Chapter 156: It’s Only Life Or Death On The Battle Stage!

　　Han Xu came onto the battle stage first.

　　Han Xu held a long spear if his hand. Fang Ping subconsciously looked at Fu Changding.

　　Tang Songting chuckled softly. “Somebody here is Han Xu’s powder after being crushed for three years…”

　　“Shut up!”

　　Fu Changding wore an ugly expression. He huffed lightly. “Lots of people use spears. There are only so many weapons to choose from!”

　　Fang Ping and the others exchanged glances but did not say anything that would offend him.

　　Perhaps it was just as Tang Songting said. After being crushed for so long, Fu Changding had subconsciously imitated Han Xu.

　　Soon, Sun Mingyu went onstage too.

　　Sun Mingyu was wielding an ax with a long handle. This surprised Fang Ping a little. He had considered using this himself, a weapon similar to the sanbanfu used by Old Cheng on television.

　　However, Old Man Li had later recommended he use a saber, and he did not stubbornly push the matter.

　　Sun Mingyu using a long-handled ax came as a surprise.

　　…

　　On the battle stage.

　　Han Xu was very conscientious, bowing very seriously and saying, “Capital City Martial Arts University, Han Xu!”

　　“Martial Arts University Alliance, Sun Mingyu!”

　　A referee was present. Fang Ping recognized the person—a Rank-5 instructor from MCMAU.

　　The audience below-stage gathered their spirits and watched the competition.

　　“Start!”

　　The referee did not waste time. After the two had bowed to each other, the referee loudly announced the start of the contest!

　　The two contestants moved at practically the same time!

　　Sun Mingyu’s arms were suddenly very muscular. His long-handled ax fell like lightning!

　　Han Xu’s response was not to thrust with his spear, it was… Leaping into the air!

　　In this one leap, Han Xu jumped two or three meters high!

　　Fang Ping and the others pretty much had to look up to see him.

　　After his leap, Han Xu walked a few steps in mid-air, jumping past Sun Mingyu’s falling ax before thrusting his spear downward with the speed of a viper!

　　“A cheap trick!”

　　Sun Mingru roared. The long ax that had been about to land was suddenly drawn back by him!

　　Everybody’s eyes had not moved from Han Xu’s body in mid-air before they saw the hulking body of Sun Mingyu move extremely nimbly, twisting his waist to avoid the spearhead.

　　In the next moment, Sun Mingyu drew back his long ax and chopped at the landing Han Xu!

　　Han Xu was not worried. He shifted his spearhead, meeting the ax’s blade in a split second, and took advantage of the momentum to continue leaping forward!

　　In one more leap, Han Xu changed from facing Sun Mingyu head-on to landing behind Sun Mingyu in a flash.

　　Sun Mingyu swiftly turned around, moving his long ax from a chop to a sweep, and swung it toward his back!

　　“Careful!”

　　At that moment, somebody could not resist yelling this loudly!

　　Before Sun Mingyu had noticed what was happening, Han Xu—who had been behind him—had sneakily moved his feet, once again moving in front of him!

　　Sun Mingyu was in the middle of turning his body in a horizontal slash. The inertia of the long ax made him turn the same direction as his weapon.

　　As the normal people tried to register all the action, Han Xu, who had not attacked since his first strike, stabbed from the side with his spear like a thunderbolt!

　　Pfft!

　　In a blur, the long spear buried itself into Sun Mingyu’s waist!

　　Pssh…

　　After piercing him, Han Xu immediately drew back his spear, and a large amount of scarlet blood spattered from Sun Mingyu’s waist!

　　“So fast!”

　　Fang Ping and the others hastily got on their feet, squeezing themselves next to the railing.

　　Nobody blocked them!

　　Fang Ping’s face was serious. Han Xu was too fast!

　　His landing behind Sun Mingyu and Sun Mingyu’s turning to chop at him happened in a split second.

　　Yet in that moment, Han Xu had maneuvered to his side and rapidly produced a spear to pierce him. Sun Mingyu only just finished his turning motion when he pulled out the spear!

　　“So fast!”

