Supreme Dragon Lord-Chapter 362: Asking for Trouble!

"How dare you oppose me? Die!"

Seeing the arrows successfully loosed, a triumphant smile spread across Zhang Cangsong’s face. In his eyes, these arrows were coated with a deadly poison, and worse, the poison would diffuse into the air. Whether one was struck by an arrow or merely inhaled the air nearby, they would be afflicted.

Once poisoned, if one failed to take the antidote within three minutes, the only outcome would be instant death.

To his utter shock, Long Chen, having already sensed the danger, did not bother to dodge. Instead, he struck out with his palm once again! The power contained in this single strike was even more formidable than before. Not only were all the arrows blasted away, but they flew back along their original path, shooting straight toward Zhang Cangsong.

Upon seeing this, Zhang Cangsong’s face paled and his pupils constricted. This guy doesn’t play by the rules! Damn him!

As the arrows closed in, Zhang Cangsong scrambled to defend himself. However, the Palm Shadow released by Long Chen was so intimidating that he hesitated. Left with no choice, he abandoned any attempt to block and opted to evade instead. He relied on his agile speed to dodge rapidly.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The arrows struck a massive boulder behind Zhang Cangsong with pinpoint accuracy. With a series of deafening cracks, the hard stone exploded into fragments that scattered in all directions.

Although Zhang Cangsong avoided serious injury from the arrows, he could not escape the deadly poison that now permeated the air. His expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly clamped a hand over his nose and mouth, but it was too late. The poison instantly invaded his body. A moment later, blood began to stream from his mouth and nose, his face contorting into a mask of pain.

"This is a taste of your own medicine!" Long Xin remarked, stopping to watch him with a playful smirk.

Being mocked by Long Xin so openly, Zhang Cangsong seethed with rage, his face turning livid. Long Chen only offered a cold smile, his own expression filled with deep scorn.

"Let’s go!" Long Chen said, continuing to lead Long Xin and Tang Le toward the summit.

Witnessing this scene, the hearts of the others on the slope trembled. Those following behind did not dare take the same path, choosing to make a wide detour rather than suffer Zhang Cangsong’s fate.

"You bastard!" Zhang Cangsong finally roared, erupting with curses. He had intended to make Long Chen’s group pay a heavy price, but instead, he was the one left in this pathetic state. How could he not be furious? But his anger had to wait; the most important thing now was to save his life.

He quickly retrieved an Elixir Pill, stuffed it into his mouth, and swallowed it with a gulp. A few seconds after the pill entered his stomach, the bleeding from his mouth and nose finally stopped. The dark, purplish hue of his face began to fade, gradually returning to normal.

"Damn you!" Zhang Cangsong growled, clenching his fists tightly. "You had better pray you don’t fall into my hands, or I will grind your bones to dust!"

The thought of being repeatedly thwarted by Long Chen, who remained so arrogant before him, made his face burn with shame. He swore a silent vow to reclaim his honor. Seeing the other contestants overtake him one by one, a bitter taste filled his mouth. He was keenly aware that if he continued to falter, he might not even pass the first trial, let alone become number one on the points leaderboard.

He was the esteemed young master of the Zhang Family, the prodigy in whom his clan had placed immense hope. If I can’t even pass the first trial, won’t I become an absolute laughingstock?

Zhang Cangsong shook his head vigorously, not daring to dwell on the thought. It’s a complete nightmare! I absolutely will not allow that to happen!

Snapping back to his senses, he quickly regulated his breathing and once again sprinted toward the summit with all his might.

As expected, Long Chen was the first to reach the top. Tang Le and Long Xin followed close behind, securing second and third place respectively. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"With Big Brother around, this first trial was a total breeze. We could just coast our way up," Long Xin praised. "I told you! The top rank in this assessment is yours for the taking!"

Long Chen just smiled faintly. "It’s too early to say that. Let’s wait until the final results are announced. It won’t be too late to praise me then."

Long Xin giggled. In her eyes, with Long Chen present, the top spot was already guaranteed.

