Chapter 86: Soaring to the Skies

“Well, after much anticipation, the long-awaited dramatic match has finally begun. Before the two sides engage, Wilson, perhaps you could offer our listeners some insight into the strategies each team might employ today.”

“Oh! The obvious offensive force here is clearly the Thymes Academy, which holds both numerical superiority and a clear advantage in individual strength. Look! As the match begins, the students quickly spread out, centering around their prodigy, Link. Within just a few breaths, they’ve surrounded the four students from Almireth Academy. Meanwhile, Almireth Academy has shown no reaction at all, allowing their opponents to complete the encirclement… Next, those poor Almireth students will face an overwhelming assault they cannot withstand.”

“Hmm… Wilson, don’t you think Almireth Academy’s performance today seems somewhat unusual?” While Wilson was gleefully shouting, commentator Porter noticed something unexpected. “When our students moved, they didn’t scatter, but instead grouped together.”

“Of course! In such situations, the martial artists on the weaker side should usually try to disperse, preventing the opponent from forming a complete encirclement. This would at least give them a chance to defeat their opponents one by one. However, I think these poor Almireth students must have been terrified. Facing a fight against ten opponents with only four people—these poor young men probably never even imagined such a scenario in their dreams. This is entirely the fault of their idiotic teacher.” Wilson laughed mockingly, spewing venom as if he could already see Almireth Academy collapsing.

“Haha! ‘Idiotic’—what a great word!” The motorman of the thought-activated vehicle also laughed heartily, waving his arm and deliberately turning to Zhang Wen to ask, “Sir, what do you think?”

“Yes, ‘idiotic’ is indeed a very fitting word.” Zhang Wen also laughed happily and nodded repeatedly.

“Alright! Thymes Academy has begun their attack! Leading the charge is our prodigy, Link. Obviously, in this match, Link has only one target… His speed is incredible. Clearly, Link intends to completely ignore the threats posed by the other three Almireth students and directly attack their only ace, Xiaoxi, who is also a ninth-tier practitioner. However, the three lower-tier Almireth students don’t seem ready to give up. They have joined forces to block Link’s path forward!” As the match began, commentator Porter quickly got into the rhythm, passionately shouting out everything he saw.

“Hey! These guys are overestimating themselves!” As Porter’s shout reached its peak, Wilson unhesitatingly interrupted with a sneer. “A ninth-tier elite’s attack cannot simply be stopped by sheer numbers! Almireth Academy is full of such fools…” However, just as Wilson was about to spew more venom, his voice suddenly came to a halt, as if someone had slammed on the brakes.

“Oh! What did we just see?! Is this real? I can hardly believe my own eyes! They blocked it! Two male martial artists whose skills barely exceed the sixth tier, plus a female martial artist who has just stepped into the fifth tier! Three of the weakest competitors on the battlefield have actually joined forces to block the strongest competitor on the field, the prodigy Link’s seemingly inevitable strike! This is a miracle! Unbelievable! Un-be-liev-a-ble! Wilson, can you believe it?” Porter’s high-pitched voice took over the broadcast again.

It must be said that although Porter and Wilson had various shortcomings in their broadcasting, their commentary itself was absolutely brilliant. Even listeners who could not attend the scene in person could vividly “see” the two commentators—one clutching his head, the other with wide eyes, their faces full of astonishment, mouths agape in disbelief—through the sounds of Porter and Wilson’s voices.

“What?” Under the exaggerated commentary of the two commentators, the driver of the thought-activated vehicle almost jumped out of his seat. He shouted loudly, causing the vehicle to swerve into an S-shape on the road with a screech.

After a several-second pause caused by sheer shock, Wilson finally spoke again. And the moment he opened his mouth, he fired off a long string of denials like a machine gun.

“No! No no no, I don’t believe this reflects Link’s true level. I think just now I might have overestimated Link’s determination in that strike. What those three Almireth students blocked was probably not Link’s real full-strength attack.” Wilson shook his head repeatedly, desperately trying to argue, “Link’s attack just now was likely only a probing strike meant to test his opponents’ weaknesses. Its power might have only been a third—or even a quarter—of Link’s true strength. That’s why those three lower-tier Almireth students were able to withstand it. Look, after missing his strike, Link doesn’t seem particularly surprised at all—that’s clear evidence.”

“Oh… What Wilson said does seem quite reasonable.” Porter obviously also thought Wilson’s explanation was more logical than the eyewitness account.

After over a decade of working in the sports commentary channel at the broadcasting station, Porter had never seen several fifth- or sixth-tier competitors combine to block a full-strength strike from a ninth-tier peak martial artist!

