My Professions Have Too Much Personality

Chapter 173: Chapter 119: Dragon vs. Tiger? Battle of Arch-rivals?

His promotion to Tier Three had matured his state of mind considerably, but the obsession in his heart hadn’t faded in the slightest. In fact, it had only grown stronger.

“Today is the day I wash away my shame.”

During the life-or-death crisis of his promotion, it was this obsession to wash away his shame that had kept him alive.

Zhu Xuan withdrew his gaze. His eyes were sharp, and he faintly exuded the same spirited demeanor he had possessed upon entering the assessment.

…

“So that’s Zhu Xuan. Wei Yinsuo’s student, the one with the Ink Jade Talent.”

The top floor of the challenge hall was a ring of sealed rooms. In one of them, Chong Jingtian stood by a window, watching the arena below.

The speaker was a middle-aged man who looked scholarly and easygoing, wearing black-framed glasses. His gaze fell upon Zhu Xuan in the arena, and he couldn’t help but nod. “He certainly cuts a dashing figure.”

“Shumo, you just got back. There’s some inside information you’re not aware of yet,” Chong Jingtian said with a laugh. “Before this kid even joined the Judicial Court, he gathered a large following with the help of a few people under the Fourth. He’s built up quite a bit of influence.”

Jiang Shu Mo, the Ninth Chief Judge of the Judicial Court, had only recently returned.

“Chief Judge…” Jiang Shu Mo chuckled. “I only just got back, but I’m not deaf. He originally wanted to make a big splash, but Su Chen stole his thunder. After joining the Judicial Court, he laid low for a while. Recently, he’s been mixed up with Wei Yufan.”

“You never change,” Chong Jingtian lamented. “You can’t rest until you’ve figured out the ins and outs of every situation.”

“I’d love to be deaf, but too many people are talking about those two. I can’t help it.” Jiang Shu Mo spread his hands. “It does remind me of you and Xia Hanshi back in the day, though. A battle between a dragon and a tiger.”

“A pity the Chief Judge can’t take on students.”

To keep the competition for the position of Chief Judge of the Judicial Court relatively fair, successive Chief Judges were not allowed to take on students. This was the rule.

“Back in the day…” Chong Jingtian’s gaze grew distant, as if reminiscing. He smiled bitterly. “The Core Seeds of the past competed, but they never went too far. Deep-seated hatred and grudges were rare.” inventories

“But now…” He sighed. “More and more talent isn’t necessarily a good thing. The power Wei Yufan can mobilize now is probably no less than that of any Chief Judge.”

“The friction behind the scenes is also growing more intense. If we don’t break up their factions, it’s only a matter of time before a major problem arises.”

Chong Jingtian shook his head helplessly. Ying Feng was not the only one who had been a Core Seed for nearly a decade.

These matters were rather sensitive. Jiang Shu Mo remained silent for a moment before changing the subject. “That person, Su Chen, is he here?”

“That’s him, next to Ming Lin,” You Shan, who was beside them, said, pointing.

“…This one’s even better.” Jiang Shu Mo’s eyes lit up. “Well-defined features, handsome and dashing. How did he end up in Old Xia’s hands? He’s going to be corrupted by him.”

Chong Jingtian’s expression was hard to read. “This kid… is devilishly clever and plays his cards close to his chest. Guess how many times he’s interacted with the other Core Seeds since joining the Judicial Court.”

“At the absolute most, fewer than ten times—and that’s counting all of them combined.”

Jiang Shu Mo was surprised. “He’s not much like Old Xia, then. Which Top-tier Profession is he planning to promote to?”

“Top-tier Profession?” Chong Jingtian’s expression turned strange. “Who told you he’s going for a Top-tier Profession?”

Jiang Shu Mo couldn’t help but frown. “If he chooses an Upper-tier Profession, wouldn’t that be the same as admitting defeat to Zhu Xuan? Besides, with his kind of Talent, Old Xia wouldn’t let him back down, would he?”

“Xia Hanshi is more lenient with him than you can imagine.” Chong Jingtian recalled the day the Pang Family was annihilated. ’That old fox, Xia Hanshi, had actually started using his brain.’

“Is that so?” Jiang Shu Mo grew more and more surprised, but he also said, “The future is long. There’s no need to get caught up in the wins and losses of the moment.”

“He might not necessarily lose…” Chong Jingtian shook his head. “A lot of people have forgotten that Su Chen can pursue two professions at once.”

“The arena does have its flaws. It can’t precisely suppress Spiritual Resilience, putting Mental Professionals at a slight disadvantage. But Zhu Xuan has only just reached Tier Three.”

The arena wasn’t perfect. It was incapable of suppressing excessively high Professional Tiers, and Spiritual Resilience was notoriously difficult to suppress with precision—it was, after all, the most mysterious aspect of a living being.

