Chapter 53: You Can't Win (Please keep reading)

At 7:30 PM, the evening breeze was slightly cool.

At Tianhai No. 2 Middle School, everyone was in their classrooms for evening self-study.

In the virtual room, the fifty students of the elite class and their martial arts instructor, Zhang Cheng, had all arrived.

Ten virtual pods, plus one newly renovated one, sat quietly—eleven in total.

A massive screen projected in the center, displaying a vast, empty, small-scale white arena.

Amidst the chatter, Zhang Cheng crossed his arms and scanned the ten students, including Li Zhou and Lin Qi, before speaking slowly

"The exchange competition is about to begin. After logging into the Red Realm, go to the Tianhai official website and find the link for the Martial Arts Exchange Competition."

With that, he was the first to enter the brand-new virtual pod.

The other ten followed suit, entering their respective pods, Lin Qi included.

Logging into the Red Realm, he searched the personal space panel for the Tianhai official website, found the link for the Martial Arts Exchange Competition, and clicked to enter.

*Whoosh!*

In the next instant, the space around him shifted and blurred. Lin Qi was pulled out and teleported to a different area.

As his senses returned, he looked around to find himself in the spectator stands. Sitting in the seat next to him was Jiang Tao.

In front of them was a circular, white arena reminiscent of the Roman Colosseum style.

"Is this the actual venue for the exchange competition? I didn't expect it to be online," Jiang Tao remarked in wonder, looking around.

"The people from Songbai Middle School are here!" Zhu Yuqi suddenly spoke, looking ahead.

Everyone turned to look. On the opposite spectator stands, eleven figures materialized out of thin air.

Seven males and three females, accompanied by one male teacher.

The men were either tall and robust or possessed a sharp, piercing aura; the women were either tall and commanding or lively. They looked over with an air of arrogance.

Neither side spoke; they observed each other warily, the air thick with tension.

"Huh?"

Lin Qi, however, spotted an acquaintance—Quick Sword!

The expert he had been matched with in the Red Realm yesterday had left a slight impression on him with his lightning-fast swordplay.

He hadn't expected the man to be a student from Songbai Middle School, and even participating in this exchange competition.

"Is everyone from Songbai Middle School as strong as him?"

Lin Qi couldn't help but question the combat strength of Songbai Middle School.

Zhang Cheng stepped onto the arena to meet the teacher from the opposing school.

The opposing leader was a middle-aged man with a hooked nose and a lean, fit build. He possessed a sinister temperament and radiated an equally formidable aura.

"Hello!"

The two sides shook hands pleasantly and introduced themselves.

"Tianhai No. 2 Middle School, Zhang Cheng!"

"Songbai Middle School, Cao Bin!"

"I hope this exchange competition prioritizes friendship first and competition second, and that everyone gains something from it."

"Naturally!"

Both men wore smiles, and the atmosphere seemed harmonious.

However, once they turned away to return to the spectator stands, Cao Bin's expression changed instantly. He let out a cold sneer

"Tianhai No. 2... let's show them the strength of our Songbai. Let's make sure they don't forget this exchange competition for the rest of the month."

"What kind of level are they even at, thinking they can engage in a martial arts exchange with our Songbai?"

"Understood, Teacher Cao!" Several students responded with cruel smiles.

On the other side...

As soon as Zhang Cheng returned, his smile vanished like a face-changing mask in Sichuan opera. He said grimly

"You all are representing No. 2 Middle School this time—representing the entire Tianhai City."

"No matter what, you must fight with everything you have to win."

"Don't worry, Teacher Zhang. I'll open their eyes," Jiang Tao said, rubbing his hands together with a confident smile.

"That's right. Maybe if we win six matches straight, the rest of us won't even have to fight," someone declared confidently.

Zhang Cheng nodded, choosing not to dampen their spirits, but as he looked toward the arena, he felt deep concern in his heart.

Songbai Middle School was, after all, the second-tier school in Bailu City. To be honest, in terms of overall strength, their No. 2 Middle School was inferior to the opponent.

He had no certainty about whether they could win; it could only depend on the students themselves.

【Martial Arts Exchange Competition Rules】

【Students from both schools will enter the field according to the roster. The school with the most victories wins!】

【Please have the first contestant enter the field!】

An intelligent female voice rang out through the air. Lin Qi narrowed his eyes, preparing to step up.

According to the rules and the roster order—from weakest to strongest—he was tenth on the list, which meant he was the first to compete.

