Chapter 68: The Drama Never Ends, It Just Never Ends
Amidst the sea of fire, the timbre of Zhao Hu's screams began to warp.
It was no longer a shriek of agony, but a sound laced with a bizarre, eerie euphoria.
Black markings flickered across Zhao Hu's body, glowing with a green phosphorescence. He forcibly tore himself out of the blazing flames, his body billowing black smoke, while the demon fire upon his claws burned even more intensely than before.
"Kill... if I just kill one... my power will rise again!" His eyes were unfocused, his mind completely hijacked by the evil influence of the Seven Star Sword.
He spun around and lunged at a terrified student standing nearby.
The student, whose cultivation realm was already weaker than Zhao Hu's, froze in place, reduced to a lamb waiting for the slaughter.
"Tsk." Chen Yu frowned, and his Conqueror's Haki erupted without warning!
The Conqueror's Haki exploded like an invisible clap of thunder across the square. The soldiers nearest to Zhao Hu fainted instantly.
Even Wei Tianyi, standing far in the distance, had to close his eyes and focus his mind, secretly alarmed. His aura has gotten even stronger.
"Behave yourself."
Chen Yu's indifferent command caused Zhao Hu's lunging figure to come to a jarring halt in mid-air.
It was as if the pause button had been pressed. The black markings covering his body began to tremble violently, looking as though they were trying to peel themselves off his skin.
The Seven Star Sword inside him was terrified.
"Ugh... Aaaahhh!!!" Zhao Hu fell to his knees, clutching his head as the Seven Star Sword forcibly extracted itself from his body.
A flash of panic darted through Zhao Hu's crimson pupils. "No... my power... don't leave..."
He violently grabbed the hilt, attempting to sacrifice his body to the sword once more, but the Seven Star Sword vibrated in his palm, refusing to bond.
Chen Yu's Conqueror's Haki locked onto the blade like an iron cage, suppressing it until even its humming became weak and pitiable.
Chen Yu snatched the Seven Star Sword away, his eyes filled with disdain. "This harmful piece of junk, I'd better keep it safe for you."
Zhao Hu looked at Chen Yu, who now loomed right in front of him, and collapsed backward onto his bottom. "Don't come over here!"
The square was so quiet that the only sound was the friction of Zhao Hu scuffling backward on the ground.
Everyone's gaze was glued to Chen Yu; they had subconsciously lightened their breathing.
Zhao Hu, a peak Tier 2 user, looked like a helpless child in front of Chen Yu.
Several soldiers, who had just been forced back by Zhao Hu's demon fire, were still gripping their broken shield handles, the blood on their hands not yet dry.
Their faces were filled with disbelief. "Just... just now, what was that aura?"
"I'm standing way back here and my legs went soft..."
"Forget legs going soft! Little Wu passed out cold!"
"Chen Yu completely destroyed Zhao Hu. That creepy sword didn't even dare to fart in Chen Yu's hands."
Discussions began to rise, but gone was the skepticism from before; now, there was only awe.
"Is this the power of the Azure Dragon Fruit?!"
"Come on, he went head-to-head with a Tier 7 Beast King. It's just a little tiger, no need to be surprised."
"I thought Zhao Hu had some skill before, but looking at it now, he's far behind Chen Yu!"
"And that move he used with his hair earlier, 'Dragon Whisker Fire Whirlwind', that was super cool too!"
Slumped on the ground, Zhao Hu watched the scene unfold, a sense of unwillingness spreading through him.
I worked so hard...
Suddenly, a thought struck him.
"Right! He can't have the medal!"
Zhao Hu pointed a trembling finger at Chen Yu and screamed with all his remaining strength, "He is a murderer!! He killed Chen Chen!"
"You should cancel his qualification! Arrest him, quick!"
Zhao Hu's roar was like a bomb going off.
The crowd in the square reacted like badgers in a melon field, jumping up and down in excitement.
"There's more drama! It's endless, simply endless!"
"That's right, things were already ugly between Chen Chen and Chen Yu. Given how Chen Yu forced his mother to kneel before..."
"Holy crap, are you guys idiots? Did you not see the Chen family's attitude toward Chen Yu before and after?"
"Putting aside the facts, is Chen Yu completely blameless?!"
"Chen Chen was an SS-rank talent awakener! If he developed normally, he could have become a powerhouse of the Alliance!"
Chen Yu had become the Alliance's hero for less than half an hour before his reputation collapsed at light speed.
Seeing the wind of public opinion shift, Zhao Hu felt a surge of confidence and revealed a triumphant smile.
Zhao Hu knew clearly that he was finished, but if he couldn't have it, Chen Yu wouldn't get it either!
Wei Tianyi and Ling Wenhe's expressions stiffened. The conflict between Chen Yu and the Chen family was irreconcilable.
