Chapter 4: Play a Role With Me
"Done offending everyone?"
Seeing the many fiery glares directed at him, Lu Cheng casually scratched his ear.
His expression remained calm.
They were just virtual characters in the simulator anyway.
'In real life, I keep my head down, but in the simulation world, I strike hard! (Very loudly).'
"You…"
Huang Zichen's face flushed red with anger.
"Kid, I'll give you one move. Now."
Whoosh!!!
Before he could finish speaking, the arena fell silent again.
Huang Zichen froze in place, slowly reaching toward his face… The burning pain of a fresh wound became increasingly obvious.
When he looked back at his opponent, Lu Cheng now held a crimson, curved bow in his left hand. His right hand remained in a drawing posture, yet the arrow that should have been between his fingers had already vanished.
Rumble!!!
A wave of scorching heat suddenly surged from behind. Even without turning around, Huang Zichen could clearly sense the terrifying explosion.
Ultimate fire…
A trace of fear flashed across his expression.
No, even though he had never witnessed ultimate fire before, he had a vague intuition that this flame… was even stronger than ultimate fire.
'A maxed-out talent—you think I'm joking?'
Lu Cheng smiled faintly.
In the original story, Ning Tian and Dai Huabin were already monstrously talented, reaching Soul Elder at twelve years old, their martial souls among the very best. But in terms of raw talent, they barely reached seven out of ten.
Choosing ten out of ten talent… really was the right decision.
The Sun-Shooting Bow, Hou Yi's divine bow that once shot down the suns. When its arrows pierced the Golden Crows, they were stained with the essence of true sun fire. Its power had long surpassed the limits of this world.
So-called ultimate fire probably wasn't worthy of its name.
"Dark Demon Tiger!!"
Huang Zichen's eyes darkened as the muscles across his body swelled. His martial soul possessed him—nails growing long and sharp. Like a heavily armored tank, he charged straight toward Lu Cheng.
Shame and fury filled his gaze.
'Just a Soul Grandmaster, so what if he has ultimate fire? My Dark Demon Tiger is also a top-tier martial soul.'
"Second Soul Skill: Three Crows Guard the Body."
Lu Cheng remained expressionless as he spoke softly.
At the same time, a faint purple soul ring rose beneath his feet, drawing gasps from the crowd.
Was his second soul ring already a thousand years old?
As the soul ring flickered, the crimson longbow in Lu Cheng's hand ignited in blazing flames. He raised his left hand before his chest, while two fingers of his right hand curved slightly inward, holding three fiery red arrows shaped like birds.
A killing intent locked onto Huang Zichen.
Cold sweat instantly soaked his back.
Under the aim of those three arrows, even his charging speed slowed.
But close combat against a ranged fighter meant an advantage. As long as he got close, his opponent would definitely lose…
Just a few more meters… just—
Buzz…
Lu Cheng slowly released his fingers.
Three arrows shot out like meteors.
Yet Huang Zichen narrowly dodged them.
"Now you're dead!!!"
Fierce light burst from Huang Zichen's eyes, and a wild grin spread across his face. Once a close combat-type fighter reached melee range, how could a bow user continue firing?
'I gave you the chance—and you still couldn't use it!!'
'Trash!'
Whoosh—
Just as everyone held their breath,
A pair of flaming wings unfurled behind Lu Cheng. At the same time, another thousand-year soul ring rose beneath his feet. Lightly stepping on Huang Zichen's shoulder, the boy ascended into the air.
Huang Zichen lunged at nothing, fury filling his face. He was about to shout angrily toward the sky when someone below yelled:
"Behind you!"
But it was already too late.
The terrifying heat wave from before scorched his back again. The difference was that this time it wasn't residual heat; it was the arrows at full power.
He turned with difficulty, catching only a glimpse of flames swirling together, forming something like a strange bird rushing toward him.
BOOM!!!
The explosion echoed across the entire venue, drawing the attention of nobles even at the distant banquet.
Lu Cheng remained standing in midair.
With a casual wave of his hand, the other two arrows returned and began circling him, protecting him from every angle.
"…"
The entire arena fell silent.
Even Lang Ya's expression changed.
Defeating an opponent across a full cultivation realm with ease—if not for the powerful Star Luo Empire experts present today, Huang Zichen might have died here.
What a monstrous young talent.
"Brother, is that Lu Cheng?" Wei Ling'er asked excitedly, her bright green eyes sparkling.
"Yes… He is from our Heavenly Soul Empire. But his arrogance is overwhelming, and he may be difficult to get along with…" Lang Ya explained, only to turn and see the girl already walking toward Lu Cheng. He smiled helplessly and shook his head.
"Brother?"
Another burly young man looked at him questioningly.
Lang Ya shook his head.
"No need. Let my little sister go. If they form a good connection, it could become a fine story. Though Lu Cheng clearly has a childhood sweetheart… she may run into a wall."
On the other side:
Wei Ling'er: You're very strong…
Lu Cheng: You're not weak either.
Pfft—
"That humble attitude doesn't match the person who just spoke earlier," the long-legged girl laughed, covering her mouth.
Before she could continue, a small figure squeezed between them, hugging Lu Cheng's arm as if declaring ownership.
"I hope we meet again at the next Continental Soul Master Academy Tournament," Wei Ling'er said with a faint smile, glancing at Zhang Lexuan. She didn't take the not-yet-grown little girl seriously. After smiling at Lu Cheng, she turned and left decisively.
"Do you like her?" the little girl asked, sounding jealous.
"No." Lu Cheng raised an eyebrow.
"Then why were you staring at her legs?"
Zhang Lexuan bent down to look at her own legs. Their proportions were nice, but since she hadn't fully grown yet, they were still short. She pouted unhappily.
"I was just curious why everyone from the Body Sect looks so strangely shaped…" Lu Cheng replied without blushing.
"Am I pretty?" Zhang Lexuan suddenly pushed her delicate face into Lu Cheng's view and struck a pose.
"Cute," Lu Cheng nodded.
"Pretty?" she insisted, blinking.
"…Pretty."
"Then why are your eyes closed?!"
"…"
---
[Mission Complete—Rating: SSS]
[Reward: All soul ring years increased by one thousand.]
A performance that shocked everyone would probably attract certain people's attention.
Lu Cheng looked up. Beyond the noisy banquet hall and through the window, he saw dark clouds gathering over what had once been a clear sky. Raindrops began falling sparsely onto the ground.
This damned world… really is dark.
If he hadn't known Zhang Lexuan's tragic future in advance, he might have lost himself in this illusion of warmth and comfort. Without strength, everything would eventually turn to nothing.
But that worked out just fine.
Someone had to play the villain.
Then—play a role with him.
Lu Cheng vaguely saw a snow-white figure flash past outside the window, a smile slowly forming at the corner of his mouth.
The academy is absent from this gathering:
Shrek Academy.
End of Chapter.