　　This was said by Liu Huarong. Liu Huarong quickly commented, “Han Xu’s Stepping Techniques were a big success! At the start, it was just a fake-out with the spear, not a real attack!

　　“Sun Mingyu’s waist has suffered a heavy injury…”

　　Before he could continue, the seriously wounded Sun Mingyu did not have any inclination to give up!

　　Just as Han Xu pulled out the spear, another hand appeared on the spearhead suddenly!

　　Although Sun Mingyu’s speed was no match for Han Xu’s, when the spearhead pierced his waist, the pain incited his response.

　　His immediate response was not to admit defeat nor retreat, it was to counter with his left hand, grabbing hold of the spearhead!

　　Blood poured from his hand in a flash!

　　However, Sun Mingyu seemed to not mind it, firmly grasping the spearhead. The long ax that was already slicing in a semicircle followed his hand and once again headed for Han Xu!

　　Han Xu had clearly underestimated Sun Mingyu a little, and his expression changed in an instant!

　　The long spear in his hand moved. With a “pssh” sound, the spearhead pierced through Sun Mingyu’s palm!

　　Even so, Sun Mingyu seemed to be immune of pain, holding on to the spearhead like his life depended on it. A crazed look filled his eyes. His long ax was already slashing toward Han Xu’s waist. He wanted to slash through Han Xu’s body in one blow!

　　The referee at the side was already prepared!

　　The two people had gone onstage for a battle of life or death!

　　Han Xu had the advantage of speed, but his strength seemed to lack slightly in comparison to Sun Mingyu’s.

　　Sun Mingyu did not care about being injured and did not writhe from his injury. He quickly turned the tables as he went to slash Han Xu’s waist!

　　Han Xu’s expression shifted slightly, but he was not afraid.

　　Just at this moment, when everybody thought he would dodge, Han Xu suddenly shifted his long spear a little!

　　As everybody was in a blur, Han Xu drew a longsword from the spear’s handle!

　　“A sword was hidden in the spear!”

　　Liu Huarong hastily spoke. He commented whenever he got the chance.

　　In actuality, before he had finished speaking, Han Xu’s sword had already horizontally sliced Sun Mingyu’s left hand that was holding the spear!

　　Screech!

　　Fang Ping and everyone else heard the alloy’s sound of friction!

　　The next scene made many members of the audience scream!

　　Han Xu had sliced off Sun Mingyu’s left hand in one blow!

　　Sun Mingyu wailed too, but he did not relent. His long ax chopped at Han Xu, who was hastily defending.

　　Pfft!

　　Despite Han Xu drawing his sword to defend against it, he was still struck and moved back a few steps in that instant, fresh blood spilling out of his mouth.

　　It was as if Sun Mingyu was in a crazed frenzy, ignoring the loss of his hand. He held the long ax tightly in his right hand and raised it for a horizontal chop yet again!

　　Han Xu’s face blanched. His eyes flashed angrily. He did not pick up the long spear, moving a step closer. With a blur of movement, the tip of his sword pierced toward Sun Mingyu’s throat!

　　“Surrender!”

　　From the second floor, a powerhouse from the Martial Arts University Alliance shouted!

　　The referee at the side moved immediately, in a flash pinching the tip of Han Xu’s sword with one hand and loudly announcing, “CCMAU wins!”

　　Although all the action made the match seem slow, in reality, it was less than 20 seconds from start to finish.

　　In 20 seconds, the Rank-2 martial artist Sun Mingyu had suffered a heavy wound to his waist and had his left hand cut off. Han Xu stubbornly resisted his opponent’s ax but was also internally wounded, fresh blood continuously spilling from his mouth.

　　If the referee had not interrupted, Sun Mingyu would have died!

　　Very quickly, somebody went up and helped Sun Mingyu walk offstage. Somebody else picked up the severed hand and hurriedly brought it away.

　　A doctor kept spraying Sun Mingyu’s wound with Healing Spray.

　　On the second floor, the expressions on the faces of the Martial Arts University Alliance’s powerhouses were dark.

　　CCMAU’s leader’s face was not very charming either!

