Chapter 357: Three Punches to Victory

Chapter 357: Three Punches to Victory

As Ji Xinghuo exited the spiritual realm, he was immediately greeted by deafening cheers from the audience outside the soundproof booth. Hundreds of thousands of spectators roared in unison, their enthusiastic applause echoing like tidal waves.

Even the host and commentators were caught up in the excitement.

"Ji Xinghuo wins the second round! He's just one battle away from ultimate victory!"

"Ladies and gentlemen, tonight we will bear witness to history."

"No one can doubt Ji Xinghuo's strength now. Although he's merely a legendary anomaly, he undoubtedly possesses the power of a King. These two battles are enough to propel him onto the King's Ranking, placing him among the top 50 strongest individuals in the world!"

"I'm still reeling from the previous fight. Those final strikes from Ji Xinghuo were simply breathtaking..."

"It's understandable that he lost the first round as he was testing the waters and unfamiliar with his opponent."

"Losing the second round, however, would have been truly dangerous."

Not only the live audience and commentators but also hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide shared their insights with those around them or vented their emotions through online comments.

At the same time, overseas bookmakers witnessed a drastic drop in the odds for Ji Xinghuo.

While Li Xuan's odds skyrocketed.

Several statistical websites provided real-time updates, showing a complete reversal in their win rates. Ji Xinghuo's win rate had climbed to a staggering 99%!

The headlines pushed by the media were increasingly eye-catching.

It seemed like the entire world was celebrating, except for one wounded soul—Li Xuan.

Ji Xinghuo turned towards the opposite platform. Li Xuan had just climbed out of the projection cabin, his expression calm, but his eyes couldn't hide his heaviness and panic. He even forgot to maintain his image and dared not face the cameras, retreating directly back to his private room.

The audience also witnessed this, and one of the commentators couldn't help but remark, "It looks like it's over for Li Jianxia."

The host, being hired by Li Xuan, tried to save face, "Victory and defeat are common occurrences in life. No one expected Ji Xinghuo's strength to be so formidable. We shouldn't be too harsh on Li Jianxia."

"Li Jianxia is standing at the precipice now, with only one last chance remaining," said another commentator solemnly.

"Coming back from a 2-0 deficit is a slim hope."

"He still has a glimmer of hope. Perhaps a miracle will happen," the host said nonchalantly. "Let's wait and see."

At that moment, the screen presented a replay of the live broadcast, and they began to review and analyze the match.

Ji Xinghuo returned to his private room as well.

As soon as he entered, he smiled at Zhao Manying, "Just one more to go."

"Your strength has increased tremendously since your ascension to the Legendary realm. Even I'm having a hard time keeping up," Zhao Manying said joyfully.

The family members were filled with delight.

Wang Yindong looked at Ji Xinghuo and sighed, "It seems our previous agreement to spar is no longer necessary."

"Why is that?" Ji Xinghuo asked, puzzled.

"With my understanding of ADC, after you win this third round, you'll immediately become the first on the Legendary Ranking, pushing me down to second place," Wang Yindong shook his head helplessly. "Regarding your number one spot, I wholeheartedly admit that you're stronger than me."

Ji Xinghuo shrugged, "If you still want to spar, I'll gladly oblige anytime."

The An Yitian siblings were also full of emotion.

"My ranking on the Legendary Ranking isn't that high to begin with. Does that mean I'll drop another place?" Su Ziyu scratched his chin in dismay. He had always valued his ranking and frequently challenged those above him.

Ji Xinghuo laughed, "It doesn't make much difference whether you're 133rd or 134th."

"Ah, I guess you're right..." Su Ziyu sighed.

Zhao Manying turned her gaze towards the opposite private room, her exquisite face revealing a hint of schadenfreude. "I wonder if Li Xuan is considering conceding?"

Everyone followed her gaze.

