Lifting the Tripod
Just as Si Ming breathed a sigh of relief, Chen Zhengying bumped into Xiang Donglai's shadow. The surrounding scenery changed, and they shifted in mid-air. When he came to his senses, he and Xiang Donglai was wrapped around his waist, landed off the field, while Chen Zhengying moved to the spot where the two of them had been.
"Si Ming from the Linked Mountains University Second Martial Arts Club and Xiang Donglai the Heavenly Black Martial Arts Club have been disqualified from the competition."
The referee made a decisive ruling.
"Hahaha... it finally worked!"
Xiang Donglai laughed loudly, released his legs, and lay down on the ground.
Si Ming reasoned in reverse and quickly understood. "So that's how it is. Your ultimate move, the black and white vortex, and the Divine Arts Array were all decoys. The real purpose was to use shadows to switch your position with your teammates. You were desperately clinging to me not to bind me in place, but to take me with you to be spatially transferred."
Xiang Donglai coughed as he explained with a smile, "Although I was initially very unwilling and wanted to test my skills against you, after a few exchanges I realized that it was impossible to defeat you by force. The only way was to get you out of the ring... cough cough... but directly using spatial teleportation on you wouldn't work either, so I had to take a roundabout approach."
Divine Arts involving space are extremely precise, and even if the target cooperates in casting the spell, it is easy to fail, let alone forcibly expel them. If Chen Zhengying were to directly cast a spatial Divine Arts on Si Ming would detect it immediately. Whether he were to extricate himself from the teleportation range or make a move to interfere, he would be able to make the spell fail.
However, if Chen Zhengying and Xiang Donglai switch places, the difficulty would decrease by several levels. Firstly, Xiang Donglai would certainly not resist, allowing the Divine Arts to be performed smoothly. Secondly, there is a difference between spatial exchange and spatial teleportation. The former falls under the divine domain of the God of Justice, implying a fair exchange—in fact, Chen Zhengying would not use Divine Arts that forcibly teleports people.
Si Ming clapped his hands and said, "A good plan. Although it's not perfect, its strength lies in its unexpectedness. Even I, with my unparalleled wisdom, couldn't see through it in time. It's a stroke of genius, a plan for the ages... But don't forget, I still have a teammate on the field, and your teammate is clearly suffering huge losses after using the Divine Arts. In this two-person battle, our side still has the advantage."
As he spoke, he reached out to help the person up, simultaneously channeling his True Qi to heal their injuries.
"Your teammates are indeed in better condition, but battles aren't won by who has more True Qi. Besides, the gap between the two sides isn't as large as you might think. If your side had sent Hu Jixian or Ke Chajing, who were less injured, we would indeed have had a hard time turning the tide. But your side has sent Nie Wanzhi, who is also suffering from internal injuries, so the situation is different now."
Xiang Donglai stared at Si Ming, "You thought you could easily win the match even with an injured player; arrogance is your biggest reason for defeat."
Not only Xiang Donglai thought so, but everyone else shared the same opinion. Nie Wanzhi might be in better form, but the Heavenly Black Martial Arts Club's unexpected victory over the almost invincible Si Ming gave them a strong sense of confidence, making them more aggressive. Moreover, Chen Zhengying's desire to win was clearly stronger; you could see from his determined eyes that he was prepared to risk his life for victory.
In an instant, the situation changed dramatically. The supporters of Heavenly Black Martial Arts Club cheered and were overjoyed, as if they had been suddenly propelled to a high place on a roller coaster. They shouted, "The outcome is still uncertain!"
If they win this round, tying the score at 2-2, they'll enter the final singles match, and it's still uncertain who will emerge victorious.
"Arrogance, huh...?"
Si Ming pondered for a moment, then said meaningfully, "Unfortunately, I'm not single."
Before she finished speaking, a loud dragon roar suddenly rang out on the arena. Nie Wanzhi leaped into the air, raised her hand to the sky, and her vast True Qi condensed into a golden dragon, its power already exceeding her own limits.
"Nine Suns Return to One, the Heavenly Dragon Destroys the World!"
As Nie Wanzhi pressed down with both hands, the powerful and fierce Heavenly Dragon swooped down. Although Chen Zhengying tried his best to defend, the power of this move was no less than the Spirit Transformation level ultimate move that Xiang Donglai had used before. After barely holding on for a while, he was finally knocked off the stage.
