Thermis Academy had been pushed to the brink in its battle against Almireus Academy. Sitting in Training Ground No. 7, few spectators could remain calm as they watched this unfold before their eyes.
The expressions of most reporters in the press box were complex. On one hand, they were citizens of Fira Planet and naturally favored the local Thermis Academy. On the other hand, while a headline reading “Thermis Academy crushes Almireus Academy” was certainly newsworthy, the explosive power of a headline like “Almireus Academy’s Physical Combat Division utterly dominates Thermis Academy” was clearly far greater!
As for the spectators who had specially come to support Thermis Academy—especially the men—most had already clenched their fists and stood up, gritting their teeth. Even the imperial nobles who deliberately tried to maintain aristocratic decorum and hadn’t risen with the crowd found it hard to keep composed.
Thermis Academy’s Physical Combat Division was undoubtedly among the top five in the entire Empire—renowned and formidable warriors!
The nobles of Fira Planet had specially taken time out of their busy schedules to come watch Thermis Academy’s matches precisely to witness them crush their opponents and bring them excitement and honor—not to watch them be crushed themselves!
Especially considering that Thermis Academy was now facing those damned detestable Kasares hicks! If Thermis Academy’s Physical Combat Division actually lost to Almireus Academy, how could these nobles from Fira Planet ever show their faces in the Imperial Capital again without being laughed at by the arrogant capital aristocrats?
What? You actually lost to the Almireus people who always lose? Hahaha…
Unacceptable! The nobles of Fira Planet couldn’t even imagine such a scene without wanting to curse furiously.
Of course, among those in Training Ground No. 7, the ones with the most difficult expressions were undoubtedly Governor Karajan and Chief Instructor Gelt. Governor Karajan’s ashen face indicated that the governor of Fira Planet was on the verge of an eruption. Chief Instructor Gelt’s expression was equally dark, nearly dripping with gloom. The only reason neither of them had erupted like a volcano was because there was still one last hope remaining on the battlefield.
If Link could endure until the end and win this match, Thermis Academy would still become the undisputed number one in the South. All previous defeats and humiliations would naturally vanish into thin air.
Otherwise…
Governor Karajan tightly gripped his cane, making it creak loudly several times.
“…Although the situation has suddenly turned drastically against Thermis Academy, the Thermis people have clearly not yet reached the point of despair. After all, their biggest ace, Link—the most talented physical combat student in the South—still fights tenaciously!” Boerte loudly encouraged the Thermis supporters through the broadcast.
“That’s right! Thermis Academy was simply too arrogant this time—far too arrogant! In fact, Thermis Academy’s previous defeats weren’t due to inferior strength. In terms of actual power, Thermis Academy is still far superior to Almireus Academy.” Sir Wilson, equally unyielding, continued to stand firmly on Thermis’s side. He lamented bitterly that they had completely underestimated Almireus Academy’s tactics. Almireus had used three low-tier competitors to hold Link back while employing surprise attacks to disrupt Thermis’s rhythm, which had led to Thermis falling behind.
“However, now the nuisances have already been cleared from Link’s path. If we purely consider strength, there’s no impossibility in Link—a ninth-tier all-around genius—defeating the remaining four opponents alone! This is the moment for the genius’s counterattack!” While lamenting bitterly, Sir Wilson firmly declared.
And the situation on the battlefield seemed to verify Sir Wilson’s prophecy.
Under Link’s continuous, increasingly powerful attacks, Amyris and her companions gradually exhausted their battle energy and physical strength. Soon after, Zack accidentally broke formation while enduring Link’s attack, separating from his two teammates. Link seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity without hesitation.
A blue battle energy, like an electric spark, instantly filled Link’s crystal energy sword. Like a venomous snake, it hissed as it stabbed directly at Zack’s right shoulder.
Despite Zack’s desperate attempt to dodge and Amyris and Cloud’s utmost efforts, this time, the trio with the exposed flaw couldn’t withstand Link’s full-force attack.
The reason Amyris and her companions had been barely able to hold their ground against Link’s attacks previously was entirely due to their extremely默契 cooperation. Whenever Link attacked one of them, he always faced resistance from two opponents, while the attacked individual would seize the opportunity to counterattack, preventing Link from exerting his full strength. At the same time, the two blocking Link’s attacks wouldn’t directly absorb his terrifying ninth-tier battle energy, but instead skillfully redirected it elsewhere.
