Chapter 197: Chapter 190: Atmosphere
Soon, the medical staff prepared by the Martial Arts Association rushed over, placed Xiang Ji on a stretcher, and carried him away for further treatment.
"Xiang Ji... lost..."
"One of the three strongest fighters in the tournament, defeated by a Neon person just like that..."
"The Celestial Dragon Extreme Breakthrough... was no match for Neon Martial Dao..."
"..."
Whispers and discussions arose from the teahouse audience, gradually merging into a single, ever-intensifying clamor.
In the eyes of the public and the many spectators in the civilian Martial Arts Realm, Xiang Ji—heir to the Celestial Dragon Extreme Breakthrough, successor of the Ancient Overlord, and one of the three strongest fighters in this tournament—represented the pinnacle of power.
But now, he had been defeated—and defeated utterly. He looked as if he had lost nearly all the blood in his body, a wretched sight to behold. Perhaps even his will had been crushed by his opponent.
It was as if a pillar of support in everyone’s hearts had collapsed, causing them all to lose faith in the tournament’s outcome.
Previously, hope had lingered in the hearts of the people. Even as the Neon Martial Dao’s momentum grew, even as the number of Neon Martial Artists—initially few—began to match the remaining Divine Land fighters after two rounds, and even as some of the Seven General Stars were defeated, there was still a reason to believe. Their top three fighters, Xiang Ji and Zhao Yuan—and now Zhao Xuanqi had been added to that list—had not yet lost.
But now, that psychological comfort was shattered. The seeds of defeat had been planted in their hearts.
Ye Jian Mountain’s goal was achieved. With this battle, his might would shake the Divine Land.
After stepping down from the ring, Ye Jian Mountain’s body began to shrink. A large amount of what looked like flaked skin fell from his body—metabolic byproducts produced as his cells began to contract after the nutrient supply to his giganticized cells was cut off.
The gazes of all the Neon Martial Artists were filled with admiration as they watched him.
"Divine Land Martial Dao is nothing more than this."
He grinned.
Meanwhile, key figures from several major factions had watched the entire match.
In a VIP box, Hong Luan stared at Ye Jian Mountain’s back, her expression calm. ’The number one strongman of Neon below the rank of Harmony? He has some skill, I suppose. But it was only against Xiang Ji. His Celestial Dragon Extreme Breakthrough is an incomplete version, with the crucial power of the Heavy Pupils lost to time. And he only won in a situation specifically tailored to his advantage. What’s there to be so proud of?’
’If things continue like this, I won’t even need to intervene. Once the Martial Arts Association is defeated, I’d like to see what the Three Elders use to protect that Zhao Xuanqi. However, if he can’t even beat these guys, I’ll have to reconsider just how much of the Holy Beast Fist he’s truly inherited.’
The audience was abuzz with discussion as the news spread rapidly. The report of Xiang Ji’s defeat was so shocking that no one had the heart to watch the other matches of the day.
Numerous Jinmen newspaper offices rushed to print special editions, dedicating an entire page to the details of Xiang Ji’s defeat.
Successor of Ancient Overlord Falls to Neon Martial Artist, Is the Celestial Dragon Extreme Breakthrough Just an Empty Name?
Xiang Ji, One of the Tournament’s Strongest, Defeated. Is Neon Martial Dao Invincible?
...
Headlines like these were considered friendly. In the newspapers controlled by Neon, the titles were even more scathing.
Is Divine Land Martial Dao Obsolete?
A Discussion on the Superiority and Inferiority of Divine Land and Neon Martial Dao
...
Countless headlines of this nature appeared. The news quickly spread from Jinmen, with newspapers everywhere scrambling to report on it. Eventually, even the major Warlords had to step in and use their power to prohibit the spread of some of the more aggressive commentary and reports.
They had only hoped to use the Neon fighters to defeat the Jinmen Martial Arts Association, thereby striking a blow to the entire civilian Martial Arts Realm of the Divine Land. This would make it easier for them to absorb various factions and, at the same time, break the tangled web of interests in Jinmen so they could redistribute the spoils themselves.
However, completely destroying the reputation of the Divine Land’s Martial Dao was not something they wished to see.
Yet, even with the major Warlords stepping in to suppress some of the more negative reports, the news of Xiang Ji’s defeat remained the focus of everyone’s attention.
Wails of despair could be heard everywhere, and the regional Warlords seized the opportunity to promote themselves, further suppressing the influence of the civilian Martial Arts Realm.
