As soon as the Human Emperor Banner came out, I became the Lord of the Old Ones

Chapter 193 Living Like a Stray Dog
"Ladies and gentlemen, cheer! Let your passion fuel the battle for these warriors! The Dawn Cup Top 32 Tournament is about to begin!"
"Our first match is between the highly anticipated Shattered Star Team and the Mad Iron Team. The blue team's player—"

"Chu Zhifeng! Chu Zhifeng! Chu Zhifeng!"

Chu Zhifeng sat in the rest area like a stone statue, covering his face with a thick towel.

The towel became even thicker after being soaked in the nutrient solution that emitted a pungent odor.

But it still couldn't hide the glaring light and rustling sounds that seeped in through the gaps in the towel.

Like a thorny worm, it arched and burrowed into his brain.

Before every major competition, he likes to sit quietly like this, enjoying the moment when everyone is watching.

however--

This time is different from the past.

Whether it was his imagination or not, he heard a cacophony of noises amidst the cheers.

"Chu Zhifeng, you traitor!"

"Chu Zhifeng, you're a coward!"

"Chu Zhifeng, so what if you win? You're just relying on the power of the sealing card. The real you is still a treacherous, cowardly loser who deserts in the face of battle!"

He seemed to hear the insults and ridicule coming from the audience.

Gritting his teeth and shaking his head vigorously, he tried to drive these annoying sounds out of his brain like flies.

The dappled light and shadow, however, outlined Sheikh Krat's pale, vampire-like long face.

"Chu Zhifeng, do you even understand what you're doing? I spent so much money to get you to join, and it's not just for the top 32!"

“The sponsor of Aurora Life has complained to me several times that your performance is really unsatisfactory. He doubts my judgment and even more so whether you can cheer up in the later rounds.”

"Don't disappoint me again. You have nowhere to retreat. I can spend money to elevate you to the clouds, or I can push you into the mud and turn you into a pile of unwanted trash!"

Chu Zhifeng clenched his teeth even tighter.

He could feel waves of stinging pain in his gums.

That was a lingering effect from being hit in the cheek by an opponent when I was distracted in the previous rounds of the competition.

He rubbed his face vigorously with a towel, rubbing Sheikh Krat's thin face to pieces.

The shattered light and shadow coalesced again into two new faces.

On the left is "Golden Boy" Carlos.

On the right is Xiong Tieshan, who had been incredibly kind to him but was betrayed by him.

Carlos remained silent, his face full of disdainful smiles, yet this clearly revealed his deepest thoughts.

Save your breath, kid.

"You are nothing more than a tool, a plug-and-play tool that can be discarded at any time."

"No matter what, you don't belong to Shattered Star, you don't belong to the no-card build, you're just a stray dog, you should go back to your stinking doghouse as soon as possible!"

Xiong Tieshan on the right, however, remained expressionless and silent.

This is how he looked when he watched Chu Zhifeng's match the day before yesterday.

Frankly, if he shows anger, disappointment, or even hatred, or even starts swearing.

Chu Zhifeng felt slightly better.

There was nothing there, and the two acted like strangers. Xiong Tieshan simply regarded him as an ordinary opponent he would encounter in the next round.

"Ah Feng—"

Chu Zhifeng even thought about his dream last night, in which his parents asked him with concern, "We've been reading a lot of news about you and Kuangtie Martial Arts School in the newspapers lately. What exactly happened between you and Master Xiong? We're all family here. Even if it's a big problem, we should sit down and talk it over. What mistake did you make that Master Xiong can't forgive?"

I did nothing wrong.

All I want is to become stronger, all I want is to win, all I want is to take back what rightfully belongs to me! Chu Zhifeng felt a sweet, metallic liquid flowing from his teeth to his throat.

His gaze turned cold and sharp again.

I recalled a scene I witnessed when I was seven or eight years old in the slum where I grew up.

A young but lonely stray dog ​​faces the challenge of more than a dozen other stray dogs in order to defend its territory.

Despite its incredible bravery.

Even with one leg crippled, he still tore his opponents apart, leaving them covered in blood, and even bit two of them to death.

What's the point?
In the end, its opponent tore dozens of crisscrossing wounds into its body, draining its last drop of blood. It fell into a stinking garbage dump, and within a few days, it rotted into a pile of bones, becoming something even less than garbage.

No one will remember its "heroism".

After all, a stray dog ​​is just a stray dog.

"I will never go back to the slums and become a stray dog ​​again!"

Chu Zhifeng ripped the towel off.

Just then, he saw the coach holding a steaming cup of nutrient solution and handing it to him.

The cup containing the nutrient solution bears the logo of "Aurora Life".

The pungent smell reminded Chu Zhifeng of ferocious beasts roaming the depths of the wilderness, amidst white bones. His pupils involuntarily contracted, and the light seemed to grow even more blinding.

He knew very well that this was not a legitimate and safe nutrient solution produced by "Aurora Life".

But...

"Drinking it will do you good."

Sensing his hesitation, the coach said, half pleading and half threatening, "It can protect your cerebral blood vessels and central nervous system."

These words made Chu Zhifeng feel the needle marks on the inside of his wrist again.

The pinhole is already very faint.

He was as indifferent as if he had never injected any dubious banned drugs.

But now, the needle marks that are about to disappear are incredibly itchy, as if insects are crawling out of them.

"Of course you don't need these things to win, but you've only just started learning the Doka style, and your ego isn't yet perfectly connected with the remnant soul of 'Silver Moon Meteor.' These potions are just to help you better control your guardian spirit."

The coach whispered, "Don't be silly. I promise this is the last time. As long as you win the Dawn Cup, you'll have plenty of time to adapt to the Doca style. From now on, you can win every competition without any drug assistance!"

That's right.

Now that we've embarked on this path, there's no need to pretend or hesitate any longer.

I will win.

I will win one victory after another and take one championship after another.

At that time, all those damned sounds and images, all those annoying flies, all those questions and doubts, will all vanish into thin air!

Chu Zhifeng drank the nutrient solution in one gulp.

He strode onto the ring.

He looked disdainfully at his former sparring partner, whom he had defeated countless times.

"Come on, show me all your tricks! For the sake of our past as teammates, I'll give you a quick death in a minute!"

He conveyed this to Hou Zhijian with his eyes.

However, to his surprise, the "imaginary enemy" standing on the red side today was not wearing a card reader on his wrist at all!

(End of this chapter)