Chapter 36: Defiance!
Chapter 36: Defiance!
“Ah!”
“Ah!”
The first cry naturally belonged to Tang Ao. At that moment, Tang Ao flew out like a sandbag, thrown far away, and rolled straight off the Platform Stage.
The second cry came from Tang Jinbiao. He seemed unsteady on his feet, stumbled forward, and tumbled directly to the ground. He rolled three to five times, stopping only at the edge of the Platform Stage.
“Whew, that was close!”
After seeing he nearly fell off, Tang Jinbiao secretly sighed with relief in his heart. However, when he saw that Tang Ao had already fallen into the arena, a faint, undetectable smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
But right at that moment, Huang Biaozi’s voice suddenly rang out in Tang Jinbiao’s mind, saying, “Damn, you’re such an Acting Genius!”
Tang Jinbiao whispered in response, “Shh, keep it low-key!”
…
“What happened?”
“What’s going on?”
“Is Tang Ao really defeated like that?”
The people in the arena saw that in just the blink of an eye, Tang Ao rolled off the Platform Stage, and every one of them was stunned.
“Hehe!”
Tang Jinbiao stood up, scratching the back of his head with an embarrassed look. He grinned foolishly and said with a hint of shame, “Hehe, little brother Tang Ao, sorry about that. I tripped earlier and accidentally pushed you off!”
Tang Jinbiao’s movements had indeed looked like a stumble, and he nudged Tang Ao off accidentally. The crowd paused briefly, but quickly snapped out of it and began shouting angrily.
“Damn it, this makes no sense at all!”
“Crap, how can you win by just tripping like that?”
“Brother Biao, you’re the coolest!”
“Brother Biao, you’re my idol!”
…
All those in the arena started yelling loudly, with some cursing at Tang Jinbiao, others there just to stir up trouble and join the chaos. There were about a hundred people, men and women, mostly teenagers in their teens and twenties, making the scene quite lively.
“I didn’t expect that kid to be so sly!”
The Goddess Tang Yilin remained standing there, quietly watching Tang Jinbiao on the Platform Stage. But as a Cultivator in the Late Foundation Building Stage, she naturally caught his sneaky actions. A faint smile touched her lips as she murmured to herself.
“Am I seeing things? Did that guy really trip and knock off little brother Tang Ao?”
“I didn’t see it clearly either, but it definitely looked like that!”
Because of their Cultivation Level and constant underestimation, Tang Huaxi and Tang Xingchi failed to notice Tang Jinbiao’s little tricks and wore confused expressions.
“Hmph, trash!”
Tang Shan frowned slightly, as if he had spotted Tang Jinbiao’s sneaky movements, though “trash” seemed to be his favorite word.
“Damn it, to be so cunning!”
Tang Ao hadn’t gotten up yet and felt a sharp pain in his abdomen. Tang Jinbiao’s earlier punch seemed casual but held a hidden force inside. If he hadn’t reacted in time, that blow could have shattered his internal organs.
That Tang Ao naturally knew Tang Jinbiao’s fall moments ago was clearly a dive, intended to make others lower their guard against him.
“Third match, Tang Jinbiao wins! Fourth match, come forth!”
The Third Elder’s previously gloomy expression softened slightly. He glanced at Tang Jinbiao with deep meaning, seemingly trying to pierce the youth’s true thoughts, yet discerned nothing. He could only announce the result.
Shu-shu-shu!
No sooner had his words fallen than the two Cultivators who had drawn the fourth match rushed onto the stage. However, they did not fight. Instead, they stood there awkwardly, eyeing Tang Jinbiao.
“Doesn’t count! This match doesn’t count!”
“Yeah, doesn’t count! We haven’t even seen enough!”
The crowd below immediately began voicing grievances for Tang Ao. Those who had just cheered for Tang Jinbiao moments ago now switched sides, speaking up for Tang Ao in the blink of an eye.
“Enough noise! If anyone is dissatisfied, step up here and spar with Tang Jinbiao!”
Whom the Third Elder was helping remained unclear. His face colored with anger as he bellowed sharply.
Thud!
Hearing this, Tang Jinbiao’s heart lurched.
The dive was indeed deliberate. He intended to make these people underestimate him, to lower their vigilance. Otherwise, if opponents kept their distance from the start, victory would be far less simple. He fervently yearned to thrash Tang Huaxi and Tang Xingchi. As for Tang Yilin and Tang Shan – though the desire existed – he dared not. Of course, should such an opportunity arise, Huang Biaozi definitely wouldn’t stand idly by. His immediate goal was thus three consecutive wins to participate in tomorrow’s final trials.
As for his own strength? After observing earlier matches, he had a rough estimate: just as Huang Biaozi had said, he could likely handle average Sixth Layer Qi Condensation Cultivators. Dealing with these Fourth Layer disciples would naturally be effortless.
“I’m not convinced! I’m not convinced!”
“Neither am I!”
“Let me go! I will!”
“Who the f dares to fight me for it? I’ll f his whole family!”
