Chapter 276 Gold Fourth Tier! Who's playing dumb to fool the enemy?!

Time seemed to freeze in Chu Yunfei's world.

He stood rooted to the spot.

His ears were buzzing.

In his line of sight, only his Sky-Swallowing Sun Moon Wolf remained, collapsed among the rubble, half covered in ice and half charred black, whimpering in pain.

That miserable appearance,

contrasted sharply with its overbearing posture just a moment ago when it unleashed its terrifying might and used Sun Moon Devouring Heaven.

It formed a blindingly sharp contrast.

Lost?

Just like that... lost?

Even after using his strongest trump card?

In a situation where he intended to settle everything with one blow?

To be crushed head-on... by a single skill... from the opponent?

"No... impossible..."

Chu Yunfei's lips trembled.

He made a faint sound that even he could barely hear.

A cold chill rushed from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head, then turned into a raging fire of humiliation and resentment, burning his internal organs with a twisting pain.

He suddenly looked up.

His blood-red eyes stared fixedly at the still-calm Jiang Yun across from him, and at Little Fire, who was suspended in the air, its Water and Fire Spiritual Light slowly receding as if it had just finished stretching its limbs.

The aura of that dragon-shaped beast... seemed a bit weaker than before.

It had returned to that majestic but restrained state.

It was as if that world-destroying blow just now hadn't cost it anything at all.

But!

How was that possible?!

It had just unleashed a terrifying attack sufficient to crush Sun Moon Devouring Heaven!

"How is it possible... how is it possible?!"

Chu Yunfei's voice suddenly rose.

It became sharp and raspy.

Filled with unbelievable madness.

"My Sky-Swallowing Sun Moon Wolf... is at the Gold Rank Six Peak! It's a powerful beast that ranks eighty-seventh on the earth ranking in the Sky Dome Academy among nearly ten thousand Prodigies! Your beast... how could your beast possibly defeat it?! And with just one move?!"

He seemed to grasp at the last straw, countless thoughts flashing through his mind before finally converging into an explanation that felt somewhat reasonable to him.

"A True Dragon Species? No! Impossible! True Dragons have long been extinct! Even if there were any, they are definitely not something a human could contract and control!"

He shook his head violently.

His eyes were locked onto Little Fire.

"You... did you hide your cultivation?! Yes! It must be so! Your beast is definitely not just at the Low-tier Gold Rank! You deliberately hid your aura to pretend to be a pig to eat the tiger! Otherwise, how could it have such ridiculous combat power?! How could it leapfrog ranks and even insta-kill my ultimate move?!"

Chu Yunfei's roar echoed across the battle stage.

It also spread throughout the silent Colosseum.

These words,

instantly stirred up a thousand waves!

In the stands,

the scholars who were still immersed in that crushing victory were first stunned, then broke into an uproar!

"Hidden cultivation?!"

"Right! Why didn't I think of that! A Gold Rank beast, no matter how strong its Bloodline or how abnormal its skills, shouldn't be strong to this extent!"

"Instantly defeating a Gold Rank Six Peak that used its ultimate move in one blow... I'd believe it if you said it was a High-tier Gold Rank!"

"Pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger? It's very likely! This Heavenly Saint Student has an SSS-Rank Talent after all, who knows if that mysterious talent has the ability to hide his aura?"

"I knew it, how could it be so ridiculous! It turns out he was hiding his true Realm!"

"Although Chu Yunfei lost, putting it this way... it seems it's not completely unacceptable? After all, the opponent's Realm might not be low?"

"But if he really hid his cultivation, then this Heavenly Saint Student's heart is quite deep... deliberately showing a low Realm to lure Chu Yunfei into underestimating him, then using a one-hit kill to establish his prestige?"

The discussions instantly became noisy and intense.

Many scholars who were originally shocked beyond measure by Little Fire's combat power now seemed to have found a reasonable explanation. Their emotions shifted from pure shock to suspicion and doubt, and some even felt that Jiang Yun's victory was unsportsmanlike, that he had intentionally set a trap.

Some geniuses who were already dissatisfied with Jiang Yun's Heavenly Saint Student status and arrogant declaration also had their eyes flickering now.

That White-robed Woman,

a trace of thought flashed through her cold eyes.

"Hidden cultivation? If so, it would explain that explosive power... but does an SSS-Rank Talent need such small tricks to establish prestige?"

The Sturdy Youth frowned.

A playful smile appeared on his rugged face.

"Interesting! Hiding cultivation to pretend to be a pig to eat the tiger? Or... does his beast really have the ability to explode with this level of combat power at a low Realm? I'm more inclined towards the latter; what was contained in that Dragon Breath didn't seem simple."

