Chapter 394 - 242: Make Your Move

Chapter 394: Chapter 242: Make Your Move

"A place with lots of people is best, especially if they’re not very strong. It makes it easier to throw them into confus—"

Su Xing stopped short. He’d never done anything like that himself, but when he fought the High Priests of the Spiritual Sect, many of them used similar tactics. From that, he’d been able to piece together the general strategy.

’But... doesn’t this arena fit that description perfectly?’ At this thought, Su Xing’s expression grew a little more solemn. He asked:

"Elder Li, are you saying there’s going to be trouble?"

"Not necessarily. Taking precautions doesn’t mean something is guaranteed to happen. It means something *could* happen, and that’s why you prepare."

Li Longxuan said calmly,

"From my perspective, this reaction from Dragon Gate is perfectly normal. There are so many disciples here—not just from Dragon Gate, but from other factions too. If anything went wrong, the consequences would be dire."

"..."

Su Xing nodded. He had to admit Li Longxuan was right. Having run Cang City’s special organization for so long, he naturally possessed a far deeper understanding than Su Xing, at least in this respect.

"Besides, the Dragon Gate Secret Realm was supposed to have its own defenses, but after an ordeal like this, no one can be certain that others haven’t slipped in among the disciples."

"Even if it’s just speculation..."

"...it’s enough to make Dragon Gate take precautions."

Li Longxuan added.

He was right. It was just like the security detail for a major public figure. You don’t take precautions because you know there will be danger, but because there *could* be, and if the worst happens, the fallout will be enormous.

In fact,

the two situations were fundamentally the same.

With this realization, Su Xing nodded in understanding. It suddenly hit him, the reality of the position he was now in. He turned to Li Longxuan and asked:

"So, should I just proceed as normal?"

"Yes."

"Dragon Gate will handle its own affairs. As long as it doesn’t involve you, there’s no need for you to get involved."

Li Longxuan said with a nod.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK...

Just as they were speaking, a sudden knock came from the door. It was followed by a woman’s voice, which announced:

"Elder Su, you’re in the first match."

After she spoke, there was only silence. Li Longxuan chuckled. "Well, Su, you’d better give it your all."

"This time, we’re dealing with four genuine Tier Eight Powerhouses. That should be a considerable challenge, even for you, right?"

"It is."

"Still, it’s a bit unlucky to be in the first match."

Su Xing just nodded and said, "By the way, Elder Li, how are things over in Cang City?"

"Heh, are you asking about those little apprentices of yours, or about the Martial God Hall and the Spirit Realm?"

Li Longxuan asked.

"The latter."

In truth, Su Xing kept in regular contact with Su Yu and Lu Anning. He wasn’t the type to forget his roots just because he’d grown powerful. He’d simply been too busy recently to spend much time with them, but he thought of them often.

So,

Li Longxuan wouldn’t necessarily know more about them than he did.

"There’s really not much to worry about."

Li Longxuan considered for a moment before continuing, "Of course, there are a few minor issues. But you’ve grown so powerful, so quickly, that the Spirit Lord of the Spirit Realm is barely a threat anymore. The Martial God of the Martial God Hall has shown no intention of getting involved, and the Martial God Hall’s Hawk Faction is useless on its own."

"The only real problem now is figuring out how to deal with them with minimal losses. And after that, how to handle the aftermath reasonably. After all, neither the Dove Faction of the Martial God Hall nor the natives of the Spirit Realm have acted against our special organizations."

Li Longxuan launched into a long, eloquent explanation. This was clearly his field of expertise, not Su Xing’s. After listening to the whole spiel, Su Xing simply said one thing.

"Tell me when you need me."

"Hahaha, don’t worry. With your power, there’s no way I’d pass up the chance to use a free enforcer like you."

Li Longxuan joked.

「A few minutes later...」

"Elder Su, please get ready. It’s your turn to enter the arena."

Hearing the announcement, Su Xing felt no nervousness at all. Instead, a heat he hadn’t felt in a long time coursed through him. It was a sensation he often experienced back when he was still weak. But as he grew progressively stronger, that feeling of excitement had become a distant memory.

"And now, please welcome Su Xing to the arena!"

As the announcer’s excited voice rang out, the platform where Su Xing was seated began to rise. Su Xing was a little surprised. ’Dragon Gate even hired an announcer this time? They must really want to make this duel a formal affair.’

HUMMM!

As the platform continued to rise, a deafening wave of sound crashed over him. Fervent roars, excited cheers, shouts of encouragement, and a hundred other noises blended together, threatening to drown Su Xing like a tidal wave.

And amidst this ocean of noise, Su Xing rose into view, drawing the eyes of everyone present. When those who had never seen him before saw just how young he was, they gasped in collective astonishment.

Su Xing simply rose to his feet. Bathed in the spotlight, under the gaze of countless eyes, he walked toward the center of the arena.

For a moment, Su Xing had the strange feeling he was a boxer stepping into the ring. The roar of the crowd was enough to make one’s blood boil with adrenaline. His gaze swept slowly across the venue, taking everything in.

It was a massive arena, clearly modified for this event; it couldn’t have looked like this before. The stands were filled with men and women, young and old. However, those seated in the front rows were mostly gray-haired Martial Artists who exuded extraordinary auras.

’This fight is probably for their benefit. Weaker Martial Artists wouldn’t be able to understand it, but these old-timers, whose lifespans are nearing their end, are already at a high level. If they can gain some insight from this and break through to Tier Eight, they’ll be able to live on.’

However, these people only held his attention for a moment. His gaze was immediately captured by a man standing in the center of the audience. ’Is that... the Dragon Gate Master...?’

’No, the aura is slightly different, but they look identical. Don’t tell me the Dragon Gate Master has a twin.’

’At that thought, Su Xing realized this man was no simple figure either. Even if he wasn’t Tier Eight, he must be on the cusp of it. I wonder what kind of heaven-defying genius the previous Sect Leader was, to have twin sons who could both reach Tier Eight.’

’I wonder if he could beat me.’

After Su Xing took his place, the announcer gave an equally passionate introduction for his opponent. Lin Tianhan strode into the arena. As the minister of the Liu City branch, his fame was by no means less than Su Xing’s.

"I never would have guessed that guy would be into these kinds of theatrics." Lin Tianhan frowned at the cacophony of shouts from the crowd.

He could hear people in the crowd placing bets on the outcome of his fight with Su Xing, which made him uncomfortable. Gambling had always been a gray-area industry in the Xia Country.

"It’s fine, Elder Lin."

Su Xing said with a smile. In contrast to Elder Lin’s disapproval, Su Xing found it all rather novel. He’d never experienced anything like this before, and now he was getting a taste of it.

"Everyone, everyone! If you want to support Elder Su, then put your money here with me!"

"If you’re supporting Minister Lin, then put it all here with me! Once the fight starts, no more bets will be allowed!"

"My money’s on Minister Lin!"

"I’m betting on Minister Lin too!"

"Why are none of you betting on Elder Su?"

"Are you kidding?! This Elder Su came out of nowhere, and he’s so young! Even if he’s actually skilled, how could he possibly be stronger than Minister Lin?!"

...

The jumbled noise resolved into distinct voices in Su Xing’s ears. Clearly, very few people in the crowd believed he could win. But Su Xing didn’t care. He simply said to Lin Tianhan:

"Make your move, Elder Lin."