Chapter 1 Won? Is That It?

"Won? Just like that?"

"How can there be two Yuanshi Tianzun? What kind of operation is that? I don't understand at all. Someone explain it."

"You didn't see that? Yuanshi Tianzun used a doppelganger from the beginning. His real body has been lurking around, waiting for an opportunity to attack. This trick is really vicious. I was wondering how he would deal with the River Crossing Pawn's ability to see through everything. Creating a doppelganger directly was something I didn't expect."

"It's a bit of a trick, but the River Crossing Pawn also borrowed props to counter Yuanshi Tianzun. Everyone competed according to the rules, so there's nothing to say in defeat."

"Although less than a minute was short, it was too exciting. Yuanshi Tianzun still likes to set up the situation and calculate like in the previous match. He's not the type who likes hearty battles."

"The River Crossing Pawn is also good. His strategy was fine, seizing the opportunity to get close and quickly resolve the battle. He couldn't drag it out; dragging out time meant losing. But it seems Yuanshi Tianzun had already anticipated this. Alas, a short minute contained many invisible contests."

Compared to the thunderous applause at the end of the battle between Jiang Jingwei and Zhao Chenghuang, the audience at the volcano crater was much calmer at this time, without cheers like a tsunami.

But the level of discussion was very high, like fans who had watched a game, afterwards spitting and flying as they discussed both sides' tactics, criticizing so-and-so's shortcomings, where the response went wrong, and which wave of team battles shouldn't have been impulsive.

That kind of relish was vivid on paper.

As for the battle between Zhao Chenghuang and Jiang Jingwei, they could only say one sentence: "Holy shit!"

At most, add a "Awesome," but there wasn't this kind of discussion and participation that involved pointing out the country. They could understand the match between Yuanshi Tianzun and the River Crossing Pawn, and they could also express their opinions. The paramedics outside the arena hurriedly jumped into the magma and carried away the bleeding River Crossing Pawn.

Although this knife didn't hit a vital point, if the bleeding wasn't stopped as soon as possible, the contestant's life might be in danger.

Zhang Yuanqing enjoyed the cheers from the audience outside the arena, listening to their noisy discussions, and was about to leave the magma pool.

Ai Yue Shu Xiang

But as soon as he stepped out with his left foot, his right leg acted ahead of him uncontrollably. The instructions of the brain and the execution of the body produced a contradiction, and his body staggered, almost falling.

"Damn it, the price of Mirror Flower, Water Moon is here." Zhang Yuanqing froze in place, afraid to move again.

The red-haired elder stood at the crater, looking at Yuanshi Tianzun, who stood proudly in the arena, enjoying the praise of the crowd, and said impatiently, "Aren't you coming up yet? Do you want to continue fighting?"

Zhang Yuanqing turned to look and said sincerely, "Elder, there's something wrong with my body. I can't move. Can you give me a ride?" The red-haired young elder's face was gloomy, and he said:

"There's no problem giving you a ride, but can you not talk to me with your back to me? That's basic respect."

"Oh, oh, sorry!" Zhang Yuanqing quickly turned around.

The red-haired young elder's forehead bulged with veins: "Facing me with your side is respect?"

The red-haired youth snorted coldly, shook his hand and threw out a whip made of condensed flames, hooked Yuanshi Tianzun's waist, and threw him ashore like a dead fish.

Sun Miaomiao squatted beside Zhao Chenghuang and smiled:

"How is it? Do you still think Yuanshi Tianzun is just so-so?"

As a seed contestant of the Taiyi Sect, the elders of the sect summoned the seed contestants to a meeting before the top sixteen to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the top ten contestants and formulate targeted tactics.

Zhao Chenghuang's evaluation of Yuanshi Tianzun at that time was that he would most likely stop at the top sixteen, and the limit was the top eight, with no hope for the top four. Zhao Chenghuang looked at the other party's big, black eyes, pondered for a moment, and said:

"He is a person who is very good at using props and the environment. The more chaotic and complex the scene, the stronger this kind of person can exert their strength. If the arena for the top eight is a high-difficulty dungeon type, he is likely to become our formidable opponent."

Sun Miaomiao nodded slightly.

On the other side, in an inconspicuous location, Annie chuckled: "Interesting, Yuanshi Tianzun's fighting style is somewhat similar to the Demon Lord, but it's too subtle. Of course, the other contestants are very subtle."

She was very satisfied with Yuanshi Tianzun's performance. Every time Yuanshi Tianzun won a match, her evaluation increased by one point. Mr. Beale asked, "Subtle?"

