Chapter 241: Facing the Strongest of Shanyu
In the Ruined Arena.
Li Lei, a powerfully built man in a silver Combat Suit, walked out slowly. At over 2.1 meters tall, his physique was very similar to Wei Peng’s. He also used a War Axe as his Weapon, and even their fighting styles were the same.
The only difference was that his strength didn’t match Wei Peng’s; he was like a smaller version of him.
He looked at Han Zhen opposite him, who was also burly and strong, standing just over two meters tall.
He had a buzz cut and a round face, his body packed with dense, solid muscle that seemed to contain the power of magma.
The moment their eyes met, a tyrannical aura erupted from his opponent, who held a heavy, red Battle Saber in one hand.
Han Zhen chuckled. "Brother, I think it’d be better for you to just surrender."
"Otherwise, you might end up losing quite badly."
Li Lei shook his head firmly, gritting his teeth. "As a Martial Artist, how could I possibly surrender?"
"Bring it on!"
[Match Eleven Officially Begins!]
In the stands, Lin Qi watched the fight in the arena with rapt attention. As soon as the battle started, Li Lei struck first.
He raised his Silver Battleaxe high and brought it down in a Powerful Slash of Hua Mountain. All of his strength and Power flowed into the strike. The sharp Axe Blade cut through the air, kicking up fierce gales.
But in the face of Li Lei’s attack, Han Zhen simply swung his red Battle Saber with his broad right hand, cleaving upward with defiant force.
"WHOOSH~"
The air trembled as a terrifying might emanated from the blade.
Lin Qi pushed his Heart Eye Talent to its limits, sensing Han Zhen’s strike and trying to discern his opponent’s true strength.
"BOOM!!"
The War Axe and Battle Saber collided. As the Weapons clashed, the air cracked with a deafening explosion.
Then, everyone in the audience saw Li Lei’s body sent flying, the War Axe knocked from his grasp.
"CRACK!"
His eyes widened as he felt the unstoppable force. His arm went numb, the bone cracking in an instant.
’It felt like my War Axe hit a giant Diamond. It’s just too hard.’
Then, a cold glint flashed before his eyes. Han Zhen stomped the ground, which cracked under the force and even gave off a scorched smell.
"SPLAT~"
Han Zhen swung his saber. The tyrannical force cleanly severed Li Lei’s head, sending it flying through the air. The scene was so brutal that many in the crowd couldn’t help but close their eyes.
The fight was over in two strikes!
[Match Eleven: Han Zhen (Azure Sky) Wins!]
When Li Lei returned to the spectator stands, he was in a daze, his hands still seemingly throbbing with intense pain.
All he felt was despair, a sense of hopelessness he had never experienced even during the freshman tournament.
It was like an ant facing an elephant, crushed to death underfoot!
...
"Let’s congratulate contestant Han Zhen on his victory and successful advancement to the ninth round."
"CLAP CLAP!!"
Following Xu Wenji’s announcement, thunderous applause once again erupted from the stands.
The audience had grown numb to it. Han Zhen was simply too powerful; his fights were practically instant kills.
Han Zhen had also returned to the stands by this point, feeling ecstatic. ’Beating up on newbies is a thrill, and it’s a thrill that never gets old.’
This was a feeling he could never experience back at the Tenth Institute.
"Having fun bullying the Ordinary geniuses?" a girl with beautiful eyes next to him asked.
"Hehe, you bet it is. They’re all too weak. They can’t even take two hits from me!" Han Zhen replied, scratching his head with a grin.
"We’re on a different level, after all," a handsome man with a gentle demeanor also commented.
The girl and Han Zhen nodded. They truly weren’t on the same Level as the Ordinary geniuses.
...
In the spectator stands for Azure Sky Martial Arts Academy.
Jiangtao let out a breath. "Just as I thought. That Han Zhen is ridiculously strong."
