Chapter 145: Zhao Manying

Chapter 145: Zhao Manying

Clang! Clang!

Ji Xinghuo and his opponent suddenly separated, each backing away by several meters.

A strange force emanated from the battle dagger, surging into his arm and then his body, like an endless wave crashing with relentless force, erupting three times in quick succession. With each eruption, he was forced to retreat several steps, his internal organs rattling and his muscles convulsing, making it difficult to muster any strength.

"Puh..."

Ji Xinghuo spit out a mouthful of blood, finally feeling some relief.

"This Tidal Force is indeed formidable!"

He couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

In the second round of the battle, his opponent had immediately unleashed a top-tier star force, infusing each attack and contact with the mysterious Tidal Force, making it extremely difficult to defend against as it drilled into his own explosive bursts of strength.

The Tidal Force transformed the star force into a pervasive power that seemed to penetrate all defenses.

True to its name, it was like an endless tide, relentlessly washing over him with its incredible penetrating power and delayed explosive effect. When combined with blocking and counterattacking, it could even rebound his own strength back at him, amplifying the damage inflicted on his body.

Despite Ji Xinghuo's cautious vigilance, after being caught off guard once, he made sure to avoid any further direct contact with his opponent. Nonetheless, he found it impossible to completely evade her assaults.

However, she was also suffering.

Every time Ji Xinghuo had no choice but to engage, their blades clashed or their bodies made contact, and he would inflict wounds upon her in exchange for his own injuries. His battle dagger had left numerous cuts on her body.

He would never give her the opportunity to capitalize on the bursts of the Tidal Force to pursue him relentlessly.

At this moment, she was bleeding all over, her clothes torn in multiple places by his dagger, exposing large areas of skin.

Ji Xinghuo, of course, had no interest in her virtual body, nor did he have any intention of showing mercy. His sole thought was to defeat her!

"Hu..."

Ji Xinghuo took a deep breath, steadying himself against the lingering effects of the Tidal Force eruptions.

He was curious as to how she had achieved such a feat. His microscopic perception, which greatly aided him in close-quarters combat, felt like a cheat code that gave him an invincible edge. Since acquiring this ability, he had always been one step ahead in battles, easily spotting his enemies' weaknesses and devising strategies to defeat them, even if they seemed flawless.

However, when facing this opponent, the effectiveness of his microscopic perception seemed to diminish.

He still had complete awareness of his surroundings.

His combat strategy, techniques, strength, and skill remained unchanged, as reliable as ever. Yet, when applied against this opponent, the results were always less than satisfactory.

Perhaps he was always one step away from success.

This opponent was not without flaws, and her combat experience was undoubtedly extensive. However, her incredibly fast reaction speed and absolute calm under pressure were what truly set her apart.

No matter how dire the situation, she always managed to respond correctly and devise a solution!

Ji Xinghuo felt that fighting her was like engaging in a question-and-answer session.

He posed the questions, and she provided the answers.

Although he maintained the overall advantage and dominated the battle, no matter how challenging the questions he posed, she always managed to provide answers within the time limit.

His offense and defense were unpredictable, with no fixed patterns.

Her defense and counterattack, however, remained steadfast, like a machine systematically dismantling his attacks.

These two vastly different combat styles achieved equally astonishing results, and after several minutes of intense fighting, they remained evenly matched.

"What an incredible innate talent for martial arts..."

Ji Xinghuo couldn't help but marvel at her prowess.

Everyone on Earth knew that Zhao Manying's talent was unparalleled in history, but only when facing her in battle did one truly understand just how terrifying she was.

He couldn't help but feel a twinge of insecurity, as her talent was genuine, while he relied on external aids.

Nevertheless, he knew he had gained a lot from this encounter.

Even if the outcome of this battle remained undecided, sparring with an opponent of such caliber had granted him more improvement in his martial arts than a thousand ranked matches could have.

This was his reason for entering the Martial World every day!

Ji Xinghuo's gaze locked with hers.

Her eyes, too, were filled with a fierce battle intent, and her spirit was unwavering. It was clear that she was astonished by his martial prowess and yearned to defeat him.

