https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-496-Weakling-Fan-Jianqiang-Damn-He-s-Playing-the-Fool-Part-1-/12968953/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-497-Black-Hole-Domain-Wang-Teng-Initiates-Absolute-Defense-Part-1-/12968955/
Chapter 496: Weakling Fan Jianqiang? Damn, He's Playing the Fool! (Part 2)
Chapter 496: Weakling Fan Jianqiang? Damn, He's Playing the Fool! (Part 2)
At this moment, he believes that the old folks are just messing around, talking nonsense, but as the draw approaches, he still feels... something is amiss.
Coincidence?
Good luck?
Luck as a Rainbow?
At first glance, it seemed that way, but could anyone's luck be this good?
It shouldn't be!
What if...
I slightly rig it?
"Hmm..."
"Anyway, no one will find out."
"And doing so is indeed more foolproof."
"Most importantly, at the end of the day, it's just a simple favor, or else..."
His thoughts continued, but his hands moved faster.
Under his manipulation, Fan Jian Gang's name was directly paired with one of the three Thirteen-Stage Talented Youths - the Fourteenth Prince.
This was undoubtedly the safest move.
Whoosh!
The list flew out.
Old Deng smiled as he watched the already-paired names.
But when his peripheral vision glanced at the sixteen pairs...
Suddenly, his expression changed as he saw one of the "Huh?!"
"What the fck??"
His heart skipped a beat.
This doesn't feel right! What's going on?!
Fan Jian Gang was supposed to be paired with the Fourteenth Prince, right? How... how did he end up with an Eleven-Stage weakling?
Wait! Where's my Fourteenth Prince?
Fck!
How did he get paired with another Thirteen-Stage opponent? Great Li Immortal Kingdom's talented youth, Shen Junyue?!
"No!"
"This..."
"What the hell is going on?!"
He was stunned.
It shouldn't be like this!
For such a small matter, a minor rigging, how could I possibly make a mistake?!
No...
Am I going crazy? Under my own rigging, Fan Jian Gang is paired with a weak opponent, while my Fourteenth Prince is matched with the strongest one?
What's wrong with me?
Is it...
A slip of the finger?
As he was stunned, his face was filled with confusion, and his eyes scanned the thirty-two people on the arena, leaving him completely dazed.
This...
What's going on here? What's wrong?
I...
Am I having a problem?
He looked at the Fourteenth Prince, who was slightly frowning, at Shen Junyue's sinister smile, and at Fan Jian Gang's unchanged expression, looking honest and simple...
Could it be that I really slipped up?
He doubted his own mistake, never suspecting foul play! After all...
I know my own strength, and for someone to manipulate things under my nose without me noticing, what kind of strength would that be? An Immortal King? I don't believe that!
Would an Immortal King come to mess with such a trivial matter?
Moreover, even if there was an Immortal King, the Immortal King ancestors of the Great Qin Immortal Dynasty would have noticed.
Damn it!
So, is the only explanation that I slipped up?
But...
Sigh, this is a bit troublesome now.
This opponent for the Fourteenth Prince... I... sigh!
He sighed and grumbled in his heart, and finally, he smiled bitterly and said, "The third round of battles officially begins!"
On the arena.
Fan Jian Gang's heart raced.
"Something's wrong."
"This referee suddenly paused, and his expression is so strange, filled with disbelief, astonishment, and even a hint of confusion."
"This..."
"It's obvious that something's wrong."
"What could go wrong during the draw?"
"... It didn't match his expected result?"
"So, fck, this old guy is rigging it??"
"But due to some reasons, his rigging failed, so he's in disbelief, not knowing why it turned out this way..."
"In other words, fck, my 'Lucky Charm' took effect and conflicted with his rigging, leading to this result?"
"Damn it..."
"Did I get exposed?"
"But why would a powerful Great Qin Immortal Dynasty like yours need to rig things for just the top 32? And it just so happens to involve me?"
"Are you crazy?!"
"Could it be that he wanted to arrange an easier opponent for the Fourteenth Prince, this Eleven-Stage guy, but my Lucky Charm took effect, giving this Eleven-Stage opponent to me, while the Fourteenth Prince got another Thirteen-Stage opponent?"
