Chapter 229: Otogi Suzuka's Affection, Let's Welcome - Xue Jing Takes the Stage! (4K)

Chapter 229: Otogi Suzuka's Affection, Let's Welcome - Xue Jing Takes the Stage! (4K)



Time ticked by, inching closer and closer to the start of the U19 Finals.

In the athletes' lounge, Yin Mouhu, donned in her training attire, sat on the floor with her legs crossed. Her hands, as large as sand pots, rested calmly on her knees.

Her rugged face, etched with muscular contours, bore hints of feminine delicacy in its features. Her waist-length hair, free from any constraints, fell straight to the ground.

At this moment, wisps of white steam rose from her body, curling upwards as the temperature in the entire lounge continued to climb.

As time passed, it seemed that her formidable physique had subtly diminished, appearing slightly slimmer—or was it just an illusion?

...

In a spacious gym backstage at the arena, Xue Jing stood holding the Forgotten Giant Sword in both hands, swinging it back and forth to cultivate his harmony with this heavyweight weapon.

Having reached Level 10 in [Blade Strike], his exceptionally formidable swordplay prowess, akin to his spear mastery, radiated into the domain of the 'giant sword' at a terrifying pace.

With each passing second and every swing of his blade, his control and proficiency with the giant sword in his hands skyrocketed.

"Huuu—"

The massive sword's sheer size and weight stirred up terrifying currents of air with each strike, whipping up a frenzy within the entire gym.

Not far from Xue Jing, Ning Yuantai squatted atop a barbell rack, idly swiping through videos on his wristband.

Suddenly, Ning Yuantai's eyebrows furrowed, and he exclaimed, "Oh? They're starting to play the pre-game interviews."

He waved his hand in the air, and a pale blue glow emanated from his wristband, projecting a holographic video display.

Ning Yuantai spread his hands apart, and the holographic video promptly expanded, transforming into a large screen three meters wide and two meters tall.

Xue Jing merely glanced sideways at it and then turned back to continue his warm-up swings, paying it little heed.

"Hello everyone, I'm Wei Junwu, one of the contestants for this U19 tournament..."

As the interview video began to play, Ning Yuantai casually remarked, "After this, it'll be the opening ceremony... Brother Xue, didn't you also go for an interview?"

Without turning his head, Xue Jing replied, "Yes."

Ning Yuantai's eyes lit up. "Did you throw down any bold statements? These interviews are more fun when people say something fierce. It's a shame that most people from Zhuxia like to pretend to be humble in front of the camera, even though everyone acts so cocky in their daily lives..."

"Bold statements?" Xue Jing asked casually. "Not really."

As the two chatted, the pre-game interview video continued to play.

Soon, after interviewing over twenty contestants, the video displayed a person who caught Xue Jing's attention.

"Hello to all the viewers from Zhuxia. I am Otogi Suzuka from the Far East, or Qu Ji Linglu in Chinese..."

A gentle voice, ambiguous in gender, resonated, and the audience in the arena erupted into a frenzy of cheers and shouts.

Ning Yuantai scratched his ear with his pinky finger and whistled. "This guy from the Far East is really popular. No wonder he's a world-renowned martial artist."

As he watched the alluring Otogi Suzuka being interviewed, Ning Yuantai couldn't help but voice his doubts. "But is he really a guy? His appearance is just too out of this world."

Xue Jing paused his sword swings, leaning the blade against the ground as he caught his breath. "Yes, he is."

Ning Yuantai shook his head skeptically. "I don't really buy it. Unless this person has been taking female hormones since childhood, but even then, it's unlikely they could have mastered the old martial arts to this extent."

"Those attention-seekers who cross-dress or act effeminate... Even with makeup and beauty filters, those with keen eyes can still spot obvious male characteristics on them. But with Otogi Suzuka, without any makeup or filters, wearing men's clothing, the overwhelming feminine allure of his body can't be hidden."

Ning Yuantai's expression turned solemn as he stroked his chin thoughtfully. "I suspect he's a woman disguised as a man!"

Xue Jing smiled. "I think he just has a pretty face."

As they chatted, Otogi Suzuka's interview continued to play.

"So, among the contestants this time, is there anyone you're particularly interested in?" the interviewer asked.

A smile played at the corners of Otogi Suzuka's mouth, as if recalling a lover, and a gentle expression softened his face. He opened his mouth and said softly,

"Xue Jing... He is the contestant I like the most in this tournament and the opponent I most look forward to facing."

