Chapter 98
All the team events have come to a complete end, and the individual battles in the second stage of the knockout rounds are finally about to begin officially.
The rules are simple to the extreme. The two opponents stand on the stage, and the one who lasts till the end advances to the next round, while the defeated one is directly eliminated.
This straightforward rule is undoubtedly something Lu Jingning enjoys, but for Yan Hebin, it seems less friendly.
Lu Jingning contemplated for a long time, then came up with a set of words to comfort Yan Hebin, saying, “Dear fellow student, this isn’t your home turf. Making it this far is already remarkable. Besides, for the principal, you are basically a ‘buy two, get one free’ deal. You don’t need to have too much psychological burden. We’re here for you. Just relax!”
Yan Hebin stared at him with determination and finally uttered one word, “Leave.”
Lu Jingning: “…”
On the second day after both group events ended, the league’s official website efficiently announced the next round’s match arrangements.
Lu Jingning briefly glanced at their next opponents. Those names didn’t ring a bell, so he didn’t think much about it and went to rest peacefully.
The simple rules made the upcoming matches intense and efficient.
After three consecutive days of individual battles, the contestants who had entered the second stage were reduced to the final 20.
Yan Hebin couldn’t hold on and was defeated in the third round. Thus, Lu Jingning and Wen Xingchen became the last survivors from Emperor Navy to participate in this competition.
As they progressed, their opponents undoubtedly became stronger.
Lu Jingning had a smooth journey so far, with each match being relatively short. Unbeknownst to him, people had started calling him the “Strongest Omega in the Galaxy.” However, considering the Omega from the military, he was undoubtedly subjected to sarcastic remarks from a group of non-supporters.
He didn’t pay much attention to these trivial matters. What concerned him more was his next opponent, who turned out to be Lan Yuanzhou.
Hey, little Zhouzhou, what a coincidence!
Wen Xingchen received the official notice of his match as well. When he saw the names displayed in the communication, his eyelashes drooped slightly, and a faint, enigmatic smile appeared on his lips.
Lu Jingning sent a message to Lan Yuanzhou, something like, “Competition first, friendship second,” and one could easily imagine how furious Lan Yuanzhou would be upon reading that, even from a distance.
After sending the message, Lu Jingning leaned over and asked with a mischievous grin, “Brother Wen, can you guess who I’m matched with tomorrow?”
Wen Xingchen, without a hint of questioning, responded plainly, “Lan Yuanzhou.”
No need for a questioning tone, just a straightforward statement.
Lu Jingning was caught off guard by his directness and lost his playful mood, rolling his eyes and casually asking, “And you, who are you matched with?”
Wen Xingchen, instead of answering directly, asked in return, “Guess?”
Lu Jingning: “…”
This kind of attitude was somewhat suspicious.
Lu Jingning wasn’t adept at interpreting words and expressions, but after staring into Wen Xingchen’s eyes for a while, a name inexplicably came to his mind, “Bai Chen?”
Wen Xingchen looked at him, neither confirming nor denying.
Lu Jingning blinked.
It seemed like it really was Bai Chen!
He thought for a moment and suddenly became excited, “Brother Wen, remember to beat him to a pulp tomorrow!”
Wen Xingchen replied, “Alright, I’ll ensure the mission is completed.”
…
That night, the league posted the details of the next round’s matches on their official website.
The arrangement felt like a bolt from the blue, leaving the league’s fans in a daze.
First, it was Wen Xingchen against Bai Chen, and then Lu Jingning against Lan Yuanzhou. The knockout stage’s second phase had finally reached its first climax.
This was simply too thrilling!
On that morning, everyone eagerly gathered in the livestream room, unable to contain their excitement.
Before this, the rumors about Lu Jingning had been quite a rollercoaster.
Although everyone has now accepted the official relationship between him and Wen Xingchen, it doesn’t mean that Bai Chen, that ‘old flame’, has been completely forgotten.
Do you remember those performances Wen Xingchen put on during the live broadcasts? They were acid to the point of being out of this universe.
