Chapter 257: Breakthrough in a Hopeless Situation!
Translator: ryuxenji Editor: H2dH2mr
Nie Feng-ming, who had been fighting close to Qi Long all this while, suddenly retreated, distancing himself from Qi Long. Qi Long had never been a fighter who relied on speed. He was unable to keep up with the opponent's unexpected move, and a considerable distance was put between them.
A cold light flashed through Ling Lan's eyes — she knew that Nie Feng-ming was probably about to unleash some ultimate move!
Sure enough, Nie Feng-ming suddenly crouched low and then sprang up into the air. Airborne, a surge of Qi seemed to flow from the soles of his feet into his right arm.
With an audible tearing sound, Nie Feng-ming's right arm bulged — the rippling muscles tore through his school uniform, his sleeves turning into tatters.
"Pneumatic Punch!" Nie Feng-ming shouted, his right hand clenched into a tight fist which was hurtling towards Qi Long.
"Good timing!" The fighting spirit in Qi Long's eyes flared. Even if he knew he was no match for the opponent, Qi Long would never cower. He resolutely threw out his own right fist in response, "Take my One-Inch Punch!" Only the 3rd form of One-Inch Punch would be able to help him weather this move.
Seeing this scene unfold, even someone as calm and composed as Ling Lan could no longer sit still. She stood up abruptly, her expression coldly focused as she waited for the final outcome.
The two punches collided with a loud 'boom!' — endless energy surged from the two fists, radiating out from where the fists were connected. This surge of energy shook the entire stage, causing the stage to actually emit groaning noises, creaking as it begun to quake.
Beneath the feet of the two fighters, the ground suddenly shattered. Of course, this was just virtual 3D imaging, but it made the audience feel as if it were real. It was as if the stage beneath the fighters' feet would really be unable to hold on past the next second and thoroughly collapse.
The cracks spread rapidly outwards — the speed and range of those around Nie Feng-ming were slower and smaller, while those around Qi Long were quicker and larger. This point alone proved that the stacked strength Qi Long was wielding with the aid of the 3rd form of One-Inch Punch was still a bracket inferior to the opponent's in terms of internal energy. If not, the feedback force beneath his feet would not be so large 1 .
Both fists stayed connected for several seconds; in the end, the two of them could not withstand the opposing forces and were sent flying back at the same time.
With a somersault in the air, Nie Feng-ming dispersed the reaction force and landed soundly on one corner of the stage. Still, even so, he felt his Qi and blood roiling in his chest, a sickly sweet coppery taste at the back of his throat surging to get out. He clenched his teeth and forcefully pushed back this bloody Qi. As the second strongest person in Leiting for physical skills combat, he would not allow himself to be visibly injured on the stage. This was his pride.
Meanwhile, Qi Long was in a worse state. He had no way of dispersing the energy as casually as Nie Feng-ming had — he was instantly sent flying, and in the air, he could not stop himself from spewing out a mouthful of blood.
Qi Long's body had initially already been injured by the opponent; he had merely been suppressing it by relying on his tough body. However, at this moment, being pressured by this tremendous surge of Qi-Jin from the opponent, he could no longer hold back the extent of his injuries. Not only that, this forceful clash had heaped yet more injury on top of his previous injuries, thus resulting in his spewing of blood the moment he was sent flying.
Qi Long was not as vain as Nie Feng-ming — since he could not do it, he might as well not force it. He allowed his body to slam heavily onto the stage, leaving a dent on the already crumbling stage.
Qi Long pressed a hand to his chest as he fell to the ground. By this time, Colonel Tang Yu had already come up to his side, and he crouched down to ask, "Qi Long, can you still fight?" He did not ask him whether he admitted defeat, instead asking whether he could still fight — this was because the impression Qi Long had made in Colonel Tang Yu's mind was that he was a youth who absolutely would not admit defeat.
Qi Long's lips split into a wide grin as he replied loudly, "Fight! Why wouldn't I fight? As long as I can still move, I'll fight till the end."
Even though Qi Long had no dignity to speak of at this moment — his mouth and lips all coated with blood, looking somewhat frightening — his grin and those words and tone filled with conviction moved Colonel Tang Yu. Qi Long's honest face carried a look of determination and a somewhat silly smile, but it was much purer than those clever people and their schemes. He was someone who devoted his entire body and soul into combat — this kind of person would often climb much higher than those intelligent prodigies, walking further than they ever could.
Colonel Tang Yu felt his initially cold and hardened heart begin to burn, and he shouted out loud, "Good! Then let the fight continue!"
Tang Yu abruptly stood up and took two steps back to stand in the middle of the stage. This meant that the match was in a temporary time-out — the fight would need his declaration to resume.
A trace of gratitude flashed across Qi Long's drooping eyes. He looked to be unbelievably guileless, like such a nice guy, but Han Jijyun had always claimed he was in fact very black-bellied — he understood all the things he truly needed to understand. Indeed, that was true — like right now, Colonel Tang Yu's actions may not have been explicitly explained, but Qi Long still understood that the other was helping him.