Annie nodded: "The Demon Lord's fighting style is meticulous and wild. He likes to insult the women in the enemy's family before the battle to anger the enemy. For this reason, he also developed a set of catchphrases. These little guys from the Five Elements Alliance are all well-behaved before the battle, which is very bad."

Mr. Beale was just asking casually, but he became interested: "Catchphrases developed by the Demon Lord? If it's not confidential, I'd like to hear them."

Annie shrugged: "Some vulgar words, what's there to say? Well, there are also non-vulgar ones, but we don't understand them." She recalled for a moment and said: "I and your father are kindred spirits, I and your mother are friends in need."

Mr. Beale repeated this sentence in a low voice and shook his head helplessly: "I don't understand what it means. Can this anger people?" Annie smiled and said, "You can try shouting it out."

Mr. Beale was silent for a few seconds and slowly shook his head: "Never mind, I don't want to return to the Lingjing Xingzhe so early." On the other side, like the beauty Annie, there was also a beautiful young woman who was extremely satisfied with Yuanshi Tianzun.

Zhu Rong narrowed her beautiful eyes, staring at the distant, blurred outline of Yuanshi Tianzun, her smile beautiful and dangerous:

"What an exciting toy."

The next few battles proceeded in an orderly manner. By dusk, the list of the top eight was released.

Zhao Chenghuang, Land Lord, Sun Miaomiao, Tone Deaf, Yuanshi Tianzun, Qing Songzi, Yuan Ting, White Tiger Wansui. The red-haired young elder in charge of hosting the competition said loudly:

"The competition is over!"

Zhang Yuanqing returned to his small nest. The window was open, and the evening wind blew in, lifting a corner of the curtain.

Outside the room was the sound of grandma frying dishes, and people coming home from work were carrying their schoolbags, entering and leaving the residential area, and going back and forth on the street.

Everyone was in a hurry, dragging their tired bodies home, just in time for dinner. After dinner, they had to rest in order to prepare for tomorrow's commute.

The evening in Songhai was lively and noisy, and although it was densely populated, it lacked a bit of the atmosphere of life. Unless it was in an old residential area where the natives were gathered, it was difficult to see grandmas cooling off under the trees, or old men gathering to play chess.

"Grandma, is dinner ready? I'm hungry." Zhang Yuanqing opened the door, stuck his head out, and shouted. "When did you come back?" Grandma's voice came from the kitchen: "Wait another half an hour."

"Okay!"

Zhang Yuanqing retracted his head, picked up his phone, and as usual, sent a message to Xiaoyuan to show off his victory. "Not bad!" Xiaoyuan replied with a message.

A few seconds later, another message came: "Don't come looking for me these few days. I might be being followed." Being followed? Zhang Yuanqing's heart skipped a beat and sent a message:

"Is it someone from an official organization?"

Xiaoyuan: "I don't know. The other party is very cautious. Their level shouldn't be low. They haven't taken any extreme actions yet. I plan to bait them a bit more."

If he remembered correctly, Xiaoyuan was a Witch Gu Master in the Saint stage. Even if she faced the authorities, this level of character still had the ability to protect herself. Zhang Yuanqing sent a message:

"Feel free to ask if you need anything."

Although Yuanshi Tianzun, who was in the Extraordinary stage, was a bit lacking at that time, if the other party was an official organization, then Yuanshi Tianzun's identity would be useful. Besides, with Master Wuhen protecting Xiaoyuan, it was difficult for ordinary forces to threaten her.

Therefore, Zhang Yuanqing wasn't too worried. Xiaoyuan: "Okay."

Zhang Yuanqing didn't say anything else. Who knew that a few minutes later, Aunt Xiaoyuan sent a [smile] emoji. Zhang Yuanqing replied with a question mark, but the other party didn't respond.

What does it mean? He was a little puzzled.

At this time, Zhang Yuanqing saw someone @ him in the White Tiger Guard group. He opened it and saw:

[You Fenglaiyi: @Yuanshi Tianzun, the doppelganger you used today is the "Mirror Flower, Water Moon" from our gang's warehouse, right? It's difficult to affect scouts who specialize in insight with interference methods. Your choice to use a doppelganger was very smart. You're a contestant who is good at using props.]

[You Fenglaiyi: I've listed the advantages and disadvantages of the top eight contestants for you, as well as what props to use to counter them. Apart from the top three, you can find suitable props in the White Tiger Guard's gang warehouse. But there are no corresponding props in the gang warehouse for Zhao Chenghuang, Sun Miaomiao, and Land Lord, unless they are Saint-level, but I don't recommend you use them.]

The line between using Saint-level props legally and illegally is a bit blurred.

So far, no one has used Saint-level props. Zhang Yuanqing's Straw Man has reached this level, but it belongs to the auxiliary type.

