Grassroots Travel: The Star Lord of Another World

Chapter 109 Being Ridiculed

Gao Xingchen took a deep breath and endured the severe pain in his arm. The blood had already stained a large area of his clothes red. He looked up at his opponent, with no fear in his eyes, only a burning fighting spirit.

"I give up!" The opponent uttered these three words with difficulty. He knew that he no longer had the strength to fight.

"Gao Xingchen wins!" The referee's voice resounded loudly throughout the arena.

Amidst the deafening cheers, Gao Xingchen slowly walked down the stage. Senior Brother Yang and Fairy Zhou immediately came up to him, their faces full of worry.

"Junior Brother Gao, how are you?" Senior Brother Yang asked with concern, "Are you okay?"

Gao Xingchen shook his head and said, "I'm fine, just a minor injury."

Fairy Zhou handed over a clean handkerchief and said, "Bandage it first."

Gao Xingchen took the handkerchief and simply treated the wound. Although he pretended to be calm on the surface, he couldn't calm down in his heart. This game was too difficult to win. He almost tried his best and even got injured.

However, what made him even more heartbroken was that some of his disciples looked at him with doubt and disdain, as if his winning the competition was something shameful.

"Humph, it was just a fluke, there's nothing to be proud of."

"That's right. I heard that he is very close to Sect Leader Huo's daughter. Maybe he got in through the backdoor."

"Looking at his poor appearance, how could he be so powerful? He must have used some shady means."

These rumors, like poisonous snakes, quietly penetrated into Gao Xingchen's ears and planted the seeds of doubt and anxiety in his heart.

At first, he didn't care about the gossip, after all, a man of integrity has nothing to fear. But gradually, he found that the rumors were getting more and more outrageous, and some people even started to point fingers at him behind his back and make indirect accusations against him.

Gao Xingchen felt extremely wronged and angry. He didn't know what he had done wrong to have to endure these groundless accusations and suspicions. He just wanted to prove his strength and win his own honor, but why was it so difficult?

As the sun sets, Gao Xingchen sits alone on the edge of a cliff, looking at the sky in the distance, with a myriad of thoughts in his mind. He feels unprecedentedly lost and helpless, as if he has been abandoned by the whole world.

"Am I really wrong?" he murmured to himself, his voice full of bitterness and helplessness.

Nan Li was dressed in black, moving nimbly among the crowd, her cold eyes scanning the surroundings. She was ordered to go out today, but unexpectedly heard rumors about Gao Xingchen. At first, she didn't care, just thinking it was some boring gossip. But when those vicious words became more and more unbearable to hear, the nameless fire in her heart began to burn.

"Enough!" Nan Li shouted coldly, her cold voice piercing the noisy crowd like an ice cone. Everyone looked in the direction of the voice, only to see her face as cold as frost, with a dangerous light flashing in her eyes.

"What grounds do you have to say that about him? Just because he comes from a grassroots background, just because he doesn't have a strong background?" Nan Li's voice was not loud, but every word was clear, with an unquestionable majesty.

The crowd was silent for a moment, then burst into even louder laughter.

"Who are you to speak for him?"

"Exactly. Do you know who Gao Xingchen is? He is a villain who relied on connections to get to the top!"

"Don't think you can interrupt just because you're pretty. This is not a place for you to act wild!"

Nan Li's words not only did not have any effect, but aroused the anger of the crowd. They did not listen to her explanation at all, but just blindly attacked Gao Xingchen with the most vicious words.

Xuan Yu stood in the crowd, with a cold smile on his face. He had long disliked Gao Xingchen, but he had never found a chance to attack him. Now that Gao Xingchen was in disgrace, it was a good opportunity for him to take advantage of his misfortune.

"Gao Xingchen, do you dare to accept my challenge?" Xuan Yu strode forward and looked at Gao Xingchen provocatively.

Gao Xingchen raised his head and looked at him calmly. He knew that this was a trap set by Xuan Yu deliberately, with the purpose of making him lose face in front of everyone.

"What, you don't dare? I thought you were so powerful, but it turns out you are just so powerful." Seeing that Gao Xingchen was reluctant to respond to the challenge, Xuan Yu's tone became even more arrogant.

"Okay, I accept your challenge." Gao Xingchen took a deep breath and said with a firm look in his eyes. He knew that in this battle, he could not retreat, nor could he lose. He wanted to prove to everyone that he, Gao Xingchen, had come to where he is today not by connections, but by strength!

The challenge was scheduled for three days later. During these three days, Gao Xingchen endured the pain and insisted on practicing every day. He knew that in his current state, it was almost impossible to defeat Xuan Yu. But he did not give up, he was still trying his best, because there was always a fire burning in his heart, a fire that burned for his dream and dignity.

Three days later, Gao Xingchen arrived at the competition venue as promised. His face was pale and his steps were a little unsteady, obviously his injuries had not healed yet. However, his opponent Xuan Yu was energetic and full of energy, obviously well prepared.

In the crowd, Nan Li looked at Gao Xingchen with worry in her heart. She knew Gao Xingchen's injury and what this competition meant to him.

"You must win!" Nan Li prayed silently in her heart. She wished she could bear all this on behalf of Gao Xingchen, but she knew that she couldn't and she was not qualified.

