I will eventually become a god through sheer hard work.

"Zhou Yinglin hasn't gotten any weaker. I was thinking that he might have lost his spirit after being crushed by Lao Xue, so maybe I still have a chance..."

Yin Muhu glanced at him.

"You were crushed by Brother Xue. Your mental state is only problematic when you're facing Brother Xue. As for you..."

Wei Junwu: "You see through me but don't say it, Sister Yin!"

Yin Muhu couldn't help but retort to his overly familiar manner, "Who's your sister?"

Wei Junwu turned his gaze to Xue Jing and said, "Old Xue, I feel that Zhou Yinglin must have come prepared. Knowing that there is such a big gap in strength between them, he didn't withdraw from the competition, and his mentality seems very stable. He must have something to rely on..."

"Sigh, it's so kind of you to cripple him for me, and I didn't expect him to recover in just one day. The medical resources are so enviable... If it were a match between equally skilled opponents, the side with such medical facilities would have a huge advantage. It's really unfair..."

The game continued amidst casual conversation.

In the second match, Song Nanxing won against Chen Chao, and Chen Chao lost two consecutive matches and was eliminated.

In the third match, Otogi Suzuka faced off against Rimyū. Otogi Suzuka won, and Rimyū suffered his second consecutive defeat, resulting in his elimination.

Upon seeing this result, Wei Junwu began to scratch his head.

There's no doubt that the fourth match will be a sure win for Xue Jing. Huang Lu, who lost to him the day before yesterday, would win. If you interviewed any dog ​​on the street, it would bark twice and say that Xue Jing would definitely win.

In this way, Song Nanxing, Otogi Suzuka, and Xue Jing all advanced directly to the semifinals with two consecutive wins.

With no other candidates available, the last spot will be contested between him and Zhou Yinglin, who have a record of one win and one loss... In other words, he will have to fight Zhou Yinglin again.

"...Welcome back to the U19 Finals Quarterfinals! I'm your host, Tao Xingxiu!"

The commentary's voice rang out throughout the venue via loudspeakers.

"After the first three matches, two spots have been decided for the semi-finals, so what's next..."

As he finished speaking, he was immediately drowned out by the overwhelming cheers of the audience.

First came a huge cheer, then gradually the chanting of a name grew louder and louder, rhythmically.

"Xue Jing! Xue Jing! Xue Jing!..."

At first, the sounds were a bit chaotic, with everyone shouting their own things. But as the audience adjusted their rhythms and coordinated their voices, the sounds became more and more synchronized and louder.

"Xue Jing! Xue Jing! Xue Jing!..."

Later on, it became a deafening roar, with each sound almost engulfing the stadium.

This unprecedented level of support, with 200,000 spectators cheering unanimously, was enough to make any contestant with a weak will falter, and to make the supported contestant's blood boil and their energy surge.

This is why home advantage is important in any publicly contested sport.

However, Xue Jing simply stood in the players' viewing area with an indifferent expression, his hand resting on the repaired fence.

Just as he was unaffected by audience support for Zhou Yinglin in the past, he will be the same now.

He doesn't need to pay any attention to external opinions, whether they are supportive or derogatory.

He turned and walked backstage to the waiting area, preparing to go on stage.

The staff member leading the way had been waiting at the entrance for quite some time. Upon seeing Xue Jing approach, he immediately bowed respectfully and said:

"Contestant Xue Jing, please follow me..."

……

"...We could all hear that the enthusiasm of the audience was truly extraordinary."

As the shouts gradually subsided, the commentator's surprised voice rang out.

"It seems everyone has incredibly high expectations for the next contestant to appear..."

"Then let's not delay any longer, please welcome the contestants!"

"First, please welcome contestant Huang Lu!"

A young figure slowly walked out of the contestant's passage.

The audience burst into warm applause.

However... the applause was more of a consolation than a show of support.

It's like praising a brave warrior who knows he will die but still goes to challenge a terrifying demon king.

"Go for it, big brother surnamed Huang!"

"To touch the hem of Demon King Xue's clothes is to win!"

"I hope everyone is okay."

"It felt like his hands were shaking..."

"You'd be shaking too if you went up there. This is Demon King Xue, who knows what parts might be removed from him..."

"To be honest, Huang Lu didn't just admit defeat and refuse to come; he actually showed a lot of courage by daring to step onto the stage. I bet he's so scared he's probably pissing a couple of drops right now..."

Huang Lu slowly walked onto the arena and stood still, his lips twitching slightly.

If he could admit defeat, he would have done so long ago...

The problem is that in martial arts competitions, if you admit defeat before even fighting, you're bound to be labeled a coward, and that's an act that will be stigmatized.

