Chapter 1354: Not Worthy

Shi Rong, who was representing the Lion Tribe for the draw, saw them and smiled, "It truly is a small world, isn't it? Do you regret being so arrogant the other day?"

Zu An sighed, "I used to read those stories and marvel at how villains always died because they talked too much. I never thought it would be the same in real life. We'll settle this on the field later; there's no need to stand here cursing like a fishwife."

Yu Yanluo, standing nearby, was speechless and felt offended.

Shi Rong was somewhat taken aback. He had expected to see fear or nervousness on Zu An's face and was about to go over and gloat, but Zu An's reaction left him utterly unsatisfied.

Rage points from Shi Rong +355, +355, +355...

He took a deep breath to calm himself, then feigned nonchalance. "Hmph, with your strength, you probably won't even make it out of the group stage. Who gave you the courage to think you could face us in a real fight? Bah!"

After speaking, he spat on the ground and turned to leave.

With numerous demon tribes, it was naturally impossible to start directly with knockout rounds. Instead, there would be preliminary group stages to select contestants for the next round, which would save a significant amount of time.

The Lion Tribe prince and the Serpent Tribe contestants were not in the same group, but they would meet in the knockout stage.

Zu An was amused and said to Yu Yanluo, "Shi Rong is usually so reckless, yet he can use such a provocation tactic. It seems even a fool can stumble upon a good idea once in a while."

Yu Yanluo smiled faintly. "After all, he's a prince of a tribe, raised with elite training from a young age. He's not as incompetent as you make him out to be."

Zu An's expression also became serious. "While this draw suits me perfectly, it's too much of a coincidence. Someone clearly orchestrated this."

Yu Yanluo analyzed, "Though the Lion Tribe is powerful, they don't wield that much influence within the royal court. Someone else is clearly pulling strings."

"That Black Tooth Fei from earlier?" Zu An immediately recalled the man's sinister smile.

Yu Yanluo shook her head. "Although Black Tooth Gu died by our hands, they have no proof. Also, I specifically investigated recently, and Black Tooth Gu was only a collateral descendant of the Black Tooth family. Black Tooth Fei wouldn't go to such great lengths in a crucial competition just for a distant relative. Someone else clearly gave the order."

"Crown Prince Jinwu!" Zu An immediately realized.

"It seems he still suspects you haven't returned to the human race because of the palace assassination incident. So, knowing that the Lion Tribe has a vendetta against us, he deliberately arranged this to see if he could force you to reveal yourself," Yu Yanluo analyzed.

"This guy is quite cunning," Zu An remarked.

Yu Yanluo smiled faintly, "You made him suffer so much, of course he's going to meticulously plot his revenge."

"Who told him to do such lewd and despicable things?" Zu An thought of that night, regretting he hadn't had time to kill Jinwu then, as Xue'er's innocence would have been ruined if he hadn't appeared in time.

After returning to their seats, Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue learned about the draw, and their expressions immediately became quite interesting.

After all, as Grandmasters, they never imagined a day would come when someone would eagerly rush to face them.

"I can't hold back anymore. I've been feeling so stifled lately. This will be a perfect, legitimate opportunity to vent." Yun Jianyue had indeed been very frustrated recently, having suffered major setbacks several times that she had never experienced in her life.

Normally, she would have reduced her opponents to dust, finding peace of mind. But this time, her opponent was Zu An, making it impossible for her to act. As a result, the more she suppressed her anger, the more enraged she became. Coupled with the Lion Tribe members repeatedly getting on her nerves, she had long wanted to teach them a good lesson.

Yan Xuehen's face darkened. "Demoness, don't get carried away. You are not allowed to kill innocent people later."

The events of the previous night still bothered her; so many people had been killed without hesitation.

"Heh heh, what hypocrisy. Originally, I wasn't planning on killing anyone, but since you said that, I'm going to kill!" A hint of ferocity flashed in Yun Jianyue's eyes.

"Are you being reasonable? We're here to help the Serpent Tribe secure a spot. What if you create trouble and implicate them?" Yan Xuehen glared at her.

Yu Yanluo said softly, "Actually, while killing is forbidden in these tournaments, fights often get out of hand. There are many instances where a momentary lapse results in crippling injuries or even death. So, as long as the methods aren't too cruel, there isn't much impact."

"However, with so many experts from the royal court watching this competition, if you're not careful and someone realizes you're human, or if your true identities are exposed, then many masters will gang up on you. And with your injuries, I'm afraid..."

Yun Jianyue chuckled, "Don't worry, I was just saying that to annoy that Ice Stone Woman. We come from the Holy Sect; we're constantly on the edge, licking blood from blades. We understand how to assess the situation better than anyone. It's only that Ice Stone Woman who's so foolish, insisting on treating everyone else as fools too."

"You..." Yan Xuehen angrily turned her head away, refusing to engage with her further.

Zu An couldn't help but chuckle. He felt that Yan Xuehen was always completely outmaneuvered by Yun Jianyue, proving that a gentleman can indeed be easily deceived by someone who exploits their principles.

Next, the preliminary selection matches began. The vast square was quickly divided into hundreds of arenas of various sizes.

The royal court had assigned several Golden Crow Guards to each arena, with an official also present to record events.

Zu An even wondered if these few individuals could maintain order should a conflict erupt later.

It was only after Yu Yanluo's explanation that he understood that in a place like the demon realm, strength commanded respect, and with countless eyes watching, it was difficult to cheat.

Moreover, the competition format was remarkably simple and crude, not like the football-style group stages he had imagined, with one-on-one matches and accumulated points.

Instead, hundreds of contestants in each arena were thrown into a free-for-all. The last ten standing would be the victors, qualifying for the next round.

Zu An's expression became strange. He thought about how everyone had just been concerned about hitting too hard, yet this competition format was so brutal that holding back was no longer an option.

No wonder Crown Prince Jinwu had arranged for the Lion Tribe to target the Serpent Tribe contestants from behind; he was likely using this occasion to legitimately cripple or even kill them.

Wait, wasn't he worried the Serpent Tribe contestants wouldn't even qualify?

A thought struck him: if Jinwu could arrange for the Lion Tribe in the knockout rounds, perhaps he had done so in the preliminaries as well.

As expected, when they first entered the arena, everyone was cautious. After all, if you displayed too much strength, you could easily become a target, prompting others to unite against you.

Furthermore, in this type of competition, many tribes had already communicated privately, agreeing to team up if they encountered each other. In such a large free-for-all, two fists were no match for four hands, and the more allies one had, the easier it was to be the last one standing.

While others were still cautiously observing their surroundings, over a dozen individuals suddenly charged directly towards them, each with a sinister grin on their face.

Zu An was about to remind Yun Jianyue to hold back a little, but she rolled her eyes and showed no intention of fighting. "These minor characters aren't worthy of our attention. They're all yours."

Zu An: "..."

Then Yun Jianyue started chatting with Yan Xuehen. "Besides these guys, that contestant from the Giant Maggot Tribe over there looks quite strong. We'll probably have to fight him later, but I absolutely refuse to engage with such a disgusting fellow."

Yan Xuehen nodded in agreement. "Right, we'll leave him to Zu An too."