Ten Battles, Ten Defeats

"Where did that kid run off to?" Kang Tianchen stood before the seats, looking around.

"The match is about to start. What the hell is he doing?"

"Coach, you still haven't found Junior Brother Li?" Huang Xuan stood behind Kang Tianchen and smiled confidently.

"What a pity. He won't get to witness his senior brother's brilliance today."

Kang Tianchen's heart stirred at those words. "Are you confident today?"

"Of course!" Huang Xuan's smile deepened, and he turned to enter the preparation tunnel.

"Just wait for my good news!"

Huang Xuan was Chengtian Martial Arts School's tenth seat.

Every year, the Martial Hall's number of Youth Cup slots was allocated according to its results from previous years. Chengtian Martial Arts School had ten slots, while Jixing Martial Hall had five more than them.

If the number of applicants exceeded the allotted slots, the rest could only fight through the qualifiers.

Inside the competitors' tunnel, Liu Yi stood at the very front of the team. As Chengtian Martial Arts School's strongest Lower-Rank Martial Artist under thirty, he bore the heaviest burden.

Whether they could hold onto a quarterfinal spot this year would determine how much government funding Chengtian Martial Arts School received afterward, as well as how many qualifying slots it would have for the Provincial Competition.

Hall Master Hou Chengtian stood at the tunnel entrance like a towering mountain, with no expression visible on his face.

"Liu Yi, just do your best. Don't put too much pressure on yourself."

Hou Chengtian patted Liu Yi on the shoulder. Ever since Jixing Martial Hall had established a branch in Rong City, large numbers of talented people had either entered academies directly or been siphoned away by Jixing Martial Hall.

Chengtian Martial Arts School had declined further and further, failing to even reach the Youth Cup finals for many years running.

Liu Yi was already the most talented young person Hou Chengtian had seen in recent years.

"Don't think too much. Give it your all."

Liu Yi nodded silently and stepped onto the arena.

Across from him, fourteen people from Jixing Martial Hall stood in a line. Their meaning was obvious: let him pick his opponent.

Looking at the vacant spot at the front of their formation, a wave of bitterness rose in Liu Yi's heart.

We don't even have the right to make their first seat step forward.

But that was the truth. Even their second seat was a top-tier Lower-Rank Seven-Star, someone he was equally incapable of handling.

"Rong Huan." He looked toward Jixing Martial Hall's third seat.

At the peak of Lower-Rank Six-Star, Rong Huan of the Mantis Hand.

"Liu Yi, I knew you'd pick me." Rong Huan leaped onto the arena and raised his left hand into a Pathfinding Fist stance.

"The first seat of the mighty Chengtian Martial Arts School, facing a mere third seat like me—you should at least claim your first win, shouldn't you?"

There was not a trace of mockery in Rong Huan's tone, yet every word he spoke stabbed straight into the heart.

A first seat challenging a third seat, yet their historical record still had more losses than wins.

It was hard not to feel that they belonged to Martial Halls on entirely different levels.

"Let's begin." Liu Yi showed neither sorrow nor joy as he raised his hands into a standard Tai Chi stance.

The referee was a professional official who had served at the Youth Cup before, with strength around Mid-level Five-Star. He was fully capable of controlling the situation in the arena.

The referee raised a hand, signaling for the two to salute one another.

"Will either of you be using weapons?"

"No." They both shook their heads at the same time.

The referee nodded and lowered his hands.

"Match, begin!"

Martial arts tournaments had no points-based victories or submission rules.

There were three conditions for victory.

The opponent lost the ability to resist, the opponent voluntarily conceded, or the opponent fell from the arena.

At the referee's command, Liu Yi made the first move.

Rong Huan had fought him several times. His opponent's strength lay in the highly penetrating Mantis Fist, which happened to be restrained by Liu Yi's masterful Tai Chi.

For today's match, Liu Yi had watched hundreds of hours of Rong Heng's fight recordings, all to analyze his weaknesses.

Seizing the initiative with a rapid assault was his method.

Mantis Fist relied on nimble footwork, using fist force with immense penetration amid constant turns, shifts, and leaps to attack its opponent, slowly wearing down their vitality until they revealed an opening, then defeating them with thunderous force.

Liu Yi's gaze sharpened. With a single stride, he rushed before Rong Heng, force circulating through both hands as he instantly sealed off the latter's space.

Rong Heng frowned tightly. His feet tapped lightly against the arena as his body instinctively flew backward.

I took the bait!

A flash of inspiration struck Liu Yi's mind. Pressing his advantage without mercy, he stepped forward and used Tai Chi to unleash Primal Force, charging toward Rong Huan like a war chariot.

He fled, Liu Yi pursued.