They say rivals turn green when they meet. What’s more, these two absolute powerhouses who are now among the top 20, it’s hard to predict what kind of sparks will fly when they meet on the battlefield.
There’s plenty of hype, and it’s overflowing with drama. The anticipation is building, and it’s making people look forward to it!
No matter who wins, the interstellar media is ready to churn out a lengthy novel filled with love, hate, and drama.
Especially at the competition venue, from a distance, the camera spotted a flamboyant figure.
Lu Jingning and Lan Yuanzhou’s match is in the afternoon, so there’s no need to rush into the right mindset. Instead, they’ve come to the venue to support their boyfriend and look forward to seeing a certain person lose their cool.
At this moment, he’s holding a support sign he somehow got his hands on, and it boldly reads “Wen Xingchen: The Invincible in the Universe.”
Even before the live broadcast begins, the director cuts to his image, and he instantly reaps the rewards as a barrage of comments floods the screen.
No matter where Lu Jingning ends up in this Bounty League, at least in the eyes of all the staff on the official streaming platform, he has left quite an impression. After all, most of the highlights of this league are centered around him. He’s basically feeding hundreds of people single-handedly, it’s like a lifeline!
Lu Jingning inadvertently noticed himself on the big screen, and he wasn’t shy at all. He boldly waved at the camera and struck a stylish pose.
The venue erupted with screams of “so handsome,” and it was continuous, as if they had accidentally entered a concert by some superstar.
This situation continued until Wen Xingchen appeared.
At a glance, he saw Lu Jingning at the front row of the audience. Instead of rushing to prepare in the virtual cabin, he walked over.
The early-risers watching this harmonious scene on the big screen were briefly overwhelmed with happiness.
Please, shower them with love crazily; they can take it! The fans are going crazy!
In the scene, the two said something quietly to each other, and Lu Jingning couldn’t help but burst into laughter. Then he saw Wen Xingchen affectionately ruffle his hair.
By the time they left, the support sign that Lu Jingning held high had a new message, which was as straightforward as it gets: “Wen Ge, I love you.” The entire venue was suddenly bathed in a glow of love.
Seeing the intimate interaction between the two, countless people across the galaxy held their chests, nearly suffocated by the overwhelmingly sweet feeling.
The Morning and Scenery CP is distributing sugar online. The dog food for today has gone way overboard, and it’s worth watching the game even without the competition!
White Chen, who had just passed through the player’s tunnel, happened to see this scene through the big screen. His emerald eyes revealed a hint of coldness. His voice was hoarse as he muttered, “Tsk,” and his originally gloomy aura became even more sinister.
When Wen Xingchen and Bai Chen passed each other at the entrance to the virtual cabin, Wen Xingchen reminded him in a friendly manner, “Be careful today, don’t shake.”
Bai Chen stared at him with a dark expression, and finally, he coldly curled his lips, “Don’t worry, I never shake when it comes to prey.”
Between the two of them, an incredibly heavy atmosphere seemed to have formed, making the staff break out in a cold sweat. They hurriedly reminded them to enter the arena.
Fortunately, Wen Xingchen and Bai Chen had no intention of saying more. Neither of them objected and cooperated well, entering their respective virtual cabins.
The staff breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that they had become soaked with sweat without noticing it.
As the match began, both sides appeared in the holographic projection in the arena.
The second phase of the knockout stage, the individual matches, was referred to as the “Arena Matches” for a reason. It was precisely because, during this period, it truly took the form of an arena. From the current images, even the maps used didn’t have the winding paths and dense thickets from the previous melee period. It was a simple, square duel arena with no buildings in the middle and everything was visible.
There was no room for clever tricks, which meant that the opponents had to rely entirely on their strength to speak for them.
And now, the two on the field had disliked each other for a while. As soon as they met, they both made their move at the same time.
Bai Chen was still using the same sword as before, and his every move was graceful and agile.
Wen Xingchen had not shown any particular proficiency with cold weapons before this, but today, perhaps with a purpose, he provocatively chose a long sword to duel.
As soon as the two swords clashed, there was a sharp “clang!” that made the audience instinctively cover their ears.
