Chapter 132: The Match Was Suspended for Six Hours

Upon hearing the referee announce the result, Feiyan leapt from the stage and walked toward Qin Xiaochuan and his companions.

"Wait! Is it safe to get close to you?" Seeing Feiyan approach, Zhang Yang shouted at him, waving his hands defensively. He looked extremely nervous, terrified that a careless touch might ignite him with the invisible flames lingering on the boy. The display Feiyan had just put on was, in Zhang Yang’s mind, marked with a "Danger: Do Not Approach" sign. If he let Feiyan get too close, he feared he might be reduced to dust and ashes before he even realized how he died. Being near him was simply too dangerous.

"Great job, Feiyan! You’re amazing!" Giving Feiyan a thumbs-up, Qin Xiaochuan praised him enthusiastically. "That move was brilliant—you even swallowed the Black Dragon Wave! You’re invincible, haha! I’ll leave the rest to you, too!"

"I can't do that," Feiyan said, his legs beginning to tremble at Qin Xiaochuan's final remark. "That technique has a fatal flaw."

"A flaw?"

"Huff..." With weary eyes, Feiyan looked at Qin Xiaochuan, his expression one of extreme exhaustion. "To recover the immense amount of demon energy and physical strength I consumed, I will fall into a deep sleep for the next several hours. This is a fatal defect I’ve never been able to overcome. Listen to me," he said, pointing at Qin Xiaochuan and the others behind him, struggling to keep his body from collapsing. "I only used that move because I reluctantly chose to trust you unreliable people. If you... lose... while I’m asleep, I will never... forgive... you..." As he spoke, Feiyan fell backward, hitting the ground and instantly sinking into a deep, snoring slumber.

Watching Feiyan sleep on the ground, Qin Xiaochuan walked over and cupped his chin. "Falling asleep just like that? This guy is hopeless, haha. But then again, looking at his face while he sleeps, you’d never guess he was so fierce just a moment ago!"

"Should we draw something on his face?"

"Try it if you don't mind being roasted into jerky," Qin Xiaochuan replied, glancing at Zhang Yang’s lecherous expression before looking up at the ruined arena.

The entire arena had been decimated by the power of the Black Dragon Wave, resembling the ruins of the Roman Colosseum. Countless corpses of demons who had come to watch the match lay strewn across the damaged walls and stands. Some who were still breathing swayed, struggling to stand. Half of the arena's outer wall had been completely demolished by the force of the blast, crushing countless spectators outside who had been watching from afar. Those viewers were truly unlucky—if they watched from inside, they were incinerated by the Black Dragon Wave; if they stood outside, they were crushed by the falling walls. The methods of death differed, but the outcome was the same. Cries of agony echoed incessantly from inside and outside the arena, responding to one another in a chorus of despair.

The missing half of the arena floor revealed the azure sky, and the slightly shifted sun shone into the stage, casting a stark, clear light over the devastation.

The central fighting platform had been shattered by the shockwave when the Martial God intercepted the Black Dragon Wave. Pieces lay scattered like puzzle fragments around the perimeter. Seeing such a tragic scene, Qin Xiaochuan couldn't help but sigh. Just how much power does this kid have? The destructiveness is so exciting, the more I look at it! When I have the chance, I must spar with Feiyan to see just how strong he can get after absorbing the power of the Black Dragon Wave! Just thinking about it is exhilarating!

About six hours later, Feiyan finally woke up.

"You're awake."

"..." Sitting up, Feiyan looked at Bai Ying, who was reading a book nearby, feeling a bit dazed. "How long did I sleep?"

"About six hours."

"Why hasn't the match started yet?" Feiyan surveyed the arena and noticed that Qin Xiaochuan and Zhang Yang were gone. Bai Ying, leaning against a large boulder, held a book, reading with great interest. "Where are Qin Xiaochuan and Zhang Yang?"

Closing the book, Bai Ying smiled slightly and explained to the just-awakened Feiyan, "Qin Xiaochuan and Zhang Yang went to the restroom. The match hasn't started yet."

"What?"

"The aftermath of that battle was quite a hassle, haha. See? The platform has been replaced." Bai Ying pointed to the stage. Seeing Feiyan’s confused look, he recounted everything that had happened while he slept. "As a thank you for your Black Dragon Wave, Sikong Lang carried the fighting stone platform over from the old arena on his back. Pretty surprising, right?"

