Chapter 28 : Changes in perception

"The winner is Zhou Yuze," the old man declared.

With a firm grip on Zhou Yuze's wrist, he channeled a surge of qi into his body, stabilizing his turbulent energy. The steady voice, combined with the infusion of power, helped Zhou Yuze gradually regain control. The blood-colored steam rising from his wounds slowly dissipated, and the eerie crimson glow in his eyes faded, returning them to their usual clarity.

Ah… I did it again, Zhou Yuze thought bitterly, lowering his head. A heavy silence had settled over the arena, and he didn't dare lift his gaze to meet the crowd's reaction. He knew this feeling all too well.

Oblivious to the tense atmosphere, the old man spoke once more.

"The next match will begin in three hours. You may take this pill to replenish your qi."

He extended a golden pill toward Zhou Yuze, who instantly recognized it—an energy pill designed to rapidly restore depleted qi. Accepting it with a quiet nod, Zhou Yuze murmured his thanks before making his way back to his seat, his head still lowered.

"That was a great match."

The familiar voice made him pause. Hesitantly, he lifted his gaze and found Chen Fan smiling at him.

"Ah… Th-thank you," Zhou Yuze stammered, caught off guard.

He had expected the usual reaction—fear, disgust, avoidance. In the past, whenever others witnessed his transformation, they recoiled in terror. To them, he was nothing more than a beast, a mindless creature consumed by violence, a murderer lost in his own berserk state. Cultivators, in particular, could sense it clearly—the murderous aura that surged from his every movement, as if he existed solely to tear his opponent apart.

Like a demon.

Noticing Zhou Yuze's hesitation and sensing the heavy atmosphere lingering in the arena, Chen Fan could easily guess what was running through his mind.

"Would you rather I avoid you instead?" Chen Fan teased, a light chuckle in his voice. He patted Zhou Yuze's shoulder reassuringly. "Don't overthink it. There are definitely people out there who won't care about what just happened—they're just too lazy to say anything."

He paused for a moment before adding, "Besides, in the cultivation world, strength reigns supreme. Only the weak and cowardly fear what they don't understand. What I see in you isn't something to be afraid of—it's potential."

Without waiting for a response, Chen Fan casually walked past him. "Come on, we've got three hours before our fight. Let's get something to eat first."

Hearing Chen Fan's words, Zhou Yuze was momentarily stunned. His voice overlapped with a distant memory—You're right, Mom.

He tried to control his expression, but the smile that formed on his lips came out slightly stiff and awkward. When his gaze accidentally met Bai Mulan's, he quickly averted his eyes, lowering his head. Without another thought, he turned around and hurried after Chen Fan, who was already walking away.

Just then, another young man with tanned skin approached them, making Zhou Yuze instinctively tense.

"Yo, brother! You're seriously strong. I never expected you to overwhelm the Jade Spirit Saint like that," Sun Xi said with a grin.

Zhou Yuze blinked in surprise before scratching his head awkwardly, unsure of how to respond.

As the three of them left the arena, their conversation flowed non-stop—though, unsurprisingly, Sun Xi was the one doing most of the talking.

From her seat, Bai Mulan watched them with a complicated expression.

He really is different from the usual protagonist, she mused.

In typical villain-centric novels where the so-called villain's inner thoughts can be heard by the heroine, the plot's protagonist is often an absolute scumbag—self-centered, obsessed with women, and viewing other men as nothing more than enemies or tools. That was precisely why Bai Mulan had felt an initial sense of disgust toward Chen Fan.

However, after observing him for just two days, she found herself reevaluating her judgment. Free-spirited—that was the best way to describe him. Unlike the usual arrogant and self-absorbed protagonists, he seemed genuinely carefree, unbound by the typical schemes and pretensions. She couldn't help but feel a faint sense of appreciation for him.

[Oh? It seems the protagonist's charm has already turned this heroine into a love-struck maiden.]

[Look at her, staring at the protagonist's back. You must be seething with resentment toward those other two for stealing your man, right?]

The mocking voice in her head made Bai Mulan's brow twitch in annoyance. Thankfully, her years of maintaining a cold and aloof demeanor had honed her emotional control to near perfection. Taking a deep breath, she swiftly regained her composure, dismissing the irritating voice's nonsense.

