Chapter 187: Top 16 Battles

Chapter 187: The Round of Sixteen Clash

A team of logistics personnel rushed onto the field, and without a word, force-fed an antidote pill, then tossed the unconscious Zhurong onto a stretcher and swiftly carried him away.

The Earth God did not return to the stands immediately; he remained in place, gazing toward the Taiyi Sect's arena, a cigar clamped in his teeth, and boomed:

"Are you kidding me, Dailou? Yesterday an off-field warning, today a formal report. If the Taiyi Sect can't afford to lose, don't join the arena tournament. Like last year, everyone just does their own thing."

Old Man Chao waved a dismissive hand: "Pack up!"

No one expected he would suddenly pick a fight on an occasion like this, mocking the Taiyi Sect right in front of the Elders.

The scene fell briefly silent for a few seconds, then a clamor rose like dust.

The Five Elements Alliance's official Walkers were already displeased with this morning's affair; now seeing the second-ranked Earth God leading the charge, they immediately joined the jeering.

"If there was no ulterior motive, privately reporting to the Five Elements Alliance's upper echelons would have sufficed. Why make a post to demand justice and file a report? It's clearly just to target the Primordial Heavenly Venerable."

"Can't afford to lose is can't afford to lose. These Night Roamers, every single one with their noses in the air. Turns out they lost, huh? Ptooey~"

"We haven't even pursued the matter of the off-field warning, and they turn around and bite the hand that feeds them—desperate dogs bite first. Serves you right; our Primordial Heavenly Venerable has absolutely no issue."

"Probably just jealous of the Primordial Heavenly Venerable. Who told your Elder Sun to be so muddle-headed... Mmph, why are you covering my mouth?"

"Insults are insults, don't drag the Elders into this. They're sitting right opposite. You looking to die?"

The clamor was quickly suppressed; the Armored Sword Client shouted:

"Silence!"

The throats of every Walker in the venue were seized by an invisible force, collectively struck mute; the scene fell deathly silent.

The Taiyi Sect's Night Roamers all wore grim faces; even the Saints looked unsightly.

In truth, there was nothing wrong with reporting the Primordial Heavenly Venerable. So what if it was jealousy? So what if it was envy? So what if it was a personal vendetta? Which whistleblower in this world isn't driven by these?

Is it to be a righteous ally?

The Primordial Heavenly Venerable manipulates infant spirits as servants; he deserves to be reported.

It's just that the Primordial Heavenly Venerable has no flaws to exploit, and furthermore, the Taiyi Sect has few Night Roamers; they couldn't win a war of words, so they swallowed their grievance and endured.

Waiting for the ten-odd seconds of the silencing to end, Sun Miaomiao, possessing a pair of large, glistening eyes, quietly rose and sat beside Yuan Ting, whispering:

"Who reported the Primordial Heavenly Venerable?"

Yuan Ting hurriedly shook his head: "I don't know, I don't know. I promised them I wouldn't tell."

Sun Miaomiao let out an "Oh," then stood to leave.

"Hey, don't go..." Yuan Ting hurriedly grabbed her, a look of fierce internal struggle on his face, finally yielding to his heart's will, lowering his voice:

"It's the Maoshan Sorcerer's superior. I'm only telling you; you absolutely must not spread this."

Sun Miaomiao wore an "I knew it" expression. She had long suspected, but dared not confirm; now with Yuan Ting's corroboration, it was nine times out of ten certain.

The Taiyi Sect having a gossip vending machine like Yuan Ting is truly wonderful; ask and you shall receive, and it doesn't even cost money.

Sun Miaomiao patted the back of Yuan Ting's hand, her round little face full of solemnity: "I won't tell. I'll protect you well."

Not far away, Zhang Yuanqing wore an expression of surprise as he looked at the stunning, regal beauty. He whispered,

"What's with this old man? His personality isn't like an Earth Monster at all; it's more like a Fire Master."

This aggressive?

In his impression, Earth Monsters were all honest and simple, steady and reliable.

