Chapter Ten: The Greatest Benefactor

"Today I'll have you go on stage—be ready." In front of the whole martial arts team, Huang Hai announced the day's arrangement directly to Gao Wu, causing the faces of a few perpetual substitutes to darken with dismay.

Within the martial arts team, the coach's authority was absolute; even corporal punishment or scolding was never questioned, let alone his decisions about the lineup. No one would dare challenge them.

But for Gao Wu, who had always been a substitute, to suddenly get a chance to go on stage was enough to make the other substitutes unable to conceal their jealousy.

"I promise to do my best—not to disgrace the school or you, Coach." Gao Wu had already anticipated his chance today and wasn't surprised by the coach's words.

"Very good." Huang Hai could see that Gao Wu was eager to prove himself, but he thought little of it.

After Gao Wu and the others went out to warm up, Huang Long approached Huang Hai with a worried look. "Uncle, are you really going to let him go up?"

"All the school leaders are watching, and so many students are present—if we don't let him go up now, it won't make sense." Huang Hai glanced at his nephew, finding his lack of wit frustrating. If he weren't family, he would've kicked him away long ago.

Patiently, he explained, "Bai Xiang from No.6 High is ranked thirty-second in points. He's two meters and one tall, recently bulked up to 150 kilos, and his punching power reaches a thousand kilos, though it's not very stable. He's gunning for the top ten in points, that's why he's so desperate.

"You can't beat Bai Xiang. That guy is ruthless—if you try to go head-to-head, you'll just get injured and cause real trouble.

"Let Gao Wu take the hit and lose face in public. The sting of failure will drive him to improve no matter what."

Huang Hai added coolly, "By then, he'll be begging me to buy the Blood Dragon Elixir."

Huang Long scratched his head with his broad hand. "But what if Gao Wu actually beats Bai Xiang?"

"Bai Xiang is nearly a senior-level martial artist, a mountain of muscle and a wrestling expert. What does Gao Wu have to win with?" Huang Hai waved his hand, too impatient to explain further, and shooed his nephew away.

At 2:45, the host took the stage to warm up the crowd. A group of girls in dazzling skirts danced around the ring, and the deafening music quickly ignited the atmosphere in the martial arts gym.

Members of the No.6 High martial arts team sat in the south section reserved for guests, a bunch of teenage boys eyeing the cheerleaders with great interest.

This cheerleading routine, imported from the League of the All-Gods, had become a staple at sporting events, always to great effect.

The coach from No.6 High made no effort to stop them—after all, it was only natural for energetic young men to enjoy the sight of beautiful girls. With their team's strength, he didn't need to be strict today.

All the dancers were students from No.9 High and usually played a few tricks to tease the visiting team. But among the guests was a truly massive figure whose wide, red martial arts robe couldn't hide the muscles bulging beneath. Even sitting, he was as tall as they were standing. His broad face, narrow eyes, and fierce aura unsettled the cheerleaders; whenever their eyes met his, they became flustered, their dance steps turning awkward with nerves…

Meanwhile, Song Mingyue was watching the match online through her tablet.

The high school martial arts league was well-developed; even the online broadcast provided stat cards for each participant for easy reference.

Song Mingyue had no interest in Bai Xiang. Her gaze lingered on Gao Wu, visible in the corner of the screen.

Gao Wu wore a gray-and-white martial arts uniform, his figure tall and straight. He was not the tallest, but his posture was the most relaxed and natural.

Even through the screen, Song Mingyue could faintly sense the harmonious rhythm radiating from him.

Her mental strength and sensory perception surpassed even her martial artist father’s. From what she could see, Gao Wu had already grasped some essence of the Nine Forms of the Dragon. At his age, the body was in its golden stage of development—strength, agility, and reflexes could all improve rapidly.

But mastery of martial arts techniques required time and could not be rushed.

The “martial artist” realm focused solely on controlling physical strength, which led many to take shortcuts, using drugs to stimulate their bodies.

Bai Xiang was a perfect example: tall, powerful, and imposing.

Gao Wu’s raw strength was probably much less, but in terms of martial arts essence, through his grasp of the Nine Forms of the Dragon, he already surpassed all the other young competitors.

