Chapter 463: Defeating Chan Rong

Chapter 463: Defeating Chan Rong

As massive boulders were pulverized one by one by Chan Rong, a sky-filling shroud of dust and smoke billowed upward, veiling the arena like a dense, impenetrable cloud.

Meanwhile, in the spectator stands of the Spirit Realm.

Wan Gouxuan of Celestial Soldier University gazed toward the swirling dust, his eyes filled with deep contemplation.

Beside him floated a projection of a long sword—the avatar of Yue Guankong, the top student of the Civil Engineering Department at Heavenly Sword University.

Yue Guankong spoke, his voice cold: "Is Mo Shangjin still not making an appearance?"

"I truly thought that since Wanfa University had reached the brink of elimination, they would have crowdfunded the cost just to get Mo Shangjin onto the field."

Yue Guankong let out a sharp, derisive snort: "I was so looking forward to Mo Shangjin leading Wanfa University further, only for me to cross blades with him once more."

The mere memory of his entire team’s flying swords being crushed to dust by Mo Shangjin last year made Yue Guankong grit his teeth in fury.

He thought of that specific blade, the one he had spent years harmonizing with, and the long nights spent with its sentient sword-spirit...

He thought of Mo Shangjin, who had callously ravaged that very blade with his bare hands right before his eyes...

He thought of the sword-spirit, torn screaming from its steel shell, tossed into the scrap-heaps of the Civil Engineering Department, and subjected to endless insults and corrupted with mountains of digital garbage by the construction-site soul cultivators under Mo Shangjin’s command...

To this day, the rescued spirit had yet to recover; whenever it entered a blade, it would vibrate uncontrollably, convinced it was a construction-site concrete vibrator.

For a practitioner whose path was the unity of man and sword, this was a wound that cut to the very core of his Dao heart.

Every time this agonizing memory surfaced, a surge of uncontrollable killing intent welled up within him: "Mo Shangjin!"

He had spent this past year in a frenzy of study, borrowing, and labor—all for the sake of the day he could face Mo Shangjin again and crush him into the dirt.

Now, he possessed absolute confidence; he only lacked the chance to encounter Wanfa University once more.

At that moment, Wan Gouxuan remarked from the side: "I felt the same before I arrived. I thought that if not for the anticipation of Mo Shangjin appearing at the final hour, this match would hardly be worth watching."

In Wan Gouxuan’s view, though Mo Shangjin claimed to be suffering from lingering, grave injuries, if Wanfa University were truly pushed to the edge of elimination, even if Mo Shangjin were dead, they would likely pay to resurrect him, pause the match, and swap him in.

He mused to himself: "With Mo Shangjin’s strength, he would certainly be able to defeat Chan Rong."

To Wan Gouxuan, no amount of caution regarding Mo Shangjin could be considered excessive.

After all, every time he recalled the battle where the man had single-handedly demolished his entire team’s medical insurance, his heart still raced.

The trauma from that defeat had left a lingering scar—a monthly medical loan repayment that served as a constant, painful reminder of Mo Shangjin’s handiwork, fueling his hatred with every passing installment.

This was why he kept a close watch on Wanfa University’s matches: both to gauge Mo Shangjin’s power and to await his own chance for vengeance.

And after a year of desperate, relentless labor—earning, earning, and earning—he now possessed the confidence to defeat Mo Shangjin and humiliate him in return.

Today, he had come expecting a last-minute appearance, but Zhang Yu’s performance had caught him entirely off guard.

Wan Gouxuan noted: "Looking at it now, although Mo Shangjin hasn't appeared, this Zhang Yu’s performance is truly unexpected."

Yue Guankong agreed: "Indeed. According to the files, this Zhang Yu is only a junior, yet he has somehow mastered the entire set of the Seven Civil Engineering Wonders and achieved the Heaven Kunlun Mountain-Moving Power."

"And he only grasped the final techniques in the last two or three months, yet he has already pushed that strength to the tenth level or higher."

"Such martial talent is exceedingly rare."

Recalling the flow of the battle, Yue Guankong analyzed: "Beyond his martial prowess, his physical refinement is extraordinary. To clash with Chan Rong’s raw strength for this long shows he has poured immense effort into his body."

"But this precisely exposes his fatal weakness."

Yue Guankong spoke with clinical detachment: "Whether it is the Seven Wonders or his raw physical power, it all points to the fact that he lacks the wealth to equip himself with high-end Dharma skeletons or artifacts."

"Because he isn't wealthy enough, he cannot sustain this war of attrition against Chan Rong, so he has chosen to shift tactics."

"First, he attacks where the enemy must defend, striking at the construction equipment of Diamond University."

"Then, he uses the dust to cloak his movements."

"Chan Rong, having activated the 'Manifestations of the Great Sun,' is like a giant lantern—a target far too obvious. This has created a situation where Zhang Yu strikes from the shadows at an illuminated foe."

"However," Yue Guankong pivoted, "if he thinks such tactics can overcome Chan Rong, he underestimates the vast chasm of wealth between them, and he underestimates the Diamond Profound-Construct Dharma skeleton Chan Rong wears."

...

Chan Rong gazed into the swirling dust, silently closing his eyes as he opened the full sensory array of his Dharma skeleton.

In an instant, the dust faded from his perception, and the surging spiritual energy in the atmosphere became crystalline.

Amidst these currents, Chan Rong quickly pinpointed Zhang Yu’s presence.

With a flick of his finger, sparks of firefly-like light ignited within the dust.

