Ch. 143 - This World Is Grey

Xu Zimo clenched his fists. He felt stronger than ever before.

Beside him, Chu Yang was already covered in blood, yet he still staggered to his feet and charged at Xu Zimo.

Xu Zimo let out a light laugh, grabbed Chu Yang by the throat, and slowly lifted him into the air.

“Brother Chu Yang!” Baili Xiao shouted from below the arena, her face streaked with tears.

She desperately tried to run onto the stage, but was blocked by Xiao Ruoxuan.

“The match isn’t over. If you go up now, no one will be able to save him, you’ll only make things worse,” Xiao Ruoxuan quickly said.

“Auntie, save him, I beg you!” Baili Xiao cried, tears pouring down her face.

Xiao Ruoxuan sighed as she looked at the arena, unsure of what to do.

…………

Looking at Chu Yang’s fearless gaze, Xu Zimo said calmly, “I’ve heard a lot of stories, water dripping through stone, a mayfly shaking a tree. An ant trying to topple a tree. Maybe one ant can’t do it, but what if there are thousands, millions of ants? Even if they bite with their tiny jaws, someday they might bring that tree down. People often use this to describe those who work hard and never give up. You’re that ant. But I’m not the tree, maybe I used to be. But now, I just want to crush that ant before it can topple the tree, smash it until it’s nothing but pulp.”

After saying this, Xu Zimo hurled Chu Yang away.

Chu Yang’s body slammed into the iron chains again, his back a mess of blood and flesh, yet he still picked up his Wandering Dragon Sword and walked step by step toward Xu Zimo.

“Boom!”

Xu Zimo threw another punch, sending Chu Yang flying once again.

Thanks to the presence of Endless Regret, Chu Yang couldn’t feel pain. He struggled to his feet, forced a twisted smile at Xu Zimo, and attacked once more.

“Little Yang, give up. It’s just a match, it’s not worth dying over,” came the voice of the Lord of Samsara from the ring.

“Master, I don’t want to lose, I will never give up. I will keep walking forward against all odds. That is my Dao!” Chu Yang replied with a bloody smile, his grin unnerving. Another mouthful of blood poured out.

And so it went for over a dozen rounds, Chu Yang was slapped away by Xu Zimo every time.

Xu Zimo didn’t bother ending the match quickly. Chu Yang was like an indestructible cockroach, each time he was knocked down, he got up again.

Below the arena, Baili Xiao’s cries had gone hoarse, but Chu Yang still refused to surrender.

“Hurts, doesn’t it?” Xu Zimo turned and looked at Baili Xiao.

She glared at him, eyes filled with hatred.

“Surrender already, it’s just a match!” shouted a disciple from the crowd.

More and more disciples joined in, many even closing their eyes, unable to bear watching the cruelty unfold.

There wasn’t a single uninjured spot left on Chu Yang’s body.

When Xu Zimo smacked him away yet again, he walked over and slowly crouched before Chu Yang, looking at his blood-covered face.

“Look, so many people are worried about you. Must be nice. But that’s what weaklings like you get, sympathy. I don’t need anyone’s sympathy. I just want everyone to look up to me. Eventually, they won’t even be worthy of that.”

“I don’t care. I will defeat you,” Chu Yang spat blood and forced the words out.

He tried to get up, but his injuries were far too severe. He struggled several times but couldn’t stand.

“They say light always triumphs over darkness. But look around, how much darkness do you see in this world? The ‘light’ you believe in... maybe it was once darkness too. I’ve always believed there are no truly good or evil people. There’s no absolute black or white. In truth, all beings exist in shades of grey.”

As Xu Zimo crouched next to Chu Yang, the Sect Master of the Yin-Yang Sect, Wu Shaoqing, called out anxiously, “Xu Zimo, our Yin-Yang Sect concedes. I request you, please don’t kill him.”

“Don’t worry. Since you concede, I won’t touch him,” Xu Zimo replied.

Then he leaned in close to Chu Yang’s ear and whispered, “Let me tell you one more thing. I heard you and Baili Xiao grew up together, childhood sweethearts, right? Well, she was promised to me a long time ago. Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of her in your place. That reminds me... that night, that moment of passion... tsk tsk, I bet you don’t know what that feels like.”

Xu Zimo smirked.

Seeing Chu Yang’s eyes turn blood-red, he continued, “Actually, the fall of your Heavenly Sword Sect? That was me, I had someone do it. Oh, and you know the Immortal Spirit Sect’s been hunting you, right? That was me too. If they can’t find you, they’ll slaughter Sunshine Village instead. How does that make you feel? Pretty awful, huh? But me? I feel great.”

“Go to hell!” Chu Yang roared, and somehow, from deep within, he found the strength to punch Xu Zimo in the gut.

Xu Zimo flew backward, spitting blood non-stop for several minutes.

He looked at Chu Yang in disbelief and said weakly, “You broke the rules. You’d already surrendered, and still you ambushed me…”

“I’ll kill you!” Chu Yang screamed, grabbing the Wandering Dragon Sword and charging.

His face was covered in blood, but now he wept tears of rage.

He’d been an orphan since childhood, his parents died young. The only person who’d always been there for him, the one he treasured most, was Baili Xiao.

Now hearing that she’d been defiled, Chu Yang felt like he was going insane.

His mind was filled with images of the smiling girl from his memories.

And Sunshine Village, that was his real home.

The Heavenly Sword Sect, his master, Yue Buli. He hadn’t been there long, but it was still his sect.

“You bastard! You’ll die horribly!” Chu Yang shouted, charging blindly at Xu Zimo.

At that moment, Xu Zimo lay on the ground, completely weakened.

“Stop!” A furious voice roared from the sky. A colossal palm descended from the heavens, instantly pinning Chu Yang in place.

The Third Grand Elder stood in mid-air, frowning at the scene on the stage.

Logically, Xu Zimo, having fused with the First Battle Body, shouldn’t have been hurt so badly by a single punch, not to the point of vomiting blood for minutes and ending up this weak.

“You Yin-Yang Sect people already admitted defeat, and still you sneak-attacked our disciple. According to the rules, I can strike him down on the spot,” the Third Grand Elder said coldly, staring at Chu Yang.

“Please, Grand Elder, calm down. The boy iss young and impulsive,” Wu Shaoqing quickly stepped forward, shielding Chu Yang and smiling. “I offer my sincerest apology. We’ll cover all of Nephew Zimo’s medical expenses. And if he has any other requests, we will do our best to fulfill them.”

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