The Queen also lowered her voice, leaning in to exchange whispers with him:

"When this Earth Monster elder was young, he played rock and roll, but he was also handy in a fight. He loved nothing more than swinging his guitar around and brawling in the streets. He probably couldn't stand the Taiyi Sect reporting you, so he stepped up for you."

"What a waste of a temperament not to be a Fire Master." Zhang Yuanqing clicked his tongue.

"Every profession has its share of oddballs and freaks." The Queen touched the large silver hoop on her earlobe, her smile alluring.

At this moment, Cross-River Pawn and Likes Handsome Guys made their entrance. The two of them tacitly stopped their exchange, turning their gazes to the arena.

Cross-River Pawn was a young man with a crew cut, tall and straight, wearing camouflage military pants and a rattan armor vest. His entire bearing was like a highly trained special forces operative, or perhaps an ancient veteran of a hundred battlefields.

As for "Likes Handsome Guys," she was a young woman in the prime of her youth, wearing denim shorts, a sheer short-sleeved top with lace trim at the collar, a black camisole faintly visible beneath.

Fresh attire, a scorching figure.

Her features were decent enough; after all, in this day and age, as long as the foundation was passable, makeup and Korean semi-permanent tattoos could turn anyone into a standard beauty.

This battle held no suspense whatsoever. Cross-River Pawn won with overwhelming dominance against Likes Handsome Guys, a Wood Demon. Theoretically speaking, Wood Demons, adept at climbing and possessed of immense strength, ranked second only to Fire Masters in close combat.

Yet she was crushed miserably; the fight was over in two minutes.

This female Wood Demon merely managed a feeble struggle before Cross-River Pawn put a spear through her shoulder. She conceded with a tear-streaked face.

"Strong..."

Zhang Yuanqing stared at Cross-River Pawn in the arena, the scenes of the battle just now flashing rapidly through his mind.

At the start of the fight, Cross-River Pawn first used his handgun to compress Likes Handsome Guys' maneuvering space, then closed in with a short blade for a ferocious assault. With a dense and savage offensive, he forced the female Wood Demon to retreat, attempting to create distance.

But this played right into Cross-River Pawn's hands; a single shot took the opponent out.

The process was extremely simple, no twists and turns, no godly mechanics, yet in those short two minutes, Zhang Yuanqing watched with a pounding heart.

Step one: suppressing the Wood Demon's maneuvering space with handgun bullets. You have to know, Wood Demons have a skill called Climber, renowned for agility and balance; they can walk on walls dozens of meters high as if on flat ground.

To suppress a Wood Demon with a single-shot handgun was simply absurd.

Zhang Yuanqing hadn't understood at first; he only spotted the clue when step two, the melee, began. Normal Insight can predict an enemy's movement trajectory and attacks; a Scout can foresee a punch the moment the enemy throws it.

Predicting the enemy's next move is the core essence of Insight.

But this guy, Cross-River Pawn, could predict two steps—no, at least two steps.

A single bullet fired, and Likes Handsome Guys became a headless fly, wanting to go left but also right, yet feeling that whether she went left or right, she would be attacked.

That was why he could rely on a single-shot handgun to suppress a Wood Demon famed for agility.

And in melee, Cross-River Pawn was strong. This strength wasn't about exquisite martial technique; it was that he always managed to attack the enemy's vitals in the simplest, most direct way.

Every punch and kick revealed a ruthless, iron-blooded sharpness, pursuing the highest efficiency in killing the enemy at the smallest cost.

Kan Ya, who honed her fighting skills through grinding experience, walked a different path entirely.

"Sister Kan Ya, who's stronger between you and him? Hmm, I mean in terms of combat." Zhang Yuanqing hurriedly asked.

"No need to emphasize it so much; you're looking down on me." Kan Ya didn't know whether to be annoyed or amused, pursing her lips. "If it's a sparring match, we're six-four. If it's a fight to the death, it's four-six. I'm speaking strictly of unarmed combat."

To rank in the top ten... there's truly a reason for it... Zhang Yuanqing sighed inwardly.