As soon as the Third Elder spoke, wave after wave of angry shouts erupted from below the Platform Stage.
“What’s all this racket?! Dissent still follows rules! Fourth match, begin!”
The Third Elder purposefully shot a glance at Tang Jinbiao before roaring at those beneath the Platform Stage.
“Boooooo!”
“What fine actors you are!”
“Tang Ao, you played your part perfectly!”
“Tang Jinbiao, yours was even better!”
“Third Elder, turns out you were the real director!”
The crowd below erupted in waves of jeers and sarcasm. Clearly, they suspected the Third Elder had fixed the outcome, especially connecting it to his earlier insistence that Tang Jinbiao participate in the Qi Condensation Fourth Layer matches. Shouts filled the air.
“Fight! What are you staring at?”
The Third Elder, seeing the two Cultivators on stage hadn’t moved yet, immediately snapped at them.
“Sincerely, your grandson cannot obey this command!”
“Sincerely, your grandson cannot obey this command!”
To everyone’s astonishment, the two Cultivators refused to fight, their refusal voiced in eerie unison.
The two Cultivators who stepped forward were both at the Qi Condensation Fourth Layer. One had fair, delicate features with thin lips and narrow eyes, giving off a sarcastic and harsh demeanor—surprisingly, this was a young woman!
The other was stout with rough, coarse features. Though not a Body Refiner, he resembled one even more than actual Body Refiners. Despite his youth, he radiated the ferocity of a tiger, akin to a burly man.
“Hmm?”
Third Elder’s brow furrowed slightly, his expression displeased.
“Third Elder! Please hear your Grandchild’s explanation!”
Seeing the displeasure, the burly man immediately spoke up.
“Hm.”
Third Elder nodded, adopting a listening posture.
Whew!
Relief washed over the burly man as he noted Third Elder hadn’t flown into a rage but was willing to hear him out.
The burly man continued, “Third Elder, that match was far too abrupt! Many disciples down here, including this Grandchild, didn’t clearly witness what happened! None are happy about it, and this Grandchild feels aggrieved too. So, I propose a rematch—let this Grandchild face Tang Jinbiao squarely. If he wins, we’ll accept it without complaint. More than that, we’ll even credit him with our own victory tallies from yesterday! May Third Elder approve?”
“Hm, Grandchild concurs! Hoping Third Elder will accept!”
The pale-faced young woman beside him dipped her head in agreement, urging Third Elder to consent.
“Oh?”
Third Elder seemed slightly persuaded by their words. Creases formed on his forehead again as his gaze shifted toward the Elders’ Podium. Yet, the Elders there sat with eyes closed, deep in meditation, projecting an air of absolute indifference.
“We agree! We agree!”
“Right! Let them fight!”
“Agree! Agree!”
Seeing the Elders showed no opposition, the crowd below erupted in clamoring support.
“Brother Biao!”
Tang Hu and his group hadn’t clearly witnessed the match either—all they saw was Tang Jinbiao stumble, and Tang Ao went flying off the Platform Stage.
“Hm.”
Third Elder turned to Tang Jinbiao with a slightly troubled expression.
“Heh. I agree too. But… I have a condition!”
Tang Jinbiao glanced at the burly man and the young woman, a faint smile touching the corners of his mouth. He nodded, readily consenting.
“Truly!?”
The burly man and the young woman, who had been so tense their fists were clenched tightly, instantly brightened with excitement upon hearing Tang Jinbiao’s acceptance.
“Truly. In fact… both of you can come at me together. But—if I win, I advance straight to tomorrow’s matches immediately! Plus—add two extra victories to my score!”
Tang Jinbiao directed his words clearly to Third Elder.
“Hm.”
Third Elder had naturally seen Tang Jinbiao’s little act earlier clearly. As a Nascent Soul Cultivator, failing to spot that trick would have been a disgrace to his station. Yet, Tang Jinbiao’s motives puzzled him now. He couldn’t help inwardly muttering:
This kid is pure cunning! Deliberately contrived that stumble after already landing the winning blow just to grab everyone’s attention… Was it all staged to trade for two guaranteed wins? And if he possesses that kind of strength… even handling opponents at Qi Condensation Sixth Layer shouldn’t be an issue… Hah? Something smells fishy… definitely fishy…
Naturally, Third Elder wasn’t like those youngsters—gullible fools ready to roar without understanding a thing. He remembered perfectly well the entity dwelling within Tang Jinbiao. It felt unnerving to him. Once, when he almost took Tang Jinbiao’s life, that very entity possessed him instead, nearly snuffing his life out. That scene remained vivid. Coupled with Tang Jinbiao’s baffling assessment results earlier… the feeling was like an eagle hunted its whole life getting kicked by a rabbit!
“Third Elder!”
“Third Elder!”
The burly man and the young woman watched Third Elder, eyes brimming with eager hope.
“Heehee.”
Tang Jinbiao remained unchanged, his face bearing a faint, indifferent smile.
“Alright! I approve the match!”
After a brief moment of hesitation, Third Elder seemed to come to a decision. He nodded firmly and declared his consent.