MY HIDDEN TALENT IS FORBIDDEN BY THE HEAVENS-Chapter 61: THE SHADOW DOES NOT NEED ANNOUNCEMENT
Chapter 61 — "THE SHADOW DOES NOT NEED ANNOUNCEMENT"
The arena roared.
Not the chaotic roar of panic.
But the heavy, rolling thunder of expectation.
After the collapse of Frostcloud Academy’s Frost Domain, the audience had not calmed down—not even after three full hours. Every match that followed felt smaller, duller, lacking the same sharp edge.
Because everyone was waiting.
Waiting for Azure Dragon Academy again.
Waiting for that team.
Waiting for that calm, dangerous boy who had barely spoken on the stage.
The announcer’s voice boomed across the Grand Arena of Dragon Turtle Academy.
"—AND NOW, THE NEXT MATCH OF STAGE TWO!"
Spiritual amplifiers flared.
"AZURE DRAGON ACADEMY—"
The crowd exploded.
Cheers. Shouts. Name-calling.
"And their opponents—CRIMSON SABER IMPERIAL SCHOOL!"
A noticeable shift passed through the stands.
CRIMSON SABER
Not famous for talent.
Not famous for prodigies.
But infamous for preparation.
For formations.
For killing momentum.
BACKSTAGE — BEFORE THE MATCH
Ling Yifan stood with his spear resting against his shoulder, eyes closed, breathing slow.
Bai Qianlan adjusted her sleeves, illusion runes shimmering faintly beneath the fabric.
Qin Shuo bounced lightly on his heels, fingers twitching.
"Alright," he muttered. "Let’s see if I finally get some spotlight."
Chen Wulian looked around.
"...Where’s Long Hao?"
No one answered immediately.
Ouyang Xue’er frowned.
"He hasn’t returned yet."
Ling Yifan opened his eyes.
For just a moment—
Something cold passed through them.
"...He’ll come."
Not confidence.
Certainty.
THE ARENA —
Imperial Academy entered first.
Ten members.
Uniform armor.
Heavy boots.
They didn’t spread out.
They locked formation.
A broad-shouldered captain stepped forward, voice amplified.
"Imperial Academy does not fear individual monsters."
He lifted his hand.
"Formation: Gravestone Lock."
The ground shifted.
Stone plates rose.
Spiritual pressure interlocked.
The entire arena floor transformed into a suppression grid.
The audience murmured.
"That formation—"
"It dampens movement!"
"And perception!"
"And stealth!"
The captain smiled thinly.
"Let’s see how you fight... without tricks."
Azure Dragon Academy stepped onto the field.
Nine members.
Not ten.
The murmurs grew louder.
"Where’s the last one?"
"Did he withdraw?"
"Is he injured?"
Ling Yifan didn’t react.
Bai didn’t look around.
Chen clicked his tongue.
"...Tch."
The announcer hesitated.
"Azure Dragon Academy appears to be missing one—"
A voice cut through the arena.
Calm.
"You can start."
The crowd gasped.
A shadow peeled itself off the arena wall.
Long Hao stepped forward.
No dramatic entrance.
No aura burst.
Simply removing his stealth.
Just presence.
Even the Imperial captain stiffened.
"...You walked through the suppression grid."
Long Hao tilted his head slightly.
"...Did I?"
The Eclipse System inside him hummed quietly.
Longyu’s voice followed—lazy, faintly smug.
"Tch. These formations are built on dead stone.""You’re standing on dragon bones, idiot."
Long Hao didn’t reply.
But his foot pressed lightly into the arena floor.
The grid flickered.
Once.
The gong struck.
Crimson saber members moved immediately.
Chains of earth shot upward.
Gravity pressure spiked.
Two fighters charged Bai Qianlan directly—clearly targeting the illusionist first.
"Bai!" Qin Shuo shouted.
She didn’t retreat.
Instead, She smiled.
Illusion arrays unfolded like lotus petals.
Her form split.
Then split again.
Ten Bai Qianlans scattered.
The attackers struck——and hit nothing.
Qin Shuo lunged in.
Fast.
Too fast.
His blade flashed once.
Then again.
The crimson rear guard dropped before they realized they were targeted.
"Qin Shuo just broke formation!"
The announcer’s voice sharpened.
"He’s exploiting the illusion gaps!"
Qin grinned.
"Finally. My turn."
reacted late.
They shouldn’t have.
Finally, they got their calm back.
Crimson Saber Academy’s formation stabilized again.
Stone plates locked into place. Spiritual pressure synchronized. The suppression grid reformed—tighter this time, more disciplined.
The captain exhaled sharply.
"Re-anchor. Don’t chase. Hold."
The arena floor hummed.
This was their strength.
Slow.
Heavy.
Unyielding.
Qin Shuo stepped forward again.
Just... precise.
He stopped moving.
Ling Yifan noticed first.
