"So the ultimate battle in the third round really is an arena match. Well, an arena duel makes the most sense between two combatants, but that means Yuanshi Tianzun loses his advantage."
"I was actually hoping for another dungeon battle. It would've been thrilling and spectacular, and it would've worked to Yuanshi Tianzun's advantage. I read Grand Academician of Wenyuan Hall's post on the forum. If the ultimate battle had kicked off with a high-difficulty dungeon, Yuanshi Tianzun might very well have become the dark horse."
"Think about it—that's impossible. Yuanshi Tianzun already received a powerful item. Opening with another high-difficulty dungeon wouldn't be fair to Zhao Chenghuang."
"I can't wait for the ultimate battle. This fight is definitely going to be incredible."
"It might also end very quickly. Didn't you read the Grand Academician's analysis post? Zhao Chenghuang outclasses Yuanshi Tianzun across the board, from his level and items right down to his yin corpses and spirit servants."
"Zhao Chenghuang's Ghost Transformation unleashes combat power comparable to an early-stage Saint, plus he has a Level 4 yin corpse. What does Yuanshi Tianzun have to win with? Yuanshi Tianzun shone so brightly in yesterday's dungeon match that I almost thought Zhao Chenghuang wasn't all that, but reading the forum analysis snapped me back to reality."
The match had not even started, but the spectators were already chatting excitedly.
"Baobao, none of them seem to think your Brother Yuanshi has a chance," Mother Xie said. "Did you ask him what I told you to ask yesterday?"
Xie Lingxi shook her head.
"Brother Yuanshi wouldn't accept any items our family offered to sponsor. He said he'd rather lose than use them."
Yesterday, Mother Xie had contacted the Xie family's Council of Elders, proposing to lend Yuanshi Tianzun several items. When the Council of Elders heard that the Lingxi girl had hooked up with Yuanshi Tianzun, they were delighted and agreed without hesitation.
Thus, the Xie family's Council of Elders had offered three items for Yuanshi Tianzun to choose from.
The first was the Red String of Love. By tying the item to a target, the user could evoke favorable feelings in them and make them fall in love within half an hour.
Only a Musician at the Saint stage could undo the red string; no other class could.
The item's cost: Love is a two-way street. When the target falls in love with you, you will also fall irrevocably in love with them.
The second was Mother's Skirt. As the name implied, it was a woman's skirt. Once worn, whatever you said would turn into a lullaby, putting the target to sleep.
The item's cost: For the next thirty-six hours, you will hopelessly become a male mommy.
The third was the Horn of Invigoration. Blowing the horn would invigorate the user, increasing combat power by twenty percent.
The item's cost: After half an hour, the user lapses into a state of mental exhaustion.
Mother Xie sighed.
"If he won't accept our Xie family's goodwill, there's nothing we can do. Baobao, can he win? Mommy bet two million on him to win."
Xie Lingxi stared at her mother in shock.
"Mom, if you have too much money, just give it to me! Why throw it down the drain?"
As if catching a slip in her white-lotus daughter's act, Mother Xie gave her a sidelong glance. "So you think Yuanshi Tianzun is going to lose too?"
Xie Lingxi fell silent for a moment. "Of course I have great faith in Brother Yuanshi, but Zhao Chenghuang isn't someone to mess with either."
*Having faith doesn't mean he's guaranteed to win!* she added inwardly.
"I bet on Yuanshi Tianzun's victory on the black market at odds of one to six. If Yuanshi Tianzun wins, it'll be my most lucrative deal of the year," Mr. Bill said.
Beside him, Annie asked, "And if he loses?"
Today she wore form-fitting, stretchy riding breeches and a dark top. Her brilliant golden hair cascaded over her shoulders, framing fair skin and alluring blue eyes, making her look exceptionally charming.
The men nearby frequently cast smitten, ardent glances her way.
"Then it's merely a loss of five million," Mr. Bill said, shrugging.
"That doesn't match your prudent, cautious style," Annie remarked.
"Yesterday, he bought pills for healing soul trauma from me—the same kind Chen Shu asked to purchase. He took a whole year's supply in one go without paying," Mr. Bill said. "Yuanshi Tianzun told me he was certain to win. If he wins, the pills are completely on the house. If he loses, he'll cover my bet and pay for the pills. I agreed. That's called risk hedging."
"Quite the risk hedge!" Youfeng Laiyi remarked, glancing at Ling Jun beside her. "If Yuanshi Tianzun wins, you make three million. If Zhao Chenghuang wins, you make one million. Either way, it's guaranteed profit."
She turned to look at the back of Fu Qingyang's head. "Boss, who did you bet on?"
Fu Qingyang answered mildly, "I didn't bet."
Youfeng Laiyi said approvingly, "As expected of our Boss. Rejecting vice, gambling, and drugs—truly wholesome energy."
Fu Qingyang stated coolly, "I'm the bookmaker. I opened a betting pool in the elders' group."
"..."