　　He had not fought well in this first battle!

　　Sun Mingyu could already bid goodbye to this championship, but Han Xu had revealed the hidden sword in his spear, and he had been wounded!

　　…

　　Below the stage.

　　The audience snapped out of their daze and started making a racket!

　　“This… This is… So inhumane…”

　　“Just now, that person… His hand was sliced off?”

　　“They’re all students. How could this be, how could this be…”

　　“Mingyu!”

　　Somebody cried woefully, hastily getting up and dashing toward backstage.

　　“Silence!”

　　A Grandmaster powerhouse on the second floor bellowed.

　　“The fights will proceed. You can leave, but you are not allowed to make noise!”

　　Next, the referee loudly asked, “Han Xu, will you continue?”

　　“I will!”

　　Han Xu’s expression was dark. He had used a Healing Pill and had no intention of stopping.

　　Very quickly, the second martial artist from the Martial Arts University Alliance went onstage.

　　“Martial Arts University Alliance, Bai Yin!”

　　“I know you. You’re Nanjiang Martial Arts University’s genius martial artist…”

　　It was unknown if Han Xu was genuinely interested or if he was just stalling for time.

　　However, before he finished speaking, Bai Yin had already attacked with his saber!

　　This move was also incomparably fast!

　　Upstairs, Fang Ping gave a low whistle. “Manic Explosion!”

　　Indeed, Bai Yin also used Manic Explosion.

　　Moreover, his speed might even be a little faster than Fang Ping’s. Of course, the Vitality that was exerted could not compare to Fang Ping’s—it was around 25cal.

　　Han Xu’s body was like a ghost, vanishing before the blade in a split-second.

　　“Ghost Step, a Medium-level Stepping Skill. I thought Han Xu was a straightforward spear-user. I didn’t think he was heading down the assassin’s path…” Liu Huarong hurriedly explained.

　　Yes, an assassin!

　　Han Xu was just like an assassin, not the spear-wielding expert that everybody had initially imagined him to be!

　　Bai Yin had already seen his Stepping Techniques earlier and expected Han Xu to dodge very easily.

　　The moment Han Xu moved closer to him, Bai Yin suddenly pulled back his sword. He did not retract the strength of the earlier Vitality outburst and exerted even more Vitality!

　　The saber produced a clear whistling sound as it sliced through the air!

　　Clang!

　　A crisp sound reverberated. Without anyone knowing, Han Xu’s sword had already been striking toward Bai Yin’s heart.

　　Bai Yin had drawn his sword and met this attack, clearly expecting it.

　　Han Xu’s expression darkened once again. He suddenly withdrew his sword and once again vanished.

　　Bai Yin stood still on the spot. Suddenly, Bai Yin stabbed toward the left with his saber!

　　Clang!

　　After Bai Yin’s attack, Han Xu vanished from his current position yet again.

　　…

　　“Motherf*cker, coming across an opponent like this is such a pain.”

　　Tang Songting cursed before looking at Fu Changding and saying, “Your idol isn’t using a spear.”

　　“Shut up!”

　　Fu Changding’s was in a foul mood. He glared at the stage below. “If Bai Yin goes on like this, his Vitality will be completely depleted.”

　　“Han Xu would be about the same. He was hurt after his duel with Sun Mingyu earlier after all.”

　　They did not discuss the matter of Sun Mingyu losing his hand. He had already got off relatively easily. If this was not a public competition, nobody would have stopped Han Xu from piercing him dead earlier.

　　Just as they finished speaking, Bai Yin suddenly reeled. His back had been pierced by a sword!

　　This stab did not hurt him badly, but Bai Yin cracked his spine, trapping the longsword for a while.

　　Once again, Han Xu was faced with an unexpected situation and hastily tried to withdraw his sword and retreat.

　　However, Bai Yin had either schemed against Han Xu or his combat knowledge was truly immense—the moment he had pinched the tip of the sword, his left lashed out backward in a horse kick at an improbable angle!

　　Yes, a horse kick!

　　Ban Yin had no way to attack with his saber at the moment, but his leg came flying at just the right time, striking Han Xu’s fibula!