In the arena, Gao Xingchen and Xuan Yu stood opposite each other, and a battle was about to break out...

The arena was filled with people, the noise almost drowning Gao Xingchen. He dragged his wounded body and walked up to the arena step by step. With every step, his bones seemed to fall apart, but he gritted his teeth, not wanting to show any cowardice.

His opponent Xuan Yu had already been standing on the stage in high spirits. His dark suit highlighted his tall and straight figure, and a sneer of determination hung on the corner of his mouth, forming a sharp contrast to Gao Xingchen's current embarrassment.

"Gao Xingchen, I thought you didn't dare to come!" Xuan Yu's voice was full of sarcasm, "Why, your injury hasn't healed yet? Do you want me to give you a few more days to recover?"

The audience burst into laughter, like sharp needles pricking Gao Xingchen's self-esteem. He took a deep breath, trying to calm the surging blood in his body, and said slowly: "No need, let's fight!"

Before he finished speaking, Xuan Yu flashed and pounced on Gao Xingchen like a cheetah. His palms were fierce and fierce, and he went straight to Gao Xingchen's vital points. Gao Xingchen endured the pain and tried his best to parry. However, his movements were obviously a beat slower, and he was almost hit by Xuan Yu several times.

"Gao Xingchen, is this all you have?" Xuan Yu's attack became more and more fierce, and his tone became more and more arrogant. "It seems that those rumors are true. You are just a piece of trash who relied on connections to get to the top!"

Gao Xingchen's heart was burning with anger, but he also knew that he was in no condition to compete with Xuan Yu. His eyes went dark and his breathing became rapid.

At this moment, a black shadow flashed by and blocked Gao Xingchen as fast as lightning. Xuan Yu's attack was blocked abruptly, and the powerful impact made him step back a few steps.

"Nanli?!" Gao Xingchen looked at the person in front of him in disbelief, so surprised that he was almost speechless.

Nan Li was dressed in black, his face was frosty, and he stared at Xuan Yu with cold eyes, emitting a fierce murderous aura.

"Who are you? How dare you interfere in our competition!" Xuan Yu said angrily.

"It doesn't matter who I am," Nan Li said coldly, "What matters is that if you dare to hurt him even a little bit again, I will make you pay a hundred times the price!"

After she finished speaking, Nan Li moved and took the initiative to attack Xuan Yu. She was agile, fierce, and ruthless, completely different from her previous cold and elegant image.

Xuan Yu was caught off guard by Nan Li's sudden attack and retreated repeatedly. The two fought back and forth, and the battle was fierce. Nan Li's appearance was like a ray of dawn, illuminating the desperate corner of Gao Xingchen's heart. He forced himself to cheer up, cooperated with Nan Li's attack, and fought with Xuan Yu.

The tacit cooperation between the two amazed everyone present. They seemed to have telepathy, and could understand each other's intentions with just a glance or a gesture.

In the end, with Nan Li's help, Gao Xingchen defeated Xuan Yu with great difficulty. However, watching Xuan Yu's embarrassed departure, Gao Xingchen did not feel the slightest joy of victory, but felt even more heavy-hearted. He did not know if he could still stand here without Nan Li. He began to doubt whether his ability and his dream could really be realized...

Cheers rang out like thunder under the ring, but Gao Xingchen found it extremely harsh. He dropped his arms weakly, and his palms were still stained with cold sweat from the fight with Xuan Yu. He knew that this victory was not won gloriously. If it weren't for Nan Li, he would have been defeated by Xuan Yu's sword and become a laughing stock.

"Gao Xingchen, are you okay?" Nan Li's voice was as clear and cold as a mountain spring, but it carried a hint of imperceptible concern.

Gao Xingchen shook his head and forced a smile: "I'm fine, thank you, Nanli."

Nan Li looked at him deeply, said nothing, turned around and disappeared into the crowd. Gao Xingchen looked at her leaving back, feeling mixed emotions. Nan Li's appearance was undoubtedly a timely help, but he realized more clearly the gap between him and her.

"Gao Xingchen!"

A loud voice interrupted Gao Xingchen's thoughts. He looked up and saw Master Huo walking towards him with a relieved smile on his face.

"You did a great job!" Sect Leader Huo patted him on the shoulder, his tone full of praise, "You have overcome your own limits, and also defeated all those who doubted you. Remember, a truly strong person will not be defeated by rumors. Believe in yourself, you can definitely become the master of the star field!"

Gao Xingchen's heart warmed up and his eyes were slightly moist. Master Huo's words were like a warm current that dispelled the haze in his heart and rekindled the fire of hope.

"Thank you, Master, I will try my best!" Gao Xingchen took a deep breath and said with a firm look in his eyes.

However, just as Gao Xingchen's hope was rekindled, a few whispers came from the crowd:

"Humph, if it weren't for Nan Li, he would have lost long ago!"

"That's right. I really don't know where he gets his confidence from. He wants to become the master of the star field. It's really a foolish dream!"

These mocking words, like sharp blades, pierced Gao Xingchen's heart. He clenched his fists, his nails digging deep into his flesh, but he was powerless to refute them. Because he knew that what they said was true.

As night fell, Gao Xingchen returned to his room alone. He looked out the window at the bright starry sky, his heart filled with confusion and bewilderment...