Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio
At the other end of the infernal hell, far away from the heat, Martial Arts Fanatic Guo Jie, with her new buzzcut, was sitting with her legs crossed and palms facing the sky in the home team changing room. She breathed at a slow, steady pace, completely oblivious to her surroundings.
Ning Zitong sighed secretly and said to Lu Yan telepathically, “She’s a little tense...”
With his usual solemn expression, Lu Yan nodded slightly.
“That’s normal.”
As he spoke, he couldn’t help but look at Lou Cheng who was busy tapping at his phone.
As expected from a guy with the lives of a few Physical Invulnerability Experts under his belt. He’s as calm as us old-timers.
Ignoring the coach’s gaze, Lou Cheng sent a message to his wife with a smile.
“What do I do? I’m getting cold feet as a newbie in a top-tier professional tournament!”
It was the weekend, and Yan Zheke, who had made huge progress in Dan stage mastery and Wholeness Formula, decided to treat herself and stay up late to watch the opening match.
“That’s not what you said the last time you fought the Warrior Sage! [upward-looking emoji]” wrote Yan Zheke, mercilessly exposing his lie.
“Excitement has died away with time... [covered-face emoji]”
“So what’s on your mind now? [eyes moving in thought]” said Yan Zheke.
“Now I have to consider many things, like how far I can go against Lu Yongyuan, and how Infernal Flames weakens my Ice Sect secret arts. The disadvantage more or less offsets the home ground advantage,” wrote Lou Cheng seriously. “And how to flirt with my girl.”
Yan Zheke chuckled.
“Pfft...you’re too carefree! Stop teasing me! [rage]”
Lou Cheng snickered. “It’s an effective way to deal with anxiety.”
After so many life-or-death battles, he was fairly confident in his abilities.
They chatted a little more before Yan Zheke changed the subject.
“Your fan forum has been lively these days.”
“Why’s that?” asked Lou Cheng, puzzled.
Was it because he was now a powerhouse of the team and was about to lead Longhu Club in a new year of conquest?
Recently, he had been semi-secluded, only chatting with his wife and occasionally calling home. Apart from that, he had been racing against time to digest what he learned the first time he studied the Forbidden Sect, Yuqing Chapters. It had been a week since he’d gone on Weibo or the forums.
Yan Zheke sent a stalking cat emoji.
“Did you forget that Little Wonton is studying at a university in Huacheng? She bought a ticket to today’s competition to cheer you on. Little Ling, Brahman, Nie Qiqi, and Unparalleled Dragon King have all requested her to cheer on their part.”
Lou Cheng remembered. “I totally forgot about Little Wonton studying here...”
Well done, that’s the right answer, thought Yan Zheke, feeling pleased.
“How about you design a special victory emote just for them? [smothering a laugh]” she wrote.
“As a Physical Invulnerability expert, the most important thing is to be mature, humble, and presentable,” jested Lou Cheng.
“I don’t want to talk to you anymore! Uncle Cheng [looks away coldly]”
Lou Cheng made a few jokes. That what when Lu Yan had enough. He walked over and, choosing his words carefully, said,
“The match begins in ten minutes. As the vanguard, it’s best for you to get ready.”
I was planning on doing that when there were ten minutes left... Lou Cheng laughed dryly.
“Got it.”
He dipped his head to complain to his wife.
“The coach is unhappy with me! I have to stay focused for the match preparation now.”
“Haha, the coach has been unhappy with you for a good five minutes,” wrote Yan Zheke remorselessly.
Keeping his phone, Lou Cheng stood up slowly and loosened up his neck. Then, he slowly demonstrated a set of moves, like an elderly doing morning practice.
However, every punch and kick of his was full of charm, emitting the feeling of continuity and organicness.
After one set of moves, Lou Cheng’s thoughts sunk as the Ice Heart formed by itself. His qi and blood, like a defrosted lake, gradually flowed and combined into a tidal wave.
“There’s something different about that kid ever since he studied the Yuqing Chapters,” said Ning Zitong to Lu Yan telepathically as she regarded Lou Cheng thoughtfully.
“Wasn’t it the same for us back then?” said Lu Yan passively.
That was when the cheering became louder. The curtains to the new round of the top-tier professional tournament were about to be lifted.
A while later, Lu Yan looked at Guo Jie, who had her eyes open, and Lou Cheng, who was finishing adjusting. With his hands behind his back, he walked out of the changing room.
“Let’s head out!”
Unlike before, since it was the opening match, there would be a short ritual between the two teams.
Lou Cheng, spruced up his navy blue martial arts suit, and followed Lu Yan. As he walked towards the arena, the ground below him spat fire tamely. The mountains trembled to the resounding chants of “Longhu.”
Peering around, he saw the petite Little Wonton. She wore a pair of orange-framed glasses. Per usual, she looked in the prime of her youth.
As she saw Lou Cheng coming forward, she waved excitedly, completely forgetting the requests of the other forum members.
Lou Cheng nodded and retracted his gaze. That’s when Little Wonton remembered her main objective.
She hurriedly took out a short, navy blue banner from her backpack, spread it with her hands and lifted it above her head. There wasn’t a name written on it. On large prints were the words “We are here as long as you are here!”
From the corner of his eye, Lou Cheng saw it. He recalled the support from the year before, and how they never gave up on him even when he was at rock bottom.
