Chapter 359: Chapter 351: Sorry, I’m Late (Part 2)
"Exactly. I said it earlier—they brought this on themselves. You need to have the strength to back up your arrogance. Otherwise, you’ll end up paying for it with your life."
...
"Haha! See? I told you the Xuanling Empire was just pretending to be stronger than they are! Well? How about that? All they did was beat us, and they actually thought they could challenge a Middle Upper Empire? Aren’t they just asking to die?" In the seating area for the Low-class Empires, the members of the Red Sun Empire, having just returned from the medics, were ecstatic. They jeered with undisguised glee.
"Let me see... Make way."
Di Cang, clad in a long black robe, quickly reached Little Tiger’s side. With him were Qin Garden and the students from the Holy Hall Squad. Anxious expressions were plastered on all their faces. He was, after all, a contestant from their own Empire. Even though the Holy Hall and the Demon Castle secretly clashed back at the institute, it didn’t diminish how much they valued their Empire’s talent.
Seeing Di Cang approach, Qing Lei quickly stepped aside to make room. Di Cang took one look at Little Tiger and his expression darkened. With a flash of light from his ring, he produced a black medicine bottle. Qing Lei noticed faint specks of light shimmering inside the bottle and instantly knew that the pill it contained was of a high grade. Di Cang tilted the bottle and poured out a single pill wreathed in multicolored light.
Elder Bai recognized the pill at a glance. "The Black Jade Life-extending Pill! You actually have one of those!"
Di Cang shot Elder Bai a look without a word and quickly placed the pill in Little Tiger’s mouth. This type of pill dissolved instantly, but Little Tiger’s vital functions had already ceased completely. Without the guidance of Primordial Power, his body couldn’t absorb the pill at all.
"Qing Lei, Ye Shuangshuang, help me carry Little Tiger back to the Xuanling Empire’s rest area. I need to guide the pill’s energy to heal him. Mu Bingling, Xuan Moqing, do you two still wish to compete? If not, then come with me to help save Little Tiger. We can just withdraw from this competition. Your lives are infinitely more important to me than any ranking!"
Di Cang’s eyes were filled with concern, his words coming straight from the heart. After hearing Elder Bai name the pill, Mu Bingling and Xuan Moqing understood that Little Tiger’s life would be saved. But they absolutely could not give up on the competition. Mu Bingling shook her head. "Dean Di Cang, we have waited five years for this day. We cannot give up on the competition, even if we lose. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be able to face Little Tiger, who risked his life for a chance at victory. So, we will fight!"
Di Cang gave Mu Bingling a long, hard look, took a deep breath, and nodded. "Alright! I will let you try. But remember this: the moment you feel you’re outmatched, you must not be reckless like Little Tiger. As long as the green mountains are there, you’ll never lack for firewood. A moment of foolish courage will leave you with nothing."
After saying this, Di Cang quickly lifted Little Tiger’s body and flew toward the spectator stands. Mu Bingling let out a soft sigh. "Sister Mo Qing, no matter what, please let me take this fight. Little Tiger can’t have been injured for nothing."
Mo Qing gave a faint smile. "Sister, I know I can’t change your mind once you’ve made a decision. But please, make your safety the priority. Otherwise... I wouldn’t be able to face Mu Chen again..."
"..." Mu Bingling pursed her lips, hummed softly in agreement, and flew toward the arena. "I will take this fight," she declared in a cold voice.
After Di Cang left with Little Tiger, Elder Bai returned to Arena One. It had been utterly destroyed, and repairing the stage was part of his duties.
Hearing Mu Bingling’s declaration, Elder Bai was taken aback for a moment. After some thought, he nodded at her. "Sometimes, admitting defeat is a valid strategy. This descendant of the Giant Rock Race is simply too powerful..."
At his words, Mu Bingling turned to look at Ta Shan, who stood on the far side of the stage. The sight made her freeze. Ta Shan’s figure had emerged from the light, and what stood before them could hardly be considered human anymore.
Under the sun, Ta Shan’s arms looked like two massive rock pillars, thick and textured. But these were no ordinary pillars; they were covered in countless strange runes. As Primordial Power surged through them, the runes pulsed with a soft, mysterious glow. More importantly, they were enormous—a full three meters in diameter. In front of those pillars, Little Tiger had been like a tiny ant, utterly crushed.
Mu Bingling frowned, her eyes grave. ’Against an opponent like this, I really have no chance of winning. Do I really have to give up?’
’No! I can’t give up! I have to avenge Little Tiger!’
For some reason, in that moment, Mu Bingling suddenly felt that a miracle might happen. So, she resolutely stepped onto the stage.
"Fighters, take your positions! Begin!"
Seeing Mu Bingling in position, Elder Bai made the announcement and rose back into the air. Down on the stage, Ta Shan swept his earthy-yellow, glowing eyes over Mu Bingling and grinned. "Another one here to die. You may be a woman, but I never hold back. Anyone who stands in my way—if they’re my enemy, I’ll crush them completely!"
Mu Bingling said nothing. She simply raised an arm, her fist opening into a palm as a terrifying wave of Ice Attribute Elemental Power emanated from her.
Ta Shan let out a dry laugh. Without any sign of movement, he simply vanished from his spot. In the next instant, a giant rock pillar carrying a terrifying Destructive Power materialized beside Mu Bingling. A violent wind swept over her, and her body swayed like a lone boat in a storm.
At that moment, everyone, from the common viewing areas to the special seats, shook their heads and sighed. In their eyes, a woman of peerless beauty was about to perish.
’It’s over... Is there really not a single shred of hope?’
Mu Bingling’s ice-blue eyes slowly closed, a bitter smile playing on her lips. She lowered her raised hand. She didn’t even have the chance to surrender...
"Alas, what a waste..."
In the rest area for the High-class Empires, within the Ice Emperor Dynasty’s section, the scholarly man with the folding fan suddenly rose to his feet. But just as he prepared to move in for a rescue, a faint scraping sound echoed from the air.
The next moment, Mu Bingling felt a warmth envelop her waist as a powerful arm gently pulled her into an embrace. ’That... that familiar warmth...’
THUD!
After the muffled impact, Mu Bingling felt a massive shockwave of Qi Force erupt in front of her, yet her body didn’t move back an inch. She slowly opened her eyes, and the first thing she saw was a warm, solid chest. It was clad in a black Institute Uniform identical to her own. She gently tilted her head up. When she saw the face of her rescuer, her eyes instantly misted over. Crystal tears welled up and slid from the corners of her eyes, carried by the dispersing shockwave to land on the back of the man’s hand...
"I’m sorry... Bing’Er. I’m late."
The gentle, apologetic voice flowed from the man’s lips. Mu Bingling fought the urge to burst into tears, clutching tightly to the fabric on his chest as she sobbed, "Chen’Er... You’re finally back... *sob*..."
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