Chen Guanluosi VS Hiiragi Qingbai

Ross’s tone was grim to the extreme. “One of the people from our Number Zero Academy was eliminated by him with ease.”

“I saw it with my own eyes.” Ross swallowed, as if recalling a nightmare. “It took less than a minute for my junior to lose. A few paper dolls calmly removed the identification terminal from his wrist, then crushed it.”

Ross’s voice began to tremble.

“From start to finish, Xiang Qingbai never even closed the fan in his hand. He was smiling the entire time. His companion didn’t lift a finger.”

Chen Guan listened in silence. Ross’s description had indeed given the image of that gentle-looking young man a more vivid—and dangerous—shape in his mind.

After all, he was a fourth-year student. That he was powerful was well within Chen Guan’s expectations.

“So you want to work with me to deal with him.”

Chen Guan raised his eyes, his gaze sharp as a blade. He had guessed what Ross had left unsaid.

“Exactly!” Ross nodded emphatically. “There’s a saying in China: when the lips are gone, the teeth grow cold.”

“Before the match, Xiang Qingbai announced that he was going to sweep away all of us barbarians. He specifically called out your team from Huaqing.”

Ross’s gaze fell on Chen Guan as he fanned the flames without making it obvious. “You’re their primary target.”

“Chen, if we join forces, then at least we won’t be eliminated as pointlessly as my classmates were if we run into him. They’ve already formed a group. Until we find our respective teammates, we can travel together.”

Chen Guan’s eyes fell on the tactical belt around Ross’s waist. Several tubes of glowing liquid were tucked into it.

“Are those your latest toys?”

He pointed at the drugs.

Ross followed his gaze downward, then hurriedly pulled out one of the tubes and offered it with both hands, sincerity written all over his face.

“Second-generation genetic enhancers. They can activate the potential of your cells and instantly boost your combat ability by two levels. The only side effect is that you’ll be weak for a full twelve hours after the effects wear off.”

Ross spilled all his trump cards as readily as beans from a tipped bag.

He wasn’t worried. No matter how strong Chen Guan was, it was only in comparison to him.

In Ross’s eyes, the outcome of this competition would ultimately be decided by those fourth-year team captains. The underclassmen like them were merely there to make up the numbers.

Chen Guan didn’t reach for the tube. Baobao, however, leaned over and sniffed the red liquid. It immediately sneezed and turned its head away with a look of utter disdain.

“Even Baobao won’t eat it.”

Chen Guan offered the casual assessment. The muscles in Ross’s cheeks twitched, and he awkwardly stuffed the enhancer back into his belt, rubbing the mud from his gloves.

“Chen, your China values harmony and prosperity. We’re facing a common enemy now, so joining forces is the optimal solution.”

Chen Guan took hold of his scythe again. “We can cooperate, but I get to take the lead.”

He stared into Ross’s eyes, his tone leaving no room for argument.

“How we fight and which route we take—we do it my way.”

“Completely agreed, boss!”

Ross hurriedly accepted, then raised his right hand to swear an oath, as if afraid Chen Guan might change his mind.

The title of “boss” came rather naturally to him. Chen Guan shot him a glance, perfectly aware that the man merely wanted someone else to serve as a shield. The moment they encountered genuine mortal danger, Ross would undoubtedly run faster than anyone else.

But that was precisely what Chen Guan needed. Having another cannon fodder scout the way was better than blundering blindly through this bizarre forest with only Baobao at his side.

He wasn’t afraid of Ross stabbing him in the back, either. All fear came from insufficient firepower—and clearly, Chen Guan was the one holding the greatest firepower.

“Head for the abandoned city at the center of the map.”

Chen Guan brought up the offline map on his wrist terminal. Although there was no signal, the basic contours of the terrain were still clearly visible.

“My teammates should be heading there too. Once we regroup, that paper-doll-playing charlatan won’t be anything to fear.”

Ross followed just behind and to the side of Chen Guan as if granted a new lease on life. The two men and one beast began making their way through the dense jungle, where the air was heavy with the damp, cloying smell of rotting vegetation.

After about half an hour, the trees around them grew increasingly massive. Their canopies blocked out the sky and swallowed all the sunlight, plunging the surroundings into darkness and chill.

“Wait.”

Chen Guan came to an abrupt halt and raised a hand in a tactical signal, indicating that Ross should keep quiet.

Ross immediately froze in place like a wooden stake, his heart leaping into his throat as he nervously surveyed the surroundings.

“What is it?”

He lowered his voice, which came out tight with tension.

A threatening growl rumbled in Baobao’s throat. Purple fur shimmered with faint sparks of electricity in the gloom. It lowered its body, muscles taut, already poised to attack.

Chen Guan said nothing. His eyes were locked on the branches to the left front. There, amid the trees, was a patch of color that did not belong in the jungle.

A roughly cut yellow scrap of paper was quietly stuck to the tree bark. Strange symbols had been drawn on it in cinnabar, and in the dim light, they gave off a faint red glow.

“That’s it!”

The instant Ross recognized the object, his voice rose several notes, filled with the terror of someone who had narrowly escaped death.

“Xiang Qingbai’s shikigami scouts! That’s what detected my junior!”

Chen Guan narrowed his eyes as his perception silently spread outward.

In an instant, the surrounding forest seemed to come alive. Countless yellow scraps of paper drifted down soundlessly from every direction, carrying a suffocating murderous intent.

“There are quite a few of them.”

Chen Guan removed the scythe from his back. The pitch-black coffin slammed onto the ground with a boom, sending muddy water splashing into the air.

“Don’t just stand there. Get ready to work.”

He turned his head and issued the order to Ross, who was still trembling.

The moment Chen Guan finished speaking, the paper dolls pasted to the tree trunks turned in unison. They had no facial features, yet somehow gave the impression that countless icy gazes had locked onto the two men and one beast.

Sharp white light ignited along the edges of the paper. Spinning at high speed like blades, they sliced through the air with shrill whistles and shot toward the trio.

Baobao let out an angry roar and lunged forward in a streak of purple lightning.

It opened its jaws in midair and actually bit down on one of the flying paper dolls.

The cinnabar symbols on the paper doll erupted in scorching flames, but Baobao treated them as nothing more than popping candy. It chewed noisily and swallowed.

“Hungry, hungry.”

After finishing one, it immediately fixed its gaze on the swarm of papers in the air. Its purple slit pupils were filled with longing for more snacks.

Apparently, these paper dolls were exactly to its taste.

Ross’s eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. This little leopard was no ordinary beast. Both master and pet were monsters.

Then he swept back his robes, his fingers moving rapidly through a series of gestures. The metal fragments hidden inside his clothing instantly gathered together and launched a fierce assault on the swarm of paper dolls.

With such a powerful teammate, he couldn’t afford to embarrass himself!

At the very least, he couldn’t let himself be outdone by a little leopard!

They were only a few lousy paper dolls, not Xiang Qingbai himself. What was there to fear?!

Ross’s metal fragments whipped up a silver storm, striking the swarm of yellow paper with a constant clanging. The paper dolls closest to him were easily knocked from the air.