A team of logistics personnel rushed onto the ring without a word, first popping an antidote pill into Zhurong's mouth before tossing the unconscious young man onto a stretcher and swiftly carrying him off.
Earth God did not return to the spectator stands right away. He lingered where he was, facing the Taiyi Sect's section with a cigar dangling from his lips, and called out loudly, "Are you kidding me, bosses? Whispering hints from the sidelines yesterday, filing petty reports today... If you folks from the Taiyi Sect are such sore losers, you shouldn't have joined the arena tournament! We could've just kept to ourselves like last year and each played our own game!"
The stylish old man waved a dismissive hand. "Drop dead, bastards!"
No one had anticipated that he would pick a fight so abruptly in a setting like this, brazenly mocking the Taiyi Sect right in front of the elders.
The arena fell deathly quiet for several seconds before an uproar rose like kicked-up dust.
The official shiftees of the Five Elements Alliance had already been fuming over the morning's incident. Seeing Earth God, who ranked second overall, spearheading the charge, they immediately jumped in to jeer along.
"If they didn't have selfish motives, couldn't they have just taken it up privately with our Five Elements Alliance leadership? But no, they had to make a forum post demanding accountability and even filed a formal report! They just wanted to screw over Yuanshi Tianzun!"
"Sore losers are sore losers! Look at those Night Rovers—every last one of them walking around with their noses in the air, and what happened? They lost! *Ptui!*"
"We haven't even settled the score over the sideline coaching yet, and here they are, barking like cornered dogs. Look at them looking stupid now—our Yuanshi Tianzun didn't do anything wrong!"
"They're probably just jealous of Yuanshi Tianzun. Who told your Elder Sun to be so senile... *Mmph*, why are you covering my mouth?!"
"Curse all you want, but leave the elders out of it! He's sitting right across from us—do you want to die?!"
The clamor was quickly suppressed as the armored swordsman barked, "Silence!"
An invisible force seized the throats of every shiftee present, stripping away their voices in unison. The venue plunged into total stillness.
The Night Rovers of the Taiyi Sect wore sullen expressions, and even their Saints looked displeased.
In truth, there was nothing wrong with reporting Yuanshi Tianzun. What if it was jealousy? What if it was envy? What if it was settling a personal score? Which whistleblower in this world didn't act out of reasons like that?
Did people really expect someone to report him just to be an ally of justice?
Yuanshi Tianzun had enslaved an infant spirit, so he deserved to be reported.
It was just that Yuanshi Tianzun had left virtually no cracks to exploit, and the Taiyi Sect had far fewer Night Rovers present. Unable to win a shouting match, they could only swallow their frustration and endure it.
Once the silence effect wore off after a dozen or so seconds, Sun Miaomiao, her large dark eyes darting about, quietly stood up, moved over to Yuan Ting's side, and whispered, "Who reported Yuanshi Tianzun?"
Yuan Ting shook his head frantically. "Don't know, don't know! I promised someone I wouldn't tell!"
Sun Miaomiao gave an "oh," rose, and turned to leave.
"Hey, don't go..." Yuan Ting quickly grabbed her arm, looking locked in fierce internal torment. In the end, he surrendered to his true desires and lowered his voice. "It was the Maoshan Daoist's superior. I'm only telling you, so don't you dare spread it around!"
A look of *just as I thought* crossed Sun Miaomiao's face. She had suspected as much, but hadn't been certain. With Yuan Ting's confirmation, it was practically set in stone.
*It's really wonderful that the Taiyi Sect has a gossip vending machine like Yuan Ting. Answers every question, and doesn't cost a dime.*
Sun Miaomiao patted the back of Yuan Ting's hand, her round face filled with solemn sincerity. "I won't say a word. I'll protect you."
Not far away, Zhang Yuanqing looked thoroughly surprised as he turned to the glamorous, mature Queen and murmured, "What's the deal with that old gentleman? That personality doesn't seem like an Earth Monster at all—he acts more like a Fire Master."
*So combative?*
In his impression, Earth Monsters were all honest, steady, and reliable.
