novelraw Chapter 383: He No Longer Evades
Chapter 383: He No Longer Evades
He was going to compete!
Not under the identity of "Chen Qing," but under his true name, "Su Zhan," returning to the arena as a student of the Vermilion Bird Academy!
On this stage that gathered the gaze of the entire Daxia nation, before all the live broadcast cameras, he was going to tell everyone:
I, Su Zhan, am not dead!
Not only am I not dead, I have returned! I've returned with power you cannot imagine!
Imagine that scene:
When everyone believed he had turned to dust and bones, when the Vermilion Bird Academy was wantonly mocked for losing its top genius...
He, Su Zhan, would return like a king, sweeping aside all the so-called geniuses with an absolutely crushing posture, displaying terrifying strength unprecedented in history.
Ocean Realm, first stage, at twenty-five years old!
What did this mean?In the over three hundred years of Daxia's history of struggling against the Mist, there had never been an Ocean Realm powerhouse this young.
This was talent of a fault-line level, a miracle that trampled all records underfoot.
Any previous so-called genius would pale into insignificance before him, losing all comparability.
He would use this world-renowned grand event, this overwhelming tide of public opinion, to *borrow momentum* for himself.
He would recast his name, "Su Zhan," into a legend.
At that time, would the Daxia higher-ups dare to move against him lightly?
Under the watchful eyes of the masses, to strike at a super genius who had just won unprecedented glory for his academy?
The backlash of public opinion and the fury of the people they would have to bear would be immeasurable.
This was no longer hiding and evading, but the most forceful way to break the deadlock!
A blazing fire ignited in Su Zhan's eyes.
This time, he would no longer evade.
...
Capital.
Celestial Arena.
After the fierce competition of the first fifteen days, the atmosphere in this colossal colosseum capable of holding hundreds of thousands grew increasingly fervent.
The morning sunlight filtered through the special dome structure, spilling onto the battle-scarred arena platforms.
It also illuminated the countless expectant faces in the spectator stands.
A massive ring-shaped light screen hovered in the air above the arena, scrolling in real-time with the list of remaining contestants and their points. The originally dense list of over a thousand names had thinned considerably, with only the final four hundred names now shining.
The stage now belonged to these four hundred contenders.
A brilliant spotlight shone down on the main commentary platform.
A well-known host in splendid formal attire appeared before everyone, accompanied by stirring background music.
"Audience members! Fellow Awakened individuals! Good morning!"
The host's voice, amplified by sound-projection magic circles, clearly reached every corner of the arena and was transmitted via broadcast signals to countless households across Daxia.
"Welcome to the sixteenth competition day of the 361st Five Great Academies Joint Grand Competition!
After the splendid and intense competition of the previous fifteen days, our initial field of over a thousand participating prodigies has now been whittled down to four hundred!
With sweat and strength, they have proven they are the cream of the crop among their peers, the true elite among elites!
And starting today, the competition will enter an even more brutal phase.
Every match will be a clash of the strong, every victory or defeat could directly affect the final rankings.
The element of luck will diminish further. True strength will become the only ladder to higher rankings.
Of course, the eliminated contestants are by no means weak.
They too fought fiercely for the glory of their academies and for their personal dreams!
So, what kind of fierce dragon-versus-tiger battles will unfold in today's matches?
Will any dark horses emerge out of nowhere?
Will any geniuses leave the stage in gloom?
Let us wait and see!
I declare, the sixteenth day of the Five Great Academies Grand Competition, officially begins!
System matching, initiate!"
As the host's words fell.
On the enormous light screen in the air, the names of the remaining four hundred contestants began to scroll rapidly.
The atmosphere in the entire arena was instantly ignited. Everyone's gaze focused on the light screen, awaiting the announcement of the first round's match pairings for the day.
In the Vermilion Bird Academy's rest area.
Feng Jue, Liu Ziming, and Xu Hao, all three, stared intently at the screen.
All three of them had successfully advanced into the top four hundred.
But each of them knew that the further they went, the stronger their opponents would become. Especially when facing those monsters with SSS-grade Life Souls, their hopes of victory were extremely slim.
Pressure weighed on each of their hearts.
...
Su Zhan left the City Lord's Residence and walked along the streets of Black City.
A simple, antique-looking metal mask covered his face—a necessary disguise.
Currently, the name "Chen Qing" was at the zenith of its fame in Black City. His Calamity-level strength and status as the highest-ranking Guest Advisor meant that wherever he went, he would attract countless gazes of awe and fear. That was not what he wanted at this moment.
Su Zhan's gaze swept over the shops lining the street:
In the taverns, the largest spirit energy projection screens were broadcasting the grand spectacle of the Celestial Arena.
Brawny men holding huge tankards watched the screens with rapt attention, occasionally cheering for a brilliant move or letting out loud boos at a mistake, arguing over which academy's youngster was more impressive.
Beside market stalls, some well-informed peddlers had even set up impromptu betting stations on the spot, shouting, "Come place your bets! Underdog match! Vermilion Bird Academy's Feng Jue versus the White Tiger Academy's strong attacker! See if the Startling Swan Sword can create a miracle!"
Betting patrons came in a steady stream, among them not a few Aberrants with fierce auras.
Even the public notice boards hung at some shop entrances for posting tasks had temporary handwritten lists of the day's popular Grand Competition matchups taped to them.
Passing through several bustling streets.
Su Zhan stopped before a massive, ornately decorated building glittering with gold and jade.
This was Black City's largest casino.
Its ostensible owners were several of Black City's established powers.
But to put it bluntly, it was Mo Yuan's business.
The moment Su Zhan stepped through the main entrance.
A middle-aged man in a crisp black tuxedo, as if he had been waiting for some time, quickly strode forward to meet him.
Du Wei bowed slightly, lowering his voice, "Mr. Chen, your esteemed presence graces us. I will make arrangements immediately..."
Su Zhan waved his hand, "No need for a big production. I'm just here for a routine visit, to inspect the recent operations."
Naturally, this man was the one he had contacted first, to facilitate the investigation.
"Of course, of course. Mr. Chen, please follow me. Allow me to give you a tour."
Du Wei hastily stepped aside to guide the way, his posture extremely deferential.
He understood perfectly well that this personage was one even the City Lord himself regarded with great importance, a true top-tier figure in Black City. As a mere casino manager, how could he dare show the slightest neglect?
The interior of the casino was the epitome of luxury. Spirit energy lamps illuminated the space as bright as day.
A dazzling array of gambling apparatus filled the room. Gamblers of all shapes and sizes gathered around the tables, erupting in excited cheers or frustrated curses.
Su Zhan strolled casually, his gaze sweeping over the various gambling tables.
Beyond the traditional dice, roulette, and card games, he quickly noticed something unusual.
In the casino's central area with the highest foot traffic, several enormous spirit energy projection screens were prominently erected, broadcasting the battle scenes from the Five Great Academies Grand Competition in real-time.
Below the screens, densely packed, constantly scrolling odds and betting information were displayed.
A large crowd of gamblers clustered around these screens, staring at the match progress with agitated emotion, periodically erupting in huge waves of noise.