The Clown Turns Out to Be Me!

The outcome of this contest was clear as day!

Zhao Gongming was like a clown jumping around, and worse, he was a sore loser.

Lin Chuan, by contrast, had remained remarkably calm and composed from start to finish.

Though he had indeed been somewhat arrogant,

the strength he had displayed had won everyone's approval. Just this performance alone had drawn the attention of countless Outer Sect Disciples.

Zhao Gongming was no weakling!

Especially now, after unleashing a relentless barrage, he had used his magic treasures to their fullest.

Yet he hadn't managed to hurt Lin Chuan in the slightest!

This...

was truly a little absurd.

"Oh my god!"

"Zhao Gongming looks like a baby holding a giant cleaver in front of him. He's completely incapable of doing any damage."

"One of them is like an adult, while the other is just a baby holding a giant cleaver..."

"The difference is so obvious!"

"When did he gain such strength?"

The Interception Sect disciples erupted in astonishment.

If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, they never would have believed it. The sight before them had completely overturned their understanding.

Some of them couldn't help but marvel.

"No wonder he became a Personal Disciple. He really does have exceptional qualities. If he didn't possess such strength, how could Master have made him a Personal Disciple?"

"Just as I thought... Master would never appoint someone without good reason!"

"Since he was promoted to Personal Disciple, there must be a reason. He went straight from being an Outer Sect Disciple to soaring all the way up to Personal Disciple."

"Perhaps Master saw his unparalleled strength and unimaginable talent!"

All kinds of guesses began to circulate.

Seeing the strength Lin Chuan had displayed had clearly won over many Outer Sect Disciples.

They no longer seemed so resistant to him.

Especially when you had someone to compare him with—you could see the gap.

The disciples all knew how strong Zhao Gongming was. As Outer Sect Disciples themselves, many of them had sparred with him.

Even those who hadn't had seen him fight. They knew what he was capable of, and yet Zhao Gongming had seemed to be completely at Lin Chuan's mercy.

This contest...

had made everything clear!

The outcome was clear as day!

"I gave you your chance, but you still couldn't do a thing to me."

"I have to say, that's a little frustrating."

"Well then, I suppose this contest should be over, right?"

A helpless look crossed Lin Chuan's face. His last question was directed at Duobao Tathagata.

After all, Duobao was the referee.

Now that the winner had been decided, it was naturally up to the referee to announce the result.

The Interception Sect disciples felt that Lin Chuan's performance was only to be expected, but there was something so annoyingly smug about him that they were at a loss for words.

For a moment, they all felt like giving him a beating.

"Oh my god!"

"He's so irritating. There's nothing wrong with anything he says, but every time he opens his mouth, it sounds like he's picking a fight."

"Am I imagining it?"

"No, no..."

"We all feel the same way."

"That guy's just unbearably smug!"

The crowd erupted again. Their teeth were on edge, and for some reason, they even felt a little sorry for Zhao Gongming.

Even from the audience seats below, they could sense how incredibly punchable Lin Chuan seemed.

How much worse must it have been on the platform!

Wasn't Zhao Gongming furious by now?

He already found losing nearly impossible to accept.

But...

Every time Lin Chuan opened his mouth, it sounded like a taunt.

Of course, everyone present was convinced that he probably wasn't doing it on purpose. Still, there was something about the way he spoke that made it sound like a provocation.

The crowd was speechless.

Duobao felt the same way.

Even though he was neutral and serving as the referee for this contest, for some reason, he felt like stepping in and brawling with Lin Chuan himself.

But he quickly pushed the thought aside.

His gaze shifted to Zhao Gongming.

Zhao Gongming had still had a defiant spirit about him, but now it had been shattered to pieces.

He wanted to roar again...

But he had already shown everything he had, and still couldn't do a thing to Lin Chuan. What was more, Lin Chuan hadn't even attacked once.

He had been taking it easy the whole time!

Lin Chuan had clearly been holding back. Zhao Gongming had no reason to feel ashamed of losing!

Zhao Gongming gave a miserable smile. "Who would've thought the clown was me all along!"

For some reason, everyone felt as if they understood exactly how he felt.

Especially the many Outer Sect Disciples among them.

They felt a faint kinship with him.

Still, they knew perfectly well that this had all come down to their own abilities.

Lin Chuan had the strength to become a Personal Disciple. There was no question about that, especially after this contest.

This result had confirmed the truth beyond a doubt!

Zhao Gongming took out the Twenty-Four Sea Calming Divine Pearls.

Everyone was stunned!

What?

Was Zhao Gongming still not willing to admit defeat? Did he want to keep going?

Even Duobao was startled.

But then Zhao Gongming said, "I offended you today. After all, so many people have remained Outer Sect Disciples for so long, and Senior Brother never showed off your strength."

"You kept a low profile and never revealed your abilities, so no one knew how strong you were."

"That's what caused this misunderstanding. I've offended you, and I offer this treasure as an apology."

"I hope you'll accept it, Senior Brother!"

Zhao Gongming's expression was utterly sincere. No matter how reckless he had been earlier, his anger had been directed at himself for not being good enough.

Now that everything had come to light,

he naturally had no reason to keep dwelling on it.

He also felt that he had been in the wrong from the start. If he didn't offer some form of compensation, he and Lin Chuan might end up holding a grudge against each other.

Making an enemy of someone this powerful—

and a Personal Disciple, at that—would be incredibly foolish.

So,

Zhao Gongming didn't hesitate to give away his treasure as an apology.

Duobao nodded silently, approving of his actions. After all, this gesture could help him save face.

The many Outer Sect Disciples present were equally shocked by what they saw.

They knew that the treasure in Zhao Gongming's hands was extraordinarily powerful. If it were in the hands of someone at the seventh month level, it could increase their strength by at least twenty percent.

That showed just how astonishing the treasure was.

And yet now, Zhao Gongming had simply given it away!

It was so unexpected that they could hardly believe it.

After all, with their status and strength, they didn't have many treasures like this. Having one or two already meant they were incredibly lucky!

Getting another one would be unimaginably difficult!