But now, Zack, who had exposed the flaw, didn’t leave Amyris and Cloud with suitable distance. Link, the all-around genius, attacked at an extremely fast speed, giving Amyris and Cloud little time to react.
In desperation, Amyris and Cloud could only grit their teeth and confront Link head-on.
Four swords filled with battle energy clashed in succession. Although Amyris and her companions fought three against one, the gap in battle energy still left them helpless to resist.
In the explosion caused by the colliding battle energies, Link emerged unscathed, while the three from Almireus were violently blown back several meters. Zack, who took the brunt of the attack, was even sent flying.
Even at just one-fifth of his true strength, a ninth-tier warrior’s full-force attack was still something Zack, who had barely reached the sixth tier, couldn’t withstand. The energy currents from the battle energy explosion also tore through his battle uniform at the right shoulder, leaving several deep wounds on his shoulder.
“Haha!!” Link’s fierce attack instantly ignited the Thermis supporters.
“Crush those Almireus hicks!” The men excitedly jumped from their seats, raising their arms high while sending provocative boos toward Xiao Xi, who was still standing at the other end of the arena.
In their eyes, Zack and his companions, having already taken a hit from Link, were no longer capable of continuing the fight. That they could still stand was already a miracle. Naturally, Link’s only remaining opponent was Xiao Xi, also a ninth-tier warrior.
Unlike the women, the men wouldn’t show mercy just because the woman on the battlefield was beautiful. In fact, the presence of a beautiful woman on the battlefield only further fueled their brutal desires.
“Hey! Little beauty, come on, let Uncle properly show you some affection!” A vulgar-looking man, dressed inappropriately with fingers adorned with gaudy golden rings like a nouveau riche, actually ran to the edge of the audience seats, leaning halfway out while making indecent gestures toward Xiao Xi.
Standing in the center of the noisy arena, Xiao Xi clenched her teeth so hard they almost cracked. The strand of hair always half-raised and half-crooked on her head stood straight up in anger.
“Haha! Getting angry? Come on, little darling! Big Brother Fei is waiting for you here!” The ugly man continued to shout shamelessly,得意ly boasting to the surrounding crowd.
Translation:
“Haha! Getting angry? Come on, little darling! Big Brother Fei is waiting for you here!” The ugly man continued to shout shamelessly, proudly boasting to the surrounding crowd.
The ugly man wasn’t blind to Xiao Xi’s furious expression, but he didn’t care at all. He didn’t believe Xiao Xi would retaliate against him at this moment, risking disqualification from the competition.
In the inter-academy martial arts competitions of the Empire, it was explicitly stipulated that “competitors must not argue with spectators.” Of course, this rule was practically worthless in most situations. However, right now, the Thermis referees were all staring wide-eyed at Xiao Xi’s every move. Even if Xiao Xi gave the vulgar nouveau riche the middle finger, they would immediately remove her from the battlefield.
Without their ninth-tier ace, wouldn’t the Almireus people be doomed to lose? Did this red-haired little beauty have the courage to shoulder such a tremendous responsibility? Hmph! It seemed no matter how much they insulted the red-haired girl, she would still have to endure the humiliation. The nouveau riche man thought smugly, staring at Xiao Xi as if attempting to undress her with his eyes!
“Ahh! We’re not sure what’s happening, but Xiao Xi from Almireus Academy has yet to take action. From her expression, she seems somewhat hesitant… Ah, we see now. Xiao Xi seems to be affected by some of the audience’s behavior!” As Boerte’s commentary voice sounded, the screen happened to show Xiao Xi and the vulgar nouveau riche man behind her in the audience.
As a commentator clearly favoring Thermis Academy, Boerte skillfully glossed over the nouveau riche’s indecent behavior. Meanwhile, the psychokineticist responsible for recording and transmitting the live footage allowed the image to flash by briefly. However, it didn’t escape Zhang Wen’s eyes.
“Hey! Even if Thermis wants to be the strongest in the South, they shouldn’t stoop this low… Xiao Xi is still a minor!” Zhang Wen shook his head, suddenly smiling as he quickly took out his communicator and put it to his ear.
