When a person is in a high-ranking position, their words carry the law.

Chapter 71 Stumbling Blocks, Stepping Stones

December 3rd, the third day of the competition.

The quarterfinals, like the previous round of sixteen, were uneventful. Although one group was quite intense, the match was not as exciting as expected because the opponents of Jiang Xun, Bai Ze, and Xi Yuheng all conceded defeats.

Inside a room at the martial arts hall, Shen Qingquan frowned as he watched the scene on the screen in front of him and the reactions of the audience.

"Director Shen."

Xiao Jiang rushed in from outside and said, "A lot of news about this competition has suddenly appeared online, claiming that the competition was unfair and that the players were rigging the match. Someone is trying to smear us."

"Director Shen, the quarterfinals have ended just like that, and the audience is already dissatisfied," another man then entered the room and reported.

According to the schedule, the quarterfinals will be held in the morning, the semifinals in the afternoon, and the champion will be decided tomorrow.

However, the quarterfinals ended so hastily, lasting less than half an hour. The match time was too short, which not only disappointed the viewers who had traveled a long way to come here, but also made those watching online feel dissatisfied.

Upon hearing this, Shen Qingquan's expression darkened further.

Yujingwu is a large and powerful family, and it's not something that can be easily smeared. This kind of trivial matter can't really affect Yujingwu, but Shen Qingquan can.

In retrospect, Shen Qingquan, as the person in charge, will certainly be held accountable, which will affect his future career.

Shen Qingquan is only forty years old, which is the time when he most wants to make progress, so he cannot accept this kind of thing.

"The semi-final match in the afternoon will be moved to half an hour later, and the final will be moved to the afternoon."

Shen Qingquan decisively ordered, "In addition, retrieve the surveillance footage and see if the contestant who conceded has had any contact with anyone."

"What does Director Shen mean..." Xiao Jiang asked, a look of speculation on his face.

"What attracts these participants the most? Admissions from prestigious universities."

Shen Qingquan coldly looked in a certain direction, "And our old friend has had no shortage of special recruitment quotas and financial resources in recent years."

Those who made it to the final rounds were all outstanding students. Although they couldn't compare to those geniuses, Wuhan University, which ranked lower, was not even worth their attention.

The only two sides that could make them admit defeat in a live broadcast across the entire Federation were Yujing Martial Arts University and Yanjing Martial Arts University.

After ruling out the possibility of betrayal from within, there's no need to guess who's left.

Thinking of this, Shen Qingquan couldn't help but curse inwardly: 'That bastard, he even dragged innocent bystanders into it!'

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The four finalists have been decided.

They are Bai Ze, Jiang Xun, Xi Yuheng, and Shi Yanfeng from Yanjing.

Although the audience felt it wasn't enough, they started to look forward to it as they thought about the increasingly important people who would appear next.

Half an hour later, the semi-finals began.

This time, it starts with the smaller numbers. First, Jiang Xun will face Shi Yanfeng, then Bai Ze will face Xi Yuheng, and the winners from both sides will advance to the final.

The first match was practically a foregone conclusion, with Jiang Xun expected to win. However, Shi Yanfeng, having made it this far, was no weakling either, and might be able to inflict some injury on Jiang Xun. At the very least, he could force Jiang Xun to reveal more of his true abilities.

However, after the two took the stage, Bai Ze noticed something was off about Shi Yanfeng's face.

“He’s hesitating,” Bai Ze said.

This match may determine the winner directly.

Meanwhile, on the stage, Shi Yanfeng thought of the representative from Yanjing Martial Arts University who had approached him earlier.

Shi Yanfeng is a native of Yanjing, comes from a good family, and is quite talented. He can be considered to have no worries about food and clothing, but compared to some people, he is still far behind.

"Shi Yanfeng, after observation, you meet the special admission requirements of our school and can be admitted to Yanjing Martial Arts University. Furthermore, given your outstanding talent, you can join our school's elite cultivation program, enjoy one-on-one teaching from a four-star martial artist, and receive corresponding resource support every month. So, don't compete with others; give other peers a chance, won't you?"