At the Martial Arts Association Headquarters, the Three Elders gathered.
"The situation is highly unfavorable for us. Some factions have even sent letters, hoping we will end the tournament now."
"If this continues, the Jinmen Martial Arts Association’s century-old reputation will likely be wiped out," the Human Elder said with a grave expression.
"Only Zhao Yuan and Zhao Xuanqi remain. Do you think they still have a chance?" the Earth Elder asked.
"Win or lose, now that we’ve started this, there’s no room for regret. However, I believe it’s still too early to say we’ve been backed into a corner," the Heavenly Elder said calmly.
Neon Consulate, conference room.
"Mr. Nomi, you did very well. It seems I underestimated the Profound Ocean Society. I apologize," Yamada Ichirō said to the members of the Profound Ocean Society.
"Gentlemen, only Zhao Yuan and Zhao Xuanqi remain of the Martial Arts Association’s strongest. As long as we defeat one more of them, the outcome of this tournament will be sealed. I hope you will not let your guard down," Sano Hideyuki said.
"You two can rest assured. What you should be worrying about now is how you’ll play your cards when the eight major Warlords intervene after the Jinmen Martial Arts Association is defeated and its prestige plummets."
Ye Jian Mountain grinned. With the help of high-grade Wound Medicine, his injuries had already healed. Although the wounds had looked gruesome, they were actually just superficial.
"We have long been prepared," Yamada Ichirō said calmly.
Amidst the widespread discussion and surging undercurrents, time flew by, and the next day quickly arrived.
In the early morning, at the same time as before, the remaining twenty-eight contestants gathered at Longwu Square for the day’s match drawing. By now, the rings in the square had been removed, leaving only one.
Fourteen matches, and every single one would be held under the watchful eyes of the masses.
This time, the number of remaining Neon Martial Artists was fifteen, which now surpassed the number of Divine Land Martial Artists.
Zhang Hongyun, Shi Huai’an, and others had already been defeated in yesterday’s third round. As for the Seven General Stars, besides Xiang Ji, another one had fallen yesterday.
And today, for the first time in three rounds of competition, although the surrounding teahouses were still packed with spectators, one could clearly sense that the previous explosive atmosphere was gone.
Xiang Ji’s defeat, along with the many other losses from yesterday, had caused too many people to lose hope. Some were unwilling to keep watching; others simply didn’t dare.
The deeper the love, the sharper the pain.
Many people had now completely lost faith in the Divine Land Martial Dao’s ability to win.
"Daluo Qimen’s Lu Yuanxiang is up against one of the Ten Sha, the successor of Torrent Dao! Lu Yuanxiang himself is a practitioner of Feng Shui Qimen, and his strength is pretty much at the bottom of the Seven General Stars. He only made it to this round because he didn’t face any strong opponents. Now that he’s facing one of the Ten Sha, I’m afraid his chances of winning are slim to none!"
"Qingyuan Miao Fa’s Zhou Yu is up against Ye Jian Mountain! Heavens, is another of the Seven General Stars about to be defeated?! Why are so few of the Neon Martial Artists fighting each other? Is heaven on their side too?"
"Finally, some good news! Zhao Yuan is matched against a successor from the Ten Schools and Nine Paths. This match should be a sure win, right?"
"..."
As the drawing continued, the matchup list was gradually revealed, and the wails of despair grew louder. To their horror, the crowd realized that in all the matchups, there were almost no Divine Land Martial Artists who had a guaranteed victory.
"Zhao... Zhao Xuanqi’s opponent... is one of the Three Celestial Assassins!!"
Just then, another draw result was announced, causing an uproar among the crowd.
"God and Ghost Qi Unification’s Shechuan Ancient!!"
"Of the two strongest remaining fighters, another one has been matched with one of the Three Celestial Assassins?"
"..."
Everyone was talking, but this time, the previous excitement was gone, replaced by a spreading fear.
’If Zhao Xuanqi loses, can Zhao Yuan alone stand against the Neon Three Celestial Assassins?’
’At that point, wouldn’t the tournament be declared a complete failure?’
Meanwhile, back in Longwu Square.
The moment he saw the matchup list, Zhao Xuanqi’s gaze shifted to the Neon Camp, where his eyes met those of another man.
The man’s emerald-green pupils instantly transformed into the shape of a cross, and a small smile played on his lips.
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