Arrogance Takes Strength, and I Just Happen to Have It All

The blinding light engulfed the arena and drowned out everyone's voices.

The shouts from the stands fell silent abruptly.

Once everyone recovered from their brief blindness, the sight before them made them forget to breathe.

The arena disappeared.

It wasn't damaged or collapsed; it was completely wiped off the surface.

Apart from a small patch of ground remaining under Bao Liang's feet, the entire arena had been reduced to a massive scorched crater several meters deep.

The orange-red embers flowed along the cracks in the ground, like a piece of magma that had just cooled.

The seven students from the Qiutang Academy were thrown out by the shockwave of the explosion and embedded in the wall below the stands.

His body was charred black, his clothes were tattered, and smoke was still rising from his body; he had completely lost consciousness.

The scene was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The referee, who was flying in mid-air, froze, his mouth slightly open, and the recording Soul Tool in his hand fell to the ground with a "thud".

The audience in the stands fell completely silent.

Those who were shouting just a second ago that they would Bao Liang lesson are now staring wide-eyed and pale-faced, as if someone has grabbed their necks at the same time.

Someone's lips trembled, and they couldn't utter a complete sentence for a long time.

Some people instinctively shrank back, as if afraid that Bao Liang could punch them into the wall from halfway across the Soul Fighting Arena.

Some people stared intently at the charred crater, repeatedly muttering the same phrase, "This can't be... this can't be..."

Those who were cursing the loudest just now now have the most unpleasant expressions.

They finally realized that they weren't mocking an arrogant young punk, but a monster capable of flattening the entire arena with a single move.

"What... what did he just say?"

He said five seconds...

"He really only gave me five seconds..."

"Qiutang Academy couldn't even withstand a single move from him..."

"Is this really Soul Skill?"

Upon hearing this last sentence, many people immediately fell silent.

On the high platform, Xu Jiawei crushed the teacup in his hand.

He stared at the figure still standing straight in the center of the ring, his contempt completely frozen.

Just now, he thought Bao Liang was just a somewhat talented but unruly madman.

But now, that madman used only one move to turn the most magnificent Soul Fighting Arena in Star Luo City into ruins.

This is not a competition.

This is humiliating the Star Luo Empire in front of hundreds of thousands of people.

"What a magnificent Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy..."

Xu Jiawei's voice was frighteningly low.

"I thought he was just an arrogant clown who didn't know his own limitations, but now it seems I underestimated him."

The officials around him fell silent, even their breathing became much softer.

Xu Jiawei's gaze swept over the ruins, then over the Qiutang Academy students embedded in the wall, and his face gradually darkened.

"Check."

"Find out for me Bao Liang's background, his Soul Skill, his Soul Tool, and all his connections within the Sun Moon Empire."

"I need to know everything about him! Not a single word!"

"Yes! I'll take care of it right away!"

Xu Jiawei really wanted to punish the guy in front of him who had embarrassed Star Luo Empire, but unfortunately he couldn't.

Although Bao Liang's attack destroyed the ring, it did not directly attack the audience, nor did it violate the explicit clause in the competition rules regarding lethal attacks.

To make matters worse, they didn't activate the protective shield around the ring.

This order was given by Xu Jiawei himself!

Now that the venue has been destroyed, the audience has been frightened, and other academy teams have also been affected, the Star Luo Empire has no choice but to swallow this debt itself, no matter how you look at it.

Xu Jiawei grew angrier the more he thought about it.

Destruction is easy, repair is difficult.

The arena, the stands, the Soul Guidance Array, the audience seating—which of these doesn't cost money?

This is only the apparent loss.

Not to mention that the Star Luo Empire has lost face in front of the entire continent today.

In the center of the arena, Bao Liang dusted himself off, as if he had just casually swatted a mosquito.

He looked up at the referee, his face full of mockery.

"Referee, aren't you going to announce the result yet?"

The referee, recovering from his shock, turned pale and then red-faced, and stammered as he raised his hand.

"The match is over."

"The victor... Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy!"

Bao Liang nodded in satisfaction.

"Oh dear, look at the mess you've made!"

He glanced at the group of the Qiutang Academy students embedded in the wall, his tone full of mockery.

"Asking you to surrender is like asking you to die."

"However, as I said, I'm a kind-hearted person."

"We went a little easy this time; we didn't take your lives like we would have taken this arena."

"How was it? Were we on good terms?"

After those words were spoken, the entire Soul Fighting Arena fell into dead silence once more.

Everyone who had previously insulted Bao Liang felt as if they had been slapped hard across the face.

What made them even more desperate was that Bao Liang didn't even use Soul Tool.

He simply stood there and ended the match with two Soul Skill.

The contestants from other colleges in the audience all turned pale.

They were originally discussing how to target the Sun Moon Team, but now, all their plans have become a joke.

Because they suddenly realized that they couldn't even withstand a direct hit from Bao Liang.

