Chapter Twenty-Three: The Finals (Part One)

"You want to break the rules of the competition?" Darren showed no fear; his gaze was filled with provocation and disdain. If Xia Yan violated the rules, he would lose. That wouldn't be good! No, Darren didn't want Xia Yan to lose—he wanted to kill him.

A chilling wind swept across the entire arena, making everyone's skin crawl with dread. Xia Yan's eyes were cold and abyssal, piercing straight into Darren's heart. This battle would end only one way: life or death.

Mentor Nina sensed the suffocating chill in the air, feeling an urgent need to interrupt the match, though it was beyond her authority. Xia Yan was never one for words, especially before a fight that would decide life or death.

Let it begin.

Unable to endure the tension, Darren made the first move. Faced with that ominous gun barrel, no one could remain completely calm, for no one knew if, in the next instant, the bullet would end their life.

Dark energy began to form a sphere—no, to be precise, it was still gathering, not yet fully formed.

At that moment, Xia Yan's plasma pistol fired its first shot.

The plasma beam shattered the dark energy sphere before it could take shape.

The crowd erupted in astonished uproar, disbelief coloring every face. None could comprehend what had just happened.

All they saw was the dark energy on the verge of forming, only to be destroyed by the plasma beam—an impossibility, an inconceivable feat.

"Impossible!" Darren, master of dark energy, was the first to show shock and confusion. He believed what had happened was a coincidence—a subtle, lucky accident.

He tried again to gather dark energy, but before it could fully form, another plasma beam destroyed it.

Darren's expression darkened to its extreme; at last he understood—this was no accident!

As the same scene played out again, the crowd was thrown into turmoil, as if the heavens had cracked open.

"What kind of marksmanship is this?"

"That eyesight, that precision, that calculation..."

"This marksmanship is insane! Xia Yan used close combat to defeat Tang Yun and others before, but this is even more terrifying!"

"When Xia Yan won with the simulated pistol, I thought his opponent was weak. Turns out, the reason was Xia Yan himself!"

"Incredible—just how frightening is Xia Yan's marksmanship?"

"If the competition allowed real firearms, Xia Yan would have won long ago! Who could possibly stop him?"

"Exactly, he could sweep the whole field single-handedly!"

"If he aimed at that demon youth and fired several plasma beams in a row, that demon would be finished."

"If plasma can pierce dark energy, it can pierce a demon too. Xia Yan just can't break the rules."

"This is the first time I've seen someone use a real pistol like this—not violating the rules, but exploiting them to the fullest. Xia Yan is too strong!"

"They say the C102 Frenzy Plasma Pistol can charge for a more powerful shot, stronger than ordinary attacks, though there's the risk of overheating. I wonder if Xia Yan will use it."

Previously, most discussion about Xia Yan came from ordinary spectators, but now a significant number of institutional members and mentors joined in, for Xia Yan's marksmanship was truly terrifying.

It was no exaggeration to say that the C102 Frenzy in Tao Lu's hands and in Xia Yan's were worlds apart—the difference was like night and day.

No one had ever seen such a formidable, powerful marksman. He made the pistol come alive, filled with spirit!

Inside the villa.

Gu Yue'er’s hands were clenched tight, her pale fingers curling into fists, countless strands of determination weaving together, gathering into a punch...

He won't lose. He must not lose.

Gu Yue'er had never feared anything—not mountains of blades, seas of fire, hell, or the underworld. Death held no terror for her.

Xia Yan… as long as you win, that’s enough.

Give them a resounding slap! Let those arrogant, conceited faces bear five finger marks, reminding them that nothing in this world is theirs to control at will.

Watch closely, Leiven in the management, Director Ai You—watch carefully, don’t miss a thing.

...

"Dark energy is completely suppressed by firearms, so the demon youth's only advantage is flight. But flying in the sky is pointless; eventually, he'll run out of energy and lose his ability to fly. Then, it’ll be Xia Yan’s private time." Gong Kui watched the arena with a smile.

By now, for many in the audience, it was already unbelievable. Private betting pools had long been opened, most gambling on how long the demon youth could hold out.

Some said five seconds, others ten, some twenty, thirty, even a minute—but bets over a minute were rare.

Given the current situation, with Xia Yan utterly dominating and forcing his opponent into a passive position, everyone thought it was normal. After all, Xia Yan had defeated three championship favorites in a row; could he not handle a mere demon youth?

