Lan Hao looked around at the crowd, his voice firm and resolute, "Your Excellency Qing Cang, I am looking for Wan Chen to ask him what gives him the right to completely disregard Su Chen!"
He knew Qing Cang was evaluating Su Chen, so he deliberately opened the conversation this way.
As his words faded, Wan Chen's eyes instantly darkened with profound depth.
Qing Cang furrowed his brows slightly, an indescribable emotion swirling in his eyes.
Chong Jingtian's eyelids twitched. It seemed Su Chen had been dragged into some sort of trouble. Sure enough, there was no harmony within this group either.
Lin Yue, meanwhile, wore an expression that showed she was ready for a good show.
"Where does his arrogance come from?" Lan Hao pressed further. The three of them only ever had a superficial relationship to begin with. After witnessing the spiritual nature of their respective professions, the difference in their standing was clear, and he could no longer be bothered to maintain even that facade.
Did this have something to do with Su Chen?
Qing Cang looked at Su Chen, noting that his expression was as calm as still water, then glanced at Wan Chen before finally asking Lan Hao, "Why do you say that?"
"Su Chen mentioned a challenge to Wan Chen a few days ago, but Wan Chen dismissed it as unnecessary. Isn't that a bit too arrogant?" Lan Hao said without hesitation.
These words had all been relayed to him by Su Chen. Right now, he was playing the role of someone speaking out for justice. Even if Su Chen had been lying, the blame would not fall on him.
'A challenge?' Qing Cang's gaze landed on Su Chen. 'Does he intend to overcome the odds and slay three dragons?'
He immediately understood. The boy had a calm heart, but it was not quite enough. Or rather, he was a bit too impatient regarding this matter and had likely been led astray by Lan Hao.
However, that was perfectly normal. He was a young man, after all. How calm could he truly be?
'Challenging Wan Chen?' Chong Jingtian looked at Su Chen standing behind Lan Hao, maintaining the appearance of an honest, simple man. His mouth twitched slightly. 'Would this kid really be so reckless?'
Lin Yue's eyes flickered with amusement. 'This handsome little guy really has a lot of nerve.'
'Still, he is probably just being used as a weapon by Lan Hao. But there is nothing he can do about it; his home planet is facing a crisis, after all.'
After a brief moment of thought, Qing Cang asked, "Wan Chen, is this true?"
Wan Chen glanced at Lan Hao, then at Su Chen. Having already guessed what was going on, a trace of pity inevitably crept into his eyes. 'What an utter fool.'
Wan Chen nodded, his voice perfectly calm. "It is true, but my response at the time was that we are all friends, and such a challenge would hurt our relationship. There was no need for it."
Su Chen also nodded. "His Excellency Wan Chen did indeed say that."
Lan Hao, however, scoffed coldly. "A challenge is not a fight to the death. Even if he believes he is guaranteed to win, it would still serve as good experience. How can he say there is no need?"
"So you are telling me that I must accept the challenge?" Wan Chen asked, staring right at Lan Hao.
Lan Hao felt a surge of secret joy. Su Chen was standing right behind him, yet he did not bother to ask for the young man's opinion. Instead, he answered bluntly, "And what if I am?"
Seeing the two of them putting Su Chen on the spot, Qing Cang's expression soured slightly.
Su Chen, being in the middle of it, might not have noticed, but he saw the situation clearly.
Right at that moment, however, Wan Chen let out a heavy sigh. "If that is the case, I will accept your challenge, Lan Hao."
The decision was final.
"Good—" Lan Hao felt a jolt of excitement, but then his eyes widened in shock. 'Who?'
Qing Cang's expression froze for a fraction of a second. His gaze swept over Su Chen, who was standing behind Lan Hao, and a hint of admiration inevitably appeared in his eyes.
'Restrained and calm. Not bad, not bad at all!'
He could even guess what Lan Hao had said to Su Chen. From Su Chen's perspective, many things were incredibly urgent, such as the Holy Banquet crisis and the like.
'To be able to restrain his inner desires, recognize his own limits, and even scheme against Lan Hao in return—such mental fortitude is truly rare.'
'These desolate planets really do hone a person.'
