Chapter 11: End of Year Competition (2)
After the cultivation evaluation, it was the test of strength.
Although cultivation directly influenced a person’s strength, everyone was bound to have their own differences.
Much like before, Su Chen took first place without the slightest suspense. His results topped the board at the strength of nine horses, exceeding the strength of his own cultivation by one whole layer. Not only did this shock everyone, but it also caused Su Qian’s hatred of him to deepen. He swore that he would embarrass him in the final challenge.
Finally, all the evaluations concluded.
Without exception, Su Chen had once again placed first in the evaluations. Su Qian placed second.
Nobody felt surprised by these results.
“According to the evaluation’s new rules, the top three may challenge the first place holder. If two people were to challenge at the same time, then there must be a prerequisite battle to fight for the right to challenge. Su Qian, Su Tong, do you wish to raise the challenge?”
Su Tong was the grandson of the great elder Su Chengsheng. He shared a glance with Su Qian for a moment before shaking his head and saying, “I renounce the challenge.”
He was obviously wasn’t Su Qian’s match and this challenge was basically prepared for Su Qian. The reason why to the top three had the right to take the challenge was so that it wouldn’t appear so unsightly and to makes its true purpose less blatantly obvious.
Su Qian then smiled and said, “I, Su Qian, raise the challenge!”
After a moment, Su Qian had jumped onto the stage and loudly shouted toward Su Chen, “Su Chen! Do you dare to fight me!”
With a roar, he shook the main clan courtyard and left an echo in everyone’s ears, showing Su Qian’s formidable confidence.
Su Chen didn’t say anything and stepped onto the stage. He couldn’t see the way forward and had to walk slowly as a result. He fumbled with each step and took a long while before he eventually clambering on top of the stage.
Su Qian looked at him with loathing and said, “You are someone who doesn’t know right from wrong. Not only were you so willing to waste those resources, but you didn’t give them to anyone else. Previously, I sympathized with you, but now you’ve become an annoyance!”
Su Chen faintly smiled, “I apologize. I was born not to cause others to feel sympathy but rather… to feel admiration.”
Su Qian’s face darkened, “Then prove it!”
He had already charged forward to punch Su Chen’s face.
As the end of year evaluation didn’t allow the use of weapons, both sides would only be able to use their fists. However, this didn’t imply that the power of unarmed strikes were weak.
Su Qian was already at the seventh layer of Body Tempering, possessing the strength of seven horses. Also, he practiced the standard Su Clan’s Flaming Tiger Fist. Although it wasn’t a remarkably strong battle skill, the power of its strikes were bold and tyrannical. A common person would be blown away with a single punch; it it didn’t kill them, then it would at least knock them out. Even if Su Chen was at the eighth layer of Body Tempering, he was unwilling to be hit by Su Qian’s strike.
Thus at the same time Su Qian punched, Su Chen took a step back.
Although he couldn’t see Su Qian’s movement, he knew that Su Qian was in front of him. Falling back was his most reliable option.
Su Qian’s punch hit nothing but he had already followed up with a kick from his left leg. Although winning against a blind person felt somewhat unfair, that Verdant Wood Essence would be his!
His leg whipped out like a snake, without sound or breath, kicking toward Su Chen’s head. If it landed, it would definitely knock him out.
This was Su Qian’s true killing move.
After three years of waiting and bitter suffering, to be suppressed by a blind person, how could he not strike out to vent his hate!
He had to embarrass him. He had to make him suffer. He had to make him pay the price for his actions!
However, the moment Su Qian whipped out his leg, Su Chen suddenly took a step forward.
He didn’t retreat; he moved forward.
Backlash!
Bang!
Su Qian’s leg struck Su Chen’s body. However, the strongest portion of the strike, contained at the foot, hadn’t struck him. At the same time, Su Chen firmly received this strike, he took advantage of the close distance and punched his opponent’s face.