Last night, Representative Li, who was all smiles, came to see me in person. His kind face and encouraging words concealed an unquestionable command.

Shortly afterward, my family called to say that my father might get a promotion soon, and my younger sister, who was about to start high school, was also notified that she could enroll in the Affiliated High School of Beijing University of Technology.

Everything was so beautiful.

The prerequisite is—obedience.

"I..." Shi Yanfeng swallowed hard and said with some difficulty, "I admit defeat."

With those words, his match was over.

Shi Yanfeng closed his eyes, and for some reason, he felt like crying.

The first match of the semi-finals has come to an end.

The audience was in an uproar, and the sudden online trend gained momentum, escalating further.

Inside the medical ward of the North Campus of Wuhan University, Qu Mingfeng watched the live broadcast and couldn't help but sneer.

If it's not feasible to directly target Bai Ze, can't we at least target someone else?
Not everyone is like Bai Ze, who suddenly gained the favor of someone like Lu Mingzhou.

"Bai Ze will first fight Xi Yuheng, and he will definitely go all out. After that, he will fight the fully recovered Jiang Xun. He will surely be defeated."

Uncle Li sat beside the hospital bed and smiled, "Even if Jiang Xun wins against Bai Ze, he will still be subject to a lot of questioning because it's unfair. Our school also has a partnership with the West Coast Group in the Slu Autonomous State. Park Sang-yi, the young master of the West Coast Group, should be happy to speak out and expose the unfairness of the Youth Cup."

Park Sang-yi's previous crushing defeat at the hands of Luo Shui confirmed the rumors that he lacked the skills and could only cheat. He is currently at a low point in his reputation. If it is revealed at this time that the Junior Cup was unfair, there will be a reason to clear Park Sang-yi's name.

In this way, Bai Ze was prevented from winning the championship, Jiang Xun's reputation was ruined, and the reputation of Yujing Martial Arts University was also damaged. It was a win-win situation.

"What if that old devil Lu Mingzhou also wins over those people?" Qu Mingfeng asked with some concern.

“Then we’ll expose him,” Uncle Li said matter-of-factly. “Even if Lu Mingzhou didn’t do anything coercive or bribery, as long as his people have been in contact with the contestants, we can expose him, and naturally people will suspect them. As for us, I’m a representative of Yanjing Martial Arts University, and recruiting students is my job.” Even if such a thing is exposed, so what? At most, Uncle Li will just get a few scoldings.

Destruction is always easier than maintenance. Now, Uncle Li and Qu Mingfeng want to undermine the fairness of the Youth Cup, tarnish the glory of the champion, and ruin the competition arranged by Mu Yaoguang.

The original plan was to specially recruit Jiang Xun into Yanjing Martial Arts University, but since Jiang Xun doesn't know what's good for him, then let him go back with the tainted trophy.

"Uncle Li, you're amazing." Qu Mingfeng laughed heartily.

This aggravated the wound, causing severe pain in my chest.

This made Qu Mingfeng reveal a sinister look again.

He will probably never forget the injuries Bai Ze left him.

But even if you win once, so what? In the end, I'm still the one laughing last.

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"*Dongxia vulgar language* Dongxia vulgar language*".

The old principal sat in the spectator stands, swearing profusely, "These vermin have completely disgraced Yanjing Martial Arts University."

Although I am a native of Yujing, it would be a lie to say that I have no feelings for my alma mater.

Seeing his alma mater's reputation being so tarnished, the former principal couldn't help but get angry.

Moreover, what Uncle Li could think of, the old principal could also think of. Even if the old principal had extensive connections, he couldn't easily exert his influence in this matter.

Bai Ze, on the other hand, showed no sign of anger and calmly stepped onto the arena.

"You don't seem to be in a hurry at all?" Xi Yuheng asked from the other side.

"Of course I'm not in a hurry."

Bai Ze smiled slightly and said, "Although stumbling blocks are annoying, as long as you can step over them, they will become stepping stones. The bigger the stumbling block, the higher you can go after stepping on it."

