Archfiend Chapter 37

Chapter 37: Battle Royale (Two)

"Son of a bitch… You fuckin' cheat…" All he could do was weakly speak these words, seemingly finding a reasonable explanation. His voice crowing, he pulled on Xu Yangyi's hand that was gripping his throat: "That's right! You're cheating! You're definitely cheating! There's no way you can have such freakish strength!"

Xu Yangyi coldly looked at him, but didn't say anything. Waiting for Luo Sanfeng to finish his diatribe, he asked insipidly: "Was it you." 

Luo Sanfeng was dazed. Afterwards, although he couldn't speak because his throat was being gripped, he glared unwaveringly at Xu Yangyi like he wanted to devour him! Several seconds later, his entire face turned crimson as he choked. He grit his teeth rigidly and shook his head, restraining his considerable grievances.

"Rejoice." Xu Yangyi looked at him for ten seconds and laughed. Without further hassle, he tossed Luo Sanfeng aside: "Otherwise, things wouldn't be so simply as you lying down on the ground right now. My debt is quite expensive."

This action had caused all the students to gasp coldly. Simultaneously, a numbing coldness began to creep upwards from the bottom of their hearts! They understood! They knew why Xu Yangyi was doing this! They finally became aware of why he he had failed to open the door while he was making an advancement! This man… had a demon in his heart! A blood-thirsty fiend!

Chu Zhaonan's eyes had turned red in excitement, yet the expressions of the two rank ones beside him that had mocked and ridiculed Xu Yangyi after he failed to break through had become fairly unsightly in a matter of moments! 

Hadn't they originally thought the other was embarrassed? Didn't he lack the face to meet people? Wasn't his character strange? No, not at all, not whatsoever! On all accounts, absolutely not! Xu Yangyi… was only looking for a fair opportunity void of schemes to take action! He didn't even want to privately talk things out with whoever it was. Moreover, he was man that couldn't be reasoned with!

He seemed to be an emperor from ancient times. Whoever had committed offense, he would draw a ring and then strike indiscriminately towards whoever was inside the circle!

He was undertaking the most practical action to tell everyone that he would personally find out who had severed his advancement! Whoever had done it wasn't important anymore. He was giving vent to his anger! He knew that the one who had plotted against him was among these thirteen people, yet he had no plan to strike down with precision! An attack absent of distinction! Each and every one of them would be sequentially beat up!

The several people that had slandered Xu Yangyi outside his stone door at that time pursed their lips all at the same time by chance, sitting down on the arena stage crossed legged. Such a heart-palpitating feel was too uncomfortable… Uncomfortable to the degree that their hearts grew chilly!

"His data has already been computed, minister!" At this moment, the assistant at Chu Tianyi's side halted his hand above his computer and raised his head with a forehead covered in sweat: "Strength measures as a 1872 kilograms! Speed was recorded as 40 meters per second!"

Chu Tianyi shut his eyes and raised his hand. As high-level government official that understood cultivators, he knew full well what these two figures entailed...

This was an absolutely fantastic sapling! To say that it was a would-be Foundation Establishment seed wouldn't be an exaggeration! Not even to speak of the cornerstone clans of the cultivation world, a couple great powers would be stirred to their fullest, as well! However! He opened his eyes, revealing neither trace of warmth or coldness and stealthily glanced at Firecloud.

No one knew what was inside that jade chest… except him! This treasure… Even if you are good seedling! Even if you are a heavenly-blessed talent! You would still be unsuited to obtain it! 

"Strength approached 1900 kilograms! Speed is forty meters per second!" As these figures appeared on many people's computers, it was unknown how many complexions changed. There was excitement, exhilaration, and also a sighing helplessness, a complexity of many feelings blended and combined together.

"This fist strength… This speed… This kid is only a step away from the middle stage of Qi Condensation! Heavens Law branch numbers sure can be fucking depended on!" A middle-aged woman slammed the handrail with burning anxiety. She grit her teeth: "Which clan doesn't desire such a talent? If he goes to a cultivation clan, maybe he'll obtain major assistance! The support of overwhelming resources!"