"Li Lei’s raw strength is ranked fourth in our entire Azure Sky Martial Arts Academy, and he couldn’t even withstand a single blow from Han Zhen."
"How are we supposed to fight that?"
Despair filled everyone’s hearts.
Lin Qi, on the other hand, remained calm. Han Zhen had only used two strikes, but he had displayed not only immense power, but also great agility and impressive speed.
He was superior to Li Lei in every aspect. ’Even if it were me, I couldn’t have repelled Li Lei so overwhelmingly.’
’But there’s something strange about the force Han Zhen is using!’
Lin Qi frowned. For a split second, he had sensed a scorching aura. It was like Power, but also slightly different.
This force was very peculiar.
Both Tan Pei’er and Han Zhen had demonstrated strength far beyond that of the other contestants.
’If I want to win the championship, I’ll definitely have to face them.’
...
「Half an hour later」
"SQUELCH~"
Li Hanjiang thrust his blue Long Spear, piercing his opponent’s chest and ending the battle.
[Match 18: Li Hanjiang (Nether Sea) Wins!]
Li Hanjiang’s gaze was cold. He only had three opponents in his eyes: Lin Qi, Tan Pei’er, and Han Zhen.
No one else could pose a threat to him.
...
Xu Wenji’s projection appeared once more.
On the screen in his hand, only 18 names remained.
"I hereby declare the eighth round of the National Freshman Tournament officially over."
"Let us congratulate the 18 contestants who have successfully advanced to the ninth round. They will each be awarded seven million Xia Country Coins."
"They will also compete in the ninth round, from which only nine will be able to advance to the tenth round."
After Xu Wenji finished speaking, the single screen dissipated and reformed into 18 separate screens, each displaying the projection of one of the contestants.
Lin Qi and the other 17 contestants had varying expressions. Some were nervous, some were tense, and others were calm.
Then there were Tan Pei’er and Han Zhen, who looked as relaxed as if they were on vacation.
"Now, let us begin the ninth round immediately," Xu Wenji said with a wave of his hand.
The 18 screens merged and spun wildly. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, they reconsolidated into a single screen displaying the new match-up bracket.
"The bracket has been decided! Let’s look forward to the exciting matches of the ninth round!"
Everyone looked at the new match-up bracket.
Lin Qi also locked his eyes on his own opponent.
[Match Two: Lin Qi (Azure Sky) VS Liang Yuxin (Shanyu)]
...
Lin Qi’s eyes narrowed. He was up against the strongest fighter from Shanyu Martial Arts University in the ninth round.
’Looks like her luck has run out.’
After the bracket was revealed, the expressions of those in the stands were varied.
In particular, the two contestants matched against Tan Pei’er and Han Zhen looked utterly grim.
They knew they were guaranteed to lose!
The ninth round would be their last.
In the Shanyu Martial Arts University stands, the silver-haired Liang Yuxin also broke into a smile.
"I might not be able to win it all, but I will give everything I have to go as far as I can."
"Lin Qi... I’ll start with him!"
...
"Now, will the contestants for the first match please enter the arena!" Xu Wenji announced. There was no rest period; the ninth round began immediately.
...
「Four minutes later」
"Let’s congratulate contestant Huo Wanyang on successfully advancing to the tenth round."
Huo Wanyang returned to the stands and let out a breath, secretly clenching his fists. He was one step closer to his goal.
’Now that I’m in the tenth round, the other eight contestants will all be tough opponents.’
"Next up, we have the contestants for our second match: from Azure Sky Martial Arts Academy, contestant Lin Qi, and from Shanyu Martial Arts University, contestant Liang Yuxin."
"Both contestants were the champions of their respective Martial Arts University’s freshman tournaments. This clash of titans is guaranteed to be a spectacular fight."
As soon as Xu Wenji said this, the crowd went wild.
Compared to the invincible power of the two masters from the Tenth Institute, a showdown between the strongest fighters of two major universities was much more compelling.
In the stands, Lin Qi slowly stood up.