In fact, it wasn’t just Porter. The vast majority of martial arts enthusiasts who were following this match shared the exact same thoughts as Wilson. No one believed that Amelie and her two companions could actually withstand Link’s full-force attack.

It’s like no matter how many cruisers you pile together, their small-caliber cannons still can’t scratch a battleship, while the cruisers themselves are nothing but scrap metal under the battleship’s massive cannons!

However, the truth was that a tiny minority of spectators who were actually sitting in Thymes Academy’s No. 7 training hall, who had witnessed that moment firsthand and possessed sufficient martial prowess, held completely opposite views from the majority!

The moment Link was repelled, General William instinctively held his breath and sat bolt upright. Likewise, Countess Melissa also raised her eyebrows, her beautiful face filled with astonishment.

Both General William and Countess Melissa could clearly see how much strength Link had poured into that strike. They certainly wouldn’t believe Wilson’s nonsense about Link only using a quarter of his strength.

From the speed of Link’s initial charge and the battle aura surging through his crystal-energy sword, it was evident that this Thymes prodigy had resolved to deliver a warning strike to the Almireth team! His first attack had definitely been launched with one hundred percent power, aimed directly at instantly eliminating their ace!

Yet, those three weaklings whose average strength didn’t even reach the sixth tier had actually blocked his attack! The fact that Link hadn’t cried out in shock on the spot only proved that his mental fortitude was absolutely extraordinary.

“What exactly is going on? Could that man named Zhang Wen really be a magician?” Countess Melissa stared intently at the arena, her fingers lightly tapping her lips.

Repelling Link’s initial charge didn’t mean that Thymes Academy’s offensive would stop there. The fierce battle between the two sides had only just begun.

“…Regardless, Link’s strike was ultimately blocked by those three lower-tier opponents.” Compared to the venom-spewing Wilson, Porter’s commentary at least retained some semblance of fairness. “Now that Link has missed his strike, he has retreated to the other side. He needs to observe his opponents’ positions again. The other Thymes students don’t seem affected by Link’s failed attack. They’re moving now, launching a full-scale assault on Almireth Academy! Ah! What are we seeing?”

After a period of subdued commentary, Porter suddenly let out another startled shout. At that exact moment, the previously stable screen suddenly began “bouncing around” again.

“Damn it! What’s going on now?” The motorman, an avid martial arts enthusiast, grabbed his head and screamed, nearly going crazy. He hurriedly slapped the poor little machine a few times before finally stabilizing the image.

“Almireth Academy’s four students have actually split into two groups! The three lower-tier students have abandoned their ace and separated!” Porter, as if hearing the driver’s frantic shout, immediately provided the answer.

“Almireth has clearly made an astonishing mistake!” Eager to make up for his earlier misjudgment, Lord Wilson hastily took over from Porter, shouting urgently, “The ideal choice for Almireth at this moment should have been to take advantage of the brief time Link is spending on observation. They should have used their ninth-tier ace’s individual strength advantage to group together and try to defeat one or two Thymes Academy members! Now that they’ve split into two groups, leaving the three lower-tier students unprotected by their ninth-tier ace, they’re obviously becoming easy targets for Thymes Academy!”

“That’s right! Thymes Academy indeed seized the opportunity created by the separation! They adjusted their direction and are preparing to launch a deadly strike against the three lower-tier Almireth students! Ah! What incredible speed from Almireth’s ninth-tier competitor! She’s like a swift panther! Even our Thymes Academy’s speed-specialist Harrington can’t keep up with her! Harrington’s speed is at most half of Xiaoxi’s… no, a third!”

“Hmph! Even if she’s twice as fast now, it’s too late… Ah! Damn it!” Lord Wilson’s venomous tirade was cut short again, turning into an embarrassed curse.

“An incredible turn of events! Xiaoxi, who seemed absolutely unable to reach her comrades in time, suddenly threw a needle at the last moment! What an extremely rare weapon! Jack, the Thymes Academy competitor, was hit and fell down, causing chaos in their encirclement! The three Almireth students rushed out through the gap Jack left… Ah! They didn’t choose to flee the battlefield immediately. Instead… they’re charging straight at Link together! Are they trying to commit suicide?”

“Just because they narrowly escaped death with a bit of luck, they’ve gone crazy with excitement! That’s all the Almireth students are capable of,” Lord Wilson desperately tried to save face.

However, what happened next left him so shocked that he could almost fit an egg in his open mouth.

“They blocked it again! The three lower-tier Almireth students actually blocked Link’s attack for the second time! This… this is truly unbelievable. Link, the ninth-tier competitor from Thymes… he’s actually locked in a fierce battle with the three Almireth students! Facing Link, these three lower-tier students show no sign of being outmatched at all! Unbelievable, absolutely unbelievable! Am I dreaming?”

