Chapter 193: Chapter 188: Confidence (Part 2)
"You two, there’s no need to be so anxious. It was just a minor incident. The overall situation remains unaffected."
At that moment, Wakatsuki Kei spoke up.
"Since you all have such confidence, I’ll say no more. However, I’m sticking to the plan. If the Three Celestial Assassins lose even a single match, one of them will disappear from this world."
Yamada Ichirō said flatly.
Thanks to the sudden intervention of the National Salvation Association’s three generals and the machinations of the Three Elders, a delicate balance was struck between the various factions. Even though Zhao Xuanqi’s Hundred Beasts Fist had been revealed, this balance prevented large-scale turmoil from erupting in Jinmen.
But such a balance was bound to be short-lived.
Amid this delicate atmosphere, the fame of Zhao Xuanqi and his Hundred Beasts Fist spread like wildfire overnight among the common people of Jinmen. Through the various newspapers covering the Martial Arts Association, the news reached every corner of the Divine Land.
The inheritor of the legendary Holy Beast Fist!
The name of the Qilin shook the world!
Amidst this complex situation, the third round of the tournament began.
「Morning, Longwu Square.」
The fifty-five remaining contestants gathered in the square. Twenty-eight were Martial Artists from the Divine Land, while a full twenty-seven were Neon Martial Artists—they were nearly evenly matched!
The surrounding teahouses were packed with spectators, every seat taken. The previously relaxed expressions on their faces, however, were gone.
"Did you all watch yesterday’s matches? Jiang Yixin, one of the Seven General Stars, had his arm severed and was defeated so easily by one of the Neon Three Celestial Assassins! Their strength is truly unfathomable."
"These Neon Martial Artists are incredibly strong. Our own fighters are giving it their all and still struggling to win. Even Pang Xian, one of the Seven General Stars, was nearly taken out by a mere inheritor of the Ten Schools and Nine Paths. I wonder if he’s recovered from his injuries?"
"After today, the Neon Martial Artists might outnumber our own. What a disgrace!"
"Don’t you worry, everyone. Our Divine Land’s strongest are still in the fight! Zhao Yuan with his Primordial Dragon Secret Technique, Xiang Ji with his Celestial Dragon Extreme Breakthrough, and Zhao Xuanqi with his Hundred Beasts Fist—none of them have been defeated. Especially Zhao Xuanqi! His strength is immeasurable; he took down one of the Ten Sha in a single blow! And have you heard? The Hundred Beasts Fist has a grand origin. It’s said to be the legendary Holy Beast Fist!"
"I heard that too! With the Holy Beast Fist suddenly appearing, and with Zhao Yuan and Xiang Ji holding the line, as long as they remain undefeated, the Martial Dao of the Divine Land is not defeated!"
"..."
Countless spectators murmured amongst themselves, their gazes fixed on three figures in the square below.
Zhao Yuan, Xiang Ji, and Zhao Xuanqi. They were now considered the strongest trio in the tournament, a counter to the Neon Three Celestial Assassins. As long as they stood, the people would not lose hope for the Martial Dao of the Divine Land.
When the drawing was complete, Zhao Xuanqi stared at his name on the match-up board, slightly stunned. Next to his nameplate, in large print, was the word "Bye."
With fifty-five contestants, there had to be one bye, but he never expected to be the one to draw it.
"Huh? You got the bye? What kind of luck is that?"
Lu Yuanxiang and the others crowded around to look, all of them marveling at Zhao Xuanqi’s good fortune.
WHOA!!
Just then, a collective gasp rose from the spectators in the teahouses, as if something extraordinary had just happened.
Meanwhile, in front of the tournament board, every Martial Artist’s eyes were glued to a bracket where a staff member had just placed the new nameplates.
On one nameplate were the two words "Xiang Ji."
And on the other, the three words: "Ye Jian Mountain."
Ye Jian Mountain: an inheritor of the Soul Suppressing Sumo Way from the Ten Schools and Nine Paths, and one of the Three Celestial Assassins.
Across the square, amidst the Neon Martial Artists, an extremely tall and brutish man with a fleshy face and a body so thick it was nearly elliptical, broke into a cruel smile as he saw the bracket.
’Ancient Overlord, Celestial Dragon Extreme Breakthrough.’
