Chapter 136: Kingdom Politics
The dead person was a white-skinned youth, with a pair of large, bright eyes. Even upon death, his eyes were still wide open as they gazed at the sky, filled with fear. His expression was one of disbelief.
It was as if he were saying, "How could this happen to me1?"
A large hole was embedded in his chest, and blood flowed out from it, soaking his entire body.
However, the fatal blow was not there, but rather at his throat.
There was a similar hole there. It was not large, but it had pierced through his entire esophagus.
"It's a sword wound. He was killed by someone else," Su Chen said after inspecting the wound.
The Hidden Dragon Institute allowed deaths to happen. After all, in a battle where tens of thousands of people were involved, as well as countless Vicious Beasts, it was impossible to completely guarantee their security.
But allowing deaths to happen was one thing. When they saw the person lying dead in front of them, they were still unsettled in their hearts.
It was just a competition to secure an enrollment spot, not tempering via life-or-death battles, and even more it was not a place to wantonly massacre people. If they had died to a Vicious Beast, they could only blame their lack of skill, but to die to another human, what did this mean?
"The traces of battle go from there all the way over here. This person was chased down and killed. "Wang Doushan gazed off into the distance, then towards the corpse's midsection. There should have been a jade tablet there, but at that moment there was nothing there except a string which had been cut in half.
"The string was cut in half. He had no way of breaking the jade tablet and escaping. The perpetrator purposefully cut off his escape route!" Su Chen followed up.
"His throat was blown apart in one blow. That was not a common attack. It's an Origin Skill which can explode after the sword penetrates the victim's body, leaving behind a brutal injury. This Origin Skill possesses great killing power," Wang Doushan said as he pointed at the victim's throat.
Su Chen continued, "But there are around twelve wounds on his body as well. If he was able to kill his opponent in one blow, yet he wanted to toy around with his opponent..."
He didn't finish that sentence. The two of them looked at each other and said, "He was enjoying the process of killing his opponent!"
A cold intent simultaneously seeped into their hearts.
"Hey, do you think that the perpetrator had a grudge against the victim, causing him to act like this?" Wang Doushan asked.
"That's a possibility." Su Chen dabbed his fingers in the victim's blood, his eyes looking around as he said, "Hopefully, that's it."
"Yes, hopefully that's it." Wang Doushan also sighed.
If it was just a personal grudge, then everything would end now that this exam candidate had been killed.
But if it wasn't, the situation was much more complicated.
Wang Doushan wanted to say something more, but he discovered that Su Chen was still staring at the blood. He asked with some curiousity, "What are you looking for?"
"The Origin Energy that the perpetrator used carried a fire-attribute and possessed an explosive nature. Although its power was not great, it could be used for long periods of time," Su Chen said. "Thus, although it may seem like he doesn't possess much power, if he injures his opponents they will be gravely wounded, and he might even be able to paralyze his opponent. Thus, his attack method should not rely on open, straightforward strikes. Rather, it would be the complete opposite – his sword should be quick and agile, focusing mainly on speed. As long as he could wound the opponent, the wound location would lose combat ability. The victim was wounded twelve times, not just so the opponent could toy with him, but also because with these twelve wounds, the victim had no strength to fight back anymore."
"You can even see this?" Wang Doushan asked in shock.
Su Chen continued, "This kind of attack used to generate internal explosions should be some kind of Bloodline Origin Skill. Do you know which clans in the fifth region possess such a bloodline?"
Wang Doushan shook his head. "The Bloodline Extraction Instrument has existed for over two hundred thousand years. If we assume that every year, ten bloodlines are produced, then there would be more than two hundred thousand Bloodline Nobility Clans to date. Although in reality there cannot be so many – after all, many have changed or disappeared with the passage of time – the human race possesses at least a hundred thousand Bloodline Nobility Clans. Just Long Sang Country alone possesses ten thousand, and the twenty-first region of Long Sang, the Three-Mountains Region, possesses roughly around five hundred bloodline Nobility Clans. How could I possibly know all of them?"
Upon hearing the number that Wang Doushan said, Su Chen was also quite shocked. "There's actually so many Bloodline Nobility Clans. Northface City doesn't even have a single one; I thought that Bloodline Nobility Clans were quite rare and not many remained."
Wang Doushan laughed. "What Northface City? Quite frankly, it's just a countryside. Most importantly, it's very close to the Scarlet Mountain Range, the border of the Beast Race. It's hard to say when a Beast Wave will come, flooding all of the bases there. Thus, many of the Bloodline Nobility Clans are unwilling to go there, giving clans without bloodlines an opportunity to rise up in those places."
"But as Bloodline Nobility Clans, shouldn't they guard the frontier, protecting the human race?" Su Chen said unhappily.
Wang Doushan laughed. "That's what is said, but that doesn't mean that everyone is willing, and it definitely doesn't mean that they need to act as cannon fodder."
"Cannon fodder?" Su Chen squinted his eyes. "To those from noble clans, are those who live near the border of the Beast Race merely cannon fodder?"
Wang Doushan patted Su Chen's shoulder. "I know you don't like hearing these words, but this is the reality. Places like the border truly do require cannon fodder. The Bloodline Nobility Clans will battle, but they definitely won't bear the brunt on the front line. They will only appear at the right time and at the right place. Only by doing our best to preserve the lives of the Origin Qi Scholars of Bloodline Nobility Clans can we preserve the strength of mankind."
