Chapter 181: Eve of the Semifinals, a Restless Quiet Night

Since Budongfeng won the match, three of the National Competition's final four have already been decided, leaving only the last spot to advance to the semifinals.

Group A quarterfinal venue.

Numerous teams gathered here, awaiting the final team to advance to the final four.

"This match will decide everything—whether Mu Zhi Teng will reclaim glory, or the Ice Emperor will rise later?"

Liu Lian Er's expression tightened slightly, squinting as he whispered. Whoever wins will become an obstacle to Rikkai University's pursuit of a second consecutive title.

"But the result already looks clear."

Boom!

"Bing Di Xue Yuan Ji Bu scores, 30-0!"

Boom!

"Bing Di Xue Yuan Ji Bu scores, 40-0!"

Boom!

"Game, Bing Di Xue Yuan Ji Bu Jingwu, 5-0!"

A biting cold wind covered the entire court, and sparkling ice shards littered Hei Qi Chenghuang's surroundings.

"Mu Zhi Teng"

"I'll protect!!"

"A retreating melody of disappointment."

A long plume of white breath puffed from his nose, and Hei Qi Chenghuang's eyes showed a desperate resolve.

"Ice Emperor! Ice Emperor!"

Boom!

A pale yellow ball shadow fell from the sky; at Hei Qi Chenghuang's feet a brilliant ice flower instantly blossomed, then the tennis ball showed no sign of bouncing, racing straight along the ground across the court, leaving a golden streak.

Boom!

"Game, Bing Di Xue Yuan Ji Bu Jingwu, 6-0!"

"Match over, Bing Di Xue Yuan wins, score 3-2!"

Swish~

Leaping, Ji Bu vaulted through the air to block the ball; his gray‑white coat fluttered with a swish, his racket aligned with the airborne ball for a smash, radiating fierce, flamboyant colors.

"We won!"

However, the only response was Ji Bu's cold verdict.

"Whaaa!"

It was just one point, and Hei Qi Chenghuang's newly revived momentum was frozen and shattered, his heart turned ice‑cold.

Under that imposing pressure, he backhanded the narrow racket from his side, his disheveled face set with fierce determination.

Along with the umpire's call came the delighted shouts of Ice Emperor, Xiang Ri Yue Ren and others; this quarterfinal proved far tougher than expected, and Mu Zhi Teng's third‑year players truly were not to be underestimated.

"Freeze!"

Gray‑white waves surged continuously through the stands.

The atmosphere in the air was so cold it seemed to solidify; sweat dripped onto the floor, and Hei Qi Chenghuang looked at the boy before him as if gazing upon a king who ruled the world.

"The winner is Ji Bu! The winner is Ice Emperor!"

At the center of the court, Ji Bu smiled, pointing a single hand toward the sky, his bright confident eyes fixed on the Ice Emperor as he declared, "Let's go to the top together, my lord! Victory belongs to the Ice Emperor!!"

"Ji Bu, Ji Bu!!"

Seeing the Ice Emperor's overbearing demeanor, Men Xie Wu hammered a fist into the wall, his face full of resentment.

"Damn, why won't they let me play? My super tennis could definitely…"

But before he could finish, he was cut off.

"Men Xie, it's already over."

Watching the spirited Ji Bu, Chi Yu Gaoxing's gaze held a hint of melancholy; though he was merely a middle schooler, an inexplicable sense of time's aging weighed on him.

From then on, the top four schools of the National Competition were all decided.

They were Tokyo Budongfeng Middle School, Shen Na Chuan Xian Li Hai Da Fu Shu Middle School, Osaka Four Heavens Treasure Temple Middle School, and Tokyo Bing Di Xue Yuan!

The eve of the semifinals.

That evening, the burning sunset slipped down the mountainside, the cicadas on the parasol trees fell silent, and night quietly draped the city; summer nights are always so tranquil and peaceful.

