Chapter 76: Exchange Competition (VIII)

Chapter 76: Exchange Competition (VIII)

Cang Cheng had no idea that a close-up of his upper body was being live-streamed, and that a group of people were rethinking their first impressions of him.

His eyes felt uncomfortable due to the contact lenses, and Cang Cheng reached up to rub them.

This action was once again interpreted by the spectators as the fifth prince enduring his sadness and refusing to show vulnerability in front of others.

The fifth prince... was incredibly strong.

And this 'strong' fifth prince was thinking about how to deal with Wu Ling.

Cang Cheng briefly thought about finishing Wu Ling off. After all, Wu Ling had committed unforgivable actions against 'Cang Cheng' in the past. However, Cang Cheng then considered that Wu Ling valued power and face the most, and losing those would be worse than death for him!

Thus, Cang Cheng redirected the bullet at the last second.

Cang Cheng no longer paid attention to Wu Ling. Leaving him alive was the last act of mercy.

He continued to command, "Yi Moshang, use the stone golem from underground. Fu Congfei, stand by. Edward, find your own opportunity. Xing Qing, provide support."

Seeing that Cang Cheng had quickly recovered after such a blow, the others also resumed their battle.

Yi Moshang took out the Spirit Runes for the stone golem and injected Mental energy into it.

After a short while, the ground shook, the earth cracked, and a two-meter-tall stone golem emerged slowly from underground, its square head wobbling.

Yi Moshang's control over Mental energy was on par with Edward. Both struggled to control the massive earth creature.

Why did it look so easy when ANKEN controlled it, but the stone golem was completely uncontrollable in their hands?

The appearance of the stone golem threw off the rhythm of the Giant Rock Star Region's attack and scattered their formation.

The battle shifted quickly. With a focused gaze, Cang Cheng found the opponent's weakness: "Edward and Xing Qing, attack the shortest one."

Edward tightened his grip on the gun. "Xing Qing, did you bring enough healing potions?"

Xing Qing nodded.

"Then give me a lot later. I'm going to self-destruct my weapon."

Saying that, Edward charged into the enemy camp.

Edward had calculated that although Canglan Star Region might have a numerical advantage, Cang Cheng and Fu Congfei's combat effectiveness could be considered negligible. Therefore... the real situation was that the struggling Canglan Star Region's three members were up against the relatively well-off Giant Rock Star Region's four members.

If Wu Ling were still combat-effective, the situation would have been 4v4, a rough equilibrium.

But now, clearly, Canglan Star Region was at a disadvantage. Edward had to go all out to offer victory to Prince Cang Cheng.

With the alchemists on hand, he wouldn’t die—just hurt.

Thinking this, Edward, following Cang Cheng's instructions, engaged the shortest member of Giant Rock Star Region.

The opponent was 2.4 meters tall, tall and mighty, with brick-red stone-like skin.

"Canglan Star people, who gave you the courage to come alone? You are no match for me."

"Whether I'm a match or not, why don't we find out?"

Saying that, Edward feigned an attack while inputting energy into the weapon’s energy core, activating the energy reactor.

"Snap."

Giant Rock Star person: "Huh? What’s happening?"

Before he could finish, a huge explosion engulfed both of them, and a massive plume of gray smoke shot up into the sky.

Even the Giant Rock Star person, known for their tough defenses, was overwhelmed by the blast. His body disintegrated into dust, and he lost consciousness almost instantly.

"Canglan Star Region score +500."

Danmaku:

"Look at that massive mushroom cloud!"

"An explosion like that would take out even the Giant Rock Star people—no way we’d survive that in the Canglan Star Region!"

"I hope Edward’s alright..."

As the spectators waited anxiously, at the edge of the explosion, a vine, waving its branches, wrapped Edward up like a cocoon, rescuing him from the blast.

This was the vine from the potion Cang Cheng gave him, which had been soaked in a special growth solution.

Thanks to this vine, Edward survived the explosion with only minor injuries.

Edward, covered in dust, said, "Thanks, partner. You don’t say much, but you’ve got my back. *cough*"

In the aftermath of the chaos, Xing Qing quickly handed him a recovery potion.

