Chapter 4467 — Challenging the Four Seas

"Chief Zhao, you're too generous with your words. Your Xuanying Escort Agency is no slouch either," Wei Zhao said, exchanging a glance with Qi Wenmo.

And that was the plain truth. Had Wei Zhao's strategy not been so well laid, it was hard to say who would have come out on top; the odds of the Xuanying Escort Agency laughing last would certainly have been no lower than those of the Qingtian Escort Agency.

"Next time, we won't lose again." Zhao Shanying smiled with confidence, cupped his hands to Wei Zhao and Qi Wenmo, then turned and walked back into the Xuanying camp, where he began preparing for the match to come.

"Ha, now that is a real warlord—he can win, and he can bear to lose." Watching the man's retreating back, Wei Zhao nodded to himself. The world had no shortage of people who could win, but those who could lose with grace were few and far between. This Zhao Shanying was not to be underestimated.

"True enough, he's no simple man. He may have lost to us this time, but in the Southern Continent Escort Alliance of years to come, he will surely have a place," Qi Wenmo agreed, sharing the sentiment.

Unless he had close ties to a person, Wei Zhao generally paid little attention to those who did not concern him, but this time he made an exception. He had developed a certain interest in the Xuanying Escort Agency—and in Zhao Shanying in particular.

Barely a moment later, a declaration from the panel of judges and referees shook everyone once more: "Xuanying Escort Agency challenges the Four Seas Escort Agency by name!"

The whole hall erupted. Even a man as composed as Wei Zhao could not help but be briefly taken aback.

All eyes snapped to Zhao Shanying. He had first challenged the Qingtian Escort Agency, that brilliant top-tier dark horse, only to lose by a single man's margin. In one single arena duel he had lost five Gold Core consummate experts. Whether they died or not, those five were certainly finished so far as this grand gathering of the Southern Continent Escort Agencies was concerned.

Even the old established houses could hardly bear such a cost, to say nothing of the Xuanying Escort Agency, which had only recently been rebuilt. Everyone had assumed Zhao Shanying would lie low for a while, then pick a soft target later to claw back the points he had just lost.

No one had imagined the man could be so unyielding, not even taking a moment to catch his breath before issuing another challenge—and against none other than the Four Seas Escort Agency, that traditional overlord!

At that moment, nearly everyone had the same question in mind: where did Zhao Shanying get such confidence?

The Qingtian Escort Agency might be the toast of this gathering, but if one spoke of absolute strength, the Four Seas Escort Agency, that traditional overlord, was unquestionably the stronger—a fact universally acknowledged. And the Xuanying Escort Agency could not even beat the Qingtian Escort Agency, yet dared to challenge the Four Seas Escort Agency of its own accord. Was that not giving up on itself?

"So he means to burn his boats? Ha, there really is a warlord's bearing in him after all," Wei Zhao remarked, a note of appreciation in his voice.

After the earlier loss to the Qingtian Escort Agency, the Xuanying Escort Agency's points had already plunged from two hundred twenty to one hundred twenty. Lose again to the Four Seas Escort Agency, and twenty would be all they had left. Even if they were not directly eliminated, there would be no practical difference.

For an agency bent on riding a single surge of momentum back into the ranks of the five great agencies, and for Zhao Shanying above all, such an outcome would be a catastrophe—perhaps they would not even last until the next grand gathering before the whole agency collapsed.

Under such circumstances, even Wei Zhao himself, placed in Zhao Shanying's position, might not have mustered the resolve to challenge the Four Seas Escort Agency.

It was their last chance to rise, true enough, but they had just suffered a defeat. Their strength was badly sapped, and their morale was at its lowest ebb. To challenge the Four Seas Escort Agency now—what were their odds of winning?

"Trying to use our Four Seas Escort Agency as a stepping stone? Hmph, is this fool out of his mind? What a pipe dream!" Hai Wuliang of the judging panel gave a scornful snort and shot a sidelong glance at Zhao Shanying in the distance.

He had previously thought the man had some ability. Had he shown a little sense, it would have been no bad thing to help the Xuanying Escort Agency into the ranks of the five great agencies. But now it seemed Zhao Shanying was nothing but a self-important braggart who did not know his own limits.

A short while later, both sides had their formations ready, and when they appeared, the whole hall erupted once more. The escorts standing on the arena were all Gold Core consummate experts!

It was no surprise that the Four Seas Escort Agency had sent out five Gold Core consummate experts. But the Xuanying Escort Agency had just lost five of its own and now immediately fielded five more; such a display was truly startling. Clearly, the Xuanying Escort Agency's slogan of returning to the ranks of the five great agencies was no empty boast.

"Hmph, so what if they have five Gold Core consummate experts? Even among experts of the same level, the gap in strength is vast and profound. For nobodies from some backwater agency to dare step into the arena against the elite escorts of our Four Seas Escort Agency—you think you're worthy?" Hai Wuliang still sneered.

Zhao Shanying held immense confidence in his escorts; yet Hai Wuliang, as the rightful traditional overlord, had confidence to spare even beyond his.

Whatever Hai Wuliang's contempt, in the eyes of the vast majority this bout of the escort agency championship was a clash of titans. Two matches in a row at the level of the five great agencies—the spectators who had come from a thousand miles away for the spectacle were crying out that it was worth every mile.

Indeed, the duel did not disappoint. From the very start the situation on both sides grew desperately close. They were nothing like the Qingtian Escort Agency with its nimble tactics; both sides adhered to the most traditional mode of battle. Once all the scheming and maneuvering on the tactical level dissolved into nothing, all that remained was the desperate, life-and-death struggle of the escorts on the arena.

A bloody battle—this was a true battle of blood. Blood spilled across the arena without cease; escorts from both sides were knocked out one after another. To be gravely wounded and near death was to be counted lucky—five of them perished on the spot!

In the end, only one man remained on the arena, and this time it was the Xuanying Escort Agency that had the last laugh.

Looking at the last Xuanying escort standing there drenched in blood, at his swaying form as he nearly stumbled several times, the whole Demon Cold Plaza fell into silence.

Two hard-fought battles in a row: first a narrow loss to the Qingtian Escort Agency, then, turning right around, a dramatic recovery of face against the far stronger Four Seas Escort Agency. Such an astonishing twist left people at a loss for words.

Beneath the arena, Zhao Shanying threw back his head and roared with excitement. A bitter victory was still a victory; this desperate, back-to-the-wall fight—he had won after all! (To be continued..) R752