Chapter 141: Advancing to the Finals

Chapter 141: Advancing to the Finals



Whoosh! Li Yuan returned to the waiting area below the arena, but what about Galava?

Having been eliminated, he naturally couldn't wait in the preparation zone.

"Li Yuan, incredible!"

"So amazing!"

"He defeated Galava with just one shot." Yang Hong and Wu Luo, sitting on either side, couldn't help but exclaim, filled with admiration.

They had always known that the gap between themselves and Li Yuan was significant, and it was evident during the entrance competition.

But it wasn't until today, witnessing the battle between Li Yuan and Galava, that they realized the extent of their disparity.

"Thank you." Li Yuan smiled faintly, not feeling overly joyful.

He had merely defeated Galava.

After gaining insights from his battle with Kimura Toshio and two days of dedicated cultivation, Li Yuan didn't consider anyone except Dantai Feng a worthy opponent.

As Li Yuan had expected, Galava's strength was formidable, but it still couldn't pose a real threat to him.

"Li Yuan, Dantai Feng is watching you." Wu Luo suddenly spoke up.

"Oh?" Li Yuan turned to look at Dantai Feng sitting far away.

Dantai Feng was wearing a smile that he considered charming.

...

"He won!"

"With a sudden burst, he defeated Galava with a single shot. Li Yuan is too overpowered."

"So fierce!" Li Yuan didn't care about this victory, but the entire spectator stand was in an uproar, especially the tens of thousands of Xia Nationals in the audience, who felt incredibly proud.

In their eyes, both the first round victory of Dantai Feng and the second round victory of Li Yuan were triumphs for Xia Nationals.

"Galava actually lost."

"He had such a great advantage, but he lost carelessly. Galava is useless."

"His mindset is not right." The tens of thousands of Tenzin Nationals in the audience felt extremely uncomfortable.

"Tenzin is full of idiots."

"I've said it before, Li Yuan is the strongest."

"The championship will definitely be between Li Yuan and Dantai Feng, and I'm rooting for Li Yuan." Many Sakura Nationals in the audience, on the contrary, were praising Li Yuan.

...

Amidst the heated discussions and cheers, the sixteen-to-eight battles continued.

Victors emerged one after another.

However, none of the battles could match the intensity and ferocity of the fight between Li Yuan and Galava.

Finally, after six more battles, the top eight contenders of the Ten Schools Freshman Battle were decided: Dantai Feng, Li Yuan, Yu Ming, Guan Ying, Wu Luo, Vikram, Liming Yue... and Kimura Toshio! The last spot in the top eight went to Kimura Toshio.

After an intense fight with Helian Cheng from Extreme Star Martial Arts University, Kimura Toshio managed to secure a difficult victory.

"What a pity."

"So close."

"Helian Cheng is also a Fourth Stage Midrank Technique expert, and his strength is exceptional."

"If he had won, then we, Xia Nationals, would have occupied seven of the eight spots." The hundreds of thousands of Xia Nationals in the audience felt a mix of regret and dissatisfaction.

But in reality, this was already an exaggerated outcome because, even with Kimura Toshio's hard-fought entry into the top eight, Xia Nationals still held six of the coveted spots.

"Li Yuan! Wu Luo."

"Haha, we have two representatives in the top eight, Kunlun Martial Arts University!"

"Capital Martial Arts University has none." The freshmen of Kunlun Martial Arts University were excited and thrilled, feeling delighted.

At this moment, the atmosphere in the battle arena heightened the sense of school and national pride among the spectators, making it far stronger than usual.

All the onlookers hoped that the martial arts prodigies from their schools and nations would perform even better.

...

"Li Yuan, good luck! I'm out at the top eight." Wu Luo, in the preparation zone, looked relaxed. "But this time, I made it to the top eight, and that Yang Hong didn't."

"So satisfying."

"It proves that I am truly the second-best among the freshmen at Kunlun Martial Arts University." Wu Luo spoke earnestly, seeking Li Yuan's acknowledgment.

"Don't you have any confidence?" Li Yuan smiled. "Give it your all, and who knows, you might even defeat Dantai Feng."

That's right!

According to the schedule, the first battle of the top eight was between Wu Luo and Dantai Feng.

"Don't underestimate me." Wu Luo shook his head. "My strength may not be enough, but I have good judgment. Among us, only you have a chance against Dantai Feng."

"What chance?" Li Yuan asked curiously.

"He'll try to act all high and mighty, and we'll end up with our hands and feet tied, plus a head." Wu Luo stated matter-of-factly.

...

Ten minutes later, the four battles of the top eight began.

In the first battle, Dantai Feng faced Wu Luo, and he continued to use the dual swords.

In terms of strength, Wu Luo and 'Daisuke Tomoe', whom Dantai Feng defeated in the first round, were actually quite evenly matched.

