Chapter 411: The Decider
Zhu Xuan and Ye Qiuding’s losses was a nasty bucket of cold water on the spirits of the Astral Sage College.
The cheerful, competitive mood in the air had dried up, leaving behind a stuffy, sullen silence. The students were disgusted at the consecutive losses.
Before the Two Star Hall, the Astral Sage College had a glowing two wins and two draws. All they needed was one more win, and they would not even have to go to the One Star Hall fight. Ideally, they would secure the Holy Grail Meet invite with a comfortable margin.
But the Two Star Hall was a complete disgrace.
It was a known fact that the Two Star Hall was the weakest out of the four. The Four Star Hall had the Seven Astral Pillars—their reserve pool was by far the deepest. The Three Star Hall had the monster Jiang Qing’e, who had single-handedly lifted up her entire generation.
Even the youngest One Star Hall had the dual resonance Li Luo.
The Two Star Hall was a dim, sputtering candle amidst the bright bonfires.
Still, the Blue Abyss Sage College’s Two Star Hall representatives were not particularly strong either. All they had to do was win one… no, all they had to do was secure two draws, and overall victory would still have been the Astral Sage College’s.
Not even a single draw.
So now both schools were evenly matched—two wins, two draws, and two losses apiece. They were back at square one. All of the carefully groomed advantages for the Astral Sage College… now nullified.
“Grrr!”
The students hissed and cursed, making their frustrations clear. The Two Star Hall students hung their heads in shame. Zhu Xuan and Ye Qiuding had let all of them down.
Their failures had broken the momentum and lead that the Three and Four Star Hall seniors had worked so hard to win.
And amidst the booing, the more optimistic ones turned their attention to the One Star Hall.
Specifically, the silver-haired protagonist, Li Luo.
Suddenly, the round that no one was sure would even come about had become the pivot point for the entire ticket match. “So it comes down to the One Star Hall match,” the First Princess said, barely hiding her irritation.
Who would have thought that the Two Star Hall would be nothing but feeble pushovers?
On the spectators stand with her were other famous students, including the rest of the Seven Astral Pillars. They were all looking a little lost.
“It all comes down to Li Luo now. Can he carry us to victory?” a hulking youth asked in a rumbling voice. It was Wang Chao, also of the Seven Astral Pillars.
“The decider, huh… If he wins, they’ll cheer him until our ears fall off. If he loses, they’ll curse him until his ears fall off… Whose ears’ it gonna be?” Zhong Taiqiu snickered. He was one of the Seven Astral Pillars too.
Indeed, losing such an important competition would create a lot of pent up anger and frustration, and the losers would get all the heat. Zhu Xuan and Ye Qiuding were on that list, of course, but if Li Luo lost as well, he would have his fair share of hostility.
“You shouldn’t underestimate that junior of ours,” the First Princess said with a knowing smile.
“We aren’t,” Gong Shenjun replied. “But I have to wonder if the Blue Abyss Sage College has been aiming for this from the start. And if all has been going according to their plan, then we can only imagine that they must have planned something for the last round too.”
“You mean they’re betting on the One Star Hall match?” the First Princess asked, astounded. “How risky is that?”
Gong Shenjun inclined his head. “Let’s look at Zhu Xuan and Ye Qiuding’s rounds. They’re not really to blame for their losses. Strictly speaking, they were evenly matched. But their opponents brought a reckless resolution to win, and that was where the difference lay. Both their finishing moves exacted a terrible price on their bodies. They might have won, but they will be plagued by permanent damage in the future.
“To make two excellent students pay such a price… The Blue Abyss Sage College must have given them a guarantee—drowned them in riches and other compensation that would make them agree. No ordinary person would be willing to do so otherwise.
“Glory alone cannot be enough for them to give up their futures.
“Which means that the Blue Abyss Sage College must have been targeting these two Two Star Hall fights from the start. They could recoup their earlier losses in one vicious spurt of effort.
“They’re gambling two brilliant students’ futures… all on this One Star Hall representative. That is the level of absolute confidence they have in him. Li Luo is excellent, none of us refute that. But is he that good?”
It was an acute analysis from Gong Shenjun. The other students were in full agreement, and now they turned to regard Li Luo with new concern.
Were they all walking straight into the Blue Abyss Sage College’s trap? Or would Li Luo break it all apart?
Vice Principal Su Xin turned to her Blue Abyss counterpart. “Vice Principal Qiu, Blue Abyss has held nothing back for this competition, I see.”
“Your needling is very unkind, Vice Principal Su Xin,” Qiu Jizi said with a mild smile. “We are not on the level of the Astral Sage College. Desperate times call for desperate measures.”
“Desperation is not a sustainable form of progress,” Su Xin replied.
“Is that so?” Qiu Jizi laughed.
Su Xin did not reply. She too knew that such remarks served no greater purpose. Both wanted the ticket to the Holy Grail Meet. Of course, they would hold nothing back. Still, it was grating to see their early lead gone.
The elders had come to the same conclusion now, and all their thoughts were on the One Star Hall youth.
“Keke, looks like House Luolan will steal the thunder today.” House Jinque’s Si Qing laughed.
Zhu Qinghuo’s face was dark, anger simmering in his eyes. Zhu Xuan’s loss had made him lose face among the houses!
“Perhaps the thunder might end up electrocuting him instead,” Duze Yan said coldly.
Yu Hongxi took a small sip of tea. “It’s not a bad thing for youngsters to taste failure. But the best of them know when success is theirs and reach out to take it. The pressure in this round is high, but Li Luo might just live up to it.”
The house lords fell silent.
At the side, the little emperor pumped a silent fist to himself. He was rooting for Li Luo.
Li Luo stood up.