Chapter 103: Evading Combat
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【Dragon King's Trial: Chamber One—Hall of Fierce Combat】
A skeletal old man's phantom stood in the center of the grand hall, blocking the doorway to the next chamber.
"What do we do?" While the first two chambers hadn't posed much trouble for Yulan, she was more curious how Su Cheng intended to defeat a fusion-stage phantom with merely qi-cultivation prowess.
Though Yu Lan doubted anyone could succeed, for some reason, watching Su Cheng's back filled her with a strange anticipation—a hope that this Su Cheng might surprise her.
Like, say, defeating this old Dragon King at the Fusion stage with only a Qi Cultivation at the thirteenth layer.
The Old Dragon King, with a human body and dragon head, wore a yellow robe, resembling a celestial being descended to the mortal realm, radiating supreme power.
He stood in the center of the secret realm, a broadsword held horizontally across his chest. The sleeves of his robe hung loosely, revealing arms that were little more than skin stretched over bone—barely thicker than the sword's hilt.
Yet even so, he did not appear weak. On the contrary, one glance made it clear this old fellow was no ordinary being!
"Sister's strength should be enough to reach the third chamber. This Old Dragon King in the first chamber shouldn't be a match for her."
Yu Lan smiled outwardly, but inwardly she was shocked. How could Su Cheng possibly… estimate her strength?
Not only did he understand the Dragon King Trials, but he even had such an accurate assessment of her own power!
What else did he know?
"Didn't you say I should follow behind you? What, are you going back on your word now?"
Su Cheng felt a pang of regret. Yu Lan seemed to be growing increasingly guarded. Compared to her earlier indifference, she was now wary of him!
Every word was a test!
"Sister, do not worry. Just follow me." Su Cheng feigned nonchalance. He didn't want to show weakness—whether because she looked like a female little devil or because she was the second disciple.
Yu Lan's spirits lifted. Heh, today Sister really wanted to see how you'd handle this old Dragon King at the Fusion Stage!
Watching Su Cheng circle the arena as if searching for some hidden mechanism, heading toward the wall…
"What are you looking for?"
"Nothing. Just follow me. Stay close to the wall."
"Why?"
"Don't ask so many questions. Just follow me."
Yu Lan was a bit surprised. This guy… actually talking to her like this?
Think she's annoying? Fine!
Su Cheng cautiously kept close to the wall as he walked. The system's secret realm guide function was unusable; otherwise, he would have followed its prompts.
For now, he could only rely on the system's provided information to figure things out.
Fortunately, the system’s intelligence was detailed enough. This Old Dragon King was merely a phantom—the gatekeeper of the first chamber. Though frail in appearance, he possessed thick, leathery skin impervious to blades and arrows!
Defeating it through a quick attack was out of the question. Even Yulan would need a full day and night to wear down the Old Dragon King, who was merely a phantom!
But Su Cheng wouldn't choose a head-on confrontation. Since it was a phantom like a mechanism, there must be a trigger or a detection range.
According to the system data, the Old Dragon King's initial detection range wasn't large—roughly fifteen meters in radius.
In other words, the solution was simple: bypass it entirely. The ultimate battle strategy was to avoid combat altogether.
Yu Lan followed Su Cheng as they hugged the walls and crept forward. Before long, they had circled around to the Old Dragon King's rear…
"You're cutting corners! This is the Dragon King's trial—how dare you act this way?"
For Yu Yulan, this wasn't merely a test of strength—it was about earning the recognition of all past Dragon Kings!
Only by earning the approval of every Dragon King could one truly pass the trial and become a genuine Dragon King! And thus command that imperial weapon!
"This is wisdom. Knowing defeat is certain yet fighting anyway—in my brother's eyes, it may be seen as bravery, but it is also a form of helplessness."
"What do you mean?" Yu Lan was losing her composure now. This was an insult to all the Dragon Kings who had come before!
Though she didn't view humans as mere livestock or ants like Ye Qinghan or Su Muchan, such defamation still rankled her!
"Nothing."
Yu Lan was getting heated. What did she mean, nothing? Did she just dismiss it like that?
She stood on tiptoe, grabbed Su Cheng by the collar, and yanked the towering man down until he was eye level with her!
Then, gritting her teeth, she snarled, "Explain yourself!"
"Don't shout so loud—you'll wake the Old Dragon King!"
"If you don't explain, I'll go wake him up myself!"
But the one feeling most helpless right now was Su Cheng. He had no choice but to placate this lady who stood under five feet tall!
"Sister Yulan, I mean no disrespect to the Dragon Kings of past generations. Please hear me out first."
Su Cheng gently pried her small hands apart, loosened his collar, and finally spoke.
"Sister Yulan, you may not know this, but I've witnessed countless lives fade away. Their beliefs varied greatly—some embraced death with hope for the future, others marched forward without hesitation at a military order's command, some perished protecting their beloved, and others sealed their own fate merely to buy time."
"They were all heroes. But I needn't say more—you surely understand, Sister Yulan. If given the choice, who wouldn't wish to live alongside their beloved?"
"Dying isn't hard. What's hard is living on with the unresolved attachments of those who've passed. Without me, what would become of my disciples?"
"To me, disregarding life is irresponsible toward those I love. Given any chance, I will try."
Yu Lan stared intently into those eyes. This man might not be entirely right, but his words held weight.
Yu Lan wasn't unreasonable. In truth, she held no prejudice against Su Cheng's avoidance of direct conflict; if anything, his opportunism was expected. It was his tone that had provoked her. In her eyes, every Dragon King throughout history deserved respect!
She too yearned to emulate their legacy, though she knew it would take time.
What could be discerned from Su Cheng's gaze?
Yu Lan couldn't tell, but at that moment, more than curiosity, she felt envy.
Meanwhile, Shangguan Rou and the other three had already begun their tea gathering—or what could be called a tea gathering…
"Qinghan, this outfit of yours is rather unique." Shangguan Rou examined Ye Qinghan's uniform with genuine curiosity. With Su Cheng absent, Qinghan's aura had skyrocketed—transforming from a beautiful assistant into a cold, aloof CEO.
"Since my master likes it, I wore it for him."
Su Muchan rarely spoke during these gatherings, mostly listening. Yet as she heard their conversation now, she found herself increasingly baffled by their relationships.
"Master Su doesn't seem like the type to be obsessed with women. Today, little sister has given big sister a new perspective on him. Who would have thought he had this side to him?"
"Master would never say it outright, but I find this side of him rather endearing."
Shangguan Rou covered her mouth and giggled softly. Now she understood. After all, they were all girls—who didn't know who?
With a First Disciple as beautiful as Qinghan, Master Su must surely be…
Su Muchan understood perfectly, though Dongfang Jue seemed a bit lost…
Ye Qinghan looked troubled, her voice tinged with hurt as she spoke.
"Sister, please don't mock me. Though I pine for him day and night, I haven't earned the Master's favor either. In this regard, I truly envy you."
"Oh? Is that so? Little Sister Qinghan possesses innate allure and is constantly by his side, yet she hasn't gained his favor?"
When the topic turned to this, Qinghan suddenly felt wide awake!
"Do you have any good advice, Sister?"
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