Chapter 121: One Strike
Xiong Tao’s bristles stood on end. At the last moment, he dodged to the side. The spinning blade grazed his temple as it flew past. Blood surged, and the enraged bear grappled onto the arena with its limbs.
With a sudden burst of strength, his burly figure shot out like a cannonball.
Chu Xuan’s scarlet pupils flickered, and a guttural sound emerged from his throat as his twin blades clashed in front of his chest, erupting in a spray of blood mist.
The blood mist condensed into countless fine threads that wrapped around Xiong Tao’s limbs, each thread greedily absorbing the biological energy of any creature it touched.
“Get lost!”
A fierce glint flared in Xiong Tao’s eyes, his muscles expanding once more. He forcibly broke free from the restraints, the resulting shockwave shattering all the surrounding blood threads.
The residual energy from their battle was significant, but the energy barrier surrounding the arena blocked it, preventing it from reaching the outside.
“He can’t win,” Ming Lin concluded after watching for only a moment. “The Bloody Butcher can absorb others’ biological energy and grows stronger the more he fights.”
This profession belonged to the Court of Justice. They could find out not only its abilities or characteristics but even its recruitment requirements, as they were core seeds.
“However,” Ming Lin noticed something was off. “Chu Xuan’s use of the Bloody Butcher’s abilities is very agile. It doesn’t seem like he just got promoted.”
“He’s going to lose,” Zhong Ming’s expression turned grim.
The others nodded involuntarily. They had only seen a few moves, and the outcome was already clear to them.
As expected, after a brief grapple, Xiong Tao was defeated. His years of combat experience only served to make his defeat less disastrous.
He knelt on one knee on the arena, panting heavily. His once imposing physique had shrunk by more than half, and his body was covered in wounds.
Chu Xuan, on the other hand, seemed to be in better condition, enveloped in blood flames, his aura subtly growing even stronger.
To fight is to grow stronger; this was the essence of the Bloody Butcher!
“You… you weren’t just promoted. I was tricked!” Xiong Tao gritted his teeth.
As his opponent, he could feel it most clearly. Chu Xuan showed no signs of being newly promoted; his abilities were used with extreme agility.
Hearing Xiong Tao’s words, a discussion erupted below. “He wasn’t just promoted? Did Chu Xuan deceive Zhong Ming?”
“He’s brave and cunning. As expected… none of the people who become core seeds are easy to deal with.”
From the audience seats, Zhong Ming suddenly turned to Wei Yufan and said sternly, “Did you cover for him?”
His information came from the Profession Analysis Office, and among the core seeds, only Wei Yufan had the ability to conceal information there.
“How could I let him accept a challenge right after being promoted? That would be too unfair,” Wei Yufan said calmly. Ignoring Zhong Ming’s displeased expression, he turned his gaze to Su Chen. “Besides, Chu Xuan isn’t the only one whose promotion was concealed.”
At these words, everyone’s expression changed slightly. Ming Lin abruptly turned to look at Su Chen, his face a mixture of surprise and uncertainty.
Feng Ze looked over in surprise. The Profession Analysis Office had absolutely no news of Su Chen’s promotion.
“Junior Brother Su, how long are you going to keep hiding?” Wei Yufan chuckled lightly. “Last night, the Gu Family began purchasing Third Order Auxiliary Potions overnight, and early this morning, you requested one copy each of D-Rank Body Tempering Method and Meditation Method.”
“In the Court of Justice, there are no secrets.”
This guy’s information was indeed thorough. Su Chen wasn’t surprised.
From the moment he asked the Gu Family to prepare, he knew the news would spread quickly, but he hadn’t expected it to be this fast.
“Did you promote yourself?” Feng Ze asked in surprise. If he promoted himself, the Court of Justice wouldn’t reimburse the resources consumed.
But he quickly understood why Su Chen had done this: to familiarize himself with his abilities sooner.
Once they were promoted to Third Order, they would inevitably be challenged, so they had to do it discreetly to get acquainted with their abilities first.
Ming Lin, however, realized that Wei Yufan’s sudden revelation of this matter was ill-intentioned.
As expected, in the next moment, Chu Xuan, who was still enjoying the cheers on the arena, suddenly looked up towards the direction of Su Chen and the others.
“Su Chen!” he shouted. Since the assessment, Chu Xuan found even hearing the name from others irritating and rarely mentioned it himself.
Instantly, the previously noisy venue quickly fell silent, and everyone’s gaze was filled with anticipation.
Chu Xuan’s voice, deep and resonant, echoed through the hall. “Since you’ve also been promoted to Third Order, don’t hide anymore. I want to fight you!”
After a brief silence, exclamations of surprise came from below the arena.
“Su Chen was promoted to Third Order too? Why is no one discussing this? Is it true or not?”