Ling Jun's eyes lit up. "How did the elders bet?"
The elders occasionally dabbled in a bit of gambling, and juniors usually had no way to participate. But Fu Qingyang was an elder-in-waiting whose promotion was only a matter of time. More importantly, he was rich!
So he had opened a pool in the elders' chat group.
Fu Qingyang casually ratted out the elders. "Everyone from the Taiyi Sect bet on Zhao Chenghuang. Most of the Five Elements Alliance elders placed a symbolic bet on Yuanshi Tianzun while putting heavy money on Zhao Chenghuang. If Yuanshi wins, I'll make enough to cover the White Tiger Guards' operating expenses for the next five years."
"Yuanshi Tianzun is definitely going to win!" chorused the White Tiger Guards behind him.
Inside the arena, Zhang Yuanqing heard the Spirit Realm notification chime:
[Ding! You may claim the "Unyielding Battle Armor." Would you like to claim it?]
"Claim!"
[Ding! Claimed successfully. This battle armor does not count against your item usage limit.]
In the next second, a set of battle armor appeared in his inventory. It consisted of five pieces: chestplate, skirt armor, helmet, vambraces, and a battle saber.
Zhang Yuanqing retrieved the battle armor and reviewed its attributes. The chestplate offered pure defense, while the skirt armor provided light defense plus an enhancement to lower-body stability.
The so-called lower-body stability meant waist power and stance-holding capability.
The wearer essentially turned into a pile driver, effectively preventing situations like being knocked flying by a single punch.
The helmet defended against spirit bodies, the vambraces amplified arm strength, and the battle saber increased offensive output.
*Wearing this armor, I should be able to fight Zhao Chenghuang hand-to-hand in his Ghost Transformation without falling behind...* Zhang Yuanqing thought, then commanded Corpse No. 1 to equip the armor.
The battle armor had to be worn by the yin corpse; this was the battle plan he had drawn up yesterday.
If Corpse No. 1 didn't have the armor, it would inevitably be smashed to pieces by the Level 4 yin corpse. When that happened, Zhang Yuanqing would have to face a pincer attack from Zhao Chenghuang and a Saint-stage yin corpse.
He would certainly be unable to hold out alone.
Trading one set of armor and one yin corpse to neutralize one of Zhao Chenghuang's greatest trump cards was a great bargain.
As for the battle saber, Zhang Yuanqing decided to use it himself. That way, he wouldn't need to use the Bloodthirsty Blade, saving an item usage slot.
"Huh, Yuanshi Tianzun gave the battle armor to his yin corpse."
"A very smart choice. That way, his yin corpse can hold off Zhao Chenghuang's."
"That may be true, but how is he going to deal with Zhao Chenghuang himself? After Ghost Transformation, Zhao Chenghuang's combat power is practically on par with the Saint stage."
"Yuanshi Tianzun is a Night Wanderer; he can use Night Roaming to circle and stall."
While the spectators were busy playing armchair tacticians, the armored swordsman elder strode onto the ring and shouted,
"Silence!"
The clamor of voices immediately died down.
The Armored Swordsman proceeded to announce:
"The ultimate battle. Yuanshi Tianzun versus Zhao Chenghuang—begin!"
With that call to begin, the spectators heard their own hearts thumping wildly. Everyone grew tense and excited.
Some hoped Yuanshi Tianzun could defeat Zhao Chenghuang and become the dark horse of this tournament; some hoped Yuanshi Tianzun could hold out a little longer and not lose too quickly; others longed for Zhao Chenghuang to crush Yuanshi Tianzun and end the fight so they could win big on their bets.
Zhao Chenghuang, dressed in black, his face aloof and bearing noble, glanced at the armor-clad yin corpse, raised his hand, and snapped his fingers with a crisp snap.
"Go!"
The Level 4 yin corpse, likewise dressed in black, flashed scarlet in its eyes and lunged at Yuanshi Tianzun, moving so fast it blurred into a black shadow.
Zhang Yuanqing stood rock-steady and snapped his fingers as well.
"Get him!"
Amidst the clattering of scales and plate, Corpse No. 1 darted out like an unleashed wild hound to meet the enemy.
The two yin corpses closed in rapidly, cocked their fists back, and threw straight punches.
*Bang!*
The fists collided with a sharp, explosive crack, sending an airwave rippling outward.
*Thump, thump, thump...* The Level 4 yin corpse staggered backward, its right arm locked rigid as if an unseen force were shoving it back and dragging its entire body along.
Corpse No. 1 jerked backward at the torso, yet its lower body remained completely rooted.
Its base was as solid as bedrock.
Corpse No. 1 drove power through its lower back to wrench its upper body forward. Its vambraces hummed as they gathered energy, and springing off its knees, it pounced on the retreating corpse.
*Bang! Bang! Bang!*
Fists fast as lightning rained down with one echoing explosion after another, forcing the Level 4 yin corpse to raise its arms across its chest in desperate defense.
