Chapter 749: Preparations
May 21st, 8pm. Jiuwen Stadium.
The spectator stands were densely filled and the cheers were deafening. As Lou Cheng stood in the middle of it all, he recalled the scene at the Inter-University Martial Arts Nationals finals. Thought, it wasn’t that long ago, it felt like a lifetime had passed.
In front of him, Dong Baxian left the exit and walked towards him. He was wearing a white martial arts suit with red trim. He was tall at over 1.9 meters, but he didn’t look clumsy, but slender.
Dong Baxian had his hair combed back and tied up like those of ancient China. His facial features weren’t outstanding but were distinct. He looked majestic and manly, and he gave off the feeling that he was looking down on the world.
His complexion too great. While walking, one could see him trying to hide his face. As a result, he didn’t release a domineering aura in the contest of minds.
When he stopped at his spot, the referee glanced at the electronic watch on his wrist. He adjusted his sunglasses, lifted his right hand, and said,
“The conversation starts now!”
Dong Baxian looked at Lou Cheng. In his eyes, there was strong, lingering defiance contrary to his age.
He smiled faintly and spoke plainly,
“I know that my injuries are much more serious than yours, and that my chances of winning today aren’t high.”
He’s not as proud or arrogant as I’d expected... Lou Cheng was surprised. He collected his thoughts and waited for what Dong Baxian was about to say.
Dong Baxian tilted his head to look upwards, focusing on the lighting at the dome’s ceiling, and said,
“Compared to the Kirin title, I miss my title of King even more... I can be defeated, but I will not admit defeat! My injuries won’t stop me until I can no longer move.”
This was the belief and will of the Warrior King.
He smiled faintly and said,
“That said, I still might not lose. If i give it a try, I might still have a chance. If I forfeit the match, I have no chance at all!”
“Even if my chances aren’t high, I’ll give my all to pursue victory!”
Dong Baxian’s suddenly released his momentum. The light coming from the dome seemed to have been attracted by something as it gathered tightly around him and formed a pure, radiant armor. His straight, proud, and powerful feelings were through the roof.
Lou Cheng was greatly affected by his speech as his battle will erupted. He lowered his stance, smiled, and replied,
“I will also give my all in my pursuit of victory!”
The two of them no longer spoke. Their momentum triggered the surroundings and changed the atmosphere of the stadium. Radiant light tried to illuminate all of the corners, and snowstorms tried to bury everything.
The referee walked to the edge of the arena. After waiting for some time, he lifted his right arm, brought it down rapidly, and announced,
“Begin!”
Thud! Dong Baxian strode out with his cloak made of light. This was his standard attack posture.
Lou Cheng reacted accordingly. Twisting his waist, he shifted to the side and attacked his opponent with the momentum of the snow storm.
Below the martial arts suit of Dong Baxian, thick veins were expanding exaggeratedly like snakes. His body disappeared suddenly as he moved at a horrifying, supersonic speed and appeared in front of Lou Cheng. He had charged ahead directly without any fancy movements.
Golden Scriptures of Donghuang, Shunpo!
The battle was intense from the very beginning.
After several minutes, the ground of the Jiuwen Stadium was filled with potholes. Debris flew everywhere and glass-like objects that had been frozen melted. There were signs of burns and frost.
Within the largest pothole, Lou Cheng and Dong Baxian were both lying down just two to three meters apart. The scene was brutal.
After blacking out, Lou Cheng regained consciousness. All he felt was that his mind was close to being fully exhausted. The piercing pain in his head felt like there were sharp knives stirring it.
He struggled to stand up but noticed that he had suffered fractures in several areas, including his left arm. One could even see his internal organs through the largest wound on his body.
Pa! Lou Cheng finally crawled out, shaking as he almost lost his balance. Lifting his head to look over, he saw Dong Baxian trying to get up, too. However, he kept failing. It was clear that he was in a worse state than Lou Cheng.
This match is truly brutal... If I had underestimated Dong Baxian, I would probably fall under him. The words he said at the beginning were his way of showing his resolve and will, and also to make it sound like he was weak to throw me off guard. Who would have expected him to stake his life in an attack at the very beginning? Luckily, I wasn’t blindly optimistic and still held this Warrior King in the highest regard. This match has turned into a dogfight... As these thoughts passed through his mind, Lou Cheng took a deep breath. Enduring the pain, he made his visualization and executed a simplified Confrontation Formula before Dong Baxian.
