TRWSB – Chapter 63 The Foes Finally Meet

Within the Secret Realm

Qi Shaorong took out a pearl-like object, and an image began to project from it—a recording featuring none other than Zhuang Hao.

Outside the secret realm, uproar ensued.

“Phantom Pearl? Hu Feng, what did you do?”

Watching Qi Shaorong’s actions, Hu Feng recalled the bracelet Qi had given Zhuang Hao before entering the secret realm. He’d suspected there was something special about it, but he hadn’t anticipated it contained surveillance capabilities. He wondered if the bracelet had any other hidden functions. Qi Shaorong was truly a genius.

“Know your enemy and know yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles without defeat! Zhuang Hao is way too naive—he accepted the bracelet because it looked good. Tsk tsk, Lu Ming, what have you been teaching your students? Turning a genius into a fool?”

“Obviously, it was your student who resorted to underhanded tactics.”

“All’s fair in war—don’t you get it?”

“Hu Feng, you’re just becoming more shameless with age.”

“Lu Ming, you just can’t handle losing. Look at your Saint Sovereign Academy students. A great hand of cards, and you played it into a mess.”

Hu Feng and Lu Ming were at it again. Since the beginning of the Grand Academy Tournament, their arguments had been nonstop. Every day seemed to bring a new quarrel. Originally thought to be pushovers, the students of Tianlan Academy were proving themselves as dark horses. Meanwhile, six of the previous championship favorites had already been eliminated.

Inside the secret realm, Qi Shaorong squinted at the image of Zhuang Hao.

“A Beast Tamer, huh? How troublesome. Judging by the footage, the Rainbow Stones he’s gathered could single-handedly secure first place for the Saint Sovereign Academy. If I don’t take him out, my million gold bet will go down the drain. Just thinking about it hurts.” Qi’s tone was ice-cold.

Yi Fan narrowed his eyes. “Why bet a million on Tianlan Academy taking first? If you had wagered on making the top five, you wouldn’t need to worry so much.”

“What do you know? Betting on the top five wouldn’t yield much profit. It’s all or nothing,” Qi’s eyes burned with intensity.

Yi Fan chuckled. “Shaorong, your courage is truly admirable.”

“If there’s a chance to earn more, why settle for less? Zhuang Hao and I were bound to clash sooner or later. Who does he think he is, breaking off our engagement without even showing his face? Arrogant! If I don’t teach him a lesson, he’ll think I’m easy to bully.”

Yi Fan was silent.

Glancing at the Phantom Pearl, Yi Fan said, “Zhuang Hao is already hard enough to deal with, and he’s got a whole team of tamed beasts.”

“It looks like he’s heading toward the territory of an eighth-level beast. If they end up exhausting each other, I might have an opening,” Qi Shaorong said thoughtfully.

“You’re not planning to head to the eighth-level area, are you?” Yi Fan asked.

Qi nodded. “I am.”

“Want me to come with you?”

Shaking his head, Qi said, “No need. This is between him and me. Besides, I have a backup plan. You should focus on your own tasks; I’m sure there are things you want to handle.”

Yi Fan squinted. “Take care, then.”

Lowering his gaze, Yi Fan thought about his own agenda. Four members of Saint Sovereign Academy were still active in the secret realm, including Yi Huo and Yi Bing. It was time to deal with at least one of them. Those two were an eyesore.

Qi Shaorong and Yi Fan parted ways. Outside the secret realm, Hu Feng scrutinized the interactions between Qianmian (Thousand Faces) and Qi Shaorong. An odd feeling crept over him. Qianmian and Qi seemed to know each other well, and their relationship seemed more like that of master and servant than mere acquaintances.

Meanwhile, Qi Shaokang watched Yi Fan’s actions within the secret realm and muttered, “Shen Yuan, who exactly is this person impersonating you? That bastard knocked me out with a sneak attack earlier.”

Shen Yuan shook his head. “I don’t know.”

“How can you not know? Why would someone choose to impersonate you specifically?” Qi Shaokang frowned.

Gritting his teeth, Shen Yuan replied, “Good question! I’d like to know too. I have nothing to do with that guy.”

“Qi Shaorong didn’t just prepare a mask of my face; he probably has masks of others too. It’s just my bad luck,” Shen Yuan said gloomily.

“Is that so?” Qi Shaokang sounded unconvinced.

“The person who ambushed you seems close to your fourth brother. If you want to know who it was, just ask Qi Shaorong,” Shen Yuan suggested.

Casting a cold glance at Shen Yuan, Qi Shaokang snapped, “Shut up.”

Elsewhere, Zhuang Hao was in a fierce battle with an eighth-level beast. Controlling his tamed creatures, he fought valiantly, with neither side gaining the upper hand.

“Principal, Qi Shaorong is heading for Zhuang Hao,” a Saint Sovereign Academy instructor reported.

“I saw. That bastard Hu Feng!” Lu Ming gritted his teeth.

“If Zhuang Hao and the beast end up mutually wounded, he’ll be in danger,” the instructor said worriedly.

Clenching his fists, Lu Ming’s expression darkened. Qi Shaorong’s surveillance system gave him an unfair advantage, allowing him to strike at the perfect moment. What was the “backup plan” Qi mentioned earlier? Just what tricks was this guy hiding?

Back in the secret realm, Qi Shaorong arrived just as Zhuang Hao and the beast were both at their limits. With a casual wave of his staff, Qi unleashed a powerful spell, caging the beast in a shadowy prison. Then, using enchanted scrolls, he bombarded the weakened beast until it was finally killed.

Taking the beast’s core, Qi smirked. “Didn’t expect you to be a seventh-level dark mage. Impressive.”

“Actually, I’m only a sixth-level mage,” Qi replied, revealing a gleaming crystal armor. “How’s my armor? Cost me over 200,000 gold. Isn’t money wonderful?”

Zhuang Hao chuckled. “Indeed.”