71: Chapter 71

71

Losing to this person yesterday had already been a great humiliation for him. Worse still, some were whispering in secret that he had long been in league with Jiang Haojie and had lost on purpose—this baseless suspicion made him burn with rage.

At this moment, he wished he could take Bai Yang's place on the stage and wash away his previous shame.

Unfortunately, he had been eliminated in the first round and no longer had the qualification to step onto the stage.

On the stage, Jiang Haojie and Bai Yang stood facing each other.

A cold sneer played on the corner of Bai Yang's mouth. "Jiang Haojie, I didn't expect your luck to be so bad that you'd run into me at a time like this."

"Indeed,"

Jiang Haojie smiled faintly. "I didn't expect it either."

He had originally only thought about how great it would be if he could meet Bai Yang on the stage; who would have thought it would actually become a reality.

If he took Bai Yang's life right now, how would Bai Wenluo and Xu Jing react? They would surely go completely insane.

Unfortunately, he couldn't do that yet.

He didn't fear those two, but he was afraid they would take out their anger on his parents.

If his parents were by his side right now, he might have no scruples, but at the moment, he didn't dare take the risk.

It wasn't worth putting his parents in danger for a moment of satisfaction.

If his parents were already Third-Order Awakened, he would have struck without hesitation, but for now, he could only teach him a small lesson.

"Begin!"

The referee's voice fell, interrupting Bai Yang's unspoken words.

Bai Yang's eyes turned sharp. With a wave of his hand, several fireballs condensed out of thin air and whistled toward Jiang Haojie.

This strike was without reservation, clearly intended to kill.

Low exclamations rose from the audience, everyone thinking Jiang Haojie was doomed, only to see his figure suddenly flicker, dodging all those fireballs.

Bai Yang was slightly surprised but not flustered. He flipped his palm again, and three blazing fire pythons surged from the stage floor, twisting as they attacked Jiang Haojie.

Jiang Haojie's brow twitched slightly—it seemed Bai Yang hadn't wasted the last two months, actually realizing such an offensive.

Such means were definitely not something an ordinary Psionic could possess. Even that fifth-order Psionic he had encountered before, Lin Zimo, hadn't been seen using them.

"As expected of an S-grade talent,"

someone below the stage sighed softly. "Below A-grade, one can't even begin to grasp such moves."

"Then Jiang Haojie probably won't be able to escape this time. Hum, anyone thinks they can participate without weighing their own worth."

"Let's get this over with quickly. There's nothing to see; it's better to wait for the next round."

The fire pythons closed in, the heat wave hitting his face.

Jiang Haojie stood in place, quietly watching the ruthlessness flashing in Bai Yang's eyes.

Everyone had already decided in their hearts that Jiang Haojie was bound to lose.

Faced with such an offensive, an ordinary First-Order Awakened would have no chance of winning unless they possessed a special ability or a talent far superior to Bai Yang's; otherwise, it was impossible to block.

"Look, how majestic our Yang'er is!"

In the hospital room, Xu Jing couldn't help but laugh out loud as she watched Bai Yang manipulate the flames on the screen.

Bai Wenluo also nodded slightly, a look of approval in his eyes.

His son was indeed extraordinary. Growing at this rate, it was likely only a matter of time before he surpassed that annoying 'X'.

On the stage, the three blazing fire pythons whistled as they lunged.

Jiang Haojie's figure suddenly moved. Although he didn't use any profound footwork, his speed was so fast it left the entire audience stunned.

"This speed... how is it possible!"

Low exclamations rang out from the audience.

Many First-Order Awakened also felt inferior—was this truly a movement technique an Ancient Martial Artist could possess?

"Don't forget, he's not just an Ancient Martial Artist, but the only SSS-grade talent in history."

Someone reminded them in a low voice.

These words made everyone feel a bit more relieved: high-grade talent Ancient Martial Artists were rare to begin with, so perhaps he was indeed a bit different.

Jiang Haojie didn't use his full strength, only increasing his speed by a few notches.

The three fire pythons looked terrifying, but they were actually just illusory forms condensed from fire. He easily dodged them.

Bai Yang was taken aback, not expecting the opponent to neutralize the offensive so easily.

He was just about to strike again when he realized with a shock that Jiang Haojie had somehow closed in right before his eyes.

"Bai Yang, is this all the skill you have?"

As the smiling words fell, Bai Yang's face changed abruptly, and he hurriedly retreated—Psionics feared close-quarters combat the most.

But he hadn't even noticed when the other party had approached.

