Every single bristle on Xiong Tao's body stood on end. In the nick of time, he dodged sideways. The spinning knife edges grazed past his temples. Blood surged to his head as the Frenzy Bear erupted in rage, all four limbs clinging to the arena floor.
He exerted force abruptly, launching his burly figure forward like a cannonball.
Chu Xuan's crimson pupils flickered, and a gurgling sound emanated from his throat. The twin knives clashed before his chest, erupting with a mist of blood.
The blood mist condensed into countless dense, fine threads that tangled toward Xiong Tao's four limbs. Every single thread was greedily sucking away the biological energy they came into contact with.
"Scram!"
Fierce light surged explosively in Xiong Tao's eyes. The muscles all over his body expanded once again as he forcefully broke free from his constraints. The resulting shockwave completely shattered all the surrounding blood threads.
The aftershocks produced when the two battled weren't small, but the arena was surrounded by an energy barrier, making it difficult for the impacts to spill outside.
"He can't win." Ming Lin had only watched for a moment before making his judgment. "The Bloody Butcher can drain the biological energy of others, growing stronger the more he fights."
This class belonged to the Adjudication Court. Not to mention its abilities or traits, even its class advancement requirements were things these Core Seeds could figure out through inquiries.
"However," Ming Lin noticed a slight anomaly, "Chu Xuan's utilization of the Bloody Butcher's abilities is very flexible. It doesn't look like he just recently advanced."
"He's going to lose." Zhong Ming's complexion didn't look too good.
Everyone else couldn't help but nod in agreement. It had only been a few moves, yet they could already see the outcome.
As everyone expected, after entangling in combat for another brief moment, Xiong Tao was defeated. His years of actual combat experience only served to make his defeat slightly less miserable.
Kneeling on one knee on the arena floor, he panted heavily. His robust figure had shrunk by more than half, and his body was covered in wounds.
Chu Xuan's condition appeared to be fine. Wrapped in blood flames, his aura had even faintly grown significantly stronger.
Sustaining battle through battleâthis was exactly the Bloody Butcher!
"Youâyou didn't just recently advance. I was deceived!" Xiong Tao said through gritted teeth.
As his opponent, he felt it the most clearly. Chu Xuan exhibited absolutely no sluggishness typical of newly advanced professionals. His ability utilization was extremely flexible.
Hearing Xiong Tao say this, uproarious discussions immediately broke out below. "He actually didn't just recently advance? This Chu Xuan managed to hide it from Zhong Ming?"
"He has both courage and strategy. Sure enoughânot a single person who can become a Core Seed is easy to deal with."
From the spectator seats, Zhong Ming abruptly turned his eyes toward Wei Yufan and said in a heavy voice, "Did you help him cover it up?"
His information came from the Class Analysis Department. Among all the Core Seeds, the only person capable of covering up information there was Wei Yufan.
"How could we let him accept challenges exactly when he genuinely just advanced? That would be too unfair," Wei Yufan said indifferently, ignoring Zhong Ming's ugly expression. His gaze fell upon Su Chen. "Furthermore, Chu Xuan wasn't the only one doing cover-ups."
The moment these words were spoken, everyone's expressions changed slightly. Ming Lin abruptly turned his head to look at Su Chen, deeply alarmed and doubtful.
Feng Ze also cast a surprised glance. Over at the Class Analysis Department, there wasn't the slightest bit of news regarding Su Chen's advancement.
"Junior Brother Su, how much longer are you going to hide it?" Wei Yufan chuckled lightly. "Last night, the Gu Family started purchasing 3rd-tier auxiliary potions overnight. Earlier today, you submitted an application to retrieve copies of a D-rank body forging method and meditation method."
"Inside the Adjudication Court, there are no secrets."
This guy was truly well-informed; Su Chen wasn't entirely surprised either.
From the moment he asked the Gu Family to prepare, he knew this news would quickly spread, but he hadn't expected it to be this fast.
"Did you advance on your own?" Feng Ze asked in surprise. If one advanced independently, the Adjudication Court wouldn't reimburse the resources expended.