"He carried it?" Looking at the massive, hundred-meter-wide platform in the arena, Feiyan was stunned. For that guy to lift such a huge stone slab and carry it over step by step—if we're talking about freaks, he’s no less of one than I am. In fact, he might be terrifyingly strong. That platform must weigh at least several hundred thousand pounds. This guy is simply too strong.

"Yes." Bai Ying smiled and nodded. Just then, Qin Xiaochuan and Zhang Yang walked over. Seeing Feiyan was awake, Qin Xiaochuan greeted him with a smile. "You're awake, Feiyan. You slept for quite a while, haha."

"Yeah..." Feiyan nodded, about to say something, when Ms. Xingmeng’s captivating voice rang out from the stage: "Sorry to have kept everyone waiting! The third match is about to officially begin!"

"Great! After waiting so long, it's finally starting!"

"I was bored to death! Ptooey! This seawater is damn salty! I swam around the whole island just to wait for the match to start!"

"It must be the Sikong brothers up next!"

"Yeah! Go Sikong brothers!"

"We support you, Sikong brothers!"

"Kill them, Sikong brothers!"

"Avenge my brother!"

"Avenge my little brother!"

"Avenge my girl! She was roasted into jerky! How am I supposed to eat that? Seriously!"

"I want to eat Qin Xiaochuan and his friends' meat! Go, Sikong brothers!"

"I want to drink their blood!"

"Sikong team will win!"

"Victory!"

"Victory!"

...

Hearing the deafening cheers from the audience again, Feiyan looked on with disdain. "They never learn, do they? These idiots still haven't been taught a lesson!"

The Black Dragon Wave had incinerated nearly half the audience, but there were even more spectators outside. During the time it took for Sikong Lang to carry the new platform, countless demons without tickets had swarmed into the stands. Even though entering the arena might lead to another unexpected disaster, the passion for watching the finals was unstoppable. Even the broken walls were packed with spectators who had rushed in. The arena, which held nearly 200,000 people, was once again filled with enthusiastic crowds, as if the recent tragedy had never happened. The entire venue was again flooded with the roar of the masses.

It was infuriating. The momentum Feiyan had just gained from his victory was instantly snatched away by his opponents. What a monstrous freak. Seeing Sikong Lang opposite him and Sikong Ming jumping down from his shoulder, cold sweat broke out on Zhang Yang’s face. He gripped his Spirit Gathering Sword tightly, and thinking of the results of his previous experiments, his restless heart gradually calmed.

"Are you okay!? You look terrible!"

"I'm fine! Mind your own business!" Hearing Little Yama behind him, Zhang Yang, who had been focused entirely on the Sikong brothers, gave a start. "Just worry about yourself!" Turning to face Sikong Ming, Zhang Yang thought with frustration, *If only Granny were still here, my opponent would be that long-haired uncle across the way. Seriously!*

"..." Feiyan glanced at Zhang Yang, stunned. This guy isn't pretending; he really is that dense. He turned to Bai Ying and whispered, "Could it be that he doesn't know the truth about Jinghai!?"

"...It seems so." Bai Ying shrugged helplessly. He had only deduced it from subtle clues, but why Qin Xiaochuan hadn't told Zhang Yang about Master Jinghai remained a mystery even to him.

"Why not tell him the truth?"

"..." Qin Xiaochuan didn't answer Feiyan’s question. He stared at Zhang Yang walking toward the arena with knitted brows. Looking at Zhang Yang’s back, Qin Xiaochuan felt a pang of sorrow. He hadn't told anyone about Granny; it was a secret buried deep in his heart. Even if he were misunderstood by everyone, he was determined to keep this secret until he defeated Sikong Lang. Granny’s death had already burdened him with a heavy psychological load. At this critical moment of the finals, he didn't want to cause the others any extra pressure or burden. He would bear all the pain and pressure himself.

"The match begins!"

*Let me show you the results of my latest weapon!* Hearing the start of the match, Zhang Yang raised the Spirit Gathering Sword in his right hand. The spiritual energy flowing from his body was absorbed by the blade. A long sword of pure spiritual energy erupted from the hilt. Because the energy was highly compressed, it continuously drew power from Zhang Yang’s body. The shimmering blade crackled with sparking spiritual force; it looked far more powerful in quality and quantity than any sword Zhang Yang had created with his bare hands.