The movements of the two in the arena were incredibly fast.
But this was just the beginning.
The crisp sound of the clash of swords continued to ring in their ears, and gradually, even the ground in the holographic map began to show visible, faint cracks.
It should be noted that, according to the program’s settings, the materials used in all the venues on the holographic map were of extremely high strength, making it difficult to leave any marks, let alone shatter them.
In this round, it was a battle of skill and precision.
Before this, although everyone knew that the two on the field today were very powerful, because their previous opponents had such a huge gap in strength, they only had a vague impression. It wasn’t until now that they were truly amazed by this vivid display of strength.
One side is human, the other side is the zerg race. When such a scene unfolds, it inevitably brings to mind the long history of struggle between these two races.
Whether it’s Wen Xingchen or Bai Chen, they are both the hope of their respective camps. Now, fate has brought them together on this stage.
Unconsciously, the initial gossip and excitement faded away, replaced by a tense atmosphere, with everyone holding their breath, fearing to miss any exciting moment.
The whole venue gradually fell into silence.
The match was still ongoing.
This head-to-head situation made Bai Chen feel a strong sense of discomfort. He had always been accustomed to using a long sword, and his swordsmanship was unmatched even in the entire zerg race. However, the human in front of him, also using the same weapon, calmly dismantled all his attacks.
He had thought that he could make the opponent retreat with just a few moves, but now he found that reality was far from his expectations.
As the battle continued, the two had moved from testing each other to a deeper level of confrontation.
The energy form of the zerg race and the pheromones of the human Alpha were colliding fiercely in the invisible realm, causing a chilling wind to blow through the arena, with hair and clothes flying freely.
Bai Chen’s repeated attacks had not succeeded, and the increasing frustration was evident in his expression.
At this point, both of their combat suits were torn by the sharp sword wind, making them look somewhat disheveled.
This made Bai Chen’s expression seem somewhat grotesque, with a hint of morbidity.
The camera in the center of the arena happened to focus on Bai Chen’s face. Just this close-up shot alone sent shivers down the spines of many, and the sound of gasping was heard unconsciously in the audience.
Yan and Bin looked at the intense battle and couldn’t help but furrow their brows. When they looked at Lu Jingning, they saw that he had casually changed to a more comfortable posture, leaning lazily on the nearby railing.
With such a nonchalant attitude, they couldn’t help but ask, “Aren’t you worried?”
As if finding the support sign too heavy, Lu Jingning casually lifted it, making it look like he didn’t have a humanoid shape.
In response to the question, he didn’t even lift his eyelids much, but instead smiled, “Joking, does Wen Ge still need me to worry?”
As he spoke, the color in his eyes flashed slightly, and he casually whistled, “Look, it’s starting now, isn’t it?”
As soon as he finished speaking, the arena erupted with screams.
On the large screen in the center, Wen Xingchen had opened a cunning sneak attack against Bai Chen. He then thrust his sword straight at the vital point in front of his opponent.
Although Bai Chen had reacted swiftly and managed to evade, the ruthless strike still left a vicious gash on his chest.
The blue blood of the zerg race gushed out and instantly dyed his clothes with a captivating mandala flower.
Wen Xingchen didn’t show much displeasure at the fact that his opponent had escaped. Instead, he wore a contented smile.
No need to rush; it’s only just begun.
T/N: Hey there! There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! And stay healthy! Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~
If you like my translations, feel free to donate to my ko-fi!
I really, really appreciate all the support from my readers <3 It goes a long way and motivates me lots!
Also, check out the other series we have on HoH!
If you like cats, check out Revenge of the Garfield
If you like dragons, check out I’m Pregnant with the Hope of the Entire Planet and The Dragon and the ‘Princess’
How about some mystery or showbiz? Check out Morbid Addiction & Perfection
What about the perfect, most non-toxic male lead ever? Laws of Love
How about MC nursing ML back to health? Forced into the Deep
Thank you for all your support <3 Leave a comment if you like 🙂 I love reading them!
Leave a Reply