Chapter Ninety-Two: Dragon-Class Combat Power

Chapter Ninety-Two: Combat Power Worthy of a Dragon-Grade Rating

Faced with Xia Zheng’s domineering slash, a flash of madness crossed Xu Rongyi’s eyes. When the silver blade light fell upon her, her entire body actually came apart.

Yes, just like a stack of blocks being knocked down in an instant.

Her torso and limbs alike disintegrated, scattering into floating fragments that resembled pieces of a body, suspended all around him.

When the live broadcast showed this scene, many people gasped and covered their mouths. In their hearts, the same question rang out: Is this still human?

Indeed, to a certain extent, ability users had already surpassed ordinary humanity, especially the natural-type and superhuman-type users, whose bodies could freely transform. Xu Rongyi before him was exactly such a case.

Confronted with this bizarre state, Xia Zheng immediately reinforced himself with Flame Armor and a Water Shield, then retreated swiftly. But Xu Rongyi had no intention of allowing him a calm withdrawal. After disintegrating, she circled around him, and then, wrapped in green light, formed a prison that locked him inside.

Using her own body as a cage, she suppressed her enemy within.

Wrapped in tree-like bones, she formed a giant over ten meters tall, sealing Xia Zheng directly within her body.

Xia Zheng inside seemed not to struggle at all. Had he given up? If the vital-sign monitoring equipment worn by Xia Zheng had not shown no life-threatening danger, the Professional Alliance would already have declared him defeated and moved to rescue him.

“Oh my goodness… Someone can actually bind an opponent in this way. This is astonishing… Xu Rongyi, well done.” The female commentator almost bowed in reverence. Xu Rongyi was indeed performing brilliantly; it was the first time anyone had seen such a method used against an opponent.

Many spectators had not yet reacted, while also wondering what would happen to Xia Zheng. Had he been suppressed like this by Xu Rongyi? Was he in danger of dying?

“Master…” Meng Hu bit her fingernail as she stood watching. In truth, many people had already stood up from their seats. Although they could not see the actual situation inside the barrier, they still felt that standing would reveal more detail.

Nanlan Sheng also fell silent. She was no longer as confident as before. This woman named Xu Rongyi truly possessed extraordinary strength. Her boyfriend had already performed exceptionally well, yet he had still been trapped. At this rate, there seemed to be no way out. Was surrender the only option?

Inside the Hoffman family’s manor villa, everyone who saw this scene immediately opened champagne and celebrated joyfully, at last witnessing a gratifying moment.

“This woman named Xu Rongyi is indeed worth our investment of ten million. She has that kind of strength.”

“Exactly. It would be best if she could kill that brat Xia Zheng this time, so we won’t have to look at him anymore.”

“No problem. As long as he loses, many of the people above will lower their evaluation of him. Then our Delansor Consortium can act without worrying so much.”

“Cheers!”

At the same moment, General Song Xinghui, Shen Tu Yue and Shen Tu Wanhua, and Major Filina all wore grim expressions.

In the Nalan family’s estate in Ice Lake City of the northern frontier, Nalan Zheng, Nalan Yun, and the old butler were sitting in the warm living room watching the live broadcast. Seeing this scene, their expressions grew somewhat complicated.

“Could this be this boy’s limit? Still, when facing a Tiger-Grade strongman among A-rank ability users, being eliminated is not really that embarrassing,” Nalan Zheng said ambiguously.

Beside him, Nalan Yun shook his head. “If he loses, this boy will lose a great deal of support from those backing him. Don’t forget, he obtained the Alliance’s Dragon-Grade Rating.”

Behind them, the old butler suddenly said, “Master, Young Master, I still feel the outcome of this duel has not yet been decided.”

“Oh? Then let’s wait a little longer…” Nalan Zheng and Nalan Yun did not deny it. After all, if Xia Zheng lost, the Nalan family would gain nothing either.

Inside a high-speed rail carriage heading north from the southern frontier, Chu Yan’s face was deathly pale. He deeply regretted allowing Xia Zheng to participate in this championship tournament. If Xia Zheng were to perish because of it, he would be in unbearable agony.

Within a satellite city that had already been reclaimed, several hundred kilometers from the Southern Frontier and Eternal Night City, Shen Hua wore a worried expression and muttered under her breath, “You brat, Xia Zheng, you’d better fight harder!”

“Brother…” Nanlan Sheng could not help crying out as well, and she infused it with spiritual power, directly piercing through the barrier and sending the voice inside, even drilling into Xu Rongyi’s body, where she was suppressing and sealing Xia Zheng.

The unconscious Xia Zheng was jolted awake by Nanlan Sheng’s cry. Only then did he realize that he was under crushing pressure. His Water Shield had already shattered, leaving only the Flame Armor, which was also beginning to deform, while the pressure from above grew heavier and heavier.

Just now, after Xu Rongyi had disintegrated him, she had rapidly reassembled herself, then used the natural-type power within her to form a human prison and lock him away. In an instant, he had fainted from oxygen deprivation. Fortunately, Nanlan Sheng’s shout woke him.

At this moment, Xia Zheng discovered that Xu Rongyi was using the tissues within her own body to continuously compress him. If he did not wake up soon, he might well be squeezed into a pulp. This woman truly intended to kill him.

