Xue Bai's Butterfly Effect
While all of the heads were confused about who the figure in the cloak was, how could Xue Bai not know who it was?
But From what Xue Bai knew, Huo Long had never participated in this competition. This was Zhu Que's first stepping stone to fame, not Huo Long's. His first stepping stone to fame came the next week when he finally revealed his Qi Sea realm cultivation base at home and saved Huo Siyan from a kidnapping.
'This should be my butterfly effect, I guess.' Xue Bai could only assume.
Maybe there was a larger hand at play, manipulating things from behind the scene, but since this didn't change any of his future plans, he didn't care. It was only a surprise to him, nothing more.
"Second Senior Sister, do you want to make a bet?" Xue Bai suddenly asked as he turned to Ye Rou.
"Junior Brother, there are too many people still here." Ye Rou wasn't dumb and knew where Xue Bai was going, "Wait until the Battle Royale phase is over, then we can add some stakes."
"No need. I already know who's going to win." Xue Bai spoke confidently, "You don't even have to guess someone. If the person I chose losses, I'll give you my resources for half a year."
Stunned, Ye Rou surprisingly spoke, "You... What are you getting at? Why are you so confident?"
"Doesn't matter. Do you dare to take the bet or not?" Xue Bai didn't bother explaining.
This was a chance to knock Ye Rou down a peg. Why shouldn't he take it?
"I'm no coward! Yes, I dare take it," Ye Rou was very easily manipulated, "Which grand fighter does my Junior Brother choose?"
"The cloaked figure in the 10th arena. He'll win everything." Xue Bai pointed at the cloaked Huo Long.
"Hmm." Ye Rou started looking at the protagonist.
Huo Long wasn't using any of his signature moves, like the Nirvanic Flames, the Huo Clan Martial Techniques, or even a spear, but instead only relying on his strong physical body that he gained from the Phoenix Race's cultivation technique.
And it was working very well. No youth could take more than three blows from him before being launched back, coughing up blood.
He could've, of course, done more damage to them and possibly even crippled them, but Huo Long was good-hearted in the sense that he wouldn't hurt innocents more than necessary.
So after blasting them off stage, Huo Long would stop attacking them.
This method, while nice and brought some thanks to him from his fellow kind-hearted people, some sinister people who didn't know how to be grateful started to plot against him.
"Junior Brother, the grand fighter you choose seems to be a very strong man, but doesn't he know that some people don't deserve kindness?" Ye Rou spoke as she continued looking at Huo Long, who was now fighting over a dozen people.
He had knocked out the Young Master of an influential clan and was fighting the lackeys of the man who were still in play.
"Second Senior Sister, how many ants does it take to stop an elephant?" Xue Bai asked, not even bothering to look at Huo Long. Currently, he was lying in the lap of Xiao'er, being fed grapes. He had no care for anything other than the nice sensation of his maid's thighs.
"How the hell should I know?" Ye Rou grunted, "I don't know, maybe a few billion?"
"Then how can only the few 'ants' in front of the 'elephant' I chose, threaten him?" Xue Bai didn't need to look up to know what Ye Rou meant.
Most likely, he was being ganged up on by a rich second-generation youth who was buying cannon fodder to fight against Huo Long. Which, while not correct, wasn't very off from the truth.
Ye Rou, hearing how confident Xue Bai was, stayed silent but instead waited for Xue Bai to slap himself in the face with his bold claim. Huo Long was fighting five people with similar half-step Qi Sea realm cultivation bases and another ten youths with various Organ Tempering realm cultivation bases.
Even she would struggle in such a situation, let alone this random rogue cultivator.
A few meters away, Duan Zhen soon noticed Xue Bai's odd posture and grew an odd expression.
"Sect Leader Yue, this disciple of yours? Isn't he too idle? This is a tournament, not the red light district." Duan Zhen asked.
He was slightly discontent with Xue Bai's choice to join the Soaring Sword Sect. After all, his parents were the Grand Duke and Duchess of his empire, yet he had changed furs joining the Soaring Sword Sect.
And while he respected Xue Bai's choice of wanting to move to the Central Continent, having such an overwhelming prodigy leave his faction for a rival's never felt good for any leader, especially an emperor like him who was used to complete control.
"Bai'er has always been a diligent child. So I told him to take this chance to get some well-needed rest. One couldn't just cultivate. They need to rest as well." Yue Zifeng indirectly bragged.
Duan Zhen lost the will to continue the conversation. This shameless fellow, instead of telling his disciple to stop, took the chance to brag about his talent instead.
After the small conversation, no one on the stage spoke anymore, and they watched the battle royale in silence.
