The comments said I was deeply affectionate, I just added points by using an alternate account.

"The match begins."

The referee's voice was completely drowned out by a thunderous roar that tore through the air.

Fang Ze's figure disappeared from the spot.

Thousands of tiny, violent electric snakes emerged from under every inch of the arena's floor tiles, instantly weaving into an impenetrable net of lightning that completely enveloped the coffin.

He knew that if he let the other party make the first move, he might completely lose the opportunity to demonstrate his strength.

The temperature inside the stadium soared instantly, and a pungent ozone smell filled the air.

"Thunder Prison".

Fang Ze's voice came from all directions, carrying the unique distortion of electromagnetic waves; he had become one with the lightning.

He gave Chen Guan no time to react. The instant the lightning net contracted, he transformed into a spear made of pure lightning, its tip aimed directly at Chen Guan's heart, thrusting forward with unwavering resolve.

Faced with this thunderous inferno that sealed off all space, Chen Guan shouldered the jet-black scythe.

scoff.

A thick bolt of lightning coiled around his arm, but it didn't even manage to burn the hem of his clothes before being repelled by an invisible force.

Chen Guan raised his head, looking at the long spear that was coming with the force of a thunderbolt, and raised his hand to meet the spear tip with his scythe.

when.

A crisp, unbelievable collision sound rang out.

The Thunderous Spear, powerful enough to pierce the armor of a warship, dissipated its lightning the instant it touched the scythe blade. Fang Ze's figure fell from mid-air, his face filled with disbelief.

His powerful strike, which gathered all his strength, was blocked just like that.

Fang Ze had considered that it wouldn't work, but he hadn't expected it to be so easy, because it looked like the opponent had only used a basic attack.

Before he could recover from the shock, an irresistible force came from the point of impact, and he was sent flying uncontrollably, tracing a pathetic arc in the air.

However, just as he was about to fall to the ground, a dark shadow was faster than him.

Chen Guan's figure appeared like a ghost at his landing point, reached out, grabbed his collar, steadily stopped his fall, and then gently placed him on the ground.

Fang Ze lay on the ground, his mind blank. He stared blankly at the figure that had knocked him away and then pulled him back, and sighed softly.

Lost.

There is no suspense.

The opponent didn't even bother to make a move; he simply waved his weapon casually.

The gap was even more devastating than he had imagined.

He closed his eyes, bracing himself for the referee's verdict and the expected deathly silence that followed.

Seeing the other person's distressed expression, Chen Guan also had a headache.

They were all the same age, so he hadn't originally intended to use a "lower dimension" approach.

He crushed the Dao hearts of others along the way, making him feel like a major villain.

After a moment's thought, Chen Guan decided to encourage his opponent: "Among those who have fought me, I would call you the strongest."

As Chen Guan's voice rang out, a tremendous sense of satisfaction washed over Fang Ze's mind and body. Fang Ze suddenly smiled, a genuine smile from the bottom of his heart.

"I surrender."

He faced the coffin and, with all his might, clearly shouted out those three words.

"The winner is Chen Guan from Huaqing Academy."

The referee's voice finally broke the silence of the entire stadium.

Chen Guan walked back to the rest area of ​​Huaqing Academy step by step.

With his departure, the Round of 16 has come to an end.

On the huge holographic screen, eight of the sixteen portraits went dark, leaving only the final eight portraits shining brightly at the top.

They are Ross, Charles, An Changqing, Su Yuehe, Bai Huanran, Chen Guan, Honda Jiro, and Kaga Shizuko.

At Zero Academy, Ross stared at the list, completely dazed.

Me? Top 8? Me?

If we're talking about who had the best draw this time, Rose would undoubtedly say it's himself.

In terms of strength, he was the weakest among the eight. Many of those who were eliminated early were stronger than him.

For example, Fang Ze from Beishi Academy, who was just eliminated by Chen Guan, and Hiiragi Qingbai, whose Dao Heart was shattered by Chen Guan's sword a long time ago.

Having come this far, Ross decided to go back to his family's ancestral graves, burn incense, and thank his great-grandmother for her blessings.

……

After a day's rest, the rivalry reignites.

On the podium, An Changsong's voice broke the silence through the broadcast system: "The semi-finals are now beginning."

The light finally settled, revealing two completely different avatars side by side.

Zero Academy, Charles.

Taipei College, Bai Huanran.

"Oh! It's the two captains!"

"Finally, a decent match has arrived. I thought we were going to see Huaqing's people crush us again."

The discussion was instantly ignited. This duel was not about crushing defeat or despair, but a true clash between two strong individuals, a collision between top geniuses.

In the Zero Academy's rest area, Charles whistled lightly, feeling just as lucky as he had been.

He was relieved to learn that the man was not a pervert but an old adversary.

On the other hand, Bai Huanran did the same; they both saw each other as easy targets.

"I'm going."

He nodded to the crowd and strode forward.

The two captains stood in the center of the field.

"The match begins!"

The moment the referee's voice fell, Bai Huanran did not hesitate at all, and lightly drew a line in front of him with his finger.

The condensed water line that had severed the victory in the previous battle reappeared, cutting silently toward Charles's neck at a speed exceeding the speed of sound.

Ding.

The waterline touched an inch in front of Charles's neck, but could not go any further. It was blocked by an invisible barrier, vaporized into a white mist, and made a sizzling burning sound.

"this one?"

Charles grinned, his gleaming white teeth appearing particularly menacing in the electric light. He didn't even take a step back, letting the cutting force rub wildly against his body: "A mere tickle isn't enough."

Bai Huanran was not surprised at all. His hands did not stop for a moment. With a light flick of his fingertips, the blocked water line turned into living water snakes, which instantly split into dozens of thinner and faster micro water blades.

The water blades bypassed the front and shot towards Charles's joints and vital points from all directions.

"A decent juggling act."

Charles completely abandoned his defenses, allowing the water blades to cut through his clothes and leave wounds on his body.

"My turn!"

The fist, enveloped in blue lightning and carrying a terrifyingly high temperature that ignited the air, slammed straight towards Bai Huanran's face.

Bai Huanran's body, however, was like a withered leaf swept up by a hurricane, drifting backward at an incredible angle just before the fist arrived.

With a series of light taps on the ground, each tap created a perfect distance that caused Charles's punches to miss, yet was not enough to disengage him from the battlefield.

"All you can do is use brute force, you drug addict."

Bai Huanran's figure left a series of afterimages as he moved at high speed, but his voice clearly entered the arena: "Taking drugs every day, aren't you afraid of becoming stupid?"

His words struck a nerve with Charles.

"You're asking for it!"

Charles roared, his fist missing its mark and slamming hard onto the hard alloy floor.

Boom!

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Bonus chapter progress (82/100)