Chapter 454: Caterpillars to Butterflies? (1/2)

Chapter 454: Caterpillars to Butterflies?

“Just wait,” Hua Li threatened. “Just wait till he’s done with the tournament and we’ll see how he reacts when I tell him.”

Chu Cheng simply shrugged. “I’m soooo scared. I hope he gets no quarter, but at the same time there are his group mates to consider. Qi Mu’s ninth level ninth rank, vicious fighting style is a problem. If he was at his normal rank, then he’d have a shot. Now, though, it looks bad.”

Lina sniffed. “What, is he deliberately hiding his strength?”

“I’ll talk about anything else with you,” Chu Cheng earnestly said, “but my brother’s secrets are off limits. Anyway you’re not my girl – we’ve been estranged!”

She sputtered a laugh. “Cut the bullshit, I don’t believe it for a second. You say whatever you want.”

It was much to Chu Cheng’s regret that he discovered she was more cunning than he. Despite his repeated efforts, she always kept herself at an infuriating and enticing distance. She was an itch he couldn’t scratch. The Prince of Nightlife had been absent lately, as the Vampire Princess had siphoned all of his attention.

Hua Li cut in. “The fight’s about to start. I for one hopes he jumps this hurdle, he’s had it rough. He’s had nothing but rotten luck, running in to every tough opponent.”

Chu Cheng fixed him with a flat look. “Do you really believe that?”

With a knowing smile, his fellow Monarch lifted his wine glass and gave his friend a wink. “Think about it.”

The edge of Chu Cheng’s mouth twitched upward ever so slightly. “The caterpillar trick.”

Hua Li chuckled, but said nothing. Lina swept her gaze between the two grinning idiots until curiosity got the better of her. “The hell is the caterpillar trick?”

Chu Cheng tapped his cheek, flippantly adding “kiss me and I’ll tell you.”

Lina almost sniffed. “I’ve got no problem with that if you don’t have a problem with me draining every last drop of blood out of you.”

He gave her a strange smirk. “Go on then. I wouldn’t mind you suckin’ me dry.”

Lina grit her teeth, then planted a kiss on his cheek. “Speak.”

“Caterpillars become butterflies,” was his cryptic answer.

“Caterpillars to butterflies…” Lina was a very intelligent woman. A knowing look dawned on her pretty face.

By now the fight was starting. Mo Xiao’s crystal-clear voice called out for the contestants – Titan and Bing Yu – to begin.

Few people were desperately interested in this fight, but their apathy changed to shock when the match begun.

Titan took the defensive, his overwhelming power conspicuously absent. Bing Yu, conversely, rushed ahead flagrantly, seemingly without concern. Titan’s strikes were noticeably weaker and extended only ten meters or so through that biting cold.

Her loss yesterday was a painful reminder, and she knew today she had no chance to win. Still she threw herself at Titan like a flash freeze, pummeling him with everything in her arsenal.

After ten minutes, Titan found his opening. A single punch smashed through her defenses.

“It looks like Titan’s taking pity on her,” Mo Xiao expressed with a tinge of emotion in her voice.

The Terminator just smiled. He didn’t appear much interested in this fight. This wasn’t the case for Lan Jue, though. He thought it strange.

Compared to what they’d seen yesterday, it looked like Titan had lost a great deal of power. He was weaker, it was clear, and although he defeated Bing Yu it wasn’t the shutout people were expecting.

When the fight was finished, Titan left the Arena instead of returning to the resting area. He was two for two, so far the undisputed champ of group one.

“Something seems off.” The Pharmacist always watched him go with knitted brows. “He wasn’t hurt in the last fight, that can’t be it. There’s only one thing it must mean, that he’s using some new method. It’s affected his body, but he still wants to continue fighting. Why risk it now?”

Lan Jue stood as he spoke. “It might be because Jun Yongye and Xuanyuan Shishi put some fear in to him.”