Chapter Thirteen: Glory Belongs to the Victor

With a dull thud, Gao Wu’s powerful sweeping kick was met by Bai Xiang’s face. Bai Xiang’s head jerked violently, blood and sweat bursting outward, yet he endured the blow with his sturdy skull and thick trapezius muscles. Not only did he withstand it, but he also had the strength to counterattack. In the instant he was struck, Bai Xiang’s arms locked tightly around Gao Wu’s leg.

Gao Wu hadn’t expected Bai Xiang to be so resilient; his own leg was numb from the kick, and when he tried to pull back, he was a fraction too late. Bai Xiang had staked everything on this moment and would not let Gao Wu escape so easily. Gripping Gao Wu’s calf with both hands, Bai Xiang suddenly bent backward, tossing Gao Wu in a broad arc. Bai Xiang himself crashed heavily to the ground, and Gao Wu was hurled with tremendous force.

This move was a type of over-the-shoulder throw, though reversed. Bai Xiang fully utilized his body as a lever, maximizing the power of the throw. Gao Wu, flung into the air, had no choice but to curl his body protectively, turning sideways to land on the rubber flooring.

Another resounding thud echoed; the flooring visibly warped beneath Gao Wu’s impact. The students from Ninth High had been eagerly anticipating Gao Wu’s victory, but Bai Xiang’s sudden reversal left them stunned—it looked as though Gao Wu might be crushed!

A chorus of shocked cries erupted from the crowd. The referee’s eyes narrowed; such force could spell disaster for Ninth High’s contestant. In a junior martial arts league, if a participant were to die on the spot, the referee would bear some responsibility.

He considered stopping the match, but then noticed that Gao Wu, who had nearly been smashed into pulp, remained clear-eyed, his breathing steady, and his expression calm. Even his posture was stable but not rigid, indicating that Gao Wu was not only conscious but still in control of his body.

The referee, both surprised and relieved, thought, “At least he’s alive.” Gao Wu’s entire body tingled from the throw, but thanks to his preemptive defensive posture and robust constitution, he managed to withstand the blow.

Bai Xiang rolled to his feet, crossed his hands, and leapt, aiming a vicious strike at Gao Wu’s face. Having suffered a heavy loss before, Bai Xiang dared not be careless; he seized the opportunity to finish Gao Wu with one blow.

His massive frame soared, casting Gao Wu into darkness as he was completely overshadowed. Gao Wu rolled urgently to the side, Bai Xiang’s fists slamming down just past his ear.

Another round of gasps swept the crowd.

Bai Xiang’s full-force punch hit the ground, contorting his face with frustration; he hadn’t expected Gao Wu to still have fight left in him. Bai Xiang sprang up, pursuing Gao Wu with a flurry of punches.

Now it was Gao Wu’s turn to raise his arms in defense, dodging as best he could. Bai Xiang’s blows were heavy, numbing Gao Wu’s arms and forcing him to retreat to shed the force.

After dozens of furious strikes, Bai Xiang still couldn’t knock Gao Wu down—nor even truly injure him. Instead, Bai Xiang’s wild offensive drained his stamina, his breathing growing ragged.

From the corner, Sixth High’s coach shouted, “Hold steady, hold steady…”

Bai Xiang ignored the coach but calmed himself somewhat, gathering strength for another punch. A straight blow pierced the gap in Gao Wu’s defenses, narrowly missing his head as Gao Wu dodged.

The precision of their distance control drew admiration from several experts in the audience.

Suddenly, Bai Xiang’s four fingers snapped out like spring-loaded blades, stabbing directly at Gao Wu’s eyes.

That attack was both ruthless and cunning; Bai Xiang’s fingers were sharp as knives, and he unleashed explosive power even in such a short range.

Fortunately, Gao Wu closed his eyes in time, sparing himself from having them gouged out. Still, his eyelid was shredded, and his brow split open, blood immediately streaming down.

Ninth High’s students erupted in furious shouts.

“Foul!”
“Despicable…”

The league’s rules were simple: no blows to the back of the head or the eyes. Bai Xiang’s move was clearly a violation.

Even those who disliked Gao Wu joined in the chorus of outrage, demanding the referee stop the match.

The referee hesitated but did not intervene; the bout was too riveting. Bai Xiang’s tactics were unsavory, but Gao Wu had not lost his ability to fight.

Interrupting now might not even be in Gao Wu’s best interest.

Bai Xiang ignored the crowd’s clamor. Having succeeded, he pressed his attack. Though one of Gao Wu’s eyes had been struck and pain clouded his vision, he remained cool-headed.

With his other eye, Gao Wu gauged Bai Xiang’s movements and anticipated the next move. As Bai Xiang advanced, Gao Wu’s thigh subtly shifted, his calf whipping out like a lash to strike Bai Xiang’s groin.

Thanks to special protective underwear, Bai Xiang withstood the savage kick, but the pain slowed his movements.

