Chapter 142
Chapter 142
The stadium was absurdly enormous.
Qin Lan had previously heard plenty about the Nine Academies Tournament venue–things like “the second-ranked arena in the Central Region” and “construction costs beyond imagination”–but he hadn’t paid much attention.
Only after arriving in person did he understand the meaning of luxury.
Rather than a stadium, it resembled a vast plain surrounded by spectator stands.
Looking toward the seats on the opposite side, one could see only a blurry gray-white line, without even distinguishing the countless tiers of chairs.
During the matches, technology would broadcast every detail and ensure each spectator saw the exciting moments.
Otherwise, from that distance, they would see only two ant-sized black dots fighting.
Desert, volcano, rainforest, ice field…
Numerous environments with entirely different styles existed simultaneously in one place.
Before competing, every contestant drew lots to determine their battlefield. Anyone fortunate enough to draw terrain suited to their Talent gained an advantage from both time and place.
It was one of the Nine Academies Tournament’s major attractions.
Take Qian Yang, for example, who had only recently woken up.
If she fought in the rainforest, her vines would become even more concealed and impossible to guard against.
At present, students from the various academies were entering in turns to display their strength.
Just as Xu Minghu had said, those who participated in the exhibition were middling competitors seeking greater exposure beneath the spotlight.
The true powerhouses, such as Su Xiaoyue and Li Fengyun, chose to remain hidden and conceal their trump cards.
The others knew they weren’t strong enough to place well in the formal competition, so they chose this method to fight for an opportunity.
Many powers paid close attention to the Nine Academies Tournament.
Besides the two giants–the Anomaly Hunter Bureau and United Government–several private organizations were also watching closely.
Anyone who caught their eye would naturally enjoy a bright future.
Put simply, this was a “product showcase.”
Except the products displayed themselves.
Of course, some people simply enjoyed attention and a sense of superiority, and they also chose to show off at this time.
For example, the one below…
With a thunderous boom, a towering figure rose from the volcanic zone.
It was a crimson giant with rolling lava flowing across its entire body!
The giant stood seven or eight meters tall, nearly as high as a two-story building.
Scalding smoke billowed from its body, and every movement stirred a howling gale.
The image was swiftly enlarged and projected before every spectator. At the perfect moment, the tournament host announced its name.
“Now entering the arena is Mo Qiong of Blazing Sun Academy!”
“He possesses a tier-three Curse Core and an A-rank Talent, [Lava Incarnation]. Famous for overwhelming force, he once defeated an opponent with a tier-four Curse Core head-on!”
“He is the symbol of fire, the embodiment of strength, and a cold-blooded meat grinder avoided by all!”
The host’s voice swiftly stirred the audience’s emotions. Many were shocked by the exaggerated giant incarnation and released all manner of exclamations.
Then the image abruptly changed to a proud-looking young man with long hair.
He stood upon a long sword and flew through the air!
Dressed in flowing white robes like an exiled immortal descending to the mortal realm, his fairly handsome face instantly drew screams from countless women in the audience.
Uh, some male spectators screamed too… but we can ignore that unimportant detail for now.
Inside the lounge, Qin Lan’s eyes bulged. “Holy shit!”
“He’s cheating! That’s definitely cheating! Why the fuck is there a cultivator here?!”
“He’s flying on a sword. Is he a Golden Core cultivator? Why even compete? Just hand him the championship!”
Xu Minghu sneered beside him.
“You’re overthinking it. That’s his Talent–telekinetic object control.”
“In reality, he’s simply controlling an object to fly while standing on top of it… But he loves showing off, so he had an enormous sword specially forged.”
“Look, those clothes are custom-made too. They’re completely unsuitable for combat.”
“His strength is average, but no one can compete with his ability to show off.”
Understanding dawned on Qin Lan.
What a relief. He’d thought a cultivator had wandered into an apocalypse novel.
If the guy truly were a Golden Core or Nascent Soul cultivator, wouldn’t that be a dimensional massacre?
Fortunately, it was only telekinetic object control.