However, he quickly understood why Su Chen did this: to familiarize himself with his abilities earlier.
Once they advanced to the 3rd tier, they would inevitably be challenged. Naturally, they had to be secretive and familiarize themselves with their abilities beforehand.
Ming Lin, however, realized that Wei Yufan was suddenly exposing this matter with malicious intent.
Sure enough, the very next moment, Chu Xuan, who was still enjoying the cheers on the arena, suddenly looked up toward the direction where Su Chen and the others were located.
"Su Chen!" he shouted loudly. Since the end of the assessment, Chu Xuan felt a grating sensation just hearing this name from the mouths of others, and he himself almost never brought it up.
In an instant, the originally noisy arena quickly quieted down, and everyone's gazes carried hidden expectations.
Chu Xuan's dense, rich voice echoed throughout the hall: "Since you've already advanced to the 3rd tier, stop hiding! I want a battle with you!"
After a brief silence, bursts of astonished cries erupted from below the arena.
"Su Chen actually advanced to the 3rd tier as well? Why did nobody discuss this matter? Is it true or false?"
"It should be true, right? It's not hard to verify."
An advancement could be silent and traceless, but a person's life aura and mental resilience couldn't be concealed. Inviting a Chief Inquisitor could easily confirm it.
"Su Chen also advanced to the 3rd tier?" Jiang Shumo couldn't help but be surprised. "Really?"
A flash of light passed through You Shan's eyes. A moment later, she nodded. "Not bad, he's already a 3rd-tier professional."
Chong Jingtian rubbed his fingers together, astonishment in his eyes. "How could he be so fast?"
"In that case, today truly is a battle of arch-nemeses." Jiang Shumo was full of anticipation. "There's quite a spectacle to watch."
"That's hard to say, Su Chen might not necessarily accept it," You Shan said lightly. "After all, he is Xia Hanshi's student. Perhaps he won't play his cards according to common sense."
"No way." Jiang Shumo was taken aback.
'Such a strong mental fluctuation...' Su Chen subconsciously looked toward a certain room on the top floor. Ming Lin and the others beside him had similarly sensed it.
"Since the Teacher is here, I'm afraid the Chief is present as wellâ" Ming Lin's expression was grim. He had already realized that today was likely a setupâa setup targeting Su Chen.
During the entrance assessment, Chu Xuan felt he had suffered an immense humiliation.
Wanting to reclaim his dignity wasn't as simple as just defeating Su Chen; he needed to reverse the prevailing notion in the hearts of the vast majority that "Chu Xuan is inferior to Su Chen."
However, a grand and momentous occasion like the assessment only came once a year, and neither of them could participate in it again.
Fortunately, because of the challenge ranking system, both Chu Xuan and Su Chen drew everyone's attention. Many people were waiting for them to advance to the 3rd tier.
And Chu Xuan advancing to a top-tier class attracted even more attention.
Combined with the deliberate hype in the shadows, his very first battle would inevitably draw a massive crowd.
As they had expected, the number of people who came this time unimaginably exceeded their expectations.
"No wonder discussions about Su Chen and Chu Xuan have been increasing recentlyâyou guys were hyping it up."
Ming Lin glared at Wei Yufan gloomily. The remarks about Su Chen he heard earlier might very well have been intentionally spread by the other party to spur him into inviting Su Chen over.
Wei Yufan withdrew his gaze, but his eyebrows furrowed slightly. The results were surprisingly good. He hadn't expected several of the Chief Inquisitors who stayed behind to show up too. The Chief himself was likely present as well.
But with this turn of events, Chu Xuan was receiving far too much attention. Wei Yufan had wanted to use this to subdue Chu Xuan, suppress Su Chen, and consolidate his own status.
He hadn't wanted Chu Xuan to be elevated too high.
As the numerous gazes converged on Su Chen, Wei Yufan's voice remained calm. "Junior Brother won't deny it, will you?"
Ming Lin gave Su Chen a worried look. Biting back a denial was a viable strategy; out of consideration for Xia Hanshi, those high-level figures wouldn't expose him on the spot.