“It’s probably true. It’s not hard to verify.”
While a promotion could be silent, one’s life aura and mental resilience could not be concealed. A Chief Judge could easily confirm it.
“Su Chen is also Third Order?” Jiang Shumo couldn’t help but be surprised. “Really?”
You Shan’s eyes flashed. After a moment, she nodded, “Indeed, he is already a Third Order professional.”
Chong Jingtian rubbed his chin, his eyes filled with astonishment. “How could it be so fast?”
“Then today is truly a battle of sworn enemies,” Jiang Shumo said with great anticipation. “There’s a show to watch.”
“It’s hard to say. Su Chen might not admit it,” You Shan said nonchalantly. “After all, he’s Xia Hanshi’s student; he might not play by the usual rules.”
“No way,” Jiang Shumo said in surprise.
“Such strong mental fluctuations…” Su Chen subconsciously looked towards a room on the top floor. Ming Lin and the others beside him also sensed it.
“Since Teacher is here, the Chief is probably here too…” Ming Lin’s expression turned grim, realizing that today was likely a trap set for Su Chen.
During the beginner assessment, Chu Xuan felt he had suffered immense humiliation.
He wanted to reclaim his honor, and that wasn’t just about defeating Su Chen; it was about changing the perception of most people that “Chu Xuan is inferior to Su Chen.”
However, a situation as grand as the assessment only happened once a year, and they could no longer participate.
Fortunately, due to the challenge ranking system, both Chu Xuan and Su Chen were receiving attention, and many were waiting for them to reach Third Order.
Chu Xuan’s promotion to a Top Tier Profession drew even more attention.
Coupled with the covert momentum building, the first battle was bound to attract many spectators.
As they had predicted, the number of people who came this time far exceeded their expectations.
“No wonder people have been discussing Su Chen and Chu Xuan more and more recently… it was you who were building momentum.”
Ming Lin glared darkly at Wei Yufan. The remarks he had heard about Su Chen earlier might have been deliberately spread by the latter to provoke him into inviting Su Chen.
Wei Yufan withdrew his gaze, his brow furrowed slightly. The effect was surprisingly good. He hadn’t expected even the remaining Chief Judges to show up; the Chief was likely here too.
But this meant Chu Xuan was receiving too much attention. He wanted to use this opportunity to win over Chu Xuan and suppress Su Chen, thereby consolidating his own position.
However, he didn’t want Chu Xuan to be overly praised.
As countless eyes focused on Su Chen, Wei Yufan’s voice remained calm. “Junior Brother won’t deny it, will he?”
Ming Lin looked at Su Chen with concern. Denying it was an option; the higher-ups, respecting Xia Hanshi, wouldn’t expose him on the spot.
But he could only evade the immediate issue, not the inevitable one.
“Scheming…” Su Chen looked at the arena, his voice devoid of emotion. “Since that’s the case, let’s have a fight.”
His reaction surprised many. Before Ming Lin could speak, Su Chen slightly bent his knees and propelled himself from the audience seats, landing gracefully on the arena.
“He’s here. He really reached Third Order. He’s been hiding it quite deeply.”
The judges below grew even more excited. They were tired of simple challenges; battles with a story were far more interesting.
“Why the rush? There’s no betting going on!”
“Promoted silently without the help of the analysis office? He’s definitely not a Top Tier Profession. Su Chen is in danger…”
Chu Xuan looked at his opponent, his heart a mix of emotions. In the past, he used to have nightmares about this person.
But after this experience, his mindset had matured considerably. He faced Su Chen with much more calmness and a newfound confidence in his eyes.
“I know you have dual professions, and your strength is not to be underestimated. But Top Tier Professions are still Top Tier Professions, and the gap widens with higher ranks.”
“Dual professions? Right, Su Chen was rumored to have Double Crimson Gold back then. If his mental and physical aspects are both Third Order, the situation won’t be so one-sided.”
Many judges, blinded by the Ink Jade Talent, suddenly remembered that Su Chen’s physical talent was also Crimson Gold, and they became excited.
“A clash of titans! A battle of sworn enemies!”
Chu Xuan’s eyes were calm. “Actually, I no longer blame you for what happened during the assessment. If I were you, I wouldn’t hold back out of consideration for others. So, please don’t blame me today.”
Su Chen’s expression was peculiar. Chu Xuan didn’t seem to have found peace; rather, he seemed to be saying, “I have surpassed you, so I don’t care about what happened before.”
Is this guy crazy?
However, his expression gradually settled. To be honest, since entering the Court of Justice, he had never paid attention to Chu Xuan, not out of contempt.
It was more like “each went their own way.”
In the situation of the assessment, who would hide their true strength?
Moreover, he hadn’t even spoken a word to Chu Xuan that day, let alone mocked him. If Chu Xuan couldn’t resolve his own issues, how could he blame Su Chen?
