75: Chapter 75

75

Shen Tianming feigned displeasure, raising an eyebrow. "Since you're so optimistic about Jiang Haojie, then I'll bet on our academy's He Yifan to win."

"As for the stakes... how about an A-grade weapon?"

"It's a deal."

Sun Wanyu nodded calmly.

While the few were talking, the situation on the arena stage had changed.

The stone giant transformed from He Yifan had already closed in on Jiang Haojie, its broadaxe raised high, slashing down violently with the sound of tearing wind.

This strike was delivered without reservation, aiming straight for Jiang Haojie's head.

It wasn't until the axe blade was right above his head that Jiang Haojie finally moved.

But he didn't dodge as everyone expected; instead, he took half a step forward, clenched his right fist, and threw a punch toward He Yifan's hideous, rock-formed head.

"Is he crazy?! He actually wants to go head-to-head with He Yifan!"

"That's a Physical System Awakened, his body is as hard as iron and stone! How does he dare?"

"He must have given up on himself... knowing he's bound to lose, he's just being reckless."

Witnessing this near-suicidal counterattack, a wave of suppressed gasps erupted from the spectator stands.

A trace of a mocking curve rose at the corner of He Yifan's mouth.

Did his opponent really think they could hurt him? Even if he stood still and let him attack, it would probably take a whole day before that offensive could even scratch him.

This wasn't arrogance; he truly had that kind of confidence.

But what happened next caused the cold sneer on his face to suddenly freeze.

The moment Jiang Haojie's fist touched his cheek, He Yifan felt as if heaven and earth were being overturned; everything in his vision distorted into a chaotic vortex.

When the intense dizziness passed, he was shocked to find himself slumped outside the hard arena stage.

The arena first fell into a dead silence, followed by an explosion of boiling noise.

"What happened? How was He Yifan knocked out?"

"I only looked away for a second, what happened? Where's He Yifan?"

"Jiang Haojie won again? How is this possible... even a student from the Five Great Academies fell at his hands?"

The live stream's bullet chat instantly flooded the screen, filled with unbelievable questions.

If the previous victories could be attributed to luck, then now, facing the defeat of an opponent like He Yifan, any speculation about a fluke seemed pale and weak.

A conspicuous bullet chat message scrolled past: "Jiang Haojie... could he really be an Ancient Martial Artist?"

In the hidden observation room within the gymnasium, the several principals likewise showed looks of astonishment.

This result had clearly exceeded everyone's expectations.

A pleasant smile spread across Sun Wanyu's face as he turned to Shen Tianming beside him: "Old Shen, it seems my eye is sharper."

Shen Tianming's face had already turned ashen, looking as unpleasant as if he had swallowed something foul.

Under Sun Wanyu's smiling gaze, he gave a cold snort, took a weapon shimmering with a cold, eerie luster from his spatial storage, and tossed it over heavily.

"Take it!"

Sun Wanyu accepted it joyfully and examined it carefully.

Although this wasn't a peerless treasure, it was still a rare A-grade weapon, its value enough to equal tens of millions of crystal coinss, naturally making him very satisfied.

On the arena stage, Jiang Haojie looked toward the referee, who seemed to be dazed.

"Can you announce the result now?"

The referee snapped back to his senses and hastily announced loudly, "The winner of this match, Longcheng University, Jiang Haojie!"

Hearing the verdict, Jiang Haojie did not linger, turning to step down from the stage.

On the other side, He Yifan remained slumped on the ground, his expression dull, as if he hadn't yet woken up from the shock of that punch.

Some cameraman quietly zoomed in, clearly freezing his current soul-lost appearance on the screen.

***

Back at Ma Bin's residence, the atmosphere was somewhat heavy.

When Ma Bin once again mentioned dealing with Jiang Haojie, a young man following him couldn't help but speak up, his voice carrying hesitation and lingering fear.

"Brother Ma, are we... still going to continue? I always feel that Jiang Haojie is very eerie."

The others didn't chime in, but their flickering eyes betrayed similar thoughts.

If Jiang Haojie had merely survived three rounds of the qualifiers by luck, they wouldn't be this wary.

But in two consecutive matches of the promotion tournament, he had faced formal students of the Five Great Academies—Ma Bin of Nanyu Academy, and the just-defeated He Yifan of Yongye Academy.

The results had both been unexpected.

This was enough to show that Jiang Haojie's strength was definitely not as simple as the First-Order he appeared to be on the surface.