Amidst thunderous explosions, shockwaves swept outward, but all that met Chan Rong were phantom warriors shattered by the searing heat.

He thought: "Hmph, trying to mislead me with humanoid Qi constructs?"

At the same time, waves of Earth-Shattering Gravity swept across the arena, and comet-like strikes raked the air, yet they failed to land a direct hit on Chan Rong.

This was because the sky now resembled ten suns rising at once.

As Chan Rong continuously triggered the Manifestations of the Great Sun, each fireball became a light source, turning the sky into a blinding, incandescent white that made it impossible for Zhang Yu to find his target.

...

Yue Guankong watched as both sides used dust and light to hide and hunt, remarking in surprise: "Chan Rong cannot find Zhang Yu?"

"His Diamond Profound-Construct is the latest model; it should be able to detect the slightest fluctuation in spiritual energy. Why can he not locate him?"

Wan Gouxuan replied: "Because the arena floor is built over a simulated spiritual vein."

"Zhang Yu has likely hidden himself within the vein, which is why Chan Rong cannot find him."

As they spoke, the dust filling the arena suddenly contracted violently, as if an invisible vortex had descended, hungrily devouring everything.

Yue Guankong gritted his teeth: "The Ten Phases of the Star-Suppressor—Locking the Star Prison."

"So, Zhang Yu was stalling for time to charge this technique, creating a massive gravitational cage to trap Chan Rong."

He remembered the battle with Mo Shangjin last year, where the man had used this very technique to harvest a sky full of flying swords.

As the dust and light were drawn into the massive gravitational cage, Chan Rong appeared to be frozen in mid-air.

The next moment, as the flames died down, Chan Rong’s figure was revealed.

Then, with a sharp crack, his body seemed to buckle and twist under the crushing weight of the gravity.

But Wan Gouxuan’s eyes brightened as he watched: "It’s a substitute puppet from the Diamond Profound-Construct."

At the same time, an advertisement for the substitute puppet played over the arena’s speakers.

"The substitute puppet that will never betray you."

"Your physical body, now under my protection."

Wan Gouxuan said: "Ever since Zhang Yu went into hiding, Chan Rong never intended to hunt him down. He was looking for an opportunity to shift the battlefield and end this match once and for all."

As he spoke, Wan Gouxuan’s gaze snapped to the other side of the arena: "Here it comes!"

Yue Guankong’s eyes flickered: "I see. Once the battlefield is shifted to the opponent’s construction site, with Chan Rong’s area-of-effect destructive power, the match is as good as over."

"Zhang Yu still lacks a high-quality Dharma skeleton; he failed to anticipate Chan Rong’s movements until it was too late."

The smoke and dust he churned up served only to shroud Chan Rong in a veil of concealment.

...

A flicker of flame ignited, and in the next heartbeat, incandescent radiance erupted across the construction site of Wanfa University.

Chan Rong hovered in the void, his form wreathed in searing, brilliant light.

With a single pointed finger, he prepared to incinerate the site below.

Spontaneous combustion swept the ground; countless stones and materials ignited without a spark, billowing plumes of acrid, cyan smoke.

Yet, a moment later, Chan Rong’s expression shifted ever so slightly.

Beyond a few scattered magical tools, there was not a single student from Wanfa University to be found.

...

Wan Gouxuan remarked, "This is a decoy site built by Wanfa University; their true presence has likely already retreated underground."

"It stands to reason... when facing the scorching sun of the nine heavens, hiding beneath the nine earths is the most prudent path."

He sighed, "So that is their design. I suspect Zhang Yu’s initial tactic was to stall Chan Rong while rapidly constructing arrays to seize the upper hand."

"But after the clash between Zhang Yu and Chan Rong, they realized the disparity in their strength and understood that such a strategy was doomed, prompting a shift in tactics."

"Because of the earlier skirmish, Chan Rong remained convinced that his opponent was desperate to block his advance."

"Thus, when Zhang Yu deliberately manufactured an opportunity for Chan Rong to push forward, he naturally arrived at the Wanfa site, bringing it squarely into his line of fire."

"Yet, with the students of Wanfa University vanished into the earth, the lethality of the Sun’s Myriad Aspects has been drastically curtailed."

"Of course, given enough time, this would be a trivial hurdle for Chan Rong, but time is the one luxury he lacks."

Wan Gouxuan turned his gaze toward the construction site of Jingang University: "Because, seizing this very window, Zhang Yu has likely already made his way to the Jingang side."

Yue Guanqiong summarized, "Outmatched in resources, they have opted for a base-swapping gambit."

"It is clear that the students of Wanfa University are better equipped to endure the Sun’s Myriad Aspects than those at Jingang University are to withstand the mountain-shifting divine power of Tiankunlun."

"They are exploiting the strengths of the mountain-shifting power while weaponizing the weaknesses of the sun’s radiance."

"After all, against the mountain-shifting power of Tiankunlun, hiding underground would only invite catastrophe; the tectonic gravity would turn the earth itself into a weapon of horrific destruction..."

In the fleeting instant it took for the two observers to exchange these thoughts within the spirit realm, Chan Rong, without a moment’s hesitation, transformed into a streak of fire and hurtled toward the Jingang University site.

The next moment, a surging explosion of flame detonated above the Jingang campus.

Watching the scene unfold, Wan Gouxuan sighed, "The theater of war has shifted to Jingang University; Chan Rong has already lost."

"Unless he can shatter Zhang Yu before his own teammates collapse, the end is written."

(End of chapter)