"Qi-ge, can you win?" Jiang Tao asked with a serious expression.

"I can," Lin Qi nodded.

Jiang Tao broke into a smile. "I knew it!"

In the next instant, Lin Qi vanished from his spot and appeared in the arena.

【Student Lin Qi, you have thirty seconds of preparation time. Please select your weapon!】

Looking at the panel before him, Lin Qi chose his familiar large black spear without hesitation.

At the same time, in the Songbai Middle School area

"Fan Yong, crush him in the first round! Let him know how powerful Songbai is!" someone said.

Fan Yong had a square face and looked quite honest, but he now wore an excited grin. He patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, leave it to me."

With that, he was also teleported onto the arena.

"Wait!"

Liang Kai tried to speak, but Fan Yong was already on the field. He sighed, looking at Lin Qi on the stage with a heavy gaze.

"He looks too much like him!"

The black combat suit, the long black spear—even his physique and aura were identical, except for the lack of a black mask.

He was almost exactly like the person who had defeated him yesterday.

"If it really is him, Brother Yong is in trouble."

"But Brother Yong's saber techniques have already broken through to the second rank. He should be able to win, right?"

Not far away, Cao Lin revealed a sinister smile. "Fan Yong is very strong. If it weren't for his blood-qi levels and academic grades dragging him down, he wouldn't be ranked tenth in the grade."

"With his second-rank saber techniques, he will definitely secure an opening victory and deal a heavy blow to the opponent's morale."

On the arena

Fan Yong, dressed in a black-and-red combat suit, brandished a battle saber. His blade was long and wide—a cavalry saber.

He was tall, nearly two meters, with broad shoulders and thick, muscular arms, possessing an aura like a massive boulder.

Fan Yong grinned with his honest face

"From No. 2 Middle School, let me show you my saber techniques!"

Lin Qi said calmly, "A mere clown!"

"You're looking for death!" Fan Yong felt an immediate surge of irritation.

【Combat preparation begins!】

【3, 2, 1...】

【The first match officially begins!】

*Boom!*

Fan Yong took a massive stride, his body exploding forward like a rolling boulder. His great saber sliced through the air, carrying the momentum of a heavy mountain.

In that same instant, Lin Qi also charged. His figure flickered as he lunged forward.

Holding the spear with one hand, he gripped it firmly with both hands as he closed the distance. The tip of the spear trembled, and with a sudden infusion of power, he swung.

This time, Lin Qi was the one to initiate the attack.

Fan Yong smiled slightly and swung his saber. His movements were steady and slow, like a mountain rising from the earth.

He swung the blade from bottom to top in an extremely stable arc, forming a perfect defensive circle.

Immovable as a rock!

*Clang! Clang!*

Lin Qi thrust the spear over a dozen times with incredible arm strength, but every strike was blocked by the defensive circle formed by Fan Yong's saber.

"You can never break my defense!"

Fan Yong's blade danced, steady as a rock, while he remained unmoving.

*Bang!*

*Bang, bang, bang!*

At the same time, his moves were wide and powerful. Each swing of his saber brought with it gusts of wind, as if carrying thousands of pounds of force.

When the spear collided with the saber, a powerful counter-force jolted back.

*Clang! Clang!*

Lin Qi executed several consecutive moves, all of which were parried. Simultaneously, the force of the recoil left his arms numb.

Seeing this, Fan Yong flashed a triumphant smile.

"I told you, you can't break my defense!"

In the spectator stands, Jiang Tao's expression was grim.

"Oh no, Qi-ge is in trouble."

"This guy named Fan Yong is very strong. His saber techniques have already broken through to the second rank. Qi-ge won't be able to break through his defense."

Since they practiced the same "Heavy Mountain Saber Technique," Jiang Tao knew it too well.

He could see that Fan Yong's strength was immense; even if he went up there, he wouldn't dare claim victory.

"Lin Qi will likely lose the first match," Yu Jing said, shaking his head and stating his opinion.

"It's only just started and you're already jumping to conclusions. What do you know?" Li Zhou snapped back.

Yu Jing's face turned pale. Just as he was about to argue, Zhang Cheng interrupted

"Don't be too quick to judge. The flow of battle changes in an instant. Do not reach a conclusion until the very last moment."

"The same applies to the battlefield," Zhang Cheng said in a deep voice.

The others nodded and continued to watch the stage.

Zhang Cheng frowned. He had considerable confidence in Lin Qi, but he couldn't guarantee a win.

He could only continue to watch.

...

(End of Chapter)