Chapter 250: Xue Jing Takes the Stage, An Easy Kill Without Lifting a Finger, Consciousness Slash (4

Chapter 250: Xue Jing Takes the Stage, An Easy Kill Without Lifting a Finger, Consciousness Slash (4K)



After Wei Junwu left the stage, he made his way to the spectator area with his arms drooping and a few new bullet holes. He grimaced and said:

"Zhou Yinglin is as strong as ever. I was thinking that he might be demoralized after his loss to Old Xue, and I might have a slight chance..."

Yin Mushu shot him a glance. "If anyone's morale would be affected, it's against Old Xue. As for you..."

Wei Junwu: "You know but don't want to say it, Yin sis!"

Yin Mushu couldn't help but retort to his familiarity, "Who's your sister?"

Wei Junwu turned his attention to Xue Jing and said, "Old Xue, I have a feeling that Zhou Yinglin came prepared. Knowing the huge gap in strength between you two, he still didn't withdraw, and his mentality seems steady. He must have something up his sleeve..."

"It's impressive that he recovered from the injuries you gave him just the other day. His access to medical resources is truly enviable... If two equally skilled opponents were competing, the one with these medical conditions would have a huge advantage, which wouldn't be fair at all..."

As they chatted, the competition continued.

In the second match, Song Nanxing defeated Chen Chao, who suffered his second consecutive loss and was eliminated.

In the third match, Ogasuzuka defeated Li Miu, eliminating Li Miu with two consecutive losses.

Seeing this outcome, Wei Junwu began to scratch his head.

There was no doubt about the fourth match. Anyone on the street, even a dog, could predict that Xue Jing would win against Huang Lu, who had lost to him the day before.

This meant that Song Nanxing, Ogasuzuka, and Xue Jing had all secured their spots in the top four with two consecutive wins.

The remaining slot would be contested between Wei Junwu and Zhou Yinglin, both with one win and one loss... In other words, Wei Junwu would have to face Zhou Yinglin again.

"...Welcome back to the U19 Finals quarterfinals, I'm your host, Tao Xingxiu!"

The commentator's voice echoed throughout the arena.

"After the first three matches, two contestants have already advanced to the semifinals. And now..."

His words were immediately drowned out by the deafening cheers of the audience.

First, there was a huge cheer, followed by a rhythmic chanting of a name that grew louder and more synchronized.

"Xue Jing! Xue Jing! Xue Jing! ..."

At first, the voices were chaotic, but as the audience adjusted to match each other's rhythm, the chanting became more unified and louder.

"Xue Jing! Xue Jing! Xue Jing! ..."

Towards the end, it felt like a tsunami of voices, each one threatening to engulf the entire arena.

This unprecedented level of support, with twenty thousand spectators cheering as one, was enough to make any competitor with slightly weaker mental fortitude tremble and the supported competitor's blood boil with excitement, their Qi surging.

This was why having a home field advantage was crucial in any public sporting event.

However, Xue Jing stood in the competitor observation area, seemingly unaffected by the cheers, his palm resting on the now-repaired railing.

Just as he hadn't been influenced by the audience's support for Zhou Yinglin earlier, he remained unmoved now.

External voices, whether of support or disparagement, held no sway over him.

He turned and walked backstage toward the staging area to prepare for his match.

The guide had been waiting at the entrance for a long time and immediately bowed respectfully when he saw Xue Jing approaching.

"Contestant Xue Jing, please follow me..."

...

"...We can all hear the enthusiasm of the audience, and it's truly remarkable."

As the cheers gradually subsided, the commentator's astonished voice rang out.

"It seems that everyone is highly anticipating the next competitor's performance..."

"Without further ado, let's welcome the contestants onto the stage!

"First, let's welcome Huang Lu!"

A young figure emerged from the competitor's passage.

The audience responded with enthusiastic applause.

However, this applause was more to comfort than to cheer.

It was as if they were applauding a brave warrior who knew he was walking to his death but still dared to challenge a terrifying arch-demon.

"Go for it, Mr. Huang!"

"Touching the hem of Xue's robe counts as a victory!"

"Hope he makes it out unscathed."

"He seems to be trembling..."