But perhaps out of respect for his fellow countryman, Dantai Feng gave Wu Luo a lot of face and only defeated him after exchanging several dozen moves.

... In the second battle, Yu Ming faced Liming Yue, another internal battle between Xia Nationals, and ultimately, Yu Ming emerged victorious, securing a spot in the top four.

... The third round featured Li Yuan against Kimura Toshio.

Indeed, in the crucial quarter-finals, Kimura Toshio once again faced Li Yuan.

"Li Yuan."

"Your strength is formidable, and I admire it," Kimura Toshio said, appearing much calmer and more humble than in their previous encounter: "However, please allow me to uphold the dignity of the samurai, and I will never surrender."

"I also hope that you will give it your all," Kimura Toshio said earnestly.

He had no intention of winning, and he was well aware that his chances of victory against either Yuming or Guan Ying were minuscule.

"Alright," Li Yuan replied nonchalantly.

One minute later...

Li Yuan unleashed a rapid succession of six gunshots, piercing Kimura Toshio's throat with the tip of his gun.

Kimura Toshio's eyes widened, and in the instant his figure disappeared, he seemed to want to say something.

"You asked for my all," Li Yuan shrugged.

This was the quickest of the quarter-final matches.

"Heavenly Resources and Artifacts, obtained," Li Yuan smiled, having achieved the foundational goal of the Ten University Freshman Battle.

Next up...

It was time to relax and give it his all, striving for the finals.

... Thus, the top three of the semi-finalists were decided: Dantai Feng, Yuming, and Li Yuan.

The final spot in the semi-finals would be contested between Guan Ying and Vikram.

However!!!

Contrary to almost everyone's expectations, Guan Ying, the top-tier genius from Starfire University, who had demonstrated astonishing prowess in the second and fourth rounds, lost in the most critical quarter-final match against Vikram from the Tenzin Nation!

"Guan Ying lost?"

"She's the top genius of Starfire University, and she lost?" The entire spectator stand erupted in astonishment.

Especially the Xia Nationals in the audience, who had already envisioned the ideal scenario of all four semi-finalists being Xia Nationals martial arts prodigies.

Unexpectedly, in the final moments, a dark horse emerged.

"Victory!!!"

"Vikram!!! Semi-Finals!!!" The Tenzin Nationals in the audience went wild with excitement.

Who could have predicted this?

After Galava, the most promising contender from the Tenzin Nation, lost to Li Yuan, Vikram, who was initially not favored, pulled off a miraculous comeback.

Successfully advancing to the semi-finals.

The difference between the semi-finals and quarter-finals was stark.

"Vikram, what formidable Blade Flexibility Technique."

"He also wields dual swords, but his sword technique is even more bizarre."

"Another Fourth Stage High Rank." Li Yuan, Yuming, and Dantai Feng, the three victors, all focused on Vikram, who had narrowly won his way into the semi-finals.

They could all see that Guan Ying had indeed been a bit careless, but Vikram's strength was indeed formidable, and he had been concealing his true abilities.

With a sudden burst of power, he caught Guan Ying off guard.

"Victory."

"Galava, this time, I surpassed you," Vikram exclaimed with excitement, having reached the Fourth Stage High Rank less than half a month ago.

However, he had not ventured into the Starfield Combat Network, waiting instead for the Ten University Freshman Battle to unleash his full potential.

Throughout this competition, from the beginning until now, tens of thousands of Tenzin Nationals had been paying close attention to Galava, and Vikram had also made it to the Top Sixteen, but he had received very little attention.

But today, he had advanced to the semi-finals.

This was the allure of martial arts battles; victory and defeat were uncertain until the very last moment.

"He's in the semi-finals."

"My next opponent is Dantai Feng," Vikram's heart stirred with anticipation: "I'm a Fourth Stage High Rank, and so is he."

"Although my teacher said I'm no match for him."

"But, there's always a glimmer of hope." Vikram's initial goal was to reach the semi-finals.

But now that he had truly broken into the competition's top four, a new ambition was kindled within him.

...

"This Vikram sure knows how to endure."

"Impressive." In the higher-level spectator space, teachers from various countries were discussing the match.

Undoubtedly, Vikram was the most eye-catching contender in the quarter-final battles.

"Damn it!" The black-robed elder, Ba Qiang, felt as if he had swallowed something foul.

Because he watched as his arch-nemesis, Niru, a fellow Tenzin Nationals martial arts professor, received congratulations from many.

"Why can't Guan Ying, a Xia Nationals, be as strong as Li Yuan?" Ba Qiang grumbled to himself.

...

The most crucial semi-finalists had been decided, and the competition continued without even a moment's rest.

The true semi-finals commenced immediately.