"..."
"Damn!"
"In other words, my original opponent was actually a Thirteen-Stage opponent?"
"!!!"
Gou Sheng's expression remained unchanged.
But his thoughts raced, and although it was just a guess, he was certain that his guess was at least seventy to eighty percent correct.
So...
"Just don't get exposed."
"Otherwise, there will be endless troubles afterward."
"This is such a headache."
"Oh no."
He kept grumbling.
At this moment, the top 32 battled to decide the top 16.
No matter how unhappy, shocked, or suspicious Old Deng was, he couldn't cause trouble at this time.
However, looking at the sixteen simultaneous battles, he still doubted life.
"How... how did I slip up?"
"For such a small matter, could I have slipped up?"
"Am I really getting old??"
"Eleven-Stage."
"Um..."
Fan Jian Gang stepped onto the stage, looking honest and simple: "Big brother, can we talk?"
The opponent was about to quickly finish off the weak opponent in front of him, but the word "big brother" made him feel incredibly good, from head to toe. He raised his eyebrows and said, "Oh?"
"What do you want to say?"
"What do you want to discuss?"
"It's like this."
Fan Jian Gang smiled and said, "You see, big brother, you're a Talented Youth, and I'm just a mediocre guy, so I'm no threat to you at all."
"So, could you please go easy on me when you attack later?"
"I don't ask for victory, I just ask that... the defeat doesn't look too bad."
"I wonder if you can give me this face?"
Calling him "big brother" every time.
Addressing him as "you" every sentence...
Damn...
This flattery, how many hot-blooded Talented Youths could withstand such a test?
Anyway, Fan Jian Gang's current opponent was not up to the task.
He laughed heartily, "You're quite a perceptive one. It seems like you're not as incompetent as you appear on the surface."
"Forget it. Since you're sincerely pleading with me, I won't be so heartless."
He pondered for a moment and said, "How about this?"
"Later, I'll just be myself."
"You, on the other hand, should give it your all."
"Endure as long as you can. When you're unable to hold on, I'll defeat you, allowing you to showcase yourself and saving face."
"Huh?"
Fan Jian Gang was overjoyed, "That's great!"
"Thank you, big brother. You're such a good person!"
The opponent laughed heartily, "It's no big deal. Helping others is helping oneself. This principle... I understand it."
"That's reasonable and negotiable."
In the adjacent arena, He Anxia turned his head towards Fan Jian Gang's opponent with a sympathetic gaze after witnessing his opponent's foul language and immediate surrender, and hearing the conversation between Fan Jian Gang and his opponent.
This...
How to put it?
Someone's about to be unlucky~~~
"If you have nowhere to go after this Talented Youth Gathering, come find me. I'll be your big brother!" Fan Jian Gang's opponent was practically pouring out his heart, pounding his chest until it echoed, "I don't have much, but if I have food, I won't let you go hungry!"
"If you follow me, as long as I have food, you won't starve!"
Fan Jian Gang exclaimed, "Wow, big brother, you're so kind!"
"Of course."
"Here we go. Since we're on the same side, I'll give you face. Later, I'll pretend to be injured."
The 'big brother' took a step back.
"How can I do that?" Fan Jian Gang asked.
The big brother laughed heartily, "What's the problem? We're all brothers!"
"Come on, give it your best shot. Don't let people laugh at us. Even though it's a friendly spar, we should still show our own style, right?"
Fan Jian Gang nodded repeatedly, "Big brother, you're right."
"Then..."
"I'm going all out. Be careful, big brother."
Fan Jian Gang immediately attacked.
With all his might!
At least, that's how it appeared to the onlookers.
But at first glance, hey, it was just average.
The typical strength of the Tenth Stage, nothing extraordinary.
Consequently, the vast majority of the audience merely glanced and then turned their attention elsewhere.
What's so interesting about these two? The match between the Great Qin's Fourteenth Prince and Shen Junyue is much more captivating. Two Thirteenth Stage experts are clashing; logically, this should be a semifinal-level spectacle...
Boom!!!