They saw Li Xuan sitting in his room, his team members and friends keeping a respectful distance, not daring to speak to him. Li Xuan's expression was even grimmer, his eyes half-closed as he sat motionless, deep in thought.

Su Ziyu chuckled, "If I were Li Xuan, I'd probably be feeling suicidal right about now. Hahaha..."

Zhao Manying spoke in a soft voice, "Initially, he wanted to ride on Xinghuo's popularity and use him for his show, but now he's capsized in the gutter, and it's all his doing."

When she had first become famous, Li Xuan had caused her no small amount of disgust.

Though she had put that incident behind her, his recent actions of provoking her boyfriend only served to worsen her impression of him, leaving only disdain.

Now, with Ji Xinghuo making him pay a hefty price, Zhao Manying felt a sense of satisfaction.

"It's embarrassing for a King to lose to a Legendary," remarked Chi Zhonglin, shaking his head.

"Is it embarrassing to lose to me?" Ji Xinghuo smiled, "This defeat, which is currently a stain on his record, will one day become his honor."

The people in the room were taken aback, but soon understood the implication of his words.

"How bold!"

Chi Zhonglin exclaimed with a hint of envy, "Damn, you've shown him who's boss! I'm jealous!"

The others were left speechless.

At that moment, the large screen replayed the final moments of the second round, even in slow motion, leaving the audience dumbfounded. They struggled to comprehend how Ji Xinghuo had pulled it off. Especially after each 'Lightning Cut', he immediately turned and struck again without losing speed, as if inertia didn't exist, defying the laws of physics.

Wang Yindong wanted to say something but stopped himself.

The An Yitian siblings also stared at Ji Xinghuo, wanting to ask but feeling awkward.

"There's no need to guess anymore," Ji Xinghuo said, knowing that they would eventually figure it out. "This is the effect of the exotic ability 'Acceleration'."

Ji Xinghuo didn't elaborate further on the specifics of the Acceleration ability.

"Acceleration!" Wang Yindong's eyes lit up. "From the name, it should be a conceptual ability. What rank is it?"

"A Starfall ability," Ji Xinghuo replied.

"Damn!"

There were gasps of surprise in the box.

Several Legends lost hope. If it had been an ultra-limit exotic, they might have had a slim chance, but a Starfall exotic meant the possibility of obtaining it was infinitely close to zero. There was no point in wishful thinking.

Only Zhao Manying, who already knew about it, remained unfazed and did not express any surprise.

"Time's up," Ji Xinghuo said as he stood up. There were only a few seconds left on the five-minute preparation time for the third round displayed on the large screen, and he flew out of the box and into the soundproof booth.

However, Li Xuan did not come down from the opposite platform.

In the live broadcast, Li Xuan's face showed hesitation, as if he was considering something important and couldn't make a decision.

Instantly, all eyes fell on him. The host and commentators exchanged glances but dared not voice their thoughts.

"Is Li Jianxia thinking of forfeiting the match?"

"Did losing two rounds in a row shatter his confidence, leaving him without the courage to face Ji Xinghuo again?"

"If that's the case, he would be a disgrace to the Kings!"

The audience whispered among themselves.

Finally, the host said, "Li Jianxia is under a lot of pressure. This isn't just a simple duel; there's also the wager they agreed upon. Anyone would feel tense if they were in his position, knowing that losing one more round would result in a loss of over 200 billion in wealth."

At that moment, one of the commentators exclaimed, "Ji Xinghuo didn't bring any weapons!"

The audience then noticed that Ji Xinghuo had indeed entered the soundproof booth empty-handed, leaving the electric potential war blade from the second round in the box.

A chorus of exclamations erupted from the stadium.

"He's really looking down on Li Xuan!" Many people understood Ji Xinghuo's intention—to win each of the three rounds using a different method.

The first round with a bow and arrow.

The second round with a battle sword.