However, he clearly had some problem in grasping his opponent’s direction and his punch was off mark. Su Qian dodged the punch by tilting his head to the side. At the same time he withdrew the leg he kicked and struck Su Chen’s lower abdomen.
Su Chen let out a painful, muffled groan. His body was already bent.
Su Qian grinned fiendishly, “It had already been said. Blind people shouldn’t fight!”
He bent his right elbow and smashed it against Su Chen, who was bent over like a large prawn.
This elbow struck Su Chen’s back, producing a muffled thump. Su Chen was already groaning in pain and the force of this elbow strike was great. This strike caused Su Chen’s entire back to sink into pain.
Just as Su Qian was about happily smash down his elbow again, Su Chen ran his head into Su Qian’s chest. This fierce headbutt left Su Qian disoriented.
At this moment Su Chen’s left fist struck Su Qian’s lower back. Because the distance was far too close, its power wasn’t great. However, it still caused Su Qian to feel pain.
In the next moment, Su Chen had completely thrown himself at him.
Watching this from the side, Su Keji’s expression changed and he loudly yelled, “Qing’er, don’t tangle with him!”
Long before this battle, from the analysis of Martial Elder Tong and Su Keji, if Su Chen were to acquire victory from this stage battle, then his only opportunity would be a close body clinch style maneuver. But since a blind person couldn’t see, he would have to simply stand close to his opponent and randomly strike. Then by taking advantage of his greater strength, he would dominate his opponent and win.
Thus before this battle started, Su Keji had warned Su Qian that he mustn’t tangle with Su Chen and allow himself to be grabbed, fighting an advantageous battle with his superiority of continuous unfixed movements.
However, Su Qian obviously didn’t take his words to heart and started to fight closely with Su Chen.
Fortunately, Su Qian had realized this just in time.
Without regard of Su Chen’s attacks, Su Qian fell back with all the speed he could muster. Eventually, Su Chen locked down his path of escape. Despite this, he smashed leg against Su Chen and caused him to stagger for an instant.
Su Qian looked at Su Chen and viciously said, “Damn blind fool, come! I’m right here!”
Su Chen tilted his head and punched toward Su Qian.
However, Su Qian had already stepped back when Su Chen punched and kicked Su Chen from the side.
At this moment, Su Chen, who couldn’t see, had no way of avoiding this silent kick and retreated several steps from the strike.
Si Qian continued to change his position with an evil grin.
As he moved about, he made an unending clamor so as to distract Su Chen and bait him.
As a result, Su Chen appeared to be akin to a blinded tiger on the stage. Although every one of his punches and kicks were filled with power, they unfortunately never met their target. And as expected, Su Qian silently moved about and continued this sneak attacks.
“This is truly shameless!” Si Feihu said with a gloomy face.
With joyful satisfaction, Su Keji said, “This is called tactics but it is also called reality. In every future fight, you can’t expect every opponent to fight fairly with him, yes? If he is unsuitable, then he should be eliminated.”
It was as if he already saw the arrival of his son’s victory.
The battle continued on the stage.
As Su Qian earnestly wandered, Su Chen found it hard to approach and grab him.
“Come here, you blind fool!” Su Qian laughed.
His voice came from the left then the right. Attacks occurred at any time from any angle.
It was like a cat playing with a mouse. Before he finally defeated Su Chen, Su Qian wanted to thoroughly and properly enjoy himself.
Once more, Su Qian quietly wandered to Su Chen’s rear.
From here, he was able to see the side of Su Chen’s face. Despite having been attacked, beaten up, and taken advantage of, Su Chen’s calm expression had remained the same from the very beginning.
Did this damned wretch not understand what fear and panic?”
A trace of fury appeared in Su Qian’s heart.
He decided to give Su Chen a ruthless blow.
With his left hand forming a fist with a protruding middle finger in an almond shape, he had targeted Su Chen’s spine. If it cleanly hit, then there was a distinct chance Su Chen would never stand again.