Su Chen coldly harrumphed. "And this supposed 'right time' is determined by the Bloodline Nobility Clans themselves?"
Wang Doushan laughed. "I know you're not happy about this, but unfortunately that's just how it is. You haven't had many interactions with Bloodline Nobility Clans yet. After you get into the Hidden Dragon Institute and you interact with them more, you will see even more unfairness. Better get used to it. In addition, Northface City is quite lucky. Although the Scarlet Mountain Range is the border between the human and beast territories, the Beast Race is not the major power in that location, so Beast Waves are relatively rare, and even if they do occur, usually they are not large-scale. To Long Sang Country, our true enemies will always be the Ferocious Race, not the Beast Race. The places that truly have to oppose the Beast Race are Cloud Rising Country and Great Wind Country. If you have a chance to go there, those Beast Waves are tenacious. A small wave every three years, a large wave every ten years. No signs of human inhabitation can be found within five hundred kilometers of their borders. But they have no 'cannon fodder' as a warning, and they have no way of dispersing the Beast Race there. Thus, they constantly are banishing people there; any and all criminals are sent there. If there aren't enough criminals, they have to exile commoners to fill up the no man's lands. I went to visit once, and their situation is what you call a tragedy... I promise if you go, you won't be able to eat for three days. Whenever I am reminded of it late at night, all I remember is tragedy!"
When Su Chen heard this, he sucked in a breath of cold air.
Although he had experienced battles during his time in Northface City, they were mostly internal struggles, conflicts that had arisen out of self-interest. He had never seen a cruel reality like the one Wang Doushan had mentioned. Although he had occasionally heard them, they were all mostly rumors. It wasn't until Wang Doushan said it aloud that Su Chen realized his own knowledge and experience was far too superficial.
So humankind still had many territories that were as ruthless and callous to this point?
In comparison, the battles that he had been engaged in before were all like the games of small children.
"But even so, does that mean that there are only two kingdoms currently fighting against the Beast Race?" Su Chen asked.
"Mhm. The times are different from before," Wang Doushan said as he nodded his head. "Before, it was the Origin Race that dominated exclusively, while the Intelligent Races were very weak. But now, since the New Star Era, the Origin Energy on the Primordial Continent had weakened, and the Desolate Beasts had fallen into hibernation, only leaving behind the area that the Demon Emperor controlled. The Origin Race lacked the strength to dominate under the heavens, and the Intelligent Races arose, splitting into discrete clans. From that point on, any alliances had fallen apart... In fact, there was never much of an alliance anyways. The Ferocious Race had been the henchmen and shepherds of the Beast Race, so even now many Intelligent Races did not consider them as an Intelligent Race, incorporating them under the Origin Races instead. The Feathered Race were like flies flying around food. In order to receive the pampering of the Beast Race, they helped a villain do evil and exploited the Beast Race's might for their own benefit. The Spirit Race was reclusive and lacked ancestors or clans. They were gloomy and vicious, like a lonely soul demon, and they never fought against anyone. The only remaining race, the Sea Race, was the only race that could be befriended, but because of that idiot, the Prosperous Emperor, they had in the end become enemies as well."
Evidently, Wang Doushan's words were not made up in that moment. Rather, he had been taught about this a long time ago, so he was able to speak fluently.
"So in the end we all walked the paths of adversaries?" Su Chen asked. "Long Sang Country is primarily at odds with the Ferocious Race, but what about the others?"
"Liao Ye Country is at odds with the Feathered Race, Owl Country is at odds with the Spirit Race, and Water Sheen Country is at odds with the Sea Race. Each tries to seize the other's territories and defend their own," Wang Doushan replied."
"There's still Empty Mountain?" Su Chen asked.
"Empty Mountain Country?" Wang Doushan tilted his head back and laughed loudly, "They are not at odds with the Beast Race nor the other four Intelligent Races."
"Then who are they at odds with?"
Wang Doushan, however, stopped talking.
He gazed at the sky above his head for a long time before saying, "Kingdom politics is not something that people like us are qualified to discuss. If we have the spare time to discuss these things, we should probably look to see if there are any other clues that the perpetrator left behind."
1. https://youtu.be/y983TDjoglQ?t=46s
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Page 2
Chapter 137: Perpetrator
As they followed the traces of battle, it didn't take long before they stumbled across another corpse.
The two corpses showed a lot of similarities; both received multiple sword wounds, their throats had exploded, their jade tablets were cut off, and their deaths were tragic.
"They don't look like revenge killings," Su Chen muttered to himself.
"Perhaps there's two people he had a grudge against," Wang Doushan said as he gulped.
"He is quite lucky, to have encountered them so close to each other." Su Chen continued to follow the traces.
Very quickly, they encountered another corpse who was killed in similar fashion.
The victim had been wounded in all the same spots.
Wang Doushan could no longer resist. "Motherfucker, is this guy crazy? He just kills people on sight!"
Su Chen's expression was also ugly. "Does the Hidden Dragon Institute not regulate these kinds of occurrences?"
"Hm, that's hard to say. You also know that accidents will always occur when people fight..."
"But this isn't an accident!"
"The question is, who is making the interpretation? There are some people who simply cannot control their Origin Skills, and every time they are unleashed someone must die." Wang Doushan replied, giggling.
Upon seeing the fatty's smile, Su Chen's heart jolted. "You don't seem all that surprised."
