Chapter 38: Only the Strong Deserve Beauty

Chapter 38: Only the Strong Deserve Beauty

With several loud-voiced spectators on the stands frantically cheering for Qin Zhe, the energy of the entire crowd was successfully stirred. Soon, the arena was filled with intense discussions, shouts of certain victory, and boisterous encouragement, creating a constant, deafening roar. Having just stepped onto the stage, Qin Zhe could not help but straighten his back in the face of such an unprecedented spectacle.

Compared to the martial arts arena match where he defeated Zhou Wentong over a week ago, the scale of this event was far grander. The massive arena, which seated nearly two thousand people, was completely full, with many more left standing. In essence, almost every teacher and student from the academy was present. The sheer momentum before him was nothing short of overwhelming.

At this moment, Yao Jing, dressed in a stunning gown, descended gracefully into the center of the stage. She picked up the microphone and began to speak. "After four intense rounds of competition, this exchange tournament has finally reached its decisive final match. The current score is two to two."

After a brief introduction of the situation, Yao Jing flashed a radiant smile and extended her fair hand toward the other side of the stage. "Now, representing the Martial Arts Department of Haicheng University, Qin Zhe, will face off against the representative from the Eagle Nation’s Sanctuary Academy, James Connorson!"

Following her introduction, James walked out from the tunnel in a sharp suit, waving at the stands with a bright smile. It had to be said that the academy’s decision to have James appear last gave the Eagle Nation plenty of face—it was a move of pure prestige. However, James was met with a uniform chorus of boos. Now that it was the final deciding match, the students cared little for the academy’s arrangements; they only knew that James was an outsider, and regardless of his status, their priority was to rally behind Qin Zhe.

James did not seem to mind the jeers. He walked to the center of the stage, locked eyes with Yao Jing, bowed with elegant, gentlemanly grace, and said in fluent Dragon Nation Chinese, "Beautiful Miss Yao Jing, I had no idea my opponent was your boyfriend. If I have the honor of winning this match, I wonder if I might persuade you to leave him for me?"

James’s confident declaration plunged the noisy arena into instant silence. Every spectator in the stands was shocked. It had been noted before that while Yao Jing was a well-known "femme fatale" of the Student Union, she generally kept a low profile, and few people truly recognized her. Only those within the Student Union knew her true nature. Among the audience, at most a fraction knew she was the head of the News Department, and some only learned who she was because she was hosting this event. To the vast majority, Yao Jing was a goddess-like figure hidden within the academy. The idea that she was Qin Zhe’s girlfriend was, to them, completely inconceivable. Many of the male students felt a bitter pang of envy.

She was a goddess—an unreachable, unattainable figure. How could Qin Zhe possibly have earned her favor? But more than that, the crowd was incensed by James’s conduct. With so many people watching, and with Qin Zhe standing right there before the match had even begun, for him to openly try to poach someone’s partner was beyond shameless.

On the high platform, the group of exchange students led by Dean William did not look pleased. James held a special status, and they could not control him. But being on someone else’s home turf, this display of arrogance over a woman was not only dismissive but also felt like a direct slap in the face. Everyone knew that the people of the Dragon Nation valued their pride above all else. This situation was becoming difficult.

Hesitantly, William looked toward Wang Zhongguo, who was also on the platform, and offered an awkward smile. "Dean Wang, about this..."

"It’s fine, they’re just young! A graceful lady is a match for a gentleman; it’s perfectly normal to compete for a woman," Wang Zhongguo replied with a wave of his hand. He glanced at James, then turned his gaze toward Qin Zhe with keen interest. As Dean, he knew a thing or two about Yao Jing. Whether Yao Jing actually fancied Qin Zhe was one thing, but whether the latter would dare to accept her was another! Though he had only met Qin Zhe once, he could tell the boy was someone who avoided trouble. Yao Jing was the embodiment of trouble—even he, the Dean, sometimes found her overwhelming. It would be a miracle if those two ever ended up together! Even if they did, they were just young people in love; what could it matter? What truly interested Wang Zhongguo was what exactly made Qin Zhe so special. It wasn’t just Liu Qingzhi who was close to him—why was Yao Jing getting involved, too?

On the stage, both Qin Zhe and Yao Jing were stunned. Even Yao Jing, who loved stirring up trouble, had not expected James to be so socially inept as to say such a thing in front of everyone. However, Yao Jing never shied away from drama and found James incredibly repulsive, so she merely smiled sweetly. "Win the match first, then we’ll see."

With that, she turned and left. As the host of the exchange tournament under the gaze of thousands, Yao Jing remained composed and showed nothing more. But once she left, Qin Zhe was left in an awkward spot. Having been inexplicably branded with a "girlfriend," he felt immense pressure. Although there was no truth to it, the audience, unaware of the facts, certainly wouldn't care.

At the other end of the stage, James watched Yao Jing’s departure with infatuation before slowly retracting his gaze. He looked toward Qin Zhe and raised his voice. "Qin Zhe! You have an old saying in the Dragon Nation: only the strong deserve beauty. Do you dare to accept my challenge?"

"..." Qin Zhe remained silent. Feeling the weight of countless eyes focused on him, he shook his head and gestured with a calm, inviting motion. "Enough talk. Come and fight."

James raised an eyebrow at this. Suddenly, he dropped to one knee in a prayerful posture and proclaimed loudly, "May the glory of the Lord be with me!"

As he prayed, a milky-white light erupted from his body, forming a suit of white armor around him in the blink of an eye. Qin Zhe frowned, witnessing this bizarre sight. What was this? Could martial arts really achieve such a thing?

"The Holy Light lineage!" someone in the stands exclaimed.

"Damn those Eagle Nation bastards for hiding a card up their sleeve! James isn't a martial artist at all! He’s a Penitent from the Eagle Nation! He has the bloodline of the Holy Light!"

"Damn it! How underhanded! They agreed to a martial arts duel, so how did it turn into a fight against a Penitent?"

"We’re in trouble! Penitents are a special system in the Eagle Nation that only those with specific bloodlines can cultivate. Their combat power is terrifying! In terms of pure might, they even surpass the paths of Immortals and Demons!"

Amidst the uproar, an indignant student looked up at Dean William and cursed aloud, "Dean William, do you have no shame left? To hell with your 'Tier 2 martial artist'! Tell me, where does James look like a Tier 2 martial artist?"

On the platform, William smiled, ignoring the student, and looked toward Wang Zhongguo. "Dean Wang, as the saying goes, all is fair in war. You won’t blame me for such an arrangement, will you?"

"Of course not. Do I look like the kind of person who would be so petty?" Wang Zhongguo laughed, maintaining his composure on the surface while wiping cold sweat away in secret. *Thank goodness! I knew that old fox William wasn't honest, but luckily, I sent Qin Zhe out there! If I had sent anyone else, this bet would have been a total loss!*