98 Chapter 97: The strongest girl (1/2)
”Remember what I told you.”
Ban Zhang was watching me worriedly as I stepped toward the changing room that served as the rest area or preparation zone for contestants. The round of 16, being the major event that it was, could only be hosted in the academy's official coliseum. Several of the matches had already taken place and the results were out. Zhu Jiao, as expected, had won his match and progressed to the quarter-finals. There was never a doubt that he would.
Our other classmates were also doing well. Feng Tian Yong and Li Chun Long had also won their matches and advanced to the next round. It seemed that our class was particularly blessed with talented martial artists.
”If you can't beat him, don't force yourself. Make sure you surrender!” Ban Zhang reminded me firmly. ”Don't try to be a hero. Kuang Hu will not hesitate to kill you!”
”I know, I know. Relax.” I sighed, annoyed. ”Besides, it's not even my match yet. Why are you so worried?”
That was right. It wasn't my match yet. Right now I was heading to the changing room to offer Tang Qi Hong a few words of support. She was about to face Bai Ning Xue in a few minutes and she needed all the encouragement she could get.
”Oh, right. We should go too.”
Ban Zhang nodded in agreement. The both of us entered the room, only to see that Tong Xue and Lian Rou were already ahead of us. Tang Qi Hong was seated in a chair, trying to put on a brave front despite fidgeting nervously.
”Are you all right?” I asked. Tang Qi Hong nodded, forcing a smile.
”Of course! Who do you think I am?”
”Well…” I scratched my cheek, and then grinned encouragingly. ”I'm sure you have this in your bag. You're on a hot streak, after all!”
”So is Bai Ning Xue,” Tong Xue muttered. Lian Rou elbowed him in the stomach, causing him to double over.
”In any case, the future isn't set in stone. So do your best!” I reached out with a hand and grabbed Tang Qi Hong's. ”I remember Zhu Jiao mentioned that he promised Bai Ning Xue that he would meet her in the finals. Let's do the same!”
”Huh? What do you mean?”
My grin broadened. ”Let's make a promise too. You and I…we'll meet in the finals!”
”Hmph.” Tang Qi Hong closed her eyes for a second and smiled faintly. ”You're right. I can't afford to be eliminated here.” She then opened her eyes and stood up determinedly. ”It doesn't matter who my opponent is. If I want to be champion, I'll have to defeat all of them!” She turned toward me with a mischievous wink. ”And that includes you, of course.”
”That's the spirit!”
Clasping her hand with both of mine, I shook it and gave Tang Qi Hong a slight push. The blond girl nodded and then turned toward the door.
”Thank you, everyone. I feel better already.” She raised a fist. ”Right now, I feel as if I can beat anybody!”
”You can, Qi Hong!” Lian Rou assured her with a smile.
”Go get them!” Tong Xue added.
Ban Zhang also nodded encouragingly. Tang Qi Hong glanced across us, and tapped her chest with her fist.
”All right, I should get going then. Wait for the good news!”
”We'll cheer for you from the stands!”
”Thanks, I appreciate it!”
With that, Tang Qi Hong was gone. The four of us glanced at each other before we headed out of the changing room and toward the spectator stands upstairs. Zhu Jiao was conspicuously missing, but we all knew his situation.
The guy was madly in love with Bai Ning Xue. There was no way we could ask him to choose to support Tang Qi Hong over his beloved childhood friend. Not wanting to get into this whole mess, he decided to stay out of this.
For now, anyway.
When we reached upstairs, we saw that Zhu Jiao was already standing by the gigantic window overlooking the combatants in the coliseum. He waved at us, and we proceeded to join him. Even if we were on somewhat opposing teams, there were no hard feelings between us.
”How's Qi Hong?” he asked as we approached. ”Is she ready for the match?”
”Yup,” I replied. ”She'll be appearing shortly.”
Turning toward the window, I saw that Bai Ning Xue was already present. She was standing in the middle of the coliseum, awaiting her opponent with a detached expression on her beautiful face. As always, she was unperturbed by anything.
Now that I thought about it, Tang Qi Hong used to declare Bai Ning Xue as her rival. It was a one-sided competition, with Tang Qi Hong always trying to outdo Bai Ning Xue in everything and mostly failing. The enmity between the two was natural. They were the two most beautiful girls in Wu Ling Academy, as well as the two strongest and most talented girls. Tang Qi Hong resented being stuck at number two, and always strove to surpass Bai Ning Xue.
