Proofreader: Papatonks
“Alright. Brothers, get rid of his body, and let’s have a go with his soul. One last push, and we’re done for today!” Gui Hu looked at everyone. He got Zhuo Fan’s implied meaning and acted accordingly.
With a nod, everyone returned to Ren Cong with a sinister smile.
Ren Cong was so scared he was shaking like a leaf.
However, with a spatial ripple as the only sign, a white pillar sprouted in front of everyone. At the same time, an aged voice echoed, “Alright, kids, that’s enough playing around. The six hours are up. The team battle between Demon Scheming Sect and Heaven Trailing Sect is over!”
“Over? Isn’t it too fast?” Kui Lang looked baffled. “We still haven’t destroyed this prick’s body. How come it’s over when we’re just getting started?”
The others’ interest fell at this point since the time was up.
Zhuo Fan snickered at Ren Cong’s scarlet butt and added. “Good things never last long. Now that the time is up, we must abide by Double Dragon Gathering’s rules and stop. When it’s all said and done brother Ren, you are still the young master of the Heaven Trailing Sect, the head of the Tianyu’s three guardian sects. We’re rivals on the battlefield but friends outside of it. Friendships come first and rivalry second. Do you think you can make it back, or do you need me to get someone to help you?”
[Hypocrite!]
Every face in the audience twitched, scoffing at him on the inside.
They bore witness to the true essence of a demonic cultivator, cruel to no end and a hypocrite to the core. And Zhuo Fan seemed to be the culmination of all evil.
Ren Cong’s face sank, silently taking out a shirt from his ring to put it on. Then he barely got his feet under him. He clenched his ass cheeks as he wiggled towards the saving light, soon vanishing.
Looking at each other, Zhuo Fan and Kui Lang laughed at his expense.
The girls only blushed harder and glared at them with a shake of their heads.
Zhuo Fan’s gang followed into the light right after. Their vision shifted from the mountains to the Double Dragon Manor’s arena.
Yet the welcoming committee was not in the least bit happy, showering them in scornful looks rather than applauses.
The team battle between Demon Scheming Sect and Heaven Trailing Sect was not as intense as the crowd hoped. Instead, it was completely one-sided. And at Zhuo Fan’s behest, it devolved even more into a sick chase for torture and pain.
[No, a sick game is more accurate!]
Because Heaven Trailing Sect’s people weren’t killed but toyed with instead. If one could still call it that, this fight was nothing more than a show of Demon Scheming Sect’s endless capacity for brutality and savagery.
Heaven Trailing Sect’s young master Ren Cong would have gone through even more cruelty if not for that title shielding him from death.
Not like this outcome was any better…
Shuddering, Ren Cong, with Elder Qi’s support, stood opposite of Demon Scheming Sect’s team. But his head was still lowered, fear having twisted his character from an overly proud man to the shell he was now. He was unable even to look his torturers in the eye.
Elder Qi saw his young master’s appearance and gnashed his teeth in hatred, glaring at those demons.
Not like Zhuo Fan and co. ever cared. They still bore that twisted smile from before. [Bring it, if you dare!]
The judge’s cold eyes swept both sides as he spoke, “In this team battle between Demon Scheming Sect and Heaven Trailing Sect, the former had sent in ten people and ten returned while the latter had sent ten and only one returned, a battle won by an absolute margin. Demon Scheming Sect, do you wish to keep challenging? Your next opponent is the second place in the middle three sects, Demon Soul Sect!”
“Damn right we are!”
Zhuo Fan blurted out without even thinking.
Judged had expected this kind of answer and continued, “Then you are free to decide whether it will be right now or after a rest of three days.”
“We didn’t even break a sweat. We fight now, of course!” Zhuo Fan snickered.
The judge nodded and turned to Demon Soul Sect. “Do you accept the challenge? If you don’t, it will automatically declare Demon Scheming Sect as the winner and you the loser!”
Han Yunfeng squinted in thought.
Zhuo Fan paused, giving him a long look. [Didn’t he say he’ll give up earlier? Why the hesitation?]
“We accept!” However, at this moment, Demon Soul Sect suddenly decided to fight. Turning to Zhuo Fan, Han Yunfeng was filled with battle intent. “The best choice is not to fight, but it will only leave us with regret. But don’t think for a second you can humiliate us as you did to Heaven Trailing Sect. Demon Soul Sect is filled with battle demons. We’ll rather die than be shamed!”