He felt his heart warm.
Yan Xiaoling, at her computer, covered her face and sighed.
“We shouldn’t have given Little Wonton that task. She’s too short to be noticed! Half of the banner is blocked!” she wrote in the live-cast forum thread.
Unparalleled Dragon King immediately replied with a funny face emoji.
“Even if she’s short, she’s three centimeters taller than you. Just what gives you the confidence to make fun of her height?”
“Insolent...” wrote Yan Xiaoling, poking fun at herself.
After a simple ritual, the members from both teams retreated to their respective changing rooms, except Lou Cheng and Kaori Karasawa, who remained at the center of the arena.
“Please advise me, Lou-jun (the Chinese word for -kun),” bowed Kaori Karasawa. Her Chinese was very stiff.
After learning that her opponent was Lou Cheng, she had asked the interpreter to give her the pronunciation of these words, then memorized it and repeated it mechanically.
Lou Cheng made a fist and palm salute and smiled.
“I’ve been looking forward to fighting you again.”
Failing to catch this, Kaori Karasawa stared with large, confused eyes.
They walked away from each other and to their designated positions.
At the same time, many discussion threads had popped up on the largest otaku forum in Japan. The posts had a good number of replies. The fight was a hot topic.
“Kaori chan looks kawaii in this too!”
“Why did she abandon us and go to China?”
“For Kendo! The serious Kaori-chan is the best!”
“Who’s her opponent? Looks familiar.”
“I remember it now. He’s the one that lost to Kaori chan in the previous King of Youth Pro League... He’s also in the Deity Territory? Unbelievable!”
Except for martial arts fanatics, most Japanese only knew about Japanese experts. They weren’t interested in keeping up with foreign martial artists, or bothered to know who was promoted to Physical Invulnerability or who had entered Terror Grade.
This was true for most countries. To people who were fans of martial arts, every martial artist at the Physical Invulnerability level was famous. However, the average foreigner will only give a blank stare and ask “Who’s that?”.
Seeing that the majority of them didn’t know much about Lou Cheng, an enthusiast shed some light for them.
“Don’t underestimate him. He even surpassed the champion from the previous King of Youth Pro League. He was weak in the past only because he started martial arts late and needed more time to get stronger.”
“He’s a true Mighty One, in body to soul!”
“If Kaori-chan’s growth doesn’t exceed expectations, it’s likely that she’ll lose this match.”
Many replied to his comments.
“He doesn’t look very strong.”
“That’s because the television doesn’t do him justice, idiot.”
“I want Kaori-chan to win, but I want to see her anguished, teary face at the same time. What a dilemma.”
“Hentei!”
Soon, the atmosphere of the forums took a merry turn. Even with the warning, they still lacked a true understanding of Lou Cheng’s strength.
...
Due to the language barrier, the three minute talk-time became a pure showdown of auras.
Surrounded by flame geysers, Kaori Karasawa was quietly indifferent, as though she was in the ancient shrine of the Xinzhai Sect dojo—the old, smooth flooring, the overgrown tree branches outside the window, the cool moonlight, and nothing in sight but the statue of Buddha.
The solemn statue stood still, gazing silently at the world of mortals. Kaori Karasawa sat with her legs crossed, eyes locking with the statue. Her body and mind were both phantom-like.
Without barriers, everything around her leapt into her mind, including sensations that could not be seen or put into words.
“Mind Reader!”
This was one of the fundamental skills in the Xinzhai Kendo Sect. It was sort of a fusion between Enemy Heart Freezing Move and foresight abilities, but it had its own shortcomings.
Kaori Karasawa “saw” the lava waiting to erupt from the ground and a pellucid heart with mirror-like sides. She also saw reflections, absurdly clear down to the details, of herself.
A little shaken, she was nearly forced out of the state of Mind Reader.
Collecting herself, Kaori Karasawa managed to maintain her state. Calmly, she opened her eyes, which came into contact with Lou Cheng’s. She arched her back and reached for the hilt of Fugumaru. Like a heavenly weapon with its edge hidden in its sheath, the blade was longing for its day to shine.
After what seemed like an eternity, the referee who had retreated to the edge of the arena raised his right hand.
“Begin!” he boomed.
The new round of the top-tier professional tournament had officially begun!
Kaori Karasawa suddenly stepped forward, moving like flowing water. In a split second, she appeared before Lou Cheng.
Shing!
A clean ray of white light flared, so fast that its trail couldn’t be discerned.
Shukuchi! Draw attack!
Fusing the two ultimate skills was a walk in the park to Kaori Karasawa.
But Lou Cheng wasn’t any slower. Right as Kaori Karasawa used Shukuchi, Lou Cheng stepped out, shortening the gap between them. His heavy right punch landed on the side of the katana, blocking the blade in its path of destruction.
If not for Kaori Karasawa’s insane speed, he would have caught his opponent’s palm and pushed the katana back into its sheath.
That didn’t make Kaori Karasawa panic. Instead, she behaved as though she was back in the shrine gazing at the statue of Buddha.
Shing!
The empty sheath in her left hand stabbed at Lou Cheng’s lower abdomen with equal ferocity to the draw attack.
This was the preparation for her ultimate move!
Xinzhai Sect, Double Dragon Takedown!