Against six mighty figures in the Ethereal Stage experts, their auras slamming into Hui Xiong one after the other, all he could do was shake like a leaf, turning a pale and whiny face to his master, squeaking, “Master, t-they’re faking. Just three days ago they were cripples and now they’re monsters? They have to have pulled something!”
“But what did they do?”
Elder Lu was just as stunned, feeling remorse for his imminent fate.
[What did they eat to get so big? How the hell can one change so much in just three days? And so many too.]
Hui Xiong hesitated, his eyes darting to and fro, “Master, the first round is lost. Should we just… forfeit? We’ll just focus on Mystical Heaven Sect. There’s just no way we can beat these freaks.”
“Bullshit!”
Elder Lu snapped, “Do you have any idea why Double Dragon Gathering uses evaluation as a way to judge our ranks? For this precise situation, when someone uses a dirty trick to play against another sect. The result of every round’s evaluation will be added together to determine our final places. By forfeiting a round, we get nothing!”
Hui Xiong put on a painful face, “But master, fighting them is the same as getting nothing either way. Just look at them. I’m starting to think Xie Wuyue played us. He gave us his weakest disciples to fight while these are the true elites.”
Elder Lu’s face twitched in anger.
It never occurred to him this was possible since Xie Wuyue was damn Sects Ruler, yet instead of acting like one, he used petty tricks. [Using weaklings instead, won’t it make him look like a fool among the other sects?]
But now, when it mattered the most, he had no time to mind trifles, turning to Hui Xiong, “Don’t worry too much, the fighting is done by drawing lots. They have six in the Ethereal Stage but four much weaker ones. All we can do now is pray for luck.”
“Master, that makes quite the sense.”
Eying the ten people, Hui Xiong nodded and his gaze landed on Zhuo Fan, “Master, that kid is only in the 3rd layer. Getting him couldn’t be better.”
Elder Lu sneered at Zhuo Fan, then knocked his head, “Damn coward, there are four in the Radiant Stage over there and you picked the weakest? Please, you’re at peak Radiant Stage so act like one. Can’t you go for those in the 6th layer and leave the weakling to your juniors? We would at least get the most out of this round. All you ever care about is yourself.”
“Master, it’s all up to luck. I’ll fight who happens to be my opponent. Not everything will just go as you wish.” Holding his head, Hui Xiong replied.
Elder Lu nodded, [He’s right though.] Then glared again, “I’m angry at you for your cowardly nature, not your wishes. The strong must challenge the strong with a brave heart. That’s the only way to become stronger. Picking on the weak all the time is boring, not to mention pointless.”
Hui Xiong scratched his head and nodded.
“May the teams step forth to draw your lots. There are two boxes with ten numbers. Identical numbers on each team will be fighting each other while the order of the fights will be that of the numbers. “
In two short light shows, the judge’s hands now held two boxes.
Zhuo Fan came first, sticking his hand in like he was picking apples in the market, and gave the number to the judge.
The judge nodded, “Demon Scheming Sect’s leader, Zhuo Fan, has picked 10!”
“Ha-ha-ha, 10, wonder who’s the poor sap going to fight that freak.” Yan Mo snickered.
“Hi-hi-hi, senior brother Yan Mo, how is it you never felt like watching your fellow disciples in the elite area fight back at the sect yet you’re now so excited that you came to watch the lower three sects’ rounds?”
Whoosh~
A curvy and enticing woman popped on his side, bearing the most intoxicating smile.
“Oh, Yu Mei.”
Glancing sideways, Yan Mo sighed, “The lower three sects are truly the scrape of the barrel. But I’m not here for them…”
Yan Mo’s eyes flashed like a ravenous wolf on a particular man, “There’s one person down there worthy to be my adversary.”
Started, Yu Mei shuddered at Yan Mo’s savage look. She always knew him as a player, toying around and doing whatever he wanted. If there was one thing he ever cared about in truth, that was the fight with Wu Qingqiu.
Yet by the looks of him now, he was putting this man way above even Wu Qingqiu.
[There’s someone among them that senior brother recognizes?]