[Little Brainy: It's easy to be judged as a violation of the rules and be criticized for winning unfairly. At your level of fame, you should pay attention to your reputation.]

[Lingjun: Judging from the current situation, it seems that it's still a bit difficult for Yuanshi to enter the top three. I thought you could enter the top three, but after watching so many days of the competition, the strength of the top three contestants is beyond my imagination. I feel that even if you use that prop, it will be difficult to win.] He was referring to the Red Dancing Shoes.

[Qicilang: If Yuanshi Tianzun is unlucky and matches up with the top three tomorrow, then he will stop at the top eight. What do you think, boss? @Fu Qingyang]

[Fu Qingyang: The competition rules for tomorrow may change. I just got news from the elders that the headquarters seems to want to throw the top eight contestants into a high-difficulty dungeon to determine the top three in a gu-raising mode. It's currently being discussed in a meeting.]

The few people who were more active in the group were immediately shocked.

[Qicilang: Doesn't that mean the Transcendent stage competition today is over?]

[You Fenglaiyi: Heh, based on my understanding of the headquarters, the meeting will last at least three days. There will be no arena competition tomorrow. It will be changed to rest.]

[Little Brainy: I think it's pretty good. Large-scale killing dungeons are a gu-raising mode. The headquarters may want to make this competition closer to the killing dungeon, so that the top eight contestants can adapt as soon as possible. From the side, it can be seen that the headquarters intends to focus on cultivating the top eight contestants.]

[Fu Qingyang: Let's wait for the results from the headquarters. If they are thrown into the dungeon, Yuanshi might be able to compete for the championship. However, Zhao Chenghuang, you saw his performance today. With just that one move, your win rate against him will directly drop to less than 30%. @Yuanshi Tianzun] [Yuanshi Tianzun: Okay!]

If it's changed to a dungeon, the external factors will increase, which can indeed improve my win rate, but experts like Zhao Chenghuang are not dungeon noobs, and factors that are unfavorable to him will definitely be unfavorable to me. It's still difficult to deal with.

But for the Houtu Boots, I still can't give up.

Zhang Yuanqing didn't want to talk about these unpleasant things and privately chatted with Lingjun:

"I have something to ask. An aunt suddenly stopped talking to me. You have experience dealing with women. Analyze it for me." Lingjun: "???"

Lingjun: "You're out of line, kid. You have a heavy taste." Zhang Yuanqing: "That aunt has a good figure and a pretty face." Lingjun: "You're out of line, kid. You have a bright future."

Yuanshi Tianzun: "It's like this. She recently encountered a small danger. It should be a small danger. She deliberately told me about it. I've realized it now. With her personality, she would directly ask for help if she was in real danger. If it's a small matter, she wouldn't bother to say it. So she should have deliberately told me."

Lingjun: "So how did you reply to her?"

Yuanshi Tianzun: "Feel free to ask if you need anything. Then she sent a smiling emoji and stopped paying attention to me." Lingjun: "Tell me about her personality and I'll analyze it for you."

Zhang Yuanqing explained Xiaoyuan's personality to Lingjun in great detail.

After listening, Lingjun immediately felt the heartache of a king-level player watching a bronze noob operate blindly and sent a series of "sweating" emoticons. "This kind of woman has a strong psychological defense and is indifferent to everyone, but in fact, she craves warmth. Therefore, she values her companions very much, and she will subconsciously reject and alienate some suitors, indiscriminately killing them with one blow, and eliminating possibilities."

"To deal with this kind of woman, the first thing is to pester her relentlessly, but pay attention to the degree, making her feel helpless but not disgusted. Then, you must understand her, observe her, find the soft spot in her heart, and quickly strike, killing her with one blow, just like you dealt with the River Crossing Pawn today."

Yuanshi Tianzun: "This metaphor makes me feel weird. What's next?"

Lingjun: "Then she will develop a good impression of you, observe you, test you, and secretly use some small things to test you, but she will never say it clearly. She is very hypocritical. At this time, if you do something wrong or respond incorrectly, she will quickly shrink back."

Zhang Yuanqing suddenly realized and quickly sent a message: "How should I make up for it?"

Lingjun: "Isn't she telling you not to look for her? You should do the opposite. It's best to go secretly, on the one hand, showing that you respect her choice, and on the other hand, showing that you care about her. You must always remember that this kind of woman is very hypocritical, but she craves warmth and care, so 'relentless pestering' is definitely effective for them. If she says no, and you really think it's no, then you're an idiot."

"That makes sense, that makes sense."

