The Final Battle (1)

[World Returns to Fire: It's clearly all Yuanshi Tianzun's fault. We were forced into it against our will. Why dock our pay?] [Tone-Deaf: Shouldn't Yuanshi Tianzun bear all the responsibility?] [Qingsongzi: That bastard.] These three comments had racked up the most upvotes in the comment section. [Lairifangzhang: Hahaha, I knew disciplinary action was coming. They pulled off such scandalous stunts, so the organization had to hand down a punishment and make its stance clear.] [Quri Kuduo: Just docked wages and a formal reprimand? From the elders' expressions this morning, you'd think they wanted to expel them on the spot.] [Milky White Breasts: They probably really wanted to expel them back then, but once they cooled down, they couldn't bear to let them go (doge). That said, pulling down a yin corpse's pants really is bad publicity. As top-eight contestants, they represent the organization's public image to some extent, so headquarters had to take a stand. Slaps on the wrist like docking wages and bonuses are just going through the motions.] [Affectionate Jenny: What a shame. All that stripping back and forth, and they only stripped the yin corpses instead of themselves. Especially Yuanshi Tianzun—this old lady got her hopes up for nothing several times.] Another pay cut. Fuck, aren't we all out here whoring ourselves out (working) just to make money? Zhang Yuanqing grimaced, thinking to himself that at least he still had his salary from the White Tiger Guards. Besides, the prize money from the arena tournament was quite handsome. Although the top three prizes were items, Zhang Yuanqing had heard that as long as one made the top ten, their local branch would award them a bonus. After browsing the comments for a few minutes, he backed out of the post and kept scrolling, coming across numerous threads related to today's battles: # Yuanshi Tianzun is too strong! From this day on, he's my male god! # # A Brief Analysis of Yuanshi Tianzun's Tactical Planning from the Dungeon Match # # From Stripping Pants to Groping Breasts: Just How Wild Are Yuanshi Tianzun's Tactics? # # Terrifying Tactical Genius: Yuanshi Tianzun May Soon Stand Alongside the Four Young Masters # Zhang Yuanqing took screenshots of these threads and the praising comments underneath, sending them to Xiao Yuan (leaving out the one about groping breasts). Yuanshi Tianzun: "Believe me now, Aunt Xiao Yuan? Inside dungeons, I'm practically invincible." Magical Aunt Xiao Yuan: "Not bad! [Smile]" Magical Aunt Xiao Yuan: "Tell me how the match went. I'm more curious why someone in the comments said they wanted to see you take off your pants." Yuanshi Tianzun: "Well, that... uh..." Just as he was pondering how to deflect, he suddenly recalled something his life mentor had once said: Although women always talk about wanting someone "mature and dependable" to spur men on, they don't actually like mature and steady men; they sneer at slick-tongued smooth talkers, yet they inevitably flock like moths to a flame toward sweet-talking, witty scoundrels. His life mentor had concluded: being slick-tongued about everyday trivialities can boost a woman's affection; and when you don't know how to answer her questions, being slick-tongued lets you slip by with ease. A flash of inspiration struck Zhang Yuanqing, and he replied: "Didn't we make a bet last time? If I make top three, Aunt Xiao Yuan has to roll around in the sheets with me. So, I unleashed my divine might in the dungeon, taking on all seven opponents at once! I nearly got eliminated, but remembering my bet with Aunt Xiao Yuan, I tore off my clothes in rage, no longer holding back my primal power, and finally wiped out six opponents, leaving only Zhao Chenghuang so I could beat him up tomorrow. "I guess that's why those lustful female perverts were hoping I'd strip my pants." Silence fell on the other end. After a long pause, Magical Aunt Xiao Yuan replied: "Get lost!!" Yuanshi Tianzun: "Right away! I'll come roll over to your bed tonight." Magical Aunt Xiao Yuan: "Just try it and I'll kill you!" Zhang Yuanqing chuckled with a "hehe," sent a string of lustful emojis, and then focused on browsing the forum. He soon found a post predicting tomorrow's battle: # Analysis of the Final Battle: Yuanshi Tianzun vs. Zhao Chenghuang—Who Will Have the Last Laugh? # The number of comments underneath was