"One lost because they were too cautious!"
"The other lost because they were too reckless!"
"Both losses were unfortunate."
"But they were also inevitable."
Ouyang Yunzhi gave her own evaluation.
...
Below the stage.
Song Feng, who had been defeated, returned to the Martial Arts Squad, looking ashamed:
"Captain, I lost..."
Ouyang Yunzhi, however, didn't seem to mind at all: "Winning and losing are common in battle! The key is, did you learn anything from it?"
"I did."
Song Feng lowered his eyes.
Ouyang Yunzhi nodded slightly, then turned to Xu Bing beside her: "You go up."
"Yes, Captain!"
Xu Bing accepted the order.
Then, step by step, she walked onto the stage.
...
"She's up! Xu Bing is up!"
The audience was very excited! Xu Bing's progress had been so rapid recently that it had even caught the attention of the special agent base!
...
"Martial Arts Squad, Xu Bing, C++ Grade!"
Xu Bing saluted Qin Zhuang.
The crowd below was surprised upon hearing this:
"She's already C++ Grade?!"
"Isn't she just one step away from B Grade?!"
"This is bad! Song Feng, who was C Grade, could already hold his own against Qin Zhuang, who's C++ Grade!"
"Then Xu Bing, who's C++ Grade, might even be able to challenge B Grade powerhouses!"
"Not necessarily! There's a huge gap between C++ and B Grade! It's not so easy to bridge!"
...
Qin Zhuang had now recovered about seventy to eighty percent of his strength.
He said to Xu Bing, "Come on!"
But Xu Bing refused to make the first move, standing there quietly instead.
...
The audience was puzzled:
"What does she mean by this?"
"Hiss! Haven't you all noticed a terrifying pattern yet?!"
"Huh? What pattern?"
"On the stage! Whoever makes the first move loses!"
"Deng Kaiyun was like that!"
"Song Feng was like that too!"
"Xu Bing must have noticed this, so she's waiting for Qin Zhuang to make the first move!"
"Uh..."
"..."
The crowd was speechless.
...
A few more minutes passed.
Qin Zhuang stood on the stage, his expression growing more serious.
Xu Bing, not far away, remained motionless.
...
The audience grew impatient: "Hey, are they going to fight or not?"
"Are they just going to stand there? How long do they plan to keep this up?"
"Hiss! I get it!"
"What do you get now?"
"Xu Bing! She must be trying to use the tactic of a young person wearing down an old man, to exhaust Qin Zhuang!"
"Think about it, Qin Zhuang is strong, but he's old after all!"
"In terms of stamina, he's definitely no match for a young girl like Xu Bing..."
"..."
"What's wrong?"
"Damn it, I'm such a fool, believing you again and again."
"Isn't my analysis correct?"
"Your analysis is great, but next time, don't analyze anymore!"
...
"Little girl, are you reluctant to attack me because I'm old?"
On the stage.
Qin Zhuang couldn't help but ask Xu Bing.
Xu Bing replied sincerely:
"No! I just want to give you more time to rest, so we can fight when you're at your peak."
"Oh?"
Qin Zhuang looked surprised, then genuinely praised:
"Young people like you do have martial ethics!"
"But it's not necessary!"
"Being at the end of one's strength and a hero in his twilight years is also part of the competition rules!"
Xu Bing didn't argue:
"Alright then."
After saying that.
She moved.
In an instant, Xu Bing closed the distance of several meters! Before Qin Zhuang could even react, she was already right in front of him!
An overwhelming pressure radiated from Xu Bing's body!
...
"Holy crap!"
But what left everyone utterly stunned was!
Before Xu Bing's strike could even land! Qin Zhuang had already retreated several meters, jumping out of the arena!
With a look of resignation, he said:
"I admit defeat!"
"What?!"
Down below.
The crowd was dumbfounded:
"Wait... I can't make sense of today's matches at all?"
"He stood there motionless for so long, and then after just one move, without even making contact, he surrenders?"
"Is this just a ploy to boost his reputation score?"
...
Xu Bing retracted her hand and smiled at Qin Zhuang: "Thank you, Qin Shen!"
