Meanwhile.
Gu Yuexi frowned, staring at the flames that had appeared on her body out of thin air.
She had no time to do anything, not even to think. 0.1 seconds later, her body dissolved into a flash of white light and vanished.
This body, with its Qi Blood only at the Second-Grade Late Stage Realm, was judged as "deceased" by the system after just 0.1 seconds under the scorching heat of Amaterasuâs Flame.
In the next 0.1 seconds, Chu Shengâs body was also struck by the Flying Sword. No, the Flying Sword didnât even hit its mark; it dissipated because Gu Yuexi had disappeared. Still, the residual force from its dissipation was more than enough to blast Chu Shengâs body to smithereens.
The two of them turned into white light and vanished one after the other, separated by only 0.1 seconds.
Thatâs right. He had pushed it to the absolute limit!
...
The battle replay ended.
But the spectators in the audience were still completely baffled.
"Wait, what happened? How did the Empress die too? Is the game bugged?!"
"I think I saw the Empress catch on fire? I couldnât see clearly... What the hell was that!"
"Thatâs right, a black flame really did appear on the Empress for a split second, and then she was gone. Could it have been an Attack from that giant cockroach?"
"No way! The giant cockroach could barely save itself, and it was so far away. How could it have one-shotted the Empress!"
For a moment, the arena was filled with heated debate.
Just then, the systemâs voice sounded once more.
[This battle has concluded. The "Ancient and Modern Unique Beast Taming" Empress sustained an Attack from "Hafuke Penhuo Pang 13". The system has determined that she was eliminated 0.1 seconds before "Hafuke Penhuo Pang 13". Therefore, the winner is "Hafuke Penhuo Pang 13".]
[This battle replay will be uploaded to the official forums. If you have any questions, you may view it there.]
[Congratulations again to "Hafuke Penhuo Pang 13" for breaking the all-realm winning streak record and becoming the creator of a new legacy, awaiting the arrival of the next challenger. We will issue a series of corresponding honors and rewards.]
[This match has ended. The room will close in ten seconds.]
[Ten... Nine...]
Although the system confirmed it again, many players remained skeptical. Unfortunately, as the room closed, everyone was kicked out.
...
After turning into white light, Chu Sheng reappeared in the gameâs main plaza.
Immediately, a series of system messages popped up.
[You were victorious in the last match. You may return to the arena. Return?]
Chu Sheng decisively chose "No." âI already won, whatâs the point of going back?â
[You have declined to return to the room. We will no longer match you with an opponent by default.]
[Congratulations on breaking the all-realm winning streak record and obtaining the "God of Competition" title. Related honors and game item rewards have been sent to your game inventory.]
âGame items... Whatâs the use?â
âSomething more practical would have been better! I guess Iâll have to sell them later? Rewards like this should probably sell for a lot of money.â
Chu Sheng casually closed the system notification interface.
Just then, he heard an indignant voice from behind him:
"You damn mosquito!"
âHoly shit, itâs Gu Yuexi!â
Chu Sheng shuddered. POP! He logged out instantly!
...
In the game plaza, Gu Yuexi, who had also been teleported out, watched Chu Sheng vanish right before her eyes and became absolutely furious!
"Damn mosquito, you just wait!"
Gu Yuexi refused to accept it!
She couldnât figure out what that black flame that had appeared on her body at the end was all about!
Although, as his Master, she was quite happy deep down to see her own Contracted Beast be so powerful, she was still incredibly peeved!
âI worked so hard in my secluded Cultivation, so why did I still lose!â
âI was so close! AAAAAAHHHH!â
The great Empress, at this moment, was so angry she stomped her feet right there in the game plaza.
âFortunately, this mosquitoâs Mental Power Realm seems to be inferior to my own. At least that means the "Beast Master" incident wonât happen...â
"Hmph. Fine. This Empress is not one to go back on her word."
"Iâll let you have this win. Once this Empress officially advances to the Fourth-Grade, I refuse to believe I still wonât be able to handle you!"
Gu Yuexi muttered through clenched teeth, then furiously logged off as well!
...
ăInside the official game forums.ă
The many players who had been kicked out of the room flooded in, rewatching the battle replay over and over again.
