Keep Bluffing
A gasp rippled through the audience, because the way Si Ming defeated Wu Dongsheng was exactly the same as the way he defeated Jin Ganggang, even though their fighting styles were completely different. This couldn't be explained by the saying "one trick is all you need."
However, those who came today were all experts who were confident in their own strength. Even though they could see that Si Ming's strength was unfathomable, some still issued challenges.
"Yu Hai the 'Empty Cicada Saber,' has come to seek instruction!"
"Next!"
"Flying Leopard" Sang Ying has come to learn from me!
"Next!" "Next!" "Next!"
As Hou Fei listened to the repeated calls of "next one" from the ring, his eyes shifted from eager anticipation to amazement and admiration, then to solemn caution, then to fear and panic, and finally to a dazed state. He wanted to go up and challenge, but his legs felt like they were made of lead, and he couldn't even take a single step.
Even after the second day's challenge ended and everyone left the martial arts gym, he didn't step onto the ring; he just stood there blankly.
That night, many people had nightmares, filled with the endless echoes of "the next one."
Chapter 643 Continuing the Deception
The third day of the duel in the ring.
"So, you didn't go on stage to challenge anyone yesterday?" You Bin asked in surprise.
Hou Fei felt a pang of shame, hesitated, and wanted to deny it outright, but couldn't find a reason to fool people. In particular, You Bin was no novice, and ordinary reasons would not fool him at all. Instead, they would expose his ugliness, and his face turned bright red.
As the president of the club You Bin was a shrewd and diplomatic person. He immediately realized he had said the wrong thing and quickly changed the subject, asking, "What exactly happened yesterday? Is this Si Ming really that terrifying?"
He added at the end, "Yesterday I applied for a secluded retreat for the Captain and others, so I didn't have time for the martial arts club."
Hou Fei's expression softened considerably, and he exhaled, "You have no idea how terrifying this person is until you see it with your own eyes. Yesterday, a total of seventy-two people challenged him, most of whom were skilled fighters, no less than the members of our Martial Arts Club's second team. But not one of them could last ten moves against him; they often fell before five minutes had passed. The difference in strength was too obvious!"
Recalling what he had seen and heard yesterday, Hou Fei's facial muscles twitched involuntarily. He exhaled a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "Captain Gao Yang is right. This person held back his strength, and it was more than we imagined. Although his Internal Cultivation has not broken through the Spirit Transformation Threshold, his combat power is indeed at the Spirit Transformation level."
"Is he really at the Spirit Transformation level?" You Bin asked incredulously. "Although his strength on the first day was astonishing, it shouldn't be this high, right?"
"That's because his opponent on the first day wasn't worth his full strength."
"He fought seventy-two top fighters in a row. Even if it was a quick battle, his stamina is just too incredible."
"That's exactly what I wanted to say. This person's Internal Cultivation is close to the Spirit Transformation Threshold, which is already extraordinary among his peers. Even in our school team, only the Captain can suppress him. However, he is also a body-training martial artist. Compared with his physical skills, his Internal Cultivation has become a weakness. His stamina is not inexhaustible. In the end, he still showed signs of fatigue. In the morning, he usually defeats his opponents within five moves, while in the afternoon, it takes more than five moves. But no matter what, it never exceeds ten moves, proving that although his stamina is depleted, it is not very obvious. The effect of using a gauntlet attack is probably far less than we imagined."
You Bin frowned and asked, "Doesn't he have any weaknesses or shortcomings?"
"No, at least I can't tell. This person has profound Internal Cultivation, immense power, and is impervious to blades and spears. I initially thought he was a clumsy type of martial artist who practiced external martial arts, but judging from the skills he displayed yesterday, he has clearly surpassed the level of 'lifting heavy objects with ease,' reaching the realm of 'lifting light objects with great force.'"
After saying this, Hou Fei completely let go of his pride, feeling there was no point in hiding it any longer. He sighed and said, "I admit, I was really scared out of my wits yesterday and lost the courage to challenge. Even my strongest skill can't beat my opponent's weakest skill. I really couldn't see any chance of winning, and the result of stepping onto the stage wouldn't be any better than Zong Yutong's performance."
After hearing this, You Bin's expression also became serious. He knew that Hou Fei's specialty was Movement Method, and he was nicknamed "Flying Spirit Monkey." His teammates called him "Monkey" not just because of his surname. Even so, Hou Fei did not think he could gain an advantage in Movement Method, which was enough to illustrate the seriousness of the problem.
