My Professions Have Too Much Personality - Chapter 174 - 120: One Strike

Chapter 174: Chapter 120: One Strike

Xiong Tao’s hackles rose. He twisted aside at the last second as the spinning blade grazed his temple. A surge of blood rushed to his head, and with the fury of a wild bear, he dug his hands and feet into the floor of the ring.

Then, with a powerful shove, his burly frame shot forward like a cannonball.

Zhu Xuan’s Crimson pupils flashed, and a gurgling sound rumbled in his throat. He smashed his twin blades together before his chest, erupting in a mist of blood.

The blood mist coalesced into innumerable fine threads that wound around Xiong Tao’s limbs. Each thread greedily siphoned the biological Energy of anything it touched.

“Get off!”

A ferocious light flared in Xiong Tao’s eyes. His muscles bulged again as he forcibly snapped his bonds, the resulting shockwave shattering all the surrounding threads of blood.

The shockwaves from their battle were immense, but an Energy barrier around the ring prevented them from reaching the outside.

“He can’t win.” Ming Lin concluded after watching for only a moment. “The Bloody Butcher can absorb others’ biological Energy, growing stronger the longer the fight goes on.”

The profession belonged to the Judicial Court, so Core Seeds like them could find out not just its abilities and traits, but even the requirements to qualify for it.

“But,” Ming Lin said, noticing something was off, “Zhu Xuan’s use of the Bloody Butcher’s abilities is too fluid. He doesn’t seem like someone who just advanced.”

“He’s going to lose,” Zhong Ming said, his expression grim.

The others couldn’t help but nod. It had only been a few exchanges, yet they could already see the outcome.

As everyone predicted, after a few more exchanges, Xiong Tao was defeated. His years of combat experience only allowed him to lose with a shred of dignity.

He knelt on one knee in the ring, gasping for breath. His once-mighty frame had shrunk by more than half, and his body was covered in wounds.

Zhu Xuan, however, looked perfectly fine. Wreathed in flames of blood, his aura had somehow grown even stronger.

Sustaining himself through battle—that was the Bloody Butcher!

“You… you didn’t just advance! I was tricked!” Xiong Tao spat through gritted teeth.

As the one fighting him, he could feel it most clearly: Zhu Xuan showed none of the awkwardness of a recent advancement. His use of his abilities was incredibly fluid.

Hearing Xiong Tao say this, the crowd below immediately erupted in discussion. “So he didn’t just advance? Did Zhu Xuan fool Zhong Ming?”

“Cunning as well as strong. As expected… anyone who can become a Core Seed is a force to be reckoned with.”

From the spectator seats, Zhong Ming suddenly turned to Wei Yufan and said in a low voice, “You helped him cover this up?”

His information had come from the Professional Analysis Department. And among the Core Seeds, only Wei Yufan had the power to conceal information from the Department itself.

“It would’ve been far too unfair to have him accept a challenge right after his advancement,” Wei Yufan said calmly, ignoring Zhong Ming’s dark expression. His gaze fell upon Su Chen. “Besides, Zhu Xuan isn’t the only one who concealed his status.”

At his words, the expressions of those present shifted. Ming Lin snapped his head around to look at Su Chen, his face a mixture of shock and suspicion.

Feng Ze looked on in astonishment. The Professional Analysis Department hadn’t released a single bit of news about Su Chen’s advancement.

“Junior Brother Su, how long are you going to keep hiding?” Wei Yufan chuckled. “Last night, the Gu Family was up all night buying Tier Three Support Potions. And earlier today, you applied to requisition one copy each of a D-level Body Refining Technique and Meditation Technique.”

“In the Judicial Court, there are no secrets.”

’This guy really is well-informed,’ Su Chen thought, though he wasn’t surprised.

He knew from the moment he asked the Gu Family to make preparations that the news would get out, but he hadn’t expected it to spread this quickly.

“You advanced on your own?” Feng Ze asked in surprise. “If you do that, the Judicial Court won’t reimburse the resources you used.”

But he quickly understood why Su Chen had done it: to get familiar with his abilities sooner.

The moment they advanced to Tier Three, challenges were inevitable. It was only natural to do it secretly to get familiar with their new powers first.

Ming Lin, however, realized that Wei Yufan’s sudden decision to expose this was done with malicious intent.

Sure enough, the next moment, Zhu Xuan—still on the ring basking in the cheers—suddenly raised his head and looked toward Su Chen and the others.

“Su Chen!” he bellowed. Ever since the assessment, Zhu Xuan had found the name so grating he couldn’t even stand to hear others speak it, let alone say it himself.

In an instant, the once-rowdy arena fell silent. A hint of anticipation flickered in everyone’s eyes.

Zhu Xuan’s powerful voice echoed through the arena. “Since you’ve also advanced to Tier Three, stop hiding! I challenge you to a fight!”

After a moment of silence, waves of shocked and doubtful murmurs broke out from the crowd below the ring.

“Su Chen advanced to Tier Three, too? Why hasn’t anyone been talking about it? Is this for real?”

“Probably. It wouldn’t be hard to verify.”

An advancement can be done in secret, but one’s life aura and Spiritual Resilience can’t be concealed. Any Chief Judge could easily confirm it.

“Su Chen advanced to Tier Three, too?” Jiang Shu Mo couldn’t help but ask in surprise. “For real?”

A glint flashed in You Shan’s eyes. After a moment, she nodded. “That’s right. He’s already a Tier Three Professional.”

Chong Jingtian rubbed his fingers together, astonishment in his eyes. “How was he so fast?” he said.

“Then today is truly a battle of arch-rivals,” Jiang Shu Mo said with great anticipation. “This is going to be a good show.”

“Hard to say. Su Chen might not even acknowledge it,” You Shan said airily. “He is Xia Hanshi’s student, after all. He might not play his cards as expected.”

“He wouldn’t do that,” Jiang Shu Mo said, astonished.

’Such a powerful spiritual fluctuation…’ Su Chen subconsciously glanced toward a room on the top floor. Ming Lin and the others beside him sensed it as well.

“If our teachers are here, the Chief is probably here too…” Ming Lin’s expression darkened. He realized today was probably a setup—one aimed at Su Chen.

During the entrance assessment, Zhu Xuan had felt utterly humiliated.

To regain his honor, it wasn’t enough to simply defeat Su Chen. He had to overturn the widespread perception that he was inferior to Su Chen.