radicalducati Chapter 62 The Grand Finals!
Chapter 62 The Grand Finals!
"I abstain."
The cool, clear sound echoed through the huge open-air plaza via holographic amplification equipment.
The entire audience of 100,000 people fell silent instantly.
Wang Xing stood at the other end of the arena, looking at the stunningly beautiful girl opposite him with some disbelief.
"no……"
"Why did you forfeit? That's not like you at all."
Who is Bai Lingxue? She's the renowned "strong woman" of Rongcheng No. 2 High School, the kind of person who treats the training room like her own home when it comes to cultivation. To surrender without even fighting is absolutely out of character for this ice-cold school beauty!
Bai Lingxue looked at him calmly and said softly, "During the school competition, I gave it my all, but I still lost to you. Only two months have passed, and I know very well that I have no way to defeat you in the short term."
"It's one thing to lose, but that's definitely not the problem with you forfeiting."
Wang Xing shook his head, staring intently at her. "The problem is, you give up without even trying. That's not the real you."
Bai Lingxue glanced at Wang Xing, but didn't argue further. She simply turned and walked towards the edge of the arena.
"This is my own decision. You should prepare well for the upcoming finals and don't lose. You are now representing the entire Rongcheng No. 2 High School."
Looking at the white-clad figure stepping off the stage, Wang Xing suddenly realized what was going on.
He got it.
Bai Lingxue's decision to forfeit was not because she was afraid of failure, nor because she didn't want to fight.
If the two were to engage in a life-or-death battle in the semifinals, given Bai Lingxue's strong personality and the power of her S-rank martial art, "White Tiger Seven Kills," even if he won, he would pay a price in terms of physical strength. He might even be forced to reveal more of his trump cards prematurely, and sustaining minor injuries was not out of the question.
Bai Lingxue is using her concession to preserve her peak physical strength and condition!
She was paving the way for Rongcheng No. 2 High School, making a sacrifice so that Rongcheng No. 2 High School could win the long-awaited championship trophy!
"this……"
As Wang Xing watched Bai Lingxue leave the arena, the heavy sense of collective honor he felt filled him with sincere respect for this aloof school beauty.
…………
However, for the 100,000 spectators below the stage, this sudden forfeit was like a bucket of ice water extinguishing a raging fire.
A huge wave of regret and wailing erupted from the scene.
"Holy crap! What's going on?! I was waiting to see Mars collide with Earth!"
"What the hell?! I'd already got my sunflower seeds ready, and this is what you show me?!"
"Hey, stop yelling. This is obviously a tactical arrangement. In an intra-school battle, one person is bound to be eliminated. Rather than having both of them fight to the death and benefit someone else, it's better to send the strongest one to the finals!"
"Yeah, Bai Lingxue is such a visionary! For the sake of the school's honor, she even gave up her individual semi-final highlight. She truly deserves to be my goddess!"
Although the audience was disappointed, after figuring out the key points, they couldn't help but admire Bai Lingxue's decisiveness and consideration for the overall situation.
…………
Meanwhile, inside the observation pavilion.
"They actually abstained..."
Wang Yangming, a senior student, looked at the big screen and smiled with some surprise.
"It seems that Junior Bai wants Wang Xing to conserve some energy. She really cares about the school and has a strong sense of collective honor."
However, a profound light flashed in the eyes of Professor Chen Xuanzhou, who was sitting next to him.
"She certainly has a sense of collective honor, but it will never come before her personal competitive spirit."
Professor Chen shook his head and said in a low voice.
As Bai Lingxue's nominal Qi and Blood Mentor, he knew all too well the pride that was in Bai Lingxue's bones.
"If Bai Lingxue really has even the slightest chance of defeating Wang Xing, or if their strengths are roughly equal... given his personality, even if it means fighting to the point of his mecha breaking apart, he will absolutely fight to the death on the stage and would never give up voluntarily."
"For her to give up so readily in front of everyone... it means she knows very well that she has no chance of winning against this Wang Xing! This kid's strength is probably far more terrifying than what we've seen so far."
At this point, Professor Chen turned to look at Wang Yangming and asked in a low voice:
"Yangming, I heard you've been in contact with this Wang Xing from No. 2 High School lately. Tell me honestly, how much do you really know about him?"
Upon hearing this, Wang Yangming's lips curled into a mysterious smile.
He leaned closer to Professor Chen and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Director Chen, to be honest, judging from the current situation, the fighting power that Wang Xing has shown in all the previous matches... is not his full strength at all."
Professor Chen's pupils constricted sharply: "Not at full strength? He even used a master-level sword technique!"
Wang Yangming shook his head slightly and uttered a few words, one by one:
"Professor Chen, you should also know about the S-rank martial art I've mastered, right?"
"You mean... the 'All-Encompassing Prajna Divine Power'?!"
Professor Chen's eyelids twitched suddenly: "I just saw his battle against the Collapse Mech. An invisible force was integrated into his basic operations, which had a bit of the flavor of the Myriad Manifestations Prajna Divine Power."
"But I haven't seen him officially unleash the Myriad Manifestations Prajna Divine Power yet... I'm still somewhat looking forward to seeing what level he's reached in this martial art."
