Grassroots Travel: The Star Lord of Another World

Chapter 249 Confusion and Anxiety

When the smoke and dust cleared, Gao Xingchen's figure shook for a moment, and a trace of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth, but his eyes were extremely firm, staring at the long sword that was about to take shape. A clearly visible crack suddenly appeared on the originally crystal clear sword body, like an ugly centipede, destroying the original perfection of the magic weapon.

"Brother Xingchen!" Nan Li's anxious voice came from the audience. She desperately pushed through the crowd and wanted to rush to the stage, but was stopped by Master Zhang.

"Girl, don't be impulsive! Going up now will only disturb him!" Master Zhang said in a deep voice, staring at Gao Xingchen with mixed feelings. He was worried about Gao Xingchen's safety, but also surprised that this young man could remain calm under such great pressure and try to save the situation.

Gao Xingchen took a deep breath and forced down the surging blood in his body. He knew that now was not the time to pursue responsibility. The most urgent task was to repair the damaged magic weapon. Time passed by minute by minute, and every breath seemed to knock on his heart, making him feel more stressed.

He quickly changed his spells with both hands, and pure spiritual power flowed into the sword like a trickle, trying to repair the crack. However, Xuan Yu's icy sword energy contained an extremely domineering icy power, which had deeply penetrated into the magic weapon. It was not easy to completely remove it.

Beads of sweat oozed from Gao Xingchen's forehead, but he did not dare to slack off at all. He still concentrated on controlling his spiritual power and fighting against the icy force. The people in the audience held their breath and did not dare to breathe, for fear of disturbing Gao Xingchen.

"Damn it! This kid is really tough!" Xuan Yu was hiding in the crowd. He was furious when he saw Gao Xingchen resist his attack and was still trying to repair the magic weapon. He originally thought that with this attack, he would be able to destroy Gao Xingchen's weapon and make him lose face, but he didn't expect that the other party would be so tenacious.

"Gao Xingchen, don't be so complacent! I want to see how long you can hold on!" Xuan Yu said gritting his teeth, with a sinister look flashing in his eyes.

As time passed, Gao Xingchen's face became paler and paler, but he never gave up. He knew that this was not just a game, but also related to his dignity and promise. He promised Nan Li that he would refine a unique magic weapon, and he would never break his promise!

However, despite his best efforts, he was ultimately unable to complete the refining of the weapon within the stipulated time due to Xuan Yu's sabotage...

"Time's up!" With the referee's loud announcement, the atmosphere of the entire arena froze instantly. All eyes were focused on Gao Xingchen. The divine weapon that should have been shining brightly was now dim, and the cracks on the sword were like scars, shocking.

Gao Xingchen dropped his hands helplessly. He knew that he had failed. Although he had tried his best, he still could not make up for the damage caused by Xuan Yu. He took a deep breath and tried to suppress the surging emotions in his heart, but his clenched fists and trembling body still exposed his true feelings at the moment.

"According to the rules of the competition, since contestant Gao Xingchen failed to complete the refining of the weapon within the specified time and his work had obvious flaws, he is judged to be unqualified!" The referee's voice was emotionless, but it struck Gao Xingchen's heart like a heavy hammer.

"what?!"

"how so?!"

"This is impossible!"

There was an uproar in the audience, and everyone was talking about it, not daring to believe what was happening before their eyes. They had witnessed Gao Xingchen's refining process with their own eyes. His exquisite techniques and smooth operation all showed his extraordinary talent for refining. However, such a talented refiner actually failed at the last moment. How could they accept this?

"Haha, I knew you would fail!" In the crowd, Xuan Yu raised a cold smile, his eyes full of pride. He deliberately hid in the crowd, watching Gao Xingchen step by step towards the abyss of failure, his heart filled with the pleasure of revenge.

Mr. Zhao's face turned pale. He had originally placed high hopes on Gao Xingchen and even spent a lot of money to buy precious materials just to make a splash in this weapon refining competition. However, reality dealt him a heavy blow. Gao Xingchen's failure meant that all his previous investments had gone down the drain. How could he remain calm?

Master Zhang frowned, looking at the lonely figure on the stage, with mixed feelings in his heart. He knew Gao Xingchen's talent and hard work, and also knew the importance of this competition to him. However, the path of refining weapons was full of variables, and even he could not predict the final result.

"Brother Xingchen..." Below the stage, Nan Li's beautiful eyes were filled with worry. She wanted to rush onto the stage to comfort Gao Xingchen, but was stopped by Fairy Zhou beside her.

"Don't worry, it's not the right time yet." Fairy Zhou whispered, staring at Gao Xingchen, but she felt a little strange in her heart. She always felt that this game was not that simple, and Gao Xingchen's failure seemed to have other hidden reasons...

"Brother Xingchen!" Nanli ignored Fairy Zhou's obstruction, broke through the crowd, and flew onto the stage. Seeing this, Fairy Zhou could only shake her head helplessly and followed closely behind.

Nan Li came to Gao Xingchen, her beautiful eyes full of heartache and concern. She gently held Gao Xingchen's hand and said softly, "Brother Xingchen, don't be discouraged, I believe in you."

Gao Xingchen forced a bitter smile, shook his head, and whispered: "I'm fine, it's just..."

Before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by Fairy Zhou: "Just what? Do you really think you are inferior to others in skills?"

Gao Xingchen suddenly raised his head, a trace of doubt flashed in his eyes, and asked in confusion: "Fairy Zhou, what do you mean by this?"

Fairy Zhou snorted coldly, her eyes swept over the cheering Xuan Yu in the audience, and said in a deep voice: "You lost this game strangely, didn't you have any doubts?"

Gao Xingchen's heart moved when he heard this. He recalled some details that happened during the game, especially Xuan Yu's seemingly unintentional attacks and the strange energy fluctuations at the last moment, and a trace of doubt gradually arose in his heart.

"What you mean is..." Gao Xingchen hesitated and didn't say anything else, but he had already vaguely guessed something in his heart.

"Hmph, some villains will do anything to win, how despicable!" Fairy Zhou didn't point it out, but the contempt in her tone was evident.

Gao Xingchen took a deep breath and suppressed his anger. He knew that now was not the time to pursue the matter. He raised his head, looked at Nan Li firmly, and said in a deep voice: "Li'er, don't worry, I won't give up. This failure only made me realize my shortcomings more clearly. I will continue to work hard, and next time, I will definitely win!"

Nan Li looked at Gao Xingchen's determined eyes, and her heart was filled with emotion and confidence. She knew that the man in front of her would not be easily defeated no matter what difficulties he encountered.

"Brother Xingchen, I believe you!" Nanli held Gao Xingchen's hand tightly and said firmly.

Amid Xuan Yu's triumphant laughter, Gao Xingchen quietly left the arena, leaving behind only a determined back. He knew that this failure was not the end, but a new starting point. He would definitely find out the truth and avenge his previous defeat at the next opportunity!

Back at his residence, Gao Xingchen kept replaying the scenes from the game in his mind. Xuan Yu's sudden attack and the strange energy fluctuation at the last moment made him puzzled. He was sure that his failure was not accidental and there must be some conspiracy behind it.

In the dead of night, Gao Xingchen sat alone in front of the window, looking at the twinkling stars in the sky, his heart filled with confusion and anxiety...