Chapter 336: Let Me Take a Look!
All clues related to [Cup] were once again brought into sharp focus after this match, and Xu Zhi naturally reentered the sight of certain people.
“There were still some doubts about her before, but now it’s clear—[Lamp] remains the nemesis of [Cup]. There’s no way she could have any connection with it.”
All other attributes could be converted into [Cup]—only [Lamp] was different. A [Lamp]-type extraordinary would not be corrupted by [Cup] while still alive. When [Cup] invaded, [Lamp] would extinguish rather than transform. This had long been a consensus in the real world.
Now, Xu Zhi’s distinct behavior after killing a [Cup] believer on the arena stage further confirmed that this rule still held true. More importantly, experimental data recovered from Minjiang also proved that [Lamp] remained the most effective counter against [Cup].
According to records—and the memories of certain old figures—[Cup]’s aversion to [Lamp] was almost instinctual, as if carved into its very bones. As for why these two attributes stood in such extreme opposition, no one knew. It had simply “always been so.”
Some believed it was merely the opposition of “light” and “evil.” Others argued it couldn’t be that simple—matters involving the extraordinary, ascension, and countless unresolved mysteries surely ran deeper than a binary clash of good and evil.
That explanation felt far too simplistic.
But regardless, one thing was universally agreed upon: [Cup] and [Lamp] could never cooperate.
“Even though we still don’t know why she ended up in the lower tiers, at least we can confirm she has no ties to [Cup]. Since she’s [Lamp] and so promising, she’s worth keeping an eye on. With [Cup]’s rise already inevitable, the value of [Lamp]-type extraordinaries will only increase.”
“Too bad Light Institute got to her first.”
Nearly all discussions about Xu Zhi concluded that she had no connection to [Cup]. Her performance in the arena, the hostility the believers showed toward her, and the peculiar corpse she left behind all testified to her “innocence.” After this battle, many of the eyes that had been watching her finally withdrew.
Lian City’s offensive against Minjiang was astonishingly swift—almost immediately after the incident, they launched their attack. It was so fast that one could hardly avoid suspecting the day had been prepared long in advance. Yet public opinion had already shifted—from questioning whether other cities were being too harsh on Minjiang, to declaring “Minjiang deserves it,” and that condemning it was justice.
Lian City, in particular, held the moral high ground with the claim that “our students were publicly attacked by Minjiang believers.” For a time, no one could openly criticize them.
But that was only on the surface.
At the top level of Lian City, inside the council building—
“Madam Chair, all assigned tasks have been completed smoothly. However, according to intelligence from our covert lines, several of the higher-ups seem… quite dissatisfied with you.”
“They appear to suspect you might be connected to [Cup].”
The woman addressed as Chair revealed a faintly mocking smile. “Of course they suspect me. But what use is that?”
Suspicion was only suspicion. She had indeed taken certain measures, but she had erased every trace cleanly. No one could seize any evidence against her.
As for the consequences, she knew perfectly well what she was doing—and what it would lead to.
Everything was for a longer-term plan.
With that thought, she suppressed the hint of mockery on her face. Her expression returned to its usual gentle composure as she spoke slowly:
“Lower the prices of those inferior, low-grade prosthetics and sell them to the bottom tiers. There should already be quite a few believers among them—let the lower classes deal with those believers themselves.”
“Give them a bit of sweetness. Don’t let all of them fall into becoming low-level believers.”
“As for those foolish Executors… no need to bother with them. They usually stay in the Lost Lands anyway. The current situation isn’t enough to draw them out.”
“Madam, saying that out loud… they might hear you,” the subordinate reminded cautiously.
It was common knowledge that powerful extraordinary beings possessed a kind of intuitive awareness regarding matters related to themselves—especially when their names or titles were spoken aloud.
The woman smiled, giving her subordinate a meaningful look. “No. They won’t hear.”
“Understood.”
“You’ve all done well.”
After confirming that none of the team members from Lian City Light Institute had been contaminated by [Cup], Xi Min spoke to her teammates.
“This match had some unexpected developments, but your performance on the spot was clear to all—excellent work. However, killing [Cup] on live broadcast may lead to certain hidden risks.”
It wasn’t hard to understand. By attracting [Cup]’s hatred, their faces had likely already been remembered by its believers.
“Although it’s over, you must not let your guard down.”
Xi Min warned seriously, “You publicly executed [Cup]. This could trigger considerable ripple effects. From now on, be even more cautious.”
Everyone understood her implication.
But Xu Zhi had her own thoughts. Most people seemed to believe that [Cup]’s arrangements within the league had already been completed, and that after this, internal oversight would become stricter. Suspected insiders would be purged, and the forty remaining teams advancing from this round would undoubtedly undergo even more rigorous inspections.
For [Cup], continuing to stir trouble would not be easy.
However, although [Cup] had displayed its power during this match, the final outcome was suppression. This would undoubtedly instill fear in those who had only just begun to feel tempted. As “propaganda,” it was far from perfect.
Xu Zhi had a feeling—this single match, despite its massive impact, was still not enough.
Soon after, following several more days of intense competition, the top forty teams of the league were officially determined.
What caught people’s attention was that [Dingchan] had advanced once again.
Even Xi Min found this surprising. While watching the match with her teammates and seeing Dingchan’s victory, she said in a puzzled tone, “This team… is too strange.”
It really was strange.
For ordinary extraordinaries, such rapid progress was impossible. From the preliminaries to now, in just a few months, every member of this team had advanced in rank. Of course, the most outrageous was their first-year main carry.
Such an anomaly, especially after the Minjiang incident, naturally drew suspicion from the event organizers. They conducted examinations on the members of Dingchan—but the results showed no abnormalities.
To be honest, Xu Zhi didn’t quite believe those results. After all, hadn’t Minjiang once been declared “normal” as well?
She had reached her current level as a first-year because she had cheats on. So what—did Dingchan’s members have cheats too?
What kind of cheat were they using? Let her take a look and see if it was the real deal.
