Chapter 113
Chapter 113
Inside the special space, the spectator stands were packed. Everyone was wildly enthusiastic about the imminent finale of Pinnacle Showdown, eager to learn who would ultimately claim the championship.
“Why hasn’t it started yet? It’s already ten!”
“Zhouyou Shijie has been arrogant for too long. I hope he gets knocked out in an upset!”
“Quit dragging this out and start already!”
…
Countless gazes converged on the enormous arena as the crowd waited impatiently.
At around ten past ten, a system message appeared before every contestant.
Ding!
[System Notification: Round Five of [Pinnacle Showdown] will use a free-challenge format. Based on their performance in previous rounds, the system has ranked all sixteen contestants. Each contestant may challenge any player ranked no more than two places above them. Each contestant may lose only once, so choose carefully!]
“They’re doing it this way?” Bawang exclaimed in surprise.
“It is fair, though.” Gaibang Laoda saw nothing wrong with the rules. “Everyone has a rough idea of the strength rankings after the previous rounds. Even if there are fluctuations, they won’t be large.”
“…”
Everyone found themselves agreeing.
Many of the contestants had already fought one another in the fourth round. It was now fairly obvious who was stronger than whom.
Whoosh!
After the two-minute period for reading the rules ended, the rankings of the final sixteen appeared above the arena.
1. Barrier Breaker · Submit and Perish
2. Flame Venerable · Zhouyou Shijie
3. Shadow Lord · Rule by Inaction
4. Poison Master · Final Arrangements
5. Windcatcher · Tingfeng Xiyu
6. God-Favored Summoner · Moxiang
7. Gale Archer · Stop Bothering Me
8. Plant Mage · Lemon Mint
9. …
…
“How does that make any sense?” Tingfeng Xiyu complained as he stared at the rankings. “How can Zhouyou Shijie be ranked below Submit and Perish?”
“What’s so strange about that?” Submit and Perish smiled smugly. “The system’s calculations are more accurate than any human’s!”
“They both defeated their opponents without losing any HP. The difference may come down to how long each victory took,” Rule by Inaction, who had remained silent until now, offered.
“I see!”
The others suddenly understood.
If the ranking factored in time, then Zhouyou Shijie’s lower placement made perfect sense. Submit and Perish had ended every battle with a single Forbidden Spell, while Zhouyou Shijie had given his opponents chances to display their strength.
“Whether anyone can hold their ranking will be decided in the arena.” Zhou Ming did not particularly care.
Compared to Submit and Perish, he actually considered Rule by Inaction the stronger player. The current rankings were not accurate at all.
Ding!
[System Notification: Round Five of [Pinnacle Showdown] has officially begun. Contestants may challenge any opponent ranked no more than two places above them. Defeat leaves your ranking unchanged, while victory causes you and your opponent to exchange rankings!]
“It’s finally starting!”
The crowd’s excitement surged. All eyes turned eagerly toward the arena.
“…”
And yet, none of the sixteen contestants issued a challenge right away.
They sat in their seats with lowered eyes and composed expressions. Each had secretly chosen a target, but no one wanted to be the first to make a move.
They could only afford one loss!
Many players had yet to reveal their trump cards, making the true rankings impossible to judge. Anyone who acted rashly risked becoming one of the combatants who exhausted each other, only for a third party to reap the rewards.
“Since everyone wants to move second, I’ll open the show!” Zhou Ming rose to his feet. “I challenge…”
Ding!
[System Notification: Poison Master · Final Arrangements has challenged you!]
“I look forward to your guidance!”
Final Arrangements stood up.
Zhou Ming glanced at the contestant the system had ranked fourth without showing any anger. “Likewise.”
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Both players appeared on the arena, triggering a deafening wave of cheers.
“I didn’t expect Final Arrangements to have that much nerve!”
“If he dares challenge Zhouyou Shijie, he must have some kind of trump card, right?”