Wang Doushan laughed darkly. "I've just seen it too often."
"Seen it too often?" Su Chen's pupils shrank.
"Oh, the old saying is the best. One may carry sharp weapons, but killing intent comes from the heart. If someone has the power over another person's life, there will always be those who want to display and use that ability. There are also some people who simply enjoy killing, who enjoy the sensation of having someone's life in their hands."
"I understand that. What I'm saying is, why doesn't the Hidden Dragon Institute control these things?"
"Because it's hard for them to control it!" Wang Doushan replied. "You also saw what caused the internal explosion."
"Bloodline Origin Skill."
Wang Doushan nodded his head. "It's not just any Origin Skill either. Those with mixed bloodlines couldn't easily achieve this degree of power, implying that this bastard is definitely part of a Bloodline Nobility Clan."
"So they can just call these deaths an 'accident', and there won't be any major repercussions?" Su Chen asked angrily.
"Of course they won't go completely unpunished. They will be disciplined. However, they definitely will not die."
"Just a little bit of discipline?" Su Chen was in utter disbelief.
Wang Doushan laughed loudly. "Why else would they be called Nobility Clans? Is the only that differs them from the masses their name?"
Su Chen paused.
Yes, why else would they be called a Nobility Clan?
Society had different levels of social status; on top were Nobility Clans, then came Household Clans, and finally there were the commoners.
Back when Lan Zhi committed a sin, Su Chen ordered Iron Cliff to beat her to death. Did her death come about merely because she had committed a sin?
No, not at all!
It was because Su Chen was at a status where he possessed authority. He could punish her with death without receiving much backlash.
It didn't matter as much who was in the right, and who was in the wrong. It was nothing but a convenient excuse, a motivation even, something that couldn't be relied on. There were only two things you could rely on: social status and ranking!
Of course, Su Chen could believe that every person he killed was because the other party had some aspect deserving of death. Or perhaps, he was just acting in self-defense.
But not every single person was constrained by ethics.
There were always those who could put down all burdens in their hearts, as well as any ethical limitations, and act as they pleased.
Without a doubt, the scene in front of their eyes stemmed from this. Someone was using the exam as a pretext to kill people! According to Wang Doushan, it wasn't even all that strange for this to happen.
No wonder Zhao Yu had said that the contestants would be faced with dangers during the exam. Perhaps they had anticipated this from the very beginning.
"So essentially, as long as the person they kill isn't a member of a Bloodline Nobility Clan, he won't be prosecuted?" Su Chen asked.
"That's right," Wang Doushan replied. "Just stick next to me. I promise you he won't make a move against you."
"If I'm with you, he won't try and kill me?" Su Chen muttered. "If that's the case, isn't it better for us to split up?"
"Hm?" Wang Doushan was dazed.
He gazed at Su Chen and asked, "You want to kill him?"
Su Chen countered, "If that person wants to kill me, and I kill him, there shouldn't be any problems, right?"
Wang Doushan thought for a moment, then replied, "According to reason, there's nothing wrong with that. Although the Hidden Dragon Institute can't really do anything to him even if he is going on a killing spree in the Hidden Dragon Battle, they definitely won't like it. If you kill him and stop his actions, the Hidden Dragon Institute wouldn't punish you. Rather, they would most likely reward you. This is one of the tactics the Hidden Dragon Institute employs to deal with troublemakers. However, if you kill someone from a Bloodline Nobility Clan... you will need to be careful in case they take revenge on you. Su Chen, are you sure you want to do this?"
Su Chen face was expressionless as he said, "I'm not planning on doing anything. I just want to... take a walk on my own for a bit."
When Wang Doushan saw his firm and unwavering expression, he finally understood.
If it were anyone else, perhaps they would've bitterly pleaded with Su Chen. After all, an excellent team was difficult to come by, and it would be a pity to end it here and now. However, Wang Doushan nodded his head, unaffected, as he said, "Okay, since you've made up your mind, we'll say our goodbyes for now. Hey, kiddo, don't die."
Su Chen nodded his head gravely.
At that moment, the two of them smiled at each other. Although they did not say anything, it was as if a thousand words were spoken.
After saying their goodbyes, Su Chen advanced in a separate direction.
He walked along a small path up the mountain. He did not seem like an exam candidate competing with other people. He looked more like a lonely traveler who had accidentally taken a wrong turn, arriving in a battleground he did not belong in.
On his path, he would occasionally find the corpses of exam candidates.
Su Chen felt the urge to bury them, but kept himself from doing so. It was likely these bodies would need to be retrieved at a later time by the mourning families.
Su Chen kept finding corpses, and based on their times of death, he was quickly closing in on the killer.
As the darkness of night drew near, Su Chen arrived at a pile of rubble.
He used the rubble to set up a stove. Then, he took out a large pot from his Origin Ring, filled it with water, and put it atop the fire
The firelight was extremely brilliant in the darkness of night, and the smoke from the fire curled upwards into the sky in large plumes.
Su Chen cut apart a Vicious Beast he had just killed and tossed it into the water. A fragrant aroma began to fill the air only moments later.
In such a chaotic environment, most people only ate the dried rations they brought along. Even relatively well-off exam candidates rarely had stoves to cook food with. After all, it simply attracted too much attention.
Two exam candidates followed the traces of cooked meat to where he was.
Their intentions were clear; they were here to defeat Su Chen, steal his points, and enjoy a delicious dinner.