Jiang Haojie didn't give him a chance to escape, raising his hand and delivering a sharp palm strike.

"Ah!"

Bai Yang cried out as he stumbled and spun, rotating several times on the stage like a whipped top before finally falling off the platform.

The whole place went silent for a moment, followed by an uproar.

No one expected the outcome to reverse in the blink of an eye.

Jiang Haojie turned to the referee as if nothing had happened.

The referee took the hint and announced loudly, "The winner of this match, Longcheng University's Jiang Haojie!"

Cheers instantly erupted from the Longcheng University seating area.

Another victory; Jiang Haojie had once again earned great face for the school.

A smile broke out on Zou Wenlin's face.

Even if Jiang Haojie stopped at the next round, being able to break into the elimination rounds had already far exceeded many students and was enough to prove his potential.

In contrast to Longcheng University's celebration, the air in the hospital room was frozen like ice.

Bai Wenluo and Xu Jing's faces were ashen—victory had clearly been within their grasp just now, how could it have turned into a loss in an instant?

Xu Jing's voice was as cold as ice. "Go, find Jiang Haojie's parents and teach them a lesson. Since he hurt my son, there must be a price to pay."

"Understood."

In the gymnasium, the people from Beihua University had ashen faces.

This was no different from a public slap in the face.

Back then, the Five Great Academies hadn't accepted Jiang Haojie, and their Beihua had also chosen to give him up.

Now that Jiang Haojie had defeated Bai Yang in front of everyone, didn't it prove that Bai Yang wasn't as good as him, and even more so that their Beihua had been blind back then? Among those present, besides Su Qingxue's visible joy, probably only Shuofeng University was secretly feeling gratified.

They had a long-standing grudge with Beihua and were happy to see the other party embarrassed.

Jiang Haojie had returned to his seat, completely unconcerned by the various gazes around him.

At this time, his phone screen lit up; it was a message from Su Qingxue.

"I thought you would finish him off on the spot."

Jiang Haojie looked at the line of text, shook his head gently, and tapped a reply on the screen.

"I did think about it. But letting him live a few more days is fine too."

While the two were talking in low tones via messages across their seats, back home in Longcheng, Jiang Shangquan and Xiao Yufen were immersed in cultivation.

A sudden knock on the door interrupted their meditation.

The two emerged from their concentrated state, looked at each other, and a hint of alertness flashed in their eyes.

Who would it be at this time?

The knocking sounded again, dull and persistent.

They were no longer the ignorant ordinary people they once were. Since Jiang Haojie entered the world of the Awakened, they had also seen the undercurrents within it.

It was always good to be extra careful, so the two didn't answer the door immediately.

Outside the door, the several people from the Bai Group frowned.

No one inside? The leader knocked hard twice more, but the response was still silence.

They didn't know that inside the door, Jiang Shangquan and Xiao Yufen had moved silently behind the door and were observing the movement outside through the peephole.

One of them took out a phone and reported in a low voice, "Madam, I've been knocking for a long time and no one's answering. They're probably not home. Should we withdraw, or..."

Hearing the conversation outside, Jiang Shangquan and Xiao Yufen became even more certain that the visitors had ill intentions.

The other party had five or six people. If they really started a fight, even though they were no longer what they used to be, it would be extremely difficult to handle.

Jiang Shangquan suppressed his anger and said in a low voice, "This is too much!"

Xiao Yufen pressed his arm, her eyes calm. "Don't be impulsive. We'll just stay in the house. If they dare to try anything, call the police immediately."

***

As the morning light grew faint, Jiang Haojie and Su Qingxue finished breakfast together and then came to the gymnasium once more.

After a short wait, the curtain rose on the third round of the elimination tournament.

After the intense competition of the first two days, the survivors had significantly decreased, and First-Order Awakened could hardly be seen on the stage anymore.

Perhaps after today, contestants at this level would completely exit the stage.

Jiang Haojie looked at the figures clashing on the stage, a hint of anticipation rising in his heart.

He wondered who would be his opponent today.

Jiang Haojie secretly prayed that his opponent wouldn't be too troublesome; showing his strength too early was not what he wanted.

However, fate seemed to play a joke on him—when the referee read out the match list, he froze in place.

"Next round, Longcheng University's Jiang Haojie versus Beihua University's Xu Qing."

Su Qingxue turned her head upon hearing this, a flicker of surprise crossing her eyes.

She looked at Jiang Haojie, a faint, indiscernible curiosity rising in the depths of her eyes—she was suddenly curious about how this person would face Xu Qing.

