Chapter 63: Chapter 61: Reactions from All Sides

In just a few short breaths,

Shen Rongguang, who just a moment ago had been brimming with confidence and unrestrained arrogance, was blasted off the arena stage.

In that instant, the surroundings fell into a deathly silence.

It was as if even the sound of breathing had vanished, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Absolutely no one had expected this would be the outcome of the battle!

After all, at the beginning,

not even his sponsor, Si Houqing, had held any expectations for victory.

He had long been prepared to lose that business deal.

And as for the onlookers and the leaders of the other chambers of commerce presiding from the high platform,

once they learned of Shen Rongguang’s identity as a member of the Tian Nan Shen Clan, they all felt the battle held no suspense whatsoever.

The only question was how many moves the tightly wrapped figure in the conical hat and bronze mask could endure.

Even the rare few who went against the grain, the contrarians,

dared only to imagine a scenario where Shen Rongguang, underestimating his opponent, might carelessly lose after a bitter struggle, allowing the other to pull off a desperate, come-from-behind upset.

Who would have ever dared to think,

that Shen Rongguang, a disciple from the prestigious and powerful Tian Nan Shen Clan, would be utterly crushed in such a remote place by a nobody in the span of a few breaths?!

Moreover,

from the first move to the end of the fight, only four or five breaths had passed.

For that amount of time,

wouldn’t some ordinary Cultivators still be casting their Techniques and gathering their Magic?!

And yet the battle was already over?!

This was simply too incredible!

If they hadn’t seen it with their own eyes, they would have thought someone was telling a mad tale!

"Just now... could that have been the Perfection Wind Blade Technique and the Perfection Fireball Technique?!"

At this moment, on the high platform,

the leaders of the other chambers of commerce, who had been serving as nonchalant arbitrators for the arena battle, looked stunned, their expressions quickly turning serious.

They had no choice but to be grave,

for although the Wind Blade Technique and Fireball Technique were just two of the most fundamental and widespread types of Basic Magic,

to be able to cultivate them to the point of instantaneous Perfection,

especially reaching Perfection while only at the mere Qi Introduction Sixth Layer,

was something no ordinary person could achieve!

Forget the few hundred miles around this Wu Family Collection,

even within the three-thousand-mile radius of Qing City, anyone capable of this would be considered a once-in-a-generation genius!

"That’s right. They were definitely Perfection Level techniques!"

"Five Wind Blade Techniques and three Fireball Techniques, all cast at nearly the same time! Such an instantaneous method is only possible when a Magic technique has been cultivated to Perfection!"

"I once saw that prodigy from the Wu Family who joined the Yuqing Sect. Back then, he too had mastered a Perfection Technique. Just like this, he could unleash it repeatedly in the span of a breath, transforming an ordinary Magic into something divine. Even other geniuses couldn’t withstand it!"

"Where on earth did that fellow Si Houqing dig up such a genius? To have mastered two Perfection Level techniques!"

"A character like this... forget about joining a top-level Sect like Yuqing, they would definitely be qualified to enter any of the minor or mid-sized Sects farther away!"

Voices filled with shock and awe spread among the men.

The leaders of the various commerce associations exchanged glances, a covetous glint clearly visible in their eyes.

Setting aside the question of the masked man’s future potential,

and whether he was worth a premature investment,

simply getting to know him and forming a connection was reason enough for them to get involved.

Because of the long-standing, century-old custom of resolving disputes through these arena battles,

if they could build a relationship with Shen Changchuan, the next time they had a dispute with someone, they could hire him as an external expert to represent them. Wouldn’t that guarantee a win?!

After all, none of the champion fighters they had cultivated had mastered a Perfection Level technique!

In that moment,

all sorts of schemes had already begun to form in their minds.

"How is this possible?! How could he have lost?!"

Unlike the shock and various schemes brewing in the minds of others,

the Shopkeeper of the Wanghu Commerce Association abruptly shot to his feet, his previously relaxed and smug expression completely gone.

He stared intently at the arena below, his face a mask of disbelief.

He had schemed so much for this arena battle, paid a hefty price,

and had already planned out how to best swallow up even greater profits after winning.

But now, he was being told,

he had actually lost?!

How could they have lost!

He looked at the blackened body of Shen Rongguang, who had been blasted off the stage, and a trace of venomous resentment surfaced in the depths of his eyes.

’And you call yourself a disciple of the great Tian Nan Shen Clan,’

’to be defeated by a mere nobody!’

’How utterly laughable!’

"Hahaha!"

"It seems my judgment is superior after all!"

