After some thought, Li Cunxu decided to explain, lest he be accused of being a scheming villain who resorted to underhanded tactics before the match.
After all, once slandered, even if the explanation clears things up, some people might still remain unconvinced.
It's like those who believe the Earth is flat. No matter how much evidence you present, they will still insist the Earth is flat.
The Earth is round, but some think it's just a conspiracy fabricated by scientists. To believe the Earth is round, one would have to go to space and see the rotating Earth with their own eyes.
"You, as a teacher, lack discernment. Li Chengjian couldn't tell, and neither could you—when did the Dual-Gun Battle Bee get poisoned during the match?"
Li Cunxu had no patience for the teacher who was trying to tarnish his reputation.
The doctor remained silent. Truthfully, he hadn't noticed when the Dual-Gun Battle Bee was poisoned either.
"You—"
"What about you? You really didn't notice when it was poisoned?" Li Cunxu said to Xiao Ruan in his arms, "Little Soft, show him a simple Poison Water Orb."
Xiao Ruan had recovered some Water-Type Spiritual Energy, so releasing a Water Orb wasn't a problem.
Xiao Ruan spat out a Water Orb, which shattered upon hitting the ground, releasing a cloud of purple poison gas.
Li Chengjian understood now—the Trash Poison Gas was hidden inside the Water Orb. The Dual-Gun Battle Bee had been poisoned while blocking the Water Orb.
He hadn't lost unfairly.
Li Cunxu, however, felt that he had lost unfairly. His Dual-Gun Battle Bee knew the Silver Skill: Flying Wing Assault. If he had used it right from the start, without any hesitation, he could have instantly defeated Xiao Ruan, who had no defensive skills.
Li Chengjian had fought bravely in his previous matches, but in this one, he had been overly cautious, leading to his defeat. Perhaps he had been too concerned about the outcome of the finals, causing him to hesitate and overthink.
It was also possible that he had received misguided advice from outside the arena.
Li Chengjian's teacher stared blankly at the wet ground where the Water Orb had landed.
Seeing that he still didn't understand, Li Cunxu added, "In battle, the poison gas inside Xiao Ruan's Poison Water Orb is even more concealed and harder to detect."
When it came time to receive the award, since Li Cunxu wasn't a student from the Beast Tamer class, there was no need to promote the school or his class. The award ceremony was rushed, and there wasn't even a speech segment.
"You're a student from the Breeder class, yet you're so skilled in Beast Taming battles. Doesn't that suggest the school's allocation of resources is unreasonable?"
This wasn't positive publicity, and no school would want to promote it. In fact, they would likely ask the organizers not to publicize it, as it would harm the school's image.
Having a student from the Breeder class win first place while the second and third places went to others was embarrassing and not worth promoting.
Li Cunxu sensed the malice directed at him for not being a Beast Tamer, but he didn't care about such superficial matters.
The prize for the champion of the Saint Lotus District Strongest Newcomer Cup: a gold-plated trophy, about the size of a water bottle, a one-star Wondrous Item (to be chosen), and three opportunities to enter a Black Iron Level Resource Secret Realm (any Black Iron Level Resource Secret Realm controlled by Pupil City).
The prize for the second place: a silver-plated trophy and two opportunities to enter a Black Iron Level Resource Secret Realm.
The prize for the third place: a pure copper trophy and one opportunity to enter a Black Iron Level Resource Secret Realm.
There were two third-place winners, the two who lost in the semifinals.
Li Cunxu was happy to receive the trophy, but then he remembered something and immediately felt less joyful.
Was the prize for the champion really more substantial than the second-place prize?
On the surface, the champion's reward seems more substantial, but in reality, the second-place prize is even richer.
If Li Cunxu wins the championship, he will only receive the organizer's reward.
However, if Li Chengjian secures second place, he will receive both the organizer's reward and a reward from the school (which is no less valuable than the organizer's).
Li Cunxu won't receive the school's reward simply because he is not a student in the Beast Tamer class, and the school sees no need to invest in him.