Unfortunately, they were sent flying by two Erupting Firebirds from Su Chen, who also conveniently took their points away.
After shattering their jade tablets and sending the two people away, the food was ready for consumption. Su Chen brought the meat to his mouth and sunk his teeth in.
As he was enjoying his meal, a low cry came from not too far away. "Help me..."
He turned around and gazed in the direction of the voice.
He saw an exam candidate charge out from the small forest, his body drenched in blood. He seemed to be gravely injured, a sword hole evident on his thigh.
He sprinted toward Su Chen, yelling, "Save me, someone wants to kill me!"
Su Chen stood up. "Who wants to kill you? Where is he?"
"He's right behind me, in the small forest," the exam candidate screamed as he frantically pointed at the forest behind him. "He wants to kill me! He wants to kill me!"
His voice was filled with fear and unsettlement.
Slightly off balance after pointing behind him, he stumbled and fell to the ground.
Su Chen rushed over and helped the exam candidate to his feet. "Don't worry, you'll be fine now."
The exam candidate lifted his head, a savage smile on his face. "Of course I'll be fine. You won't be though!"
Sword light shined brightly, stabbing towards Su Chen.
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Page 3
Chapter 138: Killing Opportunity
Whoosh!
The sword pierced through his opponent's body. The target's eyes revealed an expression of disbelief, as if he were saying, "How could this happen to me?"
"Idiot!" Pan Yue let out a maniacal, delighted laugh, then applied force to the sword in his hand, skewering the exam candidate to a nearby tree. When his victim was about to shatter his jade tablet, Pan Yue charged forward and took it from him.
No longer in possession of his jade tablet, the exam candidate had no way to escape. He could only fall over in despair.
The fresh blood flowed all over the ground.
Pan Yue laughed loudly and then left.
He enjoyed this feeling that came from the looks of despair from his victims very much. Only when he saw that look in their eyes could he satisfy the arrogance and hollowness in his heart.
How stupid was this Hidden Dragon Battle? Pan Yue didn't care about it at all. Based on his family background, he didn't even need to participate in the exam to enter the Hidden Dragon Institute.
Pan Yue didn't participate to secure an entrance spot. No, he was here just seeking the thrill of battle.
Defeating and killing his opponents, forcing them to moan in despair and struggle in pain – that was the path Pan Yue pursued and enjoyed.
How many victims had he killed at this point?
Pan Yue did not know, nor did he care.
His victims were just commoners. They didn't even have a bloodline! What was their purpose if not to provide entertainment for him?
For those lowly commoners, to die under his Dark Extermination Sword was their good fortune.
Of course, Pan Yue carefully selected each of his targets.
He would not touch anyone from a Bloodline Nobility Clan. He could not provoke those powerful exam candidates.
He was merely interested in the isolated commoners who didn't even have a bloodline, yet thought they could participate here!
Those participants were clueless as to what was awaiting them. It was stupidity at its finest that they thought they could participate in a fair fight to enter the best institute in the entire Long Sang Country.
Were those commoners even qualified to engage in fair battles with members from Bloodline Nobility Clans?
If it were truly fair, there shouldn't have been any differences in the number of slots assigned to each region in the first place!
But even then, the authorities were still too lenient.
The country should be governed with an iron fist. If they blindly pursued equality and fairness, they would only give the low-class people an opportunity to ask for more than they could handle.
It would be far better if they were to just die before that point. Pan Yue felt he was doing this world a favor by ridding it of these termites. That he could use their blood to polish his treasures sword and the combat to temper himself was just a nice little bonus.
Pan Yue was ecstatic with his own wisdom.
However, as more fell in front of his sword, it seemed that many participants began to sense what he was doing. By now, most exam candidates had teamed up, and it became increasingly difficult to find anyone going about on their own.
He wasn't worried about the strength of these lowly individuals teaming up. Even if they formed small groups, they wouldn't be his opponent. But as the groups he took on became larger, so too would the chance that some would escape. If he couldn't kill them all, there was no point in these skirmishes.
Pan Yue felt stifled. He could only curse loudly at the exam candidates as he searched for his next target.
A plume of smoke arose in the distance, attracting Pan Yue's attention.
There was someone who dared to start a fire and cook at this time?
Was he self-confident, or was he foolishly brazen?
Either way, Pan Yue's interest was piqued.
He headed toward the origin of the smoke, cautiously edging closer, as if he were a hungry wolf afraid to scare the rabbit away.
When the figure of a youth near a pile of rubble appeared before Pan Yue's eyes, a smile formed on his face.
Awesome! I actually found another commoner, and he doesn't have a bloodline. The Heavens really look kindly upon me!
The location this guy had chosen was pretty good. He had started a fire on a pile of stones, and the surroundings were very empty. There was no place to ambush him from. In fact, Pan Yue couldn't even get close without being spotted. If that guy encountered any opponents he couldn't beat, he could instantly shatter his jade tablet and escape. It was likely this line of reasoning that gave him the confidence to start a fire during this entrance exam.
But was safety really assured by these points alone?
Pan Yue laughed coldly as he unsheathed his sword and lined it up with his chest.
Pan Yue was about to make his move when an idea popped up in his head. He aimed the sword toward his own thigh, closed his eyes, and muttered, "If I want to achieve something great, I must be severe enough. I must be severe both to my enemies and to myself! Kid, consider yourself lucky. I will use a brilliant performance to send you to your death!"