Queen also lowered her voice to whisper with him. "When that old Earth Monster was young, he played rock and roll, but he was also great at brawling. His favorite thing back then was swinging a guitar and getting into street fights. He probably couldn't stand the Taiyi Sect reporting you, so he decided to stick his neck out on your behalf."
"With that temper, it's a real waste he didn't become a Fire Master," Zhang Yuanqing clicked his tongue and remarked.
"Every profession has its oddballs and eccentrics." Queen touched the large silver ring on her earlobe, smiling charmingly.
Just then, Crossing-River Pawn and Likes Handsome Older Brothers took the ring. The two of them stopped talking in tacit agreement and turned their eyes toward the arena.
Crossing-River Pawn was a short-haired young man with a tall, straight posture. He wore camouflage military trousers and a rattan breastplate on his upper body. His entire demeanor was that of a well-trained special forces operative—or perhaps a battle-hardened veteran soldier from ancient battlefields.
Likes Handsome Older Brothers, on the other hand, was a young woman in the prime of her youth. She wore denim shorts and a thin, collared short-sleeved top that partially revealed a black camisole underneath.
A light, breezy outfit and a fiery figure.
Her facial features were reasonably attractive. After all, nowadays, as long as one had decent baseline features, makeup and Korean semi-permanent cosmetics could turn almost anyone into a striking beauty.
The match unfolded with zero suspense. Crossing-River Pawn crushed Likes Handsome Older Brothers with overwhelming dominance. In theory, Wood Demons, with their exceptional climbing skills and immense physical strength, were second only to Fire Masters in close-quarters combat.
Yet she suffered a crushing defeat, the match concluding in a mere two minutes.
The female Wood Demon barely managed a feeble struggle before Crossing-River Pawn shot her in the shoulder, forcing her to concede with a tearful, miserable face.
"He's terrifyingly strong..."
Zhang Yuanqing watched Crossing-River Pawn in the center of the ring, the images of the battle rapidly replaying in his mind.
Once the match began, Crossing-River Pawn had first used his handgun to compress Likes Handsome Older Brothers' maneuvering space. He then closed in with short blades, pressing an intense, ferocious assault that forced the female Wood Demon to shrink back and attempt to create distance.
Yet that played right into Crossing-River Pawn's hands, allowing him to take down his opponent with a single gunshot.
The entire process had been exceedingly simple, devoid of dramatic reversals or miraculous maneuvers. Yet in those brief two minutes, Zhang Yuanqing had watched with his heart pounding in his chest.
Step one: suppress the Wood Demon's maneuvering space with handgun fire. It was worth noting that Wood Demons possessed a skill called Climber, renowned for agility and balance, allowing them to traverse dozens of meters of vertical walls as if walking on flat ground.
To pin down a Wood Demon using single-shot handgun fire was absurd on its face.
Zhang Yuanqing hadn't understood it at first, only catching onto the trick during the second step of close-quarters combat. Standard Insight allowed a Scout to predict an enemy's trajectory and attack patterns; when an opponent threw a punch, a Scout could anticipate the strike ahead of time.
Anticipating an enemy's next move was the core essence of Insight.
Yet this Crossing-River Pawn could anticipate two steps ahead—no, at least two steps.
A single fired bullet had turned Likes Handsome Older Brothers into a headless fly. She wanted to dodge left, yet wanted to dodge right, feeling that whether she moved left or right, she would be hit regardless.
That was why he could suppress a Wood Demon famed for agility using nothing more than a single-shot handgun.
And when it came to close-quarters combat, Crossing-River Pawn was extraordinarily lethal. That strength did not stem from refined martial techniques, but rather from his uncanny ability to strike at vital points using the simplest, most direct methods.
Every punch and kick radiated an iron-blooded, razor-sharp edge, striving to kill the enemy with minimal cost and maximum efficiency.
It was a completely different path from Guan Ya's polished, technical combat style.
"Sister Guan Ya, between you and him, who's stronger? Um, I mean strictly in terms of hand-to-hand combat," Zhang Yuanqing asked hurriedly.
"There's no need to emphasize that so hard—you're looking down on me." Guan Ya curled her lips, caught between amusement and exasperation. "If it's a friendly spar, it's sixty-forty in my favor. If it's a fight to the death, it's forty-sixty. I mean strictly in hand-to-hand combat, mind you."
