novelraw Chapter 346: Small Impatience Spoils a Great Plan
Chapter 346: Small Impatience Spoils a Great Plan
The crowd automatically parted.
A young man in cyan martial attire strode forward through the throng.
Dragon patterns were embroidered on his sleeves.
He stood tall, handsome-faced.
He was exactly the Ghost Fiend Sect’s ace guarantor this time, the prodigy from Azure Dragon Academy.
Meng Qianyu.
Spiritual Energy coiled around him without being released, forming a powerful aura that made people dare not underestimate him.
Meng Qianyu took long strides to stand not far in front of Su Zhan, blocking his path, lifting his chin slightly:
"Chen Qing? Hmph, you’ve been lucky—two consecutive byes, letting someone like you sneak into the top four. It’s a disgrace to this Grand Competition!"
His voice rang out, carrying in all directions.Su Zhan stopped, turned slowly.
Those calm eyes met Meng Qianyu’s sharp gaze, exhibiting no emotional fluctuation, as if looking at a quarrelsome child.
That silent indifference made Meng Qianyu’s anger grow even more.
As a genius of Azure Dragon Academy, he had always been the center of attention wherever he went;
he had never been treated with such disregard.
Worse yet, the other party was an Aberrant he looked down on from the bottom of his heart!
"You think you can get all the way to the end with luck and some dishonorable, unsavory tricks?"
Meng Qianyu sneered, "Your slaughter of Shi Lie was just abusing the Aberrant body advantage, bullying opponents weaker than you. True geniuses rely on exquisite control of Spiritual Energy and a deep understanding of combat techniques! You are not worthy to stand alongside people like me!"
Su Zhan: ...
"Next round, the semifinal, you won’t get a bye."
Meng Qianyu pointed a finger, almost jabbing at Su Zhan’s nose: "If I meet you on the stage, I will personally tear off your intimidating scales, break that obnoxious tail of yours, and expose your true colors—the trash that only murders the weak!
I’ll make you understand what real... difference is!"
Everyone’s eyes focused on the two of them, waiting for Su Zhan’s reaction.
The Ghost Fiend Sect members looked even more pleased, hoping Meng Qianyu would thoroughly humble this Chen Qing.
Su Zhan merely said indifferently, "Finished? I hope your performance on the stage can be—slightly better than your current nonsense."
With that, he did not linger, not even giving Meng Qianyu another glance, and walked past him.
Meng Qianyu froze, the muscles in his face twitching slightly, his outstretched finger suspended awkwardly in midair.
A wicked heat surged to his head, and he nearly lost control and wanted to strike on the spot.
"Brother Meng!"
Li Baichuan, leader of the Ghost Fiend Sect, stepped forward in time and grabbed him, speaking low, "Small impatience spoils a great plan. There will be plenty of opportunities to deal with him on the stage. Why waste your dignity here in a war of words?"
Meng Qianyu stared at Su Zhan’s receding back without saying anything further.
Everyone could see it.
Meng Qianyu’s fierce words had failed to enrage Chen Qing;
instead, it was like punching cotton—he was the one left full of suppressed fury.
The upcoming semifinal was bound to be anything but peaceful.
Everyone sensed that if these two met, it would surely be an earth-shattering clash.
Another five days passed.
The Black City Grand Competition had reached a fever pitch.
The arena was packed with people, the roar of voices soaring, every gaze fixed on the remaining four contestants.
Su Zhan, Meng Qianyu, and two other strong fighters who had clawed out from the mountain of corpses and seas of blood.
The draw ceremony began, names scrolling rapidly across the light screen.
Meng Qianyu stared at the screen, desperately hoping to draw Su Zhan in this round to avenge his humiliation, to trample that Aberrant who had shamed him in front of the entire city.
The screen froze.
[Chen Qing vs Tu Gang]
[Meng Qianyu vs Han Chong]
Seeing the result, disappointment flashed in Meng Qianyu’s eyes.
Su Zhan’s opponent, Tu Gang, was a young Aberrant who had long since made a name for himself locally in Black City.
Tall and bulky, his skin a bluish-gray, covered with eerie twisted markings, fierce in strength and brutal in method, he was also one of the favorites to claim the championship.
Seeing that he had drawn Chen Qing, Tu Gang’s snarling face twitched violently.
The first match would be Chen Qing versus Tu Gang.
They stepped onto the stage.
Tu Gang stared fixedly at Su Zhan, his expression complicated.
The scenes of Chen Qing slaughtering Shi Lie, scaring off Li Kui, and even making Meng Qianyu eat humiliation replayed in his mind.
The referee, expressionless, waved a hand: "Begin!"
The entire arena held its breath, anticipating a fierce bout between two Aberrants notorious for brutality.
"I forfeit!!!"
"……"
The arena fell into dead silence.
Everyone was stunned.
Tu Gang?
That fearless Tu Gang?
He actually... didn’t even make a move, he just surrendered outright?
Even Long Shouzhuo on the high platform showed a look of astonishment, clearly not expecting this outcome.
Su Zhan stood motionless as the scales that had briefly appeared on his body silently faded away.
He looked at Tu Gang’s bluish-gray face;
the other’s gaze dodged, unwilling to meet his. There was no fighting spirit in it.
Su Zhan suddenly found it somewhat laughable.
He had assumed that fellow Aberrants, struggling to survive on Black City soil, would at least retain a shred of the dignity of the strong, courage to give it their all.
Even if defeated, they should have the courage to draw their sword.
He had been wrong.
In the face of absolute disparity in strength, so-called dignity was fragile and easily shattered.
The referee blinked, then confirmed, "Tu Gang, are you sure you forfeit?"
"Sure!"
Tu Gang spat out the words as if biting them out, then refused to look at anyone. Head lowered, he hurried down the stage and vanished into the shadow of the contestants’ passageway—every second lingering there was agony.
The referee announced loudly, "Tu Gang forfeits. Chen Qing wins and advances to the final!"
There was no cheering, no applause.
The arena remained shrouded in a hush.
People looked at Su Zhan standing alone on the stage with extremely complex expressions.
Once again... victory without a fight.
This Chen Qing had not even truly acted in the semifinals yet had already scared a powerful opponent into retreat by reputation alone!
Meng Qianyu’s face darkened, fists clenched: "Trash, all trash, not even the nerve to strike."
His murderous gaze toward Su Zhan burned hotter.
He would never allow his final opponent to be a coward who advanced to the final by scaring others.
He vowed to personally end this Aberrant’s absurd path to the finals in the championship match.
Su Zhan slowly descended from the stage.
The surrounding gazes still filled with awe.
He ignored them all and walked straight out of the arena.
...
Another five days passed.
The names "Chen Qing" and "Meng Qianyu" had become the sole focus on every street corner.
On one side, a ferocious Aberrant with a terrifying reputation for ruthless methods.
On the other, a scion of a prestigious house, a genius of Azure Dragon Academy with unparalleled talent.
This duel had long since transcended a simple contest for supremacy.
On the day of the final, the arena’s atmosphere boiled to a peak.
The stands were packed with people.