As he watched Sun Miaomiao disperse into flecks of light, the Spirit Realm notification chimed in Zhang Yuanqing's ear in tandem:
[Ding! Congratulations on completing the multiplayer Spirit Realm quest—The Great Reporting Era. Difficulty rating: S. Calculating rewards...]
[Rewards calculation in progress. Item/object obtained: Unyielding Battle Armor (Damaged) (Unclaimed)]
[Experience points awarded: 0]
[Calculation complete! Exiting the Spirit Realm in 30 seconds.]
Exiting the Spirit Realm? Uh, is the final battle of the third round tomorrow?
Works for me. Today's fights were exhausting and I'm not in top form. Taking a day to rest makes total sense... Zhang Yuanqing promptly shifted his attention to the item he had obtained.
The helmet Earth God had handed him was named the "Unyielding Helmet."
Which meant the reward for the highest scorer was this very set of armor.
A wave of joy washed over Zhang Yuanqing. This suit of armor possessed Saint-grade quality; the reward could hardly be considered anything short of lavish.
Then he noticed that the armor was labeled "Damaged," whereas when he had taken the helmet from Earth God, its item description had borne no such tag.
Mmh, is it damaged because an intact set would be too game-breaking? Well, even if it's damaged, gathering the whole set will still be tremendously useful. The gap between Zhao Chenghuang and me has narrowed once again.
He opened his inventory to check, but saw no armor.
Figures. It won't be issued to me until tomorrow's final battle, Zhang Yuanqing thought.
Just then, he heard Zhao Chenghuang let out a soft breath and say coolly, "I'm not in the best mood today. Therefore, Yuanshi Tianzun, I look forward to tomorrow's decisive battle."
"Look forward to beating me up tomorrow?" Zhang Yuanqing retorted.
Zhao Chenghuang did not reply, dissipating into flecks of light.
Inside the arena, silence reigned on all sides.
The spectators tilted their heads back, staring at the projected imagery. Though the stands were packed with a sea of heads, not a single mouth opened to speak.
Among them were the high-ranking elders. The elders of the Taiyi Sect wore slightly stiff expressions, while the Five Elements Alliance elders looked equally astonished, staring dumbfoundedly at the screen.
Yuanshi Tianzun's against-the-odds reversal had stunned this group of Dominators.
As top powerhouses in the Dominator stage, battles at the Transcendent stage—no matter how fiercely contested or earth-shattering they might be—rarely stirred strong emotional ripples in them.
It was like adults watching kids brawl: mildly amusing, but hardly blood-pumping.
Yet what Yuanshi Tianzun achieved was not through "sheer combat prowess," but through meticulous thinking and planning several steps ahead.
Even the elders had never imagined that he had been scheming against Sun Miaomiao from the very start, setting up an insurance policy against unforeseen crises.
Crucially, nobody had seen it coming.
Yes, not a single person had seen through it.
It was Sun Miaomiao who had voluntarily asked to hold the spirit servant; it was Sun Miaomiao who had gleefully squished and pinched the baby; it was Sun Miaomiao who had taken the initiative to ask how to file a report.
There wasn't a trace of deliberate scheming throughout, yet he had countered Sun Miaomiao down to the last move. Such maneuvering was breathtaking even in the eyes of the elders.
"This kid... so young, yet his heart is so treacherous." Elder Sun's mouth twitched, his face filled with gloom.
The black-robed Elder Zhao frowned, finding it hard to save face. He had only just bragged about his great-grandson's strategic acumen, and before the echo of his words had even faded, Yuanshi Tianzun had slapped him across the face.
Now his great-grandson had become a stepping stone for Yuanshi Tianzun's fame, a mere backdrop to the victor.
"Elder Zhao, this lad under my wing has decent brains, wouldn't you say?" Elder Dog raised a paw and stroked his whiskers.
Smiles broke out across the faces of the Five Elements Alliance elders, their lips curving upward.
A stark contrast to their earlier silence and dissatisfaction.
