Meanwhile, the competition continued, now reaching the finals.
For those who had been closely following the Spirit Combat Tournament, they naturally wanted to see who would emerge victorious.
In a distant corner, Elder Heiya of the Earthly Fiend Sect watched silently.
The person he had secretly aided had successfully made it to the finals—everything had gone smoothly.
He sneered, convinced that victory was already assured.
Earlier, he had been worried about a formidable competitor named Little Luo.
But Little Luo had lost outright, saving him the trouble.
Lin Xuan, in the final match, fulfilled his duties diligently, providing commentary and analysis, even offering advice to participants afterward.
However, during the finals, he noticed something unusual about one contestant.
The more he observed, the more suspicious it seemed.
Yet, without concrete evidence, he could only wait and watch.
As the battle grew fiercer, Lin Xuan finally pinpointed the issue.
What followed unfolded just as the plot dictated.
Lin Xuan exposed the contestant’s cheating, stripping him of his first-place title.
Elder Heiya’s emotions were a rollercoaster—one moment, the joy of success; the next, the bitter frustration of defeat.
He harbored deep resentment toward Lin Xuan. If not for him, his plan would have succeeded.
And in the demonic path, revenge was a well-known principle.
Elder Heiya sought retribution against Lin Xuan. Initially, he considered confronting him directly, testing whether he could kill him.
But the odds of success seemed slim. Still, he was determined to try—even if he couldn’t kill Lin Xuan, injuring him would suffice.
Suddenly, Elder Heiya recalled some peculiar rumors. Lin Xuan had repeatedly deviated from the tournament’s plans, altering the course of the Spirit Combat Tournament.
For instance, in the first round, he introduced an additional "Best Performance Award."
In the third round, he manipulated the demonic shark.
Traces of his interference could also be seen in the fourth and fifth rounds.
These were all rumors Elder Heiya had gathered—unverified, but some signs suggested Lin Xuan had been meddling with the tournament.
This raised an intriguing question: Why would Lin Xuan do this?
Elder Heiya continued his analysis.
Then, he identified a key figure—Su Yu.
It seemed everything was connected to him.
Could this person share a close relationship with Lin Xuan?
The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.
If so, his plan could take a different turn.
......
With that, the Spirit Combat Tournament came to an end.
"It’s over. I’m really happy," Huang Nuanyan said, thoroughly satisfied.
Making it to the top four and befriending such wonderful people made this trip more than worthwhile.
"Yeah, it was great," Little Yu agreed, though she felt she hadn’t participated enough.
For her, it was still a valuable experience.
"As long as you’re happy," Su Luo added, not wanting to dampen the mood.
"By the way, what are your plans next? I’m thinking of staying a few more days," Huang Nuanyan said. She rarely had the chance to travel and wasn’t ready to return so soon.
"We’re leaving tomorrow," Su Luo replied.
"Ah, so soon?"
"Yeah, we’ve had our fill of fun."
"I’ll miss you guys."
Though they had only spent a few days together, Huang Nuanyan already considered Su Luo and the others close friends.
But she wasn’t one for sadness. With a bright smile, she perked up. "Enough of that! Let’s celebrate again tonight!"
Though they called it a celebration, they had already explored every corner of Water City.
There wasn’t much left to do.
In the end, they decided to stroll by the shore, enjoying the sea breeze and the nighttime ocean view.
By the sea, Huang Nuanyan chatted excitedly about her battles that day—the most glorious and attention-grabbing moments of her life so far.
Su Luo and Little Yu played the role of attentive listeners, occasionally praising her.
Elder Ye listened with a smile, overjoyed at his young mistress’s growth.
But then, Su Luo and Little Yu suddenly stopped walking.
"Did I cause any trouble?" Su Luo asked.
Little Yu shook her head. "Not at all."
"What’s wrong?" Huang Nuanyan asked, confused.
Elder Ye also sensed something amiss, his expression turning grave as he looked in a particular direction.
