Chapter 184: Tactical Analysis of Yuanshi Tianzun

Chapter 184: Tactical Analysis of the Primordial Celestial Venerable

"Roar!"

A clamor of voices surged forth, layer upon layer, like the rising tide.

A clash of star-level players, a spectacular battle, a comeback from the jaws of defeat by the underdog.

From the ancient coliseums to the modern concerts and stadiums, such contests have always been lively, deafening, blood-boiling affairs.

This battle ignited the emotions of the masses; the crux lay in the Primordial Celestial Venerable’s subsequent series of maneuvers—unforeseen by anyone. First, he inexplicably resolved a certain-death situation; then, he put a mask on the Maoshan Sorcerer’s Yin Corpse.

In two or three moves, he reversed the tide. Finally, when that ferocious melee Yin Corpse entered the field, only a single thought remained in the spectators’ minds:

He has a Yin Corpse?

This is the cheer and acclaim born only of a spectacular reversal where the weak triumphs over the strong.

A steady, unsurprising ending could never detonate the audience’s passions.

"So the Primordial Celestial Venerable was feigning weakness all along, right? He kept his Yin Corpse off the field, waited for the Maoshan Sorcerer to grow careless, then decided the match with a single strike?"

"Too spectacular, truly spectacular. From sealing the Maoshan Sorcerer’s Yin Corpse to summoning his own to defeat the enemy, I feel it’s all a setup, but I can’t analyze it on the spot."

"Truly worthy of a genius who cleared two S-ranks. Does that Maoshan Sorcerer have an S-rank clear? An A-rank clear? What right does he have to fight our Primordial Celestial Venerable?"

"I don't get it, but I'm deeply shaken. Let's go check the official analysis posts when we get back to reality."

"Huh? Isn't it said that details can't be leaked?"

"The official analysis posts come out every year. They won't reveal item attributes or specific details, but they’ll let you know exactly how the Primordial Celestial Venerable won."

Compared to the Five Elements Alliance Walkers crying out in satisfaction, the atmosphere on the Taiyi Sect’s side was far stiffer.

As the profession at the pinnacle of combat power, the Night Wanderers of the Taiyi Sect naturally possessed a certain pride.

At this moment, listening to that youth’s rebuke inside the arena, many Night Wanderers raised their brows in unison, feeling provoked.

However, they were indeed in the wrong here, with no grounds for rebuttal, so they could only stare at the Primordial Celestial Venerable with ill intent.

The Maoshan Sorcerer was considered a second-tier powerhouse in the Transcendent stage; who would have thought he’d become a stepping stone for the Primordial Celestial Venerable’s rise to fame.

Zhao Chenghuang snorted: "Useless trash, Maoshan! Calculated to death from start to finish."

He then looked toward that junior fellow disciple who had spoken up in warning not far away, his voice cold: "An utter disgrace! Return…"

Zhao Chenghuang’s figure vanished.

"Return…"

"Return…"

The Saints and Transcendents of the Taiyi Sect departed the field one after another, returning to reality.

Only Sun Miaomiao remained, her gaze obsessed as she stared at the Little Scamp, unable to look away, unwilling to leave.

"A piece of uncut jade…" Elder Hongying sighed with emotion.

Such a clever, exceptional Night Wanderer truly inspired heartfelt admiration and affection. A pity he wasn’t a disciple of the Taiyi Sect.

Elder Sun, however, was trembling with rage, his beard bristling and eyes bulging, as if the jeers of "Elder Sun, you fool!" echoed ceaselessly in his ears.

You Fenglaiyi gazed at Yuanshi Tianzun in the arena, marveling,

"To know the enemy's strength, to recognize one's own weakness, and thus devise a stratagem from the very start—interlocking rings of strategy, triumphing through guile... Guild Leader, I finally understand why you hold Yuanshi Tianzun in such high regard. He truly possesses an intellect beyond the ordinary."

As a Saint, she could fathom the depths of Yuanshi Tianzun's maneuvers; she admitted to herself that in the Transcendent stage, she could never have conceived so bold and meticulous a scheme.

