Chapter 77: Exchange Competition (9)

Hilmeth carefully examined Cang Cheng, and only once he was sure Cang Cheng was unharmed did his tension finally ease.

He knew how formidable Cang Cheng was, but he couldn't help worrying that Cang Cheng might get injured in this perilous Exchange Competition.

Fortunately, Cang Cheng was safe.

While the wind and snow raged around them, the area around the two of them was a windless zone, a sanctuary amidst the howling storm.

Hilmeth's pale blue eyes seemed to shimmer with an ethereal light, like fireflies dancing within them.

He knelt on one knee, took Cang Cheng's hand, and gently kissed the back of it.

"I will protect you, Lord Cang Cheng."

This was the second time Hilmeth had kissed the back of Cang Cheng's hand.

Unlike the more formal kiss from before, this time Hilmeth's action carried a warmth, a depth of feeling that was sincere and impossible to hide.

Cang Cheng's heart raced at Hilmeth's gesture and words, though he couldn't quite explain why.

Cang Cheng pulled his hand away, unable to meet the gaze of those striking blue eyes.

Cang Cheng recounted what Shi Zao had said.

Cang Cheng: "It's clear that two forces are targeting me. One belongs to the third prince, while the other... I have no idea who it is."

"Don't worry, I'm here for you."

Hilmeth brushed the snowflakes from Cang Cheng's hair, then turned around, standing before him in a protective stance.

It was as if it were months ago, when they were inseparable, with Mo still by Cang Cheng's side.

It gave Hilmeth the illusion that he had always been by Cang Cheng's side, never having left.

Hilmeth, his mood lighter, asked, "What are you planning to do now?"

"Of course, we're getting out of here together! Let's finish the Exchange Competition first."

Cang Cheng said, mixing in some teasing, "But... if you leave with me, people might start talking about us. Is that okay with you?"

Not many people knew about Cang Cheng and Hilmeth's relationship. To others, they were just strangers.

But... if Hilmeth appeared with Cang Cheng this time, even if there was nothing between them, people would start to suspect something.

Cang Cheng didn't care about keeping things hidden. He didn't see the need to hide their relationship, but he wasn't sure how Hilmeth felt about it.

Hearing this, Hilmeth leaned in and whispered into Cang Cheng's ear, with a playful smile in his voice, "My honor."

Cang Cheng tossed out the tail of the black fur pin he was holding, triggering a massive explosion.

*

The nearby participants from the Canglan Star Region were shielded by earthen walls that sprang up suddenly, protecting them from the blast. When the walls disappeared, the immense smoke and aftershocks of the explosion left everyone astonished.

The weapon Cang Cheng was carrying must be high-grade, maybe even Class A.

Where on earth did those earthen walls come from?

How is the situation on site?

Is Lord Cangcheng safe?

Completely confused.

The competitors were puzzled, and the spectators watching the broadcast were also bewildered.

What?

What on earth just happened?

How did a huge explosion occur all of a sudden?

A second ago, the spectators were on edge, covering their eyes with their hands, anxious.

They were afraid that they might see their people from the Canglan Star Region being crushed by the Giant Rock Star people.

Then, through the gaps between their fingers, they saw Lord Cangcheng throw a dark object, and boom, a violent shockwave and dust rose into the sky, obscuring the view.

Even a camera located hundreds of meters above the ground was shaken by the explosion, its screen cracked and wobbling.

The site was engulfed in smoke, and nothing could be seen clearly.

Real-time discussion:

"So what's the situation now? Did the fifth prince just confront the Giant Rock Star people?"

"It seems so... The competitors from the Canglan Star Region seem to be safe for now."

"So what did the fifth prince just throw? The force is enormous!"

"I'd say the power is comparable to the threshold of a Grade A weapon! Is this a new weapon from our star region?"

"As expected, the underachiever has lots of fancy tools. The fifth prince relies on his equipment to win."

"If you're so tough, why don't you face the Giant Rock Star people directly? If you can't, then don't talk!"

"Honestly, if I were in that situation, facing the towering figures from the Giant Rock Star Region, I wouldn’t have dared to go alone. I have a newfound respect for Lord Cangcheng."

"Lord Cangcheng’s mental fortitude is impressive. We underestimated him."

"So what's Lord Cangcheng’s situation now? I'm dying of anxiety! Why isn’t this smoke clearing?"

