The sun climbed higher, baking the stone plaza in sweltering heat. The air shimmered, smelling of sweat, dust, and dried blood.
The Servant Assessment had whittled down the competition. From a thousand hopefuls, only four remained.
Jiang Chen sat in the corner of the waiting area. He was calm, conserving his energy, but his eyes were scanning the crowd. He felt a gaze burning into his back—Elder Han from the Alchemy Hall was still watching.
"Next Match: Jiang Chen versus Wu An!"
Jiang Chen stood up.
Wu An. He knew the name. Wu An was a laundry servant—a quiet, skinny boy who kept his head down. He had never been strong. Yet, Wu An had made it to the semi-finals?
As Wu An walked onto the stage, Jiang Chen frowned.
The boy walked differently. His steps were light, almost floating. His breathing was rhythmic, soundless. And his eyes... they weren't the fearful eyes of a servant. They were cold, dead eyes.
[Scan Active.]
[Target: Wu An.]
[Race: Human.]
[Cultivation: Qi Condensation Layer 2 (Concealed).]
[Threat Level: Medium.]
Jiang Chen's heart skipped a beat.
'Layer 2? He's stronger than me?'
[Advisory: Target is not a servant. Target is a "Cleaner"—an assassin planted to eliminate variables.]
[Objective: Survive.]
The Referee waved his hand. "Begin!"
Wu An didn't roar like Ox Li. He didn't charge. He simply vanished.
Whoosh.
To the crowd, it looked like a blur. To Jiang Chen, it was fast—too fast for a mortal.
Wu An closed the distance in a heartbeat, his hand darting out like a viper toward Jiang Chen's throat. A faint, silver glimmer flashed between his fingers.
A needle.
'He's trying to kill me,' Jiang Chen realized.
[Alert: Poisoned Weapon detected. Neurotoxin.]
[Evasive Maneuver: Duck and Roll.]
Jiang Chen dropped to the ground instantly. The needle slashed through the air where his neck had been a millisecond ago.
Wu An's eyes widened slightly. He hadn't expected a "mortal" to dodge that.
He spun around, sweeping his leg low to trip Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen slammed his hands onto the floor and vaulted over the sweep, landing five feet away.
"You're not a servant," Jiang Chen whispered, low enough that only Wu An could hear.
Wu An smiled. It was a cruel, thin smile. "And neither are you. A servant doesn't move like that."
Wu An raised his hand. His fingers flickered with a faint green light. Qi. He was done hiding. He was going to use a technique.
"Green Viper Palm," Wu An hissed.
He lunged. This time, the air around his hand distorted.
Jiang Chen was cornered. If he used his own Qi to block, he would expose his cultivation to the entire sect. If he didn't block, the poison Qi would rot his heart.
[Combat Solution Calculated.]
[Opponent relies on speed and poison. His physical defense is low (Constitution 1.2).]
[Action: Tank the hit. Counter-attack.]
'Tank it?!' Jiang Chen screamed mentally. 'It's poison!'
[Trust the System. Your "Constitution 3.3" + "Iron Skin" + "Boar Blood Resistance" can withstand one strike. He cannot withstand yours.]
Jiang Chen gritted his teeth. Fine.
He stopped moving. He stood perfectly still, opening his chest to the attack.
Wu An's eyes lit up with triumph. 'He gave up.'
The Green Viper Palm slammed into Jiang Chen's chest.
BANG.
The impact was heavy. Jiang Chen felt a burning sensation spread through his ribs, like acid eating his skin. His health bar in the interface flickered red.
[Damage Taken: Moderate.]
[Poison Detected: Neutralizing... 20% complete.]
Wu An grinned, expecting Jiang Chen to collapse coughing blood.
But Jiang Chen didn't collapse. He didn't even step back.
He looked down at Wu An's hand pressed against his chest. Then he looked up, his eyes glowing with a faint, predatory red light.
"My turn," Jiang Chen growled.
He grabbed Wu An's wrist with his left hand.
[Strength 4.3 engaged.]
He squeezed.
CRACK.
"GAAH!" Wu An shrieked. The sound of his wrist bones shattering was loud enough to be heard in the back row.
Jiang Chen didn't stop. He pulled the assassin closer and delivered a brutal headbutt.
THUD.
Forehead met nose. Wu An's nose exploded in a spray of blood. The assassin went limp, his eyes rolling back into his head.
Jiang Chen dropped him.
Wu An crumbled to the floor, twitching.
Jiang Chen staggered back, clutching his chest. A black bruise in the shape of a handprint was forming on his skin, steam rising from it.
The crowd was stunned into silence again.
"He... he took a Viper Palm?" An Outer Disciple in the crowd whispered. "That technique melts stone! How is he standing?"
The Referee rushed over, checking Wu An. "Unconscious. Winner... Jiang Chen!"
Jiang Chen didn't celebrate. He turned his head slowly to look up at the high balcony.
Elder Han was standing now. He was clapping. A slow, rhythmic clap.
The Elder's voice, amplified by magic, boomed across the plaza.
"Marvelous," Elder Han said. "A body that resists poison. Immense physical strength. Jiang Chen... you are truly a hidden dragon."
The compliment sounded like a death sentence.
"The Finals will be held in one hour," Elder Han announced. "Prepare yourself."
Jiang Chen limped off the stage.
[Combat Complete.]
[Reward: 20 EV.]
[Poison Neutralization: 100%.]
[Warning: Host Constitution permanently increased due to poison adaptation.]
[Constitution: 3.3 -> 3.5]
Jiang Chen slumped against the wall in the waiting area. He had won, but he had revealed too much.
"They know," Jiang Chen whispered. "They know I'm special."
[Correction: They think you are a "Unique Body Type." They do not know about the System. They do not know about Me.]
[This is an opportunity. Get close to Elder Han. The Alchemy Hall is full of pills. Full of energy.]
Jiang Chen wiped the blood from his forehead. A grim smile appeared on his face.
"You want me to walk into the trap?"
[I want you to eat the trap.]