61: Chapter 61 The Eve of the Storm

When Deputy Chief Referee Sun Zhiyuan's cold and clear voice spread to every corner of the main arena through the amplifying divine art, time seemed to freeze for a moment.

Immediately after, that brief stillness was completely shattered, transforming into a deafening roar that rose like a massive tidal wave, nearly lifting the arena's dome.

"Are you kidding me! Facing Long Ao directly? What kind of draw is this?"

"Rigged! This is absolutely rigged! How could it be such a coincidence? He just took first in his group, and now he's facing last year's runner-up? This is giving him no way out!"

"This is too much bullying! Jiang Xun clearly fought his way up with skill; why target him like this? That Deputy Chief Referee surnamed Sun, I bet he's using public office to settle a private grudge!"

The stands erupted completely. Countless spectators supporting Jiang Xun stood up in anger, pointing at Sun Zhiyuan on the high platform and cursing loudly. They might not have understood the struggles between great families, but they understood the competition and what fairness meant. Jiang Xun had won them over with one impeccable victory after another, and seeing their hero so blatantly suppressed, their simple sense of justice was instantly ignited.

At the commentary booth, the two commentators looked at each other, their expressions extremely awkward.

"This... this draw result is indeed somewhat unexpected. As last year's runner-up, Long Ao's strength is beyond doubt. His S-grade 'Frost Dragon' civilization was almost unstoppable in last year's competition, making it all the way to the finals..."

One of the commentators tried to smooth things over with an official tone, but his voice clearly lacked conviction; even he felt his explanation was weak and hollow.

His partner, who was more straightforward, couldn't help but lower his voice and complain, "Why even bother smoothing it over? It's obvious someone doesn't want Jiang Xun to go any further. This behavior is simply too unsightly."

Inside the VIP section, the atmosphere was equally heavy.

Xu Qingran's face turned pale in an instant. Her eyes, which had been bright because of Jiang Xun's victory, were now filled with worry and anger. She clenched her fists tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force.

"How dare he! How could he do this!"

The smile on Old Baitou's face had long since vanished. He took off his reading glasses and slowly wiped them with a cloth. His movements were not fast, but his gaze became exceptionally sharp. He glanced at Sun Zhiyuan on the high platform, who remained expressionless despite the waves of insults, and then at the calm youth standing in the center of the storm below. A faint, imperceptible cold light flashed in the depths of his cloudy eyes.

And in the center of all this noise, Jiang Xun himself became the quietest person there.

He just quietly looked up, meeting Sun Zhiyuan's provocative and contemptuous gaze. There was no anger or panic on his face, not even a ripple of emotion. He just looked at the man calmly, as if watching a clown who had nothing to do with him.

Finally, he curled his lips into a faint smile and silently mouthed two words.

Sun Zhiyuan understood.

He said, "Thank you."

Thank you for sending me such a good stepping stone.

Sun Zhiyuan's expression instantly darkened further. He gave a cold snort and swept away, leaving the arena full of angry shouts and questioning voices behind him.

This unpleasant drawing ceremony quickly stirred up an even greater storm on the divine networks across the entire province.

#Jiangnan Prodigy Tournament Shocking Rigging#, #Jiang Xun VS Long Ao#, #Heartache for Jiang City Dark Horse# and other tags surged to the top of the trending lists on various platforms within half an hour.

For the first time, Jiang Xun's name burst into the vision of all deity enthusiasts in the province in such a dramatic way. He was no longer just a dark horse from Jiang City; he had become a symbol—a tragic hero who challenged the existing order and was forcefully suppressed because of it.

Beneath countless posts and videos were comments from indignant netizens.

"Too dark! I'd heard the Prodigy Tournament's waters were deep, but I didn't expect them to be this deep! This is trying to force a Genius to his death!"

"Although I sympathize with Jiang Xun, honestly, his chances against Long Ao really aren't great. The Frost Dragon counters Jiang Xun's Undead Sea too much. Last year, several prodigies' Divine Kingdoms were directly frozen into ice sculptures by him."

"Yeah, Jiang Xun is strong, but his foundation is too shallow after all, and his civilization is a mix. Long Ao is a top-tier Prodigy specializing in a single Dao with a deep Family foundation; he's not someone that trash Li Wei can compare to."