The audience, who had been cheering and jumping for joy, turned into statues, standing there speechless. Meanwhile, another group of audience members, who were lamenting and even blaming Si Ming for being arrogant and conceited, jumped up from their seats excitedly, hugging each other and screaming.
From ecstasy to despair, and from despair to ecstasy again, life is full of ups and downs, and nothing beats this.
Xiang Donglai stared at the arena, stood there for a moment, then shook his head with a wry smile. He understood what had happened. Some details were hard to notice at the time of the incident, but the hidden secrets could be easily discovered by recalling them afterward.
He said to Si Ming, "I thought you were just patting yourself on the back when you said you were 'unparalleled in wisdom,' but I never imagined your wisdom was as unfathomable as your martial arts skills. I admit defeat, and I'm completely convinced."
"You flatter me. I have always acted with utmost caution."
Having received recognition for his wisdom, Si Ming felt even happier than if he had eaten a ginseng fruit, and quickly took out Marquis Wu Zhuge's evaluation to use for himself.
"This match has now ended. The final score is 3 to 1. The winner is the Linked Mountains University Second Martial Arts Club!"
When the referee announced the final result, the loudest cheers erupted throughout the stadium. Even the supporters of Heavenly Black Martial Arts Club stood up and applauded, showing their respect for the strong. The opponent deserved such praise. In terms of strength alone, Linked Mountains University was indeed superior to Heavenly Black University. Heavenly Black University had gone to great lengths and risked their lives to barely secure a victory.
"We are the champions!"
On the Second Martial Arts Club's bench, Ke Chajing and others jumped up, excitedly venting their emotions, and forcefully waving their fists again and again.
Chapter 798 Holding the Cauldron
On the awards ceremony stage, the members of the Heavenly Black Martial Arts Club, who received the runner-up medal, walked off with regretful expressions.
If it were a small, unknown team, winning second place would be a great achievement. But for Heavenly Black Martial Arts Club, which has won the championship many times, second place doesn't even qualify them for the awards display. While it's not exactly a disgrace, it's not much of an honor either.
"It's okay. As long as they all get used to not winning the championship, they'll naturally see the runner-up as an honor."
Si Ming took in the expressions on these people's faces and said to his teammates beside him.
No one thought Si Ming was exaggerating, because he was only a sophomore. Even if he graduated from university, he could still participate in two more national leagues. Considering his age, he could participate in five more.
"The next era will likely be dominated by Linked Mountains University."
An elderly reporter, while taking photos, looked at the people on the stage and sighed.
"They've only won this championship. Linked Mountains University has always been a regular in the quarterfinals and semifinals. Isn't it a bit too hasty to declare themselves the champions now?" a young reporter next to him said Qi Ingestion.
"You're still too young. You haven't grasped the key point. If you'd looked at the players' information, you'd know that Si Ming, Murong Qing, Liu Qingqing, Nie Wanzhi, and Chen Shimi are all core or main players, all second-year students from the same year. Four of them come from the same high school. Not only can they continue to participate in future National Martial Dao League, but they also have huge potential for growth. In this way, even if the president duo Ke Chajing and Hu Jixian, withdraw, Linked Mountains University can still retain its main fighting force. Not to mention, these two haven't even reached the age limit of twenty-five yet, so they can fight for another two years."
After the veteran reporter's analysis, the people around him suddenly understood. Looking at the exceptionally young faces on the stage, they suddenly felt as if they were witnessing the sunrise, after the sun had risen above the horizon.
The beautiful sunrise is just the beginning. The sun is at its strongest when it is directly overhead, shining brightly and radiating light that can drive away all evil spirits.
"Times are changing..."
Someone said this, and it resonated with everyone.
On the podium, the members of the Second Martial Arts Club weren't thinking about anything that far ahead. Their eyes were fixed on the purple-gold cauldron in the hands of the award presenter, almost radiating light. Some, like Jiang Tingting, were so excited that they wanted to rush up and hug it to their chests immediately.
In the Sea Continent, the symbol of a champion is not a "trophy," but a "cup of honor."
The use of cups as symbols of valuable items is a characteristic of Fang Wen; the most famous example is the "Holy Grail."
The earliest example of this legend comes from Ancient Greece, where the victor in an Ancient Greece contest was considered an exceptional hero and was rewarded with wine. The victor would pour wine for the loser, who would then drink from a large cup.
For the victors, they should be reminded not to be arrogant, but also to be respectful; for the losers, they should be punished, because they failed to meet the standards in both skill and character, and need to be warned.