"The interviewer exclaimed in surprise, "Oh? That's an unexpected answer. Your love for martial arts is well-known, and in past interviews, you've undoubtedly always looked forward to facing the strongest opponent. Why the change this time? Do you have some special connection with this Xue Jing competitor?"

Ning Yuantai cursed, "What the hell is this guy talking about? What does he mean by a different answer? Of course, the strongest one is Brother Xue. What a load of rubbish, has he lost his eyesight or something? If his eyes are no longer of use, he should consider donating them to those in need, damn it!"

Xue Jing paid no heed to the interviewer seemingly belittling his statement. To outsiders, Zhou Yinglin, a disciple of the Gun Saint, who had also garnered countless honors in the past, was undoubtedly the strongest competitor in this tournament. This perception couldn't be broken until Xue Jing defeated him.

What concerned Xue Jing was Otogi Suzuka's excessive attention and favor towards him, which made him twitch at the corners of his mouth, feeling a tingling sensation on his scalp.

He really wasn't interested, bro. This wasn't about looks; it was about having the goods to back it up...

"There is some connection... To be honest, I've already had a match with competitor Xue Jing."

Otogi Suzuka covered half of his face with one hand, a look of intoxication and reminiscence on his face. "Ah~ Competitor Xue Jing's fists... They're so comfortable."

"... " Xue Jing's mouth twitched.

The interviewer seemed a bit embarrassed as well. "Er... So that's how it is."

Otogi Suzuka quickly retracted his inappropriate expression, his gentle demeanor returning as he said, "Also, you made a mistake about one thing."

The interviewer was taken aback. "What?"

"There is no 'different'... The competitor I look forward to the most has always been the strongest one."

Otogi Suzuka stood up and turned his head to the side, a happy expression on his face. "Oh? Looks like he's here."

Without waiting for the interview to end, he walked away.

And so Otogi Suzuka's interview video ended.

After watching it, Ning Yuantai nodded in satisfaction.

"This guy has good taste. I'm even more convinced that he's a woman disguised as a man..."

Xue Jing sighed and asked, "How so?"

"To like you to such an extent, it's hard not to suspect his gender... Ah, I'm different. My admiration for you is purely platonic." Ning Yuantai waved his hands repeatedly.

After resting for a while, Xue Jing continued to swing the giant sword, the blade stirring up howling gusts of wind.

The video then moved on to the next competitor's interview... It was Xue Jing's turn.

Perhaps it was in the order of filming, or perhaps it was intentional to contrast with Otogi Suzuka's previous statement, but when Xue Jing appeared on screen and introduced himself, a commotion broke out in the audience.

Ning Yuantai's eyes lit up. "So cool, Brother Xue!"

However, Xue Jing paid no attention to his own interview, continuing to swing the giant sword with his back to the projection.

Although he himself didn't care, as the interview video played, his 'arrogant' statements caused the commotion in the audience to grow louder with each word, wave after wave of noise crashing over them.

"There's no one in particular that I need to pay special attention to. They all seem about the same to me."

"Who's Zhou Yinglin?"

"..."

Ning Yuantai, beside him, happily gave him a thumbs-up. "Brother Xue, you nailed it! That's the attitude I want to see, as expected of you!"

Xue Jing didn't reply.

"There's an ancient Egyptian saying—'Only two animals can reach the top of the pyramid, the eagle and the snail.'"

"Don't be discouraged. You have a chance to catch up to me, so keep at it."

As the video showed Xue Jing speaking his final words and walking away, the commotion in the arena suddenly quieted for a moment.

Then, a deafening roar of voices erupted, seemingly intent on flipping the entire arena.

Xue Jing and Ning Yuantai, in the gym, could feel the ground tremble beneath their feet.

"I... Wow," Ning Yuantai exclaimed, stunned.

"Brother Xue... You should start a class on how to show off. I'll be the first to sign up."

"I want to learn how to show off too."

Xue Jing didn't turn his head. "You can't learn this. It's a natural talent."

Ning Yuantai scratched his head. "Huh? Natural show-off?"

...

At that moment, countless others witnessed the same scene.

In the athletes' lounge.

"That's him, Senior Song! That's the guy!"

"Damn, who does he think he is? How dare he say something like that?" A young man named Xiong Ge, his body wrapped in bandages with his left arm in a cast, pointed at the video of Xue Jing and cursed.