Especially for players like him who are signed with clubs, if their personal brand value is damaged, the club's interests will also be damaged, and they will have to pay a lot of liquidated damages.

He discussed with the club whether they could concede defeat, since Xue Mowang's methods were truly frightening.

But the club still forced him into it.

His heart was pounding with anxiety. He could only hope that Demon King Xue would show mercy and leave him with a healthy body, without any missing limbs...

"...Huang Lu doesn't seem to be in very good condition. Did he not get enough rest yesterday?"

The commentator's voice came on, offering a rather tactful explanation for Huang Lu.

"That's not good. The opponent he's about to face is someone who, even with full preparation, seems impossible to defeat..."

"Let us solemnly welcome—contestant Xue Jing!!"

As soon as he finished speaking, applause ten times louder than Huang Lu's entrance erupted.

The appearance of that tall figure at the exit of the contestants' tunnel elicited countless screams and cheers.

"Old Xue's popularity is incredible right now, it's unbelievable."

Wei Junwu sighed.

"After all, Zhou Yinglin became his stepping stone. There's no easier way to become famous than by defeating a famous person... You're half to blame for this."

Song Nanxing stood beside him and spoke in a calm tone.

"Me?" Wei Junwu struggled to raise his injured hand and pointed to his nose.

"If you hadn't blurted out that Zhou Yinglin was going to kill Xue Jing in the ring, making a big fuss and generating too much buzz, which led to Xue Jing being attacked by Zhou Yinglin's fans, the backlash wouldn't be so strong now."

Song Nanxing patted Wei Junwu on the shoulder: "Zhou Yinglin's mind is all on Xue Jing right now. If he comes to his senses and remembers this, he will definitely hold a grudge against you. You'd better be careful."

Wei Junwu: "..."

……

The applause and cheers from the audience continued unabated until Xue Jing stepped onto the ring.

The photographer then sat on the scaffold and circled around Xue Jing, conducting the usual 360-degree panoramic shot... only this time he was exceptionally meticulous.

The footage was clearly displayed on the large screen and in the live stream. His handsome face caused a huge wave of comments on various live streaming platforms, with people shouting "My husband! My husband!" again.

"After yesterday's battle that shocked the nation, Xue Jing shattered everyone's expectations of him, demonstrating his unparalleled talent and overwhelming strength..."

The commentator went on and on praising Xue Jing.

"...So, let's take a look at Xue Jing's new hexagonal data chart."

"Attack? Speed? Defense? Skill? Mental? Intelligence?... Uh, it seems things have come full circle. All attributes are unpredictable question marks!"

"But contrary to the beginning, the question mark on Xue Jing's data chart at this moment does not symbolize the unknown, but rather that he has completely surpassed the upper limit and reached an unknown realm that no player in the history of U19 has ever reached!"

"What kind of exciting match will this player, who is so unexpected, bring us next?"

"Enough with the small talk, let the competition begin!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the referee came between the two on the stage, unconsciously leaning a little closer to Huang Lu and slightly away from Xue Jing.

He waved his hand towards the two of them to signal the start of the match, and immediately slipped off the ring, much faster than in any of his previous matches.

Xue Jing looked at his opponent.

With his keen eyesight, he could easily see that the young man named Huang Lu was filled with fear and had no will to fight. His desire to turn around and run away was practically written on his face, and the vital energy that a martial artist must have for battle had dropped to its lowest point.

He shook his head slightly, somewhat disheartened.

He's someone who managed to reach the quarterfinals in the U19 finals, yet he's so pathetic.

Not interesting.

After thinking it over, Xue Jing lost the will to take action.

He shifted his gaze slightly, looking at Huang Lu's left shoulder.

Huang Lu immediately assumed a fighting stance at the start, remaining on high alert and not daring to make any rash moves.

He never intended to launch an attack; instead, he planned to dodge or endure two of Xue Jing's moves and then immediately surrender...

But then, suddenly, his arm snapped off cleanly at the root and fell to the ground, gushing out thick, sticky blood. The cut was extremely smooth, as if it had been severed by an unparalleled divine weapon.

Huang Lu broke out in a cold sweat as an extreme pain shot through him, and he immediately clutched his arm and screamed in agony.

But then he came to his senses and looked at his arm...

Intact and undamaged, not broken?

What's going on? A hallucination?

The audience at the scene were also puzzled and confused by what they saw.

"What is Huang Lu doing? Is he trying to stage an accident?"

"His acting is questionable. Xue the Demon King hasn't even made a move yet, so why is he already calling out?"

Only a few people who witnessed this scene had a fleeting, thoughtful look in their eyes.