And for Chu Xuan to not only remember this but also meticulously plan such a scheme made him somewhat annoyed.
Therefore, he remained silent. A gust of wind swirled around his body, signaling that the battle could begin.
Chu Xuan immediately received Su Chen’s signal. His silence made him somewhat angry.
Boom! Blood flames erupted and encircled his body. Without hesitation, Chu Xuan struck, stomping on the arena and charging forward like a blood-red lightning bolt, swift and fast.
He brandished a pair of door-sized blood-red butcher’s cleavers that tore through the air, hacking towards Su Chen.
A flash of sapphire light flickered in Su Chen’s eyes. Instantly, countless pale green lightning snakes shot out from his pores, forming a swirling thunderous storm field around his body.
Lightning surged down his arms, his hair standing on end due to static electricity, and a pale green crown vaguely formed above his head.
Chu Xuan is definitely not weak; this was Su Chen’s thought while observing. Regardless of how petty the guy was, the strength of a Top Tier Profession was undeniable.
Furthermore, his Second Order was also a Top Tier Profession. As for his First Order, Su Chen wasn’t sure, but it was highly likely to be one as well.
Relying solely on his physical profession, Su Chen could defeat him, but it would inevitably take some time.
To repay Chu Xuan for his meticulous scheming and for creating such a grand spectacle, Su Chen decided to go all out.
As his mental power surged, a dark glint flashed in his pale green, thunder-filled eyes.
【Heituo’s Gaze 】 is a professional ability and has nothing to do with Heituo himself. He is not afraid to use it in front of several Chief Judges.
Chu Xuan, charging towards him, sensed Su Chen’s current power. The aura he exuded made Chu Xuan feel a tremor of apprehension.
“Is this the power of dual professions?” Chu Xuan wondered. Su Chen had used this combat method once before during the assessment.
Afterward, a message circulated among the higher-ups of the Court of Justice that this was because Su Chen’s mental and physical professions had fused, giving birth to a more powerful ability.
But this was within his expectations.
“I specialize in prolonged fights. The longer it goes, the more…” Chu Xuan was thinking when his vision suddenly blurred. His mind felt like it had been struck a heavy blow, and a sense of weightlessness washed over him. The surroundings turned a dull gray.
“This… what is this…”
Chu Xuan’s heart panicked, while his body in the outside world seemed to lose support and plunged downward.
Meanwhile, Su Chen began to gather his strength, stepping back. His right arm was enveloped in fierce pale green lightning, resembling the center of a vortex, drawing in the surrounding raging thunder.
Simultaneously, streaks of crimson lightning arcs appeared around him. Under Su Chen’s control, they whipped across Chu Xuan’s body like frenzied electric snakes.
The blinding lightning almost obscured everything.
Boom!
Only when Su Chen felt a stinging pain in his arm did he launch his attack. His fist tore through the air, and the pale green lightning coiled around his arm spiraled outward like a living thing.
The accumulated energy formed a conical shockwave the moment he threw the punch. The thunderous aura and wind pressure intertwined into a roaring drill that slammed into the falling Chu Xuan.
“Where… where is this place?”
Chu Xuan was extremely anxious, realizing this was a mental attack.
But he was a Top Tier Profession with extremely high mental resilience. Ordinary mental attacks would at most cause him a brief daze; they wouldn’t make him completely lose control.
But soon, an invisible pulling sensation was felt, and his vision suddenly cleared, his consciousness returning to his body.
“Not good!” Chu Xuan’s pupils contracted in alarm. Fierce, violent lightning filled his vision; the threat was imminent!
He instinctively tried to resist but felt his entire body go numb, unable to move even slightly for a moment.
Crack—
With a crisp bone-cracking sound, he could only watch helplessly as half of Su Chen’s fist embedded itself in his chest.
Immediately, a violent force erupted, and the intense pain spreading from his chest overwhelmed his nerves, causing his entire chest to cave in.
His field of vision shifted backward. Chu Xuan, with almost no defense, was sent flying!
Bang!
A violent impact reverberated from his back as he slammed into the energy barrier, jarring his internal organs. He then fell heavily to the ground.
Uncontrollably, he spat out a mouthful of blood.
The severe paralysis in his body made it difficult to even lift a finger. Crimson electric arcs spread across his body, causing him to convulse, and parts of his skin had turned scorched black.
Chu Xuan’s pupils trembled, his mouth and eyes askew from the paralysis, and blood continuously overflowed.
The area below the arena fell silent, and the watching crowd was dumbfounded.
Even though they had witnessed everything, they were as bewildered as Chu Xuan.
“…One hit… just one hit…”
Someone gulped.
What happened to the promised clash of titans? What about the battle of sworn enemies?