Don’t blame me for being ruthless; you were the one who was truly loathsome .
Once that was thought, just as Su Qian was about to act, he saw the corner of Su Chen’s mouth abruptly twitch, forming a slight smile.
He smiled?
Su Qian was stunned and suddenly felt an ominous feeling appear deep within his heart.
In the next moment, Su Chen had already turned around and was suddenly charging toward him.
Not good!
Su Qian loudly shouted in his heart but it was too late to act and he quickly attempted to extricate himself. But even as he quickly moved back, he also changed direction, causing his body to sway in a different direction. Although his body was somewhat unbalanced, he had managed to at least wander off the path of Su Chen’s charge.
An astonishing scene occurred. As if he could see, Su Chen strangely twisted his body for a moment before he charged toward Su Qian with the cleverness of a snake and the speed of lightning, he charged toward Su Qian’s body. Despite acting second, he overtook Su Qian in the blink of an eye.
At this moment, Su Qian was forcefully changing his direction. During the moment he lost his balance, Su Chen grabbed Su Qian by the throat and fiercely threw him to the floor.
Bang!
The sound of a huge strike came from the stage.
Su Qian was thrown to the ground by Su Chen like a bag of sand.
The force of this throw consisted of Su Qian’s body weight with the addition of an abrupt explosion of the entirety of Su Chen’s strength as an Eighth Layer Body Tempering cultivator!
This heavy blow caused Su Qian’s entire mind to grow dizzy. His Seventh Layer Body Tempering physique was unable to endure such a fierce smash. At that same moment, he spit out a large mouthful of blood.
“Qian’er!” Su Keji loudly shouted.
What replied was Su Chen’s vengeful iron fist ruthlessly pounding Su Qian’s face.
Su Qian, whose mind had become muddled from the fall, completely lacked the power to resist, allow Su Chen to rain a mad torrent of punches all over his body and face.
Everyone was shocked from this abrupt change.
The circumstances had suddenly reversed; Su Chen, who had been cruelly bullied a moment ago, had actually turned the tide and struck down Su Qian.
But most of all, the scene of his pursuit of Su Qian, with his strange speed and accurate change of direction, had completely exceeded their expectations of him.
How was he able to do this?
“NO!!!” Su Keji loudly shouted out as his heart ached.
This heartache was for both the mad beating his son received and the failure of his plans. He had paid far too great a cost to change the rules, and yet his son had unexpectedly not been able to seize victory. He felt so much heartache that he didn’t know whether or not he should concede. Perhaps after a moment, Su Qian would be able to stand, and defeat Su Chen with a display of godly strength.
But the bitter fact was from just this one defeat, Su Qian had completely lost his opportunity to rise to prominence.
Seeing Su Qian’s face beaten to a bloody mess as if he were trampled by a mob, Su Keji finally realized that all hope was lost.
He loudly shouted, “We concede! Stop! We concede!”
Su Chen’s iron first stopped in midair and didn’t fall again. However, his grip on Su Qian had yet to relax.
He faintly turned his head to the side and looked down, “Fourth Elder?”
The Fourth Elder was the referee of this fight. When he heard those words, it was as if he’d awoken from a dream. “I declare Su Chen victorious!”
Su Chen then released his grasp on Su Qian and slowly stood up. He looked at everyone with spiritless eyes and silent, deep gloom.
Everyone who saw it was stunned.
Su Chen… had won.
How was this possible?
After a long while, Su Cheng’an suddenly said, “Chen’er, have your eyes somewhat improved?”
Su Cheng’an asked the question everyone was thinking. After all, the scene of Su Chen capturing Su Qian was far too unfathomable.
After a moment of thought, Su Chen answered, “I was able to discover him because he was far too stupid. In that previous fight, he allowed me to grasp his dodging habits. As for my eyes… I am quite sorry. They haven’t improved in the slightest.”