Gao Wu slipped beneath Bai Xiang’s armpit, twisting like a snake around a tree to get behind him. His arms locked around Bai Xiang’s thick neck, his legs hooked onto Bai Xiang’s, and he secured a rear naked choke.

The rear naked choke doesn’t cut off breath, but rather compresses the arteries on either side of the neck, interrupting blood flow to the brain.

Even if Bai Xiang had injected stimulants, unless he could summon his source energy, the choke would subdue him within ten seconds.

Realizing danger, Bai Xiang attacked Gao Wu’s ribs with his elbows, but the angle made it hard to generate force, posing little threat.

The audience was stirred; even novices knew that securing a rear naked choke at this level all but guaranteed victory!

Sixth High’s coach was frantic, shouting, “Jump—crush him, crush him!”

Bai Xiang spun around the ring, searching for a solution, then strode toward the glass wall.

With terrifying explosive strength, Bai Xiang ran up the wall, taking two steps to reach over four meters high, then arched backward and plummeted toward the ring.

All eyes widened as Bai Xiang, with Gao Wu on his back, crashed down from four meters.

With Bai Xiang’s three-hundred-pound frame, such a drop could easily knock Gao Wu unconscious, if not kill him outright!

Sixth High’s coach was jubilant: “Gao Wu won’t hold out this time…”

Unlike Bai Xiang’s earlier throw, Gao Wu then was able to adjust his posture to absorb the impact. Now, riding on Bai Xiang’s back, no matter how he twisted, his spine would bear the brunt.

This could break Gao Wu’s spine… If he were wise, he’d release his grip mid-air to protect himself.

To everyone’s surprise, Gao Wu refused to let go, locking Bai Xiang’s neck even tighter. The determination in his one open eye was unshakable.

Another heavy crash followed, Bai Xiang and Gao Wu smashing into the floor, the impact rattling the surrounding steel-glass walls.

Yet Gao Wu remained conscious, his arms still locked around Bai Xiang’s neck.

Gao Wu resembled a giant python, relentlessly constricting and strangling Bai Xiang.

The tremendous force of the collision made Gao Wu spew blood, staining Bai Xiang’s neck bright red.

Bai Xiang refused to surrender, thrashing and rolling, but he could not shake Gao Wu’s python-like grip.

The audience rose to their feet, the tension reaching its peak—everything hinged on who could endure longer.

What began as an ordinary high school martial arts league match had everyone’s blood boiling, swept up in the indomitable spirit of both competitors.

Their fighting spirit and perseverance moved all who watched.

As Bai Xiang rolled, his strength ebbed away, while Gao Wu whispered encouragement in his ear: “Come on, hang in there. If you give up now, I really will humiliate you…”

Bai Xiang’s mind was clouded; he could barely make out Gao Wu’s words, much less muster anger.

Before Gao Wu had finished speaking, Bai Xiang’s body went limp, his eyes rolled back, and he passed out completely.

The referee checked Bai Xiang, hurriedly pried Gao Wu’s hands loose, and said, “Enough, you’ve won.”

Gao Wu slowly sat up, glanced at the unconscious Bai Xiang and kindly reminded, “Wake up, this isn’t the way to sleep…”

He deliberately mimicked the Yunling accent, honest and hearty, with a touch of humor.

Bai Xiang gave no response, but the members of Sixth High’s martial arts team who rushed forward were in no mood for jokes, glaring furiously at Gao Wu.

At that moment, the arena erupted with waves of thunderous cheers.

The teachers and students of Ninth High, long suppressed, finally unleashed their emotions; many girls watching the screen, seeing Gao Wu’s bloodied face, were moved to tears.

Though both sides were low-level fighters, the match was full of twists and turns, and their courage, resilience, and quick thinking left a lasting impression.

Song Mingyue, watching the live broadcast online, was calm—this outcome had been within her expectations.

Far away at Anjing University, Shang Qingjun also watched the live feed, her bright eyes filled with worry for Gao Wu.

Others cared only for victory or defeat; she cared for Gao Wu’s safety.

Gao Wu stood, raised his arms to the crowd from the ring, his face streaked with blood, his eyelid split and swollen, looking rather battered, yet his radiant smile shone through.

The roaring tide of cheers was so passionate and stirring that he felt exhilarated; compared to his recent rescue efforts, this was the glory he had earned through his own hard work.

In that moment, he felt himself king of the arena, basking in boundless honor—such a feeling was so wonderful, it made him jubilant and intoxicated…

Seeing this, Shang Qingjun finally breathed a sigh of relief.

She felt a pang of concern for Gao Wu—this victory had come at a heavy price. She wondered if he had suffered internal injuries…

Beside her, a beautiful girl clicked her tongue in admiration. “Our little brother is a real tough guy—I’m absolutely smitten!”

On the ring, Gao Wu was actually watching his Boundless Merit Book, blank pages now flooded with merit +1… Clearly, these points came from the audience…

(The new book ranking has dropped a lot—please keep reading and voting, everyone, let’s go~)