The number of people on the battlefield in the Giant Rock Star Region: 4→3

The blast had a wide radius, causing the blue-skinned people from the Giant Rock Star Region to stagger.

Yi Moshang controlled the trembling stone golem, seized the moment, and pummeled the Giant Rock Star person. Fu Congfei threw a light sword from a distance, blinding one of the opponent's eyes.

After exhausting the energy of his weapon, Yi Moshang successfully reduced the Giant Rock Star person to shattered stone.

He was also injured, with three broken ribs and a fractured wrist.

But despite the pain, Yi Moshang felt a surge of satisfaction.

He struggled to stand, his body aching, but his gaze on Cang Cheng was sharp and bright.

"Prince, I did it."

The number of people in the Giant Rock Star Region: 3→2

The Giant Rock Star people couldn't comprehend. They had every advantage—experience, condition, and combat skill—over the people of the Canglan Star Region.

But how could they have been defeated so quickly, in just 15 minutes, by the people of the Canglan Star Region?

What was happening?

Shi Zao's face contorted with rage. "People from the Canglan Star Region, don't get cocky! Think you've won already!?"

Shi Zao's aura surged, and the soil around him began to tremble, gathering towards him.

Meanwhile, another Giant Rock Star person joined forces with Shi Zao, their rocky form disintegrating and reforming around him.

In just 5 seconds, the remaining two Giant Rock Star people merged into one, becoming a 6-meter-tall giant stone colossus.

He towered over them, his presence overwhelming, making Cang Cheng and the others appear exceptionally small.

After the merger, Shi Zao’s condition was almost fully restored.

He felt like he had endless strength, and it felt amazing!

On the other hand, the people of the Canglan Star Region were either injured, crippled, or too exhausted to continue fighting. The only one remaining unscathed was the universally recognized fragile and weak Cang Cheng.

How could the Canglan Star Region continue to fight like this?

Real-time discussion:

“What do we do? Even with heavy cannons, we can’t take down that massive colossus!”

“I thought the other side was weak when I heard the Admiral defeated the Giant Rock Star people easily. Who knew they were this strong?”

“We’re doomed; our fighters look like they can’t fight anymore.”

“If Wu Ling hadn’t targeted Cang Cheng earlier, maybe we could still hold our ground.”

“I hope the fighters will be alright…”

……

The people of the Canglan Star Region were on edge, their hearts racing with anxiety.

They held their breath, torn between watching and looking away.

“Hahaha! You people of the Canglan Star Region will be crushed under my feet!”

Shi Zao laughed maniacally as he lifted his foot, preparing to toy with the Canglan Star Region people.

“Cang Cheng, please retreat first. The Admiral will be here soon; we can hold out and wait for the Admiral’s reinforcements.”

Yi Moshang, with his fractured hand hanging limply, stood in front of Cang Cheng.

“We can hold on a little longer; we won’t go down without a fight.”

Edward, supported by Xing Qing, also stood firmly in front of Cang Cheng.

“Cang Cheng, please give the order.”

Fu Congfei, who knew Cang Cheng’s true strength, bowed in absolute respect.

“Don’t worry, I’m right here with you.”

Cang Cheng smiled and then walked to the front of the group from his well-protected position at the rear.

“Your Highness, it’s dangerous.”

Cang Cheng shook his head, indicating it was okay.

After the battle, the only thing on Cang Cheng was the rain; he was completely unharmed.

He looked up, his pure black eyes holding a faint smile that didn’t reach his gaze.

Shi Zao dismissed Cang Cheng as just another powerless civilian, so he let his guard down.

"I know you, the waste of a fifth prince from the Canglan Star Region. What, do you want to negotiate terms with me?"

Cang Cheng spoke calmly, "I want to know how you found out about our movements this afternoon."

Cang Cheng and the others had long known that Sang Ning had leaked the intelligence, but Cang Cheng wanted to know who had ordered it.

"Haha! You want to know? Sure, let me send you off with your eyes open!"

Shi Zao, relying on his current strength, was fearless and completely disregarded Cang Cheng and the others.

"One of your high-ranking officials contacted us and said they could give us advantages in the Exchange Competition, allowing us to track your movements. But the requirement was to wipe out the entire Canglan Star Region, except for you, who they wanted captured alive.