On the gnarled branches of the ancient pine,

the Green-robed Youth shook his head slightly.

"The heart is in disarray; it's just the barking of a loser. The Realm might be hidden, but that near-Origin control and Fusion of water and fire power within that Dragon Breath cannot be hidden. This beast is certainly extraordinary."

In a stand with an excellent view,

Feng Qianyuan's originally gloomy and solemn face eased slightly, and the corners of his mouth even curled back into his usual superior arc.

"Hidden cultivation? That's a plausible reason. Chu Yunfei, that trash, losing to an opponent who hid their Realm is still embarrassing, but it sounds better than actually being insta-killed while being two ranks higher."

He thought to himself.

His gaze swept over Jiang Yun, and his wariness lessened slightly.

Disdain resurfaced.

"So what if he really has a High-tier Gold Rank beast? Challenging all the Prodigies in the academy isn't something you can sustain just by hiding your cultivation..."

Facing Chu Yunfei's nearly hysterical questioning and the suddenly shifting suspicious gazes of the entire crowd, Jiang Yun's response was merely a very light yet clearly audible... scoff.

In that laughter,

there was undisguised contempt and disdain.

He tilted his head slightly,

looking at the maddened Chu Yunfei.

His tone was as flat as if he were stating a simple fact.

"Our Senior Chu..."

"Is this a case of being a sore loser and starting to find excuses for yourself?"

"You!!!"

Chu Yunfei was so choked by this blunt and piercing mockery that he almost couldn't catch his breath, his face turning blue and white in turns, feeling humiliated and resentful.

He pointed a finger at Jiang Yun,

his finger trembling.

"Jiang Yun! Stop being so sarcastic! If you have the ability, show the true Realm of your beast! Let everyone see if you've hidden anything! If your beast is truly at the Low-tier Gold Rank, I, Chu Yunfei, will admit defeat today! If not... you are a despicable person! You won unfairly!"

"Right! Show your true Realm!"

"Heavenly Saint Student, dare to act and dare to take responsibility!"

"Let us see if you are really pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger!"

In the stands,

some scholars who supported Chu Yunfei or were already unhappy with Jiang Yun also joined in the clamor, and the noise swelled again.

The disdainful arc on Jiang Yun's face widened slightly.

He shook his head gently,

as if sighing at the other's ignorance and ridiculousness.

No explanation.

No extra nonsense.

He just lightly took a step forward.

Just one step.

But at the moment his foot landed,

"Ang!!!"

Little Fire, circling above his head,

seemed to be in perfect sync with his heart.

It suddenly let out a short and high-pitched Dragon Roar!

At the same time,

it no longer deliberately restrained its aura!

Boom!

An aura far more majestic, more solid, and more blazing than the previous Low-tier Gold Rank appearance erupted from Little Fire's twenty-meter-long dragon body like a long-suppressed volcano!

The red-gold scales shone brightly, the sound of flowing water dragon patterns on the left was clearly audible, and the heat waves from the blazing auspicious clouds on the right rolled out!

A thick and powerful surge of spiritual energy unique to Gold Rank lifeforms swept out without reservation!

This wave,

in the Divine Sense of Beast Tamers skilled in perception, clearly displayed its level.

It wasn't the instability of someone who had just entered the Gold Rank!

Nor was it the weakness of Gold Rank one or two!

It was... Gold Rank Four!

And its Foundation was incredibly solid, its spiritual energy condensed; it had clearly stabilized for quite some time after the Breakthrough!

Whoa!!!

If the previous event was like a boulder falling into water,

then this moment was like a Meteor crashing into the sea!

The entire Colosseum was once again submerged in a more intense, more absurd, and more unbelievable wave of shock!

"Gol... Gold Rank Four?!"

"It really is Gold Rank Four! Although it's only rank four, this aura is very solid!"

"Holy shit! It's not low-tier, and it's not high-tier... it's Gold Rank Four?! Has he just entered the Mid-tier Gold Rank?"

"It's a full two minor Realms lower than Chu Yunfei's beast?!"

"Two Realms lower... and then he insta-killed the opponent who used an ultimate move?!"

"This... this is even more ridiculous than hiding his cultivation to a high-tier rank!!!"

Everyone was stunned!

Completely stunned!

They were just guessing whether Jiang Yun had hidden a high-tier cultivation,

to find a bit of reasonable comfort.

After all, a leapfrog insta-kill of a Genius was too terrifying!

But now,

reality gave them an even louder slap in the face!

He hadn't hidden it to a high-tier.

He was a genuine Gold Rank Four!

Lower than Chu Yunfei's beast's Realm!

