Reincarnation of the Strongest Healer

Upon the mention of the Abyssal Rift, nearly everyone in the audience was horrified and wanted to question if Yaren was sane.

They gasped in shock and held a pitiful look at Xu Feng and Crimson Heart.

"Elder Yaren really cannot be predicted at all."

"Is this still a blacksmith competition or a life-and-death contest?"

Those in the audience were familiar with the terrain and areas around the Paradise Plains. Thus, they were rather quick on the realization when Yaren wanted to send those two to the Abyssal Rift.

Located just beyond the serene boundaries of Paradise Plains, the Abyssal Rift was a treacherous canyon filled with swirling dark energies and unpredictable elemental storms.

Known for its unstable terrain and the presence of powerful, corrupted creatures, this region posed a perilous challenge for even the most seasoned adventurers.

The deep chasms and narrow paths within the Rift were littered with ancient, forgotten relics, tempting those brave enough to explore its depths, but the constant threat of sudden collapses and deadly ambushes made it a place of both great danger and potential reward.

To date, more than a few thousand people die annually from stepping foot in the Abyssal Rift, with less than 10 percent of the people actually coming out alive.

However, those who came out alive became renowned and rather rich from selling the rich materials that were only available in the Abyssal Rift.

"The timer for this final round is until the end of the official competition date." Yaren clasped her hands, explaining the rules to Xu Feng and Crimson Heart.

Meanwhile, Xu Feng suddenly raised his hand, prompting Yaren to be confused.

"Do you have any questions, contestant number 69?" Yaren raised an eyebrow.

"No, everything's fine, but I quit." Xu Feng revealed his intention of quitting.

His decision to quit took everyone by surprise, including Carmen.

"Why do you want to quit, Guild Leader?" Carmen stood up with an alarmed expression and questioned loudly.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Out of everyone she had known so far, she could easily tell Xu Feng was not the quitter type. In fact, he was the resilient type who wouldn't stop until he got what he wanted.

Therefore, to hear him willingly quit the competition after all the chaotic mess, came as a huge surprise and shock to her.

Not to mention Carmen, even Yaren seemed perplexed, unable to comprehend Xu Feng's thought process.

"Why do you want to quit?" Instead of getting angry, Yaren wanted to know what made him come to such a decision.

"Simple, I'm not that interested in the Blacksmith Profession and second place reward is good enough." Xu Feng answered honestly. Though the main cause of it was the requirement to venture to the Abyssal Rift.

The rewards alone in the competition were not enough to make him waste his time in that kind of hell-forsaken place.

Such a simple response yet very confusing at the same time made the audience want to believe Xu Feng was insane.

Why the hell did he try so hard in the second round if he wasn't interested?

Additionally, he even went as far as plummeting Victor's face and directly eliminated him from the competition.

Just who would do that kind of thing unless they were interested in winning?

"Are you trying to let Crimson Heart win because she's a beauty?"

"It can't be that you wanted to bed her by granting her such a favor!"

"I call it rigged! This is rigged! I refuse to accept my money being gone for such a bullshit reason!"

The most agitated ones in the audience were those who bet on Xu Feng to win.

Aside from them, those who lost a lot of money because of Xu Feng's scheme also refused to let him off easily.

They clearly wanted to see him being forced into the hell-forsaken place known as Abyssal Rift to relieve some of their stress and anger.

"Silence!" Yaren uttered just one word, but that word was akin to an imperial decree. The audience went completely silent, none daring to speak now that Yaren made a command.

Once the atmosphere was silent, Yaren returned her attention to Xu Feng. "Are you positive that you want to forfeit and give up first place?"

Just when Xu Feng was about to nod his head in response, Yaren continued, "The first place reward will be granted one of the three designs from me, and they are very useful, with no pricing in the actual market. Secondly, they will gain some lectures and personal guidance from me."

Despite the allure, Xu Feng still balanced the benefits and cons side by side on a scale. Unfortunately, the cons were still slightly heavier as Xu Feng simply did not wish to court death by agreeing to go to the Abyssal Rift.

Nothing was more hateful than the chasm, especially when there were underground layers with barely any visible light, as well as no mapping system available.

"Apologies, but I would have to refuse." Xu Feng calmly said, not a bit tempted by the designs or the personal guidance. Like he said before, he was not into forging. So even if it was a good money-earning business, he could simply hire a frantic blacksmith to do the tedious work for him.

"I see," Yaren didn't seem to mind his refusal. She rubbed her hands together and with a menacing smile, she exclaimed, "Then I suppose the ruling for the competition will change slightly. Anyone in the audience who wants to beat a contestant and they didn't obtain first place is free to do so."

"..." Read new adventures at empire

Without even needing to have a great perception, Xu Feng already sensed numerous killing intents directed at him. This was especially true for the snitcher who couldn't wait to plummet Xu Feng on the spot before receiving his ends from the other enraged audience.

At the very least, the snitcher would get to vent to his relief until his inevitable demise, unlike Xu Feng.

'This Yaren really knows how to blackmail!' Xu Feng inwardly exclaimed, having underestimated her ruthlessness.