Xu Qing also hadn't expected her third-round opponent to be Jiang Haojie.

Her hanging heart quietly settled.

If it were someone else, she wouldn't have full confidence; but if it were Jiang Haojie... the spot for advancement seemed to be within her grasp.

"Xu Qing."

Bai Yang's voice was as cold as if it had been tempered in ice. "Don't hold back. I want him dead, understand?"

Xu Qing nodded and turned to walk toward the stage.

"Xu Qing!"

"Xu Qing!"

After the matches of the past two days, she had already built up a lot of support.

The moment she stepped onto the stage, cheers rose like a tide.

When Jiang Haojie slowly walked onto the stage, the gazes cast from all around were still mixed with contempt.

Even though he had passed two rounds of elimination, in everyone's eyes, an Ancient Martial Artist was still just an Ancient Martial Artist—so what if he had SSS-grade talent? Talent never represented everything.

Just like people who possessed the potential to be a Psionic; if the talent they Awakened was merely 'clear vision' or something of that sort, it was nothing more than a joke.

Xu Qing's gaze swept over Jiang Haojie indifferently. "You shouldn't have come to participate in the school competition. Trash is ultimately trash; your little bit of ability won't make any waves."

She raised her chin, her voice carrying a condescending pity. "Let's end it here. Being able to become my stepping stone can be considered your honor."

"Fine."

Jiang Haojie suddenly smiled. That smile was very faint, but it was like the first fine crack on the surface of a lake in early spring. "Then let's see if you have the ability."

"Match start!"

The instant the referee's voice fell, the cold air around Xu Qing's body surged. Her figure twisted and stretched in the light, transforming in an instant into an Ice Dragon with three sharp claws.

The dragon tail carried a bone-chilling freezing wind, sweeping straight for Jiang Haojie's throat like a bolt of silver lightning—Dragon Tail Swing.

This was her killing move that had worked every time in her previous two battles; every time she used it, no one was left alive.

"That move again! Jiang Haojie is finished."

"Xu Qing has already killed two people with this move; it's impossible for him to dodge it."

"Winning this match, Xu Qing will lock in her spot for the advancement rounds."

Discussions broke out among the audience, everyone already foreseeing the outcome of Jiang Haojie's blood splashing on the stage.

Xu Qing's ruthlessness had long been etched into people's minds; her opponents never had a chance to live.

The comments in the live stream scrolled like a swarm of locusts crossing the border:

"Finally sending off this drifter from an ordinary university, he should have been eliminated long ago!"

"Xu Qing is sure to win! Love you!"

"Any random person thinks they can participate; it's better to clear them out early."

"Waiting for the kill shot in the next second."

In Longcheng University's rest area, everyone held their breath.

If Jiang Haojie could win, the school would surely become famous in one battle.

But—could he really win?

The power of Xu Qing's strike was clearly seen by everyone below the stage.

Zou Wenlin's clenched palms were already covered in cold, damp sweat.

"Strike back!"

He almost shouted out for Jiang Haojie on the stage.

On the stage.

The ice-blue dragon tail, carrying a cold current, swept straight toward him. Jiang Haojie only now understood why Xu Qing would choose this seemingly simple move—as the dragon tail swung, it actually hid an invisible binding force, wrapping around his figure like a chain, trying to nail him to the spot.

Jiang Haojie shook his head gently.

This move might be effective against others, but to him, it was meaningless.

Bang!

The dragon tail solidly struck his body.

Just when everyone thought Jiang Haojie would be sent flying, the scene that followed left the entire audience stunned—

Jiang Haojie actually brought his arms together and firmly caught that ice-blue dragon tail, his feet not moving an inch.

"How is that possible?!"

"He... he caught it?"

"Did Xu Qing not use her full strength?"

Shocked discussions broke out in low tones.

Not to mention the observers, even Xu Qing herself fell into a moment of daze.

She knew the power of this strike all too well. Even when facing a Second-Order Awakener, it was enough to shake the opponent, but Jiang Haojie...

She didn't have time to think carefully; the dragon's mouth had already opened, and a cold breath was about to be exhaled—

Jiang Haojie didn't give her any opening.

His waist suddenly exerted force, and he actually swung the ten-meter-long dragon body into the air!

Xu Qing gave a low cry, her struggle completely useless.

Boom!

Jiang Haojie showed no mercy, slamming her heavily onto the stage.

The muffled sound was like the beating of a giant drum, making people's eardrums vibrate.

The entire venue was dead silent.