Interrupting the fight was extremely advantageous to Qi Long. This gave him a chance to catch his breath and deal somewhat with his injuries. It also gave him the time to settle his chaotic Qi-Jin to restore some of his fighting strength.
Qi Long did not sit to rest, but slowly climbed off the ground. He could not let Colonel Tang Yu's good intentions be noticed by anyone else. Colonel Tang Yu saw Qi Long's slow movements, and a trace of approval flashed through his eyes. Able to use the time he had to recover his strength without any outward signs, this silly little fellow was not truly silly. However, this was even better. There were way too many plots and schemes in this world — even someone as formidable as god-class operator General Ling Xiao had not been able to avoid being set up and harmed — a little adaptability was never out of place.
Although Qi Long had obtained a chance to catch his breath, the time was not very long. In the span of a few breaths, Qi Long had stood up straight again.
"Can we start now?" Tang Yu asked Qi Long once again. Seeing Qi Long nod, he then turned to ask the same to Nie Feng-ming, and seeing Nie Feng-ming nod as well, he waved his arm and yelled, "The fight continues!"
********
During the time when Colonel Tang Yu had paused the match, Lin Zhidong had not been able to stop himself from frowning. He said, "Boss Huo, Colonel Tang Yu seems to be intentionally dragging the time." Even though Colonel Tang Yu was the teacher adviser of Leiting's regiment commander Qiao Ting, with regards to this wagered battle, Colonel Tang Yu was obviously leaning towards the side of the New Cadet Regiment.
"Hn, Colonel Tang Yu has a very favourable impression of this batch of new cadets. Looks like the six-person quota of next year has largely been decided now," Boss Huo sighed. Initially, he had hoped Leiting's freshmen would be able to secure one or two of the slots, but now, it looked like the chances were low.
Lin Zhidong gaped and said, "You're saying ... these freshmen?"
"What do you think? Able to represent the New Cadet Regiment, these must be their strongest. And these people will undoubtedly be the future students of the mecha classes. Just the three freshmen who have already come out to fight are already enough to please Colonel Tang Yu ... I only hope that the next two are truly, as you say, the weakest of the New Cadet Regiment's line-up. That way, our Leiting freshmen may still have some hope of becoming Colonel Tang Yu's students."
Lin Zhidong could see Boss Huo's displeasure, and said in response, "Boss Huo, as long as we win this wagered battle, we will be able to take in the entire New Cadet Regiment. Then, Colonel Tang Yu will still be the mecha instructor of Leiting."
"You're not wrong, but outsiders will never truly put their full effort into serving Leiting. I will still rest easier if our own Leiting people manage to obtain some slots," said Boss Huo with a solemn tone.
People they added in from the outside could be utilised, and utilised well at that, but the full future of Leiting could not be entrusted to them. If by any chance the other held some grudge in their hearts and betrayed them from the inside, then it would truly be a tragedy for Leiting.
Lin Zhidong's heart clenched in fright, and he hurried to nod and say, "Boss Huo speaks truly. I will be careful. There is still one year's time. By whatever means, I will find a way to let Colonel Tang Yu accept one of Leiting's best talents."
At that, Boss Huo was finally satisfied. "That'll be fine!"
Lin Zhidong went silent however, beginning to wonder whether his initial thinking had been too simple. As Boss Huo had said, could outsiders really become the future pillars of Leiting?
********
On the stage, following Colonel Tang Yu's declaration to begin, Nie Feng-ming pounced. The opponent looked like he was at the end of his rope — if he did not attack now, was he going to wait until the opponent had recovered even more to fight? Nie Feng-ming would not let this opportunity go by.
One punch, two punches, three punches — every punch landed on flesh. Even though Qi Long had gained some time, it had not been enough for the roiling Qi-Jin in his body to settle back to normal. Therefore, when Nie Feng-ming attacked, despite wanting to punch back and block, Qi Long found that he actually no longer had the strength to swing his fists. He could only watch helplessly as he was struck.
Following these few punches, a great amount of blood once more poured from Qi Long's mouth. It went without question that his internal injuries were worsening. Qi Long did not know how much longer he could hold on for, but he could not resign himself to being defeated just like that. He thought of Luo Lang, who had been willing to take the risk and activate his innate talent for the sake of victory, and he also thought of Li Yingjie who, despite losing, had savagely taken a chunk of the opponent's flesh in recompense 2 .
Qi Long's eyes once again blazed with fire — what his companions could do, he needed to be able to do too! Even if he could not win, he would make the opponent pay a hefty price!
Qi Long's mind became sharper and sharper — even if he did not have any strength left to swing his fists, his eyes were locked tight on the opponent's fists, watching as those fists struck his body again and again ...
