Chapter 210
Chapter 210
“For the third matter, I want a drop of Flame Dragon blood essence!”
Zhou Ming remembered clearly that Flame Soul Art, the enhancement skill he had received from the Trial of the Seven Sins, required Flame Dragon blood essence before it could be fully activated.
It was rare for him to visit the Dragon Domain again, so he could not overlook it.
“Hmm?”
Yun An looked completely baffled. “Forgive me for being blunt, but by elemental classification, the Crimsonflame Sacred Dragon beside you is also a Flame Dragon.”
“I know!”
Zhou Ming nodded. “But it can’t come from Xiaochi.”
“…”
Yun An gave Zhou Ming a long look, then nodded. “Very well. Consider it an additional reward for the first condition. I’ll arrange it!”
He certainly would not demand an exchange for every little matter.
If they haggled over every last detail, neither side would enjoy dealing with the other.
…
Everything proceeded smoothly after that.
Talking to intelligent people really was convenient!
Once the two sides reached an agreement, Yun An and Abel immediately returned to the Dragon Domain to make preparations.
“Theoretically speaking, it will be extremely difficult for Zhouyou Shijie to defeat Gu Ming!” Abel privately discussed the matter with Yun An.
“I know!”
Yun An’s tone remained calm. “Then when it comes to helping you break through the dimensional barrier, would you rather place your hopes in Zhouyou Shijie or Gu Ming?”
“…”
Abel froze, then sighed. “Your mind really does work faster than mine!”
Expect Gu Ming to help?
They could press a warm face to a cold backside, even kneel and lick Gu Ming’s toes, and still might not persuade him.
Setting aside the difference in strength, Zhouyou Shijie was unquestionably the superior choice in both character and reliability.
Meanwhile, Zhou Ming stood patiently in the snow, waiting for good news from the Dragon Domain Guardian.
“Ding!~”
[System Notification: Your [Solo Competition] match in Round One of [Pinnacle Showdown] is about to begin. Proceed immediately? (Note: Failure to enter the stage within 3 minutes will be treated as a forfeit.)]
“Yes!”
This time, Zhou Ming did not refuse.
He wanted to make the most of his time, but that did not mean he had no intention of participating in Pinnacle Showdown.
Swoosh!
White light descended. Under the system’s power, Zhou Ming was teleported into an arena surrounded by players from many nations and ethnicities, not merely those from a single region.
Before him stood a tall, blond-haired, blue-eyed white man. He rode a wild boar, wore armor, and wielded a massive axe. He was clearly a melee fighter.
Once both combatants were in position, their information appeared above the arena.
[Flame Venerable · Zhouyou Shijie] (Flame Demon Emperor/Sword Demon Emperor)
Level: 152
[Axe of Strength · Strange Fishy Smell] (Knight)
Level: 82
…
“Oh my God, it’s Zhouyou Shijie!”
“What the hell is he supposed to do against that?”
“This is straight-up dimensional suppression. Take my advice and surrender now!”
…
The spectators immediately noticed how bizarre the matchup was.
Zhouyou Shijie’s level was already close to twice Strange Fishy Smell’s.
How was he supposed to fight?
The level suppression alone would crush him!
“Zhouyou Shijie, I’ve heard much about you!” Strange Fishy Smell brimmed with fighting spirit. “But if you think you can defeat me through level suppression alone, you are sorely mistaken!”
With that, he raised his massive axe and roared, “Battleaxe Empowerment!”
Swoosh!
Dazzling red light enveloped the axe, and all his Attributes surged.
“Take this!”
Strange Fishy Smell charged murderously at Zhou Ming.
Admirable courage!
The spectators were visibly moved.
Despite such an enormous difference in level, Strange Fishy Smell remained calm enough to attack. His spirit was truly inspiring…
Slash!
Zhou Ming swung his sword. Divine Abyss Sword Qi ripped through the air with irresistible force and swept through Strange Fishy Smell’s body.
BOOM!
Like tofu beneath a knife, the entire arena was split in two by the tyrannical, razor-sharp sword qi. Broken stone erupted into the air.