"Holy crap, 0.1 seconds? The âEmpressâ is way too unlucky, isnât she?"
"Seriously, whatâs the deal with that black flame? Iâve watched it a few times and I still canât tell!"
"Right? That giant cockroach was so far away, and it didnât even make any attacking motions! I seriously suspect that wasnât the cockroachâs Attack at all, but a system bug or some kind of cheat!"
"Exactly! The officials donât dare admit their game has a loophole for cheats, so theyâre just letting the mistake stand."
"Thereâs also the possibility that the cockroach left some kind of hidden trap on the Empress beforehand. Like a Warlockâs Talisman or something?"
"Impossible! How can a Demon Beast be a Spiritual Mage? Even if a Warlock were to activate a Talisman, theyâd need to form hand seals. That big cockroach didnât even twitch!"
"Yeah, Iâve watched it dozens of times. There was no Talisman at all."
"I also think somethingâs fishy. If that cockroach really won on its own, why didnât it dare to come back? Why did it log off at the speed of light?"
"It was an dishonorable victory, so it feels guilty! Unless that giant cockroach posts a video and repeats the move, I wonât believe it either."
The official forums exploded again, and the hype surrounding discussions of the battle remained incredibly high.
And the vast majority of people believed there was something wrong with the "giant cockroachâs" win.
It wasnât that everyone was biased toward the "Empress," but mainly that the appearance of the black flame was just too bizarre. Almost no known Cultivation method could achieve such an effect.
For a while, it was the winner, "Hafuke Penhuo Pang 13," who was being relentlessly questioned.
Meanwhile, the loser, the "Ancient and Modern First Empress," was being praised to the heavens for the various heaven-defying abilities she had displayed in battle.
...
It wasnât just the gamers.
The upper echelons of Hong Kong Island University, its faculty and students, the Ten Great Clans... they all thought the same.
The various abilities that "Lin Zhixia" had demonstrated in the match were already astonishing enough; winning or losing wasnât that important.
However, they werenât brainless. The strength of this giant cockroach had also caught the attention of some people.
ăHong Kong University, within the Array Academy.ă
A teacher was examining the battle replay and said:
"This cockroach from the Beast Taming Academy certainly is extraordinary. Whatâs most worthy of attention is that it has comprehended a certain degree of the Spatial Realm!"
Zhao Hongwu nodded.
"No wonder Shepherd Mountain treats it like a treasure. A Demon Beast that has comprehended the Spatial Realm indeed has a very promising future."
"However, if Shepherd Mountain thinks he can make the Beast Taming Academy rise just by relying on a Demon Beast that has only reached Minor Success in the Spatial Realm, that guy is thinking too much."
"In any case, the Beast Taming Academy must give up a portion of its territory this time. An academy with no future shouldnât be taking up so much space at Hong Kong University!"
ăThe Ye Family of Hong Kong Islandâs Ten Great Clans.ă
The Ye Family Patriarch, Ye Wushuang, was also watching the battle replay.
Below him, a Ye Family Elder spoke up:
"Patriarch, what do you think of this Demon Beastâs prospects? Is it worth our attention and further efforts to win it over?"
Ye Wushuang looked away from the video and shook his head.
"Itâs just a Fourth-Grade Demon Beast that has comprehended a little of the Spatial Realm. Winning it over wonât be of much help to the familyâs future."
"For now, letâs keep our focus on Lin Zhixia. Itâs just a cockroach. Compared to the Future Empress, itâs not even worth mentioning."
Similar scenes were unfolding in the other great clans.
...
ăThe Mu Family of Hong Kong Islandâs Ten Great Clans.ă
In a confinement room, Mu Linyuan, lying on his bed and covered in scars, also came across todayâs hottest video: the battle replay of the Empress vs. the cockroach.
As he watched, he suddenly started shouting:
"Instant Teleportation! A Demon Beast with the Spatial Realm?"
"Itâs him! Itâs him! It has to be him!"
"Someone must have ordered this Demon Beast to steal from my Mu Familyâs Spirit Plant Manor!"
"Someone, help! Let me out! Iâve found the culprit!"