290: Slap Ruimuguo

Duan Yao was so angry she almost laughed from under the stage, pointing at Tengta Kang and about to curse.

“Is he an idiot?! Meow!

The officials never stipulated that we couldn't bring attribute necklaces or weapons, but he’s unbalanced now!

If he’s so good, he should get some too!”

Gu Xiaoyue tugged at her sleeve and leaned close to Duan Yao’s ear.

“He’s undoubtedly an idiot, but this is a global live broadcast, Miss Duan, keep your voice down.

It wouldn’t be good if malicious people edited it to smear Longguo!”

Duan Yao knew Gu Xiaoyue was right, but she still couldn't help but spit.

“Disgusting!”

Chu Li on the stage also found Tengta Kang’s statement ridiculous, shrugging his shoulders with a helpless expression.

“Why don't you go tell the officials that pets aren't allowed to wear jewelry, weapons, or other materials that increase attributes in the future?

Including the attribute crystal on your pet's head!”

The World Championships is a stage provided for capable individuals from various countries. The National Team receives huge subsidies and discounted resources.

It’s meant to cultivate strong individuals. If even strengthening materials and equipment can’t be used, then shouldn’t other rare treasures that enhance pet abilities and levels also be restricted?

Tengta Kang’s statement was simply absurd, but he also wanted to try a different approach, provoking Chu Li to weaken his own abilities.

At this moment, Chu Li stared intently at the three pets beside Tengta Kang, their foreheads flashing with large, red attribute crystals.

“How about it? You dig out your attribute crystal, and I’ll take off my attribute jewelry. Wouldn’t that be fairer?”

Chu Li scoffed, seemingly relaxed but not letting his guard down in the slightest.

Tengta Kang gritted his teeth, and the two exchanged a few more blows.

Chu Li was clearly at ease, while Tengta Kang was already showing signs of fatigue.

His body was not as resilient as Chu Li's, who exercised year-round, nor was his Mental Power as strong.

Gu Xiaoyue shook her head and chuckled from below the stage. On the surface, it seemed like a single-attribute duel, but in the later stages, it was actually a test of the contestants' Mental Power.

When the combat power itself is evenly matched and comparable, dragging out the fight means seeing whose Mental Power can last longer!

So she didn't really understand why the World Championships insisted on adding single-attribute competitions.

How many of the dozens of extra medals could be won by the small countries that proposed the additional matches?

It was nothing more than being divided among a few major powers.

Especially strong nations like Longguo, Ephis, and Lijian Country, which already have a multitude of experts.

Tengta Kang’s forehead was already covered in large beads of sweat. He was breathing heavily, seemingly at the end of his rope.

Suddenly, he let out a loud roar, and a giant fire snake whistled as it attacked Chu Li.

It should be over, Gu Xiaoyue thought to herself.

Tengta Kang must have used all his strength, hoping to defeat his opponent in one move, to put himself in a desperate situation and then find a way out. If this move failed, he would surely lose on the spot.

To his despair, the Huan Tian Yan Mastiff devoured all of Tengta Kang’s fire snake as if it couldn’t get enough.

Only a few sparks were left floating and swaying in the air on the entire stage.

“My turn!”

Chu Li raised his hand to command the Crimson-Eyed Scorching Beast, and a ring of fire descended from the sky, encircling Tengta Kang and his pets.

At this point, Tengta Kang, utterly exhausted, slumped to the ground, watching the fire circle shrink from large to small.

Eventually, it became a small circle with a diameter of less than three meters.

If it shrank any further, he and his pets would probably be burned to ashes!

“Still not surrendering?!”

Chu Li's eyes glowed brilliantly, reflecting the firelight, as he continued to command his pet to shrink the fire circle, barely contracting it to less than two meters in diameter.

The towering flames almost engulfed Tengta Kang and his pets!

The Rui Mu Country team members shouted from the edge of the stage, urging Tengta Kang to surrender and conserve his strength.

If he continued, it would likely affect his subsequent matches.

The person in the flames remained unmoved, seemingly still waiting for a reversal.

But the Rui Mu Country referee couldn't stand it anymore; he couldn't lose the captain of the Rui Mu Country National Team over this fire-attribute single-attribute preliminary match!

He surrendered on behalf of Tengta Kang to the referee.

The referee received the information and immediately blew the whistle, signaling the end of the match. Chu Li also retracted his fire circle skill at the first opportunity.

The Longguo audience in the stands cheered enthusiastically, a slap in the face to Rui Mu Country's arrogance before the match!

Tengta Kang knelt on the stage, his pets shielding him completely with their bodies, leaving only some smoke stains on his face.

