Chapter 142: Chapter 140: I Actually Only Need 1 Move to Destroy You

Half an hour later, at the Advanced Academy’s largest martial arts arena. In just thirty minutes, the place was packed.

Nearly every student was there, their eyes burning with anticipation as they watched the two young men on the platform.

One of them was the man shouldering the hopes of every student at the Imperial Advanced Academy, and indeed, the honor of the entire Cyan Dragon Kingdom... Qin Li!

Even the family scions from the Crown Prince Faction, who had previously held a deep-seated hatred for Qin Li, had temporarily set aside their grudges. When faced with a matter of national honor, their internal squabbles seemed trivial.

"Go, Qin!"

"Qin, kill that arrogant bastard!"

"Show him what a real genius is, Qin! We’re with you!"

A roar like a tidal wave swept through the crowd. The genius students of the Imperial Academy shouted themselves hoarse, their unified spirit of defiance infecting every single person present.

The one thing the young don’t lack is passion!

Some say passion is worthless, for even the hottest blood eventually runs cold.

But who hadn’t been young and passionate once?

"Tsk tsk, so many people have come to see you off. Though they’re all a bunch of trash, you can still be proud!"

Xiahou Feng’s arrogant gaze swept over Qin Li. His voice, though laced with mockery, miraculously cut through the cheers of several thousand people, carrying clearly to every ear.

The arena suddenly fell silent. However, the eyes of many who looked upon Xiahou Feng were now filled with seething hatred.

"Don’t be in such a hurry to talk tough. Let’s talk about the stakes."

Qin Li looked at Xiahou Feng with a grin and asked again, "Do you dare to bet?"

Similarly, Qin Li’s voice reached every person’s ear. At the edge of the arena, Chen Yihan and a white-haired old man exchanged a glance, each seeing the surprise in the other’s eyes.

"This kid... is more than he seems!" the white-haired old man said with a frown. "And he gives me a familiar feeling. I don’t know why, but I feel like... like I’ve seen him somewhere before."

"You’ve spent years traveling the kingdoms, Yi, searching for the secrets of the ’Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, Only I am Venerable’ technique," Chen Yihan remarked with a light laugh. "Perhaps you’ve seen the boy somewhere along the way. Heh."

The white-haired elder known as Yi heard this, and his eyes first lit up, then narrowed. He watched Qin Li on the platform, a thoughtful expression on his face.

’Qin Li’s disdainful attitude and contemptuous tone filled Xiahou Feng with rage. What right did he have to be so confident? He’s definitely a weakling who hasn’t even reached the Celestial Level! What’s he relying on? This garbage surrounding us?’

"Bet what? And what do you have that’s worth my wager?" Xiahou Feng sneered disdainfully.

"I’ll bet my life against yours. If I lose, I die! If you lose—assuming you survive—all you have to do is turn to these... these genius students you hold in such contempt, and sincerely say, ’I’m sorry, I was wrong. You are geniuses, and I am an idiot!’ Then... tuck your tail between your legs and get the hell away from here, as far as you can! As for the princess, a piece of trash like you has no right to even think about her!" Qin Li’s face broke into a wild sneer. "Do you dare?"

Qin Li spoke these words with a smile, but his tone was resolute and uncompromising.

A deathly silence fell over the entire arena.

Instantly, quite a few female students began to cry, and many of the male students’ eyes turned red. Some of the boys who usually couldn’t stand Qin Li cursed aloud, "Damn it, why did you have to do that? Why did you have to say that? How the hell... am I supposed to hate you after this?"

"Hate him? My ass! If Marquis Qin dies in battle today, I’ll set up a memorial tablet for him in my home! I don’t give a damn which faction my father belongs to. Damn it, all I know is that he’s dying for us, for the Cyan Dragon Kingdom!"

Wiping the corner of his eye, a male student muttered, "Damn, it’s windy today."

No one laughed at him. In that moment, the hearts of the genius students of the Cyan Dragon Kingdom were filled with a mixture of sorrow and profound gratitude.

Were they fools? No, not at all!

That young man may not have revealed the slightest hint of his aura, but based on his display so far, the students could easily deduce that he was at least at the Celestial Level. Overpowering the voices of several thousand people with one’s own was simply impossible without the strength of a Celestial Level master.

And they were also keenly aware of what level of strength Qin currently possessed.

Earth Level... Tier Seven.

An Earth Level against a Celestial Level—was victory even possible? The vast majority of those present would have shaken their heads. It didn’t matter if he was a legendary figure in the Cyan Dragon Kingdom, or if his combat power was off the charts. It was still impossible.

Between the Earth Level and the Celestial Level lay a massive, unbridgeable chasm that could not be crossed by external means.

Even Zhao Xinghe, who had also rushed over, was looking away with a grimace. As much as he hated to, he had to admit that Qin Li was a true man. He couldn’t even bring himself to call Qin Li reckless, because he was doing all of this to save Zhao Xinghe’s own sister! He was doing it to salvage the pride of the thousands of students who were the future pillars of the Cyan Dragon Kingdom!