After we made the deal with this official, someone else approached us and offered the latest weapon specs of the Canglan Star Region in exchange for your death on the resource planet.

Turns out, we already had your weapon specs, so that second guy was clueless."

Shi Zao then mocked Cang Cheng, "I didn't think you were this weak, yet you've got so many enemies in Canglan. What's up with that?"

The information Shi Zao provided caused dramatic changes in the expressions of Yi Moshang and the others.

Someone had set up a plan to wipe out the Canglan Star Region in the Exchange Competition?

And someone wants Cang Cheng dead?

And the leak of the weapon specs... what was going on?

There was no reason for the other party to lie, so... was all of this true?

They had only heard the official, sugar-coated version of events in the Canglan Star Region, so they were completely blindsided by this lethal information.

It turns out that other star systems had been eyeing Canglan with envy. It turned out that the military of the Canglan Star Region had already been betrayed, with their weapon intelligence sold out.

Yet they had known nothing about it.

Shi Zao enjoyed watching the faces of the Canglan people change, thinking this star region was quite interesting.

On the surface, everything seemed peaceful, but underneath, things were boiling over.

"As a parting gift, I've told you everything. Now, it's time to send you off, Canglan's little lambs!"

"Someone among your rulers has turned traitor. They want you dead, so goodbye."

Shi Zao lifted his foot, preparing to crush the people of Canglan into oblivion.

Danmaku:

"What did they just say? Why did everyone's faces suddenly change?"

"Anyone here good with languages?! Quick, analyze this!"

"The camera didn't even show a clear shot, even a linguistic expert can't analyze it!"

"Is the fifth prince trying to negotiate? Does this look like a failed negotiation?"

"I can't bear to watch!!"

"No, don't!!"

...

Despite the immense danger, Cang Cheng still wore that same faint smile, even though he knew the hidden truths of the Canglan Star Region.

But beneath that smile, a cold, sharp edge lingered.

"I'm afraid I can't let you have your way."

As he spoke, Cang Cheng removed the black fur ball brooch from his chest and detached the swinging black tail.

Then he tossed the small black tail toward Shi Zao's massive body.

Shi Zao completely dismissed the black tail.

This thing was no more powerful than a B-grade bomb, and with his strength doubled, it posed no threat to him.

However, the moment the black tail touched Shi Zao's body, he was hit with excruciating pain, realizing too late that he had grossly underestimated the power of the Canglan Star Region's weapons.

Blinding white light obscured Shi Zao's vision, and his massive stone body crumbled into dust.

The deafening explosion ruptured his eardrums, leaving him completely deaf.

Unbearable agony tore through him.

What... just happened?

Instinctively, Shi Zao looked down and saw that his body, legs, and one arm had already been disintegrated in the explosion, leaving nothing but an empty void.

How was that possible?

What kind of bomb could have this much power?!

As a sense of weightlessness overcame him, Shi Zao's head, like a ball, rolled to the ground and spun a few circles.

In the end, he stared directly at the direction where Cang Cheng stood, baring his teeth in a snarl.

He couldn't understand.

He couldn't comprehend.

He found the world absurd.

After being enhanced, Shi Zao's body was on par with an S-grade Awakened, so how could he be reduced to such a state by a tiny bomb?

What kind of bomb was this?

How could it have such immense power?

How was such a bomb brought into the Exchange Competition venue?

What was happening? What was happening? What was happening?!

From this moment on, everything spiraled out of Shi Zao's control.

No... wait, ever since the two leaders from the Giant Rock Star Region were defeated, the tide of victory had already begun to tilt towards the Canglan Star Region.

Amidst the smoke, Cang Cheng strolled leisurely towards the half-human-sized stone head.

The body below the head had already begun to regenerate under the effect of energy, slowly growing bit by bit.

Cang Cheng felt no sense of crisis as he reached out and poked the regenerating body of Shi Zao.

The newly formed tissue wasn't as hard as rock; it had about the same firmness as a human's tensed muscle.

"So, it's not hard from the start?"

"At what point does it develop the hardening trait, then?"