"Brother Qi, try to end it in 20 moves this time. I’ve already placed my bet on it," Jiangtao said with a laugh.
Lin Qi’s lips curved into a smile. "I’ll do my best!"
With those words, he transformed into a crimson pillar of light and vanished from his seat.
Once again, they were in the Ruined Arena. Lin Qi and Liang Yuxin appeared at opposite ends.
Liang Yuxin’s silver hair was now tied up in a ponytail. She wore a silver Combat Suit that accentuated her tall figure.
She held a Silver Sharp Sword in one hand, clad head to toe in silver.
Her gaze locked onto Lin Qi. She had already set her sights on third place.
She likely wasn’t a match for the two geniuses from the Tenth Institute, so she had realistically set her goal for third place.
As long as she defeated both Lin Qi and Li Hanjiang, she would secure third place.
"Lin Qi, your journey ends in the ninth round," Liang Yuxin said, tilting her head back with a confident smile.
Lin Qi held his Great Spear in a level stance with both hands, his expression calm as he replied,
"Right back at you!"
[Countdown: 3, 2, 1...]
[Second Match for Advancement Officially Begins!]
Above the arena, the automated voice emotionlessly announced the start of the battle.
"WHOOSH~"
This time, Lin Qi attacked first. His aura exploded forth, flickering like Thunder Light and descending like a tiger from the mountains—majestic and powerful.
He shot up from the ground, the pavement beneath his feet cracking and splintering under the immense force.
He unleashed a tyrannical force, swinging his Black Great Spear like a Black Dragon emerging from the sea, ready to devour Liang Yuxin.
Liang Yuxin’s figure was graceful. With a light tap of her foot, she sidestepped. Her Body Technique was nimble, allowing her to easily evade Lin Qi’s fierce attack.
At the same time, an invisible Power coiled around her Longsword. The blade, glinting with a cold light, collided with the Great Spear.
"CLANG!!"
Fierce Power blasted from the core of Lin Qi’s Black Great Spear, but it was met with a soft Power, unlike that of any opponent he had faced before.
Lin Qi’s brow furrowed. He felt as if his Power had been almost completely discharged.
Force Discharge!
All Martial Artists knew how to do it, but Top Level geniuses disdained such methods.
They preferred to use overwhelming strength, speed, and exquisite techniques to finish off opponents—or even Calamity Beasts—as quickly as possible.
Lin Qi was no different. He had no need for Force Discharge, as his powerful physique was more than enough to withstand any opponent’s attack.
But his current opponent, Liang Yuxin, was different. She was an expert at Force Discharge.
In other words, she was the perfect counter to strength-based opponents.
Looking at Lin Qi not far away, Liang Yuxin smiled.
...
In the VIP seating area, within the section for Shanyu Martial Arts University, a middle-aged woman in yellow robes spoke with a smile:
"A fighter like Lin Qi running into our Yu Xin... I’d say he’s out of luck."
"Our Yu Xin isn’t just fast; she’s also a master of Force Discharge. Her Cultivation is in the >. This Swordsmanship is incredibly difficult to cultivate, requiring constant study of Force Dissipation Techniques."
"Once mastered, its greatest strength is Yirou Ke Gang, allowing her to dissipate the overwhelming force and Power released by a Weapon, rendering it harmless. That’s exactly how Zhong Xinyan lost to our Yu Xin."
"That’s why Yu Xin is the bane of opponents like Lin Qi."
"Liu Da’Er, I hear Lin Qi is from your academy. My apologies, but the ninth round will be his last stop."
The woman in yellow looked over at Dean Liu and chuckled.
The leaders from the other schools watched the drama unfold. There was some "minor history" between the two.
Now that the top champions from their respective academies were facing off, that old conflict was bubbling to the surface again.
Dean Big Ear Liu listened to the taunts, his expression remaining perfectly calm.
"Force Discharge has its limits. It can’t dissipate all force."
...