From the darkness, a figure emerged, approaching slowly—but with unmistakable hostility.
"Greetings, everyone. No need to be nervous. I’m just passing by and have a question," Elder Heiya said, in no rush to act.
If he attacked outright, it might draw the attention of Water City’s forces.
Elder Ye, sensing the overwhelming power of the newcomer, spoke politely. "What would you like to ask?"
Yet, despite his composure, his hands trembled slightly.
This person was at least at the Nascent Soul level!
The more Elder Ye assessed him, the more he realized the gap in their strength.
Elder Heiya ignored Elder Ye and addressed Su Yu directly. "Su Yu, what’s your relationship with Lin Xuan?"
"If I had to say… enemies?"
"Ah!" Huang Nuanyan gasped in shock. She never expected Su Luo to say such a thing.
Why would he be Lin Xuan’s enemy?
No sane person would oppose Lin Xuan—he was a great hero!
Not only was Huang Nuanyan stunned, but Elder Heiya was also taken aback. That was the last answer he anticipated.
An enemy of Lin Xuan? That would make them allies of sorts.
Wait—no.
"You almost fooled me. That was a clever answer," Elder Heiya sneered. "You guessed right—I’m here to trouble Lin Xuan. And coincidentally, you have an unusual connection to him."
Now, Elder Heiya felt smug, convinced he had seen through their deception.
Did they think denying their ties to Lin Xuan would work?
Not a chance.
"What are you talking about?"
Su Luo was baffled. Why was Elder Heiya wasting time here instead of seeking out Lin Xuan to die? And what nonsense was this about him and Lin Xuan being connected?
Had he lost his mind?
"Stop pretending. You and Lin Xuan have your own dirty dealings. I’ve deduced it all—Lin Xuan used underhanded methods to help you win."
As he spoke, Elder Heiya grew angrier.
"And then he has the gall to preach about fairness? He’s the biggest cheater of them all!"
"These so-called righteous cultivators—pah! Hypocrites, the lot of them! Using their status to bend the rules, then acting all high and mighty!"
After ranting for a while, Elder Heiya refocused on Su Luo.
"But you’re smart. You knew when to back off, avoiding the spotlight. A wise move."
Huang Nuanyan listened in stunned silence.
Since when were there so many hidden schemes?
"What nonsense are you spouting?"
Su Luo had no idea what Elder Heiya was talking about. What kind of misunderstanding had led to this?
Elder Heiya, now fully confident, declared, "Once I cripple you and drag you before Lin Xuan, you won’t have any excuses left."
He lunged forward, his hand shrouded in demonic energy.
"Young mistress, stay back!" Elder Ye immediately moved to defend.
But fear gripped him—this opponent far surpassed his own cultivation.
"Annoying. Scram."
Elder Heiya swatted Elder Ye aside like an insect.
Yet, his attack was effortlessly blocked by Su Luo.
At the same moment, Little Yu’s sword flashed—and Elder Heiya was split in two.
"No… impossible…" Elder Heiya stared at his severed body in disbelief.
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
ing gift was a patch of barren land, and disciples were all picked up along the way. He spent fifty years diligently building three "ramshackle little sects," thinking he could finally live a carefree life relying on his disciples. But right at the fifty-year mark, he was suddenly swept away by a spatial rift and exiled to the Chaos Desolation, the Disorderly Ruins. There was no spiritual energy there, only slaughter. Relying on the cultivation feedback from his disciples, Gu Changyuan hacked his way through a sea of blood for eleven hundred years. When the system finally fished him back out, he discovered the ramshackle little sects he'd built back then had developed a rather... unusual style. Hold on... I vanished for a thousand years, so how did my ramshackle little sects become holy lands?!
't think I'm that capable, I'm just trying my best to stay alive. I've been kind all my life, never did anything bad, yet worldly suffering spared me not one bit. The human world is a nice place, but I won't come back in my next life. A kind young man, who wanted to just get by singing, but through repeated deceits and betrayals, has gone down an irredeemable path.
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