Huo Long continued his uphill battle, not showing anything that could link his current appearance to himself. However, while it was hard, he eventually managed to last long enough to be declared a winner in his arena.
"Junior Brother, I have to admit, you have some good discerning eyes. This grand fighter of yours is a good seed." Ye Rou spoke with a wide open mouth.
Though Huo Long hadn't beaten his opponents, he had managed to knock off almost half of them and last long enough to advance to the next stage.
Xue Bai nodded in response.
Seeing that the first phase had ended, Dean Guo once again stood up.
"Youngsters who have served the first phase, this Seat will explain the second phase. For the 1 thousand remaining participants, the next stage is going to be," Pausing for dramatic effect, Dean Guo put on a wide sinister grin, "Another battle royale!"
"Elder Zhuo will make the groups once again, so once your number is called, go to the respective arena. And this time as well, the participants in each arena will be cut down by 90%, so that means that there will only be ten winners per arena!" Dean Guo sat down after finishing his words.
However, as he did, the group rightfully erupted into protest. They had just fought on an extremely exhausting battle royale, and now without rest, they had to fight another one?
Anyone would be bad, and very quickly, everyone who was still tired started yelling for a change of rules.
"My rules will not change. However, now there is a time limit. Anyone who doesn't go to their arena within 2 minutes will be disqualified." Dean Guo didn't care.
If they felt bad and aggrieved, so what? He made his rules, and since they were weaker, they could only obediently follow them.
Dean Guo's threat worked, and almost instantly, except for a few extremely tired people, everyone ran to the respective arenas, prepared for the next phase.
"Oh?" Ye Rou's eyebrows kicked up, "Junior Brother, it seems that your grand fighter is out of luck. All of the people who ganged up on him last time are in his arena!"
Content that she would win the bet, Ye Rou turned her head to see if she could spot a face of regret on Xue Bai, but as she turned around, her face turned dark.
Xue Bai had fallen asleep!
In the lap of Xiao'er, he had closed his eyes contentedly while she brushed her fingers through his hair, lulling him to sleep.
"Sister Xiao'er! You're being too nice to him. This is his first public appearance, not a nap time." Ye Rou angrily spoke.
"Young Master is tired." Xiao'er shook her head, "And since he likes my lap, he can rest on it."
In her mind, since Xue Bai was tired, he should sleep. As for the opinions of others? Why should she care? Only Xue Bai and a few select people were in her mind, and even then, he was number 1.
"You!" Ye Rou turned red, but since Xiao'er looked so genuine, she gave up.
In reality, she was just jealous of how kind Xiao'er was and how uncaring Xue Bai was. He did look so peaceful right now.
So before she jumped onto the lap of Xiao'er as well, she turned her head, seemingly planning to ignore the two.
'Let's see how strong this cloaked figure is!' Ye Rou placed all of her discontents onto Huo Long.
If he lost, she would wake up Xue Bai rudely without care for her image.
–
"Long'er, someone is looking at you with malicious intent up there." Feng Huang weakly said.
Ever since she had initially fallen into a deep coma, Huo Long had not let her down. After completely refining the Fire Origin Fruit, he had successfully completed all nine nirvana, fully transforming his physical body into that of a phoenix.
And while he still was human, it didn't make him any worse than of the top geniuses of the Phoenix race in the Immortal World. If anything, it made him better because, as a human, Huo Long had a closer affinity with the Laws of the heaven and earth, which was the biggest obstacle of the demonic beasts.
Though they were innately strong and had much longer lifespans than humans, they also cultivated slower and had a much harder time understanding the Laws of the heaven and earth, which evened out the playing field.
But now Huo Long had both the advantages of the Human Race and the demonic beasts, making him a top genius anywhere!
And now such a prodigy was her disciple!
Following his metamorphosis, Huo Long scoured the Southern Continent for natural treasures and managed to awaken Feng Huang a month and a half later.
However, because of this, his cultivation stalled, and he stayed at the half-step Qi Sea realm.
Thankfully this was a blessing in disguise since if he had rashly advanced, he would've missed this perfect opportunity to rejoin Wushen Academy!
Now in round two, Huo Long was feeling very lax. No one here could contest him. He had barely even shown 30 percent of his full strength so far.
But now, waiting for the second phase to start, Feng Huang spoke up, warning him.
'Can you tell which one, Master?' Huo Long responded somewhat angrily.
He knew that everyone on the stage was a pride of the Southern Continent, so if one wanted him dead, that meant that Feng Huang would have to lose at least a layer of skin to protect him once more.
But Huo Long had just, through great effort, brought her back. How could he lose her again?
"Don't be so quick to anger. The malicious intent isn't one of killing, but instead, schadenfreude?" Feng Huang spoke oddly.
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