…………
On the arena.
"Bai Lingxue, are you sure you want to forfeit?"
"Once a player forfeits a match, the result cannot be changed."
The referee, holding the microphone, repeatedly confirmed with Bai Lingxue.
To be honest, as a retired frontline military officer, he himself was also very eager to see this ultimate showdown between high school students.
Bai Lingxue stood below the stage and nodded without hesitation: "I confirm my abstention."
"well……"
The referee sighed helplessly and raised his flag high.
"In the first semi-final match, Bai Lingxue forfeited! The winner is Wang Xing from Rongcheng No. 2 High School!"
"Congratulations to Wang Xing for being the first to advance to the finals!"
Amid cheers mixed with applause and sighs of regret, Wang Xing stepped off the stage.
Immediately afterwards, the referee's loud voice rang out again:
"Next up, we'll move on to the second group of the semifinals!"
"Wang Taishi from Rongcheng No.1 High School VS Zhou Yuan from No.4 Middle School!"
"Please welcome both contestants to the stage!"
As the two players took the stage, the audience, which had been somewhat dejected due to their abstention, was once again filled with enthusiasm.
Zhou Yuan, the absolute ace of the Fourth Middle School, pilots the [Wind Falcon Mech], a mech renowned for its extreme speed and cutting capabilities.
Wang Taishi, the twin of Wang Tai'an of the Collapsing Stone Mech, doesn't actually possess the Collapsing Stone Mech. Instead, he summons a mech entirely composed of dark red and gray-black elements—the [Rage Stone Mech]!
If the Rockbreaker is a mountain of solid rock, full of defense and power, then the Ragestone is an active volcano that can erupt at any time on top of that!
"The match begins!"
As soon as the whistle blew, a bright blue ion tail flame immediately shot out from the back of the Wind Falcon mech piloted by Zhou Yuan!
"Whoosh—!"
His speed was so fast that he left afterimages in mid-air. The two high-frequency vibrating particle blades he gripped tightly in his hands were like the fangs of a viper, slashing wildly at Wang Taishi's mecha!
"That's too fast! Zhou Yuan's agility has definitely broken through the 8.0 mark!"
Some knowledgeable students in the audience exclaimed in surprise.
"Azure Phoenix - Thousand Wind Blades!"
A barrage of azure wind blades rained down like a storm, slicing through the armor of the Rage Stone mech and producing a piercing scraping sound.
However, faced with this high-frequency slashing attack that was like a storm, Wang Taishi stood still, as immovable as a demon god.
"Jingle bells—!"
The particle blade struck the dark red shell of the Ragestone mech, bursting into dazzling sparks, but did not damage the mech's interior.
"Is that all?"
Wang Taishi's cold voice came from inside the mecha.
The next second, he moved!
He didn't even reveal his weapon; instead, he suddenly lowered his legs and exerted force from his waist, unleashing a burst of power from a heavy mech, reminiscent of an ancient martial arts master!
Ancient martial arts killing move - Mountain Crash!
"boom!!"
The shoulder of the Rage Stone mech shattered the sound barrier in an instant, and with terrifying acceleration, it slammed into the high-speed moving Wind Falcon mech with perfect precision!
Wang Taishi's attacks not only possessed the killing moves of the ancient martial arts school, but also incorporated the earth-shattering force, doubling their power.
"puff--"
Zhou Yuan coughed up a mouthful of blood in the cockpit. The Typhoon Falcon mech was as if it had been hit head-on by a high-speed train. The chest armor was dented in a large area, and alarms blared incessantly.
"It's not over yet!"
Wang Taishi's eyes flashed with a fierce light, and the dark red patterns on the surface of the mecha instantly lit up, as if magma was surging in his veins.
He leaped into the air, clasped his hands together, and slammed them down on Zhou Yuan, who was falling to the ground, like a meteorite!
"The raging mountain has collapsed!"
"BOOM—!!!"
The enormous roar shook the entire plaza, and the special alloy-made arena floor was smashed into a deep crater visible to the naked eye by this blow!
The thick smoke dissipated.
Zhou Yuan's Wind Falcon mech had completely shut down, its limbs limp and embedded in the crater, having lost all combat capability.
Wang Taishi's Rage Stone Mech slowly stood up, its armor surface without even a single obvious scratch!
From start to finish, it took less than thirty seconds!
"Gurgle..."
The entire arena echoed with countless sounds of swallowing saliva, everyone was shocked by his ferocious fighting style that combined earth-shattering power with ancient martial arts techniques.
Wang Taishi stood in the middle of the ruins, ignoring his defeated opponent at his feet.
The mecha's mask slowly opened, revealing a pair of eyes filled with cold killing intent. He turned his head, walked over the edge of the arena, and his gaze pierced straight at Wang Xing in the No. 2 High School's preparation area like a knife.
"Wang Taishi wins the second semi-final match!"
The referee's impassioned voice pierced the sky: "The finalists are decided!!"
"They are—Wang Xing from Rongcheng No. 2 High School! Facing off against Wang Taishi from Rongcheng No. 1 High School!"