One Step Away (Continued)

The final match is over.

Many people sighed inwardly.

Based on strength, core players generally refer to martial artists with Spirit Transformation level combat power, such as quasi- Quasi-Grandmaster Internal Cultivation has reached the Spirit Transformation Threshold but have not yet broken through, or body-refining martial artists like Jiu Namo who do not rely on Internal Cultivation. Main players refer to top experts. Ordinary regulars and substitutes are all first-class experts, belonging to the same level, but there are still differences in strength within the same level. The difference is not obvious, but it still exists.

Of course, this is based on the standards of the two teams in the finals. If it were teams that were eliminated in the previous round of the league, their core players would often only be top-tier, while their substitutes would be second-rate.

Chen Shimi's normal strength is actually about the same as his opponent's. If he doesn't use the power of the Dragon Devil, it's hard to say who will win, since his opponent's desire to win is much stronger.

Therefore, to the uninformed, this match was still a fierce battle, although the level might be lower than the previous two matches. This was not because the two players were too weak, but because the strength of this year's players far surpassed that of previous years. It should be noted that previous years did not even have a single Spirit Transformation, while this year there were three.

Those who had high hopes were destined for disappointment, because the third game ended in less than ten seconds. The entire match can be summarized in one sentence:

Chen Shimi unleashed the power of the Dragon Devil, using "Dragon Rush Style: Collapse Star," severely injuring his opponent and knocking him out of the arena, thus winning the third round.

Many people were still savoring the second round of the match when they heard the referee announce in a somewhat unexpected tone, "The Linked Mountains University Second Martial Arts Club has won."

What just happened?

This was the most frequently asked question from the audience.

There are two ways to answer this question: one is to cheer loudly and excitedly recount how thrilling and close the battle was; the other is to sigh deeply, close your eyes, lean back weakly in your chair, and not want to answer.

The tide has turned.

This was the only thought in the latter's mind. In the first two rounds, Heavenly Black Martial Arts Club was able to fight back and forth with their opponents, but in the third round, they suffered an avalanche defeat. This could only mean that Heavenly Black Martial Arts Club's reserve strength could not keep up with their opponents. It was not a tactical problem, but simply that they were not as skilled as their opponents.

Cheers filled the stands of the Second Martial Arts Club. Although everyone had guessed the outcome when they saw the athletes sent by the Heavenly Black Martial Arts Club, they still couldn't suppress their joy at the victory, because it meant they were only one step away from the championship.

"It seems you have truly mastered the power of the Dragon Devil, as you haven't suffered any backlash," Si Ming praised Chen Shimi Mi.

But he had clearly praised her too soon. After returning to the contestants' area with a smug look on his face, Chen Shimi spat out a mouthful of blood from an angle out of the audience's sight. Then he wiped his mouth, raised his head nonchalantly, and acted as if nothing had happened.

Jiang Tingting exclaimed in shock, "You're risking your life to show off... I always thought you were a weirdo, and I still do, but to go to such lengths to stand out, I can only say I'm Qi Ingestion."

"Hmph, how could you mortals possibly fathom my thoughts?"

In the past, when he used the power of the Dragon Devil to unleash his ultimate move, his own hand would be ruined. Now, he only has to spit out a mouthful of blood. This price is much lighter than that of ordinary forbidden techniques. It's like going from "harming the enemy a thousand while losing eight hundred of your own" to "harming the enemy a thousand while losing one hundred of your own." No matter how you look at it, this is a very profitable deal.

After offering his congratulations, Si Ming volunteered, "I'll play the fourth round. While it's not impossible to leave the suspense until the fifth round, our opponents are worthy of respect. There's no need to toy with them; let's give them a quick victory."

Ke Chajing nodded and said, "That's what I think too. The opponent will definitely send Xiang Donglai in the next round. This is their last chance, and they certainly won't give up easily. If I were in their shoes, I would also fight with all my might."

Si Ming then asked, "So who will be my partner? No need to do anything, just cheer and say '666' from the sidelines."

Hu Jixian said, "The president and I will let it go. We've played enough in this league, so we don't care about this one more time. Besides, we have the advantage of a formal title, so we won't compete with you."

Ke Chajing also said, "My left shoulder is still aching slightly. The injury I sustained in the last game hasn't healed yet, so it's best if I don't play. I was worried that the injury would hinder my performance, but now I don't have to worry about that anymore."

Everyone was touched, knowing that the two had intentionally given up a great opportunity to become famous. Appearing in the finals was a completely different matter from appearing in other matches. The number of viewers watching the live broadcast was on a completely different scale. As for injuries, they were insignificant. Not to mention that everyone present was injured, Si Ming himself said that he was enough for the fourth round, and the other person would just help cheer him on. He didn't need to fight.