Finding nothing of value in its words, she chose to leave, retreating to her room to rest and prepare for her upcoming fight. Yet, despite her efforts to clear her mind, thoughts of Chen Fan kept surfacing. Unconsciously, a small spark of curiosity toward this protagonist began to take root within her.

---

Three hours passed in the blink of an eye. Chen Fan and Zhou Yuze had already returned to the top ten seating area, and the arena was once again filled with the lively chatter and cheers of the audience, eagerly anticipating the upcoming matches.

"I really didn't expect the top two contenders to be outsiders, completely separate from the three great sects."

"Exactly! Who would've thought that all the so-called saints would be eliminated before even reaching the finals?"

"Who do you think will win between Chen Fan and Zhou Yuze?"

That question made the conversation stall for a moment as everyone recalled the events from three hours ago.

"Personally, I really want Chen Fan to win."

"Yeah, that Zhou Yuze… He's more beast than human. Seeing him lose control like that… If he keeps getting stronger—hiss—I don't even want to think about it."

"But it won't be easy for Chen Fan. Not only is Zhou Yuze already at the sixth level of Foundation Building, but that strange transformation of his seemed to push him to nearly mid-stage Golden Core."

Though many in the crowd were wary of Zhou Yuze's berserk state, none could deny his overwhelming strength.

"Don't forget Chen Fan's ridiculous power. He walked away unscathed from both Saintess Bai Mulan's and Saint Jiang Haoran's ultimate moves. Who knows how many more tricks he's still hiding?"

That statement immediately reignited excitement among the audience.

"But in raw physical stats, he's undoubtedly weaker than Zhou Yuze in his transformed state," someone countered.

Most spectators, while intrigued by Chen Fan's abilities, weren't entirely confident in his chances.

"Let's just watch and see. The next match is about to begin!"

As if on cue, all eyes turned toward the arena, where Bai Mulan and Gu Muchen were already in position, waiting for the signal to start.

"Begin!"

The moment the match started, Bai Mulan wasted no time summoning an ice wall, obscuring Gu Muchen's figure behind a shimmering, frozen barrier. She had no reliable countermeasure against his illusions, so she took the safest approach—cutting off direct eye contact immediately. While the ice distorted his movements, his silhouette remained faintly visible.

"I surrender."

Gu Muchen's sudden declaration left the entire audience stunned—even Bai Mulan was momentarily caught off guard.

A bitter smile formed on Gu Muchen's lips. While the unfavorable matchup against Bai Mulan played a role in his decision, his main reason for forfeiting was simple—he had lost interest.

Knowing he had no chance of claiming first place, whether he ranked third or fourth made little difference to him. Even if he went on to face Chen Fan, his chances of victory were slim at best. He had watched Chen Fan's previous fights and had seen firsthand how absurdly sharp his spiritual perception was. Given that, Gu Muchen was fairly certain his illusions wouldn't work on him.

Thinking about it again, he couldn't help but feel a tinge of frustration. He had never expected to encounter so many opponents who were either immune to or capable of resisting his greatest trump card. Initially, he had believed that no one in his cultivation realm could break free from his illusions. Reality, however, had proven otherwise.

Still, he wasn't one to wallow in defeat. He now understood his shortcomings and knew exactly what he needed to work on moving forward.

"Very well. Let's proceed to the final round."

The old man in charge of the tournament wasted no time dwelling on Gu Muchen's forfeit and immediately called for Chen Fan and Zhou Yuze to step forward. Bai Mulan, uninterested in the reasoning behind Gu Muchen's decision, simply turned and made her way back to her seat.

"Alright! Let's do this. No hard feelings later, okay?" Chen Fan grinned, clearly eager for the fight ahead as he walked toward the arena alongside Zhou Yuze.

"Of course, Brother Chen. I'll give it my all."

After spending the past three hours eating and talking together, any lingering awkwardness or tension between them had completely disappeared. Zhou Yuze now regarded Chen Fan as a friend, and for the first time, he smiled without the nervous hesitation he had shown earlier.

Stepping onto the arena, the two fighters took their positions on opposite sides. The moment they signaled their readiness, the old man raised his hand.

"Begin!"