It’s understandable to be under pressure—but for emotions to fluctuate this wildly, the audience couldn’t help but wonder if these kids were on the verge of a breakdown.
After all, under normal circumstances, not to mention a few little flowers—even fireworks shouldn’t trigger such a reaction.
The ruler of the Jialu Empire sighed. “Maybe we went a bit too far this time.”
Before the match began, he had only promised them rewards, without offering any comforting words. Not only he, but likely everyone else had done the same.
He was now seriously considering whether spirit health support for youth should be added to the agenda, when someone suddenly said:
“Look at the Galan Empire contestants—their mindset is excellent.”
Everyone turned to look at the big screen.
Among the tear-streaked, red-eyed contestants, two figures stood out. Liu Xiqin was twirling a dagger, considering whether this might be a good time to rack up a few kills.
All the crying was getting on her nerves.
Out of consideration for Su Cha’s goodwill, she decided it wouldn’t be right to act now and grudgingly held herself back.
As for Ji Tianjin, he even yawned lazily on the spot, his eyes half-lidded as if he was sleepy. He beckoned to the floating letters made of flowers in the air. A miniature magnolia obediently floated over, and one bloom even landed on the white tiger’s ear.
Someone in the arena muttered, “That’s the mindset of someone who never intended to win in the first place.”
Xie Rongjue: “…”
Do you think you’re funny?
Just as he was about to shoot a glare at them, Ji Tianjin’s aloof white tiger raised a paw on the livestream—and made a heart gesture toward the flower.
Xie Rongjue’s eye twitched. No doubt about it: the enemy was already inside the house.
He should have realized the problem the moment someone thought Su Cha was delicate and fragile. If the master’s blind, the spirit form is blind too.
…
The Galan Empire contestants indeed had no intention of winning the championship.
When Xie Rongjue gave his pep talk, he deliberately didn’t emphasize forgetting past allegiances—which left room for maneuvering.
Even before the competition began, Cyril had told Su Cha he only needed to do his best, and that Galan Empire would take care of the rest via interest-based exchanges.
However, Ji Tianjin’s idea of “not winning” simply meant letting Su Cha win—not giving others a free pass.
He glanced at Liu Xiqin and made a throat-slitting gesture.
The time for sentiment had passed. He had no patience to drag things out further.
With that signal, in a blink, Ji Tianjin flashed to the side of a contestant from Planet Z804. The other snapped awake—but Ji Tianjin’s attacks were ruthless. While the opponent was distracted, he sliced clean from neck to chest.
“You have no heart.”
The Z804 contestant couldn’t believe that amidst the stifled sobs, someone was still launching sneak attacks.
As Ji Tianjin withdrew his fist, his spirit power pulsed again at the opponent’s wound. He said coldly, “I’m not Su Cha. I won’t treat every enemy gently.”
On the other side, Liu Xiqin gave him a complex look. Even now, he’s still promoting Su Cha?
Thinking of how Su Cha had awakened out of fury after being dumped by a scumbag who denied their relationship, she started to wonder—was there really something going on between them?
The flowers in the air completely scattered. After eliminating a strong threat, Ji Tianjin didn’t waste a second. He moved like a leopard, darting toward the emergency supply kit zone.
“Stop him!”
Liu Xiqin rushed forward to shield her teammate. Just as she was about to help, she suddenly halted. One injured contestant in front of her, overwhelmed with anxiety, was starting to lose control of their spirit power. The volatile particles stirred up a sudden gale.
Once spirit power goes haywire, a person becomes indiscriminately aggressive. Though it was just the beginning stage, the surrounding contestants instinctively began a tactical retreat.
The tiny flower still tucked behind the white tiger’s ear suddenly floated over on its own.
Strangely, though it was only a small flower, the out-of-control contestant calmed down quickly.
But the others quickly realized—the earlier scattered flowers only had a mild calming effect. This one must have been the concentrated essence, which explained why it hadn’t dissipated yet.
Taking advantage of the moment, Ji Tianjin smoothly grabbed the emergency kit and turned to retreat.
Liu Xiqin didn’t hesitate either, pushing her speed to the limit.