Back in Training Ground No. 7, the nouveau riche near the arena was still excitedly dancing around, Xiao Xi’s angry expression only making his performance more enthusiastic!
Meanwhile, Link didn’t take advantage of Xiao Xi’s distraction. He quickly resumed the second round of battle with Zack and his companions. However, the injured trio clearly lacked the composure they had previously. Under Link’s increasingly fierce attacks, the three were like small boats in a raging storm.
“Wu!” Seeing the precarious situation of Zack and his companions, Xiao Xi stomped her foot in frustration and finally made up her mind, lifting her head resolutely.
Although that disgusting nouveau riche made Xiao Xi want to tear his foul mouth apart, she had promised Zhang Wen that she would give her all to win today’s match. Xiao Xi was not a girl who broke her promises.
“Oh! It looks like Almireus’s ace is finally ready to begin the final battle. Ninth-tier all-around Link versus ninth-tier speedster Xiao Xi—what will be the outcome? Mr. Wilson?”
“Undoubtedly, ninth-tier all-around Link will definitely be a level above his opponent! This is not even a comparable match! Link will undoubtedly defeat… Wait, wait! What are the Almireus people planning to do now?” Just as Sir Wilson’s passionate shout reached its climax, he suddenly screamed in shock, as if he had seen a ghost.
“This… The battlefield has once again witnessed an astonishing scene! The Almireus people must have gone mad!” Experienced commentator Boerte also shouted in astonishment.
“Damn! Those damned Almireus bastards!” Sitting in front of the screen that had started jumping again, the martial arts enthusiast driver gritted his teeth in frustration, yet remained clueless about what had happened. For him, this was destined to be a day of nerve-wracking torment.
As for the spectators watching the match live in Training Ground No. 7, they once again witnessed something beyond their imagination.
Just as everyone assumed Xiao Xi would join the battle against Link, Karla suddenly rushed out from the rest area.
Naturally, when Karla reached the door from the rest area to the hall, she was immediately stopped by Thermis students maintaining order.
“Fine, if you won’t let me pass, I won’t go!” Seeing the Thermis students showed no sign of yielding, Karla pouted. Then, she took a step back, cupped her hands into a megaphone shape around her mouth, and took a deep breath.
“Xiao Xi, Teacher Zhang says, forget about the match! Go and slap that vulgar bastard’s mouth until it’s ruined! He won’t tolerate such an insult!”
Karla’s crisp and melodious voice, amplified by psychokinetic energy, echoed throughout the entire training ground. Even the loud shouts of the thousands of spectators were drowned out by Karla’s voice.
“Alright, see you later.” After shouting, Karla playfully waved at the stunned Thermis students, covering her mouth to suppress her laughter as she ran back into the rest area.
The training ground fell silent. All the spectators were shocked, searching for the source of the voice. The nouveau riche who had been making indecent gestures at Xiao Xi blinked in confusion, not understanding what had just happened.
“Um…” Although Zhang Wen’s request made Xiao Xi’s heart race with excitement, the red-haired girl still hesitated. After all, she had promised Zhang Wen that she would help win the match.
“Hey! Xiao Xi, what are you waiting for? Don’t let that guy escape!” Taking advantage of the moment when Link paused his attack, Amyris pointed at the nouveau riche.
“But…”
“Hmph! At this point, everyone knows we’ve already won! Teacher Zhang means that the match is no longer important. We Kasares people never let insults go unanswered! Xiao Xi, go punch that bastard!” Amyris, filled with murderous intent, waved her fist to encourage Xiao Xi.
In fact, Amyris had already been watching that vulgar-mouthed guy for a while. She wholeheartedly agreed with Zhang Wen’s decision.
“Alright! I understand!” Xiao Xi, who had been holding back her委屈, was convinced by Amyris. The red-haired girl gratefully nodded at Amyris, then turned around with a sinister, half-smiling expression, walking toward the direction where the nouveau riche was located.
The more innocent and cute a girl usually is, the scarier she becomes when she turns dark. Of course, the nouveau riche from Fira Planet had never heard of this truth summarized by Earth otaku guys. When he saw Xiao Xi approaching, he foolishly tried to threaten her.
“What… What do you want? This is the audience section! If you come up here, your match qualification will be revoked!”
