69: Chapter 69 A Net of Heaven and Earth

The sudden change in the semi-final rules was like a massive boulder crashing into a calm lake, stirring up a monstrous wave across the entire deity circles of Jiangnan Province.

"Vast Illusory Realm, a multi-person free-for-all? Is this the Prodigy Tournament or a Battle Royale?"

"Aren't these rules a bit too unfriendly to Jiang Xun? He's offended so many noble families before; isn't it obvious he's going to be ganged up on?"

"Don't be stupid, person above me. What do you mean 'unfriendly'? This is an overt attempt to get him killed! Li Ang, Lu Tao, and Jiangnans First Shield—those guys he personally eliminated—are all still waiting in the revival pool!"

The internet was abuzz with discussion, and countless eyes were focused on the young man who had been pushed into the eye of the storm.

There was sympathy, there was schadenfreude, but more than anything, people were waiting to watch a good show.

However, as the person at the center of the storm, Jiang Xun's hotel room was a picture of silence.

He had drawn the curtains, isolating himself from all the noise of the outside world.

The virtual light screen on the table wasn't playing any news; instead, it was repeatedly playing all the previous match recordings of Li Ang, Lu Tao, and Jiangnans First Shield.

He watched very carefully, fast-forwarding and pausing from time to time, his fingertips tracing over the light screen, leaving behind trails of analysis.

"Old Zhang, the invitation to this 'Hongmen Banquet' has already been shoved right in my face."

Jiang Xun called Lame Zhang and got straight to the point.

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line before Lame Zhang's voice, sounding like sandpaper rubbing together, came through.

"Then flip the table and slaughter the host."

No nonsense, just direct and blunt.

"There are four opponents, and the venue is a complex and ever-changing illusory realm. They will definitely use the terrain and their numerical advantage to divide and surround me, taking me down one by one."

"No."

Lame Zhang directly refuted his statement.

"You're giving them too much credit. Those young masters raised in greenhouses are fine when things are going their way, but once they face a setback, they won't think about tactics. Instead, they'll use the stupidest, most direct way to maximize their advantage."

"They won't play any games of dividing and surrounding you; that's too slow. They'll only do one thing—assemble! They'll use four times the power to find you immediately, then use their strongest attacks to crush you instantly, giving you no chance to turn the tables."

Lame Zhang's words made Jiang Xun's eyes light up.

He had been deducing based on the logic of classic battles from his past life, but he had overlooked his opponents' personalities.

"I understand."

"You understand jack squat!"

Lame Zhang scolded him unceremoniously.

"Kid, remember, there are no absolute dead ends on the battlefield. Traps and hunting grounds are often separated by a thin line. Since you know they're going to assemble for a heavy assault, your task isn't to defend, but to choose the battlefield and guide them into the grave you've prepared for them!"

"When they think they're the hunters, let them taste what it's like to be the prey!"

After hanging up, Jiang Xun already had a clear battle plan in his mind.

He closed his eyes, and his consciousness sank into his Divine Kingdom.

The Divine Kingdom was more bustling now than ever before.

The newly plundered Titan Barrier and Water-Marsh Civilization occupied two corners of the Divine Kingdom, clearly demarcated like two neighbors who didn't know each other.

"Don't just stand around, get to work!"

Jiang Xun's Divine Sense echoed through the sky above the Divine Kingdom.

First, the modification.

He didn't rush to expand. Instead, he extracted the core divinity of the Titan Barrier, which was a dense, heavy, earthy-yellow energy.

He didn't use it to build new defensive fortifications. Instead, he shattered it and fused it into the skeletons of every Undead Knight.

*Crackle, crackle.*

The Undead Knights made bone-grinding sounds as an obsidian-like luster began to emerge on their frames, making their originally fragile bones indestructible.

When facing a siege, the most reliable defense isn't a wall, but the individual armor of every soldier.

Next was the Water-Marsh Civilization.

Jiang Xun similarly extracted its core, a mass of soft blue energy.

He bestowed this energy upon the Human Race believers in the Divine Kingdom.

They didn't grow scales like the mermen, but a layer of shimmering water film appeared on their skin, which they could control at will.

This water film could refract different colors under various lighting, allowing them to blend into their surroundings.

In the upcoming swamp forest terrain, this would be the best camouflage.

Finally, the Orcs.

Jiang Xun moved all the Orc warriors to the edge of the Divine Kingdom, making them frantically clear wasteland and create traps.

But these traps weren't meant to kill enemies.

They were massive in scale but crude in structure, filled with obvious flaws, as if they had been dug haphazardly by a novice.

Everything was ready.

Jiang Xun's consciousness withdrew from the Divine Kingdom.

He checked the time; there was one hour left before the match started.

He didn't go to familiarize himself with the venue, nor did he do any final meditation. Instead, he opened the hotel's room service and ordered the most expensive tomahawk steak set.

One needs strength to work after eating their fill.

The semi-final arena was already bustling with noise.

The massive holographic screen displayed the status of the four contestants in real-time.

Li Ang, Lu Tao, Jiangnans First Shield, and Gui Ying stood side-by-side, their faces bearing undisguised murderous intent and greed, as if they could already see the dawn of victory.

On the other side, beneath Jiang Xun's avatar, it was grayed out, displaying "Preparing."

"What is that guy doing? The match is about to start, and he's still not here?"

"Maybe he's scared and doesn't dare to show up?"

"Haha, very likely! After all, it's four against one!"

Amidst the crowd's discussions, the gates to the contestant tunnel leading to the arena finally opened slowly.

Jiang Xun walked out at an unhurried pace.

He had changed into a clean, white combat suit, and there was even a faint, satisfied smile on his face, as if he had just finished a hearty meal.

He walked to the teleportation area and stood still.

As if sensing the four murderous gazes from opposite him, he looked up and adjusted the thin-framed glasses on the bridge of his nose. The gaze behind the lenses was calm and profound.

He looked at those four faces across from him, which were practically screaming "We are the hunters," and his lips curled up slightly into a playful smile.

"Finally, everyone's here."

He said softly in his mind.

"Four deliveries... I hope the packaging is sturdy. Don't make it too easy for me to unbox you."