novelraw Chapter 339: Each Gets What They Need
Chapter 339: Each Gets What They Need
Su Zhan's heart was as clear as a mirror.
The Ghost Fiend Sect, the Giant Sun Gang... President Long was clearly telling him that these two factions were the ones with the deepest grudges against his Dragon Rise Society and the ones he needed to focus on targeting during this grand competition.
The other party was providing a guaranteed spot, helping him gain the opportunity to speak with the City Lord. In return, what was required of him was to strike against these two rival forces as much as possible within the bounds of the rules.
Each taking what they needed, it was fair enough.
...
Five days later, Central Martial Arena, inner city of Black City.
This massive arena, capable of accommodating tens of thousands of people, was currently a boiling cauldron of noise, the clamor shaking the heavens.
Awakened individuals and aberrants of all kinds gathered here.
The towering spectator stands were already packed to capacity, with countless more people crammed into the passageways and outer perimeter, eagerly looking forward to the spectacle.
The rules for the preliminary selection were simple and brutal.The entire martial arena was temporarily divided into over a hundred circular fighting platforms of varying sizes.
All registered participants would determine their opponents and platform through a draw. The winner advanced, the loser was eliminated.
There was no rest time, no rule restrictions, with only one stipulation: you could not pursue and annihilate someone after they surrendered.
Su Zhan held the black token, standing calmly in the waiting area.
His draw number wasn't particularly early, and at this moment, countless battles were simultaneously erupting on the various platforms.
"Bang!"
"Riiip—!"
"Ah!"
The sounds of combat rose and fell continuously.
Blood soon stained the ground of many platforms.
The corpses of the defeated were swiftly dragged away by expressionless personnel from the City Lord's Residence, as if clearing away trash.
Su Zhan watched all of this.
He saw a mid-stage Tide Realm Awakened get sprayed by his opponent's corrosive venom, his entire face instantly melting as he let out an inhuman wail.
He also saw an aberrant known for its defense have its carapace smashed to pieces by a violent force, its innards spilling all over the ground.
There were even those who, despite having clearly surrendered, were still chased down and killed with a single blow by opponents whose eyes were red with bloodlust.
Of course, such situations violated the rules. The referees would expel the violators from Black City, never to enter again.
This punishment could not be considered light.
Because most of those in Black City were the kind of desperate outlaws with bounties on their heads outside. Once driven out, it was practically no different from death.
So, under normal circumstances, contestants wouldn't deliver a killing blow after their opponent surrendered.
"Chen Qing, versus, Wang Man!"
Su Zhan withdrew his gaze and walked expressionlessly toward the designated platform.
His opponent, Wang Man, was a brawny man over two meters tall with bulging muscles, following a strength enhancement path. His aura was around the eighth stage of the Stream Realm.
Seeing Su Zhan walk onto the platform and sensing the opponent's seemingly not particularly powerful energy fluctuations, a ferocious grin spread across his face.
"Kid, with your delicate skin and tender flesh, kneel and surrender now, and I, your daddy, can spare you some physical pain!"
Wang Man roared in a muffled voice, smashing his fists together, producing dull thuds.
Su Zhan ignored his bluster, just quietly watching him, his gaze as if looking at a dead object.
The referee swept a cold glance over the two and announced simply, "Begin!"
"Roar!"
Wang Man roared, all his muscles bulging, earthy-yellow spiritual energy covering his entire body. Like a humanoid tank, he charged forward.
A fist the size of a bowl shot straight for Su Zhan's face, the wind from the punch whistling.
Su Zhan shifted his body slightly, letting the powerful, heavy punch pass by a hair's breadth. Simultaneously, his right hand formed fingers like a blade and thrust forward.
"Pfft!"
A soft sound.
Wang Man's forward momentum came to an abrupt halt.
He looked down incredulously at his own chest.
There, Su Zhan's two fingers had, at some unknown time, pierced into the area of his heart.
A dark red Flame of Destruction flickered briefly at his fingertips before vanishing.
Wang Man opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but only a mouthful of blood with a charred smell gushed out.
The light in his eyes rapidly dimmed.