For example, a Tier Four Professional could have their abilities suppressed to the first half of Tier Three, but their Spiritual Resilience would only be suppressed to the limit of Tier Three.

However, Spiritual Resilience only affects Mental Attacks. Many Mental Professionals rely on more than just mental abilities; some don’t even have Mental Attacks. Thus, the impact isn’t considered significant.

“That’s right…” Jiang Shu Mo nodded, a sense of anticipation rising in him. “I wonder when those two will fight. I hope I’m still here when it happens.”

……

’Xiong Tao, a Tier Four Professional… Red Gold Talent…’

Zhu Xuan’s opponent had arrived. He had a powerful build, was a full two and a half meters tall, with solid muscles.

But after stepping onto the arena, his body shrank to two meters, and his life aura weakened considerably.

Ming Lin looked at Zhong Ming beside him. “Does he have a chance?”

Xiong Tao was one of their people, from a Subordinate City. This meant his Tier One and Tier Two professions were unlikely to be Top-tier, so he usually kept a low profile.

“If he had a chance, he wouldn’t be challenging Zhu Xuan,” Zhong Ming said bluntly. Ming Lin chuckled. “True.”

The battle on the arena had begun. Xiong Tao was a Physical-side Professional, but not of the elemental type. Black bristles were visibly sprouting, rapidly covering his entire body.

The surface of these bristles had a cold, metallic sheen, their roots dug deep into his continuously expanding muscles, undulating like waves with his every movement.

His knuckles elongated by two inches with a series of CRACKS. His fingernails thickened into dark layers of keratin, and the skin on the backs of his hands continued to harden under the fur, forming a defensive Scale Armor reminiscent of a reptile’s.

“A Tier Three Upper-tier profession—Iron-Bristled Berserk Bear. The challenge doesn’t allow weapons, so he actually has a bit of an advantage,” Ming Lin commented.

Su Chen watched with considerable surprise. ’The Physical Side is a broad category, encompassing many smaller ones. There’s the elemental type, and then there are transformation types like this one.’

’Most are related to Mutant Species, while High-Tier professions in this category seem to have ties to ancient myths. Teng Liang’s Ancient Spirit Giant and Bu Siqi’s profession are both examples of this.’

’Both types have their pros and cons, but transformation-type professions only appear at Tier Three and above. I never heard of anything like this back in Southwind.’

Zhu Xuan’s transformation was equally obvious. His hair turned blood-red, blood-colored markings spread from his cheeks to his eyes, and he even materialized two bloody butcher’s cleavers, their hilts held in the jaws of spectral pythons.

“Bloody Butcher…” The expressions on Ming Lin and the others grew much more solemn.

Wei Yufan, however, said, “Zhu Xuan is certainly pushing himself. We’re all members of the Judicial Court. Is there really any grudge that can’t be resolved? There’s no need to be so harsh on himself.”

“I heard that during the Blood Frenzy Trial, his heart stopped for thirty seconds. He almost didn’t make it back.”

Ming Lin frowned slightly. To be this harsh on himself indirectly spoke volumes about his “hatred” for Su Chen. He couldn’t help but ask:

“Anyone in that position wouldn’t have held back during the assessment. Can’t Zhu Xuan understand that?”

The others had various expressions on their faces. It was easy for an outsider to see the logic; after all, they weren’t the ones who had been humiliated.

Wei Yufan then said, “Perhaps it was an unintentional mistake during the assessment. But last time I invited Junior Brother Su Chen and offered to mediate, he didn’t seem to have any intention of reconciling.”

Su Chen glanced at him. ’What is this guy playing at? He’s still putting on an act.’

’Never mind the fact that He Kang delivered the message improperly. Judging by Liu Chen’s attitude when he showed up at my door later, I don’t believe for a second that Wei Yufan was genuinely trying to mediate that night.’

Seeing that Su Chen remained silent, Wei Yufan frowned slightly and added, “A pity. It’s too late to say anything now.”

Ming Lin subconsciously furrowed his brow. ’Too late? What does he mean?’

Before he had time to dwell on it, a clamor erupted from below.

CLANG!

A sharp clang echoed from the arena. The butcher’s cleaver, wreathed in blood-flames, chopped down from above. Xiong Tao crossed his arms to block the strike, and his bristles scraped against the cleaver’s edge with a piercing screech.

“ROAR!” He roared, stomping his right foot. He twisted his hips, using his core strength to deflect the blade, then thrust his left claw toward his opponent’s ribs.

Zhu Xuan fell back, throwing his twin cleavers. As the blood pythons gnawed at their hilts, the blades crisscrossed and spun through the air. The left cleaver feinted toward Xiong Tao’s lower body, while the right one circled silently behind him.