Inside the arena.
Lin Ran weaved nimbly between the ruins, making his way to the second airdrop zone.
Midway, however, Lin Ran's Eternal Kaleidoscope suddenly caught sight of a familiar presence.
The sword-wielding man battling several vicious wolves below him on the left… was that Su Quan?
A harmless smile immediately curved Lin Ran's lips.
It’s truly a case of fate bringing enemies together…
To run into this guy in such a vast survival competition arena.
Since they were destined to meet, it would be a disservice to fate if he didn't personally send him off to play in the mud.
Lin Ran leaped lightly, landing on the rooftop of a low building above Su Quan.
The second airdrop zone wasn't far from him; he could reach it easily. There was plenty of time to play with Su Quan.
It had to be said, Su Quan, possessing the SSS-grade talent Dragon Spring Sword, dealt with these ordinary ferocious beasts as easily as slaughtering chickens and dogs. He quickly finished off the wolves.
Although the man’s fighting spirit and combat proficiency were lacking, he did possess basic strength.
Yes, a little, but not much.
Lin Ran didn't intend to use his Golden Dragon Spear. He simply leaped down carelessly, appearing before Su Quan.
Su Quan, who was in the process of collecting some cluster-type items, was startled by Lin Ran's sudden appearance.
Upon seeing Lin Ran's face, the joy from his recent gains vanished without a trace.
"Lin Ran!"
Su Quan's face turned ashen, and his voice became distorted.
Fear, anger, and dread all surged into his heart.
However, after their fight in the arena and Lin Ran's subsequent god-tier performance, he understood the vast gulf between them.
Therefore, Su Quan's reaction was mostly one of helpless rage.
Lin Ran chuckled, "Long time no see…"
"I didn't expect you to be so lucky, never running into that ridiculous alliance."
"Otherwise, with your pathetic skills, you probably would have been eliminated long ago."
Su Quan's expression did not improve: "Alliance? What alliance?"
Lin Ran smiled again, "That's not something you need to worry about."
"After I eliminate you, you can ask them yourself."
"Don't be afraid, I'm very gentle…"
As he spoke, twenty Gates of Babylon materialized behind Lin Ran.
Although Lin Ran's limit was far greater than this, twenty Gates felt excessive for dealing with Su Quan.
"Hah!"
"Let me show you the might of my blades!"
Su Quan roared, swinging his Dragon Spring Sword, preparing to fight Lin Ran to the death.
Although he possessed a teleportation scroll and could concede and leave, for the sake of his dignity and the honor of the Su family, Su Quan decided to fight and die honorably.
Moments later, he was pinned to the adjacent wall by Lin Ran's Gates of Babylon…
"A pity, if your strength was half as potent as your mouth, you might have caused me some trouble."
Lin Ran shook his head and sighed, tutting.
Su Quan, on the other hand, was on the verge of tears from the pain.
Being pierced through the body by sharp treasures was not a pleasant feeling at all, especially for a young master accustomed to a life of luxury.
Now, Su Quan regretted not tearing the scroll to concede in time.
When he had no chance of winning, why did he stubbornly stay to suffer for the sake of some damn pride and honor?
The most agonizing part was enduring Lin Ran's humiliation…
Su Quan quickly tried to communicate with the teleportation scroll mentally.
But to his surprise, the scroll completely ignored his summons, as if it didn't exist.
???
This wasn't right!
During the pre-match rule announcement, the referee had clearly stated that the teleportation scroll could be used to exit the arena at any time!
Now, he was merely physically pinned, yet conscious and with his divine sense intact, why had it suddenly failed?
Illusion? Seal? Or some special technique?
Su Quan looked at the approaching Lin Ran in horror, his pupils dilating rapidly.
Lin Ran was quite surprised by Su Quan's resilience: "I didn't expect you to be so tough…"
"Since you're unwilling to go gracefully, then I'll help you to be graceful!"
As Lin Ran spoke, the Gates of Babylon, which had previously subsided, began to materialize once more.
Seeing Lin Ran about to launch a second wave of attacks, Su Quan finally broke down, crying out hoarsely, "Stop! Stop!"
"If you keep hitting me, I'm going to die!"
Lin Ran looked at Su Quan with a somewhat speechless expression.
The guy not only didn't know to activate the scroll and leave, but he had also forgotten about the passive protection mechanism of the survival competition?
With such a poor mind, why even bother participating in a competition?
"It's okay, something will protect you…"
Lin Ran said, as he fired five or six more Gates of Babylon.
Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud!
These Gates once again pierced Su Quan without reservation, causing him to bleed profusely.
"Cough, cough, cough…"
Su Quan, having suffered successive heavy blows, could no longer speak, only coughing up bloody foam.
Lin Ran had intended to deliver a fatal blow to trigger the protection, but looking at Su Quan, who appeared to be barely clinging to life, he sensed something was amiss.
Su Quan didn't seem to have a strong constitution, and he was now practically on the verge of death.
Yet, even so, the protection mechanism hadn't triggered…
If he struck him a couple more times, wouldn't he kill him outright?
That would be a real disaster.
Lin Ran didn't care whether Su Quan lived or died. What he cared about was the possibility of exposing a loophole to the event organizers, leading them to disqualify him for intentional homicide.
Lin Ran did not want to miss out on this championship.
Furthermore, Su Quan was, after all, the eldest young master of the Su family.
If he died by his hand, the Su family might very well seek revenge.
Although he had the Divine Might Space, they wouldn't have much opportunity to truly kill him.
But constantly being forced to hide in the Divine Might Space was ultimately not a pleasant experience.
Seeking momentary satisfaction at the cost of unnecessary trouble was pointless.
Glancing again at Su Quan, who was truly on the verge of death from the loss of life force, Lin Ran sighed.
He unleashed his Room domain, causing the Gates of Babylon to disappear. Life force from his natural spirit body flowed into Su Quan, stabilizing his ebbing breath.
Su Quan finally managed to catch his breath, prostrating himself weakly on the ground, panting heavily.
Lin Ran glanced at Su Quan on the ground, "The teleportation scroll failed?"
Afraid Lin Ran would attack him again, Su Quan nodded frantically like a pecking chick, "It failed! It failed! I can't activate it at all!"