Chapter 198: Chapter 191: Qi Union
"Shechuan Ancient is the successor of God and Ghost Qi Unification. It’s said his strength surpasses even Ye Jian Mountain. According to our intelligence, he’s the expert the Neon side brought in specifically to deal with Zhao Yuan. God and Ghost Qi Unification has two branches: one follows the Divine Dao, Harmonizing Divine Qi and focusing on non-combative defense, peace, and nature. The other follows the Ghost Dao, unifying the Evil Qi of slaughter, and is utterly ferocious. This man is a successor of the Ghost Dao. He is infamous in the Neon Nation and bears the title ’Evil Ghost Dragon’."
Lu Yuanxiang said to Zhao Xuanqi in a grave voice.
"God or ghost, who cares? If a god stands in my way, I’ll kill a god. If a Buddha stands in my way, I’ll kill a Buddha. It’s as simple as that."
Zhao Xuanqi’s expression was perfectly calm. He slowly pulled his gaze away from Shechuan Ancient, his face betraying no emotion.
To him, while in the state of Harmony, it didn’t matter who he faced. He had the confidence to fight and win.
In the pavilion where the Three Elders resided.
"So, Zhao Xuanqi and Shechuan Ancient have been matched up? It seems this fight will decide the final outcome of the tournament. If he loses, I’m afraid we won’t be able to withstand the pressure, even if we try to hold on."
The Earth Elder spoke softly.
Though the Three Elders were powerful enough to hold sway over Jinmen, they couldn’t decide everything.
The Martial Arts Association was, after all, a coalition of many different interest groups. When the Association flourished and brought immense benefits to the directors under them, everyone naturally followed the Three Elders’ lead.
However, if the Martial Arts Association could no longer guarantee everyone’s interests, the people below would not follow the Three Elders to the bitter end. It was foreseeable that if the losses in the tournament became too severe, the Three Elders would be unable to suppress the dissenting voices of the directors.
The representatives from the Neon Nation, the other Five Nations, and the major Warlords were not to be underestimated. They had been constantly making the rounds among the directors, and if the situation took a wrong turn, those directors could easily be poached.
In fact, based on the intelligence the Three Elders possessed, the loyalties of quite a few directors were already shifting.
This match was no longer simply about the victory, defeat, and honor of the two combatants.
"With Zhao Xuanqi, anything is possible. He is a wildcard—not in our plans, and not in the plans of the Neon People. We have yet to see his true strength."
After saying this, the Heavenly Elder fell silent.
This time, they had no path of retreat. Before them stood the Neon and the Great Powers; behind them were the eight major Warlords. The wheels of history rolled ever onward: advance or be crushed. Their only chance was to carve a bloody path forward.
"Zhao Xuanqi versus Shechuan Ancient, is it? According to the intel, this Shechuan Ancient seems even stronger than Ye Jian Mountain. Get ready. The moment Zhao Xuanqi is defeated will be the time for us to openly challenge those three old geezers."
Hong Luan’s expression was calm as she spoke, and the other leaders of the major factions in Jinmen shared her sentiment.
The hidden currents from all sides were churning violently, waiting only for the outcome of this decisive duel.
In this unbearably tense atmosphere—with the ordinary spectators filled with worry and despair, and the major factions watching like tigers stalking their prey—the fourth round of the tournament finally began.
However, the match everyone was most focused on—the fight between Zhao Xuanqi and Shechuan Ancient—was scheduled as the last one of the day. They would have to wait for the other bouts to conclude.
For everyone involved, the day was an ordeal.
Zhou Yu, one of the Seven General Stars, was defeated by Ye Jian Mountain, as expected. The fight itself was brutal; Zhou Yu was nearly killed outright. At the last moment, a powerful Spiritual Secret Technique from Qingyuan Miao Fa saved his life.
Lu Yuanxiang was also ultimately defeated by the successor of Torrent Dao, suffering severe injuries.
Of the Seven General Stars of Jinmen, only a few remained after just the fourth round.
What drove the spectators to despair was that every one of their Martial Artists fought to their absolute limit, yet still failed to defeat their opponents.
The sense of pressure was suffocating.
The only good news, perhaps, was Zhao Yuan’s unsurprising, crushing victory over his opponent. But this did little to lift anyone’s spirits; the gap in strength between Zhao Yuan and his foe had been far too wide to be a meaningful victory.
After thirteen matches, only five Martial Artists from the Divine Land had successfully advanced to the next round.
Soon, it was time for the final match.
It was now nearly eleven o’clock at night.
The bright moon hung high in the sky. Autumn had arrived, and a cool night breeze sent a chill through the air.
It was a time that should have been silent and still, yet Longwu Square was ablaze with light.
Rows of large lamps were suspended high above, illuminating the central arena from every angle and turning night into day.
The surrounding teahouses seemed to have regained their former bustle, overflowing with crowds and roaring with conversation.
Although many had begun to lose hope in the tournament, they still clung to a sliver of wishful thinking. No one wanted to miss a match of this magnitude.
"What do you think? What are Zhao Xuanqi’s chances?"
"I think it’s a long shot. Even Xiang Ji was defeated so completely they say he’s still in a coma. And Ye Jian Mountain is supposedly the weakest of the Three Celestial Assassins."
"Even if we already know how it’s going to end, I still don’t want to miss it. Who knows, maybe there’ll be a miracle?"
"At this point, a miracle is all we can hope for."
"..."
Amidst the murmuring crowd, the time finally came. The two duelists began to take the stage.
Dressed in a black Martial Arts Uniform, Zhao Xuanqi ascended the platform with a calm, unhurried gait, his expression as tranquil as still water.
On the other side, Shechuan Ancient wore a white Neon Martial Arts Uniform, creating a stark contrast with Zhao Xuanqi.
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