Chapter 184: Strong and Proud with Eight-Pack Abs
This novel is translated and hosted only on BCatranslation
“The match begins,” Elder Blade announced.
As soon as the words left his mouth, the first contestant jumped back, creating some distance between them. He raised his hand, calling out, “Wait a minute!”
Yu Zhao frowned slightly, her eyes narrowing in confusion.
“Yu Zhao, I know I’m not strong enough to beat you,” the contestant admitted, his tone sincere. “But I’m hoping you could give me a chance to show what I can do here on this stage.”
Yu Zhao stayed silent, watching him closely. The contestant clasped his hands together, bowing slightly. His voice took on a pleading note. “Please, Yu Zhao, I’ve traveled a long way to get here. Just give me half an incense stick’s time to perform. Once I’m done, I’ll jump off the stage myself. You won’t have to lift a finger.”
Perhaps it was his sincerity, or maybe Yu Zhao was curious about what he had in mind. Whatever the reason, she nodded in agreement.
Relief and excitement lit up the man’s face. He straightened his clothes, then turned to the crowd, introducing himself loudly:
“Greetings, fellow cultivators! I am Ni Dakun from the Western Regions, currently at the mid-Golden Core stage. I specialize in blade techniques, and I love drinking—never without a cup, you could say. I’m straightforward, loyal in relationships, and… I have eight-pack abs.”
With that, Ni Dakun pulled off his upper robe, revealing his well-defined muscles. He then began swinging his large blade with powerful, sweeping movements that stirred the air around him.
Yu Zhao’s hair fluttered in the breeze from his blade, but she remained unimpressed.
She had expected Ni Dakun to showcase his strength and skills in front of the world’s top talents, but it seemed all he wanted was to show off his physique.
Surprisingly, his performance was effective—just not in the way she had anticipated.
Several female cultivators in the audience were watching with bright eyes, admiration evident on their faces. Some were even drooling. A few burly male cultivators looked eager to try something similar.
Yu Zhao sighed inwardly and turned her head, just in time to see Zhou Jin Yue and Zhang Jun stepping onto the stage for their match.
She glanced at the team opposing Zhou Jin Yue and felt reassured enough to look away.
This round was a guaranteed win for the Five Elements Sect.
“My blade technique performance is complete. Thank you all for watching!” Ni Dakun finished with a hearty bow to Yu Zhao and then jumped off the stage, as he had promised, shouting, “Yu Zhao wins! I concede!”
Elder Blade, barely able to contain his laughter, announced that Yu Zhao had advanced to the next round.
Even though she had won, Yu Zhao didn’t feel as satisfied as she expected.
As she stepped down from the stage, Yao Wuji approached her, clutching his stomach and laughing so hard he could barely stand, leaning on her shoulder for support.
“Hahaha, Yu Zhao, that was hilarious! You should’ve seen your face just now, it was adorable! Hahaha! That Ni Dakun is a real character! And eight-pack abs? Where did he come up with that?”
Yu Zhao: “…”
Situ Xuan, who had been standing nearby, also found it amusing but didn’t dare laugh too openly, worried about upsetting Yu Zhao.
However, Yu Zhao found Situ Xuan’s half-restrained laughter even more annoying than Yao Wuji’s open mirth.
“Yu Zhao, I’ve decided,” Yao Wuji said seriously after calming down from his laughing fit. “If I ever face you on the stage, you have to let me do an introduction too. I want people to remember my name, Yao Wuji!”
Yao Wuji was a rogue cultivator, so Yu Zhao understood Ni Dakun’s desire to be noticed.
For a rogue cultivator, the chance to be remembered even once in their lifetime was precious. Ni Dakun didn’t want to miss his opportunity.
And neither did Yao Wuji.
Yu Zhao smiled slightly. “You don’t need such a chance. I believe everyone will soon know who you are.”
Yao Wuji wouldn’t need to rely on gimmicks to be remembered—her strength would speak for itself.
