105 Chapter 104: Outcome of the match (1/2)

When I could hear and see again, I was stunned by the devastating sight that stretched out before me.

As I thought, the coliseum had been totally wrecked. Debris lay all over the place, the majority buried within the gigantic crater in the middle. The reinforced walls had been cracked, pockmarked like the surface of the moon after suffering eons of bombardment from meteorites. Well, given that I had just unleashed my most powerful Draconic Meteor Strike ever, I guess that made sense.

Where's Feng Tian Yong?

I scanned through the rubble while simultaneously relying on my Heaven and Earth qi sense to pick out his presence. Having expended almost all of my qi in the last attack, my qi sense had severely weakened and I could only rely on my physical senses.

Staggering through the fumes and dust, while cautiously making my way through the rubble, I approached the last position where I saw Feng Tian Yong. Even if the guy was still conscious, he wasn't the type to launch a sneak attack. And if he did, I was confident that I would be able to react in time. Nonetheless, I had to finish this once and for all or the match wouldn't end.

”Huff…huff…”

I could hear my own ragged breathing through the din the spectators were making, over the seemingly deafening footsteps as my feet crunched against the debris. I didn't know if the breathing was my own or Feng Tian Yong's.

”!!!”

A movement somewhere across the other side of the crater. A blur of crimson. And a bright flare of fiery qi.

”Go down already!”

Feng Tian Yong roared as he swung his blazing sword at me. I parried his flaming blade with my swords and skidded backward, much of my strength having left me earlier. Unlike me, Feng Tian Yong still appeared to possess large amounts of strength…

No. His reserves were just as depleted as mine. He was burning every ounce of qi he had left in the hopes of defeating me before he exhausted himself.

In other words, if I can hold out and survive his next attack, it would be my victory.

But there was no meaning to winning like that. I wanted to overcome Feng Tian Yong's attacks with everything I had on the line. I wanted to win ”honorably” and prove that I was superior to him. This wasn't a life-and-death battle. It was a tournament. It wasn't as if my life was at stake or I needed to resort to such underhanded methods to survive. No, in a tournament, it was my pride that was at stake here. If Feng Tian Yong was an enemy from a demonic sect who was trying to kill me, then I wouldn't think twice about letting his reserves run out and then killing him from behind.

But this was a competition between students, a tournament to determine one's rankings. It wasn't a battle for survival.

Therefore I wanted to pit my strength against Feng Tian Yong's and prove that I was stronger than him. In a battle for survival, I didn't need to prove my strength – the victory condition for that was the fact that I was still alive after the fight. However, a tournament was different. Neither of us was going to die. But what endured after the match was the manner of our victory, and our attitude and respect toward our opponents.

I wasn't that guy, after all.

”Uwoooooh!”

With a bellow, I dug my heels in and halted my slide backward, drawing whatever qi I had left and infusing my swords with it. For a moment it seemed that I was overpowering Feng Tian Yong, my azure qi freezing the flames on his sword and turning them into ice.

”Like I'll let you!!!!!”

Feng Tian Yong roared back and exerted more physical strength into his blow, shattering the ice and revitalizing the flames.

”Go, Tian Yong!” the girls screamed from above.

”Take him out, Fei Wu!” the guys yelled behind them.

”Wu!” one single voice drowned out everyone else's, to the point where I raised my head to glance at the window in surprise. It was Tang Qi Hong. She was pressing her fists against the reinforced glass and yelling at me. ”Don't you dare lose to that jerk? Kick his ass!”

”I'm not a jerk!” Feng Tian Yong protested, chagrined. He was so used to being fawned over by the girls that he didn't expect one to be cheering me on. I chuckled, ignoring my opponent, and nodded toward Tang Qi Hong's direction.

”I'll do my best.”

”Is she your girlfriend or something?” Feng Tian Yong growled. My mouth curled upward a little, though whether it was from joy or bitterness, even I myself couldn't tell.