How did it feel like to watch personally as he was tormented by another? Qi Long did not know. All Qi Long knew was that he had not been able to clearly see the opponent's fists at first, but those fists gradually slowed down in his vision, until it seemed as if they were moving in slow motion, individual still frames in his eyes.
From the moment the opponent began circulating his Qi, to the channeling of power into his fists, all of it was presented before him. The attack trajectory of the punches were so clear, unlike before when he had to estimate where the opponent would attack from. Now, he could see so clearly just by using his eyes — he could even determine from his vision which part was the point powering the attack just from its trajectory.
He knew that as long as his fist hit that spot, not only would he not feel the other's strength, that strength would also backfire on the opponent. But he just godd*mn couldn't move right now! If he could move, he would be able to hit that spot, and he believed that he would not lose!
Qi Long was currently extremely frustrated. If he still had the energy, if he could still fight back ... at this moment, Qi Long found to his pleasant surprise that his hand had moved. However, it could not keep up with the speed he needed — he had no way of reaching that spot with the time it would take his hand to get there.
No, he could not give up just like this! Right then, Qi Long could no longer feel the intense pain throughout his body. At that moment, there was only one thought in his mind — faster, faster, and even faster — to let his fist reach that spot in the time he needed it to ...
Ling Lan, who had initially sat down again and was just watching Qi Long be abused, was forcefully holding back her desire to step in. When she saw Qi Long's fist twitch, her eyes abruptly brightened. However, Ling Lan feared that this was just a subconscious action of Qi Long's, and so remained reserved. But when she saw Qi Long's speed become increasingly faster, actually exceeding his original top speed in the end, she stood up once more.
At this moment, Ling Lan's eyes revealed her pleasant surprise. Could Qi Long really be this lucky? Actually breaking through in this sort of hopeless situation?
BAM! BAM! BAM! These were the sounds of punches striking flesh!
Nie Feng-ming's forehead was already coated with layers of sweat tracks. He did not know how many iron fists he had landed on the opponent's body, but other than some muscles spasms right at the start and some minor reactions to the pain, the opponent had actually not displayed any signs of feeling in the following few attacks. Not only that, the pressure the opponent was exerting on him was getting heavier and heavier — he was even beginning to question whether he was actually fighting a human being anymore.
Nie Feng-ming's attacks became increasingly quicker, his fists raining down on Qi Long's body like a torrential downpour. The blood flowing from Qi Long's lips continued to increase, until he was puking it out by the mouthful. Everyone thought that Qi Long no longer had any ability to fight back, that he would only be able to stand there and let Nie Feng-ming beat him as he liked ...
Even Colonel Tang Yu could not help but wonder whether he should just announce Qi Long's loss, but Qi Long's eyes were still shining with determination. It was as if he had never lost his ability to fight, and was only waiting for the opportune chance.
"Bam!" This sound was different from the ones before it. Everyone stared in astonishment at the youth with his blood-soaked grin. Qi Long, who seemed as if he had no strength left to lift his fist and block, had actually managed to lift his fist to accurately meet the other's attacking fist. That sound just now was precisely the sound of the meeting of the two fists ...
"Great!" Right here and now, even those seniors who did not think well of the new cadets could not help but cheer for Qi Long! Such an unkillable cockroach ... under such circumstances, which everyone had thought was completely hopeless, he had finally counterattacked.
"What is this?" Nie Feng-ming's expression finally changed. He began to doubt himself — could it be that his fists had no strength at all behind them? Was this why he was unable to bring down the opponent, finally giving the other a chance to counterattack?
"Feng-ming, don't blank out, continue to fight!" Boss Huo saw Nie Feng-ming's expression of confusion, and quickly stood up to shout him out of it. As an outside observer, he could naturally tell that Qi Long's internal injuries had already reached a limit. Nie Feng-ming would only need to add on a few more hits to completely defeat the opponent — no, perhaps just one more hit would do.
Nie Feng-ming quickly regained his senses. With a grit of his teeth, he swung his fists up again and sent them punching out fiercely at this youth before him!
"Bam!" What he struck was still the opponent's fist. The other had not punched any slower than he had, perfectly intercepting his own punch at the point where his strength had not reached its maximum, preventing him from using his full strength. It felt as horrible as being purposefully interrupted just when one was planning to relieve one's bowels 3 .
"I do not believe you can keep intercepting my fists!" Nie Feng-ming was already heated up from the battle. His fists rained down like a thunderstorm, but every punch was intercepted by Qi Long, each one intercepted at that most uncomfortable spot.
"Argh!" After punching for who knows how many times, Nie Feng-ming suddenly felt the hot blood roiling in his chest. His mouth opened and a mouthful of blood sprayed out, staining Qi Long's chest.
The many accurate blocks had caused his strength to be repressed, forced back into his body since it could not be released. After these multiple stunted attacks, his internal organs could no longer handle the accumulated backflow of energy, finally resulting in internal damage, causing him to no longer be able to hold back from puking blood.