But you can hide from the first day of the month, but you can't hide from the fifteenth.
"What meticulous schemingâ" Su Chen looked toward the arena, his voice completely devoid of ripples. "In that case, let's fight."
His reaction surprised many people. Before Ming Lin could even open his mouth to speak, he saw Su Chen slightly bend his legs. His entire body launched from the spectator seats like a spring, landing lightly onto the arena.
"He came down! He really advanced to the 3rd tier. He truly hid himself deeply."
The inquisitors below grew increasingly excited. They were already tired of watching simple, straightforward challenges. Battles with a story behind them were far more interesting.
"Why are they being so hasty? The betting pools haven't even been set up yet!"
"Advancing silently without asking the Class Analysis Department for help definitely means it's not a top-tier class. Su Chen is in dangerâ"
As Chu Xuan looked at his opponent, complex emotions swelled within his heart. Once, this opponent had even haunted his nightmares.
However, after walking on the edge of life and death, his state of mind had indeed matured considerably. Facing Su Chen now, he felt much calmer, his eyes holding a kind of confidence.
"I know you hold dual classes, and your strength shouldn't be underestimated. But a top-tier class is ultimately a top-tier class. The higher the tier, the wider the gap between them."
"Dual classes? That's right! Back then, Su Chen was proclaimed to be a Double Red Gold. If both his mental and physical attributes are at the 3rd tier, this situation definitely won't be one-sided."
Many inquisitors had been blinded by the Ink Jade talent and had only now remembered that Su Chen's physical talent was also Red Gold. They immediately grew thrilled.
"A struggle between dragon and tiger! A battle of arch-nemeses!!"
The depths of Chu Xuan's eyes were serene. "Actually, regarding the events of the assessment, I no longer blame you. Put in your shoes, I wouldn't have held back or worried about others either. Therefore, I ask that you do not blame me today."
Su Chen wore an odd expression. Chu Xuan didn't look like he had let things go; instead, it felt more like an attitude of "I have already surpassed you, so I don't care about anything from the past."
Is there something wrong with this guy's brain?
However, Su Chen's expression gradually smoothed out. To tell the truth, after entering the Adjudication Court, he had never once cared about Chu Xuan. It wasn't disdain.
Rather, it was simply "walking separate paths."
Under the circumstances of the assessment, who would hide their capabilities?
Moreover, he didn't even remember speaking a single sentence to Chu Xuan that day, let alone mocking him. Chu Xuan couldn't resolve his own internal conflicts, and he's shifting the blame onto him?
Not only had the other party remembered it up to the present day, but he had also gone to painstaking lengths to set up such an elaborate scheme! This indeed annoyed him quite a bit.
Therefore, he didn't say anything. A violent gale whipped up around his body, indicating that the battle could begin.
Chu Xuan immediately received Su Chen's signal, inevitably feeling angry at his silence.
Boom! Blood flames erupted and swirled around his body. Chu Xuan didn't hesitate to attack. He stomped against the arena, charging forward like a bolt of blood-red lightningârapid and swift.
A pair of door-sized bloody butcher knives tore through the air, completely hacking toward Su Chen's face.
A beam of deep azure flashed deep within Su Chen's eyes. In an instant, countless pale azure electric serpents shot out from his pores, weaving into a swirling thunderstorm field around his body.
Lightning surged forth along his arms. Every strand of his hair floated under the effect of static electricity, and a pale azure crown faintly gathered atop his head.
Chu Xuan was absolutely not weak. This was the thought Su Chen had right when he was spectating earlier. No matter how petty this guy was, the strength of a top-tier class was right there for all to see.
Furthermore, his 2nd tier was also a top-tier class. As for his 1st tier, Su Chen wasn't entirely sure, but nine times out of ten, it was as well.
Even if he solely relied on his physical class, Su Chen could still defeat him, but it would inevitably consume some time.
And to repay the other party for his meticulous scheming in orchestrating such a grand and imposing situation, Su Chen decided to attack with all his might.