Yao Wuji understood the meaning behind Yu Zhao’s words, and her smile widened, reaching her eyes.
“Yu Zhao, I’m starting to really like you now.”
Situ Xuan’s smile instantly disappeared.
His heart filled with alarm as he looked at Yao Wuji with wariness and suspicion.
Seeing Yu Zhao and Yao Wuji chatting so happily didn’t just irritate Situ Xuan—it also stung Fang Cheng Lang, who was watching Yu Zhao from the shadows.
Even if Yao Wuji turned to ashes, Fang Cheng Lang would recognize her as the woman who caused Cui Jue to lose all five of his senses.
Yu Zhao knew perfectly well what Yao Wuji had done to them, yet she could still talk and laugh with her. Did she not want to avenge Cui Jue or him?
After all those years of being close as siblings, did she not care at all?
Fang Cheng Lang’s eyes turned red, his expression pained, as a deep, indescribable sorrow and despair spread through his heart.
“Senior Brother? Senior Brother?”
Fang Cheng Lang’s unusual behavior immediately caught the attention of Lan Zi Yu and the others.
They followed his gaze and immediately understood.
Their Senior Brother must be thinking about Yu Zhao again.
Even though he claimed he wouldn’t disturb Yu Zhao anymore, he had simply shifted to watching her secretly. Now, seeing her talking to someone else, he felt hurt.
The others didn’t think much of it and continued watching the matches on the stage.
Fang Cheng Lang’s lips moved, but in the end, he didn’t reveal Yao Wuji’s true identity.
He decided to give Yu Zhao one more chance.
If Yu Zhao still couldn’t see her mistake and chose to protect Yao Wuji, he wouldn’t hide it for her anymore.
What Yao Wuji did to Cui Jue and him was something he could never forget, no matter how many times he experienced it!
He was determined to make Yao Wuji pay the price she deserved!
The sect competition and individual matches continued smoothly.
Yao Wuji, Situ Xuan, Yao Ji, and Slashes each took their turns on the stage and advanced successfully.
It’s worth mentioning that although Yao Wuji and Situ Xuan didn’t hold back during their matches, they refrained from using lethal moves.
However, Yao Ji and Slashes’ opponents weren’t as fortunate. One ended up severely injured, and the other lost their life. The strong smell of blood filled the air, assaulting everyone’s senses.
As Elder Blade had predicted, the real danger was yet to come.
After the first round of matches, the second round began immediately, giving no time for rest.
But when it was Yu Zhao’s turn to compete, the atmosphere was entirely different.
It seemed that the first contestant, Ni Dakun, had set a unique precedent.
Everyone knew that Yu Zhao wasn’t the type who enjoyed needless violence. As long as you were polite, she would give you half an incense stick’s time to perform. If you still didn’t step down after that, she would personally send you off the stage.
So, the contestants who faced Yu Zhao started acting strangely.
Some went up to showcase their talents; others made public announcements about lost items. The most outrageous instance was when a female cultivator went on stage to confess her love for Yu Zhao, even offering to bear their love child. Yu Zhao silenced her with a spell and promptly sent her off the stage.
Of course, some malicious contestants tried to use this opportunity to launch sneak attacks on Yu Zhao.
But Yu Zhao didn’t even need to use the Floating Life Mirror. She put each of them into a heart-demon illusion, and they ended up being carried off the stage.
This novel is translated and hosted only on BCatranslation
Her reputation spread throughout the arena once more.
On the high stage, Sect Master Ji Yuan’s laughter was loud enough to shake the roof.
He was indeed pleased.
The Five Elements Sect’s two teams had won four matches in a row and were about to secure their fifth victory, having defeated teams from two other sects and four major schools.
In the individual competition, Yu Zhao stood out even more, overpowering all the other cultivators on her own.
It could be said that the Five Elements Sect was the biggest winner of this cultivation world competition.