Chapter 277 - 246: Fated Duel 2

Chapter 277: Chapter 246: Fated Duel 2

The crowd dispersed. Only occasional glances still lingered on Yu Changsheng and his companions, drawing sideways looks.

"Come on, let’s head to my Ten Thousand Beasts Tower for a bit. Rest up for the night, so you’re ready for the finals tomorrow."

"I’ve already arranged for fine food and wine. Don’t worry, it’s all nourishing stuff that will help restore your spirit and energy."

Li Minghan laughed heartily, his spirits high. He casually slung his arms over Yu Changsheng’s and Zhang Tianwen’s shoulders. He was so enthusiastic, you’d think he was the one who had made it to the finals.

Zhang Tianwen glanced down at the hand on his shoulder, his brow furrowing slightly. But his expression quickly smoothed over, and he said nothing, instead turning to look at Yu Changsheng.

Yu Changsheng felt a sense of helplessness. He had grown used to Li Minghan’s enthusiasm. After spending these past few days together, their relationship had grown much closer.

So, Yu Changsheng didn’t stand on ceremony and nodded in agreement. Zhang Tianwen had no objections either.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Li Minghan specially arranged Cultivation Rooms for the two of them. The next morning, as dawn broke, Yu Changsheng slowly rose and finished his meditation, exhaling a cloud of turbid air. His gaze drifted through the skylight to the sky outside.

"PITTER-PATTER... PITTER-PATTER..."

"It’s raining..."

The sky was somewhat gloomy, with no sun in sight. After several days of oppressive weather, the rain had finally come.

Summer rains always arrived with a fierce suddenness. Thick rain clouds covered the entire Wanxiang Sect. Raindrops fell, pattering on the mountain forests and rivers, washing away the clamor and ostentation. In the rain, all living things continued to revive.

A squall blew past, driving the rain sideways with increasing fury. The wind howled, and lightning flashed within the clouds. However, in the Cultivation Realm, ordinary rain had almost no effect on Cultivators.

So, when Yu Changsheng’s group of three arrived at the competition grounds, it was still a sea of people and bustling with excitement. For a time, even the sound of the rain was drowned out.

Within the crowd, some disciples used their various abilities to shield themselves from the rain. Others, more frank by nature, let the raindrops fall on them without a care. Some of the female disciples, however, were a bit more demure, holding paper umbrellas.

And among them, the most eye-catching was Sun Shihan. Many people were secretly sizing her up.

"You’re here?"

Today, it seemed Sun Shihan had taken special care with her appearance. She wore a loose, dark green, one-piece Daoist Robe, and her cherry-red lips shone with a faint gloss. Upon seeing Yu Changsheng, her steps became light. With a smile in her eyes, she walked through the rain, sending ripples spreading as she took the initiative to greet the newcomers.

"Who is Senior Sister Sun waiting for?"

"No way, could it be..."

"If it’s Senior Brother Zhang, I can still accept it."

A group of disciples whispered amongst themselves, their gazes following Sun Shihan’s steps. They quickly noticed the arrival of Yu Changsheng’s trio.

A smile in her eyes, Sun Shihan held a green oil-paper umbrella and finally stopped in front of the three. After giving a slight nod to Zhang Tianwen, she took out two bottles of Elixirs and handed one each to Zhang Tianwen and Yu Changsheng.

She smiled softly and said in a gentle voice, "Compete well today. These are the Clearing Spirit Pills I prepared for you both. Take two before you go on stage. They might have some effect."

"Thank you, Junior Sister Sun. You’ve gone to a lot of trouble."

Zhang Tianwen nodded. After accepting the Elixir, a faint smile appeared on his otherwise impassive face as he looked at Sun Shihan.

"Thank you, Senior Sister Sun. In that case, I’ll accept them."

A ripple of emotion passed through Yu Changsheng’s eyes, and a hint of helplessness flickered in their depths, but he smiled and offered his thanks.

"..." Off to the side, Li Minghan scratched his nose, silently took a few steps back, and looked as if he wanted to say something but held back.

"Don’t be so polite, it’s what I should do. My own strength is low. The reputation of our Beast Taming Peak ultimately rests on the two of you."