The incredible sight before him left Porter, the seasoned host, so excited that he could hardly speak coherently. As for the sharp-tongued Lord Wilson, he was completely speechless. Since the start of this martial arts match, every single move made by Almireth Academy seemed to be a slap across Wilson’s sarcastic face. After several such slaps, Wilson could barely see anything but stars dancing before his eyes.

If Porter and Wilson, watching the match through the thought-activated imaging system at the thought-arts center, had already been reduced to this state, then the audience at Thymes Academy’s No. 7 training hall, who had actually seen Zak and the others fighting against Link in person, were even more astonished and in an uproar.

If it weren’t for the residual battle energy from every clash of their crystal-energy swords, which clearly proved that Link was indeed using his full strength, most of the audience would have assumed that this Thymes prodigy was deliberately holding back against Almireth! To most Empire citizens, even the idea that Link was intentionally holding back against Almireth would still make more sense than three low-tier martial artists being able to fight him to a standstill!

“Damn it!” Link himself was also filled with anger and shock, just like every other spectator. He poured all his strength into attack after attack, each one brimming with terrifying destructive power. Yet, those three Almireth students, who should have been no more significant than roadside weeds, somehow managed to withstand every single one of his strikes!

What enraged Link the most was that these guys stuck to him like chewing gum. Although he had an absolute advantage in speed and kept relentlessly pressing his attacks, he couldn’t shake off their persistent entanglement.

“Hmph! If that’s how it is, then let’s see how long you can keep this up!” When his anger reached its peak, Link instead grew calm. He completely abandoned the idea of observing the positions of other opponents and focused entirely on dealing with the three adversaries before him.

Boom! Link unleashed the heaviest strike since the match began. Zak, Cloud, and Amelie didn’t back down, meeting his attack head-on. Their four crystal-energy swords collided, striking the training hall’s stone pillar meant to serve as an obstacle. The four streams of battle energy simultaneously slammed into the waist-high stone pillar, producing a deafening explosion that shattered the pillar in two, sending it spinning into the air.

“Hey hey! The bull over there is getting furious! Can you still hold on?” Feeling the sudden surge of Link’s strength, Zack kept his guard up while quickly glancing at his two teammates beside him.

“Don’t worry. I won’t fall before you do,” said Amyris, tightening her grip on the crystal-energy sword.

During this special training session arranged by Zhang Wen, Amyris had endured the most hardship, but she had also gained the most. In addition to mastering the techniques of coordinated combat, she had unexpectedly discovered that her battle energy had quietly advanced to the fifth stage—an achievement she had struggled to attain for the past three years without success.

“Hehe! That’s good to hear. If you can’t handle it, just say so directly. I’ve still got plenty of energy left! I can support you guys anytime!” Laughing heartily, Zack once again faced the roaring heavy strike heading his way.

“You bastard, do you even know who you’re talking to?” Cloud shot Zack a cold glare and almost simultaneously swung his long sword.

Meanwhile, when the other Thamis students saw Link being engaged by Amyris and her team, they immediately fell into confusion. It wasn’t that they panicked or lost their composure upon witnessing this shocking scene, but rather, without Link, they had lost the core figure capable of uniting everyone.

The previously unified Thamis students quickly split into two factions. One group decided to rush back to help Link, while the other opted to continue attacking Xiaoxi.

“Hehehe!” Facing four Thamis students charging toward her aggressively, Xiaoxi revealed a confident smirk. “What a bunch of idiots! Haven’t you ever heard that speed-type martial artists are best at dealing with being surrounded?”

Xiaoxi’s thought flashed by in an instant, and the red-haired girl, always one to act first, had already triggered her battle energy before her thinking was even completed.

Her figure swiftly transformed into a ghostly blur, instantly slipping through the gaps between the four Thamis students who were closing in on her.

As Xiaoxi brushed past one of the Thamis students attempting to surround her, a shining dart suddenly appeared between her fingers and, in a flash, pierced the right shoulder of that student.

Although the targeted Thamis student did his best to defend, Xiaoxi’s lightning speed exceeded his capabilities. As for the remaining Thamis students, they were still several steps away and couldn’t even see when Xiaoxi had attacked, let alone come to their comrade’s aid.

“Ahh!” The Thamis student cried out in pain as his crystal-energy sword clattered to the ground. At that moment, Xiaoxi, who had just passed by him, raised her hand and fired another dart with a thunderous “boom.”

That’s right—this time, Xiaoxi had fully activated her ninth-stage battle energy, launching the dart with full force. Dozens of centimeters long, the dart was wrapped in battle energy nearly as thick as an arm, emitting a piercing shriek as it slammed into the back of the Thamis student who had just been hit.