Ma Bin's face suddenly darkened as his gaze swept over everyone.

"What? You're scared already?"

The young man who spoke shared a look with his companions, all of their faces showing a helpless, bitter smile.

"We..."

They were merely early-stage Awakened; even if their talent ratings were all S, what could they possibly be in front of Jiang Haojie—even a Second-Order Awakener with SS-grade talent had lost to him, let alone these people.

Even Ma Bin himself had lost completely, hadn't he?

"Look at your guts. He's just a looked-down-upon Ancient Martial Artist, yet he can scare you into this state?"

The several people lowered their heads sheepishly, no one responding.

Seeing their useless appearance, Ma Bin's anger flared up; he stood up abruptly and slammed the door as he left.

They were truly of no use at all.

If he hadn't been used to receiving their tributes, he would have kicked this group of trash aside long ago.

As soon as Ma Bin left, someone immediately whispered, "Quick, follow him and see."

Regardless, Ma Bin was still their reliance.

If they really fell out with him, their days in Nanyu Academy would definitely not be easy.

The few understood and hurriedly chased after him.

In the cafeteria, Jiang Haojie and Su Qingxue had just gotten their meals and sat down when they saw a group of people surging toward them.

The leader was none other than Ma Bin, looking aggressive; anyone could see he came with ill intent.

Jiang Haojie and Su Qingxue glanced at each other, both seeing a trace of annoyance in the other's eyes.

They had been eating in their room these past few days; today they finally felt like coming to the cafeteria, but they happened to run into such troublemakers.

Ma Bin led his people to surround their table.

Surrounding gazes immediately gathered, all with the interest of watching a scene.

Ma Bin first fixed his burning gaze on Su Qingxue, without any concealment.

This woman... sooner or later he would make her submit.

Su Qingxue furrowed her brows, a clear look of disgust flashing through her eyes.

"Let's go."

Jiang Haojie took Su Qingxue's hand and stood up to leave.

If they weren't in Zhanwu Academy and bound by school rules, he could deal with ten people like Ma Bin with his bare hands.

Seeing Jiang Haojie completely ignore him, Ma Bin's face darkened, and he stepped across to block the way: "Did I give you permission to leave?"

"A defeated opponent, where do you get the confidence to put on such airs here?"

Jiang Haojie let out a light laugh, as if he had heard some joke.

Ma Bin's face became even more black and blue.

And Jiang Haojie's next move caught him even more off guard—

A hand suddenly shot out like an iron pincer, firmly gripping Ma Bin's neck.

Ma Bin struggled with all his might, but he couldn't budge it in the slightest.

That hand was as steady as a rock, throttling him until his breathing became labored.

"What are you doing! Let go of Brother Ma!"

"Jiang Haojie, let go immediately! Otherwise, don't blame us for being impolite!"

"Dare to touch Brother Ma, Nanyu Academy will definitely not forgive you!"

"Su Qingxue, you're also an academy student, are you just going to watch?"

The faces of the accompanying people changed drastically; no one expected Jiang Haojie would suddenly take action.

Amidst the cries and threats, the air in the cafeteria seemed to suddenly freeze.

The onlookers were all stunned; no one expected Jiang Haojie would act without any warning.

What was even more shocking was that Ma Bin actually struggled helplessly in his grasp like a child—that was a Second-Order SS-grade Awakened, yet at this moment he couldn't even exert half his power.

Was Ma Bin just a name without substance, or was this Jiang Haojie hiding his depth? Whispers spread through the crowd, and many gazes were filled with doubt.

Xu Qing and Bai Yang were hidden deep in the crowd, their faces ashen.

They stared fixedly at that tall figure in the center, waves of shock surging in their hearts: how could an Ancient Martial Artist who was seen as trash defeat them one after another, and even suppress a Second-Order Awakened?

Jiang Haojie didn't even cast a glance toward those two.

He lifted Ma Bin by the collar with one hand, pulling that face, which had already turned the color of pig liver, close, his voice not loud but every word clear: "In my life, I most despise others using those eyes to recklessly size up my person."

"Today is the first time, I hope it's also the last."

He paused, the strength in his fingertips increasing by another thirty percent, "If you dare to provoke me again, I don't guarantee I'll hold back every time."

After saying that, he tossed him aside casually, and Ma Bin rolled on the ground like a broken sack.