The deafening sound drew everyone's attention back to Fan Jian Gang's arena.
"Pfft!!!"
The Eleventh Stage big brother spat out fresh blood, his body flying off the massive arena in an instant, leaving him with a sunken chest and fractured arms, staring at Fan Jian Gang on the arena with a bewildered expression.
Everyone was stunned!
The 'big brother' looked at himself on the arena, then at his own injuries, and finally at Fan Jian Gang with a perplexed expression.
"You..."
"What are you doing?"
He struggled to speak, and when he did, he coughed up more blood.
"Huh?"
Fan Jian Gang was also stunned, "Big brother, are you okay?"
"Why didn't you block it?!"
vehemently.
Big brother: "???!"
What the hell?
His scalp tingled, "I blocked it!"
Fan Jian Gang was even more confused, or at least he appeared so, "You blocked it?"
"Then why did you fly off the arena and get injured?"
Big brother: "I should be asking you that!!!"
"What are you up to?!"
He was about to lose his mind.
Damn!
What a nutcase!
I'm acting, and you're taking it seriously? Fan Jian Gang sighed, "I don't know, big brother. Weren't you the one who told me to go all out, spar with you for a few rounds, and then you'd pretend to get injured and defeat me?"
"So I went all out and even used a few one-time artifacts."
"This..."
"I was just following your instructions."
"Why did you only take one hit from me and... could it be that those one-time artifacts were too powerful?"
"This, this, this isn't my fault! I didn't know you couldn't even handle a full-power strike from the Tenth Stage. No, wait! You're an Eleventh Stage expert; how could you not withstand a single strike from the Tenth Stage?"
Suddenly, he was deeply moved, almost unable to hold back from bowing to his opponent right then and there, "I understand, big brother!!!"
"You..."
"Sigh!!!"
"You're sacrificing yourself for my sake, deliberately losing to fulfill my potential! But we're just acquaintances, and we've only exchanged a few words. Why would you do such a thing?!"
Slap! Fan Jian Gang smacked his thigh, "You're so righteous!"
"You're too righteous!!!"
"Big brother, from now on, you're my big brother!"
"I've never met someone so righteous!"
"..."
Big brother: "..."
"???"
Damn!
Is this...
Is this how it is?
Am I this righteous?
Nonsense! I'm not that righteous, and I'm certainly not sacrificing myself. I was just following the script, but that last strike...
Damn!
It seemed ordinary, but it nearly shattered my liver. You're saying I sacrificed myself?
This bastard...
He suddenly realized.
Pretending to be weak to overpower his opponent!
This son of a bitch is definitely pretending to be weak!
Otherwise, how could I, an Eleventh Stage expert, not withstand his attack?
And those one-time artifacts...
While he did use a few one-time artifacts, was it really that simple? Perhaps everything was a setup.
This bastard is playing me!
His true strength is not as simple as it appears, and he's definitely not a weakling. This guy is a hidden expert.
A true act of deception!
Damn!
He had no evidence, but his conviction was unwavering.
Otherwise, could there be any other possibility?
It must be so!
However, even though he was extremely certain that Fan Jian Gang was pretending to be weak to defeat a stronger opponent, at this moment, he had no intention of publicly revealing this.
Okay, okay...
Pretending to be weak to defeat a stronger opponent, huh?
Bullying me, huh?
Fine!
I admit defeat!
After all, I'm just an Eleventh Stage cultivator, and I was meant to be eliminated. Currently, it seems almost impossible for me to advance to the top sixteen, so losing now isn't a problem.
Instead, I might as well go with the flow and say that I'm sacrificing myself for the sake of righteousness, fulfilling the role of a 'righteous big brother' for this bastard.
This way, not only can I save some face, but I can also create a 'righteous big brother' persona for myself.
Most importantly...
This bastard deceived me, but surely I can't be the only one he's tricked? If I speak up, won't everyone know?
That won't do!
It's better to share the joy than to enjoy it alone!
I admit I've been tricked, but I'll still help him keep it hidden.
Hmm!
The more people he tricks, the better.
A single thought crossed his mind, and the anger on his face instantly turned into a bright smile. "Hahaha, Little Brother, you're truly perceptive... You saw right through me."
