High-Martial World: System Arrives 30 Years Late-Chapter 102 - 100: One-Slash Asura, Xing Fang vs. You Ming (Part 2)

Chapter 102: Chapter 100: One-Slash Asura, Xing Fang vs. You Ming (Part 2)
The staff in Ming Jie’s hand was equally fierce, launching a counterattack against Zhou Min’s blade.
Clang, clang, clang.
Both their blade and staff moved incredibly fast, leaving afterimages behind. Each strike was powerful and heavy; both followed a path of sheer force, but it was clearly Ming Jie who had the upper hand.
In the arena, Ming Jie brought down his iron rod, creating trenches several meters deep in the sandy ground. With a flick of his wrist, the iron rod swept up a cloud of yellow sand as he leapt up to unleash Dark Clouds Covering the Sky.
Zhou Min couldn’t dodge in time. He held the blade horizontally in front of him to block.
Clang!
The fierce strike made Zhou Min’s arms go numb, his palms bleed, and his legs were driven straight into the sand. At this moment, Ming Jie’s second swing arrived.
Clang, clang, clang!
Three vicious consecutive strikes embedded Zhou Min entirely into the sand.
"I, I admit defeat!"
The second battle, Ming Jie wins.
"Ming Jie’s staff technique is just too fierce, indeed, Talented Martial Artists are all very strong!"
Many people’s hearts skipped a beat. After Su Mu’s one-strike victory over Cui Jian, many had the illusion that Talented Martial Artists weren’t that impressive. This battle was a wake-up call, reminding everyone of their might.
The ranking battles continued.
The third battle, Xing Fang versus Number Thirteen, Xing Fang won.
The fourth battle, Zuo Hao versus Number Fifteen, Zuo Hao won.
...
The tenth battle, Tantai Yan versus Number Thirty, Tantai Yan won.
Hong Yi left the stage with a bitter smile. He didn’t know whether to feel lucky or not; lucky because he managed to advance into the top thirty by a bye, but unlucky because he got to experience Tantai Yan’s strength firsthand.
All ten battles ended in a one-sided situation, with the Talented Martial Artists winning all their matches. Of the remaining ten, only Xing Fang and Chen Tai were non-Talented Martial Artists.
And it was apparent to everyone that Chen Tai’s luck played a big role. If not for Su Mu’s back-to-back victories over Lu Qing and Cui Jian, he wouldn’t have made it into the top ten.
"First of all, congratulations to you ten for making it into the top ten of this year’s Three Cities Joint Training Camp. Next, we’ll decide the top five."
"The rules are as follows: the bottom five will compete against the top five."
"The top five are: Tantai Yan, Su Mu, You Ming, Xing Fang, Ming Jie."
"The bottom five are: Zuo Hao, Gao Xiaoyu, Fu Ying, Jiang Li, Chen Tai."
Among the ten, there were four females and six males. Xing Fang was the only non-Talented Martial Artist to make it into the top five.
The ten began drawing lots. By this point, those in the bottom five had resigned themselves to the fact that they had no chance against anyone from the top five, and thus felt no pressure.
The drawing results were quickly revealed.
This time, Su Mu was finally not in the first match.
The first match, Tantai Yan versus Chen Tai.
The second match, Xing Fang versus Zuo Hao.
The third match, You Ming versus Fu Ying.
The fourth match, Ming Jie versus Jiang Li.
The final match, Su Mu versus Gao Xiaoyu.
"It’s Tantai Yan’s turn, Tantai Yan is about to enter the field!"
Chen Tai listened to the cheers of the crowd, paying no mind. He was the weakest among the ten, advancing mostly due to luck, so he thought it wouldn’t hurt to experience the strength of the strongest firsthand.
"First match, begin!"
Chen Tai stood still, with no intention of fighting. "Tantai Yan, let me feel your Spiritual Power."
"Alright."
The next second, Chen Tai’s head felt like it had been struck by a heavy hammer, his complexion turned pale, and he staggered to the ground, taking several seconds to recover.
"I lost."
"Thank you."
Tantai Yan thanked him before leaving the field, giving room for the second match participants.
"The Spiritual Power is just too overwhelming, I really can’t wait for Su Mu to go against Tantai Yan!"
Someone voiced what everyone present was thinking, as it seemed that only Su Mu had any chance against Tantai Yan, while others were just going through the motions.