As these thoughts ran through his mind, Pan Yue couldn't prevent his entire body from trembling.
That was the stimulation from his excitement and anticipation of the hunt.
Whoosh!
He struck his own thigh with the sword.
Origin Energy exploded under the Dark Extinction Sword, leaving behind a large, bloody hole.
The pain caused Pan Yue's face to contort, but his heart pounded in excitement.
He sucked in a breath of cold air, then let out a strange, cruel laugh. "Whew! My little lamb, I'm coming!"
The next moment, he came out of the forest, screaming loudly, "Help me!"
He hobbled toward the "idiotic" exam candidate.
Pan Yue put up a beautiful act, showing an expression of pure terror while screaming and begging for help. After all, his wound was real, and the pain was too. However, he was laughing in his heart, laughing maniacally!
That idiot is really coming over!
He strongly resisted the urge to laugh as he stumbled to the ground before the other party got to him. At the same time, he stealthily retrieved a previously prepared dagger.
The idiot had indeed offered his help to lift him up.
He said, "Don't worry, you'll be fine now."
Pan Yue excitedly replied, "Of course I'll be fine. You won't be though!" As these words left his mouth, he revealed the dagger.
He struck out, and as he did, he felt the slightest resistance from the sharp blade entering the idiot's flesh. He felt excitement course through his body. Even so, the thrill had yet to completely arrive when it was completely stifled, as if someone had grabbed it by his throat. It had no way of spilling out...
Pan Yue discovered with shock that his dagger had sliced through thin air.
Thin air!
Pan Yue opened his eyes wide in surprise.
He saw a hand placed on his own wrist, pushing it slightly to the side.
This gentle shove caused his stab to lose direction, actually slicing past the other party's profile.
How could this be?
Pan Yue was terrified!
A voice sounded out next to his ear. "So it was you!"
What?
Pan Yue knew that the situation was not looking good. He wanted to retreat.
But he was still on the ground, his body arched like a bow, as he used all his force to stab his opponent. From this position he couldn't apply any explosive force, leaving him with no time to adapt before he felt a heavy fist slam into his face!
"No!" Pan Yue let out a strange cry. He slammed his arms on the ground and jumped up in the air like an agile fish.
He was an Origin Qi Scholar who depended on agility and nimbleness, not on close-quarters combat, so he hurriedly tried to break free from his opponent.
Unfortunately, the other party was prepared. His feet had yet to find their footing when another fist viciously struck his midsection, slamming him back into the ground.
The opponent grabbed Pan Yue's head and forced it to be acquainted with the ground, leaving behind a depression in the ground.
"Bastard!" Pan Yue endured the pain as he tried to wrap his legs around Su Chen's neck.
However, his right leg was still wounded, so it was hard for him to move around. His attempt to strangle Su Chen was quite slow.
Su Chen didn't give Pan Yue any time for a breather. He took out a short blade and stabbed it in Pan Yue's healthy leg.
"AHH!" Pan Yue let out an extremely pitiful cry.
This strike was much more vicious than when Pan Yue stabbed himself earlier. The blunt blade used lacked cutting ability, but when it penetrated the flesh, it would result in a graver injury.
Pan Yue wanted to apply a protective barrier, but the opponent's fists rained down on him. Every blow seemed accurate and precise as they landed on his Qi conducting nodes. Before the Origin Energy barrier could form, it was forcefully shattered by his blows.
"No, let me go!" Pan Yue finally began to feel terror and fear as he loudly screamed.
Su Chen coldly said, "The exam candidates that you killed also begged for mercy, didn't they? Did you let them go?"
"I... I know I was wrong. Have mercy, please, have mercy..." Pan Yue yelled mournfully.
Su Chen ignored him as he continued his barrage of fist attacks.
Pan Yue wanted to shatter his jade tablet and escape, but Su Chen took it away from him before he could. This scene closely resembled how Pan Yue treated those he had killed.
Pan Yue was finally on the brink of having a nervous breakdown. "I am the Young Master of the Dark Beast Pan Clan. If you kill me, my Pan Clan won't let you go!"
Su Chen ignored him, continuing his onslaught of fist attacks.
He was going to beat this scumbag to death.
"Save me!" Pan Yue furiously screamed.
He was just letting out an instinctive scream, but unexpectedly he actually received a reply.
"You're from the Dark Beast Pan Clan? Remember, your savior is Poison Centipede Kong Shen!"
A wave of dark wind roiled toward Su Chen.
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Page 4
Chapter 139: Poison Centipede
Su Chen charged forward the moment the voice reached his ears, his speed reaching the extreme. He turned around to face the new opponent without slowing down, now flying backwards. At the same time, he struck out with eighteen palm strikes.
The palm wind from the strikes sounded out like thunder as they flew through the air.
That black cloud was forcefully stopped by Su Chen's palm wind; it couldn't get close to him at all.
This was the benefit of a contemporary Origin Skill. Although the Thunder Blade didn't possess much strength, it could be used both offensively and defensively. As the palm wind surged forwards, it sounded out like thunder, preventing the black cloud from advancing.
Su Chen took the opportunity to apply a magic barrier to himself before looking at the person who ambushed him.
Facing him was a youth dressed in green, a dense, black Qi swirling around his face. His gaze was filled with shock. "You actually dodged my Five Poisons Miasma? You do have some ability."
