Chapter 239: Chapter 176: The Clouds of War

On the stage, the old man’s attacks grew increasingly fierce, each blow aimed at Little Fatty’s vital points. Soon, he had his opponent completely boxed in.

Just as Little Fatty was backed into a corner with nowhere left to retreat, when everyone assumed he was about to be defeated, a cunning glint flashed across his "panic-stricken," round face.

He dodged the old man’s attack with a flexibility that defied logic. The crowd saw only a blur before a deep yellow triangular flag appeared in Little Fatty’s hand.

He thrust the large flag in his hand forcefully into the stage.

The next moment, earthworm-like patterns began to emerge on the spacious stage. Radiating from the triangular flag, these "earthworms" seemed to come to life.

In an instant, illusory chains materialized, coiling toward the old man like Spiritual Snakes.

"An Array?" the old man cried out, unable to hide the astonishment on his face. ’I clearly had the upper hand the whole time. When did he set up an Array like this right under my nose?’

It wasn’t just him; the vast majority of the audience hadn’t seen when the Array was laid out. It would be one thing for the Qi Cultivators to miss it, but there were quite a few Foundation Establishment Cultivators present. Yet, aside from Song Changsheng, who had noticed a few clues, everyone else had been kept in the dark.

This included Li Siyang, who had made a bet with Song Changsheng. He had just insisted Little Fatty was doomed to lose, but his words came back to bite him almost instantly.

He too was utterly shocked. He looked to Song Changsheng at his side and asked, "Young Clan Leader, you saw this coming all along?"

Song Changsheng smiled faintly. "From the moment the match began, he was laying out the Array. His movements were just incredibly subtle. It looked like he was being forced to flee in disarray, but that was a deliberate act.

’Step by step, he wove a great net and lured his opponent into it. His Blinding Technique was masterfully cast, fooling everyone. The only person he didn’t fool was me. That’s why I was so confident in making that bet with you.’"

Though Song Changsheng was speaking about the match, Li Siyang couldn’t shake the feeling that his words carried a deeper, pointed meaning. With a guilty conscience already weighing on him, he started to grow flustered.

Beads of sweat began to form on his forehead. He was certain Song Changsheng must have seen something. He was now in the heart of the Song Clan’s territory; if Song Changsheng decided to move against him, he wouldn’t stand a chance to resist.

Although they were both Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators, Song Changsheng had earned his fearsome reputation through sheer bloodshed.

Looking at Song Changsheng’s smiling face, Li Siyang’s heart sank...

Song Changsheng’s gaze turned icy, but he made no further move. A moment later, he turned his attention back to the stage.

By now, Little Fatty had already leveraged the power of the Array to decisively defeat the old man, drawing gasps of amazement from the crowd. The reversal had been far too sudden.

Little Fatty was quite pleased with himself. Amidst the cheers of his clansmen, he looked out at the audience.

At the same time, Song Changsheng was also looking at him. Their eyes met. Little Fatty was thrilled. ’That’s my idol, the one I’ve always looked up to and tried to catch up with! I finally got him to notice me with my own power!’

Cultivators naturally have excellent memories. Song Changsheng vaguely recalled that many years ago, while cultivating the *Array Carved on Body*, he had searched everywhere for Dragon Blood Orchids to temper his physique. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Back then, he had posted a request in the Contribution Hall to find the Dragon Blood Orchid. In the end, two people completed it. One was the Hunter from the Demon Hunting Team, Shangguan Sword, and the other was this Little Fatty. He even remembered his name—Song Qinghong.

At the time, the boy’s exclamation of "Idol!" had left Song Changsheng utterly dumbfounded.

Even Song Changsheng hadn’t expected Little Fatty to improve so quickly, to the point where he was now qualified to compete for a Foundation Establishment Pill and had even won his first victory in such a spectacular fashion.

’He certainly has a talent for Arrays,’ Song Changsheng thought, ’but I’m not optimistic about his prospects. For an Array Master, Arrays are a trump card. Exposing it in the very first match means others will be wary, and it’ll be difficult to pull the same trick again.’

’With my insight, I can tell that Song Qinghong’s own combat prowess is only average. Without the help of an Array, his chances of winning subsequent matches are slim.’

’But his performance today has already proven his talent for Arrays. Even if he doesn’t make it into the top three, the clan will invest heavily in cultivating his talent in the future. That’s a good outcome in itself. He’s still young, after all; there’s still time.’

The next match featured another acquaintance of Song Changsheng’s. This person was none other than Song Chang’an, who had fought alongside him in the Wutong Secret Realm.

As Song Luhuai’s son, he had never received any special treatment. On the contrary, he was held to even stricter standards.

His talent wasn’t outstanding, but he was incredibly resilient, much like Xu Yunhe. Both were unyielding Swordsmen who would rather break than bend.

Compared to a few years ago, his Swordsmanship was more refined. Although he couldn’t compare to that monstrous talent, Song Qingxing, he was already on par with the Xu Yunhe of the past.

His opponent lasted fewer than ten exchanges against his blade before being defeated.

Seeing this, Song Luzhou’s face broke into a smile. "It seems Chang’an hasn’t been idle these past few years. Barring any surprises, a spot in the top three is his."

Song Changsheng nodded in agreement. Though Song Chang’an’s Swordsmanship wasn’t as sharp as Song Qingxing’s, his attacks were relentless and unending. Few in the Song Clan could withstand them. He had essentially already secured a Foundation Establishment Pill.

Unless another dark horse emerged.