"He has no weaknesses and is physically strong... No wonder he dared to make such arrogant remarks and challenge the entire school. These two points are the key to his defense."
If you lack stamina, you'll be finished in a series of battles. If you have a weakness, you should send out a martial artist who is specifically suited to counter it. If you dare to set up a challenge, you must be prepared to be targeted. Therefore, a martial artist who specializes in one skill is not as good as one who is mediocre in all aspects.
The two men looked at each other in silence, the atmosphere growing heavy, when a student rushed in, breathless, saying, "Minister, the telegram has returned, I brought it over as soon as I got it."
"Hurry up and bring it here!"
You Bin took the telegram and exclaimed in surprise after reading only the first line, "It's actually a disciple of Startling Rainbow Beyond the Heavens! No wonder..."
Hou Fei scoffed, "The master leads you through the door, but the cultivation is up to you. In the path of martial arts, just because the master is powerful doesn't mean the disciple will be powerful. Having a master who is Spirit Transformation Grandmaster only means a more solid foundation and less chance of going astray. In the later stages, you still have to rely on your own efforts. Wasn't Fu Feng also Spirit Transformation disciple? Yet he didn't even dare to stand out and just hid in the crowd stirring up trouble." He inexplicably became angry as he finished speaking.
"Huyan Lie is still inferior to Yan Jinghong; a person's reputation is like a tree's shadow..."
"No!" Hou Fei suddenly shouted, grabbing the telegram to confirm carefully, "He's Yan Jinghong's apprentice. What do you think Yan Jinghong is best at?"
Without hesitation, You Bin replied, "Lightness skill and Swordsmanship, I suppose." To martial artists, a strongman like Yan Jinghong is equivalent to an international superstar; even if they don't know much about him, they've probably heard reports about him.
"Si Ming fought bare-handed the entire time yesterday, never using Swordsmanship. He even held back some strength; this must be his trump card!" Hou Fei paced back and forth, becoming more and more certain. "No, we have to inform the Captain and the others immediately to prevent them from falling into a trap."
You Bin agreed, saying, "That makes sense. We also need to discuss yesterday's battle. We need to adjust our tactical assessment of this person, or we'll suffer a great loss."
"The hostility is growing stronger; it seems I've truly become public enemy number one at Sun Wu University."
At the entrance of the martial arts hall, Si Ming recalled the looks the students on both sides of the road had given him as if he were an enemy, and couldn't help but smile. From the spectator mentality on the first day, to the anger on the second day, and then to the hostility today, it clearly showed the change in his image in the eyes of many students at Sun Wu University.
Xin Jia said, "Things don't happen more than three times. If you manage to get through today, even if we defeat you in the future, everyone will feel ashamed. After all, even if we gather the strength of an entire school, we still can't stop an individual from holding a challenge for three days. No matter how you look at it, it's a disgrace. However, on the other hand, you will become famous overnight!"
Sun Wu University is the premier university in Nation of Valor, where the elite of his generation gather. Si Ming defeats them, he can claim to have defeated all the young people in Nation of Valor, thus becoming the Dugu Qiubai, and his fame will surely spread throughout the entire Sea Continent.
Conversely, Sun Wu University became his stepping stone, relegating him to the role of a clown. Every time he was mentioned, he would be ridiculed, unless he could become Void Returning Great Grandmaster or become invincible, making others proud to lose to him.
Considering Xin Jia's status, Si Ming was about to be modest when he suddenly noticed her unnatural movements. He reached out, grabbed her arm, and pulled up her sleeve, revealing that it was covered in bruises.
Xin Jia quickly broke free and backed away, saying in a panic, "This... this has nothing to do with you. I accidentally tripped and fell in the bathroom yesterday."
Si Ming was silent for a moment, then sighed and said, "I'm sorry, I've dragged you into this."
He then asked Cheng Xin, who was standing next to him, "Were you also targeted by this anger?"
"The members of the News Department and the Broadcasting Department are all from the Lu School. Those cowardly bullies wouldn't dare to mess with me. Besides, our News Department has been staying up for two nights straight to see the Military School's ugly side. Everyone is very excited and just waiting for you to get through today so you can publish the Military School's ugly side in next week's campus weekly."