"The two semi-final matches will determine the two finalists," the towering host announced with fervor: "In the first semi-final, we have Li Yuan from Kunlun Martial Arts University, the strongest defensive genius of this tournament!"

"He will face Yuming from Starfire University, renowned for his ferocious attacks!"

The entire spectator space erupted in cheers, as the Xia Nationals in the audience celebrated.

The spectators from other nations were relatively quiet, and even a few from Sakura Nation and ASEAN had started to leave.

This was an internal battle within Xia Nation, and their country's participants had already been eliminated.

On the arena.

"Li Yuan, I don't think you're my match," said Yuming calmly, his voice only audible to the two of them. "I just hope for one thing."

"What?" Li Yuan was puzzled.

"After advancing to the finals, defeat that show-off Dantai Feng," Yuming said in a low voice.

Without waiting for Li Yuan to react, Yuming suddenly unleashed his attack.

Boom! Yuming charged directly at Li Yuan, who was momentarily stunned but quickly recovered and stood ready with his spear.

This battle.

Li Yuan and Yuming fought fiercely for a long time, to be precise, this battle was purely a replay of Li Yuan's previous fight with Galava.

Li Yuan focused solely on defense, continuously honing his gun technique.

As for Yuming, he claimed to be inferior to Li Yuan, but when it came to the actual fight, he gave it his all, executing each move with no room for mercy, and his offensive power surpassed even that of Galava.

In the end, their high-intensity battle lasted over ten minutes, providing over 700,000 spectators with an exhilarating display of offense and defense.

Li Yuan emerged victorious in this fight.

Just before the final shot was fired, Li Yuan's voice rang out, "Thank you, Yuming," bringing an end to the battle.

The intense fight with Yuming allowed Li Yuan to gain more insights, bringing him one step closer to a true breakthrough.

"Finals." Li Yuan's eyes flashed with determination as he disappeared from the arena.

...

"Senior Brother has won!"

"He's made it to the finals!" The entire Kunlun Martial Arts University was buzzing with excitement.

"Yuming is a top genius from Starfire University, and Senior Brother defeated him."

"Take the championship!"

"First place!" Many Kunlun Martial Arts University students were already shouting out their hopes for the championship.

Facing one formidable opponent after another, Li Yuan's strength was undeniable as he swept aside all challengers and advanced to the final round.

Not only did this impress the freshmen of the six colleges, but it also earned the respect and pride of all the freshmen at Kunlun Martial Arts University.

...

"After defeating Galava and Yuming, Li Yuan's strength is proven," said Li Yang with a smile. "I hope he can fight without pressure in the finals."

"Mhm," Dean Xu nodded in agreement.

Li Yuan's performance had far exceeded their expectations.

...

Soon, the second semifinal match between Dantai Feng and Vikram commenced.

When Dantai Feng appeared on the arena, many, including Li Yuan, were surprised by his choice of weapon.

Dantai Feng had not switched to the sword and shield but was still wielding twin swords!

"You're still using twin swords?" Vikram felt insulted.

"I'll teach you how to use twin swords, Tenzin man," Dantai Feng said nonchalantly.

"You Xia Nationals are too arrogant," Vikram snapped in response.

Although he also used twin swords, they were the weapons he had trained with since childhood, and combined with his flexibility technique, they allowed him to maximize his strength.

As far as Dantai Feng was concerned, his strongest weapon setup had always been the sword and shield.

"Arrogant?"

"Vikram," Dantai Feng smiled slightly. "Do you know the difference between arrogance and confidence?"

Vikram paused for a moment.

"Strength," Dantai Feng muttered to himself, striking a cool pose. "When my sword slices across your neck, no one will call me arrogant."

Vikram's eyes nearly burst into flames.

"You defeated my teammate."

"Therefore, you still deserve my respect," Dantai Feng said calmly. "I will show you my true strength and send you on your way."

At this moment, Vikram could no longer hold back. He swung his twin swords and charged forward with a battle cry.

Like lightning, he rushed towards Dantai Feng, raising his two battle swords high. In the next second, he would slash at his opponent.

"Flexibility technique?"

"Too slow," Dantai Feng shook his head slightly, his eyes narrowing as they were about to make contact.

Boom! Dantai Feng finally made his move, his explosive speed surpassing Vikram by a large margin. The two battle swords in his hands resembled terrifying rays of light streaking across the sky.

Clang! Clang!

Four terrifying blades of light crossed paths like lightning, followed by a spray of blood!

Bang! Vikram fell heavily to the ground, blood staining his neck, his body gradually going limp.

"Only you're left, Li Yuan," Dantai Feng smiled, looking down at Li Yuan, who stood below with a solemn expression.

...

"Radiant Intent!"

"Mind's Eye!!!" High above in the spectator space, the group of teachers was in an uproar, astonished by what they witnessed.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end