There was nowhere left for him to retreat!

The edge of the arena lay beneath his feet. Rong Huan could only face Liu Yi head-on.

Inch Force erupted within a space no larger than a square inch.

Liu Yi employed Tai Chi, using four ounces to deflect a thousand pounds. His perfectly honed supple force easily dispersed the fist force.

But Liu Yi did not press his victory. Instead, he used his footwork again, positioning himself precisely across Rong Heng's retreat path.

Blocked by Liu Yi once more, Rong Heng finally realized something was wrong.

"You bastard..."

The two clashed again. Rong Heng's Mantis Fist excelled at mobile combat, using brief bursts of force to deliver heavy blows to an opponent at close range.

Yet Liu Yi was thoroughly prepared for this. All of his Tai Chi Force emphasized adhesion and entanglement.

While constantly dissolving Rong Heng's attacks, he dragged him into his own rhythm, like a spider weaving its web and slowly making the prey in its grasp sink deeper and deeper.

"There's hope!" Kang Tianchen's face lit up with delight in the stands.

He clenched his fist and swung it!

Rong Heng had fallen into the trap!

Inside the preparation tunnel, Huang Xuan and the others beamed with joy.

"There's a chance!"

"As long as Senior Disciple Brother holds steady, he can win."

"Jixing Martial Hall is too arrogant! Go, Senior Disciple Brother!"

On the arena, Rong Heng's position was already being forced into a dead corner. Since his force could not break through Tai Chi Soft Strength, it meant he could only die a slow death.

"Ha!" Liu Yi exhaled with a shout and took three consecutive steps forward, forging the breath in his chest into one solid mass.

His right arm changed from a fist into a hammer.

As Senior Disciple Brother, I have to take this first victory!

The time, the place, and the people.

All were on my side!

At that moment, Liu Yi's Mental Power climbed to its peak. His vitality gathered into an incomplete core force and erupted with a boom!

"Get down!"

Rong Heng had been forced into a dead corner, fist wind howling before him.

Looking at Liu Yi, whose eyes shone with desire, he suddenly smiled.

"The one who should get down is you."

Rong Heng no longer dodged. He too raised his right arm and collided fiercely with Liu Yi.

Boom!

Vitality burst forth.

The Mantis Fist force, which did not excel at direct clashes, actually overwhelmed Liu Yi in that instant.

Hou Chengtian stood at the tunnel entrance, the upper half of his face covered in shadow.

"Even a third seat can be Lower-Rank Seven-Star?"

The moment those words fell.

The people who had been cheering in the tunnel became like ducks with their necks caught.

Chengtian Martial Arts School did not have a single Lower-Rank Seven-Star now.

Bang!

Below the arena, Liu Yi was struck by seven consecutive punches from Rong Heng and sent flying off the arena without the slightest ability to resist.

How could Six-Star defeat Seven-Star?

In the audience, Kang Tianchen, who had already risen to applaud, stiffened. His hands froze in midair.

Clap clap clap—

A string of applause rang out from across the field. There were no cheers; every spectator merely applauded in silence.

To Jixing Martial Hall, this match was merely an ordinary friendly bout.

Losing was normal. Winning was not worth cheering over either.

That was all.

Inside the tunnel, Hou Chengtian seemed to age five years in an instant. He shook his head and looked toward the second seat beside him.

"Go. Show them our spirit."

Hearing that the hall master did not even mention victory, Jiang Min nodded silently.

She walked through the tunnel. Jixing Martial Hall's fifth seat was already standing on the arena.

Jiang Min pursed her lips. Her opponent had not even sent out their fourth seat, clearly believing she was not worth it.

Yet before the referee could announce the start.

Boom!

Powerful vitality surged with Embracing the Core and Returning Strength, its terrifying pressure displayed before everyone from Chengtian Martial Arts School.

Terrifying vitality on par with Rong Heng's.

"Even their fifth seat too?" The stands fell completely silent.

Kang Tianchen slumped back into his seat.

Jixing Martial Hall had five Lower-Rank Seven-Stars, while Chengtian Martial Arts School did not have even one.

Such a gap nearly made people lose the very thought of catching up.

Sure enough, Jiang Min, who was weaker than Liu Yi, was no match at all for their fifth seat.

One minute later, Jiang Min was defeated.

Starting with Jiang Min, the arena on Chengtian Martial Arts School's side became completely like a library.

Defeat after defeat after defeat!

The best performance only lasted five minutes before the fighter was seriously injured and carried off the arena.

From the first seat to the ninth seat, there was not a single victory.

Such a gap left Kang Tianchen utterly numb.

The final person stepped onto the arena.

"Chengtian Martial Arts School's Huang Xuan. Please enlighten me!"

