Chapter 574 - 193: All Parties Converge, The Day of the Finals (2)
Everyone had assumed that even if Bai Ziyu was bound to lose this semifinal match, it would only be after he had fought to exhaustion and been knocked out of the ring by Yang Jing.
...
In the area where the Yunxi Peak disciples were gathered.
Yuwen Mingjue stood at the front, his fists clenched tight. His expression was incredibly grim as he stared fixedly at Yang Jing and Bai Ziyu on the stage.
"Pathetic!"
"Utterly pathetic!"
Yuwen Mingjue couldn’t stop himself from forcing a few words through his clenched teeth. His voice was low, but it was thick with frustration and dissatisfaction.
In his view, someone as powerful as Bai Ziyu—a prodigy ranked second on the Hidden Dragon List—should possess the pride and integrity befitting a genius.
Even if he were severely injured, even if he were beaten into a sorry state, he should never have been the one to verbally concede on the stage.
Yuwen Mingjue was indignant. He felt that with Bai Ziyu’s strength, if he had only been willing to risk it all and go all out, he might not have been able to defeat Yang Jing, but he could have at least ensured they both suffered, leaving Yang Jing with serious injuries.
Just seeing Yang Jing get hurt would have made him feel a little better.
But he had never imagined that not only would Bai Ziyu fail to harm Yang Jing in the slightest, but he would also concede so cleanly and decisively. All his hopes were dashed, and he just felt a tightness in his chest.
...
「Elsewhere.」
In the area for the Celestial Derivation Peak disciples, Chu Yunhai still stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his posture as straight and tall as a pine tree.
He looked at the calm and composed Bai Ziyu on the stage, and the corners of his mouth couldn’t help but lift into a knowing smile.
’That kid, Bai Ziyu... his personality hasn’t changed a bit over the years. He’s always been this pragmatic.’
’The moment he sees things aren’t going his way, he immediately finds a way to bow out gracefully. He refuses to take even the smallest loss.’
’Anyone else, even knowing they were outmatched, would have definitely fought Yang Jing to the bitter end.’
...
Just then, Steward Xue strode onto the stage. His gaze was steady as it slowly swept over Yang Jing and Bai Ziyu.
Bai Ziyu met Steward Xue’s gaze not with the slightest hint of dejection, but with a faint smile and a slight nod. His expression was poised, showing no shame or frustration from having just lost the match.
Seeing Bai Ziyu’s demeanor, Steward Xue pressed his lips together slightly and thought to himself, ’This kid is adaptable. He doesn’t get bogged down in a fight or try to act tough; he knows how to read a situation. He might achieve great things one day.’
Then, Steward Xue raised his eyes and scanned the entire audience.
Wherever his gaze landed, the noisy discussions gradually subsided. The entire Fushan Square quickly fell silent, and thousands of eyes fell upon him in unison.
Steward Xue gathered his Inner Qi and announced in a clear voice, "The winner of the seventh semifinal match of the Fushan Grand Tournament is Yang Jing of Lingxi Peak!"
As his voice fell, thunderous cheers erupted from the square.
Steward Xue raised a hand to quiet the crowd. Once the cheers began to die down, he continued to announce loudly, "Tomorrow, the final match of the Fushan Grand Tournament will be held! It will be Chu Yunhai of Celestial Derivation Peak versus Yang Jing of Lingxi Peak!"
After speaking, Steward Xue turned and walked off the stage.
He didn’t announce the latest rankings. There was no longer any need.
At this point in the Fushan Grand Tournament, only two people were left standing: Chu Yunhai and Yang Jing.
In tomorrow’s final, whoever won the ultimate showdown would be the well-deserved champion of the Fushan Grand Tournament, and the loser would naturally be the runner-up.
Yang Jing gave Bai Ziyu, who was opposite him, a slight nod as a final acknowledgment.
The two of them said nothing more and each turned to walk off the stage.
At that moment, thousands of pairs of eyes were all focused on Yang Jing.
After today’s battle, Yang Jing had advanced to the finals with his head held high. Tomorrow, he would face the top-ranked prodigy on the Hidden Dragon List, Chu Yunhai, in a highly anticipated final showdown.
Many people in the crowd were not surprised by the outcome of Yang Jing defeating Bai Ziyu.
After all, yesterday’s match between Yang Jing and Lu Shaohua had already demonstrated his astonishing strength. Lu Shaohua, ranked third on the Hidden Dragon List, hadn’t lasted long against him before being easily defeated.
Although Bai Ziyu was stronger than Lu Shaohua, anyone with a discerning eye could see that the gap between them wasn’t that large.
As such, there had never been much suspense about the outcome of today’s semifinal match.
The only thing that surprised many people was Bai Ziyu’s decision to concede directly at the end.
Compared to today’s match, which held little suspense, most disciples were clearly more excited for tomorrow’s final.
Tomorrow would be the final battle of the Fushan Grand Tournament, pitting the super dark horse who had appeared out of nowhere, Yang Jing, against the renowned and illustrious number one on the Hidden Dragon List, Chu Yunhai.
Two great young prodigies competing on the same stage to determine the ultimate champion of the tournament.
The mere thought of it was enough to make one’s blood boil with excitement.
...
The crowd began to leave Fushan Square, walking in small groups. All along the way, they discussed today’s battle and the upcoming final, with unconcealable anticipation on everyone’s faces.
Yang Jing and Sun Ningxiang walked shoulder-to-shoulder behind the crowd. Neither said much, simply listening to the discussions rising and falling around them.
When they reached a fork in the road, Yang Jing first escorted Sun Ningxiang back to the foot of Yunxi Peak before continuing on toward Lingxi Peak.
He didn’t return to Qing No. 4 Courtyard but went straight to the Training Room. He planned to use the time tonight to further stabilize his suddenly explosive increase in strength and make thorough preparations for tomorrow’s final battle.
Sun Ningxiang stood on the mountain path of Yunxi Peak, watching Yang Jing’s tall, straight back gradually disappear at the end of the path. The corners of her mouth couldn’t help but curve upward as an indescribable sense of pride swelled in her heart.
’Junior Brother is just too outstanding,’ she thought. ’It’s been less than half a year since he joined the sect, yet he’s overcome every obstacle to reach the finals. Looking at the entire younger generation of the Xuanzhen Sect, how many can possibly compare to his talent and speed?’