...

Both the spectators watching the live broadcast and the competitors were on edge.

Fu Congfei: "Is this Lord Cangcheng's secret weapon?"

Yi Moshang: "With such a huge blast force, is Lord Cangcheng okay?"

Edward: "I can't relax. You all wait here, I'm going to check! Xing Qing, help me."

Just as Xing Qing was about to support Edward into the explosion's epicenter, she was stunned by the sight in front of her.

A surge of mental energy erupted, followed by a fierce gust of wind that swept away the smoke.

Simultaneously, the temperature plummeted sharply.

The water vapor from the ground, sky, and air was rapidly frozen into ice crystals by the low temperature.

The sound of ice spreading, pattering like footsteps, synced with the beating of their hearts.

In an instant, the sky erupted into a raging snowstorm.

Dark clouds loomed overhead, heavy and oppressive.

Hail, howling winds, and blinding snow transformed the world around them into a frozen wasteland. Even those on the outskirts of the storm felt the bone-chilling cold, their teeth chattering from the biting wind.

“What the hell is this?”

Danmaku:

“What is this?!”

Everyone watching, both live and on screen, was stunned by the scene.

Spectators could only witness the awe-inspiring moment through their screens.

It was surreal.

But even from a distance, they were mesmerized by the sudden blizzard.

The contestants who braved the blizzard felt their hearts pounding in their chests.

The scene was nothing short of spectacular, leaving everyone in awe and admiration.

And... fear.

That's right, fear.

Even with their extraordinary physical abilities, they are still insignificant and powerless against nature.

Like earthquakes, tsunamis, or the bitter cold blizzard before them.

If they were caught in this kind of weather, could they walk away unharmed?

The answer is undoubtedly no.

Their breath turned into puffs of white mist, and the cold air sliced through their throats like a knife when they opened their mouths in shock.

A series of coughs broke the silence.

Yi Moshang stared intently at the raging blizzard, a wave of déjà vu washing over him.

It reminded him of when ANKEN used the Ice Mark during their sparring sessions, the cold striking without warning and freezing him instantly.

He rubbed his arms instinctively to keep warm.

"Oh no, Lord Cangcheng is still out there!"

Yi Moshang suddenly remembered and was about to charge ahead, ignoring his injuries.

Fu Congfei quickly grabbed his arm to stop him.

"Wait, are you trying to get yourself killed? If you rush in like that, you'll be frozen into an ice statue, just like the leaders from the Giant Rock Star Region."

Yi Moshang: "But Lord Cang Cheng..."

At Base 0, Fu Congfei had seen Lord Cang Cheng use the Spirit Runes to create a blizzard before. The current situation was exactly the same as it had been back then.

So, she said with certainty, "This is one of our star region's Spirit Runes. Don't worry about Lord Cang Cheng, he's fine."

"Spirit... Runes?"

Yi Moshang quickly understood, "You mean this is caused by the Spirit Runes? Is this one of ANKEN's unreleased A-level Spirit Runes?"

"It should be," Fu Congfei confirmed. "In any case, Lord Cang Cheng is fine. We just need to wait."

Once they confirmed it was an ANKEN Spirit Rune, some of the billions of spectators also guessed that this was ANKEN's A-level Spirit Runes.

Real-time comments:

"Am I seeing this wrong? Isn't this a Level A Nature Spirit Runes?"

"Can Spirit Runes cause such an effect? Are you kidding?!"

"Are you still stuck in the past? Level A Nature Spirit Runes like Meteor Fire Rain can devastate half of the main city."

"Now that you mention it, this does look like something ANKEN would do."

"This is ANKEN's Spirit Runes."

"Which brings us to the question, who is using this Spirit Runes?"

"Just a thought—in the center of that wind and snow, only the fifth prince and the people from the Giant Rock Star Region are present, so... is the fifth prince the one using the Spirit Runes?"

……

Everyone looked at each other.

Could it really be the fifth prince who caused this?

No way, right?

The fifth prince is known for being more of a figurehead than anything else. How could he possibly use A-level Spirit Runes to create such a huge spectacle?

Didn't we just see Edward and the others struggle even with a stone golem rune?

We can't handle this kind of shock.

The wind and snow slowly began to dissipate.

Thanks to the blizzard, the rain that had been falling all day had stopped, and the sky began to clear.

