Chapter 80: Champion

Chapter 80: Champion (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

Though Bai Zhenzhen had suggested spitting phlegm, Zhang Yu still felt it beneath his dignity as an outsourced inspector to resort to such methods. Instead, he chose to use his own blood.

Predictably, Le Muran found his "pauper's blood" equally repulsive, even preferring to dodge entirely rather than let their sword qi touch it.

Watching Zhang Yu charge forward, Le Muran snorted coldly, flicking their sword fingers to unleash a blade of qi. They intended to block him, but Zhang Yu’s speed startled them.

The earlier battles had already reduced Zhang Yu’s weighted training robes to tattered rags. Facing Le Muran, he needed maximum speed, so he’d discarded them beforehand, spending ten minutes adjusting to the lighter weight.

At the start of the fight, he’d deliberately held back, partly to lull Le Muran into complacency and partly to warm up further. He needed to adapt to Le Muran’s sword qi rhythm while heating his own blood, making his body burn hotter, fiercer, more intense!

…

“Her Frostbloom Constitution is likely a special physique,” Bai Zhenzhen explained. “Whether innate or artificially enhanced, her spiritual power naturally manifests as low-temperature specialized mana. It doesn’t require conversion—her spiritual power is superior from the moment it’s refined.”

“When infused into sword qi, this cold energy lowers body temperature upon contact, slowing nerve reactions and muscle movements…”

“You need to raise your body heat to resist her cold spiritual power temporarily.”

…

Now, as Zhang Yu unleashed his full speed, he became a thunderclap of motion—not fast enough to evade Le Muran’s notice, but startlingly swift nonetheless.

“His full power is this fast? He held back earlier?”

“My cold spiritual power didn’t work?”

Caught off guard, Le Muran’s sword qi lagged a beat, forcing them to slash desperately downward to intercept Zhang Yu head-on.

Faced with a dozen incoming sword qi strikes, Zhang Yu’s right arm erupted with crimson vitality qi as he slammed his palm forward, choosing to clash directly.

This was the weakness Bai Zhenzhen had mentioned—the flaw in Le Muran’s sword technique.

Though the Starfall Sword Qi was sharp, Le Muran hadn’t cultivated it to the Qi Refinement Stage’s peak. Their abundant spiritual power allowed reckless sword qi barrages, but their mana control was too crude to maintain precise control over multiple strikes simultaneously.

After prolonged combat, overlapping sword qi weakened each other from mutual interference.

In an instant, Zhang Yu’s arm collided with the incoming sword qi.

“As expected, the power isn’t as strong as feared.”

Using Formless Cloud Qi with the Indestructible Seal, he shattered most of the sword qi, though his palm suffered fresh cuts. Blood splattered, staining his vitality qi even deeper crimson, like fire coiling around his arm.

Without pausing, he closed within half a meter of Le Muran, grabbing for their arm.

Roaring, Le Muran unleashed dozens of sword qi strikes from their fingers, slashing wildly at Zhang Yu.

Unfazed, Zhang Yu charged forward, using Subcutaneous Vitality Qi and the Indestructible Seal as armor. Amidst blood and wounds, he clamped onto Le Muran’s right arm.

At this moment, Le Muran was finally closed on.

Bai Zhenzhen’s words echoed in Zhang Yu’s mind:

…

“I can sense their sword qi aims more to repel than kill.”

“Their final flaw likely stems from their obsessive cleanliness—they’re weak at close-range combat.”

“After all, it’s only been half a year since high school started. Even for the wealthy, I doubt they’ve perfected everything.”

…

Faced with Zhang Yu’s sudden close-range assault, Le Muran—who had witnessed his brutal fight against Song Hailong—felt immediate danger.

They unleashed freezing sword qi to push him back, but Zhang Yu’s overheated body radiated relentless power. Formless Cloud Qi surged with his spilled blood, clashing violently.

Within half a meter, ice-blue sword qi and crimson vitality qi blazed against each other.

Le Muran felt Zhang Yu transform into a searing storm, devouring their sword qi and threatening to consume their very body.

Sword qi was deflected by vitality qi, bounced by the Indestructible Seal.