Now, nearly twenty remaining teams were in hot pursuit. At this rate, no matter how fast Ji Tianjin was, it was impossible to shake them all off.
But he didn’t seem tense at all. He glanced at his smart brain interface and snapped his fingers. The white tiger leapt high into the air, and Ji Tianjin mounted it, dashing forward at full speed.
He ran. They chased.
At first, everyone assumed that constant running through the forest would eventually wear down Ji Tianjin’s spirit state. He might be able to use stealth tech to evade, but his teammates couldn’t—take down one, and the rest would fall apart.
However, as minutes and hours ticked by, the contestants began to realize—Ji Tianjin wasn’t just running aimlessly. He had a clear destination in mind, with no sign of panic.
North.
When they figured out his direction, everyone grew more confused.
There were wild beasts in the north. Could the Galan Empire be repeating an old trick?
A contestant from Craftsman Star suddenly realized: the north didn’t just have beasts—it had Su Cha.
With those thick clouds overhead, rain was imminent. By the time they all got there, their spirit power would be severely drained. Even if they found their spirit forms, they’d be of little use.
Then Su Cha, still in peak condition, could strike.
D*mn—what a vicious plan!
If Su Cha could stall their spirit forms even briefly, taking out the rest of them would be a breeze.
Just as he was about to shout a warning, Lien—who was flying above—asked curiously, “Where are you going?”
Ji Tianjin, never one to get along with him, answered coolly, “To see the aurora.”
The Craftsman Star contestant yelled, “Don’t believe him—he’s taking us straight to h*ll!”
This morning, they were allies. Now, the alliance was broken. The Craftsman Star contestant immediately spilled the truth: the spirit forms were in the north too.
In a world where no one could be trusted, the contestants were half-convinced. They’d tried to sense the location of their spirit forms many times and failed. It was hard to know who was telling the truth.
Ji Tianjin’s indifferent voice floated back: “There are so few teams left. Su Cha could easily take out the spirit forms now.”
After the previous battle, everyone was exhausted—their spirit forms likely were too.
Liu Xiqin added, “Why not draw lots later for a one-on-one ring match?”
Ji Tianjin nodded. “Let’s end this competition cleanly.”
“…”
From inciting beasts to stealing people—isn’t it you guys playing dirty?
But since the initiative was in their hands, and no better option presented itself, the others had no choice but to follow.
Through the night they ran, followed by drones. This run lasted several hours, and the viewers watching the livestream were nearly numb in their seats.
From nightfall to sunrise to late morning, the elimination battle was forcibly turned into a marathon. While contestants cursed nonstop, they finally arrived.
Before they could even catch their breath, someone spotted their own spirit form—and nearly burst into tears.
Su Cha had just finished using the local plants at the border to make some perfume, and had picked up a few beautiful stones. He was organizing them into souvenirs and hanging them on the spirit forms. Hearing noise, he slowly turned around. Upon seeing the crowd, he blinked. “Oh, you guys came too?”
The contestants were stunned.
Lien was the first to find his voice. “Your mom. Your dad. Your grandma—” he held back the last part, swallowing the curse, “—are you seriously here for sightseeing?”
“Otherwise what?” Su Cha shrugged.
Though he hadn’t cursed aloud, the other contestants had already cursed a thousand times in their hearts.
Of course, they weren’t cursing Su Cha—but the fact that they’d just run a full marathon, frantic with worry over their spirit forms. Some had even gotten so anxious they almost threw up. And when they finally arrived, what did they find? Not only had their spirit forms not suffered—but they had gained weight.
Su Cha had been feeding them spiritual power the whole time, leaving them round and glowing. One contestant opened their gift bag and caught a whiff of the faint fragrance—immediately, their agitated spiritual energy calmed.
Good stuff.
Their eyes lit up.
Su Cha, seeing that the match clearly wasn’t over, made the same proposal as Ji Tianjin: a round-by-round duel format.
His tone was gentle, as if afraid of disturbing the dreamy auroras in the sky.
“If anyone has any thoughts, feel free to speak up—we can revise the competition rules together.”
On the battleship in the sky, the organizing committee fell silent.
After a long pause, someone muttered, “If he’s setting the rules… then what are we here for?”