surprisingly high. Zhang Yuanqing clicked into the post and discovered that the author was "Grand Academician of Wenyuan Hall." This scholar was quite active on the forum and knew his stuff, which earned him a solid degree of credibility among official walkers. In the post, the Grand Academician offered a concise analysis comparing the combat strength of Zhao Chenghuang and Yuanshi Tianzun: "Bound by our non-disclosure pacts, we cannot list detailed data, so here is a brief analysis of both sides' strengths and weaknesses. "First, their levels. Both contestants are Level 3, but one is at the early stage while the other is at the late stage. Level-wise, Zhao Chenghuang holds the advantage. Second, their items. By convention, in the annual championship bout, items are restricted to at most three. "Zhao Chenghuang is the great-grandson of Elder Zhao from the Taiyi Sect. I suspect all three of his items are of exceptionally high quality. On the other hand, Yuanshi Tianzun utilized two items in today's match that the public had never seen before—very novel and intriguing. One must admit his inventory of items is indeed abundant, as expected of a genius who cleared two S-rank trials, but he seems to lack a true trump-card-tier item. "Fortunately, by virtue of his own abilities, Yuanshi Tianzun earned the highest score in the dungeon match. With a powerful item aiding him tomorrow, he has gained at least some edge. "Finally, analyzing their raw personal strength: Zhao Chenghuang possesses a formidable yin corpse, as well as a terrifying self-buffing skill (anyone who watched his match against Jiang Jingwei knows what I'm referring to). Most crucially, his spirit servant hasn't made an appearance. No one should assume that ordinary spirit servant is all Zhao Chenghuang has. "To my knowledge, Zhao Chenghuang possesses a secret spirit servant that he rarely deploys, which might well be the deciding factor tomorrow. "Looking at Yuanshi Tianzun, his talents lie in strategy and conquering dungeons. If the final battle remains a dungeon match, his odds of winning will improve. But if it's an arena format... one can only say Yuanshi Tianzun's luck has run out. "In summary, my personal assessment is a thirty-seventy split in favor of Zhao Chenghuang." I remember Sun Miaomiao mentioned that Zhao Chenghuang has a secret spirit servant, and now this Grand Academician of Wenyuan Hall says the same thing... Zhang Yuanqing pondered for a moment. With the mindset of preparing for a rainy day, he sent a message to Yuan Ting: "Captain Yuan, do you know what Zhao Chenghuang's secret spirit servant is?" After sending the message, there was no reply for a long time. Zhang Yuanqing simply called him, only for the automated voice to announce the phone was powered off. Captain Yuan couldn't have been silenced, could he? he muttered, feeling a little guilty. Zhang Yuanqing opened the messaging app and asked in the White Tiger Guards group. [Yuanshi Tianzun: Big bosses, does anyone know what Zhao Chenghuang's secret spirit servant is?] [Youfeng Laiyi: No idea.] [Ling Jun: Don't care.] [Qicilang: Why on earth would you think we'd pay attention to a Transcendent-stage Night Wanderer?] Almost forgot, every single member of the White Tiger Guards is at the Saint stage... Zhang Yuanqing silently buried his face in his hands. [Xiao Naohu: I can look into it for you, but there isn't enough time. The final battle is tomorrow.] [Yuanshi Tianzun: @Xiao Naohu, no need then, thank you.] Xiao Naohu really is mature and dependable. Yeah, I'm not a woman, I genuinely like mature, dependable men... Just as Zhang Yuanqing was about to close the group chat, he noticed Ling Jun tagged him. [Ling Jun: For tomorrow's match, just do what you can. Second place is already great, don't put too much pressure on yourself.] [Youfeng Laiyi: I think the item for the Illusionist class isn't any worse than the Houtu Boots. Second place is plenty good.] Instead of pushing him relentlessly, everyone was comforting Yuanshi Tianzun, telling him not to stress himself out and to keep a good mindset for tomorrow's battle. [Yuanshi Tianzun: Thank you, everyone. Thank you, Centurion.] [Youfeng Laiyi: Why are you thanking the faction leader? He didn't even come out to encourage you.] [Ling Jun: This kid excels at brown-nosing. Through his bootlicking arts, he's monopolized the faction leader's