NOVEL NEXT Ch. 28
Chapter 28: Public Enemy — Encountering a Strong Opponent Again!
The Ascension Group’s “Talent Reserve Pool” was being filled at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Watching this scene from afar, Li Aotian was so furious that his lungs nearly burst.
The rumors he had spread — “cult,” “scam,” and other slanders — were utterly powerless before Chu Feng’s combination strike.
In an instant, they were wiped away without a trace.
“Useless! A bunch of useless trash!”
He roared at the followers beside him, “You can’t even control public opinion! What’s the point of keeping you around?!”
The followers trembled in fear, not daring to speak.
“Senior Brother Li, please calm your anger!”
One follower gathered his courage and said,
“This Chu Feng is too strange. We… we might as well wait for the next round of the draw. As long as you can cripple him with your own hands in the arena, all those rumors will naturally collapse!”
Li Aotian took a deep breath.
The killing intent in his eyes almost solidified.
Indeed, only by crushing Chu Feng and his entire group completely on the arena — with the purest, most overwhelming power — could he wash away the humiliation upon himself!
Just then, the voice of the presiding elder rang out again.
“The first round of matches has concluded. Now, we will begin the second round of the draw!”
The enormous golden orb was once again carried to the center of the square.
Everyone’s hearts tightened at once.
All eyes focused on that massive golden orb.
Especially Li Aotian — his fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. His gaze was fixed on the flowing lights inside the orb, each representing a team’s name.
Only one thought screamed wildly in his mind:
Pick me!
You must pick the Ascension Group!
He couldn’t wait any longer. He wanted to tear that deceitful Chu Feng — and his entire ragtag group — into pieces, right in the next battle!
On the Ascension Group’s side, after the first victory and the subsequent wave of “publicity momentum,” the members’ confidence had reached an unprecedented peak.
“What’s there to be afraid of? Whoever we draw, under the President’s tactical guidance, they’re all just dishes on the table!”
“That’s right! We even took down the Inner Sect Elite Team — who else can stop us now?”
“Hopefully we draw that poser Li Aotian! Let Brother Daniu beat the crap out of him!”
The disciples’ emotions had transformed from nervous anxiety to burning confidence.
Only Chu Feng remained calm.
He knew well that their first victory relied heavily on catching the enemy off guard.
Qingfeng Hall’s arrogance and carelessness had been the key to their success.
But now, they had become the focus of the entire arena — the “Public Enemy.”
No opponent would ever make the same mistake again.
From here on, every battle would be a tough one.
“The drawing begins!”
At the presiding elder’s command, the flowing lights inside the orb began to whirl rapidly, pairing off in twos.
Golden words appeared one after another in midair.
“First Group: Windcloud Society versus Iron Sword Sect!”
“Aotian Alliance versus Flying Feather Pavilion!”
Li Aotian’s name appeared quickly. His opponent was another powerful Inner Sect team.
He merely cast a disdainful glance before looking away. To him, aside from the Ascension Group, every other team was mere dust on his path to the top.
His gaze remained locked on the four golden words — “Ascension Group.”
As more and more pairings appeared, the atmosphere grew increasingly tense.
Finally, it came down to the last few groups.
“Group Twelve: Ascension Group versus…”
Everyone’s breathing halted in that instant.
Inside the golden orb, the four characters of “Ascension Group” slowly surfaced — merging with another name.
“…Thunder Hall!”
When the words “Thunder Hall” appeared, the entire crowd fell into dead silence — before erupting into a roar even more intense than before!
“Heavens! It’s Thunder Hall!”
“This is going to be a great match! Thunder Hall is one of the favorites to win this competition!”
“Thunder Hall’s captain, Lei Qianjun, has reached the peak of Qi Refining Eighth Level! His ‘Raging Thunder Sword Technique’ is said to be masterful — he’s ranked among the top five in the entire Inner Sect!”
“It’s over, it’s over! The Ascension Group’s dark horse run ends here! Can their shield formation even withstand thunder techniques?”
Almost everyone believed that the Ascension Group’s meteoric rise would end now.
The team known as “Thunder Hall” stepped forward from the crowd.
They, too, wore uniform robes, but theirs were a deep violet, embroidered with silver lightning patterns.
Their captain, Lei Qianjun, was tall and broad-shouldered, with a firm, chiseled face and eyes sharp as an eagle’s.
Unlike Zhao Qing, he showed no contempt. His gaze was calm — but beneath that calmness was a storm-like pressure.
He glanced toward the Ascension Group, and spoke to his teammates in a tone that allowed no argument:
“You all saw the first match. Don’t underestimate them. Don’t let them get close. The moment the match starts, deploy the ‘Thunderlight Formation’ — blanket coverage, no mercy. Use our full strength to blast them straight off the stage.”
“Yes, Captain!”
The Thunder Hall members replied in unison, their aura as heavy as a mountain.
Feeling that palpable pressure from the opposing team, the members of the Ascension Group, whose confidence had just soared moments ago, felt it instantly dampened.
“P-President… this Thunder Hall… they seem way stronger than Qingfeng Hall…”
Zhang Daniu’s face had gone a little pale.
“Mm, indeed.”
Chu Feng nodded, still composed.
As he watched the Thunder Hall lineup, his mind raced in analysis.
The opponents were strong — and cautious.
That meant the “element of surprise” tactic from the previous match was no longer viable.
If they went head-to-head, with his members’ current cultivation levels, it would be like throwing eggs against rocks.
They needed to bring out something new.
“Don’t panic.”
Chu Feng stood and gathered the twenty participating team members together.
“The market environment has changed. Naturally, our ‘products’ must also be upgraded.”
With a mysterious smile, he pulled out a pile of bottles and jars from his storage bag.
“These are the latest results from our Group’s ‘Military R&D Department,’ personally developed by our Chief Product Officer, Miss Leng Yanran — custom-made for this kind of ‘high-end market’ and ‘malignant competition’ — our specialized military supplies!”
He distributed three different pills to each participating member.
“The first one — ‘Tactical Qi Recovery Pill.’” Chu Feng held up a cyan pill. “It has only one effect — instantly restores thirty percent of your spiritual energy. Remember, instantly! At a critical moment, it lets you cast one more skill or hold on for one more second!”
“The second — ‘Diamond Power Pill.’” He held up a golden pill. “After consumption, for the duration of one incense stick, your physical defense increases by fifty percent! It allows you to withstand the attack of someone a full major realm higher without dying!”
“The third — ‘Instant Hemostatic Ointment.’” Finally, he opened a box of dark green ointment. “It’s for external wounds — apply it, and it immediately stops bleeding and numbs pain, so even if you’re injured, you can keep fighting!”