"As the saying goes, it’s possible to be too clever for one’s own good. I would advise a certain someone to focus on running their own business properly, and stop messing around with crooked schemes all day. Otherwise, you’ll just end up losing both your bait and your prize."

Si Houqing also rose from his state of shock,

his mood now exceptionally bright.

He burst out laughing, glanced at the Shopkeeper of the Wanghu Commerce Association, and shouted mockingly.

He couldn’t help but be excited.

He had originally thought defeat was certain,

but he never imagined the final result would be such a dramatic reversal of fortune!

So those nobodies that day hadn’t been exaggerating after all.

That Shen Changchuan really possessed such strength!

It was truly a great fortune to have been able to hire such a master as his representative!

In the face of Si Houqing’s words,

the Wanghu Commerce Association Shopkeeper’s face was grim,

and he remained silent.

...

Meanwhile,

atop the arena stage,

Shen Changchuan felt as though he had finally let out a long-held, frustrated breath.

’That felt good!’

Not long ago,

he had been trembling with caution before a powerful local clan like the Wu Family, fearing that the slightest misstep would plunge him into an abyss.

Although Wu Yuanzhi hadn’t been overtly threatening, his veiled warnings had still left a sense of simmering frustration in Shen Changchuan’s heart.

So when he was faced with that incredibly arrogant fellow named Shen Rongguang,

it gave him an outlet for his frustration.

Crushing him and knocking him off the stage in just a few breaths

had significantly brightened his mood.

Moreover, after this battle,

Shen Changchuan had gained a deeper understanding of his own strength.

’At my current level, if I were to participate in the clan’s internal competitions, I could probably achieve a decent result and earn an investment of clan resources.’

’But then I think about the family backgrounds and jealous natures of the First and Second Madams...’

Shen Changchuan couldn’t help but shiver internally.

’Never mind,’

’it’s better to just lay low if I don’t want to die.’

’Only when I reach the Soul Emergence Realm,’ 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

’will I be qualified to break free from the shackles of this clan.’

’Right now,’

’I’m still far too weak!’

Just as these thoughts flickered through Shen Changchuan’s mind and he was about to turn and leave,

suddenly,

BOOM!

A heavy sound landed on the stage, causing the entire arena to tremble.

"Your methods are a bit ruthless, Your Excellency."

"I see that you still seem unsatisfied. I am Shen Zhongshan. My little brother Rongguang honors me by calling me Big Brother. Why don’t you let me test your skills? We can have a proper fight, to your heart’s content!"

As the deep, powerful voice echoed,

a towering, iron-like figure appeared a short distance away.

His grim face and sharp gaze locked onto Shen Changchuan, exuding an intense, oppressive aura!

’Qi Introduction Seventh Layer?!’

Shen Changchuan felt the powerful aura emanating from Shen Zhongshan, along with an immense sense of pressure.

His heart skipped a beat,

but at the same time, he felt a faint flicker of excitement.

’Qi Introduction Seventh Layer...’

’He’s the strongest opponent I’ve ever encountered!’

’Someone from the Qi Introduction Late Stage!’

’With my current strength, am I qualified to face him?!’

He wanted to find out!

An idea stirred in Shen Changchuan’s mind.

’Perhaps a fight wouldn’t be so bad,’

’at least I could find out what level my strength is at!’

Completely unafraid, Shen Changchuan met his gaze, a battle lust rising within him.

The air grew quiet once more,

the atmosphere tense and scorching.

A battle between the Qi Introduction Middle Stage and the Qi Introduction Late Stage seemed about to erupt.

However,

after a few breaths,

Shen Changchuan said nothing. He silently turned and looked toward the high platform.

"Is this also part of the arena battle rules?"

The group of chamber of commerce leaders on the high platform was taken aback.

"Of course not."

"In this battle, the Sanhe Chamber of Commerce is the victor!"

The chamber leader who had been pushed forward to preside over the battle directly announced the result.

"In that case, I refuse!"

Leaving behind those flat words and ignoring Shen Zhongshan’s somewhat furious gaze,

Shen Changchuan turned and walked away.

’What a joke,’

’there’s no benefit for me whether I win or lose.’

’Why should I fight him?’

’I’m not some battle maniac who gets excited at the prospect of a fight.’

’On the contrary,’

’compared to hot-blooded combat,’

’I much prefer to lay low,’

’and slowly raise my Cultivation bit by bit.’

’If it weren’t for the constant disturbances of the outside world, I could lay low until the end of time, until I achieve immortality and attain the Dao!’