Although Xiaoxi’s darts had been modified before the match—reducing their sharpness and the amount of battle energy they could carry to only one-fifth of their original strength—her full-force strike still sent the Thamis student flying from the center of the arena all the way to the guardrails of the spectator area.

Whether that Thamis student lived or died was of no concern to Xiaoxi. In inter-academy competitions, weapon power was adjusted to avoid fatal injuries. The Empire’s highly developed psychic healing arts were also more than sufficient to ensure the students’ safety. Frankly speaking, without strength at the Champion level or above, killing someone during an inter-academy match was practically impossible. Therefore, after knocking that Thamis student aside, Xiaoxi didn’t even glance at him and instead charged straight toward the four opponents who had been preparing to rescue Link.

At her peak ninth-stage speed, the Thamis students could only watch helplessly as Xiaoxi dashed past them. In the blink of an eye, Xiaoxi had already caught up with Griffiths, the closest of the four to Link.

“Hey! Your opponent is me!” The red-haired girl flashed a mischievous grin at Griffiths.

This seventh-stage member of Thamis’s “Genius Squad” had already experienced Zhang Wen’s might. As Xiaoxi approached, Griffiths instinctively chose to retreat. However, at that moment, Griffiths forgot one crucial thing—his speed was far inferior to Xiaoxi’s.

If Griffiths had refused to retreat, relying on his near-eighth-stage strength, he might have been able to withstand Xiaoxi’s initial attack and create an opportunity to rescue Link. But in battle, one wrong decision was often enough to destroy all chances.

As Griffiths leaned back to retreat, Xiaoxi appeared at his side in the very next instant. Then, Griffiths felt an unstoppable force pierce through his waist. Before he could even register the excruciating pain in his abdomen, his vision went black, and he lost consciousness.

If Link being held down by Zack and the others had caused chaos among the Thamis martial artists, then Griffiths’s and the others’ miserable defeat triggered the complete collapse of the entire Thamis martial arts team.

Link’s presence at Thamis Academy was, in itself, a double-edged sword. He could instill great confidence in the students, but he could also destroy it.

The Thamis students, who had always lived under Link’s towering shadow, quickly collapsed mentally after witnessing Xiaoxi’s ghostly speed and terrifying destructive power. Unconsciously, they recalled their past training sessions battling against Link.

“We’re finished! They’re also a ninth-stage expert. How could we possibly handle that?”

“What is Link doing?”

Various chaotic thoughts flooded the minds of the Thamis students, making it even harder for them to focus. As a result, the remaining six Thamis students were quickly defeated one by one by Xiaoxi, completely swept off the battlefield.

“…This… this is unbelievable, an unimaginable scene! Except for the genius Link, every other member of the Thamis Academy team has been defeated by the Almishus team. I don’t think anyone could have possibly predicted such an outcome beforehand… Uh, Sir Wilson… could you explain why this match turned out this way?”

Witnessing the dominant Thamis Academy being utterly crushed by Almishus Academy in nearly under five minutes, even the experienced commentator Porter struggled to find the right words to describe what he had just seen.

“Uh… Hmm?” Sir Wilson had yet to recover from his dazed state, and Porter’s question left him speechless.

The mighty Thamis Academy martial arts team was now reduced to just Link, desperately holding on alone! All four members of the Almishus Academy remained unscathed. From the very beginning, they had tightly engaged Link’s three teammates, who still seemed capable of lasting a while longer. Meanwhile, the Almishus member with the ghostly speed and ninth-stage strength had now freed herself up.

If the two groups from Almishus launched a pincer attack… no, even if that red-haired speed demon merely harassed Link a little, he would likely be defeated soon enough.

Could the mighty Thamis Academy actually lose to the so-called “trash” of Almishus Academy?! As he realized the current situation, Sir Wilson couldn’t help but wonder if he was dreaming.

“I must be dreaming… I must be dreaming!” Listening to the broadcast, the martial arts fan driving the psychokinetic car seemed to be possessed, his eyes wide and muttering to himself.

Thankfully, the psychokinetic vehicle itself had a highly advanced navigation and autonomous driving system. Otherwise, following this martial arts fan’s driving method, he would have caused a major accident in the heart of Babylon City within three seconds.

“Hehe, the match isn’t over yet,” Zhang Wen still wore the same smile he had since entering the psychokinetic car, gently patting the driver’s shoulder.

“That’s right! The match isn’t over. We still have Link. It’s far too early to declare defeat now!” The martial arts fan driver immediately became excited again, as if he had been injected with adrenaline.