“Oh? My match qualification will be revoked, huh.” Xiao Xi smiled sweetly as she reached the boundary line between the arena and the audience seats, then jumped up.
“Ahh!” The nouveau riche man never expected Xiao Xi to actually give up the match. Horrified, he took several steps back and stumbled on the stairs, falling flat on his back.
“Tsk? Why are you dodging? Weren’t you the one who wanted me to come over and said you’d show me some affection?” Xiao Xi maintained her eerie half-smile as she slowly approached the terrified man. Her voice was gentle, yet for some unknown reason, it sent chills down the spines of everyone around.
“You… You…” Seeing the psychokinetic needles in Xiao Xi’s hand glowing with ninth-tier energy, the nouveau riche man quickly scrambled to his feet, fleeing in panic.
“Don’t worry, I won’t kill you.” Xiao Xi “kindly” smiled at the nouveau riche man, suddenly unleashing her ninth-tier battle energy and appearing right in front of him in an instant.
Then, without hesitation, Xiao Xi swung her right hand and slapped the vulgar man’s face fiercely. However, Xiao Xi was slightly surprised to find that her slap, delivered with a bit of strength, actually missed!
To completely dodge a slap from Xiao Xi at even a fraction of her strength would require at least seventh or eighth-tier power, right? Yet Xiao Xi hadn’t sensed any such strength from that vulgar nouveau riche before!
Could that guy actually be hiding his strength? Just as this thought crossed Xiao Xi’s mind, making her feel astonished, she heard a loud “thud” of a heavy object hitting the ground.
Then, Xiao Xi couldn’t help but laugh bitterly as she discovered that the nouveau riche, whom she had mistaken for a seventh or eighth-tier expert, was lying motionless on the ground, already unconscious! It turned out that he hadn’t dodged Xiao Xi’s attack at all—he had simply fainted from fear before the slap even reached him.
Missing her slap and finding the man already unconscious on the ground, Xiao Xi no longer felt like continuing to deal with this filthy man.
“Hmph… Lucky you. Hey! You all saw it, I didn’t even touch him! It’s just that this guy fainted by himself!” Xiao Xi grumbled as she kicked the unconscious nouveau riche like a dead pig, then jumped back over the audience seat railing and ran back to the Almireus Academy’s physical combat division rest area.
Because she failed to teach the vulgar man who had insulted her a lesson, Xiao Xi still wore a dissatisfied expression as she returned to the rest area. She had no idea that the nouveau riche’s fate wasn’t much better than being slapped.
Because when Mr. Nouveau riche fainted, he was standing on the step between two rows of seats. As a result, when he fainted, his nose first slammed heavily against the armrest of a wooden chair nearby, then he fell face-down onto the steps.
When the Thermis Academy discipline students hurriedly arrived and helped the nouveau riche up, they found his nose unnaturally crooked to one side, blood flowing all over the floor, with four broken front teeth scattered in the blood pool.
Xiao Xi’s brave act of rushing into the audience section to teach the nouveau riche a lesson, on one hand, made the Thermis people realize the indomitable spirit of the Almireus people, but on the other hand, it also greatly relieved them.
Without ninth-tier Xiao Xi, wouldn’t Almireus Academy now be left with only three weaklings below the sixth tier? Recalling how Link had dominated them earlier, the Thermis people had no doubt that they had already secured victory in this match.
“Undoubtedly, the impulsive act of Almireus Academy’s ninth-tier ace has destroyed all their previous efforts. This is the price they must pay for their immaturity. If Thermis Academy’s chances of ultimate victory were only sixty percent before, now they have firmly tucked the victory into their pockets! Now, the only thing the three pitiful remaining Almireus students can do is protect their heads while Link kicks them off the battlefield!”
With Xiao Xi out of the picture, Sir Wilson immediately went all out, spewing venom once again at Almireus Academy.
“Ah, well, Sir Wilson, what you said is indeed very reasonable. However, those three Almireus students had previously fought against Link and engaged in fierce combat. Isn’t it a bit too early for you to say that Thermis Academy can now be absolutely certain of victory?” After experiencing countless situations that defied comprehension, commentator Mr. Boerte had become much more cautious.