But Qin Zhuang sighed:
"I was just about to praise your kindness! Turns out, you were worried I wouldn't die convinced..."
Xu Bing's strike.
Though it hadn't landed yet!
Qin Zhuang could already sense—
The energy contained within that move!
It surpassed the combined force of all the strikes Song Feng had just unleashed!
Not a single detail was missed!
In other words!
Xu Bing's single strike could shatter his limits! Causing him to explode and die!
Moreover! Xu Bing had just displayed her cautious nature!
And her incredible speed!
This meant!
Even if Qin Zhuang fought back with everything he had at the brink of his energy reserves! He still wouldn't be able to harm her! By then.
Not only would he lose the match.
But he'd also earn the infamy of a desperate last-ditch attack on a junior! It was better to just admit defeat!...
But the crowd, being outsiders, couldn't feel the oppressive aura Xu Bing had just released! To them.
Xu Bing had merely raised her hand.
And scared Qin Shen into surrendering!
An obvious act? Not even trying to hide it?...
At that moment! Another person stepped onto the stage, announcing:
"Blue Sky Squad, Lin Li, C++ Grade! Here to challenge!"
Seeing someone step up to protest! The audience was quite pleased—they couldn't accept Xu Bing winning in such a manner!
But! Upon hearing that this "Lin Li" was only at C++ Combat Power! Their hopes were dashed:
"With the same C++ Combat Power, how could an Esper possibly defeat a martial artist?"
"Qin Shen is a prime example!"
"This is just another reputation score ploy!"
...
Yet, Xu Bing's gaze remained calm.
No disdain.
Nor any fear.
She said:
"Come on!"
As soon as the words left her mouth! The ground beneath her feet suddenly began to tremble violently!
"Huh?! An earthquake?"
The audience was horrified! "It's not an earthquake!"
"It's an Elemental Superpower!"
"That Lin Li has awakened an Earth Spirit Ability!"
Someone shouted.
The crowd exclaimed in surprise: "An Elemental Ability? That's an incredibly rare Superpower!"
"And it's one of the Five Elements—Earth!"
"This match won't be boring!"
...
Amidst the shaking!
Xu Bing steadied herself.
But now the ground was cracking! From the fissures, sharp earthen spikes shot toward her!
She leaped back!
But as soon as she landed!
The ground beneath her feet suddenly collapsed! Leaving her with no footing!
She could only fall!
And then the surrounding soil!
Like a tidal wave, came crashing down into the pit!
As if trying to bury Xu Bing alive!
...
"Gasp!"
The scene was nothing short of thrilling!
The spectators couldn't help but feel a chill down their spines! The aftermath of the battle turned into gusts of fierce wind!
The nearby audience was thrown into chaos, tumbling over each other!
They hurriedly retreated!
Leaving enough space for the fighters on the stage!
...
Several waves of earth crashed down!
But not a single splash was seen! Lin Li frowned and stopped his movements.
After all, it was just a competition, a friendly spar among comrades.
They certainly couldn't risk taking lives!
But at that moment! A figure enveloped in Purple Qi burst out of the ground, soaring into the sky! "Huh?!"
Even when Xu Bing was buried alive, Ouyang Yunzhi remained calm!
But the moment she saw the Purple Aura!
Her expression changed drastically:
"Purple?! Is that the Second Level Spiritual Energy the old monster mentioned?!"
"Could this be the reason for Xu Bing's sudden leap in talent?"
"But we're only at the early stages of the Spiritual Energy resurgence…"
"How is this possible?"
...
In mid-air! Xu Bing, stepping on the Purple Aura, flew towards Lin Li!
Lin Li merely frowned slightly!
Calmly manipulating the soil as if it were an
extension of his arm, forming barriers to protect himself! But he clearly underestimated the power of that Purple Aura!
Xu Bing pushed out a seemingly ordin
ary palm strike! But with the enhancement of the Purple Aura!
A terrifying force suddenly erupted!
Boom——
Like a steamroller passing through! Lin Li's earth shields shattered piece by piece! He let out a scream and was sent flying!
Crashing to the ground! "Hiss!"
The crowd had already gasped in shock countless times!
(End of Chapter)