Chapter 205: Chapter 194: Dread
Amidst the thunderous, unified shouts, an unprecedented feeling arose in his heart.
It wasn’t a bad feeling.
A slight smile touched the corners of his mouth. At the same time, amidst the cheers, the Qi and Blood in his body began to circulate on their own, and his Spirit surged with them.
That long-lost palpitation throbbed in his chest. It seemed that the remnant will of Zhao Qi had integrated with him a little more, leaving only the final sliver behind.
"See that? I can do everything you couldn’t."
Zhao Xuanqi’s expression was calm as he muttered to himself under his breath.
Meanwhile, amidst the unified cheers, the expressions of the leaders from the major factions varied.
This was the last thing they wanted to see. With public opinion rallying around a single individual and the Martial Arts Association, what position did that leave the eight great Warlords in?
No matter who it was, or which faction, once such a trend began to sprout, it had to be suppressed.
This Zhao Xuanqi was not only immensely powerful, but the reputation he would amass after this Martial Arts Association event would likewise become a massive hidden danger.
Moreover, given the strength he had just displayed, he likely had the power to overcome the Three Celestial Assassins and claim the top spot in the tournament.
By then, his and the Martial Arts Association’s prestige would only swell further. Carried by the tide of public opinion, they might even reach a point where the eight great Warlords would find it difficult to act against them.
A sense of dread grew in the hearts of the faction leaders, and all sorts of intelligence reports were rapidly transmitted across the country.
In the VIP box, Hong Luan’s expression was calm. ’It seems the time is right,’ he thought.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
Just then, a knock came from the door. After it opened, a subordinate entered.
"Young Master, just now, someone delivered this letter."
The subordinate respectfully presented an envelope to Hong Luan.
Hong Luan glanced at it. In a conspicuous spot on the envelope were seven black dots, faintly arranged like the Big Dipper.
"Just as I expected. Someone couldn’t sit still any longer."
Hong Luan said faintly. Listening to the unending cheers from outside, a meaningful smile crept onto his lips.
Sometimes, the higher you stand, the harder you fall.
「Longwu Square, the Pavilion」
"The Holy Beast Fist... truly worthy of being called the Holy Beast Fist! To manifest a Mirage from sheer presence—that’s the level of a Daqian general, capable of contending with a Martial Artist of the Harmony realm! Zhao Xuanqi really didn’t disappoint us! A fine win, a fine win indeed!"
The Human Elder laughed heartily, absolutely delighted.
He hadn’t been this happy since the tournament began.
"Shechuan Ancient’s strength was even greater than Ye Jian Mountain’s. And though we’ve heard that Beichuan Cyan Wood is stronger still, Zhao Xuanqi’s ability to defeat Shechuan means there’s a strong possibility he can beat Beichuan Cyan Wood as well!"
The Earth Elder also nodded, his expression somewhat energized.
Zhao Xuanqi’s victory marked a turning point in the tournament. The scales of victory had even begun to tip in the Martial Arts Association’s favor!
"It’s too early to celebrate. From this moment on, the tournament will enter its most difficult phase."
However, the Heavenly Elder’s expression didn’t change in the slightest. He looked out the window at the utterly ecstatic spectators in the surrounding teahouses, his own expression turning grave.
Hearing this, the joyful looks on the other two Elders’ faces slowly faded. They knew what the Heavenly Elder meant.
Indeed, Zhao Xuanqi’s victory had reversed the Martial Arts Association’s decline and allowed them to see the dawn of victory. But for that very reason, the situation was now even more terrifying.
The Neon Nation didn’t want to see the Martial Arts Association win. The eight great Warlords didn’t want to see it win. Even the Great Powers of the other Five Nations felt the same.
To stop the Martial Arts Association from winning and further expanding its influence, a true test awaited them.
Right now, Jinmen was a place where dragons and fish swam together. The only reason the waters were calm was because the time was not yet ripe.
And now, that time had come.
Perhaps tonight, perhaps tomorrow night—no one could say for sure.
Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night.
Countless citizens of Jinmen celebrated through the night, while the major factions were on high alert.