’Today, you will become the stepping stone for Ye Jian Mountain to make his name in the Divine Land!’
"It’s finally happening! Here in the third round, one of the strongest General Stars in the tournament is going up against one of the Neon Three Celestial Assassins!"
"This match will determine the course of the entire tournament! The Martial Dao of the Divine Land versus the Neon Martial Dao—who is truly stronger? We might be about to get a glimpse of the answer!"
"..."
The match-up sent the crowd into a frenzy.
"Ye Jian Mountain... I never thought Xiang Ji would be matched against him. According to our intelligence, isn’t he the martial artist the Profound Ocean Society groomed specifically to counter Xiang Ji?"
The Three Elders watched all this unfold from their private pavilion, their brows furrowed slightly.
"We have to trust these young people. We have no other choice."
The Heavenly Elder said in a low voice. To them, Xiang Ji facing one of the Three Celestial Assassins this early was not a good thing, but all they could do now was wait and see.
"I’d like to see just who thinks they can handle my Celestial Dragon Extreme Breakthrough."
There was no fear in Xiang Ji’s eyes, only the intense, burning flame of his will to fight.
The duel between Xiang Ji and Ye Jian Mountain was the first match of the round, kicking the day’s events off at a fever pitch.
By Ring Five, Xiang Ji and Ye Jian Mountain approached the platform from opposite sides and stepped onto it.
THUD!! THUD!! THUD!!
With every step Ye Jian Mountain took, the specially reinforced ring seemed to tremble.
He seemed less like a man and more like a terrifying giant beast.
Standing nearly two-point-three meters tall with a massive, almost elliptical physique, he dwarfed even the burly Xiang Ji, who stood a full head shorter.
"Drawing you was truly a stroke of luck. It seems even the heavens are on our side."
Ye Jian Mountain looked at Xiang Ji, the corners of his mouth twitching into a slight smile.
"You are mistaken. Drawing me will be your doom."
Xiang Ji replied coolly.
"HAHAHA! Don’t you get it yet? The Celestial Dragon Body, the Breaking Extreme Intent... We’ve studied your Secret Transmission inside and out! There is no way I can lose!"
Ye Jian Mountain boomed with laughter.
Xiang Ji’s eyes narrowed.
GONG!!
At that exact moment, the bronze gong signaling the start of the match was struck.
BOOM!!
Ye Jian Mountain’s body abruptly transformed, swelling violently. The Neon Martial Arts Uniform he wore instantly shredded, exposing his torso. Only his vitals were heavily wrapped in a white loincloth.
His body was now nearly as wide as three adult men, his chest spanning a terrifying two meters!
That wasn’t fat covering his body, but terrifying slabs of muscle.
He sank into a low squat, his upper body leaning forward until it was almost parallel to the ground, his two thick arms resting on the floor. From the front, he looked like an indestructible war machine made of flesh and muscle, a true monster!
At the same time, the ferocity in his eyes intensified. A dense black smoke—the materialization of his aura—billowed from his body, coalescing into a terrifying form.
It had three heads and six arms, a blue-green face, and terrible fangs—like a Rakshasa Evil Ghost from Purgatory.
BOOM!!
On the other side, Xiang Ji did not underestimate his opponent. He instantly activated his Secret Technique. His body swelled, the Qi and Blood within him surged like a mighty army, and his aura erupted violently.
Dark clouds descended upon the city, the spirit of war surging to the heavens!!
VMMMM!!
"It’s... it’s happening again!!"
The spectators in the teahouses cried out in astonishment.
As their powerful auras collided, the phenomenon from Zhao Xuanqi’s duel with Cangtian Yishi reappeared: an iridescent light shimmered as their auras materialized, becoming visible to the naked eye!
From the outset, Xiang Ji manipulated his aura, using a Secret Technique to channel his Breaking Extreme Intent. The dark clouds of his aura swirled, seeming to devour the very energy of the space around him to empower itself.
Yet, while even the materialization of Zhao Xuanqi’s aura had been affected by this Breaking Extreme Intent, the Ye Jian Mountain before him remained completely unmoved.
The three-headed, six-armed Rakshasa Evil Ghost seemed to possess an incomparably solid form, completely self-contained, revealing no weakness whatsoever!
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