Sun Shihan chuckled softly. In that moment, the falling rain seemed to become her backdrop.

Yu Changsheng fell silent for a moment and nodded. Zhang Tianwen, however, had a strange light in his eyes. He glanced at Yu Changsheng, then back at Sun Shihan, and chuckled as he silently edged a little farther away from Yu Changsheng.

Sun Shihan still wore a gentle smile. After looking Yu Changsheng up and down, she stepped forward and angled her oil-paper umbrella to shield him from the rain.

Then, whether intentionally or not, she leaned her head gently toward Yu Changsheng, and a puff of warm breath brushed against his cheek.

"Good luck!"

Sun Shihan smiled lightly, leaned close to Yu Changsheng’s ear, and exhaled a warm breath. Heedless of the shocked stares from those around them, she finished by winking at him, her attitude extremely intimate.

Yu Changsheng’s body suddenly stiffened. The close contact made him a little uncomfortable, so much so that a momentary blush crept onto his face.

In that moment, Yu Changsheng could almost hear the sound of countless disciples’ hearts breaking.

Feeling the astonished, shocked, angry, and complicated gazes from all around, Yu Changsheng gave a wry smile. He shook his head and pondered for a moment, then suddenly grinned, leaned forward, and gave Sun Shihan a quick hug before immediately letting go.

"!!!"

Sun Shihan was stunned. She hadn’t expected Yu Changsheng to pull a stunt like this in public. For an instant, she froze, unable to react, as a blush immediately spread across her face.

"You!" Sun Shihan huffed, glaring at Yu Changsheng. She seemed to want to say more, even raising a fist as if to punch his chest, but she lowered it again and said nothing.

"Haha." Seeing this, Yu Changsheng laughed and scratched his nose, not taking it to heart.

"Them... what?"

"What the hell! My goddess! WAAAHHHH!"

"No, Senior Sister Sun! I’ll be your dog, just hug me too!"

This time, the onlookers completely lost their composure. Some had long faces, others looked on in disbelief, and everyone was talking.

Emotions varied from person to person.

In this scene, under the rain, Sun Shihan took the initiative to hold her umbrella for Yu Changsheng. A talented man and a beautiful woman, each with their own charm—at a glance, they seemed quite a good match.

"DONG! DONG! DONG!!!"

A short while later, three loud chimes of a bell resounded throughout Beast Taming Peak. The figures of Mo Pengchen and Mu Yongxian slowly emerged from the rain.

Both wore solemn expressions as they surveyed the crowd. Under their gaze, the originally noisy scene quickly fell silent.

Mo Pengchen nodded lightly and glanced up at the sky, paying no mind to the falling rain. The raindrops vanished three inches from his body, never touching him at all.

"Today, it seems the heavens are not cooperating. But we are all Cultivators who struggle against heaven and earth. A little weather like this naturally cannot affect us."

"The semi-finals of the two-sect competition now begin."

Mo Pengchen wasted no words. His simple statement boomed louder than the muffled thunder in the sky. With a wave of his hand, two Jade Tubes trembled, and a bamboo slip shot out from each, appearing in the empty air.

The crowd stared intently.

"First match: Wanxiang Sect’s Zhang Tianwen versus Spirit Dragon Sect’s Yang Chengxu!"

A projection appeared, announcing the result of the draw to the public, and the crowd erupted in an uproar.

"They’re matched up already? Barring any surprises, the champion will be one of these two. I thought they would face each other in the final match."

"It’s fine. They were bound to face each other sooner or later. Let’s just see who comes out on top!"

"I’m so excited! It’s going to be a battle between a dragon and a tiger!"

"Before, I would have been sure that Senior Brother Zhang would win, but now... sigh, it’s hard to say."

Amidst the focused discussion of the disciples from both sects, the figures of Zhang Tianwen and Yang Chengxu each stepped forward.

"BOOM!"

The two of them leaped almost simultaneously, transforming into two long rainbows as they jumped onto the towering arena stage. The stage shook, and what followed were beastly roars that echoed through the heavens and the earth!

"RAWR!!!"

"ROAR!!!"

The shadows of two colossal beasts appeared on the stage, one on the left and one on the right, flanking Zhang Tianwen and Yang Chengxu. They faced off, staring intently at each other.