This way, even if Yuanshi Tianzun failed to seize the championship, he would still firmly hold second place, keeping the Five Elements Alliance's reputation intact.
The old man with the wild hair from the Scarlet Fire Gang chuckled, "Elder Sun, you're as muddleheaded as ever."
Chuckles broke out all around, and the elders' stands filled with a merry atmosphere.
At that moment, the two figures in the projection both dissolved into specks of light, finally shattering the dead silence.
Like a lit powder keg, with a massive boom, a tidal wave of sound exploded.
It was like a concert reaching its climax, like a soccer player netting a game-winning goal.
"Holy shit, that plot twist was brilliant! Simply brilliant!"
"So he had an ace up his sleeve all along! My bad—when I saw Yuanshi Tianzun taking advantage of Sun Miaomiao earlier, I was badmouthing him... Sure enough, geniuses don't think like the rest of us."
"Are we watching a match or riding a roller coaster? This is way too thrilling! When Yuan Ting reported Zhao Chenghuang, I thought Yuanshi Tianzun had it in the bag. When Tone-Deaf got eliminated, I thought Zhao Chenghuang was guaranteed to win... and then Yuanshi Tianzun pulled off another reversal! My brain can't keep up!"
"He truly lives up to being a genius who cleared two S-rank dungeons back-to-back... Yuanshi Tianzun's plays really show just how vast the gap is between people. Thank goodness we have Yuanshi Tianzun, or else neither of the top two spots would belong to our Five Elements Alliance."
"Yeah, yeah, earlier the elders' faces were pitch black."
"Yuanshi Tianzun! Yuanshi Tianzun!!" Queen leapt to her feet, waving her hands in excitement like a fan hyping up her idol.
Clap, clap, clap... Guan Ya stood up excitedly as well, applauding vigorously, her radiant face blooming into an ecstatic smile.
Both of them had thought Yuanshi Tianzun's defeat was sealed moments ago—Queen biting her lip and Guan Ya furrowing her brow, brimming with helplessness and frustration.
Who could have guessed that through an unexpected twist, Yuanshi Tianzun would deliver such a massive surprise?
"Stealing all the limelight... truly enviable," Ling Jun sighed wistfully from behind Fu Qingyang.
Guan Ya and Queen were only a fraction of the screaming women in the arena; this move of Yuanshi Tianzun's had captured who knew how many female fans.
The young master prided himself on his romantic charm and deeply envied opportunities to show off like this.
Just then, he heard Queen holler, "I seriously admire Yuanshi Tianzun so much! I actually thought having his spirit servant grope Sun Miaomiao's chest was just his old habit acting up!"
As a Scout, Guan Ya's smile faded slightly. She looked at her best friend. "Old habit acting up?"
Queen said, "Last time in Yin-Yang Town, when we were diving at the bottom of the river, he slapped my butt."
"Oh, really!" Guan Ya nodded with her smile unchanged, as if it were nothing at all. But the instant she turned her head, it turned into a hollow, frosty smirk.
There were also those who couldn't understand Yuanshi Tianzun's plays and thought the audience's reaction was exaggerated—like Jiang Jingwei, a Fire Master.
"What's there to be so excited about? He just babbled a bunch of nonsense without even fighting," Jiang Jingwei muttered, staring at her teammate Guan Ya not far away with a baffled expression.
Guan Ya was usually a very reserved, dignified older sister who never engaged in theatrical antics; jumping up and down and screaming her lungs out was practically unheard of for her.
"As expected of an employee trained under me! Oh, my God; oh, my God~"
Not far away, a man dressed in an elegant formal suit was swinging his cane wildly, looking like a crazed soccer fan waving a banner.
Where did his elegance go? A flash of confusion crossed Jiang Jingwei's mind, and suddenly she understood Guan Ya a little better.
Higher up in the stands, Bill Tarantino exclaimed in excitement, "Brilliant!
"What a brilliant match! This single match alone makes this trip to China worth it. For the first time, I realize that arena tournaments hosted by the Five Elements Alliance can be so thrilling.