In his heart, Kan Ya was the ceiling of the combat world. Even now, he felt his own fighting technique had entered the hall of mastery, yet against Old Master Ji, he stood absolutely no chance.

Kan Ya said, "However, that guy is a specialist who focuses on a single ability; he's relatively easy to counter! He Qiao is a member of the White Tiger Troops. Do you know his nickname?"

"What?"

"In the White Tiger Troops, he's called 'Little Qingyang'."

"Hopefully, in the future, there will be a gifted Night Wanderer called 'Little Yuanshi' or 'Little Tianzun'."

...

At four in the morning, the goose-down-yellow streetlights stretched Zhang Yuanqing's shadow long.

Across from the Kangyang District Public Security Bureau, the coffee shop blazed with light, its doors wide open. Zhang Yuanqing, wearing a mask and a baseball cap, walked in with his hands in his pockets.

A sweep of his gaze beneath the brim landed on the figure behind the counter—the Palace Mistress of the Slaughter-Stilling Palace, standing tall and graceful, currently brewing coffee.

She still wore a magnificent Song-dynasty style long dress, a blazing, gorgeous red. The difference was that today, the mask she wore no longer covered her whole face, but was a half-mask revealing her lips.

"Sit first. The coffee will be a moment." She said, head lowered.

Learning from last time's lesson of not getting any coffee, so she changed masks... Zhang Yuanqing picked a seat at random and sat down, silently watching her brew.

Under the soft light, her hair shimmered with a brilliant luster, its quality so astounding it made one want to reach out and touch it, to experience the texture.

Her lips were a standard cherry mouth, delicate and cute, a moist sheen glowing with a jelly-like texture, tempting a man to steal a fragrant kiss.

Her cheek lines flowed smoothly, a standard melon-seed face.

Just as I thought... the Palace Mistress truly is a stunning beauty... Zhang Yuanqing sighed in genuine admiration.

Zhang Yuanqing had seen many high-quality women. By his own perception, he categorized beauties into three tiers. Tier one: "Hey, miss, you look pretty good."

Tier two: "This miss makes me want to fall in love, want to get close."

Tier three: "You are the sole star of every wet dream."

The half-revealed face of the Slaughter-Stilling Palace Mistress easily qualified for tier two.

Amidst his wandering thoughts, the Palace Mistress approached carrying two cups of coffee, moving with graceful poise, her long skirt brushing the floor.

She set the coffee down, propped her elbows on the table, rested her chin in her palms—like a playful little girlfriend gazing softly at her boyfriend—and said with a charming smile:

"You finally thought to contact me. It's been so long since you looked for me. Found a new flame?"

...Zhang Yuanqing took a sip of coffee, keeping a straight face, and said:

"Dog Elder sent me to deliver a message."

The Palace Mistress pinched a small spoon between slender fingers, gently bending it, narrowing her eyes in a smile: "I'll give you a chance to rephrase that."

Zhang Yuanqing spoke with a straight face: "A day without seeing you feels like three autumns; I've missed the Palace Master dearly. Coincidentally, Elder Gou asked me to pass along a message, so I couldn't wait to ask the Palace Master out for coffee."

The Slaughter-Stilling Palace Master cupped her small hands against her chest, laughing with unbridled delight, her laughter making her sway like flowers trembling in the wind: "You're truly interesting, truly interesting, hahaha..."

I was wrong. I actually thought a madwoman was beautiful and perfect for dating. I'm still too young... Zhang Yuanqing forced himself to maintain a smile: "As long as the Palace Master is happy."

She finished laughing, picked up the small spoon from Zhang Yuanqing's coffee, and gently stirred her own cup, saying:

"What did that damn dog tell you to say?"

Hearing this, Zhang Yuanqing breathed a sigh of relief. He feared most that she would continue to ramble unreasonably. He adopted a serious expression:

"Elder Gou said that before the Chu clan's extermination, the Night Rose had no leader. He wants to hear your opinion."