Clad in the battle armor, the Bewitching Demon's close-combat prowess was unleashed, displaying the true caliber of a pinnacle combat class.
With Yuanshi Tianzun seizing the upper hand right from the start, thunderous cheers erupted from the stands.
Zhao Chenghuang glanced at his yin corpse taking a beating. Unfazed, he let out a soft laugh.
"Just as I expected, you really did use the battle armor on your yin corpse. So, do you plan to use Night Roaming to circle around me?"
Speaking across a distance of over ten meters, Zhang Yuanqing raised an eyebrow and countered:
"Is there a problem with that?"
Zhao Chenghuang's Ghost Transformation couldn't last too long. As long as Zhao transformed, Zhang Yuanqing would immediately enter Night Roaming and adopt hit-and-run tactics to stall for time.
It was the most cost-effective response.
Zhao Chenghuang's tone was calm. "No problem at all. I'm just telling you that since I anticipated this step, I naturally made preparations for it."
As he spoke, he opened his palm and took out his first item.
Wisps of murky gray mist rose from his palm, condensing into a small clay figurine with indistinct features.
The clay figurine had vague facial features and crude limbs, resembling a mud doll haphazardly shaped by a child.
Yet it exuded an unspeakable sense of heaviness, evoking the sight of towering mountains.
The little clay figurine sent out soft, earthy-yellow ripples. Wherever the ripples swept, the hard bluestone ground rapidly turned to sand, forming a soft sandy beach.
Zhang Yuanqing took two steps back and looked down at the footprints he had made, his heart sinking.
Night Roaming couldn't conceal footprints. Fighting on sand made invisibility completely pointless.
"There are many ways to counter Night Roaming," Zhao Chenghuang said indifferently. "Yuanshi Tianzun, I don't intend to give you any openings. Since you gave the armor to your yin corpse, I will end this quickly."
His tone was calm, but his expression radiated supreme confidence and immense pride.
Cradling the little clay figurine in his palm, Zhao Chenghuang bent slightly forward. Muscles bulged across his body in blocks as a pained roar escaped his throat.
After gathering power for a few seconds, his frame suddenly towered taller, his skin swiftly turning blackish-green with a metallic sheen. Swelling muscles were laced with bulging black veins, and his nails grew rapidly into pitch-black, razor-sharp ghostly claws.
The sand beneath his feet was quickly coated in a layer of white frost that crept outward in all directions, draping the entire arena in a chilling, sinister aura.
Watching the shift in the arena, an uproar broke out in the spectator stands:
"Wait, isn't that a foul? That clay figurine is a Saint-grade item! The Transcendent stage doesn't have such exaggerated earth-manipulation power!"
"Elders, he's breaking the rules!"
At the elders' seats, nearly twenty Dominators remained silent, making no move to intervene.
Zhao Chenghuang hadn't broken any rules. In judging whether an item violated tournament rules, the key factor was its function.
For example, using a Saint-grade item to defeat an opponent directly would certainly be a violation.
However, if it was an auxiliary function, it depended on the intensity of that function.
The sand-transforming ability was indeed stronger than that of an ordinary Transcendent-stage Earth Monster, but it had not reached the Saint stage, and it was auxiliary rather than a direct offensive attack.
Compared to Yuanshi Tianzun's contamination tactics, it was far milder in nature.
Seeing that their protests were futile, many Five Elements Alliance official walkers grew anxious:
"It's over. Yuanshi Tianzun's Night Roaming has been countered."
"That's the clay figurine he used when fighting Jiang Jingwei last time. I remember it having decent defensive capabilities. Boosting his combat power with Ghost Transformation while having the clay figurine for defense—Zhao Chenghuang is going all out right from the start! He wants a swift victory over Yuanshi Tianzun."
"Fuck, he's trying to slap the Five Elements Alliance in the face."
The spectators turned their gazes to Yuanshi Tianzun one after another. Facing such a formidable opponent, how would he respond?
*It really isn't going to be that easy...* Zhang Yuanqing thought helplessly.
To deal with Zhao Chenghuang's Ghost Transformation, he had laid out three counterstrategies. The most cost-effective one was to use Night Roaming to circle and stall, but that move was also the easiest to counter.
Sure enough, Zhao Chenghuang hadn't given him any room to exploit loopholes.
*Then on to Plan B...* Zhang Yuanqing opened his inventory and summoned the Yinyang Robe.
*Whoosh!*
The Yinyang Robe unfurled in midair, patterned with flames below, embroidered with waves above, bearing the yinyang on its back.
Streams of illusory water surged from the black section of the Taiji fish, while streaks of crimson fire erupted from the white section.
Fire and water intertwined as they descended, forming a Taiji array spanning thirty meters across.
It enveloped Zhao Chenghuang and both yin corpses within.
This was the first time Zhang Yuanqing had unleashed this robe's array under the watchful eyes of the crowd.
This was one of his ultimate trump cards.
Chapter 210