Tan Lei

Zhou Xuan's victory was like a silent slap across the face of everyone present.

The entire arena fell into a deathly silence; everyone looked like a duck with its neck throttled, mouths agape, yet unable to make a single sound.

He won?

That perennial bottom-ranked loser, that Body Forging stage five weakling who only made it onto the stage thanks to an exception made by Chief Steward Wang, had actually defeated Chen Hu, who was at the mid-stage of Body Forging stage seven?

How the hell was this possible!

"Luck! This was absolutely just luck!"

"Right! Senior Brother Chen Hu was just too careless and let this kid exhaust his strength!"

"Damn it, this loser's luck is just too good!"

"Luck? Is it really just luck?"

"Could he really have just happened to crush Senior Brother Chen Hu's arm while collapsing from exhaustion?"

After the deathly silence came an even louder wave of discussion. They could not accept this result and could only desperately try to find a logical explanation for Zhou Xuan's victory.

Luck, it must have been heaven-defying luck!

"However, this is as far as he goes!"

A Body Forging stage six chore servant looked at Zhou Xuan, who was being helped up, his face as pale as paper, unable to even stand steadily.

He said with schadenfreude, "Look at his half-dead state. Forget the next round; it's a question of whether he can even stand up at all!"

These words were immediately met with universal agreement.

That's right!

Even if he luckily won the first round, so what? He was already completely spent!

In the next round, he would undoubtedly lose!

"Brother Xuan! Brother Xuan, how are you?"

Zhou Ye rushed up immediately, his face full of anxiety as he supported the swaying Zhou Xuan.

He could feel that the entirety of Zhou Xuan's weight was pressing down on him, and his body was still trembling slightly.

"Brother Xuan, let's not compete anymore. Let's forfeit; you've already proven yourself!"

Zhou Ye's voice was choked with tears; he was genuinely afraid that Zhou Xuan would pass out the very next second.

Zhou Xuan leaned against Zhou Ye, gasping for air, and waved a hand weakly, unable to utter a single word.

Under the shade of the trees, Chief Steward Wang took in everything, and the cold smile at the corner of his mouth deepened.

Still putting on an act?

This kid's acting skills were even better than he had imagined!

What exhaustion?

What luck?

Bullshit!

That seemingly clumsy dodging had avoided vital points with every step, perfectly timed.

That seemingly weak body actually contained unfathomable endurance.

And that final, seemingly accidental press had utilized control over timing and force to the absolute limit!

This kid was clearly a vicious wolf in sheep's clothing! The secrets he held were even more astonishing than he had imagined!

"The competition continues!"

Chief Steward Wang couldn't be bothered with the chatter of those idiots. He spoke coldly, his voice not loud, yet it carried clearly across the entire arena.

Following his order, several more matches proceeded rapidly.

Those who had made it this far were the truly ruthless characters of the Chore Servant Courtyard; Body Forging stage seven was merely the starting point, and there were even a few who had reached Body Forging stage eight.

Soon, the first round of matches concluded, and fewer than thirty people remained.

Chief Steward Wang's chubby fingers tapped rhythmically on the table, his gaze sweeping back and forth over the remaining few, finally settling on Zhou Xuan and another slender youth.

"Second round, first match."

He spoke slowly, his voice laced with a hint of amusement.

"Tan Lei, against Zhou Xuan!"

"Boom!"

As soon as this matchup was announced, the crowd exploded once again!

"Senior Brother Tan Lei! It's actually Senior Brother Tan Lei!"

"Hahaha, Zhou Xuan is dead for sure now! His good luck has run out!"

"Senior Brother Tan Lei is an expert at Body Forging stage eight!"

"Even in his prime, he wouldn't have been a match, let alone in this half-dead state!"

The chore servants off the stage who had previously been slapped in the face by Zhou Xuan were now whipped back into a frenzy, each of them straining their throats to cheer and root for the young man named Tan Lei.

"Senior Brother Tan Lei, kill him! Let him know what real strength is!"

"Don't give him a chance to concede, just cripple him!"

Zhou Xuan leaned against Zhou Ye, his gaze also shifting toward the young man slowly walking into the arena.

Tan Lei—he had heard this name mentioned in the Chore Servant Courtyard before.

It was said that this guy had decent talent and was one of the few disciples in the entire Chore Servant Courtyard who came from a background of immortal cultivators.

His parents were both Outer Sect Disciples of the Spirit Sword Pavilion who had become dao companions, and they should have had a bright future ahead of them.

Unfortunately, before Tan Lei was even born, his mother was targeted by a sneak attack, which caused him to suffer congenital damage.

Furthermore, his parents both perished in a sect mission shortly after he was born.

That was why he had ended up in the Chore Servant Courtyard.

A thought stirred in Zhou Xuan's heart, and he quietly sank his divine sense into the system.

"System, scan him."

[Scanning...]

[Name: Tan Lei]

[Cultivation: Body Forging Level 8]

[Spirit Root: Metal and Wood dual-attribute mixed spirit root (medium aptitude)]

[Status: Congenital dantian damage, stagnant blood and qi, atrophied meridians; cultivation speed is only 30% of normal.]

[Note: His damaged dantian can be perfectly repaired via a Life Creation Pill or by consuming 5000 Gold Touch Value.]

It could be cured!

Zhou Xuan's eyes lit up slightly.

If this guy had a good character, he could consider taking him under his wing.

After all, for the things he wanted to do in the future, relying solely on Zhou Ye meant he was far too short-handed.

Just as Zhou Xuan was pondering, Tan Lei had already walked up to him.

He didn't start off by spouting threats like Chen Hu; instead, he simply frowned slightly, looking at Zhou Xuan's paper-white complexion and his heaving chest, and spoke calmly.

"You should concede."

His voice was very flat, devoid of mockery or pity.

"In your current state, you cannot fight anymore. You won the last match by sheer luck, but that kind of luck won't happen a second time. I don't want to hurt you."

Zhou Xuan raised his head and met his gaze.

Those were very calm eyes, calm to an excessive degree, as if they were a pool of stagnant water. There was no youthful vigor or desire to be found, only deep exhaustion and numbness.

"Cough, cough..."

Zhou Xuan coughed violently, as if he were trying to cough up his own lungs. He stubbornly shook his head and said in a hoarse voice, "No, I cannot lose..."

"I can still fight!"

His eyes revealed a stubbornness and determination that would not turn back even after hitting a stone wall.

He was perfectly portraying a small character from the bottom of the social ladder who had been pushed to the edge and had no choice but to gamble his life for a future.

Tan Lei watched him in this state, his brows furrowing even tighter, a flash of helplessness and confusion crossing his eyes.

He didn't understand why this guy had to be so desperate.

Was it for those few Qi Gathering Pills?

Or for that illusory spot as an Outer Sect Disciple?

Entering the arena in his current condition—what was the difference between that and seeking death?

"What are you dawdling for!"

From under the shade of the trees, Chief Steward Wang's impatient roar echoed out.

"Tan Lei, are you fucking deaf? Do it!"

"If you don't make a move, I'll declare you the loser!"

Chief Steward Wang's urging acted like a command, causing the helplessness in Tan Lei's eyes to instantly dissipate, replaced once again by that stagnant, water-like calm.

He took a deep breath and cupped his hands toward Zhou Xuan as a gesture of courtesy.

"Since that is the case, excuse me."

As his voice fell, the match officially began!