"Heh, those fellows always look down on the Five Elements Alliance's arena tournament, thinking it's just the Alliance playing house behind closed doors."
Overseas, there were many famous Spirit Realm Walker competitions with participants hailing from Spirit Realm Walkers around the globe, including plenty from China's seven Lawful professions.
They were true gatherings of elite talents.
Compared to those global events, the Five Elements Alliance's internal arena tournament naturally suffered disdain; calling it playing house was hardly an exaggeration.
It was worth noting that China and its neighboring countries belonged to the same region. Those smaller countries also produced Spirit Realm Walkers like Water Ghosts, Wood Demons, and Night Walkers, but their numbers were so small that they could rarely form a powerful force, mostly remaining unaffiliated rogues.
Annie's cheeks were flushed crimson, her expression enamored. "Mr. Bill, he is even smarter and more remarkable than I imagined. I love men like this."
She found Yuanshi Tianzun increasingly appealing, even beginning to fantasize that perhaps he was a Night Walker capable of rivaling the Demon Lord.
Equally pleased with Yuanshi Tianzun was the Xie mother-daughter pair.
Mother Xie beamed. "Isn't this way more fun than watching soap operas? I'm definitely going to watch every year from now on. Now I have something to talk about with the other ladies this month. This Yuanshi Tianzun really is wonderful; I'll have to mention him to your father."
Xie Lingxi said rather proudly, "Not every year has an expert like Brother Yuanshi participating!"
Then she caught on and asked delightfully, "Mom, you also think our Xie family should recruit him, right?"
Mother Xie blinked her innocently naive eyes. "What recruit? I have no idea what you're talking about."
"..."
Xie Lingxi felt that her cultivation was still lacking; her mother was truly the one and only pure white lotus in the world.
Holding her head high, Zhu Rong stared blankly at the empty projection. The clamor around her gradually faded, replaced by the echoing sneer of that man:
"An evil dragon never cares for the hatred of ants. In this lifetime, you are only fit to be my plaything."
"Tsk, tsk. Eldest Miss Zhu, you're getting more and more wanton. You can never return to who you once were."
Zhu Rong's eyes rimmed with red as she stood lost in thought. After a long while, she took a deep breath, banished the images of the past from her mind, and let out a neurotic laugh:
"I will destroy you... I will destroy you!!"
The scenery rippled like water before his eyes. Once the surface settled, Zhang Yuanqing saw his familiar bedroom.
First thing, he took out the Red Dancing Shoes and danced awkwardly with them. Once the dance concluded, he turned to check the nightstand; the digital alarm clock read 12:30 PM.
Past lunchtime already... Zhang Yuanqing muttered inwardly. Right on cue, his stomach began to protest with loud rumbles.
He hadn't had time for breakfast, and after fighting all morning in the dungeon, he was already starving.
Zhang Yuanqing strained his ears. The living room was quiet. At this hour, his maternal grandparents were probably taking their afternoon nap.
The two elderly folks had always maintained a habit of napping after lunch.
Zhang Yuanqing tiptoed into the living room. Sure enough, his grandparents were napping in their bedroom, and predictably, there were no leftovers on the dining table.
The household didn't keep a habit of eating leftovers; even if there were any, his grandmother would throw them out.
Leaving home, he downed two large bowls of braised chicken at a restaurant outside the residential community and headed back, rubbing his round, full belly in satisfaction.
Along the way, he bought a cup of milk tea at a roadside shop.
"So nice~"
Half-reclined against his bed, sipping the chilled milk tea under the cool air conditioning, full and contented, laziness slowly crept over his eyelids in the warmth of the afternoon.
"Might as well take a nap. Once I wake up, I'll be good as new."
Zhang Yuanqing sent a text to Aunt Xiao Yuan saying he had cleared the S-rank dungeon, made it to the final two, and would fight Zhao Chenghuang tomorrow.
Then he dropped his head and fell fast asleep.
Fujia Bay.
At the dining table, Fu Qingyang and Ling Jun were enjoying a sumptuous lunch.
