure emerged unhurriedly from the Main Peak Hall, stepping through the air one step at a time, finally stopping in midair above the plaza.

The person was none other than Chu Feng.

He was still dressed in white, wearing a warm smile on his face, as if he had not seen the internal chaos below that would have made any Sect Master’s scalp go numb. Instead, he looked as though he were admiring a vibrant painting full of life.

“Not bad, not bad.”

Chu Feng stood in midair, clapping his hands lightly with a smile, his voice clearly reaching everyone’s ears:

“Full of vigor and high fighting spirit—this is exactly how the Family Members of my Ascension Group should look!”

As soon as he said this, everyone below was stunned.

Especially the leaders of the two opposing sides, Zhou Skinflint and Ma Shouzi, who looked at each other in confusion, their minds failing to catch up for a moment.

The President was… praising them?

“Zhou Skinflint, Ma Shouzi, where are you?”

Chu Feng called out loudly.

The two men’s hearts jumped. Gritting their teeth, they stepped out from the crowd and bowed:

“Disciple is here!”

“Come forward.”

Chu Feng beckoned to the two of them.

With apprehension in their hearts, the two controlled their qi and flew up to Chu Feng.

They had already prepared themselves to face thunderous wrath, even feeling that the President might cripple their cultivation on the spot as a warning to others.

However, Chu Feng’s next action made everyone’s eyeballs nearly fall out.

He actually patted both of them on the shoulders kindly and said with a face full of approval:

“You two are very good! Extremely enterprising, and full of the competitive spirit our Group needs the most! I want to commend you publicly!”

Comm… commend?

Zhou Skinflint and Ma Shouzi were completely dumbfounded, feeling as if their brains had turned into a lump of paste.

They had led thousands of people into a brawl, and he wanted to commend them?

“President, we…”

“No need to say more.”

Chu Feng waved his hand, cutting them off. He turned around to face the tens of thousands of disciples below, his voice suddenly rising.

“Family Members! I saw it! I saw the blazing flames in your hearts—the desire to become stronger, the desire to prove yourselves!”

“Competition is a good thing! It proves that our Group is full of vitality! A sect with no competition, all harmony, is nothing but stagnant water, destined to be eliminated by the times!”

“But!”

Chu Feng changed his tone, his eyes becoming sharp.

“Any competition must be within the rules! Like today—unstructured, reckless private fighting—is the least efficient and the most foolish form of conflict! It only causes meaningless internal attrition, wasting our precious resources and time!”

The crowd below nodded repeatedly, feeling that what the President said made perfect sense.

“So!”

Chu Feng raised his arm and shouted, like thunder exploding on flat ground, throwing out a solution that left everyone stunned!

“I announce! From today onward, within the Ascension Group, all forms of private fighting are prohibited! Violators will have their cultivation abolished and be expelled from the sect!”

As soon as these words fell, the entire place erupted.

Private fighting was banned?

Then what were they supposed to do if they had conflicts?

Just bottle it up?

As if seeing through everyone’s thoughts, the corner of Chu Feng’s mouth lifted into a confident smile.

“At the same time, in order to provide everyone with a fair, just, and open competitive platform, the Group will invest enormous resources to build a——‘Honor of Kings’——at the rear mountain training ground!”

“From now on, all your personal grudges and all resource disputes must be resolved in the arena, using fists and real strength!”

“And not only that!”

Chu Feng’s voice carried a bewitching power.

“We will introduce a brand-new ‘Ladder Battle Tier’ system!”

“Every Family Member will have initial battle tier points! In the arena, the victor will seize points from the defeated, raising their own tier! From Bronze, Silver, Gold, all the way to the highest—‘Glory King’!”

“And this ‘Ladder Battle Tier’ will be directly linked to your monthly spirit stone allocation, pill quotas, task priority selection, and even future executive promotions!”

“The higher the tier, the better the benefits! As long as you have the strength, a Grade-A cultivation chamber all to yourself for a year will be no problem!”

Boom——!

These words were like a divine thunderbolt from the nine heavens, smashing fiercely into everyone’s hearts!

Turning fighting into a kind of “game” that could improve benefits and obtain resources?

This… this was insanely exciting!

The violent aura that had surged up due to the brawl was instantly replaced by an endless craving for “ladder rankings.”

They looked at people from the opposing camp, their gazes no longer filled with hatred, but like they were looking at walking “points,” their eyes shining brightly.

“And there’s more!”

Chu Feng added fuel to the fire again, throwing out an even crazier bombshell!

“To increase the fun, the ‘Honor of Kings’ will open an ‘Official Discussion Betting Market’! For every match, all Family Members may use your Contribution Points to bet on the contestants you favor!”

“One battle to get rich, one battle to lose everything—both are possible! This tests not only strength, but also your judgment!”

“Holy shit!”

Someone did not know who, but let out a cry filled with shock and wild joy.

Official betting?

Letting them place their own bets?

This… this was no longer just exciting. This was going to drive everyone insane!

On the plaza, that sword-drawn, murderous tension had already vanished without a trace.

Replacing it was an almost frenzied anticipation for the upcoming “new game”!

Murong Xue stood in the distance, her small mouth agape, completely unable to speak.

She looked at that man floating in midair, who with just a few words had transformed a looming, out-of-control catastrophe into an entirely new mechanism capable of creating even greater value, binding everyone tightly together—an “internal consumption market” and a “talent selection mechanism.”

In her heart, only two words remained.

Monster!

This was no longer an open stratagem. This was dimensional suppression!

It was the ruthless crushing of all the rules of this world using a way of thinking they had never even heard of!

Finally, Chu Feng’s gaze fell upon the two brawl leaders beside him who had already completely petrified.

He once again revealed that warm smile and announced publicly.

“In order to commend Zhou Skinflint and Ma Shouzi, two Family Members, for providing valuable inspiration for our Group’s institutional innovation, I have decided to appoint you two as the Left and Right Protectors of the ‘Honor of Kings’!”

“You will be responsible for maintaining arena order, organizing daily ‘Ladder Combat Duels,’ and… presiding over the opening of the ‘Discussion Betting Market’!”

“You are to atone through merit and use your ‘wolf nature’ in upholding the Group’s rules! Can you do it?!”

Zhou Skinflint and Ma Shouzi shuddered from head to toe. Looking at Chu Feng’s eyes that seemed capable of seeing through everything, how would they dare utter even half a word of refusal?

They instantly understood the President’s intent.

He was turning the two biggest unstable factors into the most loyal guardians of his new rules!

Brilliant!

Truly brilliant!

The two exchanged a glance, seeing endless awe and fanaticism in each other’s eyes. Immediately, they dropped to one knee, mustering all their strength to shout hoarsely:

“Respectfully obeying the President’s decree! We swear to complete the mission to the death!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep