Xie Wushang didn't offer much explanation: "No need to speculate, everyone. Just watch the battle."
These judgments of Xie Wushang's weren't based on any concrete evidence. They came purely from the instincts of a powerhouse — a veteran warrior's gut feeling.
Su Hong was indeed talented. Among the younger generation of Dongyan Island, he was indisputably one of the very best.
But even so, when compared to this young genius surnamed Jiang whose origins were a mystery, Su Hong still fell short in terms of presence and bearing.
Xie Wushang hadn't paid much attention to Jiang Chen before, so he hadn't been particularly concerned about this young man who had risen so suddenly.
But once he truly fixed his attention on this youth, the more he looked, the more he discovered there was far too much about him that was startling.
Xie Wushang even had a faint suspicion that the energy contained within this young man might be enough that even if he sent several of his Heavenly Seat advisors down there, they might not necessarily be able to handle him.
Of course, this was merely Xie Wushang's intuition — he couldn't provide any concrete proof.
The final round of duels was about to begin.
Jiang Chen's battle against Su Hong had been arranged as the very last match, which spoke volumes about how seriously the City Lord's Manor took this fight.
This was universally acknowledged as the strongest clash of the entire tournament, placed at the end as the grand finale — a fitting punctuation mark on the selection tournament, a perfect closing note.
Because the two consensus favorites — Jiang Chen and Su Hong — were absent from the earlier matchups, all seven preceding duels had become wildly intense.
When facing either Jiang Chen or Su Hong, most fighters privately admitted they had no real hope.
But with those two out of the picture, every one of the seven duels gave numerous competitors a genuine chance at victory. As a result, they fought with everything they had.
In evenly matched bouts, neither side had reason to feel fear, and that freed them to fight without any psychological burden.
Every competitor shared the same thought: go all out, knock the opponent down, and secure a seat as a retainers of the City Lord's Manor!
Driven by this motivation, nearly every participant pushed himself to the absolute limit, and the battles were far more spectacular than the previous two rounds.
Naturally, the brutality had escalated without question.
Jiang Chen, for his part, tuned out all of it. None of these people could be his opponents anymore. There was only one opponent waiting for him now — Su Hong.
Since they would never cross paths with him, there was no point in continuing to watch.
Jiang Chen didn't want to waste his time on battles at this level.
"Su Hong is seen as the top favorite, so he must have something extraordinary. But from what I can tell, he's not nearly as composed as he appears on the surface."
Jiang Chen smiled coldly to himself. More than once, he had caught Su Hong secretly casting appraising glances his way.
If Su Hong were truly that calm and self-assured, he wouldn't resort to such petty little maneuvers.
"I hope you've got some real skill, otherwise this tournament is going to be dreadfully boring." If anything, Jiang Chen was now hoping Su Hong might actually give him a pleasant surprise.
He knew, of course, that battles within the Emperor realm were unlikely to offer him any real thrill. Still, he hoped that this final fight might at least have something worth remembering.
One duel after another played out amid savage, desperate combat, each one crowning a victor.
Nearly every winner who stepped off the ring bore wounds. The first four bouts had all ended in pyrrhic victories.
The fifth bout, however, produced a one-sided demolition. Another so-called top favorite finally crushed his opponent in relatively effortless fashion, putting the match to bed.
The sixth bout — another narrow victory.
The seventh — yet another!
Of the first seven duels, six had ended in hard-fought, costly wins. Only the fifth had been won with any real ease.
"Tsk, tsk. The third round really is brutal. One fight left, and it's supposed to be the best one — probably the bloodiest too, right? Wonder who'll win?"
"Su Hong, obviously. Is that even a question?"
"Su Hong is one of the finest talents on the entire Dongyan Island. If he doesn't win, there's no justice in this world."
"Hard to say. This Number Six doesn't seem simple to me."
"Not simple? How so? I don't see three heads and six arms on him."
"Heh, Su Hong won his last two rounds easily enough, but this Number Six won his just as easily. Who takes the final fight — that's still anyone's guess!"
By this point in the tournament, the number of spectators had grown beyond counting. Nearly every elite fighter in the entire Sin City had come to watch the spectacle.
"Final match — both contestants, please step onto the ring!"
Su Hong's physique was perfectly proportioned, and his sharply defined features, paired with a pair of brilliant, star-like eyes, gave him an air of near-perfection.
As a result, he was enormously popular in Sin City.
The moment he stepped onto the ring, the crowd erupted in a thunderous roar: "Su Hong, we're rooting for you!"
"Su Hong, you're the best! Remember — crush that kid!"
"Su Hong, if you don't crush that kid, we won't forgive you!"
It was clear that Su Hong enjoyed tremendous goodwill and an overwhelming level of support. His reputation preceded him, so this level of adoration was only natural.
Jiang Chen's expression remained perfectly serene. The massive crowd of Su Hong's supporters didn't faze him in the slightest. To him, this was simply the last fight of a selection tournament.
How many people in the audience were cheering for Su Hong — it made absolutely no difference to him.
Su Hong carried himself with an elegant grace tinged with a hint of cold arrogance. He cast a casual glance toward Jiang Chen: "Friend, your strength is nothing to scoff at. But in this fight, you don't stand a chance."
Simple. Direct. Overflowing with dominance.
He was clearly trying to seize the psychological advantage before a single blow was exchanged.
Jiang Chen heard this and smiled with unhurried ease: "Opportunities in battle are never given by your opponent. Spare me the big talk — show me what you've actually got."
A flicker of dark clouds crossed Su Hong's face.