*There really is a reason he's ranked in the top ten...* Zhang Yuanqing mused inwardly.
In his mind, Guan Ya was the pinnacle of martial prowess. Even now, while he felt his own combat skills had reached an adept level, he stood no chance against the seasoned veteran.
Guan Ya added, "Still, guys like him specialize heavily in specific abilities, which makes them easier to counter! Crossing-River Pawn is a member of the White Tiger Guards. Do you know his nickname?"
"What is it?"
"In the White Tiger Guards, he's known as Little Qingyang."
"I hope that someday, an exceptionally gifted Night Rover will come along and be called Little Yuanshi or Little Tianzun."
***
At four in the morning, goose-down yellow lamplight stretched Zhang Yuanqing's shadow along the street.
Across from the Kangyang District Public Security Bureau, the lights of a coffee shop shone brightly through open doors. Zhang Yuanqing, clad in a face mask and a baseball cap with his hands stuffed into his pockets, stepped inside.
A glance beneath the brim of his cap fell upon the graceful figure of the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter behind the counter. She was brewing coffee.
She still wore a magnificent Song-dynasty style gown, vivid and red as fire. The difference was that the mask she wore today no longer covered her entire face; it was a half-face mask that left her lips exposed.
"Take a seat first. The coffee will take another moment," she said, keeping her head lowered.
*Did she learn her lesson from being unable to drink coffee last time and change her mask?* Zhang Yuanqing picked a random seat and sat down, silently watching her brew the coffee.
Under the soft lamplight, her hair shimmered with a radiant luster, the texture so immaculate it drew marvel and tempted one to reach out and touch it.
Her mouth was a classic, delicate cherry-blossom shape—dainty and endearing, its rosy gleam carrying the translucent texture of jelly, inviting a man to steal a taste of fragrance.
The contours of her cheeks were smooth and graceful, forming a standard oval face.
*Just as I thought—the Palace Master really is an absolute beauty,* Zhang Yuanqing marveled sincerely.
Zhang Yuanqing had encountered many high-caliber women. Based on his own perceptions, he divided beauties into three categories: The first: *Hey, this lady looks pretty good.*
The second: *This lady makes me want to fall in love and get close to her.*
The third: *Every single wet dream is about you.*
The partially unveiled Palace Master of Halting Slaughter effortlessly reached the second category.
Amid his wandering thoughts, the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter glided over carrying two cups of coffee, graceful and elegant, her long dress trailing behind her.
She set down the coffee, propped her elbow on the table, and rested her chin in her palm. Like a playful little girlfriend gazing tenderly at her lover, she gave a radiant smile and said, "You finally thought to contact me. You haven't reached out in so long—do you have a new sweetheart?"
Zhang Yuanqing took a sip of coffee and kept a stiff face. "Elder Gou asked me to pass along a message."
The Palace Master of Halting Slaughter picked up a small spoon with her slender fingers, gently bent it in half, and smiled with narrowed eyes. "I'll give you a chance to rephrase that."
Zhang Yuanqing said with absolute solemnity, "A day apart feels like three autumns. I missed you dearly, Palace Master, and it just so happened that Elder Gou asked me to pass along a message, so I couldn't wait to invite you out for coffee."
The Palace Master of Halting Slaughter clutched her chest and let out a merry, delicate laugh, trembling like flowering branches in the wind. "You're so amusing, truly amusing, hahaha..."
*I was wrong. To think I actually believed a lunatic was beautiful and suitable for dating—I'm still too naive...* Zhang Yuanqing forced himself to maintain a smile. "As long as the Palace Master is happy."
Once her laughter subsided, she picked up the spoon from Zhang Yuanqing's cup, stirred her own coffee gently, and said, "What message did that old mutt want you to bring?"
Hearing that, Zhang Yuanqing breathed a sigh of relief. He had feared she would keep pestering him relentlessly. Straightening his expression, he said, "Elder Gou said that before the extermination of the Chu family, Dark Night Rose had no leader. He wants to hear your thoughts on this."
