This was Ding Jieran's trump card.
He had been posing as a right-handed swordsman this entire tournament for this very moment.
He had resolved himself to win this first battle at all costs, even if it meant losing his own life!
In this instant, his dull and lifeless eyes were glowing as radiantly as a supernova.
I may not be able to live for much longer, but I will spend the rest of my life fighting for the glory of White Cloud Warrior Academy!
His sword pierced straight through Shen Changshan's chest, and it was initially aimed at his opponent's heart, but he altered its trajectory slightly at the very last moment.
Shen Changshan had been on the cusp of dealing a decisive blow, only to be brutally struck down out of the blue, erasing Celestial Being Warrior Academy's chances of a clean sweep.
The entire venue let loose a collective gasp.
Half of Ding Jieran's sword was protruding out of Shen Changshan's back, with blood dripping down incessantly from its tip.
Ding Jieran held onto the hilt of his sword as he stood before Shen Changshan in a completely still manner.
He couldn't move. Even the slightest move from him could spell instant death for Shen Changshan.
The medical staff flew onto the platform, and the outcome of the battle was clear.
In the final moments of the battle, Ding Jieran had come from behind to secure the unlikeliest of victories!
Ever since the very beginning of the tournament, Ding Jieran had always wielded his sword with his right hand, and even then, that was still enough for him to maintain a spotless record leading up to the grand final.
Only now did everyone come to realize that he was left-handed! It was truly the most well-concealed of trump cards.
Shen Changshan had already been carried away on a stretcher, and the referee announced Ding Jieran's victory.
Right as he was about to step down from the platform, Ding Jieran felt himself enveloped by a burst of sword intent.
In that instant, all of the fine hairs on the back of his neck stood up on end, and he hurriedly spun around, only to be greeted by Bing Qianshan's cold gaze.
"Your name is Ding Jieran, is that right?" Bing Qianshan asked.
"Ding Jieran pays his respects to Master Bing," Ding Jieran greeted with a respectful bow.
Bing Qianshan observed that even in a bowed posture, the sword intent emanating from Ding Jieran's body didn't wane in the slightest, and he nodded to himself in approval.
He had been forced to come here by Dongfang Sansan, but he was now glad that he had come here.
"Ding Jieran, would you like to learn swordsmanship under me?" he asked.
Ding Jieran's eyes instantly lit up, and in this moment, his entire body seemed to have been glowing.
He nodded with a look of fervent excitement in his eyes.
"That would be my honor!"
He suddenly felt like he had a chance to turn his life around, and with it came an unprecedented sense of excitement.
All of the spectators were looking on with stunned expressions.
While it had been rumored that Bing Qianshan had come here to take a disciple, no one had actually thought they would get to witness such a monumental moment in person!
Mo Ganyun, Qiu Yunshang, Yu Zhongge, and Jing Shuanggao let loose a collective cheer, looking no less excited than Ding Jieran.
Ding Jieran had finally found his own path!
In this instant, they felt like the outcome of the match hardly mattered anymore.
"Alright, come with me then," Bing Qianshan instructed.
A hesitant look appeared in Ding Jieran's eyes, and he asked, "Can you give me some time, Master Bing?"
All of the spectators in the entire venue clenched their fists collectively in urgency.
Don't make him wait! What if he changes his mind!
Thankfully, Bing Qianshan didn't appear bothered, and he smiled as he asked, "Why?"
"I want to see if we'll win the match," Ding Jieran replied as he lowered his head.
"Raise your head when you speak," Bing Qianshan ordered.
Ding Jieran raised his head as he continued, "I also want to bid farewell to my friends. Most importantly, I have to bid farewell to my boss!"
"Your boss?" Bing Qianshan asked as he raised an eyebrow.
"Yes!" Ding Jieran confirmed.
"Alright, in that case, I'll give you some time," Bing Qianshan said with a smile.
"Thank you, Master Bing!"
All of the spectators were rendered speechless.
They couldn't believe that someone would keep Bing Qianshan waiting over such trivial reasons.
"Yu Zhongge of White Cloud Warrior Academy vs Zhu Jianghai of Celestial Being Warrior Academy."
The second battle was every bit as intense as the first one, and the spectators were completely bewildered.
They had thought that Ding Jieran was an anomaly, but Yu Zhongge's mental fortitude under pressure was just as impressive. In both battles, the combatants of White Cloud Warrior Academy had been at a clear disadvantage, yet their tenacity was nothing short of extraordinary!
Just like Ding Jieran, Yu Zhongge was at a cultivation base disadvantage, but he held on with all his might, his eyes glowing with the inspiration drawn from Wu Zhibing's semifinal battle.