His pets' clothes, however, were burnt to shreds, and their original fur was likely scorched in many places.

Rui Mu Country's assistants rushed onto the stage, dragging and carrying Tengta Kang to the infirmary.

He shouldn't have been injured; he simply couldn't bear the thought of losing to a Longguo contestant.

Perhaps if he had lost to the captain of the Longguo National Team, he might have felt more balanced.

Or perhaps he was overly confident in his fire attribute and wanted to win a medal but was defeated in the preliminaries, unable to face the Rui Mu Country audience.

Chu Li recalled his pets, easily jumped off the stage, and sat between Coach Huo and Gu Xiaoyue.

His hand couldn't help but tremble slightly. Gu Xiaoyue knew he had also used up all his strength and Mental Power, so she secretly slipped him a hua yu fruit.

“Good boy, well done!”

Coach Huo looked at Chu Li's slightly pale lips, patted his shoulder in approval, and then hurried off to supervise the matches in other venues.

“The Rui Mu Country contestant was quite tough, and you played a brilliant match!”

Duan Yao also leaned over and patted Chu Li's shoulder, but he was in the middle of eating the hua yu fruit, and being patted from behind by Duan Yao almost made him choke.

“Ugh—cough, cough—”

Charlie, holding Chu Li’s cheering light stick, bounced over and also praised him for his brilliant match.

“Chu, the quality of this match is even higher than the National Competition back then!”

“Cough, cough, then please don’t bring this when you come to watch matches in the future, okay?”

Chu Li swallowed the hua yu fruit in his mouth, pointing at the gaudy light stick with both disdain and embarrassment.

“Xiao Yue doesn’t like it either, but I think it looks great! Especially on camera!”

Charlie once again held the light stick above his head and swayed it, his body twisting a few times.

Only then did Gu Xiaoyue and Chu Li realize that he was trying to get screen time and attention on the World Championships live broadcast!

Even if it was only for a fleeting moment, less than a second, his light stick was so conspicuous, and combined with his handsome face, it was bound to leave a deeper impression on more viewers!

A thought suddenly flashed through Gu Xiaoyue’s mind: would Charlie’s screen time at the World Championships be seen by Harry, or even the Dark Night Baron Bandit Group?

They wouldn't act against World Championships contestants, but that didn't mean they would let Charlie, this human cash cow, wander around freely.

However, Charlie spent most of his time in the village, watching Gu Xiaoyue and the others' matches from morning till night, even paying a high price to stay in the competition area's dormitory.

Even if the bandit group wanted to make a move, they didn't have the opportunity for now.

Gu Xiaoyue sighed softly, hoping it was just her overthinking!

“Duan, if you encounter Chu in a later match, what will you do? Will you be ruthless or go easy?”

Charlie knew that Duan Yao had also signed up for the single fire attribute competition, as well as ice and Thunder Attribute.

“Then why don’t you also ask Xiao Yue, if she encounters me in a Thunder Attribute duel, will she be ruthless or go easy?”

Duan Yao pouted, glared at him, and threw the question back.

“Xiao Yue, what do you say?”

Charlie tilted his head and asked Gu Xiaoyue, his eyes clear and showing a hint of innocent cuteness.

Gu Xiaoyue rubbed her nose, “Let’s just treat it as a sparring match. We’ll fight with our full strength, but stop before anyone gets hurt. That’s all.”

Chu Li glanced at the schedule. He wouldn't have very formidable opponents in the near future, except for Duan Yao, Narciso from Ephis, and Isabella from Lijian Country.

This way, he could easily enter the top eight, with a bit of luck, make it to the top four, and even contend for third or second place.

A day later, it was Gu Xiaoyue, Shui Lingyu, and Qian Mingyu's turn to participate in the Mental Power single-attribute duels.

Gu Xiaoyue was against Leo from Kenny Country, and Shui Lingyu was against a little-known contestant from a small country.

Qian Mingyu's opponent was actually Kelo from Faner Country, who was You Ni's fair-weather friend.

It was unclear if it was because Mental Power duels were quickly decided, but their three schedules were also arranged quite tightly.

“Qian Mingyu, why do you look a bit thinner?”

From Gu Xiaoyue’s perspective, she hadn’t actually seen Qian Mingyu in over two years.

Although they were both participating in the World Championships this time, they didn’t train together and hadn’t seen each other much.

In her memory, Qian Mingyu was a bit rounder and had a more youthful and adorable expression than he did now.

“Hmm, you noticed! I actually started working out and losing weight!

Before, my method for training Mental Power was meditation, and I didn't move much. My uncle said I was too fat and should exercise.

Not only can it strengthen the body and help with weight loss, but it's also a way to temper Mental Power.”