That sense of powerlessness did not come from the difference in Soul Power, but from a deeper despair.

Unable to face it, unable to look at it directly, and even more unable to overcome it.

Bao Liang ignored the crowd's reactions and turned to walk off the stage.

He walked slowly, even leisurely.

But the more this happened, the less people around them dared to speak.

The audience members who had been shouting the loudest moments before all lowered their heads, afraid of being remembered by Bao Liang.

Xu Jiawei sat on the high platform, his face so green it looked like it was about to drip water.

As he watched Bao Liang's departing figure, only one thought occupied his mind.

This kid needs to be investigated.

We must find out the truth.

As soon as they returned to the rest area, Xiao Hongchen rushed over excitedly and put his arm around Bao Liang's shoulder.

"Well done, Bao Liang!"

"Your move has truly slapped the faces of these people from Douluo Three Kingdoms so hard they're swollen; it's absolutely gratifying!"

He patted Bao Liang's shoulder hard, looking so excited that he wished he were the one who had stolen the spotlight on the stage just now.

Even with his best efforts, he could create a similar visual impact.

However, he cannot yet achieve the same level of skill as Bao Liang, resolving a battle with just two Soul Skill.

Meng Hongchen stood to the side, smiling and giving a thumbs up.

"As expected of my A-Liang, he's so handsome!"

"Ugh, keep a low profile, keep a low profile."

Bao Liang chuckled, his tone laced with a smug, almost irritating, pride.

"I was just telling them a principle."

"Even without using Soul Tool, or even at full strength, they are no match for us."

Xiao Hongchen nodded repeatedly as he listened.

I like hearing that.

"But you were too arrogant just now, daring to say something like 'I'll surrender in five seconds' in front of hundreds of thousands of people."

"If I don't act a little arrogant, how can I face the insults they gave me before?"

Bao Liang shrugged, his face full of self-righteousness.

"Besides, didn't I already show mercy?"

Xiao Hongchen's lips twitched.

"You sent them, ring and all, crashing into the wall, and you call that showing mercy?"

"Certainly."

Bao Liang nodded earnestly.

"At least they can still breathe."

Xiao Hongchen: "..."

Okay.

This was indeed Bao Liang showing mercy.

Meng Hongchen couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Okay, stop fooling around."

She glanced at the Soul Engineer who were still cleaning up the site in the distance, a hint of a smile in her eyes.

"After today's match, the entire Star Luo City will probably remember your name."

"So what if you remember it?"

Bao Liang shrugged indifferently.

"They'll remember the name of the Sun Moon Team sooner or later anyway."

"Instead of letting them memorize it slowly, it's better to let them memorize it all at once."

On the other side, Xu Jiawei had completely lost the will to continue watching the game.

He sat on the high platform, his face so gloomy it seemed to drip water, his fingers tapping the armrest repeatedly.

The official beside him asked cautiously, "Your Majesty, should we send someone to keep a close eye on the Sun Moon Team?"

"Of course we need to keep an eye on it."

Xu Jiawei said coldly.

"We must not only keep an eye on Bao Liang, but also on everyone around him."

"Also, record the entire scene from today's ring."

"Yes."

The official quickly acknowledged and withdrew.

Xu Jiawei gazed at the gradually cleared ruins, a somber glint in his eyes.

He originally only wanted to use the competition to unite the people and, incidentally, demonstrate the power of the Star Luo Empire to the other two countries.

But now it seems that this competition not only failed to make the Star Luo Empire shine, but also allowed a young man from the Sun Moon Empire to turn Star Luo City upside down in front of hundreds of thousands of people.

He made a note of this debt.

The Sun Moon Team left the Soul Fighting Arena without waiting for Xu Jiawei's official announcement.

Since the venue is already taken down, there's no way the match can continue today.

Instead of staying here watching the Star Luo Empire officials scramble around, we should head back to the hotel to celebrate.

The main reason is that the slap in the face was so satisfying; this beautiful scenery is for everyone to enjoy together.

The group chatted and laughed, and soon returned to the Star Emperor Hotel.

Soul Fighting Arena, Xu Jiawei finally officially announced the suspension of today's elimination rounds.

The competition is expected to resume in one to two days.

After all, the ring is gone, so what's the point of having a match?

Calming the frightened audience, treating the other participating students from other academies affected by the incident, and then repairing the arena and the stands—it would keep the Star Luo Empire officials busy all day.

Unless Xu Jiawei chooses to produce a shoddy, substandard project, this match is unlikely to resume in the short term.

This time, the Star Luo Empire suffered a complete and silent loss.

On the other side, at the Star Emperor Hotel.

Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong had just returned to their room and hadn't even had a chance to rest when they heard a huge explosion coming from the direction of the Soul Fighting Arena.

Immediately afterwards, the official Star Luo Empire organization delivered a notice of suspension.

After listening to the staff's explanation while holding the notice, Wang Yan fell silent.