As his mental energy surged, a streak of dark light flashed through his pupils, which were roiling with pale azure lightning.
[Gaze of Black Buddha] was a class ability. It had no actual connection to Black Buddha, so he wasn't afraid of using it in front of the several Chief Inquisitors.
The oncoming Chu Xuan had already sensed how formidable Su Chen currently was. Merely the aura emanating from him right now made Chu Xuan faintly shudder.
'Is this the power of holding dual classes?' Chu Xuan speculated inwardly. This type of combat method was something Su Chen had only used once during the assessment.
Long after, news circulated from the higher-ups of the Adjudication Court stating that this occurred because a fusion took place between Su Chen's mental and physical classes, birthing an even more powerful ability.
However, this was also within his expectations.
'I excel at drawn-out battles. The longer it drags on, the more advantageous it is for me...' Just as Chu Xuan was thinking this, his vision suddenly blurred. It felt as if his brain had suffered a heavy blow. A sensation of weightlessness washed over him, and his surroundings instantly morphed into a hazy gray expanse.
"Thisâwhat is thisâ"
Panic filled Chu Xuan's heart. Yet, externally, his body seemed to lose its support, plummeting straight downward.
Meanwhile, Su Chen had already begun charging his power. Turning sideways and retreating a step, a scorching pale azure lightning coiled violently around his right arm. Like the center of a vortex, it tore and pulled upon the violent lightning all around to converge.
At the same time, streaks of crimson lightning arcs materialized in the surroundings. Under Su Chen's control, they lashed at Chu Xuan like frenzied electric serpents.
The dazzling lightning almost entirely eclipsed everything else.
Boom!
It wasn't until Su Chen felt an achy sting run down his arm that he struck fearlessly. The edge of his fist tore through the air, and the pale azure lightning wrapping his arm erupted in a spiral like a living beast.
At the instant the punch was thrown, the accumulated energy formed a conical shockwave. The protective thunder aura and the wind pressure intertwined into a roaring drill that smashed right into the plummeting Chu Xuan.
"Thisâwhat is this place?"
Chu Xuan was extremely anxious and restless in his heart. He had already realized that this was a mental attack.
However, he was a top-tier professional. His mental resilience was extraordinarily high. Ordinary mental attacks could, at most, leave him in a daze for a moment; it was impossible for them to make him completely lose control.
But very quickly, an invisible dragging sensation emerged. His vision cleared abruptly, and his consciousness snapped back into his body.
"Not good!" Chu Xuan's pupils violently contracted, terror griping him. Scorching, tyrannical lightning filled his vision, and the threat was already right before his eyes!
He subconsciously tried to resist, but his entire body felt paralyzed. For a brief moment, he horrifyingly found it difficult to move even a single inch.
Crackâa crisp sound of bone shattering echoed out. He could only watch helplessly as half of Su Chen's fist plunged deeply into his chest.
Immediately after, a frenzied wave of power forcefully vented outward. The severe agony spreading from his chest swept through his nerves. His entire chest caved in completely.
With his peripheral vision rapidly retreating, the completely defenseless Chu Xuan was blasted flying backward!
Bang!
A violent impact hammered his back as he smashed into the energy barrier, sending tremors through his internal organs before he crashed heavily onto the floor.
Loss of control followed. He opened his mouth and spewed out a mouthful of fresh blood. The intense paralysis racking his body made it difficult to even lift a finger. Crimson electrical arcs spread all over him, causing his body to twitch violently, and parts of his skin had already turned charred black.
"Howâhow is this possible!" Chu Xuan's pupils trembled. Due to the paralysis, his mouth and eyes were slightly contorted, his blood endlessly spilling out.
Silence fell over the area below the stage, and all the spectators were utterly dumbfounded.
Even though they had witnessed everything unfold, they found it just as unbelievable and unimaginable as Chu Xuan did.
"Oneâjust one strikeâ"
Someone's adam's apple bobbed.
What happened to the struggle between dragon and tiger? What happened to the battle of arch-nemeses?
(End of this chapter)