When the long-awaited day of the Triennial Championships came, everyone on the ind was excited. But the opening was not set until the evening. Still, most of the people on the ind, from the visitors to the residents, and even thepetitors were buzzing with activity.


    Moreover, the structure of the tournament was announced in the morning, allowing for people to ce their bets.


    The gambling houses on the ind felt like they were on top of the world. Not only were they able to receive bets from the locals on Martial Ind, but they were also getting money from external members of the ind who could only watch the matches on an exclusive streaming tform.


    Unfortunately, none of the residents,petitors, guests and gambling bosses knew that their excitement would amount to nothing.


    Behind the scenes, a troubling scheme was brewing. And it would mean the end of the beautiful dream they had of glorious martial battles.


    In a prominent part of Martial Ind, Phoebe Lambert was preparing to check on her project before closing up for a few days. Since the second disappearance of Jiang Yinuo, she hadplete autonomy of the research project on the rare material.


    The Iekami n was also involved, but their circles were different. The Iekamis wanted to find a cure for the people who had been affected by the rampaging energy of the bad rare material. They wanted to return the status quo.


    However, Phoebe had greater ns.


    She was not the most brilliant scientist, but she had a knack for putting things together. By using the research findings by both Hime Iekami, no, Takahashi Hime and the insights provided by Jiang Yinuo, she nned to create something better.


    So far, her research had proven that the zombie drugbined with the tainted rare material could give rise to creatures simr to zombies.


    The only problem was that she could not control them. The creatures were mindless and would only remain alive without anything but a relentless hunger.


    She looked at the creatures in the ss boxes, hitting helplessly on the clear material. These zombies were once-promising members of the middle-ss families on Martial Ind. But they had consumed the tainted rare material in an attempt to get stronger.


    Now, they could only be experimental subjects for Phoebe''s pet project.


    "Your sacrifice will not be in vain. I will find a way to make you rise again. I will give you the power you wanted." Phoebe said as she double-checked the security system. "Of course, you must remember to obey me when the timees."


    "You are still as retarded as ever, Ms Lambert." A sweet voice spoke up.


    Phoebe was startled by the voice. This level of the researchb was a secret. The researchpany outwardly served all of Martial Ind, but it was funded by the Lambert family. The family leader built the secret level for Phoebe after she exined her ns.


    Normal research on the rare material continued in the upper levels with just a few experimental subjects. Those subjects were treated humanely. As for the monstrosities kept by Phoebe, only a few trusted members of the Lambert family knew about them.


    "You… What are you doing here?" Phoebe asked.


    Jiang Yinuoughed. "Is that the best you cane up with?"


    "You should leave. The researchb has nothing to do with you anymore." Phoebe said with some apprehension.


    She was always a little afraid of Jiang Yinuo. Perhaps, that fear came from the knowledge that she would never be the smartest or prettiest girl on Martial Ind. Or maybe, she knew that Jiang Yinuo could see through her.


    She had never made it a secret that she was in love with Yuan Haoran, even when he treated her likest week''s trash.


    Jiang Yinuo always looked at her with contempt. She never took her seriously, even she plotted against her. It made her ufortable, afraid and angry.


    "You worked hard to make sure that I would not return to theb so that you could hog the glory and be a powerhouse. Is that right, Ms Lambert?" Jiang Yinuo walked from the elevator area and deeper into theb.


    She leaned to look into the ss cages and tapped lightly with interest. The zombies looked like something from a horror movie. It was quite interesting.


    "I do not know what you are talking about." Phoebe backed away and pressed a silent rm.


    When she met with Nicole Jiang, she had the confidence to fight her. Their fights were more about putting on a good show because of their pact. However, her true martial power was not too high. She was more focused on research than building martial strength.


    But she still remembered how terrifying Jiang Yinuo was, especially after she returned with Yuan Haoran from whatever mysterious ce they lived. She participated in a few tournaments and dominated without giving anyone else a chance.


    If it were not for people fearing Yuan Haoran, who had the guts to murder his whole n, the suitors of Jiang Yinuo would have covered the entire ind.


    "Mmmh… Is that so? Can you tell me why you always added tainted material into my drinks?" Jiang Yinuo asked.


    Phoebe was startled. Everyone suspected that she had something with Jiang Yinuo disappearing for all those years. However, it was based on rumour because everyone knew how much she liked Yuan Haoran.


    No one had proof. And it was considered a joke because the vicious Yuan Haoran never took action against her. Actually, hisck of response after Jiang Yinuo disappeared gave hope to Phoebe Lambert.


    She thought that he no longer care for Yinuo. And to her, that meant that she had a chance. It was during one of those instances when her thoughts were wild that she approached Yuan Haoran aggressively and ended up bing aughing stock.


    Now, she wondered if Jiang Yinuo knew about her small actions.


    "If you are going to use someone, at least, you should have evidence," Phoebe said with hidden anxiety.


    Jiang Yinuoughed. "I am not taking you to court. I do not need evidence. Actually, apart from over-nourishing me, your tainted rare material did nothing to me. It did not shorten or lengthen my life. It only made Haoran worried."


    Phoebe felt angry when she heard the casual and intimate way Jiang Yinuo called Yuan Haoran. It was a right that no one else had.


    "You do not need to be so hateful. You know how I feel about Yuan Haoran. If you had guts, you would havepeted fairly." Phoebe said with clenched fists.


    "But why should Ipete? My Haoran is not a prize or the spoils of war. And even if, by some miracle, you were able to be more beautiful or powerful or smarter than me, he would still not spare you a nce." Jiang Yinuo drew a sword from a sheath on her back.


    Phoebe backed away again. Even though she expected Jiang Yinuo to have bad ns for her, she did not expect that the woman would have a sword. She was too distracted to see the weapon.


    "What do you n to do?" Phoebe asked.


    "I want you to die knowing you were not worth anything." Jiang Yinuo walked closer and smiled like a demon.. "And remember, the only reason Haoran never killed you through these years was that he did not want to touch your filthy blood."