His massive body crashed to the ground with a thud.
Instant kill!
Around the entire platform, a moment of silence fell.
Those who had originally been waiting to see the show, or who thought Su Zhan would be torn apart instantly, were all stunned.
The referee also gave Su Zhan another look and announced, "Chen Qing, wins!"
Su Zhan slowly retracted his fingers. Without even glancing at the corpse on the ground, he turned and walked off the platform.
This action sparked a wave of hushed whispers.
"Did you see that platform just now? That guy called Chen Qing finished Wang Man in one move!"
"Saw it. Wang Man was at least at the eighth stage of the Stream Realm, known for his strength, yet he couldn't even take one move? How did that kid do it? I didn't even see it clearly!"
"His movements were too fast! No flashy moves, just fast, accurate, and ruthless!"
"He's a tough character. His aura doesn't seem weak either, at least Tide Realm, right? This preliminary selection is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers."
Amidst the discussions, someone soon noticed the name.
"Chen Qing? Wait, why does that name sound a bit familiar?"
"Now that you mention it... I think I've heard it somewhere too..."
"I remember! A while back, wasn't there a high-risk peak aberrant on the wanted list issued by the Aberrant Purge Division outside, also named Chen Qing?"
"Right, right! That's him! I heard this guy is extremely cunning, caused quite a stir over in the northwest, and even slipped away from the Aberrant Purge Division's encirclements several times!"
"The wanted notice said high-risk peak? Being able to escape from the Aberrant Purge Division's hands multiple times, his strength is absolutely not to be underestimated! Looks like that instant kill of Wang Man was nothing to him."
"Tsk tsk, even such a ruthless character came to participate in the grand competition? This is going to be quite a show!"
Most of these discussions stayed at the level of knowing about "Chen Qing's" past wanted exploits.
They knew this was someone who could escape from the pursuit of an Abyss Realm specialist, so his strength definitely far exceeded that of an ordinary Tide Realm.
But regarding the specific, brutal details of how Su Zhan had counter-killed Han Xiao and Ling Shuang, leading to the near-total annihilation of the Aberrant Purge Division squad, they knew nothing.
The Aberrant Purge Division had classified that crushing defeat as top secret, strictly sealing off the information. What circulated outside was still just the vague impression of wanted criminal Chen Qing being at large.
Yet this was enough for many contestants and spectators to mark the name Chen Qing as a potential powerhouse.
The preliminary selection proceeded quickly.
The first-round winners, after a brief rest and adjustment.
Immediately proceeded to the second-round draw.
Su Zhan's number was called again, and he ascended another platform.
His second opponent was a man whose form showed obvious aberration.
His arms had mutated into tentacles covered in dark green mucus, constantly wriggling and emitting a fishy, foul odor.
His strength was approximately at the first stage of high-risk.
This aberrant was clearly not well-informed or hadn't paid attention to Su Zhan's previous fight.
Seeing Su Zhan walk onto the platform with an aura that didn't seem particularly imposing, a cruel smile appeared on his lump-covered face, his tentacles waving excitedly.
"Hehehe, a delicate little snack... obediently become my nourishment!"
Two tentacles whipped toward Su Zhan from left and right.
Su Zhan's hands moved later but arrived first, reaching out and grabbing the front ends of the tentacles.
The ferocious grin on the aberrant's face instantly froze, turning into astonishment.
An irresistible, tremendous force transmitted through, making it impossible for him to break free.
Su Zhan's hands suddenly yanked outward to both sides.
"Riiip—!"
Those two tough tentacles were actually torn apart in the middle by Su Zhan's sheer force.
Dark green blood and mucus splattered everywhere.
"Ahhh—!"
The aberrant let out a shrill, miserable scream, excruciating pain shooting from the broken ends.
Su Zhan's right foot shot out, kicking him squarely in the chest.
"Thump!"
A dull thud.
That first-stage high-risk aberrant, his entire body bent over, flew backward, slammed hard into the energy barrier wall at the edge of the platform, and then slid limply to the ground.
His chest was completely caved in. It was clear he wouldn't survive.
The entire combat process, from start to finish, didn't exceed three seconds.