While public opinion sympathized with Jiang Xun, there was also general pessimism regarding his upcoming match.

On the other side, inside a heavily guarded private club, Li Wei—who had just lost all face at the arena—was staring at the news on the light screen with bloodshot eyes, his face a mix of satisfaction and malice.

He dialed an encrypted communication.

"Young Master Lu, you saw it, right? That kid is facing Long Ao in the next round. Deputy Chief Referee Sun has already made his move; he's dead for sure."

From the other end of the communication came a lazy and arrogant voice: "Long Ao is indeed strong, but what if that kid pulls some other trick? I don't want to face a monster that has devoured the Frost Dragon civilization when the time comes. We must have double insurance."

Li Wei's gaze became even more sinister: "I understand. I've already contacted several other guys who are dissatisfied with him. As long as he's lucky enough to get past Long Ao, we'll prepare a gift for him in the semifinals that he'll never forget for the rest of his life!"

"Very good," the voice laughed with satisfaction. "This matter is also Mr. Zhou's wish. He instructed that this Jiang Xun must not be allowed to enter the vision of the Taichu Academy. Once it's done, your rewards will not be lacking."

Li Wei replied respectfully, "Please rest assured, Mr. Zhou, we know what to do."

Hanging up the communication, Li Wei looked out at the brilliant night view of the city, a hideous smile appearing on his face.

Jiang Xun, you think you've won? The ones you've offended are the great families of the entire Jiangnan Province! I'll let you know that in the face of true power, a Genius is worth nothing!

The storm was brewing at an alarming speed.

That night, in Jiang Xun's hotel room.

The doorbell rang. Jiang Xun opened the door and saw Xu Qingran standing there with a complex expression.

"Is it convenient to come in and talk?" The girl's voice carried a hint of fatigue.

"Of course." Jiang Xun stepped aside to let her in.

The room was very quiet, as if it were a different world from the clamor outside.

Xu Qingran hesitated for a moment before getting straight to the point: "You... you know everything now, right? About Long Ao. You absolutely cannot take him lightly; he is really strong. His S-grade civilization, the 'Frost Dragon,' has true dragons as its core units. Not only is their Physical Body powerful, but their dragon breath also carries Law-level freezing effects that can directly freeze the energy flow of a Divine Kingdom. Last year, an A-grade flame civilization Prodigy had the volcanoes in his Divine Kingdom extinguished by a single breath from his dragon."

She said a lot in one breath, the worry in her tone impossible to hide.

Jiang Xun listened quietly. Only after she finished did he hand her a glass of warm water and smile. "I know. Thank you for coming specifically to tell me this."

His calmness surprised Xu Qingran and made her a bit anxious. "How can you not be worried at all? This is clearly a death trap set for you!"

Jiang Xun looked into her eyes filled with genuine concern, a hint of warmth flowing through his heart. He shook his head, his gaze carrying a composure that seemed to see through everything.

"If I were scared by this little display, I wouldn't have been able to make it here from Jiang City." He looked at the night view outside the window and said softly, "The more they want me to fall, the more it proves they are afraid of me standing up. Since they've handed me the ladder, there's no reason for me not to climb up."

Looking at the youth's profile, which appeared exceptionally steady under the light, Xu Qingran suddenly felt that all her worries seemed somewhat redundant.

She suddenly realized that the man before her had a Heart-Nature far more terrifying than the strength he displayed.

Just then, Jiang Xun's phone vibrated slightly.

He opened it to take a look. It was an encrypted message from "Old Ghost."

The content was very simple, just one sentence.

"Watch out for the silk-wearers and the water-players; they have already conspired together."

The silk-wearers referred to the Lu Family of Suhang, famous for their silk industry.

The water-players, naturally, were those prodigies with water-based civilizations.

Jiang Xun's pupils shrank slightly, and then a knowing smile appeared at the corners of his mouth.

It seemed that it wasn't just people in official positions who wanted him dead; those "geniuses" he had trampled upon were also impatient to huddle together for warmth and unite against him.

The storm had finally come.

Fine.

It saved him the trouble of looking for them one by one.