In a lower Realm situation,

he leapfrogged two ranks,

crushing the opponent's strongest ultimate move head-on,

and heavily injuring its main body!

What kind of concept was that?

This had completely overturned their understanding of the beast combat power system!

It wasn't that leapfrog battles among geniuses didn't exist.

Cases of those at the top of the Earth Ranking defeating opponents one minor rank higher also existed.

Or for a beast with monstrous talent to leapfrog some Common Beast Tamers, it was normal for their combat power to cross four or five ranks.

But like this,

with a Realm clearly lower than the opponent's, when the opponent used their bottom-of-the-barrel ultimate move, not only did he block it, but he also crushed it in one blow with a heavy injury effect... it was unheard of!

Never seen before!

And Chu Yunfei was a Prodigy on the Earth Ranking!

He wasn't some Common Beast Tamer... yet he was easily leapfrog insta-killed... "Gol... Gold Rank Four..."

Chu Yunfei was as if struck by lightning, staggering back a step, his face as pale as a sheet, the madness and doubt in his eyes like fragile glass, instantly shattered by this cruel reality.

All his excuses,

all his self-comfort,

at this moment, appeared so ridiculous and pale.

The Realm gap was real.

It was even larger than he thought.

But the result?

His beast lost even more miserably!

An indescribable sense of frustration and deep helplessness, like a cold tide, completely submerged him.

In a corner at the edge of the Colosseum,

the expressions of Zhao Tiezhu, Lin Kuo, Xiao Yutian, and the other C City youths could no longer be described in words.

"Gol... Gold... Rank Four?"

Zhao Tiezhu rubbed his eyes hard.

Then he picked at his ears,

doubting if he was having hallucinations or hearing things.

A little over a month ago,

during the C City competition,

Jiang Yun clearly showed Bronze Rank strength!

Even if he might have hidden it later,

how long had it been?

A little over a month!

From Bronze to Gold Rank Four?!

Even riding a spaceship wouldn't be this fast?!

Lin Kuo only felt his head spinning.

He held onto the nearby stone wall to barely stand steady.

The muscles on his face twitched uncontrollably.

"Rank four... one move... insta-killed the rank six who is eighty-seventh on the earth ranking..."

In his mind, he constantly replayed the scene of that blue-white Dragon Breath crushing the dark vortex, and then thinking of this Realm, a sense of gap close to despair made him feel cold all over.

They were still working hard to break through to the Silver Rank,

while the opponent could already casually insta-kill High-tier Gold Rank geniuses?

Xiao Yutian's small mouth was even more wide open in an 'O' shape.

He couldn't close it for a long time.

Besides shock in his eyes,

there was only a near-worshipful blankness.

He could no longer understand Jiang Yun's level.

In the stands,

those true geniuses

also completely withdrew their last trace of contempt.

The White-robed Woman whispered to herself,

"Gold Rank Four... to actually have such prowess. That Dragon Breath is by no means comparable to ordinary skills."

The playful smile on the Sturdy Youth's face disappeared,

replaced by solemnity.

"Rank four... it seems it's not hidden cultivation, but a real monster. That amplification skill and Fusion Dragon Breath must be of an extremely high grade."

The Green-robed Youth's fingertips lightly brushed over the scabbard on his lap.

The Sword Intent in his eyes grew even stronger.

"At Gold Rank Four, he has this kind of combat power. SSS-Rank Talent... it truly lives up to its reputation. I'm actually looking forward to his next performance; some people probably won't be able to hold back from taking action now..."

Just as the entire arena was being hit by the second wave of shock triggered by the true Realm of Gold Rank Four, causing hearts to falter and noise to fill the sky,

a cold, arrogant voice, filled with undisguised ridicule and a commanding tone, like a sharp icicle, suddenly pierced through all the noise, clearly echoing above the Colosseum and in everyone's ears.

"Trash is trash, a loss is a loss, why all the noisy excuses? Since you've lost, hurry up and get lost with your half-dead piece of garbage, don't make a fool of yourself here!"

The voice wasn't loud,

but it contained powerful Divine Soul power,

directly suppressing the noise on the scene,

carrying a condescending indifference and unquestionable dominance!

This sudden voice

made the entire scene instantly go silent!

Everyone, including the mentally broken Chu Yunfei, the various geniuses with different expressions, and even the beings observing from the shadows, subconsciously followed the sound and looked in the direction it came from.

There,

a blurred figure seemed to be leaning back in his seat, his posture casual, yet naturally emitting a stern and inviolable aura.

That sentence just now obviously came from his mouth.

Who was it?

To actually dare to speak in such a tone?