The following battles went quickly, the fastest being Su Mu’s final match, which ended even quicker than Tantai Yan’s because Gao Xiaoyu simply forfeited.
"I’m afraid you might not control the Sword Momentum and kill me with one strike."
This reason made Su Mu chuckle helplessly.
Next up was the most intense battle for the top five, and Shi Hao felt a little excited for Su Mu’s upcoming match against Tantai Yan.
"No need for more words; next is the final showdown. The five of you will face off against each other, using a points system. Winning a match earns you twenty points, losing deducts twenty. The one with the highest points will be the champion of this event."
"As before, you’ll draw lots to decide the order."
Su Mu drew a paper, opening it to see Number Two, meaning he was the second. Tantai Yan got Number Five, while Number One was Xing Fang.
"Xing Fang, you may choose the order of battle for the next four matches."
"I’ll choose Ming Jie for the first battle."
"Alright, let’s begin," Shi Hao nodded, unsurprised because Ming Jie was the weakest among the five.
Ming Jie wasn’t surprised either. He looked forward to this match as it was his only chance among the four battles; he stood no chance against the other three.
Xing Fang gripped his long staff tightly, both wielding long staffs. During the previous dormitory number one contest, Xing Fang had defeated Ming Jie once.
Clang, clang, clang!
Two figures leaped towards each other, their staffs clashing fiercely.
A series of sparks flew as metallic clangs rang out constantly.
Su Mu soon realized that their staff techniques were different. Ming Jie, with his Power Talent, emphasized brute force, playing to his strengths and avoiding weaknesses.
Xing Fang, on the other hand, combined agility with power, seemingly confronting Ming Jie head-on, but he was actually using technique to deflect force, appearing more seasoned.
Ming Jie had the upper hand in strength, but in technique, Xing Fang was superior.
The clash of strength and technique quickly bore results.
Xing Fang’s final swing exploited the flaw when Ming Jie’s old strength faded, and new strength hadn’t surged, securing the win with one decisive strike.
"Congratulations."
Ming Jie retracted his staff, stepping aside.
Xing Fang immediately swallowed an elixir to restore Qi and Blood, standing moments later, "For the second match, I choose You Ming."
As Xing Fang spoke, he glanced at Shi Hao, who nodded silently.
You Ming rose to the challenge. He didn’t regard Xing Fang highly, thinking that with Cui Jian out, his third place was secure, unlike the monsters Su Mu and Tantai Yan.
How could he not handle Xing Fang and Ming Jie, these two brute fighters?
Noticing the slight contempt on You Ming’s face, Xing Fang didn’t get angry. This was the deciding battle; if he could defeat You Ming, it would be a satisfying revenge, making this trip worthwhile.
"Both parties, ready, begin!"
Xing Fang roared, charging toward You Ming, kicking up a cloud of sand that obscured vision as he ran.
"Pretending to be mysterious, give up resisting."
"Do you think you’re Tantai Yan or Su Mu?" With those words, the dual-bladed You Ming’s figure flickered.
After a slight flicker, You Ming quickly appeared beside Xing Fang. Seeing the sand rising, doubt filled his heart. He decided to take a more secure approach by moving behind for an attack.
But suddenly, a change occurred.
Xing Fang’s long staff moved unexpectedly, turning into a spear, powered by his waist and arms. He abruptly turned and thrust, revealing You Ming’s position.
"How is this possible?"
"It must just be a coincidence."
You Ming’s face turned dramatically as he withdrew several meters, caught off guard by the staff that struck him. An opening appeared, and another swing followed, welcoming him to Xing Fang’s lightning-fast assault.
Xing Fang knew that if he missed this chance, he’d have no more opportunities to win.
Clang, clang, clang!
The staff shadows rolled on like waves, each striking relentlessly. Xing Fang successfully pinned You Ming down, making him suffer. His dual blades precluded him from engaging in direct combat well.
"Xing Fang has actually cornered You Ming?"
"How is this possible? Was it luck?"
Many thought so, but off stage, Xu Zhi and Huangfu Xue exchanged a glance at Shi Hao, both knowing it wasn’t luck.
In the blink of an eye, the situation was set.
In the arena, Xing Fang swung his staff again, then flicked his wrist to disarm You Ming’s blades, halting his staff an inch before You Ming’s face.
"Indeed, I’m not Tantai Yan or Su Mu."
"But this time, you’ve lost."