"If I knew more about the Giant Rock Star people, could I improve the spirit runes?"

Cang Cheng was lost in thought, his pure black eyes growing even deeper.

The wind around him gently dispersed the smoke, and his black hair swayed softly, occasionally brushing against his flawless face, enhancing his striking presence.

Shi Zao only had a head, with no limbs to move.

Despite this, Shi Zao couldn't help but feel the danger radiating from Cang Cheng.

Though the other still wore that delicate face, the unrestrained calmness gave Shi Zao an overwhelming sense of panic, like a mountain pressing down on him.

Sweat trickled down his forehead.

Shi Zao: "You're not just any civilian—you're an Awakened!"

Cang Cheng casually replied, "Ah, so what if I am?"

"Why did you pretend to be a civilian to enter the Exchange Competition? What's your true goal?"

"We've all been deceived!"

Shi Zao had concocted a scenario in his mind of the fifth prince of the Canglan Star Region being dissatisfied with the status quo, secretly developing his strength, and finally making a grand return to reclaim everything in a classic prince's revenge story.

But in the next moment, this assumption was shattered by a single sentence from Cang Cheng.

Cang Cheng tilted his head, somewhat puzzled, "Purpose? My participation in the Exchange Competition was all arranged by my third brother, wasn't it?"

Shi Zao then remembered that it was indeed the case.

So... was the third prince deliberately seeking cooperation with them, only to send the fifth prince, a powerful weapon, into the Exchange Competition to wipe out the Giant Rock Star people?

That sly third prince.

Pretending to cooperate while actually setting them up!

Shi Zao imagined another political drama, like the brothers conspiring together to deceive foreign enemies, while the Canglan Star Region secretly developed unknown weapons.

The more he thought about it, the more terrifying the Canglan Star Region seemed to him. Externally, there was Hilmeth, the great warrior, and in the shadows, there was the mysterious fifth prince, Cang Cheng.

Why did he ever think he could defeat the competitors from the Canglan Star Region before the Exchange Competition?

Why had he been so mistaken?

Cang Cheng looked at Shi Zao's nearly fully regenerated body, contemplating whether to let it grow freely or to freeze it.

Finally, sensing the rapidly approaching presence, Cang Cheng chose to freeze it.

Magic condensed at his fingertips, and fluid, fluorescent blue strokes were drawn. The next moment, the spirit runes were completed.

With a sharp wind and extreme cold, in an instant, Shi Zao's fragile new body began to shiver from the cold.

"What is this?"

His body, encased in ice, had stopped growing, and the bone-chilling cold felt like it could freeze the very soul.

The ice spread rapidly upwards and soon froze half of Shi Zao.

It was only then that Shi Zao realized Cang Cheng hadn't used any weapon; he had merely gathered energy with his fingers.

"This isn't a weapon's effect—it's a Spirit Rune! You're a Spirit Rune Master!"

Shi Zao seemed to have found the answer, yet he was still filled with confusion.

Aren't the Spirit Runes of the Canglan Star Region supposed to be just for support?

How is it possible to achieve this level?

It seems our intel was wrong—those from the Canglan Star Region are more devious than we thought.

The polar ice rapidly gathered, the clinking of ice layers and the howling wind composing a symphony of nature. After a few minutes, the intense snowfall finally eased off.

Shi Zao was encased in an ice sculpture, his mutilated body twisted in a grotesque expression.

Cang Cheng didn't kill him; he just froze him to extract the information from his mind.

At that moment, Cang Cheng seemed to sense something.

He raised his eyes and looked through the wind and snow towards a certain place, his lips involuntarily curling upwards.

Suddenly, a figure burst through the swirling snow, arriving directly in front of Cang Cheng.

Hilmeth's silver hair and clothes were dusted with icy crystals, giving him an aura of coldness.

However, his gaze was bright, and his gray eyes seemed to reflect the golden glow of dawn, extremely charming.

At the sight of Hilmeth, Cang Cheng's mood lifted, and his dark eyes sparkled.

He stepped forward, gently lifting a strand of her hair before letting it fall, and said with a playful smile, "Congrats, Princess Xixi, on escaping the dragon's lair."