favor. Look at how he fabricated rumors about the faction leader in the dungeon, and that guy surnamed Fu still tolerated it.] [Qicilang: Ptui~] This isn't suck-up behavior; it's socializing... Zhang Yuanqing closed the chat group, took a notebook out of his drawer, picked up a pen from the penholder, and began drafting his battle plan for tomorrow. A quota of three items was more advantageous than disadvantageous to him, because if it came down to a contest of items, he would most likely lose to Zhao Chenghuang, who had a Dominator great-grandfather backing him. "These three items must counter Zhao Chenghuang's advantages. My raw strength is inferior to his—that's a fact—so I must make good use of tactics." He flipped open the notebook and wrote furiously. *** In the capital, within a courtyard dwelling tucked away in a quiet corner of a bustling neighborhood: Clad in a black robe, his dark hair bound with a wooden hairpin, Elder Zhao sat beneath a locust tree, sipping tea. Elder Zhao was among the first generation of Spirit Realm walkers, a figure from the Republic era. His seniority surpassed even Elder Sun's, and naturally, his strength was even greater. "Tomorrow's final battle is an arena duel, which plays to your advantage. Are you confident you will take the championship?" Elder Zhao took a sip of tea, his tone neither hurried nor slow. Across the tea table, Zhao Chenghuang straightened his back and replied in a deep voice, "I am!" Elder Zhao showed a look of satisfaction. "Your accumulation of the power of Taiyin has reached its limit. Once this arena tournament concludes, you will enter the killing trial to advance to Starlord. Before entering the killing trial, having Yuanshi Tianzun serve as your whetstone isn't bad either. But remember the path you walk: take Taiyin as your foundation. This is of utmost importance. Understand?" Zhao Chenghuang nodded, a flicker of doubt crossing his stern face. "Great-grandfather, can you tell me now why I had to stall at the Transcendent stage to hone my Taiyin power?" He had wanted to advance to Saint long ago, but his great-grandfather had forcibly held him back. Elder Zhao said in a grave voice, "Night Wanderers are unlike other classes. Taiyin, Starlord, and the Sun—these three powers share the same root and origin, yet they are distinct as night and day. Once you reach the Dominator stage, you must choose one of them as your foundation to make further advancement possible." To advance beyond the Dominator stage... that would be the Sect Master's realm... Zhao Chenghuang said in a low voice, "I understand." He still didn't understand the underlying principles, but knowing the reason was enough. *** The following day, 9:00 AM. Dressed and ready, Zhang Yuanqing rested a hand on his yin corpse's shoulder, the little blue pill tucked into his pocket, as the Spirit Realm notification chimed in his ear: [Ding! Dungeon opening. This match is—The Final Battle.] [Entering the Spirit Realm in 30 seconds. The Spirit Realm you are entering this time is "Life-and-Death Arena," ID: 3371.] [Difficulty Rating: Unknown] [Type: Multiplayer (Non-lethal)] [Main Quest: Fairly and squarely defeat your opponent on the arena stage. An honorable spar; yield upon touching.] [Remarks: Non-Spirit Realm items cannot be brought inside.] [Description of Spirit Realm #3371: This dungeon is a faction dungeon of the "White Tiger Guards" and has already been conquered.] Zhang Yuanqing's vision blurred and then cleared, revealing an azure sky, rows of spectator seats, and the audience filling them. He had returned to the colosseum, but this time, he appeared directly upon the arena stage. A dozen meters away stood Zhao Chenghuang, dressed in black pants and a black jacket, stern and handsome. There sure are a lot of spectators today—far more than the past few days... Zhang Yuanqing looked around. There was hardly an empty seat in sight. Aside from official walkers on duty, practically everyone who could make it had arrived. Many members of major Spirit Realm clans were present, along with people from non-governmental organizations that had close ties with the government. Up on the elders' bench, the number of elders had increased from just over ten to nearly twenty. The five Alliance Leaders still had not shown up. The moment the two contenders stepped onto the stage, the crowd erupted into thunderous cheers.