The match wasn't over, but the champion was already decided—it could only be Xia Yan.

...

Xia Yan gazed skyward at the 'demon' flying above, unconcerned about who would tire first.

Let him exhaust himself—Xia Yan only used his pistol, while the other had to activate his bloodline power. How long could he last? Probably only a few minutes.

When he finally fell, Xia Yan would seize the chance to finish him with a single blow.

Wait, it required patience now.

Darren, forced into such a passive state, looked ghastly. He was anxious that Xia Yan might simply aim his pistol at him.

It was entirely possible—Xia Yan's gaze was anything but friendly.

After one minute.

"Still not using your ability?" Xia Yan stood firm, unmoving, his face cold and disdainful. "Demon, do you really think your bloodline power alone can beat me?"

Darren’s face grew grim, but he had to admit Xia Yan was right; without using his ability, he would never defeat him.

He brushed aside his hair, revealing a faint red glow flickering from his left eye.

Instantly, a barely perceptible radiance spread out from Darren, expanding until it enveloped the entire arena.

Xia Yan’s expression grew serious—he never underestimated an opponent.

Gong Kui, sitting on the podium, was startled by the strange phenomenon.

"It's the Crimson Eye..."

"Crimson Eye? What's that? I've never heard of it!" asked the freckled girl beside her.

"It's an extremely rare ability—almost all its possessors are demons," Gong Kui explained. "Since ancient times, demons have had a ritual of exchange, offering what they have in return for what they desire. They can even sacrifice limbs, life, soul..."

"This so-called 'Crimson Eye' is a unique ability that exacts a price whenever it's used," Gong Kui continued. "It grants the user domain-like power; within this domain, they can block any detection, see through their enemy's movements and techniques, even read their opponent's thoughts."

"It can even shield all external vision, turning the battlefield into an illusion!"

"Such a terrifying ability," the freckled girl exclaimed.

"Every advantage has its drawback. This demon’s brain development isn’t particularly advanced, so he can’t use it perfectly. Normally, a second or two is fine, but prolonged use will drain his vitality, even threaten his life," Gong Kui explained.

Previously, Mentor Nina had tried to rescue Tao Lu from Darren, but her 'Hand of Time and Space' was inexplicably thwarted because Darren had instantly used 'Crimson Eye,' turning that space into his own 'domain' and rebounding Nina's ability.

Back then, Leiven said Darren's strength was nearly equal to or even matched the institution’s management, all because of his ability—Crimson Eye.

...

Once Darren unleashed 'Crimson Eye,' the balance between him and Xia Yan shifted instantly. He charged towards Xia Yan, aiming to deliver a deadly blow.

A wall of flame erupted, blocking Darren’s path.

"That’s the transfer student's ability!"

"Fire element—such a rare elemental power!"

"The transfer student always hid his power; this is the first time he’s revealed it." Many institutional members were excited, thrilled to witness the transfer student's ability.

"So cool, the coolest power in the whole competition!"

"I’ve always dreamed of flying through the sky, body ablaze with fire."

"Jealous, so jealous!"

"That power is awesome—I heard you can even fly as a flame!"

"If I had this ability, Nini would definitely agree to be my girlfriend."

"If I had it, I could marry two wives."

"I’d marry three."

"I’d marry four."

As outsiders, the spectators' first reaction was always how cool and handsome the ability was, rather than its practical use.

Xia Yan controlled the flames, hurling fireballs at Darren while keeping a safe distance.

Within Darren’s domain, Xia Yan felt deeply uncomfortable; close combat would be a huge disadvantage.

Darren’s movements were minimal, but every fireball missed him—yes, he saw through all of Xia Yan’s actions.

"Die!" Darren’s wings flashed, and he streaked toward Xia Yan like a beam of light, his right hand glowing with dark energy as he reached for Xia Yan.

Xia Yan retreated, but felt trapped, forced to cover his chest with fire element, forming a solid, armor-like shield.

Clang!

A clear sound rang out as Xia Yan retreated rapidly.

"Are you afraid? Do you want to surrender?" Darren laughed wildly. "Too bad! Try it—see if your voice can even reach the outside!"

At last, he had sealed the battlefield from external sight; no one would be able to witness what happened here.