Chapter 342 - 179: The Shocked Crowd, the Tournament Begins

He had already guessed that revealing his terrifying power might attract unwanted attention.

But now that he was actually facing it, he realized how stressful it was to be treated like a monster. It would be impossible to bear without some serious mental fortitude.

Fortunately, Li Chang’an had developed a thick skin over his many rebirths.

So for now, he could just about maintain his composure.

After giving the others a polite nod, Li Chang’an ignored their intense stares and headed straight for Su Ruobing, who was in a nearby line to submit the competitor’s information.

However, just as he was about to leave...

A woman with healthy, sun-tanned skin suddenly blocked his path. It was Xiaoyou. She looked him up and down before speaking. "You’re the new Tier Six competitor Chairman Su picked?"

Li Chang’an didn’t answer right away. Instead, he looked her over as well.

’Just from her aura, Li Chang’an could tell this tall, sun-tanned woman was extraordinary. She was a Reincarnator at the same Evolution Level as him!’

’In fact, in terms of Small Realms, her Realm was likely even higher than his.’

’In other words, she was likely a Tier Six Mid Stage, or perhaps even Late Stage, Reincarnator!’

’I can’t believe I ran into a Tier Six Late Stage Reincarnator the moment I got here. You’d be lucky to meet one of those in a year.’

’Looks like the competition in this regional Martial Arts Arena is going to be fierce!’

Of course, strength at this level alone wasn’t enough to pressure Li Chang’an.

He met her gaze and nodded. "That’s right. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Senior. My name is Li Chang’an, the new Tier Six competitor!"

Hearing Li Chang’an’s confirmation, the expression on Xiaoyou’s face changed dramatically. She lost control of her emotions even more than Anyi had earlier.

She couldn’t help but exclaim, "Damn, are you for real? Reaching Tier Six in one year? What are you, a ghost? This won’t do. I have to fight you and see if you’re telling the truth!"

She was clearly agitated.

Her gaze toward Li Chang’an was incredibly aggressive.

Li Chang’an glanced around and said helplessly, "Senior, there are too many people here. It wouldn’t be right to fight so rashly. Why don’t we wait until after the Chairman clarifies the situation?"

Hearing this, Xiaoyou froze for a moment and calmed down. But she didn’t retract her gaze. Instead, she began to circle Li Chang’an, sizing him up from all angles.

As she looked, she introduced herself. "I’m Caiyou. You can call me Sister Xiaoyou. The one over there holding the long spear is Zhao Xiaowan. We’re all Sixth Rank Evolvers, and your new teammates..."

Pausing for a moment, Caiyou continued, "I’m a Tier Six Late Stage Psychic Warlock. I specialize in psychic attacks, and I can also play a support role in a pinch!"

"Xiaowan is a Tier Six Peak Martial Artist. She’s a master of the spear—wields it like a dragon. Her Attack Power is basically the ceiling for all of us Sixth-rank Reincarnators in Linjiang!"

Clearly, even though Caiyou had been very unhappy with Su Ruobing’s last-minute replacement, Li Chang’an’s appearance had won her over.

Putting Li Chang’an’s actual strength aside for a moment...

The very fact that he went from a penniless nobody to a Sixth-rank Reincarnator in a single year—a meteoric rise—was proof enough that he was extraordinary.

Li Chang’an nodded and gave a simple introduction of his own. "It’s a pleasure, Senior Caiyou. My name is Li Chang’an, and I’m also a Martial Artist. I’ve only just reached Tier Six Mid Stage, so I’ll be in your care!"

Upon hearing that Li Chang’an was a Tier Six Mid Stage Martial Artist...

Zhao Xiaowan, who had been silent until now, finally, and uncharacteristically, looked over.

However, the moment Zhao Xiaowan’s gaze landed on the friendly-looking Li Chang’an, she trembled uncontrollably. She didn’t know if it was an illusion, but her body reacted as if she’d just encountered some unkillable, primordial beast in a Rebirth World. All the hair on her body stood on end!

Just then, as if sensing her stare, Li Chang’an turned and smiled at her.

Simultaneously, that feeling of facing a formidable enemy vanished as if it had never existed.

But Zhao Xiaowan couldn’t smile back.

She stared at Li Chang’an for a long time and asked, "Who are you?"

Before Li Chang’an could speak...

The tall Caiyou answered for him, eager to show off what she knew. "Xiaowan, you haven’t heard? This is Linjiang’s most sensational young genius in years! He got an S-Level evaluation on his very first rebirth, and now, after only a year, he’s a Tier Six Martial Artist..."

As she rambled on, Zhao Xiaowan finally learned Li Chang’an’s name.

She said nothing, only watching Li Chang’an silently, trying to find a trace of that same horrifying presence she had felt before.

But this time, Li Chang’an was on his guard, and she was naturally unable to spot it again. No matter how she stared or sized him up, he revealed nothing out of the ordinary.

Just as everyone was chattering in amazement at Li Chang’an’s arrival, Su Ruobing, who had been submitting the competitor roster nearby, finally finished.

She saw that Li Chang’an had not only arrived but had also managed to get along with the others.

Su Ruobing breathed a sigh of relief. "Alright, now that everyone’s here, let me officially introduce our new young genius. The regional arena competition starts in three days, so we don’t have much time to prepare. I hope you can all come out victorious!"

With that, she gave a more official introduction of Li Chang’an to the rest of the team.

...