"Shut up." Beside him, a young man with his legs crossed and his hands folded together frowned slightly and spoke calmly.

The young man's voice wasn't loud, but Xiong Ge reacted as if he'd been scolded by his parents, immediately falling silent with a fearful expression on his face.

The boy stared at Xue Jing with wide eyes, murmuring, "Those aren't empty threats. He means every word... He's a true powerhouse."

"Interesting."

In the U19 Chief Administrator's office, Zhou Yinglin sat upright in Chief Administrator Li Ziyu's chair, while Li stood respectfully by his side.

Zhou's sharp eyes, like those of a hawk, seemed to have found his prey, ready to swoop down and make the kill.

In Qingcheng, at Xue Jing's home, Xue Wan and Zong Sichan watched their master on TV, their hands clasped excitedly.

"So handsome, so handsome, Master! I can't take it anymore!"

"As expected of my little bean, this kid has always known how to speak!"

In the First Metropolitan Circle, the Inner Ring, in Jingcheng.

In a certain room, a youthful-looking girl squatted on the bed, hugging a pillow as she watched Xue Jing on the screen before her, whispering, "Little junior disciple..."

She hugged the pillow tighter.

...

The pre-match interviews concluded with Zhou Yinglin as the grand finale.

"I will win the championship, and it's only natural that I will."

Amid the gentle tone, a wave of cheers erupted from the audience, even louder than the response to Xue Jing's previous statement.

"His popularity is still so high. Even though he's from the First Metropolitan Circle, it feels like he's playing on his home turf."

Ning Yuantai exclaimed in surprise.

When the cheers gradually subsided, a lively background music filled the arena.

"The opening ceremony performance is about to start, Xue Jing. It's almost time for you to make your entrance."

Ning Yuantai called out to Xue Jing.

Xue Jing paused his swings with the giant sword, his body glistening with a thin layer of sweat. The intense heat emanating from his body created a faint mist as it came into contact with the outside air.

His warm-up was complete.

Xue Jing nodded and, holding the Forgotten Giant Sword upside down, walked towards his resting area.

When he reached the resting area, a staff member with a work permit hanging around their neck was already waiting at the door, pacing back and forth anxiously.

As soon as he saw Xue Jing approaching, the staff member breathed a sigh of relief... After all, according to the records, this athlete had a history of being late.

Thankfully, it seems like he has a sense of time. The last incident must have been an exception.

"Xue Jing, your match is about to start. Please follow me to the staging area."

Xue Jing nodded at him. "Let's go."

Following the staff member, it took about ten minutes for Xue Jing to reach the staging area.

Ahead was the athlete's entrance, leading to the large arena beyond.

He leaned the Forgotten Giant Sword against the floor, his hands gripping the sword's hilt as he waited quietly for the opening ceremony to conclude.

Soon, the singing and music stopped, and the announcer's voice boomed through the speakers.

"Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to the 37th U19 Unlimited Elite Fighting Competition Yuancheng Finals! I'm your commentator, Tao Xingxiu!"

"After three months of intense competition, we have finally reached this day..."

The commentator continued enthusiastically, introducing the event and expressing gratitude to sponsors and official guiding units.

Finally, it was time to introduce the athletes entering the arena.

"...So, without further ado, let's welcome our first athlete—Yin Mouhu!"

A passionate and heavy background music filled the arena.

"Introducing Yin Mouhu from the Outer Ring Rongcheng Diamond Fist Dojo. Her style of choice is the renowned 'Diamond Fist As-You-Wish Hand'..."

The commentator's enthusiastic introduction continued.

Applause echoed through the audience, but the response wasn't too enthusiastic. With Xue Jing's keen hearing, he could even make out some of the conversations amid the clapping.

"From the Outer Ring... Haha, just a filler..."

"What a strange-looking person... Is that a woman?"

Xue Jing couldn't catch much more as the commentator's voice soon drowned out the audience's chatter.

"Let's turn our attention to the big screen and take a look at Yin Mouhu's hexagonal data..."

"Attack: 9, Speed: 8, Defense: 9, Technique: 10, Spirit: 9, Intelligence: 8."

"Wow, her data is quite impressive! No wonder she made it to the finals!"

"Yin Mouhu's expression is remarkably calm. She seems eager and raring to go, with an air of battle-readiness emanating from her entire being."

"Then, who is the opponent that has her so eager and anticipatory?"

"Let's welcome with applause—Xue Jing!"

...

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end