Just decoration?
The head organizer was nearly grinding his teeth. “Write it all down. In the next interstellar youth tournament, no sightseeing, no changing the rules, and no stealing people!”
Unfortunately, that was for next time.
Right now, it meant nothing to Su Cha. He spoke, and no one objected. Maybe it was the auroras, but everyone looked at him through a soft-focus lens—he seemed genuinely thoughtful and considerate.
Su Cha smiled. “You’ve all had a long journey. It’s fine to rest a bit first.”
Then he walked to a contestant’s side and spoke softly, “Your injuries are serious. Forcing yourself to fight won’t help. Go back and rest. Hurting your body would be meaningless.”
So gentle… the contestant didn’t dare meet his eyes.
Su Cha lifted his gaze again. “If anyone else has any suggestions, you’re welcome to share them.”
Their spirit forms had been pampered, they’d received gifts—those who had considered rallying the group for a takedown now felt too embarrassed to speak up.
Seeing this, Su Cha nodded in satisfaction.
This was the power of moral pressure.
Just as he was basking in the poetic glow of the moment, he suddenly remembered the system.
Since regaining consciousness, he’d only seen it once—then it had vanished. The absence made Su Cha uneasy. What was it up to?
…
While Su Cha led the contestants in re-negotiating the rules, in the arena, a subordinate walked up to the Federal President and informed him that Li Xingqu had regained consciousness.
As the President’s son, the humiliation he had endured was unbearable. Li Xingqu had repeatedly fainted from sheer rage upon waking.
The President’s face changed as he stood and left.
No one questioned him—visiting one’s injured son was natural.
Once outside the arena, the President’s expression returned to calm. “Make the arrangements,” he said.
The secretary nodded.
The Federation had chosen to stake the wormhole’s ownership on the outcome of the tournament—but of course, they had backup plans.
Months ago, they’d received secret intelligence: the Shiyuan Clan, long dormant on the planet Jibei, was stirring again. This clan had once toppled an entire empire on their own—their strength was unquestionable. Their talent for spatial manipulation rivaled Fog Star’s. While Fog Star specialized in spatial travel, the Shiyuan Clan could cut space itself.
The new wormhole had destabilized the surrounding area. Secretly, the Federation had been manipulating asteroid trajectories, aiming to trigger a meteor crash. Such an impact would cause dimensional overlap—an opportunity the Shiyuan Clan would not ignore.
With them wreaking havoc, wormhole control would be as good as secured.
Unaware they were mere pawns, the Shiyuan Clan was indeed hiding near the Dawn-Dusk Star, preparing for action.
They were notoriously brutal. Su Cha had once skimmed their dossier aboard a battleship but stopped midway—the details were too bloody to bear.
After weeks of careful planning, the Shiyuan Clan had pinpointed when the meteor strike would occur. Their goal was clear: kidnap the top-performing contestants of the youth tournament, cutting off the younger generation’s elite combat power.
After confirming the plan, the Shiyuan anarchists, who believed in “no empire, no government,” muttered their slogan with fanatic devotion: “Destroy imperial rule. Absolute freedom.”
They were brimming with confidence. As long as the meteor struck, victory was guaranteed.
…
In the interstellar battlefield, a mechanical doll stood in the 12-dimensional space near the wormhole, flipping through a stack of thick paper and running constant calculations. When the final check was complete, the pages dissolved into dust.
It stepped toward a spatial connection point and stomped lightly, further destabilizing the area. As it worked, its cold eyes looked in a specific direction—toward the “tool” at the center of its current plan.
The Federation. Gratitude, truly.
Then it turned its gaze again—this time toward the Shiyuan Clan, who remained oblivious to their status as second-tier pawns.
A system host cannot voluntarily return to their original world. That was a hard rule. Even if Su Cha gained control of the wormhole, as long as he existed, he’d never be able to return due to inevitable deviations.
Even Su Cha himself didn’t know this.
Given his personality, if he couldn’t take revenge with his own hands, the knot in his heart would never be untied.
If he couldn’t act directly—then he’d be used passively.
The system already had a complete plan. With a small nod, it muttered to itself: “Locked and loaded.”
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Damnn…. where is the rest?