Pan Yue took this opportunity to stand up. Moments before, he was bitterly pleading for mercy, but now a thick killing intent showed on his face. "You dare disrespect me like that? I cannot spare you. Die!"
Pan Yue stabbed with his sword toward Su Chen.
When the youth in green saw this scene, he curled his lips. "Idiot."
Although this sword strike was vicious, Pan Yue couldn't move freely with his injured legs. He possessed the killing intent, but lacked the skill or strength to carry it out. Su Chen casually sidestepped, dodging the sword strike. At the same time, he slammed his knee into Pan Yue's midsection. Su Chen didn't even need to use his fists to throw Pan Yue back to the ground. In fact, he didn't even spare Pan Yue so much as a glance, his eyes locked on the green-clothed youth instead.
"Bastard!" Pan Yue gritted his teeth as he tried to crawl to his feet. Before he stood up, however, he was greeted by another flying kick was aimed, this time hitting him in the head.
Su Chen put real force behind this kick. Even if Pan Yue didn't die, he would be gravely injured.
The moment the kick landed on Pan Yue's head, the green clothed person suddenly gestured. A streak of black light shot toward Su Chen. "I didn't permit you to kill him, yet you think you can?"
Su Chen twisted his body and dodged the attack. The green-clothed youth already arrived in front of Pan Yue, sending him flying away with a kick. "Get out of here! What are you trying to do, get yourself killed?"
While he spoke to Pan Yue, his hands rapidly moved in the air, transforming into a thousand streaks of palm wind. These streaks of palm wind which smelled strongly and were poisonous shot toward Su Chen.
He didn't receive his nickname, Poison Centipede, from his bloodline, but because of his proficiency in this palm technique which made it seem he had a thousand hands and feet. On top of that, he possessed extremely poisonous hands, making the skill all the more deadly..
The poison palms forced Su Chen to retreat.
Pan Yue ad been removed from the battle after being kicked away by Kong Shen. He glared at Su Chen with a poisonous, hateful expression, then threw a glance at Kong Shen. He knew he couldn't participate in this battle anymore. Instead, he turned tail and fled.
Seeing Pan Yue's injured figure limp away, Su Chen didn't get angry. A laugh escaped his mouth, and he said, "You really think he'll remember what you did for him? You kicked him away. From his expression, it seems he resents you as well. There's always people who don't understand how to be grateful."
Kong Shen laughed wickedly. "Do you really think I can't see kind of trash he is? I don't need any of his gratefulness. All I need is for him to be an obedient puppet."
"You really think he'll listen to you?"
"You thought I just randomly kicked him away? He is poisoned now!" Kong Shen said with delight. "But enough about him, how about you, don't you hate me? After all, I was the one who ruined your plan of killing him."
Su Chen casually replied, "You already said you helped me poison him. Why would I care?"
Kong Shen laughed, "The poison won't be fatal. It merely prevents him from using Origin Energy, and it leaves behind a distinct scent, making it easy for me to chase after him. How about it? Disappointed?".
"I already thought I smelled something strange in the air," Su Chen said. "Since that's the case, I only have to kill you and then follow the scent to track him down, right? Haha, now I care even less."
The two never stopped exchanging blows during their conversation. An onlooker might confuse them for two bickering boys, but in reality, their strikes were aimed at the heart.
Both of them were trying to light the flames of rage in their opponent to disturb their state of mind. Su Chen did so by calling Pan Yue ungrateful, while Kong Shen mocked Su Chen for having failed to kill Pan Yue before he turned tail and fled. However, neither side succeeded. They had found their equal, both in terms of strength and wit.
Kong Shen struck out with about ten palm attacks in a row as he maniacally laughed. "Did you think I was just talking with you for the fun of it? You must be suicidal, opening your mouth in front of the Poison Centipede. Fall over for me!"
While he spoke, he fully concentrated on his palms, a pungent gas emerging from them.
Indeed, Su Chen's body shook a few times, and a wave of black Qi washed across his face.
"You..." Su Chen's face revealed an expression of disbelief. His movements became increasingly superficial as he tried to retreat. His hurried steps turned wobbly and it seemed like he would fall down at any moment.
Kong Shen giggled with delight. "You see, I already told you to fall over for me, but you didn't listen!"
A palm flew toward Su Chen's chest.
As the palm found its target, Kong Shen suddenly felt a hint of hesitation surface in his heart. He was confident in the power of his Five Poisons Miasma, but Origin Qi Scholars weren't ordinary people. They possessed natural methods to neutralize poisons that entered their body. His poison would eventually succeed, but it was working surprisingly efficiently on Su Chen. Too efficiently. Why did the black Qi appear on his face so quickly? Something is wrong!
The alarms in his heart went off, signaling impending danger. He quickly retrieved his hand, then stared at Su Chen, who raised his head and calmly smiled. Kong Shen's attention was drawn to a firebird that appeared in Su Chen's hand before it darted towards him.
The firebird looked small and unassuming, but every fiber of Kong Shen's being felt threatened by it.
He flew into the air with a strange cry, raising his speed to its extreme limit. He was called the Poison Centipede because it was like he possessed a thousand hands and feet. His attacks were speedy, as was he. He shifted at high-speed, and the Firebird whooshed past his shoulder. Kong Zhen was just about to let out a sigh of relief when he saw that Su Chen was gazing at him with a smile that was not a smile. He knew that the situation was about to go bad. He was quite good at adapting to the situation, and in that instant he reacted correctly. A magic barrier formed around him, protecting his body.