Those Transcendent Walkers shouting themselves hoarse—few among them could pierce the veil of his tactics. When they truly grasped the scope of Yuanshi Tianzun's operation, they would surely be even more astonished, even more awestruck.

Having voiced her assessment, Fu Qingyang turned his head, his gaze still as a frozen pool settling upon her, and said lightly:

"You are far too naive. Return..."

He vanished from his seat at once.

You Fenglaiyi stared blankly at Qici Lang, two empty seats away, and asked dumbly,

"Was my analysis wrong?"

"I think it was spot on!" Qici Lang gave an affirmative reply. "Yuanshi Tianzun defeated the strong as the weak, knowing he couldn't win head-on, so he used sixty percent force and forty percent wit. Nothing wrong with that."

On the other side, Mr. Bill smiled. "Truly a splendid match."

Having spoken, he glanced at Annie—her face flushed, eyes hazy, breath coming quick—and shook his head helplessly. "Time to go. This is no place for you to be in heat."

Walkers of the Lust vocation, upon beholding a coveted quarry, when their hearts are stirred, erupt with an intense carnal desire that compels them to pursue the target, conquer the target, and sink together into an abyss of love and lust.

Lust has always been a two-way street.

Bill knew; Annie had found the quarry her heart desired.

"Return!"

Annie drew a deep breath. "Return!"

...

Zhu Rong licked her crimson lips, her gaze predatory as she fixed it on the youth in the arena. She inhaled deeply, the corner of her mouth curling. "Return!"

...

"Return!"

"Return!"

"Return!"

More and more people peeled away from the Spirit Realm, returning to reality.

Zhang Yuanqing stood in the arena, watching the spectators in the stands vanish one by one. He waved to Guan Ya, the Queen, Little Green Tea, and Jiang Zhenwei... oh, Jiang Zhenwei had already rushed back to reality, impatient to eat.

He recalled Little Doubi, placed a hand on Undead No. 1's shoulder, and murmured low:

"Return!"

In the next instant, the archaic, timeworn Colosseum dissolved. What met his eyes was the familiar bedroom.

"Hah... it's over."

Zhang Yuanqing spread his arms, fell backward, and slammed himself heavily onto the bed.

"Hiss..." His face suddenly twisted into a grimace as he sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth, remembering the knife wound in his abdomen, the wound that had pierced his viscera.

The bleeding had been staunched for now; it should knit itself closed within two hours.

Just enough time for a nap.

He sent Xiaoyuan a message: "First battle won. My opponent was the ninth-ranked Maoshan sorcerer in the Top Twenty."

A pity he didn't have the Stop-Killing Palace Lord's number; otherwise, he'd have sent a message to gloat.

...

Night fell, and neon lights shrouded this bar street.

In the bar on the street corner, the lighting was soft, devoid of garish flashing colored lights; men and women dressed in varied styles either exchanged intelligence in low voices, bought and sold materials and artifacts, haggling over prices, or vented their desires in the gloomy corners.

In the hotel's internal lounge, a gaunt middle-aged man draped in a bathrobe sat on the edge of the bed, listening to his subordinate's report.

On the bed behind him lay two naked women with voluptuous figures; their delicate skin was covered in bruises, tear tracks still wet at the corners of their eyes, unconscious in a deep stupor.

"So he vanished while hunting the Stop-Killing Palace Lord. I know the Demon Eye's strength well enough—the Palace Lord was no match for him, yet he truly has disappeared." The Lust General frowned.

"Yes."

The subordinate replied in a low voice.

The Lust General fell silent, pondering. He had more or less pieced together the Demon Eye's movements since arriving in Songhai: slaughtering gangs, executing corrupt officials, fixated on finding the Primordial Heavenly Venerable, paying little heed to the Stop-Killing Palace Lord.

One could only say, as expected of you, Demon Eye—what a righteous companion; to be cast as the Bewitching Fiend is truly a waste of your talent.

