Chapter 341: Battle Against Victor
The High-Level Leadership Section
"Old Mu, you’re online too!"
Dean Liu said in surprise after seeing Mu Hong come online.
Mu Hong nodded. "Lin Qi made it to the semifinals. I came online to watch."
Dean Liu nodded. "With the finals approaching, everyone’s coming online."
Mu Hong looked around and saw that the seats were filled with the leadership of Azure Sky Martial Arts Academy.
They were all vice-deans from the various institutes.
Not only that, but several deans were present as well, their auras unfathomably deep.
Their presence was even stronger than his, a Martial Artist who had just broken through to the Eighth Realm.
As for Seventh Realm Martial Artists, there were even more—over a hundred of them, all gathered to chat and watch the matches.
"This year is truly packed with talent. Eighteen SS-level geniuses."
"Five of them have even mastered a Little Divine Power."
"And among the four semifinalists, all of them have mastered a Little Divine Power."
"In any previous year, any one of them would have been a contender for the championship!"
A tall, middle-aged man with a gentle demeanor, dressed in red and white robes, spoke with a smile.
The aura he exuded was powerful, and everyone looked at him with expressions full of respect.
"Our Xia Country has two contestants in the running."
"And then there’s the pleasant surprise of student Lin Qi."
"If all goes as expected, student Yu Zhuoran has the highest chance of taking the championship," the gentle-looking man said.
The others nodded. Of the four remaining contestants, Yu Zhuoran looked most like a champion.
"Student Lin Qi is still lacking a little. Being Unawakened is his only disadvantage."
"At the highest level of combat, victory is decided by who has the greater advantage and the fewest weaknesses."
Another middle-aged woman, this one wearing blue robes, spoke up.
She was also a dean of the Ninth Institute, and she emanated the unique aura of an Eighth Realm Powerhouse.
Dean Liu’s expression was calm, and he said nothing. Mu Hong, however, was the only one to shake his head.
He had a different opinion.
’Maybe my disciple can take the championship and shock everyone.’
’My disciple is not weaker than anyone.’
...
"Ladies and gentlemen, friends in the audience, next up are the semifinals!"
"Each of these contestants will receive a prize of one hundred and ten million Xia Country Coins, as well as a grand prize package."
"And if they make it to the finals, the prize money will increase even further!"
"Now, let the semifinals begin!"
After Xu Wenji finished speaking, two enormous black-and-white dice appeared in his hands.
The names of the four contestants were printed on them.
With a wave of his hand, he tossed the two dice, which landed on the chessboard under the watchful eyes of the crowd.
BANG!
The two dice came to a stop, and two names appeared before everyone’s eyes.
[Lin Qi (Xia Country)]
[Victor Christopher (Mao Bear)]
The next second, the two dice exploded, transforming into four Ninth-Level Calamity Beasts. They faced off in pairs, forming the new match-up bracket.
[Match 1: Lin Qi (Xia Country) VS Victor Christopher (Mao Bear)]
[Match 2: Havier (White Eagle Federation) VS Yu Zhuoran (Xia Country)]
...
Lin Qi let out a breath when he saw his opponent.
"Brother Qi, your opponent is Victor. This is going to be a tough one!" Jiangtao said with a grave expression.
Victor had left a deep impression on them.
His terrifying, immense strength was beyond imagination, and once he activated his Little Divine Power, that power would be simply inconceivable.
Lin Qi nodded. He also felt a bit of pressure.
This opponent was different. He would have to get serious.
"Go, Brother Qi! We believe you’ll win for sure," Guo Heng said with a serious nod.
"That’s right, Brother Qi! Beat the crap out of that Victor from the Bear Country!" Zhou Xiyin added, pumping her fist.
Seeing their support, Lin Qi also stood up. "I will win!"
After speaking, he transformed into a crimson ray of light and slowly ascended into the air.
"Next, let’s welcome the two contestants for our first match! From Xia Country, we have contestant Lin Qi, a truly miraculous competitor."
"As an Unawakened genius, he has fought his way past every obstacle to reach the semifinals. Can he continue to set new records?"
"And from the Bear Country, contestant Victor Christopher!"
"His god-like strength has defeated countless opponents. Will he make it to the finals? Let’s wait and see!"
Amidst Xu Wenji’s booming voice, two crimson pillars of light slowly descended upon the ruined arena.
BOOM!!
On the concrete pavement, accompanied by a tremendous crash and gusts of wind, the pillars of light dissipated, revealing two figures to everyone’s sight.
WHOOSH~
A light breeze brushed against Lin Qi’s face. He was dressed in a black, form-fitting combat suit that showcased his sturdy frame and streamlined muscle definition.
Every muscle looked as if it had been forged through countless trials, containing terrifying power.
An invisible aura emanated from his body.
But compared to Victor opposite him, he seemed exceptionally small.
Victor Christopher, the number one first-year powerhouse of the Bear Country.
One of only two SS-level geniuses, his nickname was Giant Strength Axe. He possessed Innate Divine Strength, had Awakened the Special Ability [Heavy Earth], and had mastered a Little Divine Power.
Victor’s features were well-defined but not handsome; they only conveyed a sense of fortitude, like a steel fortress.