The mirth in the Slaughter-Stilling Palace Master's eyes slowly receded. Her gaze grew tranquil, her aura turning solemn. When she wasn't acting deranged, an indescribable nobility radiated from her entire being.

"Elder Gou suspects the Night Rose's leader is connected to my Chu clan, perhaps even... one of my Chu clan's own people?" she murmured, asking pensively.

Zhang Yuanqing: "Perhaps. What does the Palace Master think?"

"I was too young at the time, just beginning to form memories. I have only vague impressions of that upheaval... It was precisely because I was so young that I survived the catastrophe, fleeing to Songhai with the clansmen..." Her gaze focused slightly, and she fell silent in thought.

Zhang Yuanqing thought, the brows beneath the mask must be tightly knit.

"Did your clansmen ever mention this? If the Night Rose is a Chu clan member, that person must bear a grudge against the Chu clan. Your clansmen should have realized it," he said.

The Palace Master shook her head, seemingly unwilling to elaborate, brushing him off: "Don't ask anymore. Tell Elder Gou that if there's progress on this matter, I hope he informs me. This Palace Master will reward him handsomely."

It was clear she held a deep obsession with the Chu clan extermination case from back then.

A pity an event of this magnitude is beyond my help... Zhang Yuanqing thought with regret.

"You performed well in the arena matches. Making the top three is no problem, but winning the championship might be a stretch." The Slaughter-Stilling Palace Master sipped her bitter coffee, evaluating the arena matches.

Zhang Yuanqing sighed.

Foundation was called foundation precisely because it relied on daily accumulation. He was a strong contender in the top ten, but facing the top three, he lacked confidence.

"But even so, I still have high hopes for you. You're the type to unleash potential in adversity, growing stronger with every setback. Yuan Shi Tian Zun, I have high hopes for you."

Her voice was gentle as a mother's whisper, as a lover's confession. Zhang Yuanqing felt a surge of emotion, inexplicably generating the feeling that "I am filled with strength" and "I truly want to marry this woman home."

The next second, the Slaughter-Stilling Palace Master giggled coquettishly: "You actually believed it? You're so much fun."

Almost forgot she's a Bard. A Bard's mouth, a lying ghost... Zhang Yuanqing's mouth twitched. He silently stood up: "If there's nothing else, I'm leaving."

...

"She doesn't know?" Elder Gou frowned after hearing Fu Qingyang's phone report: "Understood."

The matters concerning the Night Rose were currently under his purview. A secret organization with a hand reaching into the Steward level, into the Spirit Realm aristocratic families—a venomous snake hiding in the bedroom for the Five Elements Alliance.

The slightest carelessness would invite a bite.

The priority and importance of investigating the Night Rose went without saying.

"Then we can only take Yuan Shi Tian Zun to see the Demon Eye."

Over the next three days, the arena matches proceeded in orderly fashion; after five days of combat, the roster of the Top Sixteen was finally finalized.

Aside from the Maoshan Occultist falling to the Primordial Heavenly Venerable in the first round—a regrettable early exit—the Top Sixteen lineup aligned almost perfectly with the Top Twenty list the Scholars had drafted.

It went to show just how high the caliber of that scholarly circle truly was.

On the morning of the sixth day, Zhang Yuanqing punctually opened the forum to check the matchups for the decisive round.

Today would determine the Top Eight; the venue was no longer the arena, but a random draw within the dungeon instances of the Five Elements Alliance and the Taiyi Sect.

Both the spectacle and the thrill far outstripped anything the arena matches could offer.

Logging into the forum, the stickied post highlighted in red read:

#Top Sixteen Matchup List#

【Yangtze Wave-Breaker VS Earth God;】

【Jiang Jingwei VS Zhao City God;】

【Sun Miaomiao VS Golden Armor;】

【Unfinished Love Between Human and Ghost VS Tone-Deaf;】

【Pawn Crossing the River VS Primordial Heavenly Venerable;】

【Eternal God King VS Qing Songzi;】

【Woman Is a Tiger VS Yuan Ting;】

【Non-Compliant Nickname VS Fire Unifying All Under Heaven.】

【……】