“No! Not absolutely certain, but one hundred percent! From Link’s previous performance, he has already seen through the little tricks of those three low-tier opponents.” Sir Wilson confidently corrected Mr. Boerte’s mistake, “Almireus has no chance at all! If they can still win like this, I’ll run naked around Babylon City!”
“Ah! It seems Sir Wilson has full confidence in Thermis Academy. Indeed, now all the unfavorable factors are on Almireus’s side. Their hope is slim!”
“No hope at all!” Sir Wilson tirelessly corrected Mr. Boerte’s “slip of the tongue.”
Of course, the trio from Almireus Academy on the battlefield were unaware that others looked down on them. After fighting against Link for so long, they had fully realized how powerful a ninth-tier all-around physical combatant could be!
Speed, strength, technique—Link showed no weaknesses. Even using all the techniques taught by Zhang Wen, they couldn’t find the slightest flaw in Link’s attacks. In other words, they had fought this far, exhausting their minds, yet couldn’t think of any way to defeat Link alone.
“Heh! Hehe!” Zack grinned at his two companions, occasionally making sounds that were neither laughter nor gasping. Similarly, Cloud and Amyris were panting heavily.
Xiao Xi’s act of rushing into the audience section caused quite a stir in the training ground. Link paused his attack. Naturally, Amyris and her companions were happy to take this opportunity to recover some of their heavily drained physical energy.
“You should forfeit.” Link suddenly raised his sword, pointing it at the trio from a distance.
“What? Forfeit? Are you joking?” Zack straightened his back sarcastically.
“You won’t have any chance of winning if you continue fighting.” Link’s voice was deep and steady. Even after fifteen minutes of intense combat, he remained calm.
“That’s really confident of you! But it sounds pretty annoying! Don’t you think so?”
“Ah! Wanting to make others forfeit with just words makes victory seem too easy.” Cloud coldly responded to Zack’s question.
“Oh? What you said does make some sense.” Link calmly nodded, the crystal energy sword once again covered in a layer of electric-like battle energy.
“Since you don’t want to forfeit, I’ll send you down myself.” After saying the last sentence, Link exploded with a shockwave-like burst of energy from his feet.
The distance of nearly twenty meters between Link and Amyris’s trio was covered in less than half a second as he flashed forward like lightning. Then, a blue lightning bolt slashed toward Zack, who was in the front.
Through Zhang Wen’s hellish training, Zack and his companions had long become accustomed to staying alert while conversing. Therefore, as soon as Link disappeared from his original position, the trio instinctively sprang into action.
Following Zack, Cloud and Amyris swung their crystal energy swords with full force, meeting Link’s sword aimed at Zack. Meanwhile, Zack also exploded with a burst of energy beneath his feet, dodging sharply to the left while thrusting his battle-energy-filled crystal sword toward Link.
Previously, Zack and his companions had always dealt with Link’s attacks in a similar manner, and the results had been quite effective. However, this time, things went differently.
First, Cloud and Amyris, who met Link’s attack head-on, suddenly felt that Link’s battle energy seemed to have slightly increased. Although this change was subtle, it was enough to prevent Cloud and Amyris from completely redirecting the direction of Link’s attack.
Cloud and Amyris’s hearts sank instantly. They knew this wasn’t because Link’s battle energy had increased, but because their own battle energy had become unstable after prolonged consumption, no longer maintaining the precise balance they had at the start of the battle.
Zzzzz…
After a piercing metallic screech, Link for the first time forcefully knocked aside Cloud and Amyris’s entanglement, and his crystal sword still stabbed straight at Zack!
Fortunately, Zack’s initial strike toward Link was only a feint, so he hadn’t used his full strength. Startled, he hastily withdrew his crystal sword to block Link’s attack, but it was still half a beat too late!
Peng!
Link’s sword struck Zack’s block from the side, knocking him back while also tearing another wound nearly an inch deep on his left shoulder!
“Zack!” Cloud and Amyris rushed toward Zack, who had been hit by Link, while Link unhesitatingly took advantage of the opportunity, flashing forward again to strike with his sword. However, Link’s second attack was not aimed at Zack but at Cloud, who was rushing to rescue his comrade!
“Watch out!” As soon as Zack landed, he gritted his teeth against the sharp pain from his left shoulder wound and threw himself back into the fray with all his might.