Among the millions of Martial Artists, his height was the greatest, reaching a staggering two-and-a-half-plus meters.
His broad frame was covered in massive muscles that looked like boulders carved and compressed by an axe. A powerful, oppressive feeling radiated from him.
He too wore a black combat suit and brandished a giant silver battleaxe with one hand.
The sharp axe blade gave off a cold, chilling glint. A casual swing was enough to slice through the air.
Lin Qi looked up at Victor. The man was a full size larger than him, and his immense strength was likely the greatest among all the opponents he had faced.
"Lin Qi of Xia Country!"
Victor spoke slowly. His tone was stiff, his Xia Country Language quite awkward.
"I have been looking forward to a great battle with you!"
"Come! Let me see your power!"
As he said this, a terrifying aura burst forth from him, as if a colossal elephant were roaring at the heavens. Brown markings seemed to appear on his neck.
A tyrannical pressure was unleashed, sweeping toward Lin Qi.
As if provoked, Lin Qi retaliated by releasing the pressure of the Platinum Evil Tiger, his body wreathed in an invisible Evil Qi.
ROAR~
In the air, two phantom Ninth-Level Calamity Beasts began an invisible clash.
Lin Qi’s gaze was sharp. He looked at Victor, his voice dripping with Evil Qi, and said:
"As you wish!"
[Countdown: 3, 2, 1...]
[Match Start!]
Above the arena, the voice of the AI loudly announced the start, its words echoing in the ears of every spectator.
A tsunami of cheers erupted from the audience, especially from the sections for Xia Country and the Bear Country.
"Victor, give the Xia Country people a taste of your Giant Axe!"
"Smash him to pieces!"
"Our Bear Country is the strongest! Ura!!"
The live comments were flooded with the Bear Country’s language, but the Xia Country Language comments were not to be outdone, even overwhelming them.
"A contest of strength? Lin Qi won’t lose!"
"It’s not about who’s bigger, it’s about who’s stronger!"
"Lin Qi, go beat the crap out of that big lug from the Bear Country!"
...
ROAR~
BOOM!
In the ruined arena, the battle erupted in an instant.
Victor opened his mouth and let out a deafening war cry, completely igniting the power in his body.
His pillar-like leg muscles tensed as he stomped the ground, and the concrete surface groaned under the strain.
Spiderweb cracks spread out from the impact point. Like a giant elephant, he let out a roar and launched into an earth-shaking charge.
He raised his war axe high, its sharp blade reflecting a cold light. His muscles bulged like steel as strands of earth-colored Power coated the weapon.
His entire presence merged with the war axe, carrying the force of ten thousand tons. It kicked up a fierce wind as he brought it down on Lin Qi with the force of a falling mountain.
The sound of rushing wind filled the air, as if space itself was being split in two.
Shaking Mountain Axe Technique—Tai Mountain Overhead Technique!
WHOOSH!!
Feeling the fierce wind and sharp edge rushing toward him, Lin Qi sensed an astonishing amount of power.
The feeling made his blood boil with excitement.
The power in his body activated in an instant. His Qi Blood surged, rushing to every corner of his body as his muscles bulged and veins popped.
His strength erupted like a volcano as he suddenly swung the black great spear in his hands.
For this battle, he had specially increased the weight of his 100-kilogram great spear to a staggering 200 kilograms!
BANG!
His own immense strength, combined with the heavy spear in his hands, left deep cracks in the concrete pavement.
SWISH~
The black great spear swung through the air. Mountain Shaking Power condensed and was released, the shaft of the spear rumbling as it tore through the surrounding atmosphere.
Mountain Shaking Spear Technique—Stone Splitting!
Less than a second after the match began, the two clashed for the first time.
In the blink of an eye, the war axe and the great spear collided in midair, and the air exploded with the sound.
BANG!!
At the instant of contact, immense Power was unleashed.
The two strongest contestants in the Global Freshmen Tournament clashed for the first time.
’So heavy!’
The moment they collided, Lin Qi was inwardly shocked by the force he felt through his hands.
The instant the weapons met, he felt an immense weight, as if a great mountain was pressing down on him.
A terrifying weight was applied from the war axe—pure, unadulterated weight.
Although Special Abilities couldn’t be used, the characteristics of one’s Power remained, enhancing his war axe’s might.
His war axe weighed at least 200 kilograms, and the force it applied was absolutely astonishing.
The characteristic granted by his [Heavy Earth] Special Ability was that his Power also carried weight.
That was why Lin Qi felt as if he had just slammed into a massive, solid mountain.
A colossal wave of Power bore down on him directly.
It collided with the Mountain Shaking Power he had released.
This was a pure clash of power.
BANG!!
The surrounding air seemed to be compressed by an invisible hand, forming circular, invisible ripples that spread outward.
A white shockwave created gusts of powerful wind that whipped through both of their hair.
The ground beneath their feet couldn’t bear the load and caved in, forming a large crater.
Then, spiderweb cracks spread across the concrete pavement.
Victor’s expression also changed slightly.
He too felt a pure and domineering power, one that was quite similar to his own Power.
But this one was even more tyrannical, possessing an overbearing quality that could suppress anything.
The force and Power collided with his own Mountain-Shaking Power, sending tremors through his body as the force traveled up the handle of his axe.
...