"Again!"

Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, Ji Xinghuo raised his battle dagger and advanced.

Clang!

Their blades clashed, and their figures passed by each other.

Ji Xinghuo forcibly suppressed the pain of the Tidal Force erupting within his body and countered with a swift step, leaving another gash on his opponent. Blood gushed forth, but it did not hinder her swordplay in the slightest. A sword light, like a surging tide, enveloped Ji Xinghuo, trapping him within.

However, he easily discerned the true sword blade within the dazzling display of light and ignored the harmless strikes, relying on his Iron Shirt Force to withstand the blows.

As his right leg stamped forcefully on the ground, the Flying Swallow Force erupted from his feet.

He became as swift and graceful as a flying swallow, his speed increasing by another notch while retaining unparalleled agility.

With a reverse grip on his dagger, he deflected her longsword and slashed upward, his dagger tip slicing through the gap between her chest and abdomen, piercing through her Iron Shirt Force and leaving a deep, bone-exposing wound.

Without a backward glance, Ji Xinghuo swiftly created distance between them with a nimble step.

As he steadied himself, he spat out another mouthful of blood. Finally, the two Tidal Forces raging within his body could no longer be suppressed, erupting simultaneously.

The intensified muscle convulsions and pain almost caused Ji Xinghuo to lose his balance, and even his grip on his dagger loosened.

He was in a dire state.

If this were a real-life battle, he knew he wouldn't be in such a miserable condition. The combination of his rotating magnetic field and Golden Scale Iron Spine would have mitigated the effects of the Tidal Forces, even if he had been struck by them.

However, he was certain that the real-life Zhao Manying would have more tricks up her sleeve than just the Tidal Force.

Ji Xinghuo turned back to face his opponent.

Her condition was even worse than his, mainly due to excessive blood loss.

Regardless of her calm demeanor and high pain tolerance, she was still subject to the laws of physics, and excessive blood loss would inevitably affect her speed and reaction time.

This was also true in the virtual Martial World.

As the battle dragged on, Ji Xinghuo could see the scales of victory tipping in his favor.

"It seems you're about to win again," she said, looking at her wounds without a hint of frown or dismay. "It's been a long time since I've encountered an opponent like you on the Martial Platform. This battle has been exhilarating, and I've learned a lot. Good fight, good fight!"

Ji Xinghuo nodded, "Shall we continue?"

Battle, separate.

Fight again, then part ways once more.

This intense battle lasted for a full ten minutes, longer and more challenging than any of Ji Xinghuo's previous encounters. Yet, his entire being was ablaze with fervor, entering a state of profound focus where only one person and one goal remained in his sights.

Finally, after the twenty-fourth exchange, Ji Xinghuo immediately sensed his opponent's condition taking a turn for the worse as she struggled to keep up with his pace.

Clang!

Once again, their weapons rang out in unison.

Ji Xinghuo's dagger pierced his opponent's heart, while her longsword failed to breach his Iron Shirt Force, causing her sword arm to droop powerlessly.

A bright white light illuminated the scene, signifying the end of the bout.

Ji Xinghuo's pain vanished, his body restored to its pristine state, but he felt a deep mental fatigue.

What an exhausting battle! Microscopic perception consumed star force, and the more intense the fight, the greater the drain, posing a heavy burden on the mind.

Fortunately, he had emerged victorious.

Ji Xinghuo turned his gaze towards the opposite side of the arena. After two consecutive wins, the system prohibited further challenges, and if he wanted to continue, he would have to add his opponent as a friend and send an invitation for a personal challenge, with the outcome, win or lose, having no bearing on their ratings. This was to prevent gaming the system.

He remained silent, awaiting his opponent's reaction.

"I'm Zhao Manying," she said cheerfully, a smile spreading across her face. "Congratulations on defeating the number one on the Tower, and not just once, but twice."

It was her indeed!

After the initial shock, Ji Xinghuo now felt a surge of delight.