Only when it reached the edge of the arena did the power of the rules erase the sword qi’s remaining force.
Strange Fishy Smell, who had been charging at Zhou Ming, froze midstep. His expression stiffened, then he pitched forward and collapsed in a pool of blood.
-8,453,674!
The damage number of more than eight million appeared belatedly.
Everyone: “…”
His courage was admirable, but there was no need to volunteer for a beating.
“Ding!~”
[System Notification: Congratulations! You have successfully defeated your opponent. Total Victory Points: 1! (Note: Accumulate 5 Victory Points to advance to the next round.)]
Swoosh!
The scene shifted, and Zhou Ming returned to the Snow Domain.
To be fair, mainstream players had no hope of competing with him at his current level.
Yet he had only just returned when another system chime rang.
“Ding!~”
[System Notification: Your [Team Competition] match in Round One of [Pinnacle Showdown] is about to begin. Proceed immediately? (Note: Failure to enter the stage within 3 minutes will prevent you from supporting your teammates.)]
“…Yes!”
Zhou Ming accepted.
This was clearly different from the Solo Competition.
In the Team Competition, failing to appear would not eliminate him. However, this was a rare chance to team up with other players. Skipping the very first match would make him seem somewhat aloof and arrogant.
The scene shifted again, and Zhou Ming arrived at the Team Competition venue.
This arena was considerably larger.
Tingfeng Xiyu, Wuwei Erzhi, and Shunwo Zhewang arrived beside him one after another. They were joined by a female priest named Xiaolongbao, a sweet and innocent-looking young woman who was presumably Wuwei Erzhi’s friend.
“Wow, it really is Zhouyou Shijie!” Xiaolongbao’s eyes lit up. “Wuwei, you really didn’t lie to me!”
“Why would I lie to you?”
Wuwei Erzhi laughed awkwardly. “I told you Zhouyou Shijie was on our team!”
As he spoke, he turned toward Zhou Ming in embarrassment and explained, “She’s the friend I mentioned who would be competing with us. She’s also a fan of yours, so I hope you don’t mind!”
“It’s fine!”
Zhou Ming’s gaze moved back and forth between Wuwei Erzhi and Xiaolongbao. They had barely exchanged a few words, yet he already felt his stomach beginning to ache.
After a moment’s thought, Zhou Ming issued an order. “Wuwei Erzhi, every opponent in the first round is yours. They aren’t worthy of making me act!”
“Huh?”
Xiaolongbao stared in astonishment, almost believing she had misheard. “Isn’t that going too far?”
“Didn’t you know?” Zhou Ming feigned surprise. “Wuwei Erzhi was the one who asked me to join the team. He personally promised me this.”
“I…”
Wuwei Erzhi froze and immediately tried to explain, but Zhou Ming stopped him with a look.
“Going this far just to let you meet your idol? How ridiculous!” Zhou Ming turned and left. “I don’t feel like participating in the first round. Farewell!”
“Zhouyou Shijie, that’s way too harsh!” Tingfeng Xiyu protested indignantly. “The guy just wants to be a simp. It’s not like he offended you!”
With that, Tingfeng Xiyu withdrew from the battlefield as well.
Wuwei Erzhi: “…”
How strange!
Why did he feel like Tingfeng Xiyu’s words were even more insulting?
“Foolish. Romance is the greatest taboo when climbing the ranks!” Shunwo Zhewang commented before tactfully leaving as well.
“Those guys are all too much!”
Xiaolongbao flushed red with anger, her idol worship of Zhouyou Shijie shattered beyond repair.
“It’s fine!”
Wuwei Erzhi had clearly realized that they were giving him a chance to show off. He immediately poured 120% of his effort into the fight, unleashed a powerful move, and summoned more than forty phantoms. “Come on! If you want to win, defeat me!”
“I’ll help you!”
Xiaolongbao immediately used her priest skills to apply buffs.
Their five opponents: “…”
Why were they making us look like the villains?
We never did anything to any of you!
…