Chapter Sixty-Five: The Official Competition Begins

Entering the Spiritual Power Liberation mode, Cheng Feng sat cross-legged on the bed and calmed his mind. As the seconds ticked by, he quickly sensed his body growing hotter, tendrils of white vapor curling from his skin beneath his clothes.

Gradually, a fine sheen of sweat broke out across his body.

After almost fifteen minutes, he felt his strength waning; his bones, meridians, and internal organs began to ache faintly, and the spiritual power within him was nearly depleted.

But soon, the pain swiftly diminished—his vampiric self-healing ability activated, allowing his nearly exhausted body to recover at an astonishing rate.

From this, Cheng Feng deduced that for an ordinary demon hunter, Spiritual Power Liberation could be sustained for roughly fifteen to twenty minutes, but he was different. Thanks to his vampire physique, he could endure far longer.

The phone on his bedside table rang suddenly.

He picked up the receiver, and a coy woman's voice sounded on the other end, "Sir, do you require any special services?"

The hotel’s services were indeed comprehensive, but with the upcoming competition, he had no intention of wasting his energy on such things.

"No, thank you." He hung up.

Cheng Feng returned to his ability training. Next, he planned to practice Blood Combat Technique. He unlocked his phone and started searching for the structure of a handgun.

With Blood Combat Technique, he could currently shape various melee weapons, but had yet to try forming ranged ones. The weapon’s size could not exceed the total amount of blood in his body, making large destructive weapons impossible. He decided to start with the most basic—a handgun.

He studied the handgun’s components for several minutes, committing each detail to memory.

Focusing his mind, he began to draw threads of blood from the pores on his left arm. The blood flowed into his palm and began to take shape.

Like clay, the blood gradually morphed under his intense concentration. After five or six seconds, it finally hardened into a blood-red handgun.

The magazine inside was also formed, containing around twelve blood bullets.

Success.

Cheng Feng examined the pistol with satisfaction. Now, besides concealed weapons like flying daggers, he finally possessed a true long-range attack method.

His clairvoyant ability wouldn't help in battle, so next he would practice Thunder Shadow Step and Thunder Flash.

These two skills required more space; he'd have to find a nearby grove to practice.

Just as he was about to head out, a sudden knock sounded at the door.

Cheng Feng opened it, only to find an unexpected visitor—Jiang He.

Jiang He’s presence at this moment made it instantly clear: it was not only Luo Ke and Gu Yan, but Jiang He too had entered the promotion tournament.

Cheng Feng raised a brow. "Jiang He, what brings you here?"

"That's right. I want to know—there's a rumor going around the association that Shi Yu is seeing a newcomer. Is that newcomer you?"

Jiang He leaned against the doorframe, his tone far from friendly.

Cheng Feng frowned. "I don’t know whose loose tongue started that rumor, but even if something were going on between me and Liu Shiyu, it’s none of your business."

Jiang He visibly relaxed. "So it’s just a rumor… that’s good."

"If you care so much about Liu Shiyu, why not ask her yourself? Why come to me?"

"You think I don’t want to? Apart from you, Shi Yu barely interacts with any of us. Even though I’ve known her for years, we’re nothing more than distant colleagues. How could I ask her something so personal?"

Hearing this, Cheng Feng suddenly felt fortunate.

Back then, Liu Shiyu only approached him because of the chairman’s orders. Otherwise, he too would never have gotten close to her—never become her friend and comrade-in-arms. Jiang He and the others simply never had the chance.

Seeing this lovesick fool had no intention of leaving, Cheng Feng asked, "Is there anything else?"

"Of course. I came to let you know: the matchups for the first round of the official tournament have just been decided."

"They’re set?" Cheng Feng immediately understood Jiang He’s real reason for coming. "So, you’re my opponent tomorrow?"

A hint of smugness curled at Jiang He’s lips. "That’s right. How about a wager? If I beat you, you stay away from Shi Yu from now on…"

Cheng Feng dismissed the provocation. "Boring. I have no interest in such childish games. If you have nothing else, don’t interrupt my training."

With that, he slammed the door shut.

Outside, Jiang He wasn’t angered. He strode back to his own room along the corridor, his gaze sharp as a blade. "Even if you refuse to bet, tomorrow I’ll make sure you lose face before everyone."

…

The next morning, eight o’clock.

The sports plaza was packed—over thirty thousand spectators filled the stands.

Fireworks shot into the sky, blossoming in dazzling bursts against the azure backdrop.

"Every three years, the Promotion Tournament begins!"

"All contestants, please assemble on the field!"

The broadcast echoed throughout the plaza.

Every seat in the stands was filled, a sea of people roaring with excitement and anticipation.

Among the crowd, Liu Shiyu had brought Cheng Yi along to watch the competition.

"There are so many people," Cheng Yi exclaimed, gripping Liu Shiyu’s hand and peering around curiously. "Sister Shi, why haven’t I seen my brother yet?"

Liu Shiyu gently patted her head. "The competition is about to start. Your brother will come out soon."

"This tournament’s so grand. Will his opponent be strong?"

"You must believe in your brother. He’ll win."

In the highest VIP seats sat four distinguished figures: the mayor of Winter City, the president of the Disaster Association, Vice President Su Ting, and the strongest ace, Chu Xinghe.

Reporters from all the major media outlets focused their cameras on the giant stone arena, ready to capture every moment of the coming battles.

At 8:20, stirring music filled the plaza as the host, microphone in hand, passionately introduced the event from the stage.

By 8:30, the host officially announced the start of the tournament, and the audience erupted in thunderous cheers.

"OHOHOHOHOHOH…"

In the waiting area below the stage, the chief examiner called the names of all the contestants.

As a side note, each contestant was graded based on their performance in the preliminaries, with scores awarded by the panel of examiners. The higher the score, the stronger the competitor.

For the first round, Cheng Feng faced Jiang He.

Cheng Feng’s overall score: 9.0

Jiang He’s overall score: 9.1

As the match was set to begin, Jiang He stepped onto the stage.

Just as Cheng Feng was about to go up, Luo Ke approached. "Be careful in this match, Cheng Feng."

Cheng Feng glanced at her. "Is he that strong?"

"He is. Jiang He may be narrow-minded, but his strength is undeniable. I’ve worked with him on several missions and have a good sense of his abilities. His superpower is dangerous—watch yourself."

"Got it," Cheng Feng replied, waving off her concern but keeping her warning in mind.

He stepped onto the stone arena. Raising his eyes, he saw the densely packed crowd, their cheers like crashing waves.

Amid that tidal roar, his spirit surged with excitement.

ps: Special thanks to Burning God for the reward, and to Calm and Unruffled for the monthly pass. Thank you!