Just as Zhao Manying had stated, he had defeated the top-ranked player on the virtual martial arts platform. While it didn't represent one's full strength, Zhao Manying was renowned for her innate martial arts talent, and overcoming her was proof enough of his prowess! If this news spread, his name would surely resonate across the globe.

"You don't seem too bothered about losing," Ji Xinghuo remarked, somewhat surprised.

"Who can remain undefeated forever?" Zhao Manying replied with a carefree attitude. "You should know that in the first two years after I joined the Emperor Star Club, I lost far more than I won in the league. Before attaining the rank of Martial Arts Master, I lost many competitions. In the future, I will undoubtedly lose again. Failure is the main theme of life; it's quite normal."

Ji Xinghuo fell silent.

This was the difference in mentality between a competition prodigy and a star realm prodigy. In the star realm, exploring and adventuring, one could not afford a single loss.

A single defeat could cost you everything, even your life.

"I hope I can remain undefeated forever!" Ji Xinghuo thought to himself.

"Failure is not terrifying, but it's essential to learn from our mistakes, grow stronger, and make a comeback next time," Zhao Manying said as she approached Ji Xinghuo to observe him up close. "I gained a lot from today's battle; you are a formidable opponent. Shall we add each other as friends to facilitate future matches?"

"Sure," Ji Xinghuo replied.

He found it challenging to refuse such a proposal. Moreover, he sensed that Zhao Manying had a lively and open personality, devoid of the arrogance one might expect from the top-ranked player, making her quite amiable.

Zhao Manying sent a friend request, which Ji Xinghuo promptly accepted.

"Huh?"

She exclaimed in surprise, "You're only 24 years old?"

After adding each other as friends, they could view each other's profiles. Zhao Manying's first interest was Ji Xinghuo's age. Earlier, she had guessed from his voice that he was young and not a Martial Arts Master, but she hadn't expected them to be the same age.

"What's wrong?" Ji Xinghuo asked.

He, too, was perusing Zhao Manying's profile. Her nickname was "Zhao Ke2201," her rank was Martial Arts Master, and she had participated in a total of over 20,000 matches with a 97% win rate!

There was no doubt that this was the real Zhao Manying.

"You're so young! I thought you were at least 35 or older," Zhao Manying marveled, not at all surprised by Ji Xinghuo's 100% win rate. If she had registered a new account, she could also achieve a thousand consecutive wins and soar straight to the ninth rank of Martial Arts.

"Are you a member of the Asian Union?" Zhao Manying inquired.

"Yes."

"Do you live in Chang'an?"

"That's right."

"Which month were you born in?"

"July."

As they exchanged questions and answers, Zhao Manying suddenly laughed, "I was born in November, so I'm four months younger than you. Thankfully, I'm younger... "

Ji Xinghuo was perplexed. What was so fortunate about that?

Seeming to read his confusion, Zhao Manying explained, "It's a relief that I'm younger than you. If I were defeated by someone younger than me, it would be a bit embarrassing, and I wouldn't want to admit it to others."

"Er..."

Ji Xinghuo was at a loss for words, unable to comprehend her line of thought.

She didn't seem to mind losing her top spot on the Tower, but she cared about her opponent's age. Wasn't this line of thinking a bit skewed?

All he could say was, "I won't tell anyone."

"It doesn't matter if others know. Oh... You said you were a nobody, but I'm not so sure about that. Why else would you choose to remain anonymous?" Zhao Manying studied Ji Xinghuo intently, a thoughtful expression on her face. "You're 24 years old and have superior martial arts talent to mine. How could you be unknown? Who are you, really? Let me guess... You're probably someone on the Tower, right...?"

Ji Xinghuo's heart skipped a beat.

He realized that Zhao Manying's personality was vastly different from her public image. In the news, she was reserved, speaking little, and her expressionless demeanor gave the impression of a distant, cool-headed goddess.

Now, after interacting with her, he found that while she was indeed tall, she was far from cold.

Instead, she seemed quite outgoing.

"I'll definitely be able to figure out your true identity with some time," Zhao Manying said, circling Ji Xinghuo with a mischievous smile. "New Heaven 2225, why don't you tell me yourself?"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end