His clear, hearty voice spread throughout the entire stadium.

It was Huang Xuan.

Kang Tianchen's gaze landed on the arena, on the student he had taught hand in hand.

At the end of Jixing Martial Hall's line, a lean young man leaped onto the arena.

"Jixing Martial Hall's Bai Feng. Please enlighten me."

Huang Xuan felt countless gazes upon his back. He was their final hope.

He held his head high and puffed out his chest. In the next instant, Embracing the Core and Returning Strength.

As his vitality erupted, an aura far stronger than before burst forth.

Lower-Rank Three-Star!

"Good!" Kang Tianchen slapped his thigh hard, nearly leaping up with joy.

Jixing Martial Hall's Bai Feng, like Huang Xuan, was also a Lower-Rank Two-Star. During their last spar, Huang Xuan had only lost by a hair.

Now that he had broken through to Three-Star, there was no doubt Huang Xuan could absolutely defeat Bai Feng!

Hearing the cheers from the opposing stands, Bai Feng smiled knowingly.

"Lower-Rank Three-Star?"

He raised his head and looked at Huang Xuan, who stood proudly.

"Sorry, so am I."

Vitality erupted, overwhelming Huang Xuan, whose foundation was unstable. The smile on Huang Xuan's face slowly froze.

Inside the tunnel, Jixing Martial Hall's coach withdrew his gaze. He turned around lazily and beckoned to the remaining team members.

"The warm-up is more or less over. You've gotten a sense of the strength of the others in this Youth Cup, right?"

"My demands aren't high. Sweep the top four spots. Any problem with that?"

The others answered his question with a burst of soft laughter.

"Coach, our first seat hasn't even stepped out yet. This Youth Cup looks like it'll just be an internal battle within our Martial Hall."

"What a pity. I still wanted to watch the first seat beat them senseless."

"Come on, what right do they have to face the first seat? As for getting beaten senseless, haven't you been drilled by the first seat enough during practice?"

Jixing Martial Hall left, not even bothering to come over and exchange a word with them.

Chengtian Martial Arts School's stands were silent as a graveyard.

In the distance, Huang Xuan lay on a stretcher as he was carried into an ambulance.

Ten matches.

With several of their opponent's strongest fighters not even participating.

Ten losses in ten battles!

Kang Tianchen sat in his chair, staring alone at the arena before him.

"Should I consider changing careers?"

If Chengtian Martial Arts School performed this badly again in this competition, government funding would inevitably be cut, and layoffs would follow.

Kang Tianchen could not think of anything else he could do. Teach at a school?

Or simply retire?

"Coach, is the competition over?"

"Hm?"

Seeing Li Changqing, who had somehow appeared behind him, Kang Tianchen fell silent for a moment.

He was even somewhat glad that this student of his, who had not yet officially entered the school, had not come to watch.

Ten matches, ten losses—simply too shameful to speak of.

"Did Senior Brother Huang win?" Li Changqing sat beside Kang Tianchen, glancing sideways at the latter's expression.

It seemed he had said the wrong thing.

"Um... then did our top disciple win?"

Still silence.

Li Changqing scratched his head. No way.

"Changqing." Kang Tianchen suddenly sighed.

"Registration for the Youth Cup qualifiers has not ended yet. Haven't you always wanted to go? Give it a try."

Li Changqing looked at Kang Tianchen, who was acting so unlike himself, baffled.

"Coach, you..."

"I've figured it out." Kang Tianchen turned back, the corners of his mouth twitching against his will, yet unable to form a smile.

"Chengtian Martial Arts School has long ceased to be worthy of being Jixing Martial Hall's opponent. I was the one who refused to face reality."

"I had originally wanted you to compete only after becoming a Martial Artist. Then you could rise to fame in a single stroke and show the spirit of our Chengtian Martial Arts School."

"But now it seems I was merely indulging in wishful thinking."

"Go on, then. It will be good for you to see the world sooner." Kang Tianchen gripped Li Changqing's shoulder and said earnestly,

"But whatever happens, don't let it crush your spirit. You are already one of the most gifted Martial Artists I have ever seen, and your progress has been astonishingly fast."

"You must always look forward. You have already surpassed eighty percent of people; don't belittle yourself because of the other twenty percent."

"The people at Jixing Martial Hall are geniuses among geniuses, the best of that twenty percent. We don't need to compare ourselves with them. You..."

"Coach." Li Changqing placed his hand over Kang Tianchen's shoulder.

"I've already registered for the qualifiers."

"When? You..."

"When the time comes, remember to call Senior Brother Huang and have him come watch my match." Li Changqing smiled brightly.

"Our Chengtian Martial Arts School is not inferior."