The Finals Begin

"An ability that only Demigod rank can comprehend? And she just barely grasped it?" The crowd was collectively dumbfounded. "Then how is our Great God Lin supposed to fight her? Might as well just forfeit." After the shock, everyone wore gloomy expressions.

Ning Feixue paid no attention to their reactions and turned instead to Ye Shuangshuang. "Shuangshuang, tell us how the match felt for you."

Ye Shuangshuang's face was somewhat pale, clearly a sign of excessive Spiritual Power consumption earlier.

Seeing everyone staring at her, Ye Shuangshuang felt a little embarrassed but still spoke up. "At the start, when I was testing her during the match, I didn't notice anything unusual. It was only when I released my Martial Art, Water Curtain Years, that she waved her hand and wiped out all the Fierce Beasts I had summoned." She paused to take a sip of water; her match today had indeed drained her heavily.

"Normally, the Fierce Beasts I summon can follow my commands. But when they got close to Liu Qingmeng, I suddenly lost my connection with them. Then she waved her hand, and all my Fierce Beasts were gone."

Hearing this, the group fell into thought. "Could they have been transferred into an Alternate Space?" Lin Hao murmured quietly.

"Exactly. That's what I think too." Ning Feixue picked up the thread. "To be honest, even the principals of several Martial Arts Universities couldn't figure it out. If it weren't for Shuangshuang fighting her, I wouldn't have considered it either. If she really has a Space Ability, Brother Lin Hao, your attacks might be just as ineffective against her as Shuangshuang's were."

After Ning Feixue's words, everyone sank into silence. Space power—none of them, not even the Diamond-rank principals, had ever touched it. How could Lin Hao fight her? They had fought tooth and nail to reach the finals, only to run into a freak like Liu Qingmeng. Though deep resentment churned in their hearts, there was also profound helplessness.

"It's fine, Lin Hao. Just do your best tomorrow," Jiang Weiwei spoke up. "Since you've made it to the finals, I know you won't agree to just forfeit. Don't put too much pressure on yourself."

"Yeah, I'll give it my best shot tomorrow. Since we're already in the finals, there's no way I'm giving up. I want to have a good fight with her. If I lose, I'll treat it as gaining experience. Thanks for today, Sister Ning and Ye Shuangshuang. You've helped me a lot." Lin Hao spoke up.

"It's nothing. We didn't really do much—just shared Shuangshuang's battle experience. Well then, we'll head back now. Shuangshuang just woke up and still needs to recover." Ning Feixue smiled and stood up.

The group saw Ning Feixue and the others off, then returned to the meeting room.

"Brother Lin, don't worry. At worst, we're the runner-up. For us, this tournament has already been a huge win. Just keep a level head." The one who spoke was Lei Yunfan, who was usually stern and rarely smiled. Everyone remarked that the sun must be rising from the west.

"Alright, everyone, stop worrying about me." They chatted a little longer before heading back to their dorms.

The next day, the highly anticipated Hundred Schools League finals began amid unprecedented cheers from the audience. Students and teachers from every Martial Arts University were all present, but this time they sat in the VIP seats closest to the stands. Only the students and teachers of Shancheng Martial University and Jiangnan Martial University occupied the preparation area.

Today's Referee was personally officiated by Fang Wei, the God of War of the Eastern Military Region.

Both teams were extremely nervous. Neither Shancheng Martial University nor Jiangnan Martial University had made it to the finals in many years. From start to finish, none of the principals or the audience had expected that these two Martial Arts Universities would be the ones to reach the championship match.

By now, Lin Hao had become the hot topic of discussion across all Martial Arts Universities. Needless to say, the fact that he, as a Bronze High-rank, had overpowered Modu Martial University and last year's champion, Longcheng Martial University, was already astonishing.

The principal of Jiangnan Martial University, Xing Tianhe, and the principal of Shancheng Martial University, Jiang Weiwei, personally took the stage to give speeches for their schools—essentially advertising. Because no matter which university won the championship, both would be ranked among the top two schools of this Hundred Schools League. A bit of promotion would help attract better prospects to their universities in the future.

As they were about to leave the stage, Xing Tianhe smiled and said, "Weiwei, how about we settle it between our two schools in a single match?"

Jiang Weiwei smiled knowingly. "Then I'll thank Principal Xing for the opportunity." Needless to say, Jiangnan Martial University's overall strength was higher than Shancheng Martial University's. Xing Tianhe's suggestion was clearly giving Shancheng Martial University a chance—how could Jiang Weiwei not see that?

After Fang Wei confirmed both schools' agreement, he solemnly announced before the match began, "The Hundred Schools League finals, Shancheng Martial University versus Jiangnan Martial University, will be decided in a single match. Now, let us welcome the contestants for the finals."

As soon as the words fell, Lin Hao stood up. He wasn't wearing his school uniform today; instead, he had on a deep blue robe. He had noticed yesterday that both Ye Shuangshuang and Liu Qingmeng hadn't worn their school uniforms on stage, and after asking around, he learned that wearing a school uniform wasn't a strict requirement. So today, he changed into a deep blue robe that suited him better.

As he stepped onto the arena, thunderous applause erupted from the crowd. "Lin Hao! Lin Hao! Lin Hao!" The chants rose and fell in waves. Clearly, Lin Hao's performance had left a deep impression on the audience.

On the other side of the arena, Liu Qingmeng wore a white dress, her sweet temperament on full display. She walked onto the stage and gave Lin Hao a faint smile. "I really didn't expect that you'd be the one facing me in the finals. The principal had very high praise for you earlier."

"Heh, that's just the elders being generous. I've been lucky." Lin Hao was rarely this modest.

Hearing his reply, Liu Qingmeng smiled again. "On the path of a martial artist, there's never such a thing as luck. Since you made it to the finals, that proves you have the strength."

On the stage, Fang Wei saw that both were ready. He waved his hand grandly. "The Hundred Schools League finals—begin!" Then he quickly moved away from the arena, leaving the space to Lin Hao and Liu Qingmeng.

The crowd's cheers reached a fever pitch. The reporters had their cameras and microphones ready, broadcasting the once-every-five-years Hundred Schools League finals to the entire Xia Kingdom.

Below the stage, not only Jiang Weiwei, Su Xiaorui, and the Shancheng Martial University team, but even Fang Yao, Lin Yueyue, and Lin Xiaorou in the VIP seats were sweating for Lin Hao.

Hearing the signal to start, Lin Hao quickly assumed a combat stance. He dared not be careless in the slightest facing Liu Qingmeng. Black Lightning coiled around his entire body. Liu Qingmeng, too, had a golden glint flash in her eyes as she waited for Lin Hao's attack.