With a "BOOM", the firebird slammed into Kong Zhen from behind. The barrier shattered, and Kong Zhen was sent flying as he spit out a mouthful of blood.
This guy could also take the hits. Although he was still dazed from his injuries and flying through midair, he waved his hand, and a swarm of poisonous wasps emerged and flew toward Su Chen.
Su Chen had just used the Erupting Firebird moments ago. Upon seeing the swarm of poisonous wasps flying towards him, he took out an item.
A jug of wine, to be precise.
He tossed it towards the swarm of poisonous wasps.
The explosive jug of wine was not nearly as powerful as the Erupting Firebird, but it affected a much greater area. If the Erupting Firebird was a single-target attack, the explosive jug of wine was very powerful for taking down multiple enemies. The explosion that followed decimated countless poisonous wasps.
Kong Zhen staggered to his feet only to find a sea of flames in front of him, while large swaths of poisonous wasps fell to the ground. He howled in pain, "MY TREASURES!"
He shot a venomous glare at Su Chen with rage. "YOU DESERVE TO DIE!"
Su Chen harrumphed, "I think you should take a good look at yourself first."
Su Chen was about to make his move, when his body swayed and his legs softened. This time, however, he was not faking it.
Kong Zhen yelled in delight, "So you were poisoned!"
Yes, Su Chen truly had been poisoned.
It was next to impossible to avoid being poisoned when battling someone like Poison Centipede Kong Zhen.
However, Origin Qi Scholars were very different from commoners. Their bodies possessed a natural ability to neutralize poison. If they were poisoned by common light or medium poisons, so long as they didn't melt away the flesh and blood, it could be neutralized without the assistance of an antidote.
Poison Centipede Kong Zhen's strength was limited, and he couldn't use poisons that were too vicious. However, many years of toying around with poisons made it so that his resistance to poison was much higher than most people, but because of this he paid a price in his overall physical strength. For this reason he cultivated a body technique to strengthen his body, allowing him to withstand the blow from the Firebird without losing consciousness.
Su Cheng was poisoned, and Kong Zhen was gravely injured. Their situation was not that great, but their gazes were filled with viciousness and an unwillingness to back down.
They simultaneously yelled at the top of their lungs as they struck out.
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Page 5
Chapter 140: Neutralize
Amidst the piles of rubble, Su Chen and Kong Zhen were entangled in battle.
Erupting Firebird versus the Five Poisons Miasma, the Snaking Mist Steps versus the Thousand Shadow Feet, Thunder Blade versus Feathered Edge, Soul Eye versus Formless Strike, Flowing Wind Body Technique versus the Kong Clan's Body Tempering Technique.
It was difficult to determine who of the two held the advantage. Occasionally, a black fog or brilliant red explosion would appear, kicking up clouds of smoke.
The more Kong Zhen fought, the more shocked he became. He gazed at Su Chen with an expression of disbelief as he shrilly yelled, "You aren't from a Bloodline Nobility Clan. How can you possibly possess such great combat prowess?"
Su Chen harrumphed, but he did not speak.
From the lack of response, Kong Zhen deduced what was happening. He loudly said, "You've been poisoned by me, yet you still dare to fight me instead of finding a place to expel the poison? When the poison attacks your heart, it'll be too late. It won't be me who killed you, you're just seeking death."
Su Chen finally opened his mouth. "Isn't this one of those 'accidents' that inevitably occurs during the Hidden Dragon Battle? The person you saved has already caused ten or so of these so-called 'accidents'. I assume some of them were also caused by your hands? So what's different? Is it that you can't deal with me as easily as you thought, so you want to find a way out by showing me the kindness in your heart? Or perhaps are you unable to endure any longer because of that wound?"
"Motherfucker, I'll kill you!" Kong Zhen exclaimed, infuriated.
Streaks of poison flew from his palms. Kong Zhen activated the poison techniques he possessed to their extreme limits.
Su Chen's face turned increasingly pallid, his breathing shallow.
Kong Zhen was delighted. Su Chen's Erupting Firebird was shockingly powerful, and it could lock onto a target; he was badly injured by it. Every time Su Chen used the technique, Kong Zhen was forced to focus his full attention on dealing with it. Even the shockwaves dealt serious damage to Kong Zhen. But all of this didn't matter to Kong Zhen; he was revitalized after seeing Su Chen. The poison in Su Chen's body was accumulating, the effects more severe, and he knew Su Chen was about to reach his limit.
Today, victory will definitely be mine! Kong Zhen thought in his heart.
Su Chen swung his hand, forcing Kong Zhen to retreat. He suddenly lifted up his head and revealed a mysterious smile. "Did you really think this poison would work on me?"
Kong Zhen was stunned.
He watched as Su Chen put a finger to his chest and stabbed.
With this stab, black blood flowed from his chest into the air. It left a moist, blackish looking substance in the air that smelled rancid.
Kong Zhen was so stunned by Su Chen's actions that his jaw dropped. "You forced my poison out?"
Su Chen smiled. "It wasn't very hard."
It really wasn't all that difficult.
From the moment the poison entered his body, Su Chen had begun observing it. If he could see the Frigid Water Herb or the Frigid Blood Powder, naturally could see the poison as well.
The poison Kong Zhen used had two constituents. One part of it was the toxin, while the other was an Origin Substance.
