The Side Character Who Wins by Doing Nothing

Chapter 171: Chapter 171: Jaw-dropping

Lu Sangjiu was a little dazed. The more she thought about it, the more everything seemed like a grand conspiracy.

It seemed this was more than just a simple book, and Ye Zhiyao perhaps didn’t receive so much preferential treatment just because she was the female lead.

Or perhaps, the reason she was the female lead was because the so-called Heavenly Dao needed her to become stronger and achieve Ascension for some purpose.

All those cliché romantic subplots, including the male lead Gu Jue and the other supporting male characters, seemed more like resources bestowed upon Ye Zhiyao in another form.

But whether the Heavenly Dao saw Ye Zhiyao as a pet or a pig being fattened for the slaughter, no one knew.

Lu Sangjiu’s mind raced with these thoughts, but it all happened in a flash.

At that moment on the stage, after being sent flying by Luo Linlang, Ye Zhiyao wasn’t severely injured thanks to her various Defense Treasures, but she certainly looked disheveled.

Luo Linlang didn’t stop. She seized the opportunity, using Water Dragon Surrounding to unleash her extremely destructive Water Bomb Explosion.

Before Ye Zhiyao could even get up, she was hit square in the face by the Water Bomb Explosion and completely engulfed in smoke and dust.

At this, Bai Heng, who was on the platform, could no longer sit still.

He shot to his feet. "Ayao!"

As he spoke, he looked like he was about to rush onto the stage, but before he could take a single step, Sword Bu Gui, who was sitting beside him, stopped him.

"Mr. Bai, you truly treasure your disciple, but this is an official match. If you interfere rashly, even if your disciple still had a chance to win, you’d ruin it and guarantee her loss."

Bai Heng’s brows furrowed, his eyes filled with worry for Ye Zhiyao.

But Sword Bu Gui was right. He couldn’t be so rash. Ayao desperately wanted to win, and if he messed things up for her, she would definitely be angry with him.

As it turned out, Bai Heng was right not to intervene.

He had truly been willing to spend a fortune on Ye Zhiyao. Luo Linlang’s Water Bomb Explosion was incredibly destructive, yet Ye Zhiyao had managed to withstand it relying solely on her Defense Treasures.

Although she looked utterly wretched and covered in grime, she hadn’t sustained any major injuries.

Luo Linlang’s heart sank in an instant... ’Dammit, is this a contest of cultivation and combat, or a contest of Magic Treasures?!’

Her performance today had been nearly perfect. She had already used up most of her energy, yet she still couldn’t defeat Ye Zhiyao. It seemed that today... she was really going to lose.

Even so, the thought of admitting defeat to Ye Zhiyao made her feel aggrieved. So, even though her loss seemed certain, she prepared to fight to the very end.

So, she decided to play her final card. The Magic Treasure, the Rain Bell, appeared in her hand.

Instantly, the crisp chime of the bell, accompanied by the roar of a tidal wave, conjured the phantom image of a colossal wave in the air, which then crashed down viciously upon Ye Zhiyao.

This time, Ye Zhiyao was not caught off guard. She instantly activated her various defenses and blocked with her sword.

Although the Rain Bell was a Mid-grade Treasure, Luo Linlang’s understanding of Water Manipulation was masterful. Empowered by her own strength, the effect of this move was enough to astound the crowd.

The audience was practically mesmerized, feeling that this match had more substance than the previous four. The fight was brilliant and thrilling, almost on par with the finals.

Both of them were only at the Golden Core Early Stage, yet they could put on such a spectacular fight. It was clear they were both one-in-ten-thousand geniuses.

And to top it off, both of them were from the Seven Emotions Sect... It was enough to make anyone jealous!

Even Sword Bu Gui on the platform began to feel a little regret for his own disciple... ’That kid loves fighting strong opponents. If he had made it to the finals normally and faced an opponent like Luo Linlang, he would have been thrilled.’

Yes, just Luo Linlang. As for that Ye Zhiyao... a faint trace of disdain flickered in Sword Bu Gui’s eyes.

Compared to others, Ye Zhiyao was indeed outstanding, but her ability to fight Luo Linlang to a standstill so far was mostly reliant on external forces.

If they were purely competing in terms of their own Magic Cultivation and combat ability, she was being utterly crushed by Luo Linlang.

Although Magic Treasures and the like were a part of one’s strength, with someone like Luo Linlang right there, Ye Zhiyao really couldn’t catch his eye.

Ye Zhiyao defended with her sword and Defense Treasures, temporarily reaching a stalemate with Luo Linlang.

At the same time, she could hear the murmurs of discussion from the crowd below.

Many people were marveling at Luo Linlang’s strength, but few mentioned her... This was completely different from what she had imagined!

She had always thought Luo Linlang wasn’t strong, yet today, she was being pushed to this extent by someone she had never even looked up to!

Furious, she suddenly made up her mind and gritted her teeth. "...You forced my hand!"

In the next instant, she took out an object and hurled it straight at Luo Linlang. "Hell... Cage!"

The small, palm-sized trinket suddenly expanded as it flew toward Luo Linlang.

Only then did the crowd see what it was: a square iron cage.

Luo Linlang wanted to dodge, but the iron cage exuded an incredibly powerful pressure. Already somewhat exhausted, her speed was now suppressed even further.

In the end, she failed to get away. With a loud BOOM, the iron cage slammed to the ground, trapping Luo Linlang inside.

Her Rain Bell instantly fell to the ground, its connection to her Spiritual Power severed. The pressure on Ye Zhiyao lifted, and she stood up straight once more.

Fortunately, the iron cage didn’t seem to block Spiritual Power. Luo Linlang tried to break it a few times and found she couldn’t budge it, but with a lift of her hand, she summoned the Rain Bell back to her.

She could sense that this Hell Cage was a top-grade magic treasure, perhaps even infinitely close to the supreme-grade.

A bitter feeling filled Luo Linlang’s heart. Trapped by this thing, her defeat today was truly sealed.

Still, she struggled out of habit, trying to attack the Hell Cage from the inside.

Just then, Ye Zhiyao looked at her with a compassionate gaze. "Senior Sister Luo, we are from the same sect. I originally didn’t intend to use this on you... If you surrender and beg for mercy now, it’s not too late."

Seeing that hypocritical expression, even if Luo Linlang had been thinking of surrendering, she now had no intention of giving Ye Zhiyao the satisfaction.

She sneered, remaining stubborn to the end. "You think you’ve won just by trapping me in this piece of junk?"

Ye Zhiyao shook her head with a look of helplessness. "If that’s how it is... then forgive my offense."

As her Spell began, countless sharp barbs suddenly sprouted from all the bars of the iron cage!

At the same time, finger-thick needles began to grow into the cage from the outside, inch by inch and from different directions, as if being pushed through the bars.

Lu Sangjiu had seen street performances in the mortal world where a person was locked in a box, and swords were thrust into it from the outside. The person inside had to rely on their flexibility to contort their body into strange shapes to avoid being harmed by the swords.

Luo Linlang’s current predicament... was much the same as the person in that box.