The staff member said, "The finals of the Strongest Newcomer Cup will be held on the 15th of next month, and it will be broadcast live across the city. We hope Li will work hard and strive for a good result."
Li Cunxu nodded.
The staff member continued, "The three opportunities to enter the Black Iron Level Resource Secret Realm have been recorded on your ID card. You can simply swipe your ID to access any resource secret realm you wish."
"Would you like to claim the Wondrous Item now, or wait until later?" the staff member asked.
"Now, please."
The staff led Li Cunxu to the treasury in the Sacred Lotus District of Pupil City.
In front of the treasury was the renowned Pupil City Bank, which handled the storage of treasures. The area was heavily guarded, with patrols around the clock.
Li Cunxu had never been here before, and he felt a little excited.
In the one-star Wondrous Item section, the staff member introduced the functions of each item to Li Cunxu, particularly recommending the more valuable ones.
Li Cunxu listened absentmindedly, his thoughts not on these Wondrous Items. He thanked the staff member for their kindness.
"Can I look around on my own?"
"Of course. Each Wondrous Item has a label below it describing its function. Feel free to browse. Just remember, you can only take one Wondrous Item, and there are surveillance cameras."
The staff member pointed to the intricate, red-light surveillance system above, which covered every angle.
Li Cunxu wandered aimlessly, stopping occasionally, until he finally paused in front of a crimson Dragon Blood Gem.
[Wondrous Item·Dragon Blood Gem (Red Dragon)]
[Quality: One-star]
[Bearing Point: 3]
[Description: A Dragon Blood Gem formed from the condensed essence of a Red Dragon. When embedded in the Beast Taming Space, it can generate a Fire Vein underground.]
From the moment he entered the treasury, Li Cunxu had sensed it, his mind drawn to it, which explained his earlier absentmindedness.
This was the Curse Celestial Heart's ability to perceive curses.
The curse on this Dragon Blood Gem (Red Dragon) bore a striking resemblance to the Evil Dragon Curse of the Golden Dragon.
If his perception was correct, this Dragon Blood Gem (Red Dragon) also carried an Evil Dragon Curse.
Li Cunxu was deeply puzzled. How did a cursed Dragon Blood Gem end up in the treasury? The treasury was supposed to inspect all Wondrous Items before accepting them.
Did the person who brought it in get cursed? Where are they now?
The appearance of two Dragon Blood Gems with Evil Dragon Curses was no coincidence. Li Cunxu sensed a faint whiff of conspiracy.
The Curse Celestial Heart stirred, and from a distance, it absorbed the Evil Dragon Curse from the Dragon Blood Gem.
Curses of the same type could devour each other. By consuming the Evil Dragon Curse of the Red Dragon, the Evil Dragon Curse of the Golden Dragon would grow stronger—exactly what Li Cunxu wanted.
He needed to strengthen the Evil Dragon Curse to counterbalance the Peach Blossom Calamity Curse.
The Peach Blossom Calamity Curse within Li Cunxu was formidable. The Golden Dragon Curse could barely suppress it, and in the past two days, Li Cunxu had discovered something alarming: the Peach Blossom Calamity Curse was growing stronger.
Whenever a woman appeared near Li Cunxu, the Peach Blossom Calamity Curse would grow slightly. Although the growth was minimal, the curse was undeniably becoming more powerful.
The Peach Blossom Calamity Curse, which could grow stronger, was something Li Cunxu had never heard of in his previous life.
"Who on earth came up with such an intriguing curse?" Li Cunxu thought to himself.
As the Red Dragon Curse entered his body, the standoff between the two forces turned into a three-way confrontation.
The Red Dragon Curse was quite weak, bullied relentlessly by the other two, to the point where no Red Dragon Scales formed on Li Cunxu's body. The Golden Dragon Curse was the most aggressive, often taking a bite out of it.
Li Cunxu never touched the Dragon Blood Gem (Red Dragon) from start to finish. He stayed briefly and then immediately walked away, partly because he was wary of getting involved in some conspiracy, and partly because his goal had never been the gem in the first place.
"Ninth row to the right, fifth column, top shelf."
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