"But…" Not so far away, an old man faintly sighed: "How can such a talent fancy the cultivation clans… With the people of a couple major powers here, the more he displays his brilliance… the more unlikely he is to come to us…" 

"Yes… Perhaps they've long made prior contact. Such a talent has probably been selected already."

Shadowslay and Firecloud didn't speak, but they carried a trace of happiness in their eyes. At this moment, a extremely soft sound, but one that was crystal clear, entered everyone's ears.

"Crack… Crack…"

It was similar to a biscuit crumbling, yet as this sound echoed, everyone was of one heart as they looked at the surrounding stone steles with an incomparably fiery gaze!

This was a sound… that they could not be considered familiar with because it had been far, far too long since it had appeared. But yet, they were exceptionally familiar with it! It was because when this sound emerged, it was sure representation of the birth of a hero!

The arrival of a saint child! 

Firecloud, Shadowslay, Lilac, Lotus, and Vulture, the gazes of those of the Big Three and the Foundation Establishment cultivators unquestionably gathered on the stone steles above. However, in the next second, the recruiters of the Big Three that had originally been standing in shock were unable to restrain the simultaneous dropping of their jaws! 

Stone steles had cracked! 

Among the 120-plus stone steles, cracks appeared on twenty of them! On five of them, cracks began to frantically climb upwards and immediately covered their entire faces in only a few seconds!

"Champion of the 2009th graduation… Songdongyue City's Zhang Yiheng…" An old ancestor stood up, his voice hoarse as he looked at the crack-covered stone stele.

"Champion of the 2013rd graduation… Beijiangyuan City's Mu Gaoping… Right now, he's at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, working at CSIB. Ten years ago, he slew the old middle-stage Foundation Establishment monster, B-rank listed Brilliant Moon… The bounty was… 2.72 billion…" On the other side, a man that appeared over fifty years of age said incredulously, trill of voice.

"Champion of the 2071st graduation… Fengyi City's Teng Xue… The initial stage of Foundation Establishment… Currently the Featherwood Guard's vice commander of the Vermillion Bird Division… Nantong Province's second bounty hunter unit… This… This…" Not too distant from the middle-aged man was an old woman propped on crutches. Because of the trembling of her face covered in wrinkles, the muscles on her face had balled into disarray. 

"Champion of the 1999th graduation, Yangming City's Gu Feng of the Gu Clan… Presently, he is the commander of the Capital Government's imperial city protectors, 'Yan-Huang Sentinels', part of the CSIB cultivator organization. As a middle-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, he is the seventh in martial contest…" Lilac looked at the five stone steles as the cracks on them became more numerous, and her heart leapt up to her throat: "Last month… he shut me out from making an official visit…"*

"Crumble…" As the cracks multiplied, a tremendous boom rang out ten seconds later! The five stone steles had completely shattered apart! They transformed into specks of white light and faded away from the arena!

No one spoke. Not a person opened their mouth. Even Shadowslay and Firecloud didn't know what to say at this moment. These weren't just city champions… these were provincial champions of their respective graduations!

There were many that they recognized! But below their eyelids now, five stone steles of figures they knew of had exploded into bits! In addition, twenty other stone steles had been covered in cracks, shaking incessantly!

"Rumble…" The deep and low sound of the stone steles' swaying seemed to echo in each person's heart. No one had expected that in the first matchup, Xu Yangyi's talent would surpass that of five past champions! The arts of Core Formation masters had judged the talent that Xu Yangyi had displayed as being above these twenty-five people. This was above twenty-five provincial champions of past generations!

The venue had become silent. Qi Condensation cultivators had shaken themselves into speechlessness. The two Foundation Establishment cultivators also didn't know what to say.

"Xu Yangyi." Xu Yangyi cared nothing about this. Presently, he only cared about getting to the bottom who it was that had dared to seal away the spiritual energies of heaven and earth as he failed to break through. It wasn't until a voice echoed out did he gather his bearings.

This was because it was Firecloud's voice.

From shock, every person retrieved their attention. This was the first time a Foundation Establishment cultivator had spoke.