As noble young masters, the moment they exited the dungeon, a tall, gorgeous bunny girl had said in a gentle voice, "Young Masters, lunch is prepared. Would you like to dine now?"
Hardly like a certain grassroots plebeian who had to run outside just to order a serving of braised chicken.
Ling Jun speared a translucent slice of ham and spoke as he ate: "Brilliant, truly brilliant. I can savor that battle for a long time. Your eye for talent isn't bad; Yuanshi really is gifted. Still, what do you think his chances are in tomorrow's final battle?"
A contemplative look appeared on Fu Qingyang's stern face. He said, "In terms of raw strength alone, twenty percent. Add his powerful items, thirty percent. But he possesses the heart of a powerhouse—add another ten percent. A forty-percent chance of victory."
"Less than fifty percent after all. He's more likely to lose," Ling Jun sighed, then suddenly remarked in surprise, "Wait, did you just say 'the heart of a powerhouse'? You rarely use 'powerhouse' to describe trash."
Chewing on his roast meat, Fu Qingyang replied nonchalantly, "He is different from you all. He is not trash."
Ling Jun froze.
Fu Qingyang explained flatly, "I have always believed that talent bears no direct relation to being a powerhouse. As long as one possesses the heart of a powerhouse, even an ant commands respect. The heart of a powerhouse lies in never giving up, in striving tirelessly for strength, and in charging forward against adversity.
"I have observed him since Sheling Tunnel right up until now. Without a doubt, Yuanshi, like me, possesses the heart of a powerhouse."
Just then, a bunny girl in high heels hurried over with quick, delicate steps carrying a phone, and said respectfully, "Young Master, a call from the clan elder."
The caller ID on the screen showed: Old Bastard No. 2!
Fu Qingyang frowned, put down his cutlery, took his time wiping his hands with a napkin, picked up the phone, and answered.
Listening for a moment, Fu Qingyang's face darkened, the corner of his eye twitching slightly.
Ling Jun could vaguely catch snippets drifting from the speaker: "...What did you say to Yuanshi Tianzun?... The top brass of the White Tiger Guards held the clan accountable! They want you to come clean, or else an investigation team will be sent to the Fu family!... You fool, how could you leave behind such a massive liability?... What on earth did you say to Yuanshi Tianzun?..."
The Fu family was in a panic, suspecting Fu Qingyang might have inadvertently revealed some scandalous secrets to Yuanshi Tianzun.
Things like humiliating female subordinates, scandalous sexual misconduct, or even more serious violations of law and discipline.
Otherwise, how could Yuanshi Tianzun have uttered shocking phrases like "ruined reputation" and "expulsion from the White Tiger Guards"?
The council of elders hoped Fu Qingyang would confess his wrongdoing so they could scramble to pull strings and see if they could minimize the fallout.
Fu Qingyang silently hung up the phone, his face cold and utterly merciless, and said in a deep voice, "I take back what I just said. Yuanshi Tianzun is trash too!"
Mid-slumber, Zhang Yuanqing's breath hitched as he felt something soft and bouncy slam hard onto his chest and belly.
"Jiang Yu'er, do you ever quit? Sitting on my stomach again..."
Without opening his eyes, Zhang Yuanqing already knew his aunt was teasing him.
The faint, lingering sweet fragrance in the air was her unique scent.
"Dinner time~"
As she spoke, Jiang Yu'er lifted her pert bottom and bounced down hard once more.
In the past, having someone drop their rear on him like that would have knocked the wind right out of him.
Zhang Yuanqing opened his eyes, yawning as he took in his aunt. She was dressed up exquisitely, wearing an off-the-shoulder women's T-shirt paired with high-waisted, wide-leg floor-length trousers.
The outfit accentuated her full bust and slender waist.
On top of that, she had drawn on eyeliner, brushed mascara onto her lashes, and applied a light coat of foundation.
"Have you lost your mind today?"
Zhang Yuanqing looked away.
A woman with makeup and without makeup were two completely different people. Without makeup, his aunt was already drop-dead gorgeous; with makeup, she was an outright stunner.