Yet the tranquility belongs to the night sky, not to the people beneath it.

Ding dong~

The doorbell rang, and Ju Xing opened the door.

"Brother Qiansui?"

Qiansui Qianli wore a white shirt, hands in his pockets, a backpack with rackets slung over his shoulder; the night breeze ruffled his fluffy hair, and his expression was no longer as casual as before.

"Ju Xing, is your brother home?"

"Didn't we agree not to meet before the National Competition ends?"

"Ju, play a match with me."

A tennis club.

"Big brother, as soon as tomorrow comes I can surpass you!"

In the strength training room, Shitian Tie stood with legs apart, the barbell's crossbar supported by his bulging trapezius and deltoids, his arms lifted to grip the bar as his body slowly squatted.

"96". "97".

With each squat, sweat dripped onto the green floor, muscles contracting and relaxing, sending fatigue signals to his brain.

Yet the more the soreness and weakness set in, the brighter the flame in Shitian Tie's eyes burned, and even while weighted squatting he still had energy to ask Xiao Liu Longping nearby.

"Coach Xiao Liu, will you go watch my match tomorrow?"

"Yo—Shitian, of course!"

Meanwhile.

Step. Step. Step.

In the park beside Shenwei's house, a figure in a black sleeveless hoodie was running around the park, having lost count of how many laps, running as if tireless.

Gurgle gurgle

Bubbles rose in circles from the water's surface; Ji Le Jing Xing sank his head into the bathtub, exhaled in one breath, and after several seconds he suddenly rose from the water.

"Dizzy, ringing ears, rapid heartbeat, weak limbs—this is what it feels like to be on the brink of death?"

Ji Le Jing Xing glanced at his right hand, the scene of the Kanto tournament still vivid, then fell backward, splashing water.

Gurgle gurgle

"This is clearly the feeling of not wanting to lose."

Bang! Bang! Bang!

In front of the green wall, a man wearing a black cap kept striking the rebounding tennis ball; each hit made the ball faster, and his gaze grew sharper.

"To get stronger, you must focus!"

"To get stronger, you must forget cowardice!"

The window opened.

The evening wind fluttered the white curtains, moonlight poured into the room, Jie Cheng Wu propped himself with one hand, sitting sideways on the windowsill, his dark eyes seeming to stare at something.

In reality, he was merely checking a data panel only he could see.

"Except for Zone, Huang Lai, Purple Plain, and Blue Peak have already completed their ability transmutations, and the others are about the same."

"Unlock the Heart‑Body Technique to reach world class, and on that basis master the other dimension."

On the windowsill, Jie Cheng Wu's eyes flickered slightly, recalling Ji Le Taizao's near‑invincible stance during the training camp.

"It's close, it's close.

I will reach your level in my own way, then have a full match with you."

"Long ago there was a monster that could ride black clouds, discern good and evil, had a tiger's body and a snake's tail, and roamed the sky."

At the bedside, Yiwu Shen Si paused on a page of the monster chronicle, staring off into a daze.

"The monster's name is Nue."

"Shen Si, it's time to sleep!"

"Oh."

The next day.

The four teams were split into two groups, each entering a different venue.

Even with the split, the audience was unprecedentedly large; since the venue moved from an outdoor field to an indoor court, the atmosphere grew even more intense.

Without much prelude, the highly anticipated National Competition semifinals officially began, and the broadcasts in both venues simultaneously rang with the judges' exhilarating verdicts.

"National Competition semifinals—

Tokyo Budongfeng Middle School versus Osaka Four Heavens Treasure Temple's match is about to begin!!"

"Alright, wipe them out in one go!"

"The winner is king—"

"National Competition semifinals—

Tokyo Ice Emperor Academy versus Shen Na Chuan Xian Marine High School's match is about to begin!!"

"Victory belongs to the Ice Emperor!"

"Heh, the two‑time champion of Li Hai Da has no blind spot—"