Jiang Xue, seeing so many people staring at her, didn't immediately announce the reward. However, she clearly had to speak now. She waved her hand to signal for it to continue, and then said, "Let the competition continue. Although I said I would give a special reward to those who make it to the top eight, this reward will also be based on merit. Once the top four are determined, I will first give a special reward to those ranked fifth through eighth."
Jiang Xue's words froze the eight people in the audience. They exchanged glances. Because of Jiang Xue's words, they knew that a fierce battle was about to unfold. Since Jiang Xue would reward the bottom four first, it meant that the reward would be less than that of the top four. Clearly, none of the people in the audience wanted to miss out on anything, so they would fight to the bitter end for that reward.
After Jiang Xue finished speaking, the eight people began drawing lots again. Soon, the top four were determined, and everyone's attention turned to Jiang Xue once more. This time, Jiang Xue was about to announce the special reward she would be giving.
Once again under the gaze of everyone present, Jiang Xue's body stiffened slightly, and her face flushed imperceptibly. She glanced at Ying Huanhuan nearby before standing up and saying, "Now that the top four are decided, I will announce the special reward I will be giving. Those ranked fifth through eighth, please step forward."
As soon as Jiang Xue finished speaking, four figures immediately stepped forward. They didn't speak, but their burning gazes were fixed on Jiang Xue.
"Hiss," Jiang Xue took a deep breath. Looking down at the four people staring at her, she parted her red lips slightly: "You four, I will give you two minutes. During this time, you can choose to touch any of my four limbs."
"Whoosh!"
After Jiang Xue finished speaking, the scene fell silent for a moment, but this was merely the calm before the storm; a huge uproar soon erupted.
"Really? The top eight get such a reward from Senior Sister?"
"No way? Senior Sister actually gives such a reward to the top eight?"
"Isn't this a blatant chance to get close to Senior Sister?!"
"Damn it! If I'd known it was this reward, I would have worked hard a year ago!"
"A year? Shouldn't I have worked hard for over twenty years to get first place?"
The disciples from each martial arts school chattered amongst themselves. Although it only lasted two minutes, it was a godsend for these disciples who had long admired Senior Sister. Each disciple looked at the eight people in front of them with envy in their eyes. Eight of them, especially those ranked ninth to sixteenth in the competition, were just a hair's breadth away from sharing this opportunity. They felt a pang of regret; if they had known it was this reward, they would have fought harder. Perhaps they could have made it into the top eight. But regret was useless now. The results were in, the top eight were secured, and they had lost their chance to fight.
After seeing the excitement ignite in the arena with her words, Jiang Xue sighed inwardly and smiled bitterly. Although she had heard that Lin Dong had modified the grand formation, causing some changes in the world, she hadn't expected the impact to be so far-reaching. In a normal world, if she dared to say such a thing, offering her own body as a reward for the competition, not only would these disciples think of her, but her father, Jiang Lei, would probably have come and killed her. Yet, her father seemed completely unfazed, appearing calm and collected, as if Jiang Xue's actions were perfectly normal.
"Senior Sister, are you really giving us this reward?"
The seventh-ranked disciple stepped forward first, his eyes burning with anticipation as he looked at Jiang Xue on the stage. The other three disciples remained motionless, watching Jiang Xue intently, awaiting her answer. Although they had all heard her words, they all still harbored some doubt. After this disciple asked the question, the arena fell silent once more.
Jiang Xue looked at the group, not answering their questions, but simply nodding slightly in affirmation.
"Wow!"
Seeing Jiang Xue's confirmation, the arena buzzed again, and the four disciples' faces lit up with smiles. Of course, the happiest weren't the four of them, but those who had made it into the top four. Fifth to eighth place all received such rewards; how could they possibly be lacking?
However, despite Jiang Xue's affirmation, the four disciples who should have made a move remained inactive. They didn't know if Jiang Xue was testing them. If it was a trap, she could use any excuse to justify her earlier statement, and those who acted would become the victims. Therefore, none of them dared to make a move, and everyone in the arena looked at the four silent disciples.
After a moment of silence, one disciple, unable to contain his desire any longer, finally stepped forward. It was the seventh disciple who had just asked the question. He first bowed to Jiang Xue on the stage before speaking, "Since none of you are willing to be the first to try, then I will be the one to start. Senior Sister, if I may be so bold, I hope to touch your leg."
"Whoa!"
The seventh disciple's voice rippled through the room, and all eyes turned back to Jiang Xue on the stage. Now that someone had spoken, they wondered if their senior sister was serious.
"Sure, come with me to the room," Jiang Xue nodded slightly.
"Wow!"
Now things were buzzing with excitement. With Jiang Xue's approval, they were even more certain of the reward's authenticity.
"Senior Sister, can we stay here?"
Just as Jiang Xue stood up, intending to lead the seventh disciple to a small room nearby, a disciple called out.
"Yeah, yeah, shouldn't the awards be given out publicly? Shouldn't Senior Sister do the same? Let us see her receive the award on the spot?"
A disciple chimed in after hearing this.
"Yeah, if we don't know, what if rumors spread that Senior Sister is a fraud, that bringing her into the room will solve everything? That wouldn't be good," another disciple said, though he probably wasn't really concerned about rumors; he just wanted to see a live performance.
With these voices urging them on, more and more people joined in. They certainly hoped Jiang Xue would give a live performance; since they couldn't touch her, they couldn't lose the chance to see her too, could they?
Jiang Xue stared blankly at the disciples. Initially, she thought only a few were making empty threats, but gradually, more and more disciples began urging her to give out rewards on the spot. This made her slightly embarrassed. When more than two-thirds of the disciples participated in a short time, Jiang Xue was already speechless. The change was more drastic than she had imagined. However, two-thirds wasn't the limit. Soon, all the disciples except for a few female disciples were chanting "on the spot!" Jiang Xue could only smile wryly, unsure what to do.
Hearing the shouts from the audience, Jiang Xue bit her red lips, her cheeks flushing crimson. She had thought secretly giving the rewards in her room was already generous, but almost all the disciples wanted to see it live. This made her feel both ashamed and somewhat at a loss. When she looked towards Ying Huanhuan, she saw Ying Huanhuan winking at her. Although Ying Huanhuan didn't say anything, Jiang Xue clearly saw a hint of amusement in her eyes, which made her feel slightly embarrassed and annoyed. Finally, she had no choice but to glare at Ying Huanhuan, then glared back at the disciples in the audience, saying, "Fine, I'll grant your request and give the rewards right here!"
"Wow!"
Jiang Xue's words caused another uproar. The disciples cheered as if they had won a treasure. Although their senior sister was glaring at them, her flushed cheeks and pretty face made her look anything but scary; instead, she seemed to be cutely flirting, captivating the hearts of the disciples present. Hearing the cheers of the disciples, Jiang Xue's cheeks flushed even more. However, she gritted her teeth, walked back to the stands, and sat down in her seat. She immediately glared at the seventh-ranked disciple and said, annoyed and embarrassed, "Start the timer now! You only have two minutes!"
"Ah? Senior Sister, you're taking it out on me! I haven't even touched anything yet!" The seventh-ranked disciple was slightly taken aback, then immediately said pitifully.