Acting

In the vast Discussion Training Ground, the cold gleam of Goldstone reflected the Scorching Sun over the sea and sky.

At the edge of the Battle Arena, Su Bai slowly stood up and walked towards the center of the arena.

His steps lacked the composure and calmness he displayed when he defeated Lin Huasheng; in fact, they appeared somewhat sluggish.

What's even more striking is his expression.

Fine beads of cold sweat were clearly visible on his forehead.

The hand holding the Soaring Dragon Sword was trembling slightly.

The cold glint of the sword tip trembled slightly with this subtle movement.

It left short, sharp marks on the Metallic Stone Ground.

This is definitely not the demeanor of a master who has just defeated a powerful enemy with a single sword strike!

"Is that Lu Jiu, who just defeated Lin Huasheng?"

"What's wrong with him? He was so tough just now, why is he acting like this now?"

"He probably used some forbidden, life-threatening technique on Senior Brother Lin just now, and now it's backfiring."

"I think they're terrified at the prospect of another tough battle, especially Senior Brother Yan..."

The murmurs were like drops of water falling into hot oil.

It instantly caused an uproar among the Southern Sea Cultivator and the sea of gamblers in the stands.

It was filled with schadenfreude and contempt.

Many people were still dwelling on Su Bai's previous amazing performance.

Seeing him now, with his "outwardly strong but inwardly weak" appearance...

A huge weight was lifted off my shoulders.

"It's a sure thing! This guy's done for! Quick, bet more on him to win this last South Sea game!"

From the stands, near the fat man sitting on the leash, a frenzied cheer erupted.

Countless gamblers rushed to throw Spirit Stone at the betting odds, betting on Duan Cong Congsheng of the South Sea, causing the odds to fluctuate visibly.

Within the Southern Sea Cultivator' camp.

Yan Chi, the Great Perfection Golden Core cultivator dressed in a magnificent brocade robe and standing with his arms crossed, had his gaze fixed on Su Bai.

Upon seeing Su Bai's "extremely nervous" demeanor, he immediately lost all interest.

The fighting spirit he had deliberately raised between his brows vanished instantly.

Instead, there was undisguised contempt.

"Clay chicken and clay dog."

Yan Chi's lips moved slightly, his voice not loud, but it clearly reached the ears of a Golden Core Cultivator beside him.

He immediately closed his eyes, too lazy to even look at the field anymore.

At that moment, a crimson figure appeared, accompanied by a scorching heat wave.

It landed opposite Su Bai with a "whoosh".

The newcomer had a deliberately ingratiating and fawning expression on his face. He was none other than Duan Cong, the Late Golden Core Cultivator had been flattering Yan Chi earlier.

He and Yan Chi were from the same school.

Although his Fire Element Divine Ability were not as domineering as Yan Chi's, they still possessed a certain fierce power.

As soon as Duan Cong landed, he swept his disdainful gaze over Su Bai, who was "drenched in cold sweat."

A malicious grin spread across his face, and his voice, deliberately loud and full of sarcasm, rang out:

"Has Lu Jiu, the alchemy Vice Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Star Alliance who was so imposing just now, become spineless from the scorching sun of the South Sea?"

He chuckled and continued, "Judging by how pitifully you're trembling, you must have exhausted all your trump cards to defeat Junior Brother Lin. You're just at your last gasp!"

"Very well, it saves my senior brother Yan Chi's hands from getting dirty! Dealing with someone like you is more than enough for me, Duan Cong!"

The sharp, piercing sarcasm was like a poisoned needle.

Su Bai's face instantly flushed red with shame and anger, as if all the blood had rushed to his head.

The hand gripping the Soaring Dragon Sword so tightly that the knuckles were white from the force of the grip.

Even the slightest tremor seemed to pause for a moment, suppressing anger.

On the main stands, a Nascent Soul Cultivator from the South Sea camp, exuding an air of arrogance, smiled faintly upon seeing this.

Turning his head to the side, he casually said to the Heavenly Law Ancestor:

"Fellow Heavenly Law Tianfa, your alliance's alchemy prodigy is indeed skilled in Dao of Alchemy, but what about his mental fortitude in battle?"

"Tsk tsk, you're really lacking in experience. Such a loss of composure, so timid and hesitant—how can you possibly shoulder such a heavy responsibility?"

The Heavenly Law Ancestor remained seated, his wide robe sleeves motionless.

His expression remained calm and composed, as if he hadn't heard the harsh criticism at all.

Without offering any response, his gaze remained calmly fixed on the arena, seemingly concerned only with the Magic Duel itself.

In fact, Heavenly Law was already amazed by Su Bai's acting skills, "This kid..."

"Interesting, I'll play along this time..."

Beside the betting tables in the stands, the fat bookmaker, an avatar of the Heavenly Law Clone, stroked his mustache.

Looking at Su Bai, who was "making frequent mistakes" on the field.

He glanced again at the purple-clad youth beside him, who wore a somber expression and clutched a Jade Token bearing a huge bet, then shook his head and sighed deeply, his tone full of regret:

"Alas, esteemed guest... Look at the situation... It's not that I'm just being wise after the event, but this young friend Lu Jiu seems rather incapable of handling such a heavy responsibility. Your bet..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but his face clearly showed an "I knew it" expression.

The young man, also a manifestation of the Heavenly Law Clone, remained silent, his eyes fixed intently on the scene before him.

The surrounding gamblers reacted strongly to Su Bai's mockery.

They were even more convinced that he was all bark and no bite.

The waves of Duan Cong the South Sea are growing ever stronger.

"Start!"

With a clear shout from the Nascent Soul referee.

Laugh--!

Duan Cong had no intention of giving Su Bai any chance to catch his breath.

With a sharp whistle, he rubbed his hands together, and a condensed line of fire, like a venomous snake's tongue, tore through the air.

With a piercing screech, it aimed straight for Su Bai's face.

This was precisely the method Yan Chi used to severely injure the Body Cultivator.

Although its power is slightly inferior, its speed is a notch faster!

Su Bai seemed to be startled, his face turning deathly pale.

In the chaos, there was no time to think about any strategy; they were driven almost entirely by their "instinctive survival instinct."

They fled in a very disheveled manner.

The fire grazed his scalp and back, scorching a few strands of hair and the hem of his clothes, leaving a deep, charred mark on the Metallic Stone Ground.

"Hmph! Hide? Let's see how long you can hide!"

Duan Cong grinned maliciously, showing no mercy once he gained the upper hand.

His figure flashed, his ten fingers flew, and in an instant, more than a dozen equally condensed crimson fire lines intertwined into a net.

They sealed off Su Bai's escape route from all sides!

Each one carries a temperature high enough to melt gold and iron.

Su Bai's dodging became even more dangerous and clumsy, as if he were dancing on the tip of a knife.

He would sometimes dodge sharply to the side, staggering and nearly slipping.

Sometimes it crouches down and rolls, covered in dust, kicking up a trail of smoke.

Occasionally, he would hastily parry with the blade, the sword colliding with the fire line, producing a hissing sound and sparks flying everywhere.

His arm seemed numb from the shock, his face a mixture of pain and fear, sweat soaked his temples, and his breathing was rapid like a broken bellows.

His movements were "panicked," and he appeared to be completely suppressed by firepower and powerless to fight back.

The sighs of the Southern Sea Cultivator grew louder and louder.

"All you can do is run away?" a Golden Elixir from the South Sea Golden Core shouted.