Her eyes washed over the crowd until she stopped on the bored Zhuo Fan and cried, “3rd layer Radiant Stage?”
“Yes, 3rd layer Radiant Stage…”
Yan Mo nodded, gnashing his teeth in hatred, “This rotten liar is anything but his cultivation shows. He’s more like a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Last time he almost…”
Yan Mo raved then held his tongue, realizing Yu Mei was there.
Yu Mei was damn curious now, “Last time?”
“Nothing. It doesn’t concern you.” Yan Mo flushed in embarrassment, not feeling like sharing his shame.
Was he going to shout to the world a 3rd layer Radiant Stage almost did him in? Hardly, he had a reputation to maintain.
Though his tight lip only got Yu Mei more intrigued, her smile creepily lingered on Zhuo Fan.
[Who is he to make senior brother so angry?]
“Number 10!”
On stage, Hui Xiong got his number and shouted in joy. Then he gave Zhuo Fan a snicker.
The judge and everyone else had looks of scorn. Elder Lu blushed.
[How the hell did I get such a coward for a disciple? I told you already there’s nothing glorious about beating a 3rd layer Radiant Stage at peak Radiant Stage!]
The more excited he got, the more it proved how weak he was and, in equal measure, ruined his master’s image.
While Zhuo Fan had a simple and boring reaction to this fool’s ignorant mockery, [Dumbass.]
“Sigh, stupidity sure is terminal. What’s there to laugh at having such a freak fighting him?” Third Young Master Han sighed.
Han Yunfeng scratched his nose, “This is great. With Hui Xiong, the strongest among the Beast Taming Sect, we can now catch hints of what this monster’s capable of…”
The two nodded.
“I didn’t know the lower three sects had an underdog. Their team is made to face the superior three sects. While a fall of a superior three sect is unlikely, we’ll at least get to see a middle three sect kicked down a notch.”
Yu Mei’s honeyed voice floated, watching the Demon Scheming Sect in admiration, “For that muscle guy from Beast Taming Sect to get the weakest for an adversary is a real stroke of luck.”
Yan Mo’s ears twitched, his smile cold, “More like a stroke of rotten luck. He’s dead.”
“Eh?” Yu Mei raised a dainty eyebrow, “There are 6 layers between them, yet the kid can still squeeze a win?”
[More like insta-kill than a squeeze.]
Yan Mo’s only reply was a roll of his eyes, but Yu Mei only grew more interested, her dewy eyes never leaving Zhuo Fan…
On Demon Scheming Sect’s stand, Fiend Yang was looking chipper than ever, his face filled with pride, his smile wider than ever, “Brothers and sisters, I am proud to see you bursting with energy, filled with valor and courage. With you here, challenging the middle three sects is nothing…”
“Skip it!” Zhuo Fan cut his swag short.
Fiend Yang deflated a bit, but shook it off with a wave, “I was going to praise you guys some more, but since Steward Zhuo said no, I will get to the point. I want you all to hold back against the Beast Taming Sect. Sending them flying is within reason, but don’t bruise them.”
“Why?” Lu Xie asked, “Just look at that damn Hui Xiong strutting his hot air around. We’re dying to give him his due. Yet now you want us to take it easy?”
Fiend Yang waved his complaint away then he turned serious, “That’s called tactics, do you understand? The Double Dragon Gathering is based on evaluations. If we wound them, their next opponent will be the Mystical Heaven Sect. It will be the same as helping Mystical Heaven Sect. You should feel more disgusted with those so-called hypocritical and ungrateful righteous liars than with some ignorant fools.”
The kids’ eyes lit up, showing a nasty grin.
“And you, enough of your fraternizing with or you’ll harm our position. You are up against their strongest so make damn sure you leave him in one piece. And don’t cripple him either. You’ll only be helping Mystical Heaven Sect.” Fiend Yang rested a heavy gaze on Zhuo Fan.
Zhuo Fan merely shook his hand, “Lighten up, I know what I’m doing. Besides, with her strength, even fighting Hui Xiong won’t be a problem…”