Chong Jingtian shook his head inwardly. He knew this kid Su Chen was incredibly sly. These people did not know him well and assumed that just because he was young, he could be easily manipulated.
Lin Yue was slightly bewildered. 'Wasn't the handsome little guy the one challenging Wan Chen?' She then glanced at the dumbfounded Lan Hao and finally began to understand.
"I am challenging you?" Lan Hao still seemed unable to process what had just happened.
Wan Chen glanced at Su Chen. Seeing the young man looking as serene as ever, he could not help but sigh in his heart. 'To watch his enemy fall right into a trap without showing a single trace of emotion... he really is something else.'
Since he was fully aware of Lan Hao's true intentions, he was also feeling quite annoyed. Throwing all caution to the wind, he declared bluntly, "Brother Su Chen came to me a few days ago. He told me that you had thoughts of challenging me and asked for my opinion on the matter."
"I told him that we are all friends and that it would hurt our relationship, so there was no need. But since you are so insistent today, I have no choice but to agree."
"You... I..." Upon hearing this, Lan Hao instantly realized that he had been played. Su Chen had put on the act of an honest fool, but he had seen right through his true intentions all along.
And he, fully believing the kid had fallen for his bait, had failed to spot the guy's sinister motives and ended up being schemed against instead.
A fiery rage burned within his chest, but he had nowhere to vent it. He couldn't exactly admit that he thought Su Chen was the one challenging Wan Chen; that would only make him look even stupider.
He could even mentally picture Su Chen standing behind him right now, a face full of mockery.
Seeing Lan Hao's suffocated expression, the pity in Wan Chen's eyes practically overflowed.
Qing Cang secretly shook his head. 'What a waste of Lan Hai's prestigious reputation. How did he end up raising a son like this?'
"You... why didn't you stop to think? If I was the one who wanted to challenge you, why would I have him pass on the message?" In the end, this was the only excuse Lan Hao could choke out.
"I did think about it, which is why I politely declined Brother Su Chen. I just never expected you to come here so aggressively today, so I had no choice but to accept." Wan Chen feigned a helpless shrug. "Of course, if you want to back out now, it doesn't matter to me."
Lan Hao struggled to control his expression, which was growing uglier by the second. He had only goaded Su Chen in the first place because he lacked confidence in his own strength. Now, he had backed himself into a corner. If he backed down now, he would be outright admitting that he was afraid of Wan Chen.
If his original plan had succeeded, even if the others saw through it, they would not have pointed it out. They would have only praised him for his deep foresight and criticized Su Chen for being too reckless.
But now, his attempt to play someone else had resulted in him being played. If he did not even dare to accept the battle, it would be far more than just humiliating.
"There is nothing to back out of. I have been wanting to ask you for guidance for a long time." Faced with no other options, Lan Hao agreed in a heavy voice.
"In that case, let's go." Wan Chen stood up immediately.
Lan Hao snorted coldly. Finally able to turn around, he spun back to see just how mockingly Su Chen was looking at him, fully prepared to endure the young man's sarcastic remarks.
Instead, he found that the other party's expression was exactly the same as when they had first arrived.
It was as if playing him for a fool had not given this guy the slightest sense of accomplishment.
Flames nearly shot from Lan Hao's eyes. This sheer, dismissive indifference was far more humiliating than any sarcastic insult could have ever been.
Su Chen simply stepped aside, allowing the others to pass first while he trailed at the back with Chong Jingtian.
"What exactly is going on?" Chong Jingtian transmitted a ripple of spiritual energy.
"The tree desires stillness, but the wind will not cease," Su Chen replied with a shake of his head.
'This kid... he really knows how to spin a phrase.' Chong Jingtian was left momentarily speechless but quickly warned him, "Qing Cang seems like a decent person, and he looks upon you quite favorably. He should be willing to protect you."
This was his way of telling Su Chen not to be afraid if things really went south.
Su Chen nodded, but then he felt another gaze fixed upon him. He turned his head and saw Lin Yue staring at him with deep curiosity.
Seeing her staring, Su Chen stared right back. Neither of them spoke a word.
Before long, Lin Yue gave up in exasperation and looked away. 'What is up with this guy?'