Zhang Yuanqing sent a string of [The Great One accepts my worship] emoticons. He then sent another message:

"I've been stuck in a relationship with an older sister for a long time. She has a high tolerance for me and is very close, but I always feel like there's a missing step, more than friends but less than lovers."

Lingjun: "Are you talking about Guan Ya?"

Zhang Yuanqing sent [The Great One accepts my worship] emoticons to hide his inner embarrassment.

Lingjun: "There's nothing to be embarrassed about. When I was young, I wanted to have two confidantes, one named Lin Meimei and one named Bao Jiejie, and have a bed-warming girl like Qingwen by my side. It's best to have a young woman named Qin Keqing teach me how to become an adult. Young boys always have these thoughts. Any young boy in his early twenties who says he doesn't admire women is bragging."

In Lingjun's opinion, Yuanshi Tianzun is a typical straight man who likes many beautiful older sisters, but has never actually had a girlfriend.

Although Yuanshi Tianzun is very good at getting things done and is good at socializing, interpersonal communication and dating girlfriends are not the same thing. The latter is about experience, and if you don't have experience, you just don't have experience.

Social butterflies and love veterans are two different concepts.

Lingjun: "But to be honest, I don't recommend you pursue Guan Ya. She's a scout. If you cheat or have an affair, you can't hide it from her at all. The key is that you can't beat her. When the relationship breaks down, you will be subjected to domestic violence."

Yuanshi Tianzun: ""

Lingjun: "But since you asked, I must teach you. Guan Ya comes from a Lingjing Xingzhe family and has a very high vision. She can't stand ordinary people. You have no problem in this regard. Yuanshi Tianzun's reputation is enough."

"Her personality is a bit strange. When she talks about dirty jokes, even I feel embarrassed and can't handle it, but you have no problem. This is an important factor for you to gain her favor. According to my analysis, there are three reasons why your relationship has reached a bottleneck."

"First, you haven't known each other for very long. A woman from her family background won't confirm a relationship with a man in a short period of time. Second, it's still the family reason. Although she is rebellious, she knows her identity. Her family will definitely intervene in choosing a son-in-law. She may feel that you are not suitable to meet her parents yet, so she keeps her distance from you."

"Third, you still lack a catalyst, such as a romantic confession, a life-and-death crisis, or a drunken and unrestrained indulgence."

"Understood, understood." Zhang Yuanqing was stunned as he watched. Lingjun: "Anything else? If not, I'm going to eat."

There's also the Palace Master of the Killing Palace... Yuanshi Tianzun: "Nothing else, thank you, Great One." Zhang Yuanqing clicked on Lingjun's avatar and changed his note to: Life Mentor!

Fu Family Bay Villa.

In the restaurant, Fu Qingyang was holding a knife and fork, enjoying a rich dinner, looking at Lingjun, who was holding his phone and smiling, across the table.

He frowned and said indifferently:

"Are you dating a new girlfriend? No, your expression is filled with satisfaction, triumph, and some dark glee. A girlfriend can't make your expression so complex."

Lingjun put down his phone and said, "Of course I'm proud and satisfied that I can carry forward my ideas and academic achievements." He forked a piece of grilled meat into his mouth and chewed, "It was Yuanshi Tianzun who sent me a message asking me for some things."

Fu Qingyang's expression was indifferent: "Asking you how to pick up girls?"

"No!" Lingjun's expression was serious: "Asking me how to be your sister-in-law."

After dinner, Zhang Yuanqing lay on the bed and browsed the posts on the official forum, chatting with Guan Ya casually. He occasionally paid attention to Xie Lingxi and the Queen.

What he was thinking about was Fu Qingyang's words before dinner.

If the headquarters really adjusts the competition mode, it will not only be a competition of force, but also environmental factors, the personality factors of the contestants, and so on.

The next goal is very clear, to collect the personalities and information of the top eight contestants, and make a profile of the behavioral logic of these people. "Guan Ya and the Sergeant are scouts. I'll ask them to help me summarize a personality analysis of the top eight contestants tomorrow."

After making up his mind, he turned off his phone and shrank into the air-conditioned blanket. The harsh phone ringtone rang.

The caller was Fu Qingyang.

"Hello, Centurion?" Zhang Yuanqing answered the phone.

"Come to Fu Family Bay. Dog Elder wants to see you." Fu Qingyang's voice was as cold as the frost in December. "Dog Elder wants to see me?" Zhang Yuanqing asked in confusion: "What's the matter?"

With the status and position of an elder, he would not see people easily. Besides, if there was anything, why didn't he say it during the arena competition during the day? "Take you to see the Demon Eye Heavenly King!" Fu Qingyang said.

ps: Fix typos first, update later.