For Bai Ning Xue, she probably didn't view Tang Qi Hong as her rival. Actually, I doubted Bai Ning Xue took an interest in anybody except her beloved Zhu Jiao. And even toward Zhu Jiao, she displayed a cool attitude.
But now, it was the time to determine who the strongest girl was, and Bai Ning Xue didn't even seem like she thought much of the affair. Unlike the nervous and highly determined Tang Qi Hong, Bai Ning Xue looked as if she was just going out for a stroll.
I scowled. Wasn't Bai Ning Xue underestimating Tang Qi Hong too much? No matter how talented she was, even she had to take someone of Qi Hong's caliber seriously, or she would end up getting caught off guard and sustaining serious injuries.
Please defeat her, Qi Hong, I prayed inwardly. Crack her infuriatingly calm façade and provoke some sort of response!
Bai Ning Xue appeared to be arrogant. Admittedly, that arrogance was well-deserved because she did stand at the pinnacle of the students of Wu Ling Academy. I heard from the crowd that she had defeated a level 7 martial artist in just seconds. She had blitzed to the top of her group by utterly dominating her opponents.
Lian Rou looked very pale, but she clenched her fists.
”Go, Qi Hong!” she shouted.
Just as well. Tang Qi Hong had finally emerged from the changing room and strode toward the center of the coliseum. The two girls greeted each other formally, bowing their heads and cupping their hands.
”Bai Ning Xue, White Tiger Sect. Class 1-4, high school division. I specialize in the Living Lightning, Divine Thunder Tiger Formula and Heavenly Thunder Strike techniques. Since birth, as the heir of the Bai Clan, I have undergone martial arts training so that I can succeed as the head of my next clan. My approximate inner qi level…is about thirty years.”
”…estimated qi level is at 30 years, huh?” Tong Xue mused when he heard that. ”Looks like it's true.”
”What's true?” I asked, bewildered. Tong Xue glared at me, and then sighed.
”The rumor that Bai Ning Xue hasn't received any artificial qi since that day was true.”
”What day?”
”…two years ago, when artificial qi was first created.” Tong Xue pursed his lips. ”I don't know the details, and the incident has been covered up, but…something happened in the lab when Bai Ning Xue was supposed to receive inner qi.”
I wanted to ask what that was all about, but I didn't have the chance to. Tang Qi Hong had taken her turn to introduce herself.
”Tang Qi Hong from class 1-4. I'm from the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, and my skills are Nine-Tailed Fire Fox Formula, and the saintly Spirit Engraving arts. I have also learned the Nine Heavenly Armaments techniques. My inner qi level is three sexagenaries.”
The both of them bowed, and then prepared their stances. Teacher Cai Pan watched from his referee box somewhere outside the coliseum, and then nodded.
”All right, both of you can begin!”
Lightning crackled around Bai Ning Xue's body whereas flames flared up around Tang Qi Hong's. The two girls glared at each other from a distance, their elemental forces colliding against each other before either of them made a move.
”Whoa…what terrifying pressure…”
”Amazing…”
Even though the spectators were separated from the duelists by a reinforced glass window, they found themselves suffocated by the tension in the atmosphere. The two girls' qi was saturating the entire space – not just the coliseum – to the extent that the spectators were finding it increasingly difficult to even breathe.
Flicker…zap…!
Sparks flew as flames danced and tangled with lightning. The two elemental forces clashed against each other, imbuing the coliseum with a red-golden hue.
”I see…”
Despite a bead of perspiration running down her face, Tang Qi Hong smirked.
”Your strength is on a completely different level.”
”...”
Bai Ning Xue merely stared at her opponent silently, but didn't say a word. Instead, she drew her sword, which crackled with intense electricity. Tang Qi Hong narrowed her eyes and mirrored the gesture, drawing her own blazing sword. Ruby flames wreathed her blade before unleashing a torrent of flames around the two combatants, only for an invisible electric barrier in front of Bai Ning Xue to slice the rampaging inferno in half.
Everyone watched with bated breath.
However, both Tang Qi Hong and Bai Ning Xue merely stood still, facing each other as they held their swords in an offensive stance. Neither of them made a move. In fact, other than the dancing flames and flickering lightning, the two duelists remained completely motionless.
”What's going on? Why aren't they moving?”
”The match has begun, right?”
”Why aren't they fighting?”