Some spectators made this startling guess, and they had sound reasons for it.
They clearly remembered the bewildered look in Hidden Stinger's eyes at the end of Night Owl's previous match.
It had been a clear sign that Hidden Stinger had fallen under an illusion.
According to legend, some exceptionally powerful illusions made their victims perceive time passing at a completely different rate from the outside world.
Only a few seconds might pass outside, while someone trapped in the illusion could endure decades, or even an eternity.
A simple illusion might only confuse or hypnotize an enemy. But the most powerful ones could easily destroy an enemy's psychological defenses, crushing them completely on a mental level.
Unfortunately, no one who had never experienced an illusion could truly understand how terrifying it was.
No one knew whether Night Owl could use illusions.
The person suspected of having suffered through one was already dead and could no longer answer the spectators' questions.
In the arena.
The two contestants stood face-to-face: an old man with graying hair and a mysterious man whose face was hidden behind a mask.
The old man no longer pretended to be harmless. He knew there was no need to hide his strength in the matches ahead. Contestants and spectators alike now acknowledged his power.
No one would underestimate him again just because he was an old man nearing the end of his life.
Besides, this opponent was clearly a clever man.
Night Owl looked at the old man. His expression was hidden behind his mask, but his stance lacked its former nonchalance.
"If I could, I wouldn't fight you," Night Owl said.
"Unfortunately, we don't have a choice." The old man spread his hands.
No, fate never gave anyone a choice.
Looking back on his past, Master Gu