A life-and-death struggle was normal.
But the Alliance had its order. Placing a murder out in the open like this made things difficult.
However, Chen Yu just scratched his head. "I didn't expect that even after transmigrating, I'd still get to experience the feeling of being 'cancelled'."
Unfortunately for them, this wasn't the Earth of his past life where they could ban this star or boycott that influencer.
Here, the size of your fist was the truth. The strong had privileges.
"Yeah, I killed him. So what are you going to do about it?" Chen Yu shrugged and admitted it openly and generously.
Hearing this, Zhao Hu looked as if he had been injected with a stimulant. He pointed at Chen Yu and laughed wildly, "Did you hear that?! He didn't even deny it! He really killed Chen Chen!"
"How can someone who can kill his own kin deserve the Bright Moon Medal! What right does he have to be your hero!"
Everyone's eyes snapped onto Chen Yu—confused, shocked, and some even guarded.
Xia Wanqing and Lin Yan were also stunned, looking at Chen Yu with eyes full of incomprehension.
"Ahem, actually, regarding this issue, we from the District 7 Great Wall Border Defense Force can explain."
Zhao Lie raised his voice, drawing everyone's attention to himself.
Chen Yu knew what Zhao Lie was doing; they had clarified this matter when they arrived.
Zhao Lie pulled out a Projector Transponder Snail. "During this military training assessment, there was frequent strong signal interference."
"To ensure the fairness and impartiality of the training, our technicians worked overnight to restore the data. We have recovered the missing footage from the assessment."
"Please watch the VCR." Zhao Lie pressed the play button, and the eyes of the Transponder Snail projected a screen of light.
The first clip showed Chen Chen using technology to jam all the Transponder Snails, then taking the initiative to attack Chen Yu.
And looking at his stance, he was aiming for lethal areas.
Seeing this, the crowd instantly understood.
So it was Chen Chen who made the first move, only to be effortlessly handled by Chen Yu with one hand.
Then, what left everyone dumbfounded was Chen Chen pulling out a Dyna Stone and throwing it right in Chen Yu's face.
The crowd opened their mouths but couldn't make a sound.
Even though they knew Chen Yu was standing there alive and kicking, seeing a Dyna Stone explode in someone's face still made their hearts clench.
After a flash of blinding white light, the image returned.
Chen Yu wasn't dead, but Chen Chen had indeed lost an arm. The footage ended abruptly there.
But it wasn't over. It cut to Chen Chen's spiteful cursing right before his death.
"Chen Yu! You bastard!"
"Your mother, Lin Lan, was just a short-lived ghost!"
...
"The Chen family heir should have been me! My mother is the legitimate mistress of the Chen family!"
...
In the light screen, Chen Chen's curses were like needles dipped in poison, causing everyone in the square to frown deeply.
Those who were previously whispering, "How could Chen Yu kill his own kin," now shut their mouths. Some quietly clenched their fists, the wariness in their eyes turning into blatant anger.
"This Chen Chen was a total piece of trash!"
"Pah! The Chen family isn't anything good either!"
" cursing someone's mother so viciously... she was a martyr! How dare he say that!"
Wei Tianyi's face was so dark it could drip water. "What a 'good son' the Chen family raised! First attempting murder, then spewing filth to slander a martyr. He has utterly lost the Alliance's face!"
Ling Wenhe nodded as well, his gaze toward Chen Yu now holding a few degrees more heartache.
This child rarely spoke of his suffering in the Chen family.
Zhao Lie waited for the discussions to die down slightly before raising the detector in his hand, his voice booming like a bell. "According to the technical department's identification, the explosive Chen Chen used was a Dyna Stone, a contraband item strictly prohibited by the Alliance."
"His intent was clear: to put Chen Yu to death."
He paused, sweeping his gaze across the venue. "According to the Alliance's Awakener Code of Conduct, when facing premeditated murder, counterattacking is considered justifiable self-defense."
"Chen Yu did not initiate provocation, nor did he abuse his power. On the contrary, Chen Chen repeatedly violated the rules and even attempted to kill using contraband. This outcome is entirely his own fault!"
As soon as these words fell, the square erupted with voices of agreement.
"Well said! It was just self-defense!"
"Chen Chen deserved it!"
"I thought it was a pity before, but now I see an SS-rank talent went crooked. That's scarier than being a degenerate!"
Zhao Hu collapsed on the ground, watching the "evidence" he relied on to turn the tables transform into a hammer that smashed his own face.
His last hope was completely shattered. The triumphant smile on his face froze, slowly turning into ashen despair.
Just then, Chen Yu turned his head to look at a certain corner and said loudly, "Head of the Chen family, are you in a rush to leave?"
...
(To be Continued)