”I wish she is.”

”Heh.” Feng Tian Yong snorted. ”Lucky bastard.”

”I don't want to hear that from you!”

We sprang apart in a shower of sparks, our swords still tremnling from the violent encounter. Without hesitation, we both kicked off the ground and closed the gap between us within a single bound, our swords swinging toward each other.

”AAAAAAH!”

”UWOOOOOH!”

Both of us bellowed as we clashed against each other, the remnants of our qi actually intensifying and swelling around us despite us being drained. Fire and ice collided, burned and froze, appeared and vanished, before culminating in an explosion.

We continued to exchange several ferocious blows for four more minutes, our strength and energy not diminishing at all. The devastated ground around us crumbled further, sending more debris into the air as our swirling qi levitated them, but with so much damage dealt to them during the course of the match, there wasn't much of a difference on the surface.

”Gr…!”

Gritting his teeth, Feng Tian Yong stepped forward and struck at me. Instinctively, I used Liu, having gotten used to the pattern of his attacks after the ferocious exchange over the last few minutes, and slipped through his defenses.

”…!!!!”

Feng Tian Yong's eyes widened in disbelief when I halted his sword by moving my arm into the trajectory of his sword, stopping him before he could carry out his attack. Before he could respond, I rammed the pommel of my sword into his chest, causing him to stagger.

”You bastard!”

Bellowing in rage, Feng Tian Yong slashed downward, but having executed Liu, I could anticipate the movements of my opponent and move accordingly. Instead, I spun to the side and kicked him in his midriff, causing him to double over. Before he could raise his head, I pressed the cold steel of my right sword against the back of his neck.

He froze.

”It's over,” I told him. ”Surrender now.”

For a few seconds, I could hear Feng Tian Yong grinding his teeth in frustration as he chewed on the bleak possibilities open to him, but he eventually relented and dropped his sword onto the ground before raising both his hands.

”I give up.”

”…winner: Fei Wu!”

Teacher Cai wasted no time announcing my victory. His voice was followed by groans of dismay from the girls, which were then drowned out by the rugged cheers of the guys. Withdrawing my right sword, I raised it to the air and did a mock salute.

The guys' cheers grew louder.

*

”You really know how to pander to an audience, don't you?” Tong Xue snickered when he saw me. I waved at him and the rest of my friends when I caught sight of their approach.

”Great job, Wu!” Tang Qi Hong said in delight. Evidently she was one of the only girls who didn't cheer for Feng Tian Yong and encouraged me instead. Recalling her shout near the end of my fight, I smiled.

”Thanks.”

”Not bad. Not bad at all.”

Lian Rou was nodding in approval as she strolled beside Tong Xue, while winking mischievously.

”Impressive!” Zhu Jiao exclaimed and smacked my shoulder. ”You've made it to the semifinals as well!”

”There was never any doubt he would,” Ban Zhang declared proudly. Oi, what were you so proud of? I was the one who got into the semifinals, not you. It wasn't as if you were my manager or something! That role would probably belong to Tong Xue.

”Well, I'm glad it is over,” I muttered before staggering unsteadily. Tang Qi Hong quickly stepped forward to support me.

”You have best go to the infirmary and get your injuries treated!”

I didn't argue. The injuries I sustained during the match against Feng Tian Yong were much more severe than the ones I received when fighting Kuang Hu. While Kuang Hu was certainly more ruthless and much faster, Feng Tian Yong was a lot more formidable and powerful. Kuang Hu could only leave superficial cuts on my skin, but Feng Tian Yong literally incinerated me. If I didn't have inner qi to protect myself, I would have turn to ash long ago.

”Yeah, thanks.”

Leaning on Tang Qi Hong and Tong Xue, I allowed them to support me toward the infirmary. Feng Tian Yong was probably ferried there by his female fanclub way ahead of me, so we didn't have to worry about him.