"You'd be shaking too if you were in his shoes. Who knows what parts Xue the Arch-demon might pluck off..."

"To be honest, it takes guts for Huang Lu not to forfeit but to step onto the stage. I bet he's already scared out of his wits, maybe even wet his pants a little..."

Huang Lu slowly made his way onto the stage, his mouth twitching.

If he could have conceded, he would have done so long ago...

The problem was that in martial arts competitions, conceding without even fighting would earn him the reputation of being a coward. He would be branded with shame and ostracized.

Especially as a signed athlete for a club, any damage to his personal brand value would also hurt the club's interests, and he would have to pay a hefty breach of contract fee.

He had discussed with the club whether he could concede, as Xue the Demon King's methods were truly fearsome.

But in the end, the club forced him to go through with it.

Now, his heart was pounding with anxiety, and he just hoped that Xue the Demon King would show some mercy and leave him with a whole and intact body...

"Mr. Huang Lu doesn't seem to be in the best condition. Did he not rest well yesterday?" The commentator's voice rang out, offering a polite excuse for Huang Lu's state.

"That's not good. He's about to face an opponent where even with full preparation, one would still feel utterly hopeless against..."

"Let's welcome—Xue Jing!"

As soon as the commentator finished speaking, applause erupted, ten times louder than when Huang Lu had entered.

The tall figure appearing at the exit of the competitor's passageway elicited countless screams and cheers.

"Old Xue's popularity is incredible right now; it's just too exaggerated," Wei Junwu exclaimed.

"After all, Zhou Yinglin became his stepping stone. There's no quicker way to gain fame than defeating someone already famous... Half of the reason for this lies with you," Song Nanxing said flatly, standing beside him.

Wei Junwu raised his injured hand and pointed at his nose. "If it weren't for your big mouth, saying that Zhou Yinglin would kill Xue Jing on stage, blowing things out of proportion and stirring up so much heat that Xue Jing was attacked by Zhou Yinglin's fans, the backlash wouldn't be so intense now."

Song Nanxing patted Wei Junwu's shoulder. "If Zhou Yinglin comes to his senses and remembers this, he will definitely bear a grudge against you. You'd better watch out."

Wei Junwu: "..."

...

The audience's applause and cheers continued even after Xue Jing stepped onto the stage.

The photographers once again circled around Xue Jing on the raised platform, performing the customary 360-degree all-angle surround shoot... but this time, they were even more meticulous.

The captured footage was clearly displayed on the giant screen at the venue and the live broadcast. His handsome features caused a wave of "my husband" bullets to burst out on various live broadcast platforms.

"After yesterday's battle that shocked the nation, Xue Jing has shattered everyone's perception of him, displaying his unmatched talent and overwhelming strength..." The commentator went on and on with his praise for Xue Jing.

"...So, let's take a look at Xue Jing's new hexagonal data chart."

"Attack?, Speed?, Defense?, Technique?, Mind?, Intelligence?... Hmm, it seems things have returned to the beginning. All attributes are question marks, indicating they are beyond measurement!"

"But unlike the beginning, the question marks on Xue Jing's data chart now represent not the unknown but a transcendence beyond limits, reaching an unknown realm that no U19 athlete in history has ever entered!"

"What kind of match will such an extraordinary athlete beyond our understanding bring us?"

"Without further ado, let the match... begin!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the referee, standing between the two competitors on the stage, unconsciously moved a little closer to Huang Lu and slightly away from Xue Jing.

He waved his hand between the two to signal the start of the match and quickly slipped off the stage, faster than in any previous match.

Xue Jing turned his gaze to his opponent.

With his sharp eyes, he could easily tell that the boy named Huang Lu was filled with fear and had no intention to fight, his desire to turn and run away almost written on his face. His qi, essential for martial artists in battle, had dropped to its lowest point.

Xue Jing shook his head slightly, feeling somewhat uninterested.

After all, this was someone who had made it to the top eight in the U19 Finals, yet he was so unremarkable.

How boring.

After some thought, Xue Jing didn't even feel like making a move.

He turned his gaze slightly to Huang Lu's left shoulder.

Huang Lu had started with his fists up, standing on guard at his original spot, too afraid to make the slightest move.