The trio had reached the summit with an enormous lead. They stood there for quite a while before the fourth-place contestant finally appeared. After that, more and more people began to trickle in.

It had to be said that Zhang Cangsong possessed some genuine strength. Despite the huge setback he had suffered during the climb, he still managed to pass the first trial on his own merit. By the time he reached the summit, however, his rank had plummeted to fortieth place—a vast gap from the number one spot he had been aiming for. The contrast was so mortifying that he could not bear to face anyone, wishing he could dig a hole and bury his head in it.

"Well, well. I didn’t expect you to still be alive," Long Xin could not help but jeer when she saw him.

Tang Le added with a faint smile, "I’m honestly surprised you managed to pass the first trial at all."

They looked at Zhang Cangsong as if he were a posturing buffoon. The embarrassment was excruciating, but it was quickly being consumed by a greater rage. If not for those three, he would be the one standing at the peak first, basking in the envy and praise of the crowd. Instead, he had been reduced to a joke. How could he, the proud young master of the Zhang family, endure such a blow to his pride? He could not swallow this insult.

"You won’t be arrogant for long! Just you wait!" Zhang Cangsong snarled through gritted teeth. "I will make you pay a devastating price for what you’ve done!"

Hearing this, Long Chen just scoffed. "Give it a rest. I’ve heard that same line from you since yesterday, so much that my ears are about to bleed, yet you haven’t managed to do a single thing to me. Aren’t you embarrassed spouting the same nonsense?"

"You..." Zhang Cangsong’s face turned livid. Long Chen’s retort had struck him speechless.

Long Chen continued to mock him, "If you ask me, you should save your breath. You were lucky to pass the first trial. Whether or not you can pass the second is another matter entirely."

At this, many in the crowd could not help but snicker. None of them had expected that the favored Zhang Cangsong would be so thoroughly outdone by the underdog, Long Chen. Zhang Cangsong had barely scraped by; a little slower and he would not have qualified at all. After all, this climb was a race against the clock. A single second’s difference could mean a drop of more than ten places in rank.

The next moment, however, they met Zhang Cangsong’s sinister gaze and immediately clamped their mouths shut, forcefully suppressing their laughter. Though he had been thoroughly embarrassed, his background and power were undeniable. No one dared to truly offend him.

Nevertheless, everyone’s attitude toward Long Chen had undergone a dramatic shift. This was a man who had made Zhang Cangsong suffer one defeat after another. His capabilities were clearly anything but simple.

Standing on the highest peak, Lei Yiqun had naturally observed the entire process of the first trial. He showed no reaction to Zhang Cangsong’s underhanded tactics, acting as if he had seen nothing at all. While he forbade brawling within the Jinglei Sect, he considered the test of human nature to be a key element of the trial. Thus, he permitted all manner of scheming and insidious competition among the aspirants. The Jinglei Sect’s disciple assessment was designed to filter for the most capable individuals. If one could not even withstand a bit of trickery and deceit, they were not qualified to enter.

His figure flashed, vanishing from his spot and reappearing as an afterimage. In the blink of an eye, he was standing before Long Chen and the others.

Upon seeing him, the crowd cupped their fists in respect. "Steward!"

Lei Yiqun nodded at them. "Look at the number plates in your hands. For those who have passed the first trial, your corresponding points will be displayed. First place receives 50 points, second place receives 49, and so on down the line. If your plate is red, you have been eliminated!"

"Thank goodness! I passed without a scratch!"

"I passed too! I have 38 points."

"Me too!"

"..."

Excitement lit up the faces of those whose number plates displayed points.

Long Chen, Tang Le, and Long Xin glanced at their own plates, which showed 50, 49, and 48 points, respectively. They remained calm, as this result was entirely within their expectations.

When Zhang Cangsong saw that he had only ten points, his expression turned incredibly foul. He was a full forty points behind first place. If he wanted to break into the top ten in the end, he would have to go all out in the next two trials and earn a high score.

His face was grim as he stared daggers at Long Chen’s group, a potent killing intent flickering in the depths of his eyes...