Instantly, Dong Baxian felt his fatigue well up and stopped his struggle. He was already at his limit, and he just wanted to lie down and rest. Lou Cheng cleared his mind, shook his fingers, and accelerated the recovery of his wounds.
Biting his tongue lightly to resist the urge to fall asleep, Lou Cheng opened his strides to reach the side of the defenseless Dong Baxian.
When he saw the tip of Lou Cheng’s foot placed against the temple of his opponent, the referee heaved a sigh of relief. He lifted his right hand and announced loudly,
“Lou Cheng...”
He paused to catch his breath before elevating his tone to continue,
“Wins!”
Huff... Lou Cheng exhaled and his vision turned dark once again. Dots of lights scampered quickly as he broke into a cold sweat.
Finally! I’ve finally won the challenge rights!
Since the Challenge Round for the Warrior Sage Battle was in mid-July, he would have time to return to his peak condition.
That meant he would also be facing a peak condition Dragon King.
...
Upon hearing the referee’s voice, the news on the Internet exploded. Headlines popped up like flowers blooming after rain.
“Exceeding all expectations, Lou Cheng wins!”
“The leader of the Heavenly Sons. He’s won challenge rights for a title six months earlier than the Wisdom King!”
“Defeating Warrior Sage and Kirin back to back, Lou Cheng truly deserves Number 1 in the Elimination Round!”
“Can he win his first title in July?”
“Longhu Internal Fight in July!”
Aside from these headlines that complimented Lou Cheng, there were also a lot of people who were disappointed.
“One can easily see that the Warrior Sage Battle in July is going to be truly boring.”
“I’m not looking down on Lou Cheng. He’ll definitely win many titles in the future. However, he’s still a little too young. He got the challenge right this time because of luck. Against a healthy Dragon King, his chances are close to zero.”
“In comparison, if Dong Baxian had gotten the challenge right, he would at least have a thirty percent chance of winning.”
“Alright, let’s give him our blessing as we look forward to a suspenseless competition.”
...
Lou Cheng didn’t pay attention to the critiques on the internet as he accepted treatment for his injuries.
When his right hand was finally free, he quickly replied to Yan Zheke,
“[cocky smile emoji] The first match you’ll watch when you return to China will be my battle with Dragon King for the Warrior Sage title.”
Yan Zheke replied,
“[adjusting sunglasses] Are you asking me out on a date?”
“Of course!” Lou Cheng smiled and replied.
After chatting casually for a while, Yan Zheke put down her phone and looked at the information on her computer screen.
She thought for a minute, after which, She flipped the calendar beside her to “July” and found “12.” She took a pen and circled it. Before July 12th, there was a marking on July 5th when she was returning to China.
After taking a long look at the calendar, Yan Zheke took a deep breath. She waved her fist in self-encouragement before going back to her studies.
...
After lying in the hospital bed for several days, Lou Cheng, who had mostly recovered, returned to Longhu Club. He was feeling a little anxious.
Based on the rumors about Dragon King’s personality, along with his own personal observations over the last few months, this top-tier Physical Invulnerability expert was indeed petty. He would be cold and definitely not kind. Lou Cheng could forget about practicing and training with him.
His previous self hadn’t been qualified to receive such treatment. However, he had already obtained the challenge right for the Warrior Sage title. Dragon King’s attitude would most likely change.
After changing his clothes, Lou Cheng stepped into the training ground for Physical Invulnerability experts. Just as he was about to step into his personal area, he saw Chen Qitao wearing a navy blue martial arts suit standing in front of him. He was expressionless and strongly emitted his majestic aura.
“How are your injuries?” asked Chen Qitao without changing his tone.
“I’ve pretty much recovered and can start practicing,” answered Lou Cheng as he thought through his reply.
Chen Qitao nodded his head, pointed to the lake, and said,
“If you’ve recovered, let’s start sparring.”
“Uh, alright.” Though Lou Cheng was initially exhilarated, he was soon filled with doubt.
Dragon King’s attitude is different than I expected.
Did he change?
As the saying goes, a leopard never changes its spots!
Could it be that he still thinks I’m not qualified and he can easily defeat me. If that’s the case, that’s a little disappointing...
Chen Qitao moved his hands behind his body, turned around, and walked out.
Lou Cheng collected his thoughts and followed behind. Subconsciously, he rubbed the edge of his mouth as he felt a tingling pain come out of nowhere.