Chapter 485: Jiang Ye VS Chen Zilu

“The final battle! It’s finally begun.”

“Who will claim the ultimate championship? Chu Jingye? Zhou Xingkong? Jiang Ye? Or Chen Zilu?”

“Is that even a question? It’s obviously Chu Jingye!”

“Everyone else has shown their trump cards to some extent, but Chu Jingye hasn’t revealed his true abilities yet!”

“Chu Jingye is too good at hiding his hand.”

“The championship this year belongs to Chu Jingye, no doubt about it.”

“I’m more curious about Jiang Ye and Zhou Xingkong’s promised duel. I wonder how they’ll fight?”

“Yeah, it doesn’t seem like a one-on-one match anymore.”

Over thirty billion viewers watched the screens intently, their eyes glued to the action.

The Great Stellar War had reached its final stage.

The battle for supremacy was about to conclude.

The unprecedented showdown between Jiang Ye and Zhou Xingkong was also nearing its climax.

“Are they raising the stakes? Jiang Ye and Zhou Xingkong’s betting odds have reached an astonishing 4 to 6!”

“It’s unbelievable that so many people are betting on someone with a Primitive talent.”

“Right? Jiang Ye’s demonstrated power is absurd. Who knows if he has any more tricks up his sleeve?”

“Maybe Jiang Ye really can defeat Zhou Xingkong.”

“What about that guy who bet 100 million on Zhou Xingkong? Why isn’t he saying anything now?”

“Heh, you people have no idea how terrifying the transcendent truly are. Just wait and see—Jiang Ye stands no chance against Zhou Xingkong.”

“…”

Countless spectators were engaged in heated debate.

In the live broadcast, tens of millions of comments flooded the screen every second.

External media outlets provided real-time updates.

The Great Stellar War had reached an unprecedented level of hype!

Under the gaze of billions of viewers, the final battle slowly began to unfold.

Within the tournament arena, the ten platforms converged, bringing Jiang Ye, Chen Zilu, and the other defenders onto a single, unified stage.

Simultaneously, an ancient voice echoed in their minds:

“Core selection, final stage. The ten defenders will engage in a peak showdown on the central platform. Any combat methods are permitted. The last survivor will claim the crown.”

As the voice faded, the entire arena fell silent.

The ten defenders, including Jiang Ye, felt alarm bells ringing in their hearts.

“No restrictions on combat methods?” Jiang Ye’s eyes flickered. “Does that mean alliances are permitted?”

Alliances? He’d still have to guard against teammates betraying him.

Of course, Jiang Ye didn’t need to worry about that. He could completely trust Chen Zilu to watch his back.

But precisely because of this, others might not agree to team up.

“Everyone,” Wang Feifan said with a smile, “the power to decide the rules is in our hands.”

“A free-for-all?”

“Or should we stick to arena combat rules, one-on-one?” Wang Feifan scanned the group.

“Arena combat,” Li Zihuang said. “Fair competition.”

“Arena combat would be too boring,” Zhou Xingkong said, shaking his head. “Let’s make it free-for-all. Fight whoever you want.”

“Free-for-all,” Chu Jingye said calmly. “If you can’t sweep the entire field, why should you deserve the championship?”

He radiated overwhelming confidence.

The others exchanged glances.

If anyone else had said that, it might have sounded like empty boasting.

But Chu Jingye? The reigning champion of the Great Stellar War. His true strength had yet to be fully revealed.

“Chu Jingye,” Wang Feifan said with a smile, “you’re so arrogant. Aren’t you afraid we’ll team up and take you out first?”

“Then by all means, try,” Chu Jingye said calmly, his composure unwavering.

The crowd frowned slightly.

Jiang Ye glanced at him again, thinking, This guy’s confidence is truly something else.

“Free combat is fine,” Chu Jingye added.

“But what if someone teams up?” Li Zihuang suddenly asked.

“Then we’ll target the two in the team first!” Zhou Xingkong’s gaze swept over Jiang Ye, his unspoken meaning clear.

He was well aware of the relationship between Jiang Ye and Chen Zilu.

“I don’t need to team up with anyone to deal with you,” Jiang Ye said calmly.

“Good,” Zhou Xingkong grinned. “Remember those words.”

“Alright.”

“Then it’s free combat,” Wang Feifan declared solemnly. “Though it’s free, there are rules: only two-on-two duels are allowed. No sneak attacks while others are fighting.”

“But you can freely choose your opponents.”

The crowd nodded slightly.

As individuals with Transcendent Aptitude, they all possessed unwavering confidence.

No matter the rules, they were adaptable enough to thrive.

“Then…”

“Begin!” Wang Feifan roared.

As the words fell, the atmosphere on the arena instantly became suffocatingly tense.

The ten defenders, including Jiang Ye, were like volcanoes about to erupt, their energy coiled tight.

The next moment.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Several auras exploded almost simultaneously as the Heavenly Prides with Transcendent Aptitude moved.

But surprisingly, Zhou Xingkong didn’t attack Jiang Ye. Instead, he charged toward Li Zihuang, who stood nearby.

“Li Zihuang, I’ve come to fight you!” Zhou Xingkong grinned, launching his attack without hesitation.

“You want to fight me?” A flicker of surprise crossed Li Zihuang’s eyes.

Hadn’t Zhou Xingkong challenged Jiang Ye to a duel? Why was he targeting her instead?

“Hmph, I’m not afraid of you,” Li Zihuang scoffed, meeting his charge head-on without a shred of fear.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The two erupted into a fierce battle.

Why go after Jiang Ye? I’m not that foolish, Zhou Xingkong thought to himself. The tournament has just begun. If I fight Jiang Ye now, I’d have to reveal too many of my trump cards.

He knew all too well that his rivalry with Jiang Ye was destined to end in a fight to the death.

For Zhou Xingkong, defeating Jiang Ye was no challenge.

But his ambitions stretched far beyond that. His true goal was to claim the championship!

Prematurely revealing too many trump cards would be a grave mistake.

“Perfect,” he thought.

“First, I’ll observe Jiang Ye’s trump cards,” Zhou Xingkong reasoned calmly. “If he clashes with other transcendent prodigies, he’ll inevitably expose them all.”

“Whether he wins or loses, it’s a perfect scenario for me.”

“Watching from the sidelines like a mountain, I’ve already secured an unbeatable position,” Zhou Xingkong declared with unwavering confidence.

But in the very next moment…

As Zhou Xingkong glanced at Jiang Ye out of the corner of his eye, he was instantly stunned.

Jiang Ye had suddenly darted toward Chen Zilu and immediately engaged her in combat.

“What?”

“Is this a joke?” Zhou Xingkong’s face twisted in disbelief. Jiang Ye had chosen to fight Chen Zilu?

Was this some kind of staged match?

Jiang Ye and Chen Zilu were allies. They should be teaming up, not eliminating each other!

While Zhou Xingkong stood dumbfounded…

Boom! Li Zihuang unleashed her full power, a terrifying sword beam slashing toward him.

The void shattered, and terrifying energy surged through the air.

Faced with the terrifying sword strike, Zhou Xingkong hastily deployed his saber technique to defend.

“Li Zihuang, stop!” Zhou Xingkong shouted, attempting to halt the battle. “Someone’s throwing the match!”

He had no desire to continue fighting Li Zihuang. If he revealed all his trump cards while Jiang Ye leisurely threw the match on the sidelines, he would be at a massive disadvantage.

(End of the Chapter)