And now, for the third round, Ji Xinghuo had chosen to fight with his bare hands! Ji Xinghuo was demonstrating his overwhelming superiority over Li Xuan in a manner that was almost humiliating, proving that he could easily handle a King.

Li Xuan, who was still in his box, realized this as well. His fists clenched tightly, his face alternating between pale and flushed. He glared at Ji Xinghuo, unable to suppress the anger in his heart. But when he thought of the consequences of losing, he hesitated again.

The spectators in the Tianqin Stadium shouted in protest, wondering why the match hadn't started yet even though the time was up.

"Hurry up and get on the stage!"

"Li Xuan, what are you waiting for?"

"If you're so afraid of losing, you shouldn't have challenged Ji Xinghuo in the first place, and you definitely shouldn't have agreed to such a huge wager."

"Coward!"

"If you forfeit now, you'll be a disgrace to the Kings!"

Each shout stabbed at Li Xuan's heart. His gaze swept the crowd, and he saw that everyone was waiting for him.

He had no choice but to continue.

With a face as calm as still water, Li Xuan transformed into a sword light and descended into the soundproof booth. Without uttering a word, he directly entered the projection cabin, not even glancing at Ji Xinghuo. He was afraid that he would lose his courage to fight.

Ji Xinghuo also entered the projection cabin, and a countdown appeared before his eyes.

The third round began.

In the center of the Tianqin Stadium, a three-dimensional image was projected—a vast desert spanning over 3,000 square kilometers. It was daytime, and the sun shone brightly. In the heart of the arid desert lay a not-so-large oasis.

"Desert Mirage City!"

The host and the audience recognized the map.

Beneath this desert lay ancient ruins, like a massive underground maze filled with technological wonders and hidden mechanisms. The terrain was extremely complex.

However, this was a duel, not a competition, so all those ruins could be ignored.

Boom!

Ji Xinghuo's feet dug into the sand, leaving a large pit as he soared into the sky, speeding towards the oasis in the center of the desert.

His electromagnetic sensing spread out, searching for Li Xuan.

Upon reaching the Legend realm, the progress of his rotating magnetic field and electrostatic field had increased slightly. Although they were still at level four, the range of his electromagnetic sensing had expanded a bit, reaching a radius of over six kilometers with the support of his robust stellar power.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

Ji Xinghuo accelerated to a speed of 3 Mach, tearing through the sky like a thunderbolt, leaving behind a deafening sonic boom.

Soon, an invisible sword light appeared on his electromagnetic sensing.

"Found you!"

Ji Xinghuo instantly changed direction and headed towards Li Xuan's location.

Li Xuan was also flying with his invisible sword light, a technique that had always given him the advantage of speed and stealth in previous battles.

But today, against Ji Xinghuo, the invisible sword light was useless.

However, just as he had flown a short distance, Ji Xinghuo arrived.

The next second.

Li Xuan suddenly changed the direction of his invisible sword light and flew away into the distance, causing countless spectators to be stunned.

A King choosing to flee at the first opportunity against a Legendary?

The audience responded with a chorus of boos.

"Li Jianxia is tactically retreating," the host tried to save face for Li Xuan. "He's at a disadvantage in direct combat, so if he can make use of the ancient ruins underground, it might increase his chances of victory."

The commentators were at a loss for words.

On the screen, lightning flickered in Ji Xinghuo's eyes, and currents of electricity danced across his skin, with bolts of lightning crackling in the surrounding air.

He had activated Overload!

Amidst the thunderous roar, Ji Xinghuo's speed increased once more, reaching 4 Mach in just a few seconds as he rapidly closed in on Li Xuan, who was ahead of him.

Within the six-kilometer distance, he was now just half that distance away.

Realizing he couldn't create any distance, Li Xuan knew he had no choice but to fight.

"Come!"

Li Xuan's sword light turned, and he shouted, causing eight identical afterimages to appear, each identical to Li Xuan's true body, dressed in ancient-style robes and holding Ziqing twin swords, each bursting with purple and cyan sword lights.