“Humph, we’ll just see about that…” Lu Xie snorted in contempt but was stopped by Zhuo Fan.
Zhuo Fan gave him a long look and nodded, “Good, but you better come prepared. We’re not ones to go easy!”
“Humph, we don’t need your pity!” Han Yunfeng scoffed.
Zhuo Fan’s nasty grin resurfaced, turning to his team, “Demon Soul Sect is unlike the Heaven Trailing Sect. They won’t balk under fear. We can’t mess around with them and have to take them seriously.”
“But they only have two Ethereal Stage experts. Why so serious?” Kui Lang paused and gave the opponent an odd stare.
Zhuo Fan smiled, “Look at their eyes, and you’ll see they have made peace with death. You might want to have fun, but they are serious. They won’t let it go your way. That is why it’s better to face them head-on and give them proper respect. They have come to the gathering fully aware that they might never return and are ready to go all out if they do; the true spirit of a cultivator. They are nothing like kicking around some wastrels. We need to act according to our opponents, some are to be toyed with while others should be shown respect!”
Startled, the gang turned in Demon Soul Sect’s direction.
Sure enough, although they were around the level of the Heaven Trailing Sect, they were determined to see this fight through, one way or the other. Despite witnessing how they trashed Heaven Trailing Sect, they still showed no fear.
“They really must be taken seriously!” Kui Lang took a deep breath and nodded. His face was solemn.
Looking at them, they were suddenly reminded of themselves from before. If not for Zhuo Fan bumping their strength, they would probably be at the level of Demon Soul Sect and could only throw their measly lives away in this Double Dragon Gathering.
They all let out a sigh of lament.
The judge turned from one team to another. “Disciples, please enter the Sumeru Dimension. The second challenge of the middle three sects challenge round begins!”
Zhuo Fan led his team towards the gateway. Han Yunfeng followed as well. Whether intentionally or not, Zhuo Fan paused for Han Yunfeng’s team to catch up.
Just like that, the two walked abreast, entering the valley simultaneously.
“The prick sure has his charm, not always an insufferable bastard.” Wu Qingqiu couldn’t help but smile.
Yan Mo’s eyes shook at the side, and he had to nod. “Indeed, Demon Scheming Sect is at its peak, and he should be brash and wild. But when he entered the valley, he chose to wait for Han Yunfeng to catch up and go in at the same time. It is a sign of respect.”
“That is true. Respect me, and I shall do the same. Insult me, and I’ll make you pay a thousand times over. It seems to me the fact that he drove Demon Scheming Sect into butchering Heaven Trailing Sect is justifiable. But all we saw in that battle was Demon Scheming Sect’s cruelty and not Heaven Trailing Sect’s arrogance. That is why we all labeled the Demon Scheming Sect’s men as thugs. This is why demon cultivators earned their bad name, ha-ha-ha… What a world!”
Eyeing him, Yan Mo nodded, “Who’d have thought a righteous disciple would know the toils of us demonic cultivators?”
“Ha-ha-ha, it’s because I’m a righteous cultivator that I need to have tolerance. Demonic cultivators are paranoid yet not necessarily wrong. I will not be prejudiced.”
Wu Qingqiu chuckled and said to Yan Mo, “By the way, I don’t find this Zhuo Fan that unreasonable. Just that he acts differently depending on the people and situations, while also a bit heavy-handed. You said he almost got you killed. How did you manage to piss him off?”
“Uh, well… it’s none of your business!” Yan Mo turned red and shifted his head away.
Wu Qingqiu snickered at his reaction.
[Demonic cultivators love to make a scene, are narrow-minded, and must have what they want. Therefore when the two of them meet, sparks fly. Sigh, while righteous cultivators love to don the mask of hypocrisy. That should level things out, right?]
Wu Qingqiu shook his head at this thought.
[Demons are frank and irritable, while the just are fake and calm. Though who can tell who is the demon and who is just?]
Meanwhile, when the two teams entered the valley, they stood across from each other. Zhuo Fan jumped and landed behind his team.
Han Yunfeng and the others frowned. Zhuo Fan, however, smiled, “I’ll say it again, who can get on my level? Pass all nine of them. Then you can face me!”
Han Yunfeng’s eyelid twitched, and he stared at Zhuo Fan furiously…