"But why did you reveal it?"
"Wouldn't that hurt my reputation?"
"But..."
"Never mind, never mind."
"Who asked you, Little Brother, to have such good eyes? Later, remember to treat me to a drink."
His smile was radiant, and his laughter was clear.
But...
His heart was bleeding.
His liver ached intensely.
Damn it!
You bastard!
He didn't want to be treated like a monkey anymore, so he took a deep breath and said, "Old Deng, can you announce the result now?"
Old Deng, looking confused: "..."
"No, this kid..."
His eyebrows furrowed.
This fcking...
Was it so unexpected?
Before, I was secretly mocking this kid, thinking that no matter who he faced, he would lose and had no chance of making it to the top sixteen. There was no need for any rigging.
But...
I tried to rig it, and it failed!
I thought it wouldn't matter, and even if I failed, he would surely lose. But now...
He not only agreed, but also...?
Rigging?
Bullshit.
This could deceive ordinary people, but me?
Who am I?
I saw right through this bastard, who genuinely relied on his strength to injure and knock out that Eleventh Stage cultivator, sending him flying off the arena!
Was the opponent not defending?
Nonsense!
He simply couldn't defend against it.
So...
Fan Jian Gang, this son of a bitch, was actually pretending to be weak to deceive stronger opponents?
Damn!
Old Deng was shocked, "To hide it so deeply, and not a single person noticed until now?"
"This kid!"
"But why can't I still see through his cultivation level?"
He was secretly startled.
He was, after all, a Great Golden Immortal, a Fifteenth Stage cultivator, yet he couldn't see through the boy's true cultivation?
Wait!
"Could it be..."
He suddenly recalled that when he tried to rig the draw earlier, he slipped, causing the operation to fail, and instead, it gave his own Fourteenth Prince a challenging opponent.
At the time, he thought it was just a slip of the finger.
He even suspected that he was truly getting old.
But now it seems...
Was it really just a slip of the finger?
Why does it feel like there's more to it?
"..."
Old Deng was deep in thought.
The 'Big Brother' couldn't hold it in anymore.
Damn!
I finally found a way to save face, and you're not announcing my concession? I don't want to admit defeat!
"Referee!"
"Referee?!"
Old Deng: "..., Er..."
"The winner is Fan Jian Gang!"
"..."
Fan Jian Gang smiled broadly, "Thank you, Big Brother. You're awesome, you can have ten thousand beauties."
'Big Brother': "..."
"Okay, okay."
His face was beaming, but his heart was cursing.
Okay, your grandpa agrees, you bastard!
But I must endure it!
I'll endure it even if I can't!
I can't be the only one eaten by the 'pig', right?
The top sixteen arenas continuously decided the winners.
Fan Jian Gang, Wang Teng, and He Anxia all advanced to the top sixteen.
Soon, only one arena remained undecided.
It was the arena of the Fourteenth Prince of Great Qin Immortal Dynasty and Shen Junyue.
Both were Thirteenth Stage Talented Youths with formidable backgrounds and powerful cultivation levels. They excelled in various skills and equipment, making them top-notch choices.
At this moment, they fought fiercely for the sixteenth-round spot, their heads bleeding and faces bruised.
They exchanged blows, neither willing to concede.
After all, this wasn't just a simple win or loss; it also affected the reputation of both sides and their respective factions.
Especially for the Fourteenth Prince, who represented not only the Talented Youth of Great Qin Immortal Dynasty but also the host nation, fighting on his home turf.
If he couldn't even make it to the top sixteen...
It would be a significant loss of face.
But...
He couldn't understand it.
Damn it, he had the home advantage!
The referee was on his side!
Even if they didn't arrange a weak opponent for him, they should have at least given him a fair one. Why did they pit him against one of the two strongest opponents in the top sixteen qualifiers?
What's going on?
"Could it be to showcase fairness and justice, to uphold the reputation of Great Qin Immortal Dynasty?"
Amidst the intense battle, the Fourteenth Prince secretly wondered.
After all, he couldn't think of any other reason.
(End of Chapter)
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