Even though we fought so ferociously against each other, it wasn't as if we held any ill will or grudge. Like I said, Feng Tian Yong was a classmate and friend who treated me decently. Okay, he didn't really step in when I was being bullied, but he didn't participate in abusing me either. Or maybe he did help me out once or twice, and I helped him in return. I wasn't calculative enough to keep track of all these little things.

”You're finally here.”

Teacher Yi folded her arms and stared at me as I limped into her infirmary. Behind her, another student groaned as he lay on the bed.

”Ah, Zhu Jiao!”

Qing Xin Xia was one of Teacher Yi's assistants, tending to another patient who had just finished his duel. She finished up her treatment and stood up to greet him. Zhu Jiao returned the wave, and then Qing Xin Xia turned to nod at the rest of us in acknowledgement. Evidently she only had eyes for Zhu Jiao.

I briefly wondered if she knew about Zhu Jiao's affection for Bai Ning Xue. She had to, right? The whole school was aware of the special relationship between the two of them.

Obviously I wasn't tactless enough to ask her about it directly, though.

”Xin Xia, can you take care of Sheng Bing for me?”

”Right away!”

Qing Xin Xia snapped out of her lovestruck stupor and hurried toward another patient who was moaning softly in a nearby bed. Teacher Yi turned toward me and shook her head. Apparently she could tell what kind of injuries I suffered from just a single glance.

”Wow…both of you really didn't hold back, did you?”

”Have you already treated Feng Tian Yong?” I asked. Teacher Yi gave me a sharp look before she sighed and nodded.

”Yeah. His injuries were marginally better than yours…marginally.” She shook her head again in disapproval. ”Look, I understand that this is a prestigious competition, and that you're all fighting to achieve the highest ranks you can, but show a little restraint, all right? Try not to kill each other. You're all classmates.”

”Trust me,” I muttered. ”If I really wanted to kill my opponent, he would already be dead.”

”I don't doubt that,” Teacher Yi replied wearily. ”But you'll make my job – and that of Teacher Jiao's – a lot more difficult.”

”Sorry.” I wasn't able to muster a retort to that.

”All right. Go lie down over there.” Teacher Yi gestured toward an empty bed. ”Wait for your turn. As for the rest of you…” she turned to my friends. ”The queue is long and the treatment will take some time, so I suggest you all return to your dorm. Student Zhu Jiao, don't you have your quarterfinal match tomorrow? Make sure you have enough rest.”

”Uh, Teacher Yi…I already finished my match yesterday.” Zhu Jiao scratched his head and laughed a little sheepishly. ”I didn't drop by the infirmary because I was completely uninjured. I'm not lying, honestly!”

Teacher Yi regarded him for a few seconds, and then nodded. ”I believe you. You guys should leave first. The treatment will take a while.”

There was a faint undercurrent of don't get in the way of my job. My friends weren't dense enough to miss it, so they nodded and complied.

”I'll see you later, Wu,” Tang Qi Hong told me as she waved.

”Yeah! I'll see you in the dorm later!” Tong Xue added. He grinned cheekily. ”Don't go anywhere else! We're going to throw you and Zhu Jiao a party!”

”Isn't it too premature to be celebrating?” Ban Zhang asked with a raised eyebrow. ”It's not as if they won the tournament yet.”

”Oh come on, don't be such a spoilsport!” Tong Xue threw an arm over Ban Zhang's neck and playfully dragged him out of the infirmary. ”Let us have some fun!”

”Yeah.” Zhu Jiao nodded as he followed them, his expression thoughtful. ”It might a while before we can enjoy ourselves like this.”

I wasn't sure I liked the ominous tone of his words.

”You both made it to the semifinals!” Tong Xue told Zhu Jiao, unaware of the premonition I felt. ”You, Wu, Bai Ning Xue and Li Chun Long. All four semifinalists are from our class! This is a cause for celebration!”