“Tsk!” Cloud furrowed his brow tightly and, together with Amyris, once again met Link’s attack head-on. However, without Zack’s cover, the two of them couldn’t handle Link’s immense battle energy.
With a single strike, Cloud and Amyris were pushed back several steps, both sustaining injuries. In the blink of an eye, Link had injured all three members of the Almireus trio and separated them.
“Wow!” The training ground once again erupted with enthusiastic cheers as the Thermis supporters all jumped to their feet.
But Link’s attack had not stopped. Taking advantage of the moment when the Almireus trio was separated, he continuously launched fierce attacks on Zack. Although the three members of Almireus were still relatively close in position, Link’s swift attacks were always a step faster than Cloud and Amyris. Within just a few dozen seconds, multiple wounds had appeared on Zack’s body.
Finally, Cloud took a hit from Link’s sword to protect Zack, temporarily forcing Link to retreat. However, Zack, who had endured over seventy percent of Link’s attacks, was already severely wounded, his white battle suit stained red. He clenched his teeth tightly, his twitching lips clearly showing the unbearable pain he was enduring.
In the psychic arts rest area, Karla clenched her fists tightly, almost unable to bear watching the brutal scene on the screen.
The psychic arts instructors had also stopped discussing. They stared at the three figures on the screen, their bodies covered in wounds yet still gripping their weapons tightly, their hearts unable to believe it. Could Almireus Academy’s physical combat division actually have such strong young people?
“Enough! Holding out this far is already sufficient!” After watching Zack and his companions for a long time, Karla suddenly stood up.
“Ah? Chief Instructor Karla! What do you mean?” The psychic arts female instructor Mo Xi looked at Karla in surprise.
“Order them to forfeit!” Karla said decisively.
“But… They are physical combat students, and it seems they don’t fall under our psychic arts jurisdiction…” Mo Xi hesitated.
“No! After Zhang Wen’s expulsion, the physical combat matches have already been supervised by our psychic arts division.”
“But…”
“There’s no but! The physical combat match between the two academies hasn’t determined a winner yet, but I believe the physical combat students’ condition is no longer suitable for continuing the match, so I will forcibly require them to forfeit. I will take full responsibility.”
“Ah?! You…” As soon as Karla finished speaking, the surrounding psychic arts instructors couldn’t help but look at each other in shock.
Clearly, if the match continued, Almireus Academy’s physical combat division’s defeat was almost inevitable. At that time, when Governor Termis investigated the responsibility for the defeat, the first to be held accountable would be Zhang Wen, who had ordered Xiao Xi to forfeit!
However, if Karla now intervened to stop the match, it would mean she would take on the entire responsibility for the physical combat division’s defeat on behalf of Zhang Wen!
“Chief… Chief Instructor, I admit that Zhang Wen has some talent. But for you to go this far for him… it’s really… really…” The psychic arts instructors didn’t know what to say anymore.
“That’s decided.” Karla’s gaze swept over her colleagues, carefully adjusted her spotless uniform, which represented the psychic arts division of Almireus Academy, and walked out of the rest area with her head held high.
“Teacher Karla!” Karla raised her head and suddenly shouted, chasing after Karla’s figure and running out.
Then, the remaining psychic arts instructors also rushed out of the rest area as if waking from a dream.
This time, perhaps because Thermis Academy was already certain of victory, the Thermis students wearing armbands did not block the Almireus psychic arts instructors.
Zack quickly noticed the many psychic arts instructors arriving at the rest area. He immediately said to his two companions in a mocking tone, “Hey! Look! Our academy’s psychic arts teachers have all come out!”
“Oh? Are they here to watch us struggle and mock us?” Cloud similarly assumed the worst about the psychic arts instructors’ intentions.
“I don’t think so…” Amyris awkwardly shook her head. After all, Amyris was from the psychic arts division and didn’t harbor the same deep hatred toward the psychic arts instructors as the physical combat students did.
“Then what do you think they’re here for?”
“Who knows… Wait, why is Teacher Karla talking to the referee? Teacher Karla!” Amyris was greatly surprised and couldn’t help but call out.
However, Karla only gave her a brief, indifferent glance before nodding firmly at the referee.
“Alright.” The referee by the side of the field, with a solemn expression, made a gesture and quickly walked to the center of the arena, “The match is over! Almireus Academy has forfeited!”
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