It was a unique Origin Substance which allowed him to control the poison and cause it to attack and damage a person's body.
Because he was in the midst of battle, Su Chen couldn't possibly test out which herbs could cure the poison. But due to the poison's Origin Substance, he could apply Origin Energy to it, giving him a method of neutralizing it.
Su Chen very quickly discovered that this Origin Substance was not very powerful, but it was slippery as though it had a consciousness. As Su Chen aimed his Origin Energy for the Origin Substance in the poison, it would actively attempt to dodge it, avoiding the fate of being swallowed up.
This was the reason why expelling this poison was so difficult.
However, when Su Chen made this discovery, he decided to use it to his advantage. Instead of forcefully attempting to expel the poison, he diverted his Origin Energy through eight of his Origin Energy veins except one.
Like this, he gathered the Origin Substance in one location. Su Chen made it look like a walk in the park, but it really wasn't all that simple; there were many details he had to pay special attention to. If Su Chen's eyes didn't possess the ability to see things on a microscopic level, it would be unlikely he could accomplish it.
With most of the poison located in one position, he used his finger and made a cut there, expelling the large aggregate of poison.
Although there were still some remnants in his body, after most of it was gone, the remaining amount was nothing to worry about.
Kong Zhen didn't anticipate that Su Chen would possess such a tactic. He was stunned in place.
Without the poison corroding his body, Su Chen appeared much more energetic. "What other tactics do you possess?"
He charged into the poisonous miasma Kong Zhen released.
Kong Zhen was frightened to the point his soul was about to leave his body. "Stop! You've won this battle!"
What greeted him was a vicious palm strike, carrying the crackling of thunder with it as though lightning were converging on him. It slammed into his body, sending him flying.
Kong Zhen spat out a large mouthful of blood, unable to crawl to his feet. Seeing Su Chen draw near, he panicked. In a last ditch effort he tried to escape as he screamed, "Don't kill me! I'm not like that guy. I don't kill people for amusement!"
"You knew he killed people for amusement, yet you still saved him?" Su Chen closed the distance step by step.
"I just wanted a lackey, that's all! Killing people is his sin, not mine. If I can take care of myself, I'm happy!"
That's it? That's his way of thinking? Su Chen stopped dead in his tracks. He silently gazed at Kong Zhen.
Kong Zhen was terrified as all the things Su Chen could do to him ran through his mind, yet he couldn't discern his enemy's next move. In terror he gazed at Su Chen.
Both parties remained motionless.
Finally, Su Chen said, "The precious Bloodline Nobility Clans, the protectors of humankind, righteousness reflecting in their every move! They guard humankind far away from the dangers threatening human survival. Today, I witnessed and experienced them, and I finally understand their true nature!"
Although he did not speak loudly, every word was filled with power. Kong Zhen's heart trembled in response.
Su Chen arrived next to Kong Zhen. He put his foot on Kong Zhen's chest and said, "A Bloodline Nobility Clan like yours leaves a bad taste in my mouth. But don't worry, I won't kill you. There's someone even more disgusting than you that I need to take care of. I can't just let you go though; a price has to be paid for meddling in my affairs. Let me teach you a little lesson."
Kong Zhen closed his eyes, spooked stiff of what was about to happen to him. However, the pain didn't come and when he opened his eyes, he saw Su Chen writing something on a piece of paper. The piece of paper was secured to his body before Su Chen sent him back to the start of the entrance exam by shattering his jade tablet.
In the blink of an eye, Kong Zhen was sent out of the exam grounds, back to the entrance plaza.
Many of the eliminated exam candidates were still gathered here.
Kong Zhen was both surprised and enraged. This bastard had actually shattered his jade tablet, causing him to lose the opportunity of entering the Hidden Dragon Institute.
Was this supposed to be the lesson he would teach me? Bastard, you're looking down on me too much! Do you really think I have no other way of entering the institute? Hmph, you dare provoke my Kong family. I will give you something to think about!
Kong Zhen suddenly discovered that the people around him were pointing at him, whispering to each other as if they were discussing something.
He was stunned for a moment, then lowered his head and discovered the piece of paper attached to his body.
This was...
Kong Zhen suddenly felt a wave of uneasiness wash over him.
He pulled off the piece of paper and almost passed out after reading its content.
Written on the paper was the comprehensive, detailed method Su Chen used to neutralize his Five Poisons Miasma. This included the unique properties and attributes of the Five Poisons Miasma, as well as several factors requiring special attention when neutralizing it.
Poison Centipede was Poison Centipede primarily because of the might of his poison.
Today, his Five Poisons Miasma was neutralized, chopping off a large portion of his strength. How could he still call himself Poison Centipede?
Kong Zhen was about to break down in tears. This tactic was too brutal. What was he to do in the future?
No, it didn't stop with him. This affected the entire Kong Clan! What were they to do from now?
Thinking up to here, Kong Zhen was filled with fright. He yelled like someone who had lost their mind, "DON'T LOOK, DON'T LOOK, FORGET EVERYTHING YOU SAW!"
But he knew all too well, how could all these people simply forget what they saw? The onlookers laughed at him, committing the neutralizing method to memory.
The Kong Clan's poison would be rendered useless from here on onwards.
At the same time, somewhere on a pile of rubble, Su Chen gazed in the direction Pan Yue had escaped in, putting on his mask once again.
The mask exuded a thick demonic aura, reflecting his current mood.
Pan, Yue, must, die!
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