　　Han Xu’s leg suffered an injury and his movements slowed in that instant. Bai Yin seized the opportunity!

　　…

　　“The Martial Arts University Alliance’s chosen members… Have very strong willpowers!”

　　At the back, Liu Huarong exclaimed. With some respect, he said, “No matter if it’s Sun Mingyu or Bai Yin, if they meet Han Xu out in the wild, they would undoubtedly die.

　　“However, Sun Mingyu didn’t care that he was heavily injured and had managed to strike Han Xu with his ax, damaging Han Xu none too lightly.

　　“Bai Yin intentionally lured Han Xu to attack his back and took the opportunity to wound Han Xu’s leg. Now, Bai Yin has gone from a passive position to an outright tug of war. It comes down to which of the two can hold on longer.”

　　“Han Xu had been quite heavily injured in his earlier battle with Sun Mingyu. He may not be able to hold out longer than Bai Yin.” Chen Xueyan chimed in.

　　On the other hand, Liu Huarong disagreed. “Not necessarily. Bai Yin has dished out 8 moves since the start of the battle, and each of them was at full-force!

　　“He has used up more than 200cal of Vitality. He’s at the end of the line now.”

　　“Han Xu’s situation is far from good too, isn’t it?”

　　“Han Xu’s Vitality is stronger than him, and Stepping Techniques are not as taxing…”

　　“In that case, who do you think can hold out till the end?”

　　“Probably Han Xu. Still, even if he does win, he won’t have the strength to enter the third battle.”

　　“…”

　　Liu Huarong undeniably possessed some decent observation skills.

　　After another twenty or thirty seconds, Bai Yin slashed for the final time and yelled, “I surrender!”

　　Right after he finished speaking, his whole body could not remain standing steadily. He staggered and nearly fell down.

　　Han Xu’s face was also deathly pale as he stopped moving. He panted softly and did not say anything.

　　A few of Bai Yin’s attacks had hit home just now. Han Xu was no longer calm. The clothes on his body were in tatters, and his exposed skin had plenty of bloodstains.

　　The referee did not give him time and asked immediately, “Han Xu, will you continue?”

　　“No.”

　　Han Xu did not choose to keep going. He picked his long spear off the ground and walked straight off the battle stage.

　　In the two back-to-back battles, all three participants were injured.

　　Sun Mingyu suffered the worst wounds, but Han Xu’s were not light either. He was more heavily injured than Bai Yin—the only serious injury Bai Yin suffered was the stabbing of his back.

　　…

　　Below the stage, among the crowd.

　　Wu Zhihao’s face paled. “This is a martial arts tournament?”

　　In just two battles, everybody could feel its danger and indifference toward safety.

　　Han Xu did not hesitate whatsoever to slice off Sun Mingyu’s hand.

　　Bai Yin had used his body as a decoy and turned around to stab Han Xu without any mercy. If Han Xu had not moved quickly, he would have been split in two.

　　In the third battle, Capital City Martial Arts University sent out Li Ran.

　　She was a girl, but she had oppressed Fu Changding when they first met, and she was also a sword-wielding expert.

　　The Martial Arts University Alliance sent out a somewhat weaker martial artist this time. Before long, his foot was nailed to the stage by Li Ran’s sword!

　　The opponent could not stop wailing and was quickly taken down from the battle stage.

　　At this moment, Fang Yuan in the front row was close to tears, looking everywhere for Fang Ping!

　　That big liar, lying to her that it was not dangerous!

　　Because of the ticket Fang Ping gave her, she had gotten front row seats to watch the fights.

　　From start to finish, she saw everything very clearly. When Sun Mingyu’s hand had been chopped off in the first match, she even saw the fallen hand twitching.

　　Next to her, Xiaoling had long been scared to the point of closing her eyes, not daring to watch any more.

　　Fang Yuan did not dare to watch either, but she could not find Fang Ping, and her heart was filled with urgency.

　　…

　　Fang Ping was currently concentrated on watching the fight and had forgotten about his little sister.