There was a dedicated area inside the spaceship designed specifically for combat. The walls were forged from a special metal and engraved with mysterious symbols.
As the two stepped into the arena, Wan Chen spoke up. "You and I are of the same age and the same tier. If you defeat me, you truly will have slain three dragons against the odds. If word of this gets out, it will certainly cause quite a stir."
Lan Hao, deeply frustrated, had no desire to chat. "Cut the crap."
Wan Chen's eyes narrowed. 'What a piece of work. I try to give him face, and he throws it right back!'
"Your mind is quite sharp. Slaying three dragons... it sounds wonderful," Qing Cang suddenly said from where they stood on the sidelines. "But actually doing it is extremely difficult."
'Is he talking to me?' Su Chen's heart stirred slightly. He asked aloud, "Is Lan Hao guaranteed to lose?"
"Guaranteed to lose," Qing Cang said with absolute certainty. "Their foundations are almost identical, but Wan Chen's talent is incredibly high. At the exact same age, he has had much more time to prepare for special professions outside of his main class."
As soon as his voice faded, the fight on the stage began. Violent purple lightning erupted from Wan Chen's body, the arcs of electricity coiling around his arms like massive serpents.
Azure flames ignited all over Lan Hao, constructing a swirling rampart of fire in front of him.
Both of their professions shared similarities in affinity with the Scarlet Flame Thunder Exalt. It made sense; Qing Cang would never have brought along someone with an ice-element profession.
Although Qing Cang's gaze was fixed on the arena, all of his attention was actually on Su Chen. He sent out another spiritual fluctuation, "Do you resent me?"
"Huh?" Su Chen paused, momentarily caught off guard.
Qing Cang continued on his own, "I descended from the heavens, took away the item you have guarded for so long without a second thought, and yet I refuse to lift a finger to eradicate the Holy Banquet disaster. Do you not resent me?"
"It's alright. I just feel a bit helpless," Su Chen thought for a moment before replying. "It makes no sense to place one's hopes on the mercy of others."
"Why helpless?" Qing Cang was slightly surprised by the answer.
"You arrived too quickly. I do not yet have the qualifications to master my own fate." Su Chen answered honestly. Qing Cang paused, then suddenly burst into loud laughter, drawing curious glances from the people beside him.
"Hahaha—what a great line! Master your own fate!" Qing Cang finally said aloud. "It is not that I am unwilling to eradicate the threat of the Holy Banquet; I simply cannot do it."
He explained further, "The Nether Mist isolates everything. No detection equipment works inside it. This planet is massive. Searching for it bit by bit, scouring every inch of the land... there simply is not enough time."
"Moreover, if the Nether Mist isn't eliminated, a second disaster is bound to happen sooner or later. With such a massive population, it's impossible to evacuate everyone. No matter how much is done, it will all be in vain."
Qing Cang was practically satisfied to the extreme with Su Chen. He could not find a single flaw in the boy. Naturally, his current goal was to clear up any misunderstandings Su Chen might have toward him.
Planets covered by the Nether Mist were all like this. The root of all problems lay within the mist itself. "So that's how it is..." Su Chen murmured as he watched the battle on the stage. The two fighters were locked in fierce combat, purple lightning and azure flames violently clashing in a deafening spectacle.
However, once the energy fluctuations exceeded a certain limit, the escaping torrents of power were instantly absorbed by the surrounding symbols, perfectly confining the battle to the arena.
Su Chen fell deep into thought. 'The Ancient Bronze King... could he do it?'
Chong Jingtian's gaze darted back and forth between the two of them. He had sensed the rippling spiritual fluctuations, but he had no idea what they were discussing.
"Tsk... Wan Chen has improved quite a bit," Lin Yue suddenly exclaimed in amazement.
In the center of the arena, the two figures blurred as they clashed amid lightning and fire. In close-quarters combat, Wan Chen's elbow strikes left behind trails of purple electricity, each afterimage slicing through the air like a tangible blade of lightning.
Lan Hao raised his forearms to block. The instant they made contact, the azure flames expanded into a blazing shield. Purple lightning skittered across the surface of the barrier, screeching with the piercing sound of glass being scratched.