"...Qin?"
Bai Qianlan narrowed her eyes."He’s not attacking."
Chen scoffed."What, did he freeze?"
Long Hao didn’t speak.
His gaze sharpened.
Qin Shuo closed his eyes.
Then knelt.
His palm pressed flat against the arena floor.
A thin ripple of spiritual light spread outward—not aggressive, not explosive. It moved like a measured breath.
The opponent fighters felt it.
Not as pressure.
As delay.
"Report," the captain barked.
A formation member frowned."...Captain, my response timing feels off."
Another spoke, confused."My shield is forming... half a beat late."
Qin Shuo opened his eyes.
They were calm.
Cold.
Calculating.
He stood and spoke quietly—his voice barely carried.
"Your formation assumes uniform reaction time," he said."That’s your first mistake."
He raised one finger.
A translucent array formed beneath his feet—hexagonal, layered, defensive.
Not attacking.
but, Overlaying them.
"Second mistake," Qin continued, "is anchoring all nodes equally."
He stepped to the left.
The arena responded.
Crimson’s right flank slowed.
Not enough to notice individually.
Enough to matter collectively.
"Third mistake," Qin said, voice steady,"is assuming suppression grids can’t be read."
The Imperial captain’s pupils shrank.
"Formation—shift!"
Too late.
Qin’s array pulsed once.
A counter-formation, defensive in nature, but perfectly positioned.
The suppression grid didn’t shatter.
It misaligned.
Pressure collapsed inward.
Two members stumbled—not from force, but loss of balance.
Their timing broke.
Their rhythm collapsed.
Bai Qianlan acted instantly.
Illusions surged into the newly created gaps.
Chen charged through the opening with a roar.
Ling Yifan advanced cleanly, spear precise.
The formation unraveled—not with an explosion—
—but with inevitability.
The Captain stared at Qin Shuo.
"YOU-...You couldn’t overpower us."
Qin met his gaze.
"No," he replied evenly."I outlasted your assumptions."
The final node fell.
The arena went silent for a heartbeat.
Then—
The announcer shouted, stunned:
"CRIMSON SABER’S FORMATION HAS COLLAPSED—FROM THE INSIDE!"
The crowd erupted.
Chen laughed loudly."HAHA! SINCE WHEN WERE YOU THIS SCARY?"
Bai Qianlan smiled faintly."He always was."
Ling Yifan nodded once."...That’s a Strategist."
Long Hao watched Qin Shuo quietly.
An anchor.
When Qin took position—
The battlefield didn’t rush.
It obeyed.
But Long Hao hadn’t attacked yet.
And that was the mistake.
He vanished.
He stepped exactly where no one was looking.
The first Ironveil fighter collapsed without a sound.
Pressure point strike.
The second felt something brush past—
—and his legs gave out.
The third swung wildly—
Long Hao caught his wrist.
Twisted.
Crack.
The audience went silent.
"He’s dismantling them!"
Chen laughed loudly.
"YES! THAT’S HIM!"
Ling Yifan didn’t move.
He watched.
And for the first time—
He felt it.
Envy.
Not of power.
Of clarity.
The captain roared.
"Collapse formation! Target him—NOW!"
Too late.
Long Hao was already behind him.
A whisper reached the captain’s ear.
"You planned for monsters."
The captain’s pupils shrank.
"But I hunt people."
A chop.
The captain hit the ground unconscious.
The formation collapsed.
Just like that.
Bai’s illusions snapped shut.
Qin Shuo cut down the last resistance.
Ling Yifan stepped forward only once——to pin the final opponent cleanly.
The gong rang again.
Silence.
Then—
The arena exploded.
"AZURE DRAGON ACADEMY—VICTORY!"
Long Hao stood still.
Breathing calm.
No celebration.
No acknowledgment.
The audience stared at him differently now.
Measuring.
Ouyang Xue’er narrowed her eyes.
"...They’re afraid."
Chen grinned.
"...Good."
As the team exited—
Long Hao slowed.
His chest tightened slightly.
Longyu stirred more clearly than before.
"Tch... I knew it."
Long Hao paused.
"...What."
"This academy. Dragon Turtle Academy wasn’t built on a ley line.It was built on a corpse."
His steps stopped.
"...What kind."
"An ancient dragon.""Not one that bowed to the heavens.""One that died cursing them."
The floor beneath his feet pulsed.
Just once.
"That’s why I could wake more.""That’s why your unsealing accelerated.""This place... nourishes rebellion."
Long Hao exhaled slowly.
"...So this is why."
"Yes.""And that’s why..."
Her voice sharpened.
"...they’re watching you now."
High above the arena—
Hidden eyes shifted.
And for the first time since his rebirth—
Long Hao felt it clearly.
The Shadow King wasn’t just back.
He was standing on a grave that hated the sky.
And the world had begun to notice.
[Chapter ENDS]