Zhao Xinghe could already imagine the outcome of this battle, regardless of who won or lost. The genius students of the Imperial Advanced Academy would emerge with an incredibly strong sense of unity. They would dedicate themselves to their training with a diligence countless times greater than before.

And the overall strength of the Cyan Dragon Kingdom would receive a huge boost because of this!

Therefore, no matter how one looked at it, the Cyan Dragon Kingdom’s royal family owed Qin Li a great debt. That was an undeniable fact.

A trace of irrepressible anger finally appeared in Xiahou Feng’s indifferent eyes. He sneered, "Good, very good! Qin Li, since you’re so eager to die, it would be heartless of me not to oblige you. Fine, we’ll do it your way! If you lose, I will kill you! If I lose, I’ll apologize to everyone here! I’ll apologize to your princess! Not only that, but I also swear I will never set foot in your Cyan Dragon Kingdom again for the rest of my life!"

With that, Xiahou Feng took a deep breath and said, "Don’t think you’re the only man here. So am I! Come on, Qin Li! Let me see whether you, the youngest legendary figure of Cyan Dragon City, the youngest Marquis, are all talk or if you actually have the strength to back it up!"

Apparently, half an hour was enough time for Xiahou Feng to learn everything about Qin Li. Even he had to admit that this Qin Li could indeed be called a genius. To possess the strength of an Earth Level, Tier Seven martial artist at only sixteen years old in the Mortal Realm—and as a descendant of a fallen noble from the Great Qi Kingdom, no less.

’Deep down, Xiahou Feng was still suspicious of Qin Li’s background. The story about being the descendant of a fallen noble couldn’t possibly be true. After all, when Xiahou Feng himself was sixteen, he had only been at Earth Level, Tier Eight, and that was only after his family had spent a fortune on his training.’

’How could this Qin Li be better than me? He must have a powerful background, just like I do! A person like him can’t be left alive, or he’ll become a huge threat in the future!’ Xiahou Feng already wanted to kill him, and now Qin Li, so eager to die, had handed him the perfect opportunity on a silver platter.

Qin Li slowly drew his Hundred Refinement Steel Sword. He tossed the scabbard aside, pointed the sword at Xiahou Feng, then gently hooked his left pinky finger before pressing it down.

"You’re courting death!" A sky-shattering aura suddenly erupted from Xiahou Feng’s body, and an immense pressure instantly radiated outwards.

Even though the martial arts arena was huge and protected by defensive barriers, the students on all sides still keenly felt this pressure.

Celestial Level!

It really was the Celestial Level!

Although everyone had already guessed it, seeing it with their own eyes was completely different from just suspecting. The gazes people turned toward Qin Li were now filled with worry.

Zhao Qianqian stood there quietly, as if the surrounding clamor, the stares of others, and all the various words had nothing to do with her. In her eyes, in her heart, there was now only one person!

Hidden in her robes was an extremely sharp dagger passed down from the Ancient Era, forged by a master smith and incredibly sharp. ’If Qin Li dies,’ she thought, ’I won’t go on living!’

’He’s never said he likes me, but his actions have moved me more than a thousand words ever could. They make my very soul tremble!’

’Yes, this is my own choice!’

A strange blush appeared on Zhao Qianqian’s face.

Wuyin, who was beside Zhao Qianqian, looked worriedly at her best friend. She knew Qianqian’s personality all too well. She might seem carefree on the surface, but once she made up her mind about something, no one could stop her!

So she could only hope even more fervently, praying to the heavens that Qin Li could win.

Even though that hope seemed incredibly slim.

"Give me something real. This little bit of aura has no effect on me!" Qin Li said lightly.

SWOOSH!

Xiahou Feng’s body finally moved!

Still as a maiden, swift as a darting hare!

When he didn’t attack, it was one thing, but when he did, it was with the force of a thunderclap!

With his bare hands, Xiahou Feng leaped into the air and threw a vicious punch at Qin Li’s head. His fist was wreathed in roaring flames!

In a flash, the air itself seemed to ignite, and everyone’s hearts leaped into their throats!

BOOM!

Xiahou Feng’s punch missed!

Many of the female students who had instinctively covered their eyes peeked through a crack in their fingers, then let out a sigh of relief. But immediately after, their hearts leaped back into their throats.

Qin Li’s body was like a lone skiff on a stormy sea, tossed about in the air, looking utterly harried!

Meanwhile, Xiahou Feng’s speed increased relentlessly until the very air above the martial arts arena was shrouded in intense heat!

The students, most of whom were only at the Profound Level, could no longer follow their movements. A hush fell over the thousands in the arena; it was so quiet it seemed deserted. No one dared to even breathe too loudly, for fear of missing a single moment.

"Coward! Stop dodging and fight back!"

Xiahou Feng’s furious roar echoed through the air.

"Alright."

A simple voice rang out. From within the afterimages, a flash of deep blue light burst forth, followed by a brilliant flash of gold.

The next instant, Xiahou Feng’s body was sent flying out of the blur of afterimages as if from a vicious kick. He shot backward, his body arched over like a cooked shrimp.