The smile in the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter's eyes slowly faded. Her gaze turned calm and her presence grew solemn. When she wasn't acting like a lunatic, an indescribable nobility radiated from her every gesture.
"Elder Gou suspects that the leader of Dark Night Rose is related to my Chu family, or perhaps even a member of the Chu family?" she asked thoughtfully.
Zhang Yuanqing replied, "Perhaps. What do you think, Palace Master?"
"I was too young back then, barely old enough to form memories. I only have hazy recollections of that turmoil... It was also because I was too young that I escaped with my life and fled to Songhai with my kinsmen..." Her gaze sharpened slightly, and she fell silent in contemplation.
Zhang Yuanqing thought to himself that beneath her mask, her brows had to be tightly furrowed.
"Did your kinsmen ever mention anything about this? If the leader of Dark Night Rose is indeed from the Chu family, they must hold a grudge against the family. Your kinsmen should have realized that," he said.
The Palace Master shook her head, seemingly unwilling to say more, and brushed it off. "Stop asking. Tell Elder Gou that if there's any progress on this matter, I hope he will inform me. This Palace Master will reward him handsomely."
It was evident that she held an intense obsession with the extermination of the Chu family all those years ago.
*It's a pity that in an event of this level, I can't be of any help...* Zhang Yuanqing thought with regret.
"You performed decently in the arena tournament. Reaching the top three won't be an issue, though taking the championship is a bit of a stretch." The Palace Master of Halting Slaughter took a sip of the bitter coffee and evaluated his tournament run.
Zhang Yuanqing sighed.
The reason a foundation was called a foundation lay in day-to-day accumulation. He was a powerhouse among the top ten, but when facing opponents among the top three, he didn't possess much confidence.
"Even so, I still have high hopes for you. You're the kind of contestant whose potential only erupts when placed in adversity—the more you're beaten down, the fiercer you become. Yuanshi Tianzun, I believe in you."
Her voice was as gentle as a mother's murmur, as tender as a lover's confession. A wave of warmth washed over Zhang Yuanqing's heart, inexplicably sparking feelings of *I'm brimming with strength* and *I really want to marry this woman and take her home*.
The very next second, the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter giggled coquettishly. "You actually believed that? You're so fun."
*I almost forgot she's a Musician. A Musician's tongue is full of deceit...* Zhang Yuanqing's mouth twitched. He stood up silently. "If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."
***
"She doesn't know?" Elder Gou furrowed his brows after listening to Fu Qingyang on the phone. "Understood."
Matters regarding Dark Night Rose were currently under his supervision. A covert organization whose tentacles reached into the deacon tier and spirit realm clans was, to the Five Elements Alliance, like a venomous serpent lurking in the bedroom.
The slightest lapse in vigilance could result in a fatal bite.
The priority and significance of investigating Dark Night Rose went without saying.
"In that case, we can only take Yuanshi Tianzun to meet Demon Eye."
***
Over the next three days, the arena tournament proceeded in an orderly fashion. After five days of clashes, the roster for the round of sixteen finally emerged.
Aside from the Maoshan Daoist, who had unfortunately been knocked out after losing to Yuanshi Tianzun in the first round, the sixteen-player roster was essentially identical to the top twenty list compiled by the Scholars.
It was clear that the expertise of those Scholars was exceptionally high.
On the morning of the sixth day, Zhang Yuanqing opened the forum right on time to check the finals roster.
Today, the battle for the top eight would take place. The venue would no longer be the arena; instead, it would be randomly selected from the faction instances of the Five Elements Alliance and the Taiyi Sect.
The spectacle and thrill would far surpass that of the arena matches.
Logging onto the forum, the pinned post highlighted in red read: #Round of Sixteen Matchups#
Breaking Waves on the Yangtze vs Earth God
Jiang Jingwei vs Zhao Chenghuang
Sun Miaomiao vs Golden Armor
Ghost vs Tone-Deaf
Crossing-River Pawn vs Yuanshi Tianzun
Eternal God King vs Qingsongzi
Women Are Tigers vs Yuan Ting
Illegal Nickname vs World Returns to Fire
Chapter 187