Zeng Aniu and Wang Jinchao were both left out of the roster due to injuries, leaving Nie Wanzhi, Jiang Tingting, and Tai Gu.

Jiang Tingting pointed to her bandaged leg and gave up first, saying, "I'll pass. My left leg injury hasn't healed yet. I was just there to make up the numbers anyway. Even though I don't need to exert myself in this battle, sending an injured person to the field would be humiliating to the opponent."

Tai Gu, as always, was sparing with his words: "I don't need it either."

Everyone knows he doesn't like to be in the limelight, so it's not surprising.

The last candidate was Nie Wanzhi. She paused for a moment, then her eyes reddened slightly. She knew that everyone was deliberately giving her the opportunity because she wanted to become famous as soon as possible to pay off her family's debts. The higher her fame, the higher her future appearance fee would be. Otherwise, in terms of injuries, she was no less injured than Jiang Tingting. It was just that she suffered internal injuries, which were not as obvious as Jiang Tingting's.

Thank you... everyone.

Ke Chajing reached out and patted Nie Wanzhi's head, saying, "No need to thank me. We're all comrades in the same team, and we're not making any arrangements based on personal relationships. Our priority is to ensure victory."

Si Ming patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, I'm an experienced driver, I'll make sure you have a blast."

Murong Qing glanced at it and reminded him, "There are many examples of people who think they can definitely win beforehand but end up losing. You should know the story of the one who destroyed the breakfast stall. Even if you have an absolute advantage in strength, you must be careful. Otherwise, if your opponent pulls off a miracle, it will be a disgrace that you can never wash away for the rest of your life."

Upon hearing this, Si Ming recalled everything that had happened and was shocked. It seemed that he had raised a lot of flags, and it wasn't just him; his teammates also thought that as long as he went on the field, they would definitely win the battle. They had planted a lot of flags on him. If this were written as a script, he would definitely be the villain who thought he was guaranteed to win, but ended up being the one who had a stunning reversal by the protagonist.

While the miracle of defeating an invincible foe is certainly something to talk about, it's far from pleasant to be the one who is the object of that miracle. Even if one achieves great things in the future, it will be an indelible stain that will be used to ridicule people from time to time.

"You're right. I must be careful and not give them any chance. Although they have no chance of defeating me in terms of strength, a duel in the ring isn't just about defeating the opponent; falling out of the ring is also a valid criterion."

Si Ming patted his cheeks with both hands to adjust his mindset and dispel any contempt.

I didn't feel anything before, but now, upon reflection, I have a belated realization that I've dodged a bullet, as if the bad luck that had been hanging over me has dissipated.

Holy crap, could I actually lose?!

Si Ming trusted his martial arts intuition quite a bit. The thought of such a future sent chills down his spine. If they lost this sure-win round, their confidence would be shaken, while the opponent's morale would soar. It was hard to say how the fifth round would turn out. If he really caused the Second Martial Arts Club to lose the championship, he would have to wear a mask in public from now on.

"To have such a virtuous wife is my greatest fortune," Si Ming exclaimed via Secret Voice Transmission.

Murong Qing's pretty face flushed slightly. Looking around to make sure no one was watching, she spat out, "You know that's enough."

It was obviously inappropriate to flirt in this situation, so Si Ming was just saying it casually. He quickly adjusted his emotions and entered a fighting state, while also doing some warm-up exercises to loosen his muscles and bones, looking ready to fight a powerful enemy.

After noticing this scene, the instructor of Heavenly Black Martial Arts Club sighed inwardly, patted Xiang Donglai on the shoulder, and said, "Just do your best. Winning or losing isn't solely your responsibility."

Xiang Donglai laughed and said, "The outcome is still uncertain. Why should our morale be dampened, Instructor? So what if the enemy is strong? Should we surrender and admit defeat just because the opponent is strong? Even if we are no match for them, we should fight desperately to win and seek survival in the face of death. This is the character that a martial artist should have."

The mentor was silent for a moment, then nodded and said, "You're right. Anything can happen in a battle. As long as you don't give up, you have a chance to win. Conversely, once you give up, the competition ends prematurely. As an elder, I'm the one being instructed by you. I'm truly ashamed."

"Not at all, they're just young people who don't know their own limitations."

Xiang Donglai patted his butt and walked onto the stage with his teammate Chen Zhengying. Chen Zhengying was also a key player in the Heavenly Black Martial Arts Club, but unfortunately, he had suffered severe internal injuries in the previous battle and had not yet recovered. At this moment, he was using secret techniques and medicine to suppress his injuries, but his strength was still inevitably greatly reduced.