The host continued building hype for the “Golden Core cultivator.”
“From Crescent Moon Academy, the elegant gentleman nicknamed Froststar Sword–Li Jianxing!”
“He moves like a ghost, walks through empty air, and transforms himself into a sword to roam freely between heaven and earth…”
“As the saying goes, fallen blossoms have no heart, but the sword does…”
Qin Lan grew somewhat expectant.
“That’s pretty cool… Does everyone receive an introduction when they enter?”
Xu Minghu shook his head.
“No. They wrote those introductions themselves beforehand and gave them to the host to read.”
What?
They wrote them themselves.
Qin Lan looked disappointed. “I have to write my own…? That’s too much trouble.”
“I thought I’d get an outrageously impressive introduction when I entered too.”
Xu Minghu couldn’t help looking at Qin Lan.
“You’re genuinely going? Why?”
“Is it really just to show off?”
Xu Minghu looked contemptuous. “Showoffs get struck by lightning, kid. A person should stay humble…”
“Old geezer, I’ve tolerated you long enough…” Qin Lan ground his teeth.
“I told you, this is part of a plan! A plan!”
Xu Minghu clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction, clearly not believing him.
…
At that moment, the host glanced at the list in his hand and paused.
“Uh, next to enter is… is?”
“From Clear Spring Academy… Xue Chuan?”
It was an unfamiliar name and an unfamiliar face, without any additional information.
The audience was equally confused. No one had ever heard of a competitor by that name.
Suddenly, a voice sounded beside everyone’s ears.
[The man appearing before you was once the greatest martial artist alive.]
The instant that voice appeared, the entire stadium fell silent–or rather, deathly still.
It wasn’t especially loud, yet traveled far enough for everyone to hear clearly.
More strangely, it carried a mind-bewitching power that involuntarily made everyone tense.
[His obsession with martial arts drove him mad during training, and he was committed to a psychiatric hospital.]
[And now, he has escaped…]
[He is the ultimate number one killer–the Fire Cloud Evil God!]
Qin Lan spoke every one of those lines himself.
It was somewhat embarrassing… Fine, extremely embarrassing. But Xue Chuan’s name was attached to it, so Qin Lan didn’t give a damn.
He had staged this performance because only words spoken by Qin Lan could carry Verbal Condemnation’s effect.
It wouldn’t have the same flavor if the host said them.
“The ultimate number one killer?”
“Fire Cloud Evil God?”
“Who is that?”
Many spectators looked baffled, having never heard the title.
Only Xu Minghu became solemn. “What? The Fire Cloud Evil God?”
“Xiaoyue, how old is your boyfriend? How has he even seen a movie that ancient?”
After the Cataclysm, countless movies and television shows had vanished into the dust of history.
Hardly anyone had heard the cinematic reference Qin Lan was making now.
Su Xiaoyue covered her face. “I don’t know… Maybe he has broad interests.”
Below, Qin Lan strode into the arena.
The broadcast focused on him, and everyone wondered about the origin of this “Fire Cloud Evil God.”
What kind of strength gave someone the courage to call himself the ultimate number one killer?
Mo Qiong, the giant in the volcanic zone, Li Jianxing, who was still flying around flamboyantly on his sword, and the other competitors displaying their strength all trembled.
They sensed immense pressure from the same person.
“Fire Cloud Evil God? What an arrogant title…” Mo Qiong spoke slowly, his voice like thunder.
Li Jianxing stopped in midair and frowned into the distance. “The ultimate number one killer?”
Neither man was weak. Naturally, they could sense the oppression radiating from Qin Lan.
Qin Lan continued strolling forward and spoke again.
[I hear many experts have gathered today… I came here for only one purpose.]
[I want to beat every one of you to death–or be beaten to death by you.]
His surging mental power erupted as he pushed Verbal Condemnation’s effect to its absolute limit.
Qin Lan nearly drained every drop of his curse energy solely to make the skill affect the largest possible area.
Every competitor in the arena, no matter which zone they occupied or what they were doing…
Displayed utter terror at the exact same moment!