Purple lightning serpents and azure fire pythons tore mercilessly at one another. The erupting shockwaves of energy ripped through their combat suits, leaving behind charred scorch marks.
Wan Chen suddenly changed his attack. His hand formed a claw as he lunged straight for his opponent's throat, the purple lightning wreathing his fingers transforming into five twisting streams of plasma.
Lan Hao leaned back while simultaneously bringing up a vicious knee strike. The ring of blue fire trailing his knee was just about to knock the grapple away, but Wan Chen was faster. Even though he missed Lan Hao's throat, he swiftly changed direction, slamming his hand down to grip Lan Hao's shoulder.
The strike was utterly ruthless. Three fingers forcefully pierced straight into Lan Hao's shoulder blade. Splat! Three bloody holes burst open.
Lan Hao let out a howl of pain, his expression turning entirely savage. Standing within the storm of fire, he spread his arms wide. The azure flames erupting from his pores condensed into a majestic fire phoenix spreading its wings, radiating an aura that was both boundless and searing.
Wan Chen merely scoffed coldly. There were no obvious changes to his body, save for the fact that the violent surges of purple electricity grew even more intense.
Looking down in thought for a moment, Su Chen suddenly asked, "Your Excellency Qing Cang, when the time comes for the spiritual merging, could you let me try as well..."
"...just to see?"
"Naturally." Qing Cang agreed almost immediately, without even bothering to ask for a reason.
He was indeed incredibly satisfied with Su Chen, but it was not yet time to lay his cards on the table. There was one lingering issue that needed to be resolved: the unwillingness in Su Chen's heart.
No matter how flawlessly Su Chen had performed, Qing Cang refused to believe the boy didn't have even the slightest ambition toward the legacy of the Scarlet Flame Thunder Exalt. He definitely did; he was merely suppressing it.
If he didn't allow Su Chen to try it for himself and witness the insurmountable gap with his own eyes, that deep-seated unwillingness would haunt him for the rest of his life, perhaps even festering into bitter resentment.
Until that happened, he did not want Su Chen's impending change in status to cause him to harbor any inappropriate thoughts toward Wan Chen and the others.
Only after the dust had settled and Su Chen truly comprehended the vast gulf between them would it be the perfect moment. It might be slightly cruel to the boy, but walking this path was ultimately the safest and most reliable approach.
As expected, Su Chen had brought up the matter exactly as he'd anticipated.
Su Chen, on the other hand, was quite astonished. The sheer ease of the request far exceeded his expectations. He had assumed that Qing Cang would at least hesitate for a moment.
'Does he think I have absolutely no hope of succeeding?' Su Chen speculated inwardly, but simply said, "Thank you."
"It's over," Qing Cang announced.
Su Chen immediately looked back toward the arena. Wan Chen had already withdrawn his stance, looking exactly as immaculate as he had before the fight.
Lan Hao, however, was deadly pale. He was half-kneeling on the ground, fresh blood streaming profusely from the deep puncture wounds in his shoulder and the heavy gashes across his chest.
"The gap between these two is immense," Su Chen murmured to himself. He had been too preoccupied with his own thoughts to witness the final clash, but just looking at the aftermath made the disparity glaringly obvious.
Furthermore, Lan Hao's actual combat strength was nowhere near as impressive as he had imagined.
It made sense. His talent was on par with Hong Xuan's. Time was fair to everyone; if all of it was spent developing a primary profession, there simply would not be any extra time left to take on additional special classes.
Just as he was pondering this, Su Chen's expression suddenly hardened. He watched as a layer of eerie green flames slowly ignited across the surface of Lan Hao's skin.
Wherever those green flames touched, the bloody holes in his shoulder and the savage lacerations on his chest began to slowly heal.
'Is this a self-healing profession?' A brief flash of realization flickered through Su Chen's eyes.
Standing nearby, Lin Yue could not hide her envy. "The Azure Flame Immortal Bird... how incredibly convenient. If his system was complete and he could heal like this mid-battle, Wan Chen might not have been able to handle him so easily."
'Azure Flame Immortal Bird? What is that, a title? This guy actually has a title?'
'And what does she mean by his system being complete?' Su Chen's curiosity was thoroughly piqued.
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