The Lust General raised a hand, stroking the smooth, jade-like back of the woman behind him, and said:

"The Stop-Killing Palace Lord lacks the power, but the Elders of the Songhai Branch have it. With the Demon Eye targeting the Primordial Heavenly Venerable, the Branch's upper echelon would never stand idle. And yet, the Demon Eye could never be ambushed..."

The Lust General had basically concluded that the Demon Eye had been imprisoned by the Songhai Branch's high-ranking officials.

But he couldn't fathom how those few Lords of the Orderly Camp had managed to deceive the Demon Eye.

"My Lord, perhaps finding the Primordial Heavenly Venerable will reveal the truth. The Demon Eye Heavenly King has already ascertained that the Primordial Heavenly Venerable is a student at Songhai University."

A student of Songhai University... The Lust General's first thought was of one pure, beautiful co-ed after another.

"Understood. No rush." The Lust General threw on his robe and walked out just like that.

He exited the lounge into the outer hall, bathing in the soft light, and called out in a loud voice:

"Fellow Daoists, I have a task: gather the latest intelligence on the Primordial Heavenly Venerable and the Stop-Killing Palace Lord, as well as their hideouts. Ten thousand per piece of intelligence. Five hundred thousand for a residential address."

In truth, the Lust General had no desire to seek out the Primordial Heavenly Venerable or the Stop-Killing Palace Lord, let alone investigate the Demon Eye Heavenly King's whereabouts.

These matters were none of his concern; he would be delighted if the Demon Eye remained missing, suppressed forever.

But the Fear Heavenly King had issued the order personally; he had to at least put on a show, demonstrate the proper work ethic. As for whether he actually accomplished anything—that was a matter of capability.

Once he rode out this period, he could properly enjoy Songhai's prosperity, and the countless beauties within it.

"I have a lead on the Primordial Heavenly Venerable, regarding the arena tournament."

A clear, cold voice rang out.

Upon merely hearing the voice, the Lust God-General's eyes lit up; he had toyed with countless women, heard the cries of innumerable beauties, and honed the skill of identifying a beauty by her voice alone.

The voice was crisp and pure as an ice spring, yet possessed the magnetic allure of a mature woman, exceedingly pleasing to the ear.

Following the sound, the Lust God-General was overjoyed.

In the corner of the bar sat a woman in a white shirt; her voice was cool and detached, yet her features were strikingly beautiful, her eyes round and seductive, her gaze shimmering like autumn waters.

The curve of her cheeks flowed smoothly, tending toward a delicate oval face, her nose straight and refined, a small ruddy mouth habitually pursed, exuding dominance and cold pride.

Further down lay a long, fair neck, and a full bosom straining against the white blouse.

A peerless beauty, brimming with charm.

The Lust God-General smiled and said:

"What intelligence?"

That stunningly beautiful, icy woman replied indifferently: "Yuanshi Tianzun won his first battle; his opponent, ranked ninth on the Top Twenty list, the Night Patrol Deity, a Maoshan Sorcerer."

This news actually held little value.

The Lust God-General snapped his fingers: "Present the reward to this beauty."

Immediately a subordinate stepped forward, bearing a thick stack of banknotes, placing them before Xiao Yuan.

Xiao Yuan, having successfully freeloaded, pocketed the money with satisfaction, downed the wine in her cup, rose, and departed.

The Lust God-General watched her retreating figure with reluctance, waiting until she pushed open the bar door and vanished into the night before summoning a subordinate and ordering:

"I want her dossier, the more detailed the better."

The Lust God-General loved lust like life itself, yet was not rash in lust; before making a move, he preferred to understand every detail thoroughly, to maintain absolute control.

Reckless, impulsive evil professions never survive to the Saint realm; everyone is a clever person, not some Fire Master.

...

After dinner, Zhang Yuanqing opened the official forum in high spirits.

He thought to himself, the forum should be full of posts singing my praises.

The stickied, red-highlighted post read:

#Strategic Analysis of Yuanshi Tianzun's Victory Over the Maoshan Sorcerer#