After the tournament events ended for the day, in the early hours of the morning, the lights of the Neon Concession Consulate burned brightly.
「Neon Concession Consulate, Conference Room」
Consul Sano Hideyuki, military head Yamada Ichirō, Profound Ocean Society Vice President Wakatsuki Kei, and a group of Neon Martial Artists were all gathered in the conference room.
This time, however, the usual relaxed atmosphere in the conference room was gone, replaced by a dull and oppressive feeling.
"I have terrible news for everyone. Just a moment ago, we received word that Mr. Shechuan could not be saved. He has now been ’shattered like a jewel’."
Sano Hideyuki was the first to speak, breaking the news.
Shechuan Ancient’s injuries were extremely severe. Although he was rushed to a doctor and treated with the best Wound Medicine, he still could not be revived and died half an hour later.
His hyperactive cells had saved his life initially, but when those same cells entered a trough, the irresistible ebb of his life force completely stole away any hope of survival.
As the news was announced, the atmosphere in the conference room grew even more oppressive.
Shechuan Ancient. One of the strongest experts the Profound Ocean Society had brought to Jinmen, and now he had been ’shattered like a jewel’ right before their eyes.
Recalling the intimidating presence Zhao Xuanqi had projected at that moment, no one dared to claim they had complete confidence in defeating him.
"Things have reached a point where solving this in the ring is no longer possible. We can only resort to methods outside the ring. The Empire absolutely cannot lose this tournament."
Yamada Ichirō said with a grim expression.
"At this point, relying solely on the Divine Wave Group probably won’t be enough. This man’s strength is beyond our imagination. Besides, he has already built up so much prestige that if we were to assassinate him carelessly, the millions of people in Jinmen would not stand for it. We have already missed the opportune moment."
Wakatsuki Kei said slowly.
"You should have listened to my advice in the first place."
Yamada Ichirō said coolly.
"Without knowing our opponent’s trump cards, what chance of success would even the Divine Wave Group have had? Zhao Xuanqi’s strength was something we could not have predicted."
Wakatsuki Kei didn’t back down an inch, looking directly at Yamada Ichirō as he spoke.
CRACKLE! FIZZ!
For a moment, the lights in the conference room flickered erratically, as if affected by some kind of interference. The sound of malfunctioning electrical currents was incessant.
"Alright, both of you, calm down. Now is not the time to be shifting blame."
Sano Hideyuki slammed his hand on the table, interrupting their staring contest.
"I have already requested instructions from my superiors and received permission. We must win this tournament, no matter the means. Otherwise, the Five Nations we have an agreement with will be the first to step forward and make things difficult for us."
"However, we aren’t the only ones in Jinmen who don’t want to see the Martial Arts Association grow stronger. The major Warlords are probably feeling just as pressured as we are right now."
"I have already sent secret letters to the Jinmen offices of the major Warlords. There should be a response soon."
Sano Hideyuki said in a low voice.
"Contacting the eight great Warlords at a time like this... I’m afraid the price we’ll have to pay won’t be small."
Yamada Ichirō said.
"Even if we have to give up some potential benefits, it’s a price worth paying. After all, those benefits will fall into our hands sooner or later. There’s no need to rush."
"On the other hand, we have this Zhao Xuanqi. Public opinion is rallying behind him, his prestige is soaring, he’s exceptionally talented, and his power is immense. If we let him continue to develop, I fear he will become a great enemy of the Empire. A person like this must either be made to serve us, or be utterly destroyed!"
"Those are the orders from above."
Sano Hideyuki said coolly.
Perhaps not even the Martial Arts Association’s Three Elders could have imagined that this time, the undercurrent was far more ferocious than they expected.
「Early the next morning.」
The major newspapers had worked through the night to typeset and print their editions. News of Zhao Xuanqi’s victory over one of the Neon Three Celestial Assassins spread rapidly throughout the Divine Land. Even with the major Warlords intentionally trying to control public opinion and suppress the story, it still had a massive impact among the common people and in the civilian Martial Arts Realm of the Divine Land.
Thus, the name of the Qilin became known throughout the world, and he was faintly hailed as the number one expert in the civilian Martial Arts Realm!!
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