"Do you understand Foundation Establishment cultivators?" Firecloud's smile carried a trace of gentleness: "Do you have one you admire…"

"No." His voice not yet dropping, Shadowslay's voice calmly rang out. 

Firecloud suddenly looked over, and the gazes of the two people interlocked with each other, to the degree that specks of fire could be felt in Firecloud's eyes.

"Is Fellow Daoist Shadowslay backing out of his promise?" Firecloud laughed grimly. 

Shadowslay didn't speak. It wasn't until after a long while did he say coldly: "Your price is insufficient for his aptitude." 

"Oh?" Firecloud smiles: "Old me doesn't want that small-scale spirit stone mine." 

Extreme decisiveness!

Shadowslay was silent for a few seconds and looked at Firecloud seriously: "Fellow Daoist Firecloud, it is not that I am going back on my words, but I won't let you have this seedling. I cannot let you have him." 

"You!" Firecloud's thoughts spewed upwards like a backfire, and at the same time, it was also extremely complicated. Who would've thought that although Xu Yangyi's talents were less than Sunnihiliator's, he wasn't lacking by any means! It could even be said he was a talent towering far above the standard level!

It had to be known that moments ago, it was just a life or death battle not worth mentioning! Their strengths had been of equal grades! 

But it was a steamroll! 

If… this graduation had someone comparable to him in strength, both sides would truly explode with potential, and then perhaps…

Firecloud was extremely understanding that perhaps… it wouldn't only be a matter of twenty swaying stone steles and five shattered ones!

He turned his eyes towards the taciturn Chu Zhaonan. Finally, his eyes fell upon the holstered pistol at his waist. It was probable that perhaps a true clash of titans would occur between these two. A showdown between a tyrannosaurus rex in human form and gun kata, who would be the hunter? Who would be the hunted? 

Retracting his gaze, he mumbled to himself, yet didn't give up on his plans at all. As long as such a person stepped out of these doors, which power wouldn't want to have him? Didn't he notice the eyes of the juniors from the Bountiful Treasures Pavilion, Featherwood Guard, and the CSIB turn green in desire? He sighed silently. Previously, he had believed Xu Yangyi wouldn't be any match for Chu Zhaonan. His vision hadn't even faltered over the other's body. As a result...

"Fellow Daoist Firecloud." Shadowslay understood this reasoning in kind and cupped his hands: "Let us postpone this matter and wait until after the Qualifier. Then, everyone can rely on their own methods. How about it?"

Not waiting for Firecloud to speak, he waved his hand, his voice containing a rare softness to it: "Rest. In five minutes, the next lineup will be prepared."

Firecloud kneaded the flesh of his cheek several times, but ultimately didn't open his mouth again. The arena was clamorous, yet Shadowslay didn't give it much thought, rather he waved his hand and eleven iron plates appeared. He casually grabbed two and his gaze slightly flashed. Softly rolling them in his hands, the snowy-white rays of spiritual energy condensed two names on the right and left sides in mid air once more. 

Tianfeng City, Chu Zhaonan.

Beijiangyuan City, Gao Ye.

Chu Tianyi set down his teacup and used his walking stick to stand up. As long as Chu Zhaonan raised his head, he would see Chu Tianyi's figure.

However, Chu Zhaonan didn't even raise his head. The arena had swiftly fallen into a calm, as if it was a sea where a storm had passed just moments ago. Everyone was making conjectures and discussing the battle that had just passed in a wink of time. No one would remember Luo Sanfeng's name, but Xu Yangyi's name had already been drawn in striking red by several major powers and as well as some powerful cultivation clans. Such a feeling made Chu Zhaonan extremely uncomfortable. 

* 炎黄 - Yan-Huang Sentinels is the name I chose for this group. The thing is, it's only supposed to be called "Yan-Huang". Literally translated, it's "Flame Yellow", however, the true meaning, especially since they are supposed to be the protectors of the forbidden city, refers to two famous emperors in Chinese history/myth Yan Di and Huang Di (Flame Emperor and Yellow Emperor).

T/N: Here are the six chapters for the past six days. I was working on style again to see what works for me, etc. Separate post announcement coming soon regarding story. 

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