Chapter 589 - 196: A Bet Is a Bet
「On the tournament stage.」
Cao Zhen’s voice boomed like a great bell as he announced on the spot that Yang Jing and Chu Yunhai were tied for first place in this year’s Fushan Grand Tournament!
Hearing this, Yang Jing and Chu Yunhai were both momentarily stunned, and the tension in their bodies immediately eased slightly.
They then looked at each other, the killing intent in their eyes gone. Bowing in unison, they said in a low voice, "Yes."
Their battle had reached a point where both were nearing their limits.
It wasn’t that they were completely out of strength. Though their Inner Qi was depleted, they could still fight on. But continuing would risk genuine damage to their Martial Dao foundations.
Once those foundations were damaged, a light injury would mean years of recovery. A severe one could result in shattered bones and tendons, drastically affecting their future cultivation.
Naturally, neither Yang Jing nor Chu Yunhai was willing to push it that far.
As things stood, they were truly evenly matched. To continue fighting would be meaningless, only causing further injury.
The Sect Leader’s announcement of a tie for first not only saved face for both of them but also avoided a mutually destructive outcome. It was, indeed, the best possible result under the circumstances.
At the same time, Cao Zhen’s voice echoed throughout Fushan Square, exploding like a clap of thunder.
The vast square first fell silent as everyone stared, momentarily stunned.
Then, a thunderous uproar erupted. Cheers, gasps, and fervent discussions mingled together, threatening to tear the roof off the entire square.
"A tie for first? It’s actually a tie for first!"
"Yang Jing is incredible! He just rose to prominence and already he’s reached this level, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Chu Yunhai!"
"This was the only way. If they had kept fighting, I’m afraid both would have been severely injured."
"Tsk, tsk, that was one intense fight!"
"It’s unbelievable! Someone who was just an outer disciple a little over half a year ago is now tied for first with the top name on the Hidden Dragon List!"
Many people were crying out in shock, never having imagined that the final result of the Fushan Grand Tournament would be Yang Jing and Chu Yunhai tying for first place.
It was an outcome no one had anticipated, an ending that felt almost legendary.
...
「Beneath the stage.」
Bai Ziyu and Lu Shaohua stood side-by-side, their faces masks of shock as they stared at the two men on the stage, speechless for a long time.
The battle between Yang Jing and Chu Yunhai—from its brutal progression to its final outcome—had far exceeded both of their expectations.
Chu Yunhai possessed a War Body, and his strength was astonishing.
Yang Jing had broken through to the Qi Eating Realm with all Three True Skills, and his power was heaven-defying.
Each had hidden their true depths more than the other. But the key was the final result: the Sect Leader himself announcing a tie for first place. This left them with a complex mix of feelings.
Bai Ziyu and Lu Shaohua exchanged a glance, and both could see the bitterness and helplessness in the other’s eyes.
Both were renowned geniuses from Jintai Prefecture, typically proud and arrogant. Yet, after watching the battle between Chu Yunhai and Yang Jing, their hearts felt heavy, as if crushed beneath a massive boulder.
They had just made a startling discovery: both Yang Jing and Chu Yunhai had far surpassed them. They weren’t even in the same league.
It was a chasm-like gap, so vast it was hard to even muster the will to try and catch up.
Faced with these two "monsters," Yang Jing and Chu Yunhai, even renowned geniuses like Bai Ziyu and Lu Shaohua lost the spirit to pursue them.
The challenge was too great. The talent and strength of Yang Jing and Chu Yunhai were simply monstrous.
...
「Meanwhile.」
Within the crowd, Zhao Hongxiang, Su Qingyue, Liu Rou, and Jia Yuliang stood in different spots, but all were staring blankly at the figure on the stage—a figure that looked battered yet remained standing tall.
Yang Jing’s clothes were torn from the battle, and his exposed skin was covered in purple and blue bruises. Many parts of his robes were stained red with blood, leaving him in a sorry state.
Yet as he stood there, he exuded an invisible, intimidating aura, like a drawn sword that made one’s heart shudder, daring not to look at him directly.
Zhao Hongxiang and the others all felt incredibly conflicted at this moment.
Every time, they would think that Yang Jing was already incredibly powerful, that he had already reached a high station.
𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚
But the next time, Yang Jing would shock them all over again, reaching an even higher station and leaving them far behind in the dust.
By now, to someone like Yang Jing, they were like ants before an elephant—so insignificant they weren’t even worth mentioning.
Even Zhao Hongxiang and Su Qingyue no longer worried that Yang Jing might punish them for their past disrespect.
They were gradually coming to understand that, in Yang Jing’s eyes, people like them might have long since ceased to exist.
Perhaps from the very beginning, Yang Jing had never paid them any mind, never seen them as peers who would walk the same path.
It was no wonder Yang Jing had been completely unconcerned by Su Qingyue’s provocations back then, choosing instead to bury himself in his training day after day, his focus unwavering.
Looking back now, why would a great dragon soaring through the nine heavens care about the opinion of a mere ant?
...
「While Fushan Square was in an uproar.」
On the stage, Yang Jing and Chu Yunhai bowed together to Cao Zhen and said in unison, "These disciples take their leave."
Then, the two turned and walked off the stage. Though their steps were somewhat unsteady, they moved with a steady gait.
Cao Zhen did not linger either. With a light step, Inner Qi surged around him, and he once again seemed to fly through the air. His robes fluttering, he crossed several dozen yards and landed steadily back in the main seat on the high platform.
Catching this from the corner of his eye, Yang Jing’s heart filled with infinite longing for such tyrannical power. ’If a Martial Artist could break through continuously, their realm ever-rising,’ he thought to himself, ’could they one day truly break free from the bonds of the earth and soar freely through the sky?’