“Since you dared swallow me whole, that was your mistake,” Xia Zheng said. Now that he knew she wanted him dead, he no longer restrained himself. He could show mercy to an opponent, but not to an enemy.

Flames. Xia Zheng took several spiritual beads from his storage pouch, then replenished himself while releasing a vast surge of spiritual sense that transformed into roaring fire. These spiritual flames were no longer the usual orange and red, but an icy blue, with an extremely high temperature.

“Aah!” Xu Rongyi immediately felt searing pain tearing through her abdomen, the burning sensation intense beyond endurance, and she let out a heaven-shaking cry.

The broadcast feed instantly switched back. Everyone saw that within Xu Rongyi’s enormous prison-like body, thick smoke began billowing out from her mouth, ears, nostrils, and even her pores, as though a fire had broken out inside her body.

“What is happening? Why does contestant Xu Rongyi look as if she is on fire from the inside?” the female commentator asked, bewildered.

The male commentator beside her added, “It’s Xia Zheng. It must be him. He’s still alive.”

The audience erupted at once, stomping their feet and clapping, shouting Xia Zheng’s name again and again.

The flames inside Xu Rongyi began to spread, no longer confined to her internal organs but seeping all the way to the surface of her body, causing her to howl in agony.

She was about to disintegrate once more and release Xia Zheng from her belly, but a single burst of spiritual force from Xia Zheng struck her directly in the brain, plunging her into a brief coma. Then a thick crimson bolt of lightning fell from the sky, smashing down onto Xu Rongyi’s head and blackening her body. She collapsed unconscious onto the stage, her life and death unknown.

Alarm bells rang at the venue, and the barrier also emitted warning signals. The Professional Alliance moved in swiftly to intervene.

“The winner is Xia Zheng. He advances to the group stage!” The on-site commentator was terrified and hurriedly had the male commentator announce Xia Zheng’s advancement. Any later, and he feared Xia Zheng might go blood-mad and kill them too.

Fortunately, after hearing the announcement of his advancement, Xia Zheng directly cut open a wound in Xu Rongyi’s massive giant form, crawled out, and then turned back to stitch the wound closed.

Xu Rongyi soon slowly returned from her giant form to an ordinary human size. She looked rather horrifying at this point, her whole body scorched black by both flame burns and divine lightning burns. However, an ability user’s constitution was far beyond that of an ordinary person. Moreover, Xu Rongyi’s own natural-type power was of the plant type, which could heal herself.

As long as her life was not in danger and her powers had not been lost, she could recover gradually. It was just that the treatment cost would likely be considerable, perhaps running into tens of millions.

Having reappeared, Xia Zheng calmed the killing intent that had surged within him. He also felt somewhat regretful about his earlier impulse, but Xu Rongyi had wanted to put him to death, and for a moment he had been unable to suppress his rage, so he had burned her.

The audience gave him applause. Unlike Xia Zheng, they were not so conflicted. A victory won openly and fairly was something to be proud of.

After offering a simple word of thanks to the spectators, Xia Zheng stepped down from the arena and returned to the resting room. The contestants he met along the way all looked at him with trembling fear. Even one A-plus-rank ability user among them seemed afraid to meet his eyes. They had all seen what had just happened: Xu Rongyi had nearly been burned alive. A person like that was practically a star of death. No one could afford to provoke him.

Seeing the terror on their faces, Xia Zheng said nothing more and returned to his own resting room.

He picked up his phone and quickly found several missed calls, one of them from Chu Yan.

After dialing back, Chu Yan’s voice came at once. “A Zheng, are you all right?”

“I’m fine, Team Chu. I won,” Xia Zheng said calmly.

Chu Yan paused, then said, “Good. A Zheng, I’ve thought about it. In truth, you don’t need to be so fixated on getting a top-eight spot. I admit you have the strength to go to Eternal Night City. In the main competition, there are many like Xu Rongyi. I’m really a bit worried.”

Xia Zheng considered it, then replied, “Team Chu, it’s not that I’m being stubborn. My situation is somewhat special right now. If I give up now, my family may not be safe. I have to defeat Leon Hoffman before the grudges between me and the Hoffman family can truly come to an end. Otherwise, my family will never know peace.”

“This…” Chu Yan had not expected Xia Zheng to be in such a difficult position. But at the moment, there really was no better solution.

Xia Zheng took the initiative to comfort him. “Team Chu, don’t worry. I can protect myself. I’ve grown up and become stronger.”

Hearing those last words, Chu Yan felt momentarily dazed. Although less than a year had passed, Xia Zheng’s performance had indeed been astonishing. Though still only B-rank, as an ability user who had received a Dragon-Grade Rating, his true combat power had already surpassed the A-rank. Perhaps he and Leon really were evenly matched.

After finishing with Chu Yan, Xia Zheng also called Nanlan Sheng, Filina, Song Xinghui, Shen Tu Yue, and Shen Tu Wanhua. Only then did he realize that there was still one unknown number that had called him.

With a trace of curiosity, Xia Zheng called it back. Very soon, a familiar female voice came through. “You useless brat, Xia Zheng. How could you be beaten so miserably by that woman? If this happens again, don’t say I’m your master.”

“Master…” Upon hearing Shen Hua’s voice, Xia Zheng suddenly felt tears welling up. It was as if a younger brother had seen his older sister and thrown himself into her embrace to cry his heart out. Long gone was that familiar feeling of being able to act spoiled.