Then, the second-level Back Dragon Flip Hand erupted. With a single motion, Le Muran was slammed to the ground, dazed.

Seeing the blood-soaked, filthy Zhang Yu straddling them, Le Muran’s face twisted in horror. “Get off—!”

Their sword qi flared again, but Zhang Yu’s Back Dragon Flip Hand struck harder, twisting their wrists with brutal precision.

Though painkillers dulled the agony, Le Muran could no longer channel sword qi through their shattered wrists.

Staring at Zhang Yu in shock and fury, they realized a single dodge had cost them everything. Their skills, unfulfilled, had crumbled in an instant.

As Le Muran struggled, Zhang Yu’s cold voice cut through:

“You boasted about your wealth—your money is your power.”

Crack! Their leg joints snapped one by one under Zhang Yu’s grip.

“Now I’ll crush you. Try stopping me with your money.”

Le Muran felt like a toy, their joints shattered by the Back Dragon Flip Hand. Soon, they lay motionless, paralyzed.

Glaring at Zhang Yu as if to kill him a thousand times, Le Muran heard him say:

“One last thing—Bai Zhenzhen spotted all your flaws.”

“If her insurance fee had been enough, she could’ve beaten you herself.”

Boom! Grabbing Le Muran’s head, Zhang Yu hurled them off the arena like trash, crashing to the ground.

The arena fell silent.

No one expected it—least of all that a poor student from Songyang High School would stand victorious.

Xiong Wenwu fell.

Song Hailong fell.

Le Muran fell.

The elite students of the three prestigious high schools—all defeated by a “pauper,” a student from an ordinary school.

Rich fell. Poor triumphed?

As the three schools’ students sat stunned, Zhao Tianxing suddenly clapped.

Not for show, but from pure instinctive admiration for Zhang Yu’s achievement. To him, Zhang Yu’s tattered Songyang uniform suddenly seemed noble.

But his lone applause echoed awkwardly in the silent hall, and Zhao nervously stopped—until Bai Zhenzhen leapt onto the arena, cheering and clapping wildly.

Beside him, Qian Shen joined in, eyes wide with awe.

He Dayou, son of a board trustee, softly applauded: “Well done. You’ve made Songyang proud.”

Lian Tianji of Ziyun High School clapped slowly, thinking his lost advertising deals might return.

Song Hailong, watching Zhang Yu, suddenly clapped too—and the entire White Dragon Clan followed.

Even Chu Qiuhai, who’d been faking unconsciousness on a stretcher, clapped frantically with both hands.

Amidst the thunderous applause, Bai Zhenzhen jumped onto the arena.

“Champion! Champion! We’re champions!”

“I told you Le Muran couldn’t handle close combat—no skill for it!”

She grabbed Zhang Yu’s hands, raising them triumphantly. Their Songyang uniforms seemed to blaze brighter than ever.

Shouting, she added: “Want to sponsor or endorse? Contact us! My brother isn’t just a martial arts champion—he’s fourth in the Magic Aptitude Competition too…”

Zhang Yu looked at the crowd, vision blurring.

Though unscathed, the battle had drained him—multiple martial arts techniques, blood loss, and accumulated fatigue from earlier fights left him dizzy.

Reaching for Bai Zhenzhen, he said: “Zhen, I’m dizzy. Help me see a doctor.”

Excited, she replied: “Wait! Stand a bit longer—everyone’s watching!”

Sighing, he retorted: “I risked bankruptcy to beat Le Muran for you, bled for you, and you won’t even call me ‘Dad’—now you won’t help?”

Bai Zhenzhen knew Zhang Yu would brag about this forever.

Yet she scolded him: “So much blood—just to show off! If you’d followed my plan, spitting phlegm or blowing your nose would’ve been safer and more effective than bleeding!”

Nearby, Le Muran’s eyelid twitched. A flicker of shock crossed their face as realization struck: “These paupers’ limits… are bottomless.”

Bai Zhenzhen carried Zhang Yu toward the medical area, ending his bragging.

Lei Jun followed, heart pounding.

Just thinking about Zhang Yu winning first place in the martial arts competition made him giddy.

——————

Tomorrow I’ll repay the Monthly Ticket debt—please keep lending your support.

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(End of Chapter)

Chapter end