Nine Li Xuans, nine sword formations! In an instant, the area within a radius of several kilometers was filled with countless sword lights.

Giant illusory swords crisscrossed, majestic and overwhelming, as the sky above the desert was covered by a sea of sword shadows, like a heaven-toppling spectacle! Hundreds of millions of viewers around the globe held their breath, and even the commentators fell silent.

This was the power of a King at full strength!

Even though many of them had mocked Li Xuan earlier, the terrifying tide of illusory swords still left them in awe and their hearts pounding.

Three kilometers, two kilometers...

Ji Xinghuo showed no signs of slowing down, and when he was just a kilometer away from Li Xuan, he activated the Flux Barrier and Saintly Dragon Scales, entering "Dragon Madness," causing his strength to surge as he burned his stellar power with Overload and accelerated frantically.

Boom!

Amidst the sonic boom, Ji Xinghuo soared through the sky at a speed of 4 Mach, crashing into the sword formation.

The sword lights blocking his path shattered like glass, and most of the illusory swords that slashed at him missed.

Ji Xinghuo's body was enveloped in dazzling electric lights, and dozens of arm-thick lightning bolts erupted from his Flux Barrier, obliterating the illusory swords that struck him. The massive sword formation couldn't hinder him in the slightest.

His flight path tore through the sword formation, creating a channel several dozen meters in diameter.

This channel led straight to Li Xuan at the center.

There were nine Li Xuans, and from the viewers' perspective, it was impossible to tell which was the true body.

However, to Ji Xinghuo, it was as clear as day, and he had already locked onto his target.

One second.

Ji Xinghuo charged through the sword formation, heading straight for Li Xuan's true body. The Burning Field was activated in time to form a high-temperature force field with a diameter of 300 meters, and dozens of fireballs blocked Ji Xinghuo's path, exploding on his face one after another, while Yang Yan beams struck his head-on.

However, Ji Xinghuo completely ignored them, forcefully enduring the explosions and beams as he accelerated through the final stretch.

The two were now face to face.

Ji Xinghuo saw the panic in Li Xuan's eyes and ignored the incoming Ziyi Sword, instead throwing a punch with his right hand.

Electric Spiral Fist! This punch had been building up power, and at a speed close to 4 Mach, he unleashed it with the full force of his electromagnetic field, Dragon Madness, Overload, and stellar power.

Boom!

A thunderous explosion rang out, like a heavenly thunderclap.

In the dazzling electric light, the sword lights within a kilometer radius instantly vanished, the Burning Field dissipated, and the other eight afterimages of Li Xuan disappeared without a trace.

Li Xuan's true body was punched and sent flying for hundreds of meters!

His Ice Extreme Shield appeared outside his body, violently shaking as the immense force of the impact caused him to lose control of his body, and even his consciousness became hazy.

Before Li Xuan could react, Ji Xinghuo rushed forward and threw a second punch.

Boom!

The Electric Spiral Fist struck the Ice Extreme Shield, and its incredible penetration and power exceeded the limits of this incredibly tough shield, causing it to flicker erratically—a sign that its protection was faltering.

Li Xuan's mind was in a daze, and only despair remained on his face.

Amidst the thunder, Ji Xinghuo was like a human lightning bolt, catching up once more.

Boom!

The electric light and the Ice Extreme Shield exploded simultaneously, and the Spiral Fist penetrated, striking Li Xuan's body. Under his ancient-style robe, he wore an "Ether Nanite Armor," a three-star super-ability defensive equipment, which finally activated in time.

However, this still didn't change the outcome.

After throwing three consecutive punches, Ji Xinghuo suddenly went from extreme speed to absolute stillness, hovering in the air and watching as Li Xuan was blown away by his attacks. He did not make another move.

Bang!

In the eyes of the global audience, Li Xuan, who was flying backward, exploded, and a rain of blood fell over the desert.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end