Jiang Yu'er tilted sideways, flopping down next to Zhang Yuanqing, and sighed dejectedly: "Took a compensatory day off today, only to be sent on a blind date by the black-hearted witch of the house."
Zhang Yuanqing raised an eyebrow. Usually, whenever his aunt went on a blind date, she went barefaced and couldn't care less about what she wore.
Could today's blind date have satisfied her enough to warrant dressing up?
His aunt sighed again: "The guy is your aunt-in-law's distant nephew—well, distant nephew or something, anyway distantly related. Your aunt-in-law escorted me personally and even forced me to put on makeup."
How rare for Grandma and Aunt-in-law to form a united front when it comes to forcing you into blind dates... Zhang Yuanqing asked, "So, how was it? Satisfied?"
"Totally satisfied. I was very satisfied with the coffee at that cafe." His aunt nodded.
Zhang Yuanqing wore a look of disappointment: "Sigh, failed to marry you off again. What a shame. Just stay home and wither away into a dried-up old crone."
Hearing that, his aunt arched her slender waist, mounted him again, pinned her nephew's chest with one hand, and balled her other fist in a tiger-fighting stance, yelling, "You little brat, I'm going to beat you to death today!"
After dinner spent in playful squabbling, Zhang Yuanqing retreated to his bedroom and picked up his phone to check his messages.
The messaging app showed dozens of unread messages.
Most of them were congratulatory texts—some from Xie Lingxi, some from team leaders in Kangyang District, and some from rogue Walkers he knew.
Xiao Yuan had also replied to him: "I don't believe you. Liar!"
Don't believe me? Seeing this message, Zhang Yuanqing instinctively felt indignant, feeling as though his integrity were being questioned.
Believe it or don't... He typed this out, then his fingers froze as it dawned on him: Aunt Xiao Yuan's reply was actually an attitude of "let's chat" or "Ah, really? Hurry up and tell me all about it!"
Rather than the polite, perfunctory small talk between ordinary acquaintances.
Zhang Yuanqing silently deleted the unfinished message, reminding himself to keep the life mentor's teachings in mind: when replying to a woman, first observe, second ponder, third analyze.
And if you truly can't think of what to say, just send a heart.
Zhang Yuanqing sent a heart emoji first, then opened his laptop and logged into the official forum.
The forum would surely be full of official Walkers' reviews of today's battle and predictions for tomorrow's final showdown.
He could take screenshots and send them to Xiao Yuan.
At the same time, when it came to Zhao Chenghuang, he definitely didn't know as much as the other official Walkers, so their appraisals and predictions would be valuable reference material.
He had assumed the pinned post would be: #Shocking! Yuanshi Tianzun Pulls Off a Comeback and Shoots to Fame in a Single Battle! Truly a Man Who Bewitches the Masses#
Never would he have imagined that the actual pinned post on the forum was:
#HQ Decision: Formal Disciplinary Reprimand Issued to the Top Eight Transcendent-Stage Contestants#
"During the dungeon showdown, Yuanshi Tianzun led the way in performing indecent gestures, which Zhao Chenghuang, Earth God, Sun Miaomiao, Yuan Ting, World Returns to Fire, Qingsongzi, and Tone-Deaf all followed suit in imitating.
"Afterward, rather than feeling ashamed, the eight individuals took pride in their conduct, repeatedly performing indecent gestures. This violated public order and morals, tarnished the official organization's image, and resulted in an extremely negative influence.
"By headquarters' decision: Yuanshi Tianzun is issued a formal disciplinary reprimand, forfeiture of his mid-year bonus, year-end bonus, and quarterly bonus, as well as a deduction of three months' salary.
"The other seven individuals are issued formal disciplinary reprimands, forfeiture of their year-end bonuses, and a deduction of two months' salary.
"It is hoped that all colleagues will take this as a cautionary warning. Upholding the official organization's image is our shared responsibility."
Beneath the post, there were thousands of comments.
Chapter 208