"If I beat you under these circumstances, and then beat Jiang Xun, then I will be the undisputed number one in Dongxia, and no one can shake that title. Big star, you're the one who should be worried about being overshadowed in the headlines again."

Since the start of the Youth Cup, Xi Yuheng has had a smooth run in the competition, but his efforts to promote the Liangyi Yuanci Sword have been repeatedly thwarted.

Even though Bai Ze had a bye in the first round of the semi-finals, Xi Yuheng still couldn't grab the headlines.

It even gained attention from the Luo River, which had previously been suspected of being Ye Yu Sheng Fan, after the true identity of Ye Yu Sheng Fan was later revealed.

To be honest, Xi Yuheng thought it would be better to suggest that Yuqing Heavy Industry sign Bai Ze; this guy is practically a born advertising genius.

Now that Bai Ze brought up this matter again, Xi Yuheng couldn't help but twitch his eye.

However, he did not lose his composure because of this. Instead, he laughed and said, "Well said. The bigger the stumbling block, the higher you can go once it becomes a stepping stone. Have you ever thought that if you become my stepping stone, all your headlines will only add to my glory?"

As he spoke, Xi Yuheng suddenly pointed to the spot where he had been watching the game, where a young man in a suit and tie was standing.

But the young man was not important; what mattered was the exquisitely packaged jade box in his hand.

"That jade box contains the Three-Turn Golden Pill made by Taiqing Pharmaceutical. Only renowned figures in the Daoist sect can receive one every year. I specially asked someone to deliver it to me in order to recover from my injuries and restore my power."

"If I defeat you, I will take a three-stage Golden Elixir and request that the finals be moved to the morning, so I can defeat Jiang Xun and become number one. If I lose to you—"

Xi Yuheng pointed at Bai Ze, "This three-stage golden pill is yours, and Jiang Xun is yours too."

As he spoke, Xi Yuheng pointed his sword finger, and a specially made longsword was drawn from its sheath, hovering beside him under the influence of the magnetic force.

"But can you do it? I'm not a one-star martial artist."

The surrounding area erupted in uproar, a roar that seemed to break through the martial arts hall.

Xi Yuheng actually said he would give up his third-stage Golden Core, and he wasn't even a one-star martial artist, but a two-star one.

His strength, martial ethics, and magnanimity were all on full display, making Xi Yuheng the focus of the entire audience at this moment.

Just as he said before, if he defeats Bai Ze, then all of Bai Ze's popularity will be his. That's how martial artists are; they judge heroes by victory or defeat.

Furthermore, the reputation of transferring the Three-Stage Golden Elixir if one loses has further amplified the hype.

If he beats Bai Ze, Xi Yuheng will be the brightest star in this youth cup; even if he loses to Jiang Xun, he will still shine brightly.

'Wow, that's pretty patient.'

Bai Ze couldn't help but exclaim, "I never expected that even you had such a unique skill, and that you only revealed your full strength at this moment."

Previously, in order to promote the product, even the Yuan Magnet was shown, and everyone thought that Xi Yuheng had no other tricks up his sleeve. Unexpectedly, he still had this trick up his sleeve.

But upon closer reflection, it's not entirely unexpected.

If Qu Mingfeng can reach the second star level, it's not surprising that Xi Yuheng, who also comes from a prestigious family and is an Awakened, can also reach the second star level.

"I am a martial artist; being a spokesperson is just a side job for me," Xi Yuheng said.

He came to the competition to win first place; advertising was just a side thing. Why does everyone think he's doing it to grab headlines?

As for hiding his trump cards, it can only be said that after witnessing the special skills of these opponents, Xi Yuheng realized that if he didn't keep some secrets, he might become a target of those special skills himself.

In any case, Xi Yuheng wants the first place, and he wants the headline too.

He said he would give the three-stage golden pill to Bai Ze if he lost, but Xi Yuheng didn't think he would lose.

(End of this chapter)