Jiang Haojie didn't look back, taking Su Qingxue's hand and turning to leave.

Su Qingxue let him lead her, that phrase 'my person' echoing repeatedly in her ears,

and the corners of her lips unconsciously rose in a slight curve.

"Brother Ma! Quick, help Brother Ma up!"

The followers who had been standing dazed finally snapped out of it, hurriedly helping the limp Ma Bin up.

Although he hadn't fainted, his eyes were vacant. "Quick, find the medical team!"

The few people flusteredly carried him out of the cafeteria.

Xu Qing secretly gave Bai Yang a push, and the two also quietly retreated.

The excitement ended, and the crowd gradually dispersed.

The cafeteria returned to its noisy state, as if the conflict just now was merely a brief interlude.

Jiang Haojie and Su Qingxue had already returned to their residence.

As soon as the door closed, Su Qingxue extended her slender finger, tracing circles on his chest seemingly at random, her voice so soft it could drip water: "I'll go bathe first."

With that, she turned gracefully, and the bathroom door closed gently.

Looking at her graceful back, Jiang Haojie inexplicably felt a shiver.

Ever since confirming their relationship, they had been almost inseparable these days.

He sometimes felt as if he had unintentionally pried open some secret box—that formerly unapproachable ice beauty actually showed a completely different intensity in their private moments, with all sorts of tricks that even he, who always prided himself on having a solid foundation, often found hard to handle.

He shook his head and laughed.

No wonder he often heard people say that when it comes to seeking pleasure, women are probably several times more than men.

He used to think it was just a joke, but now he fully believed it.

The sound of water stopped.

Su Qingxue walked out wrapped in a bath towel, the tips of her hair still adorned with crystal water droplets.

Jiang Haojie's Adam's apple moved slightly: "Then I'll go take a shower too..."

Before he could finish, he was gently pulled by the wrist. "Don't go."

Her eyes rippled as she pushed him down onto the bed, "I just like... your original scent."

A fine rain arrived quietly the next morning, a moist coolness floating in the air.

The flow of people on campus did not thin because of it; instead, it added a bit more eagerness to the rush.

When Jiang Haojie stepped into the gymnasium, he looked up.

The originally open dome had been covered by a giant sheet of transparent material, like an inverted clear lake, tightly shielding the spectator stands.

Only the square arena stage in the center remained exposed under the sky, letting the fine rain silk fall silently.

The contestants seemed not to care about this at all.

The final round of the promotion tournament soon kicked off.

The interplay of light and shadow and energy collisions on the arena stage gradually blurred into a tedious background in Jiang Haojie's eyes.

He covered his mouth and gave a slight yawn, a strange sleepiness hitting his heart—watching these matches was actually more tiring than focused cultivation.

He originally thought his turn would be arranged at the end like yesterday, but unexpectedly, the third broadcast called out his name.

What made his eyebrows twitch even more was the name of his opponent: Yongye Academy, Dan Bei.

"Fate is something that sometimes really can't be avoided."

Jiang Haojie whispered to himself, a very faint curve passing over the corner of his mouth, and then he stepped onto the stage.

His appearance immediately drew many gazes.

Since the start of the competition until now, the First-Order Awakened remaining on the field were already as rare as phoenix feathers, and even Second-Order ones were few and far between.

Jiang Haojie's existence had become an unexpected and persistent exception.

Now he was already standing at the threshold of the final promotion; as long as he crossed this match, he could step into the hall of the final contention.

Everyone knew that those who could reach that step were definitely not mediocre; looking at the current situation, perhaps only Fourth-Order Awakened would have the qualifications to contend for the top.

When Dan Bei saw his opponent clearly, he first froze, and then an intense heat surged in his eyes.

He didn't recognize Jiang Haojie as having any special identity; he just originally had no hope of advancing to the finals—as a Third-Order, he knew it would be difficult to compete against those Fourth-Order powerhouses.

But it was different now.

Facing anyone else, he might not have full confidence, but only against this Jiang Haojie in front of him, he was certain he would win.

In the spectator stands, some contestants who also had slim hopes of advancing cast gazes mixed with envy and regret toward Dan Bei.

If they wanted to squeeze into the finals, their only stroke of luck would be to draw one of the few remaining Second-Order Awakened.

This kind of luck was hard to come by, yet it happened to fall on Dan Bei.

The comments on the network live stream also started scrolling rapidly at this moment.