　　During the fourth match, Li Ran faced a martial artist from Martial Arts University Alliance with a large head whose name Fang Ping could not recall.

　　At this moment though, he remembered it!

　　Beijiang Martial Arts University’s second member chosen for their team, Sun Mingyu’s schoolmate—Liang Weiyao!

　　Maybe it was revenge for Sun Mingyu, but Liang Weiyao’s fighting technique was extremely ferocious!

　　He did not use any weapons, wearing a pair of gloves instead.

　　The second Li Ran attacked with her sword, Liang Weiyao grabbed hold of the longsword. Before Li Ran could release it, she was punched in the chest by Liang Weiyao and flew back more than ten meters. Her whole body was covered in blood, even more gushing from her mouth, making everyone think she may have been killed with one punch.

　　Yet another commotion stirred up among the crowd.

　　“You’re fighting a girl…”

　　“Don’t go saying ‘a girl’ at this point. She had just pierced through someone’s foot…”

　　“But isn’t this a friendly challenge? Why would they fight to this point?”

　　Some people found it hard to accept!

　　It was too cruel!

　　Practically all 6 people who had gone onstage had been wounded, and their injuries were not light either. Li Ran and Sun Mingyu were particularly badly injured.

　　CCMAU had 3 people left, and the Martial Arts University Alliance had two. The last one was the Rank-2 Chen Jiasheng.

　　Liu Huarong ignored the discussions in the crowd and instead wondered aloud, “Over at CCMAU, Han Xu and Li Ran have exited the arena one after the other. Although they have one more person than the Martial Arts University Alliance, the Martial Arts University Alliance has a Rank-2 martial artist. Who do you think will win?

　　“We’ve got a real match now. Would CCMAU’s Zhang Zhenguang defeat Liang Weiyao first, leading to a three-against-one relay battle against Chen Jiasheng, or would Liang Weiyao and Chen Jiasheng help make a name for the Martial Arts University Alliance?”

　　“Zhang Zhenguang comes from the Zhang family and does not walk the violent path, using the gentleness of Tai Chi instead. Will that be enough to overcome might?” Chen Xueyan picked up the cue and said.

　　“Today’s first battle was unexpected. Sun Mingyu lost too quickly, and Han Xu also backed out very quickly…

　　“Why do I feel that these students’ fighting techniques are even fiercer than mine? I’m getting old, I really am.”

　　“Martial artists should be like this. If you don’t even have the courage to spill some blood, you’re not suited to be a martial artist!” Chen Xueyan replied icily.

　　The expressions on the audience’s faces were extremely conflicted. Was this what it meant to be a martial artist?

　　Their image of martial artists holding all the power in the world when they were awake and lying on the knees of a beautiful woman when they slept—was this just a fantasy?

　　While the audience sorted out their feelings, CCMAU’s third martial artist came onstage!

　　This battle was not fought as quickly or as brutally as the previous ones.

　　Zhang Zhenguang prioritized avoiding while dueling with Liang Weiyao, and moved back immediately upon contact.

　　However, in the end, when Liang Weiyao ran out of Vitality, everybody found out they had been overthinking!

　　The consistently slow-moving Zhang Zhenguang suddenly grabbed Liang Weiyao’s right hand and rigidly broke it. The sound of the bones snapping could be heard crystal-clear by the people in the front rows!

　　The four injuries suffered by the Martial Arts University Alliance over the four battles were all serious.

　　On the second floor, the two Grandmasters of the Martial Arts University Alliance had expressions so dark, they were almost dripping blood.

　　Fang Ping and the others also fell silent. Huang Jing had snuck up on them without their knowledge and said lightly, “In the afternoon, treat them like death matches. It’s over when someone dies!

　　“Even if you don’t kill them, they’ll still kill you!”

　　“Got it.”

　　Fang Ping answered dully. He had been holding on to his hopes earlier, but after seeing the bloodthirstiness below, if he thought to just defeat and not kill, he would be courting death.

　　At this moment, Lu Fengrou’s words rung in Fang Ping’s head.

　　“No friendly matches. Once you get on the battle stage, they’re all death matches!”