…
Zhou Ming studied the young man before him. He looked around twenty years old and wore black mage robes while holding a green staff, an appearance perfectly suited to his class:
[Poison Master · Final Arrangements] (Dark Priest)
Level: 62
HP: 84,220
Attack: 5,920-6,266
Defense: 3,241-3,419
Skills: [Hand of Reversal] [Dark Domain] [Dark Healing] [Evil Resurrection] [Dark Restoration] [Death’s Punishment] [Soul Lash] [Gods’ Protection]
Description: Entirely unlike an ordinary priest. He is poor at saving lives and excels at taking them.
…
When Zhou Ming saw the last skill on his opponent’s list, his eyes narrowed slightly. He had a rough idea where the man’s confidence came from.
Ultimately, the gods did not want him to win the championship. The champion’s rewards would be incredibly generous, adding further uncertainty to the battles that followed.
“Your stats are too high. That’s hardly fair to me!” Final Arrangements had come prepared to face Zhouyou Shijie, a name renowned throughout the Eastern Region. His expression remained calm. “So using a little trick to forcibly narrow the gap isn’t going too far, is it?”
The instant the match began, he activated his trump card. Dark light erupted from his body, and his strength soared.
Ding!
[System Notification: Poison Master · Final Arrangements has used the one-use temporary skill [Gods’ Protection]. Base HP +20,000, Base Attack +1,500, Base Defense +1,200, and All Attributes +150% for 10 minutes. As the price, after use, Level -5 and the user enters a Weakened state for 10 days, reducing All Attributes by 200%!]
In an instant, Final Arrangements’ stats surged to match Zhou Ming’s. Even after Warlord reduced his All Attributes by nearly 15.7%, there was still little difference between them.
But Final Arrangements had paid an equally brutal price for that power.
He had thrown everything away for the sake of victory.
“Do whatever you like.”
Zhou Ming’s expression did not change.
“Come on!”
His strength massively enhanced, Final Arrangements beckoned at Zhou Ming with complete confidence. “Let’s fight for three hundred rounds!”
Zhou Ming merely smiled. A glimmer of red flashed in his eyes.
You’ll do nicely for testing Heavenrend’s power!
With little more than a thought, the phantom of a greatsword appeared in midair. It was several times larger than Dawnbringer, stretching seventy or eighty meters in length. Dense sword intent and rolling flames poured from it, radiating crushing pressure.
“Hiss!!”
Sharp breaths echoed throughout the spectator stands.
Who could possibly withstand such an enormous blade hanging over their head?
Shhk!
The greatsword plunged like a meteor.
That move again?
Other people might fear it, but I don’t!
Final Arrangements did not panic. An instant before the strike landed, he swiftly raised his staff. A black thread shot from its tip like a lightning bolt and connected him to Zhou Ming.
Ding!
[System Notification: Poison Master · Final Arrangements has used [Soul Lash]. Flame Venerable · Zhouyou Shijie will bear 80% of all damage taken by the user for 3 seconds!]
Ding!
[System Notification: Flame Venerable · Zhouyou Shijie has used [Holy Flame Purification], dispelling all negative effects and restoring 20% HP. For 5 seconds after activation, he gains Super Armor and becomes immune to all crowd control effects!]
Zhou Ming forcibly dispelled Soul Lash within 0.2 seconds of its activation.
“Fuck!”
Final Arrangements’ eyes bulged.
What kind of reaction speed was that?
Boom!!
The terrifying greatsword slammed down, blasting a crater more than ten meters deep into the arena. Its blade sliced into the floor as easily as tofu, sending wave after wave of force rolling outward before it slowly dissipated.
Final Arrangements did not even have time to make his final arrangements. Nothing remained of him but a pool of blood.
Ding!
[System Notification: Flame Venerable · Zhouyou Shijie has used [Heavenrend], dealing 513,671 Critical Damage to you. You have died!]
“…”
As everyone stared blankly at the horrifying sight in the arena, the entire world seemed to fall silent.
…