Not to mention, Gao Wu could withstand the cold of White Scale Lake, indicating a unique constitution.

That was what intrigued her most. Today, she hoped Gao Wu would reveal even more...

A professional referee from the Celestial Martial Association stepped onto the stage, and the match officially began.

Each team fielded five participants: the vanguard, vice-general, center, general, and chief. Every bout had three rounds of three minutes each.

By rule, the home team must send out their fighter first, while the visiting team could adjust their lineup accordingly. The winner could keep fighting, while the loser could freely choose the next competitor.

According to Huang Hai’s tactical plan, No.9 High’s first fighter was “Monkey”—nimble, agile, specializing in White Ape Fist and joint locks.

As the vanguard, even if he couldn’t win, he could wear the opponent down.

First up for No.6 High was Bai Xiang—two meters and one tall, his exaggerated muscles making his body appear almost square.

Monkey was only about 1.7 meters tall and weighed barely more than a third of Bai Xiang. Standing opposite him, he looked like a child.

The size disparity alone drew exclamations from the crowd.

That Bai Xiang, the strongest chief of No.6 High, was sent out first was a total surprise—clearly, he was aiming for a clean sweep, hoping to win all five matches single-handedly!

On the stage, Monkey’s already dark face turned pale. Helpless, he glanced to the corner at Coach Huang Hai, hoping for some guidance.

Getting Bai Xiang in the first match was a far cry from their tactical plan.

Huang Hai’s face was grim; No.6 High’s behavior was utterly unsporting. He said coldly to Monkey, “Keep your distance, make him use up his energy.”

Heavy weight was an advantage, but it also consumed stamina quickly. Even with drug injections, Bai Xiang might not last five matches.

The referee waved his hands, signaling the match to begin.

Monkey immediately backed away, trying to create distance. But Bai Xiang lunged at him like an arrow. Monkey hurriedly sidestepped, but Bai Xiang changed direction with a sudden sweep of his leg, striking Monkey’s thigh as he dodged.

The powerful sweep sent Monkey stumbling and falling. Before he hit the ground, Bai Xiang had already pivoted, took a short step to adjust his stance, and delivered a brutal soccer-style kick straight to Monkey’s chest.

With a dull thud, Monkey’s body flew several meters before slamming into the tempered glass wall, his eyes rolling back as he lost consciousness.

Huang Long and the rest of the team turned pale. That kick was vicious—who knew how many of Monkey’s ribs were broken, perhaps even his internal organs were damaged. Such a serious injury could end his martial arts career.

With such an overwhelming advantage, Bai Xiang could have won easily, but chose instead to be cruel, clearly showing off.

Inside the gymnasium, thousands of No.9 High students sat in stunned silence. Even those used to watching matches found this scene shocking.

Only the visiting students from No.6 High cheered loudly. Though it was only a few dozen of them in this vast hall, their shouts echoed, making the entire crowd feel their noise and arrogance.

Bai Xiang paid no mind to the unconscious Monkey. He pointed at the No.9 High team and shouted, “Who’s next to die?”

Huang Long, usually the team’s big brother, wanted to step up. But when Bai Xiang’s bloodshot eyes swept over him, his anger vanished, replaced by a fear that showed in his eyes.

The others were the same; no one dared meet Bai Xiang’s gaze.

Gao Wu ignored the show-boating Bai Xiang, focusing instead on helping the staff carry Monkey off the stage.

He didn’t like Monkey’s sly and frivolous ways, but seeing him like this, he couldn’t refuse to help. It was also a good opportunity to earn merit—he couldn’t let it slip by.

Monkey’s eyes were tightly shut, blood trickling from every orifice, painting a miserable picture. Gao Wu, full of sympathy, leaned over and whispered, “Are you okay? Why aren’t you talking? Don’t want to speak? Oh, you’ve passed out…”

The unconscious Monkey made no sound.

“Poor kid…” Gao Wu silently recited the Azure Dragon Divine Energy Incantation, placing his hand on Monkey’s forehead to bestow a blessing.

No matter how much it helped, he still gave himself credit. To forgive and protect a teammate—what a truly good person I am!