Even though he was forced onto the back foot from the very beginning of the battle, he fought like a madman, determined to land a blow on his opponent even if he had to withstand three in exchange.
By the end, both of them were completely spent, and the final blows that they exchanged held no more power than a punch from an infant.
Realizing that their attacks were completely ineffectively, they fell to the ground, gasping for breath.
"I haven't lost yet!" Yu Zhongge panted.
"Me, neither!" Zhu Jianghai yelled in a feeble voice.
Neither of them was in any condition for battle, but they were fighting tooth and nail to remain conscious.
Whoever fell unconscious first would be the loser.
It was only after the referee declared the battle a tie did the two combatants finally allow themselves to slip into unconsciousness.
The third battle was between Mo Ganyun and Lu Youlin, and the two of them were greeted by a chorus of raucous laughter as soon as they stepped onto the platform.
Mo Ganyun stood at a towering 230 centimeters tall, yet he had met his equal in Lu Youlin.
Both of them were extraordinarily tall and well-built, looking like a pair of real-life giants.
Even Bing Qianshan couldn't help but be amused by what he saw, and only now did Fang Che finally reopen his eyes, feeling as if his understanding of the sword had been elevated to a new level.
A dumbstruck look appeared on his face at the sight of the two giants on the platform, and he asked, "What happened to Ding Jieran?"
"Ding Jieran's battle ended ages ago!" one of the girls beside him complained with a displeased pout. "You just suddenly closed your eyes and started ignoring all of us! It's already the third battle now!"
"We didn't want to disturb you," another girl said. "Do you know this Mo Ganyun? He's so adorable with that red headband! All of the boys are teasing him for calling himself Red Heavenly Lord, but we think he's really cool!"
The girl's eyes were practically glowing as she spoke, and Fang Che was at a loss for words.
Never did he think that such an absurd title of Red Heavenly Lord would be able to attract fangirls.
"Mo Ganyun, I've had my eye on you for quite a while now," Lu Youlin grinned.
"Likewise," Mo Ganyun replied.
"There's something I'm very curious about. Your headband says 'Surpass Fang Che.' Quite a few people have asked you what that means, but you didn't tell them. Can you reveal the meaning now?"
Mo Ganyun thought about it for a moment, then relented, "Fine, I'll tell you seeing as we have roughly the same build."
This justification was met with another chorus of laughter from the spectator stands.
"You two should be a couple!" someone yelled, and the cacophony of laughter only grew louder.
Mo Ganyun remained completely unfazed as he declared, "Fang Che is our boss, and he's way stronger than us, so my goal is to surpass him! It's as simple as that!"
"Your boss? Which year level is he from?" Lu Youlin asked.
"He's a first-year, just like us. You should be thanking the heavens that our boss didn't come to the tournament this time. Otherwise, he'd beat the crap out of all of you one-on-five!"
Mo Ganyun made no effort to keep his voice down, and his bold declaration was met with a chorus of boos from the Celestial Being Warrior Academy supporters in the stands.
Enraged looks also appeared on the faces of the five Celestial Being Warrior Academy representatives upon hearing this, but Mo Ganyun's expression remained as smug as ever, seemingly reveling in the boos.
He had intentionally made this declaration. He knew that there was a very good chance they were going to lose this match, so he had to bring up Fang Che to save some face for the academy.
His declaration had undoubtedly turned everyone against him, but he was from the Mo Clan, so he had nothing to fear.
"If your boss is so strong, then why didn't he come?" Lu Youlin asked with a cold sneer.
"He didn't want to come here to beat up a bunch of little boys! He thinks we'll be enough to take care of all of you on our own!" Mo Ganyun harrumphed coldly.
"I bet he's just scared! Scared that I would beat him to a pulp!" Lu Youlin scoffed.
Mo Ganyun was furious to hear Lu Youling insulting Fang Che. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novel★fire.net
"I should ask you the same!"
Without another word, the two giants clashed like a pair of primordial beasts.
The entire platform trembled violently, while all of the spectators looked on in astonishment.
It was understandable for the platform to tremble and sway during the battles between the fifth-year representatives, but how were these two first-years generating so much power?
Each clash between the two was accompanied by a resounding boom, and it was as if rumbling thunderclaps were ringing out incessantly over the entire platform.
"Do you know who this Fang Che is?" one of the girls asked.
"I do. In fact, I know him very well," Fang Che replied.
"What does he look like?" the girl asked.
"I'd say his looks are roughly on par with mine," Fang Che replied.
"Is he really as strong as Mo Ganyun says?"
"He's alright. Again, roughly on par with me."
"It sounds like you're really strong!"
"By the way, what's your name?"
"My name is Fang Che."