Chapter 356 - 184: The Great Battle Begins

There was no reason to make a move inside the Rebirth Space.

However, Li Chang’an wasn’t too concerned. "Regardless of his schemes, Gu Ruilong absolutely cannot use power exceeding that of a Tier Six Evolver in public. As long as that fact holds true, I’ll take on whatever tricks he throws at me!"

At this, Li Chang’an paused. His tone softened as he tried to comfort her, "Chairman, don’t worry. You of all people should know I never fight a battle I’m not prepared for. Since I’m this confident, it means I’ve definitely worked out a plan!"

"I just can’t reveal the specific details of the plan right now. Once we’re on the stage, I’ll find a chance to explain everything to Xiaowan and Caiwei!"

Hearing the firmness in his voice,

the pro-war Zhao Xiaowan regarded him with a hint of admiration.

Caiyou, however, glanced from Su Ruobing to Li Chang’an, and then to Zhao Xiaowan, a suggestive smile filling her eyes.

Seeing that she couldn’t change his mind, Su Ruobing sighed and said helplessly, "Alright. Since you’re that confident, go ahead and try. But you have to be careful. If anything feels wrong, remember to stop the match immediately, or just surrender outright!"

...

After their discussion, the next steps were simple.

The trio—Li Chang’an, Zhao Xiaowan, and Caiyou—prepared to continue the fight and see what tricks that guy Gu Ruilong really had up his sleeve.

In the spectator stands, Deng Ankang, Ji Fulin, and Qian Zhong were also discussing the matter.

Although they didn’t know the full story behind Gu Ruilong and Su Ruobing, they had already sensed something unusual about the situation.

The experienced Deng Ankang had noticed a few things. "We’re up against Shanghai, and our opponent is Chairman Su’s fiancé in name only. Something about this doesn’t feel right!"

Qian Zhong nodded in agreement. "It definitely feels off. It’s too much of a coincidence. But there’s no need for us to keep fighting. We’d still come out ahead if we just forfeit now!"

Ji Fulin, however, had a different view. "I think our opponents have been planning this for a while. There’s no way our Linjiang team can avoid this confrontation..."

As the three were talking,

down below the stage, the referee briefly introduced the home cities of the two competing teams.

With a blow of the whistle, the battle began.

First to take the stage was the Tier Five group. Linjiang’s lineup consisted of only one Tier Five Late Stage and two Tier Five Mid Stage Evolvers.

Meanwhile, the team Gu Ruilong sent from the Mountain and Sea District of the Demon Capital was composed entirely of Tier Five Peak Evolvers.

A battle with such a huge power gap normally wouldn’t have drawn any attention from Reincarnators outside the two competing teams. However, Li Chang’an’s earlier performance in the regional tournament, where he took out opponents with a single kick, had caught the eye of many in the stands.

As a result, Linjiang itself was now on many people’s radar.

However, the outcome of this battle was never in doubt.

Linjiang’s Evolvers stood almost no chance against Gu Ruilong’s. From the moment they stepped on stage to the moment they were brutally defeated, the entire process took less than five minutes.

Gu Ruilong was seated below the Rebirth Arena.

Upon seeing this, he couldn’t help but burst out laughing. He stared at Su Ruobing and said, "Ruo Bing, I told you before. A good territory determines the vast majority of your future achievements. I gave you a choice between two places, Kyoto and Shanghai..."

"But you had to throw a fit and run off to this backwater, Linjiang. Now do you see? The Reincarnators from Shanghai are far stronger than your little ’Garden Babies’ in both power and experience!"

Su Ruobing’s expression remained largely unchanged.

The defeat of the Tier Five Reincarnator team was a foregone conclusion, after all. She had only let them fight so they could clearly understand the gap between themselves and Reincarnators from the major cities.

Only by facing that gap directly

could they be motivated to catch up.

Therefore, after a moment of silence, Su Ruobing replied coolly, "Where I choose to establish myself is none of your concern. Besides, I haven’t lost yet. There’s no need for your sarcasm."

Gu Ruilong sneered. "You really think that kid can turn the tide? Let me tell you something. The ones I’ve brought this time are all Tier Six Peak Reincarnators, handpicked from the Gu Family’s various major cities. Every one of them ranks in the top one hundred on the Rebirth Arena for their Realm. Today, even if that brat sprouts wings, he’s going to end up groveling on the floor, waiting to die!"

Apparently, he felt that wasn’t impactful enough.

Gu Ruilong lowered his voice and added sinisterly, "Oh, and Ruo Bing, there’s something else I didn’t tell you. The old master of my family has taken notice of that kid. He ordered me to eliminate him... without leaving a trace."

"You must have some idea of the power a Tier Ten Reincarnator with a Level 12 Rebirth Mark holds. For them, killing someone is as simple as crushing an ant..."

"Even though this is a Virtual Space created by the association, with a nod from the old master, I can take his life without anyone ever knowing!"

At these words, the color drained from Su Ruobing’s face, her composure completely shattering.

She had assumed that Li Chang’an had, at most, caught the attention of Gu Ruilong and the current Gu Family Patriarch. It had never even occurred to her that his existence would have reached the ears of the Gu Family’s old master!

’How is that possible?’

’Who was the Gu Family’s old master, and who was Li Chang’an?’

’Unless Li Chang’an had single-handedly bankrupted every business the Gu Family owned, such trivial squabbles should have been utterly beneath the old master’s notice...’