The deep blue night sky was extremely clear, with not a single cloud in sight.

Two figures walked out from the dissipating wind and snow, one slightly shorter in front, and the other taller behind.

Yi Moshang and the others assumed a defensive stance.

Cang Cheng had gone in alone, but now two figures emerged from the storm.

Could it be that Lord Cang Cheng was harmed, and the Giant Rock Star people are emerging?

If it is indeed the Giant Rock Star people, I’ll do everything in my power to avenge Lord Cang Cheng!

Yi Moshang swallowed hard, his hand tightening around his weapon.

The two figures in the wind and snow gradually became clear.

The person walking ahead had black hair and black eyes, with a faint smile on his face.

The one trailing half a step behind exuded an icy aura, yet his presence was like a calming anchor, easing everyone’s anxiety.

The sight of his signature silver hair and sky-blue eyes sent a wave of relief through everyone.

It’s Admiral Hilmeth! The Admiral has come out of the enemy’s Base 0 to join us!

The Prince is safe.

The Admiral has brought the Prince back!

When Yi Moshang and the others saw Hilmeth and Cang Cheng appear, they finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Great, the Admiral is here, the Prince is safe, and they would be fine now.

Hilmeth’s appearance was like a safety signal, and the forced fighting spirit subsided.

Yi Moshang then realized that his whole body was in pain, so much so that he kept inhaling sharply from the pain.

Despite the pain, Yi Moshang asked, "Your Highness, what just happened? What about this sudden blizzard...?"

Cang Cheng looked at Hilmeth, then replied, "I used a micro-bomb made by our team to contain Shi Zao. But the Giant Rock Star people can regenerate their bodies, so the bombs couldn’t destroy them. Just as I was thinking about what to do, the Admiral arrived in time and used Spirit Runes to take care of him."

Saying this, Cang Cheng gave Hilmeth a polite smile. "Thank you for the support, Admiral."

Hilmeth remained cold-faced, but his frozen blue eyes had already melted.

Just moments ago, he was called Princess Xixi, but now he’s being addressed as Admiral?

Hilmeth neither admitted nor denied it, and this demeanor was seen as confirmation by others.

He ordered, "Rest on the spot."

Following the order, they sat down to rest.

Although they were tired and in pain, the shadows on their faces faded, and their mental state seemed to clear up after the Admiral appeared.

They huddled together, whispering amongst themselves.

"Is that really the Admiral? His presence is even stronger than what’s shown in the news."

"Mo Yu is also quite impressive; he actually found the Giant Rock base."

"Prince Cang Cheng is really bold too."

They never expected the Exchange Competition to be so intense.

They were excited to be selected, and the first day went smoothly despite a few minor setbacks. But no one could have predicted how drastically things would change on the second day.

One defeat after another, betrayals from their own ranks, and critical errors in judgment...

If it weren't for Lord Cang Cheng calmly taking charge and using ANKEN's Spirit Runes, they might have been defeated here.

Now that they had reunited with General Xilimos, they could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Yi Moshang drank a healing potion, and his broken bones slowly healed, a process that was extremely painful.

He forced himself to divert his attention, his gaze passing through Cang Cheng and Xilimos, landing on the ice statues in the distance.

The Giant Rock Star person, now just a head, lay there quietly, gleaming with a cold, icy sheen, like a frozen masterpiece.

Even though the blizzard had dissipated, the head still emanated a chilling cold that made people hesitate to approach.

This style was entirely ANKEN's.

Only ANKEN's Spirit Runes could give such a striking effect.

Speaking of which, the effect of these Spirit Runes was identical to the ones at Base 0 in the Canglan Star Region.

Hmm...

The General has access to ANKEN's secret frost and snow Spirit Runes.

Just now, at Base 0 in the Canglan Star Region, Cang Cheng said that Mo Yu gave him the frost and snow Spirit Runes.

So, both the General and Mo Yu must know ANKEN, which is why ANKEN gave them the same Spirit Runes.

Then again, Lord Cang Cheng also pulled out three stone golem runes, so does that mean Lord Cang Cheng knows ANKEN as well?

The General, Mo Yu, and Lord Cang Cheng all know ANKEN, so they should be quite close.

The more he thought about it, the more he realized how many people in his circle were connected to ANKEN.

Hmm... something doesn't quite add up.

Yi Moshang's mind struggled to piece everything together.