Xue Jing had no intention of taking the offensive. Instead, he thought about evading or enduring two of Huang Lu's moves before conceding...

Just then, suddenly, Huang Lu's arms were severed at the roots, falling to the ground with gushing, viscous blood. The cut was incredibly smooth, as if sliced by an incredibly sharp divine weapon.

Cold sweat broke out on Huang Lu's head as intense pain surged through him, causing him to cry out and cover his arms.

But soon, he came to his senses and looked at his arms...

They were intact. Unharmed? What was going on? Had he imagined it?

The audience was equally perplexed, unsure of what had just transpired.

"What's Huang Lu doing? Is he trying to scam us?"

"His acting skills are terrible. How can he pretend to faint before Xue the Demon King even makes a move?"

Only a handful of people in the audience glanced at this scene with a flicker of understanding in their eyes.

On the stage, Xue Jing turned his gaze slightly to Huang Lu's thigh.

"Swish—!"

Two blades of light flashed, slicing the thigh into three segments.

Huang Lu fell to the ground, screaming and clutching his thigh.

"Ahh!"

But soon, he regained his senses again, only to find his thigh still intact.

However, the pain remained, so real it was almost unbelievable.

He looked at Xue Jing with a cold sweat on his head, completely bewildered.

At this moment, Xue Jing shifted his gaze to Huang Lu's neck.

"Swish—!!!"

Huang Lu only saw an incredibly swift and rapid blade of light, moving too fast for him to react, as it sliced across his neck, decapitating him.

The last sensation of pain hit him, and he rolled his eyes back, falling backward and losing consciousness.

"Huh?"

The audience was left confused, watching Huang Lu lying on the ground, passed out.

"What's with this acting?! Get up and fight! At least make Xue the Demon King move a little!"

"Fck your mother, refund me!"

"His acting skills are terrible. He should've at least waited for Xue the Demon King to make a move before pretending to faint. There was no need to be so scared."

In the contestant observation area, Okarikurikume's enchanting eyes sparkled with excitement as she murmured:

"Xue... Have you already reached such a realm?"

Yin Mushu quickly asked, "What's going on?"

Okarikurikume softly whispered, "Consciousness Slash..."

On the stage, Xue Jing turned around and slowly walked toward the backstage area.

Although the referee didn't quite understand what was happening, seeing Huang Lu lying on the ground and Xue Jing acting as if the match was over, he quickly blew his whistle and declared Xue Jing the winner.

The match ended with most of the audience still confused and bewildered.

On his way back to the contestant lounge, Xue Jing opened the panel to take a look.

[...Aiming Experience +626]



[...Soldier Master Experience +537]



[...Contemplation·True Experience +692]



...

The technique he had just used was called 'Consciousness Slash', a mental application skill.

Unlike 'Moon Reading Slash', which was based on the semi-substantiation of spiritual power, 'Consciousness Slash' was a pure realm.

Martial artists tirelessly tempered their bodies, and a strong body, in turn, nourished the spirit, causing one's spiritual will to gradually grow stronger, eventually reaching a level where it could influence one's 'self-reality'.

When a person's proficiency with a particular weapon reached a certain level and was infused with their spirit, this phenomenon would occur.

When one intends to slash their opponent with a blade, the very thought, coupled with absolute confidence in their ability to strike their foe, would instantly influence their opponent's spirit, causing them to experience a realistic illusion of being slashed, complete with genuine pain.

This was similar to how a powerful killing intent could make someone experience the illusion of being killed, but the difficulty of the Consciousness Slash was several levels higher.

Xue Jing had only reached this realm the day before, after his Soldier Strike evolved into Soldier Master.

"Boring."

Xue Jing shook his head and returned to the lounge.

...

With Xue Jing's match concluded, the quarterfinals swiftly came to an end.

The last match was between Wei Junwu and Zhou Yinglin. After taking the stage, Wei Junwu seemed to recall Song Nanxing's words, as he immediately conceded due to his injuries, doing so decisively.

Next was a three-day break before the semifinals would commence.

However, as Xue Jing was about to return to the Ziguo Base after the match, he encountered another troublesome matter.

In the parking lot, he looked at the person in front of him, dressed in a black robe, who seemed vaguely familiar. "Who are you?"

...

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end