Chapter 128: The Final Outcome Reversed

"Bai Ying!" Seeing Bai Ying in such a state, Qin Xiaochuan and Zhang Yang shouted anxiously from the sidelines. Had it not been for the match, they would have rushed onto the stage to rescue him. However, according to the tournament rules, they could only fret helplessly; they were unable to intervene until the match concluded. If they were to storm the ring, all their previous efforts would be in vain. For the sake of not disappointing the elder and ensuring Bai Ying's sacrifice was not for nothing, they could only watch in agony.

"Contestant Bai Ying is down!"
"Yes! Well done, Hao!"
"Stop keeping us in suspense, just kill him!"
"Kill him!"
"Kill him!"
"Kill him!"
"Kill him!"
"Kill him!"
...
Deafening roars filled the arena. Seeing Bai Ying fall, all the demons in the stands rose excitedly, screaming at Hao on the stage. The sight of Bai Ying being brutalized and the stimulation of fresh blood had driven the audience into a frenzy. This was exactly what they had paid a high price to see, and it thrilled them beyond measure!

"No need to count. It’s just a matter of life and death now." Glancing at the referee, who was in the middle of a countdown, Hao raised a hand to stop Miss Xingmeng. The arena was now so filled with the roar of the crowd that one had to cover their ears to block it out. Looking down at the prostrate Bai Ying, Hao slashed his raised hand downward. "Next is your neck! Die, Bai Ying!"

'You are the one who will die!' Burning his remaining demonic energy, Bai Ying suddenly sprang from the ground and lunged, head-first, toward Hao’s chest. A massive plant erupted from the demonic aura above his head—the Demon Flower of the Netherworld, summoned by Bai Ying at the cost of his own life force. Sensing the scent of blood, the flower spat out three sharp thorns that pierced deep into Hao’s chest.

"Ah! You... this is... a blood-sucking plant... how can you... this shouldn't be..."

Staring at the plant in disbelief, Hao’s body collapsed powerlessly. Struck by the potent toxins of the Demon Flower, he could no longer struggle. The thorns had released the poison the moment they entered his body, paralyzing him completely. In the Netherworld, any beast or demon struck by these thorns would be sedated, allowing the flower to drain its prey's blood without resistance.

"...Bai Ying!"

Seemingly hearing Qin Xiaochuan’s call from below, Bai Ying slowly opened his eyes and wiggled his fingers. 'Am I... still alive?' Feeling some strength return, he struggled to push himself up. What was this? Feeling a surge of demonic energy flowing within him, Bai Ying looked at his hands in disbelief. Was this the aura of the Demon Fox? Had the effects of the drug not weakened, but rather the power of the Demon Fox was pouring into him? It was unbelievable; the side effect of the Fruit of the Previous Life was to allow the power of one's past life to return to the present body. It was truly a blessing in disguise.

"Great! Bai Ying, you won!" Zhang Yang and Qin Xiaochuan cheered. Seeing Bai Ying rise, Qin Xiaochuan hurried onto the stage and caught his arm. "Are you okay, Bai Ying?"

"I'm fine," Bai Ying replied with an apologetic smile, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Sorry, I used up all my strength just to take him down."

Just then, Miss Xingmeng announced the results to the crowded arena: "The winner of this match is—Hao of the Sikong Team!"

"Hmph..." Hearing the judge's verdict, Sikong Lang, standing below, wore a smug smile, as if he had anticipated this outcome. Although Hao was dead, he had secured victory in the first round with his life; a death well-earned indeed.

"Damn it, what is going on!?" Zhang Yang turned to look at the giant screen overhead, bewildered. Hao had clearly been killed by Bai Ying, so why was Bai Ying declared the loser? Was the referee blind? Yet, on the scoreboard, a checkmark appeared next to Hao’s name, confirming that Bai Ying had indeed lost. "Wasn't Hao defeated by Bai Ying?"

"Please, everyone, be quiet. Because the audience was cheering so loudly, many of you might have missed the count," Miss Xingmeng explained, addressing the skepticism from Qin Xiaochuan and his teammates. "Ten seconds after Bai Ying fell, he finally launched his counterattack and brought down contestant Hao. According to the tournament rules, because Bai Ying had already collapsed on the stage, he was deemed defeated before the counterattack occurred. Therefore, the final result is—Hao wins!"

"Great! Beautifully done!"
"Exactly! The Sikong Team takes the first point; the remaining matches will be much easier!"
"Yes! Two more wins and the Sikong Team will be champions again!"
"You scared me; I thought the Sikong Team had lost!"
"How lucky! I didn't expect Hao to win!"
"Go, Sikong Team! Kill Qin Xiaochuan and the others!"
"Sikong Team will win!"
"We support you!"
"Go, Sikong Team!"
...
"A ten-second count?" Staring at the replay on the giant screen, Qin Xiaochuan couldn't believe it. "We didn't notice it at all!"

"That's how it is."

It turned out that Bai Ying’s apology from the start was because, although he had defeated Hao, he had lost the match. He felt guilty for the loss in the first round; after all, in a best-of-five, every loss put pressure on his teammates, something his kind nature abhorred. That was why he had apologized to Qin Xiaochuan.

"It’s okay," Qin Xiaochuan said, glancing at the weak and weary Bai Ying with a faint, comforting smile. "You go rest for a bit. Leave the rest to us."

"So noisy! We lost, but we lost with honor! What are you all shouting about!?" Hearing the deafening roar from the audience again, Zhang Yang couldn't take it anymore. He pointed at the crowd and cursed, but his voice was like a drop of rain swallowed by the ocean, vanishing without a trace. "As long as we're alive, we've won! You uncultured scum! You're too loud!"

Hearing Zhang Yang’s last remark, Sikong Ming, who had been standing on Sikong Lang’s shoulder, jumped down and sneered at Zhang Yang and Qin Xiaochuan. "Do you think you're going to leave here alive? It's hilarious. Don't forget, every member of the winning team gets to have one wish granted. Let me tell you what my wish is! My wish is for all of you to—die!"

"Ooh..."
"Kill!"
"Kill!"
"Kill!"
"Kill!"
"Kill!"
"Kill!"
...
The cheers of the crowd turned into deafening roars for blood, pushing the atmosphere to its peak. Looking at the arrogant Sikong Ming, Zhang Yang, influenced by the crowd's intensity, actually took a small step back, clearly nervous about the threat.

"Let me tell you my wish!" Unaffected by the atmosphere, Fei Yan stepped forward, unclasped his black robe, and threw it to the ground. "My wish is for the lives of you and the organizers behind you, so that this pointless tournament can never be held again."

Ignoring the others, he walked up to Qin Xiaochuan and said, "Listen, although I really want to fight the one wearing sunglasses, for the sake of Master Jinghai, I'll leave that guy to you!"

"Fei Yan..."

Watching the God of War walk onto the stage, Fei Yan nodded at Qin Xiaochuan and stepped up to the arena.

"The God of War! The God of War is up!"
"Go, God of War!"
"What a huge axe!"
"Cut him in half, God of War!"
"Kill Fei Yan!"
"We support you, God of War!"
"Your axe is so cool!"
"God of War, you’re the best!"
...
Amidst the cheering, the God of War walked onto the stage, clutching his massive axe, leaving deep footprints with every step. This was his signature style; a single swing of his giant axe, and his enemies would vanish like snowflakes in the air. This little guy would be smashed into dust. Lifting the axe above his head, the God of War reached the center of the ring.

"Do you think I'm trash?" Fei Yan sneered at him. That dull axe was nothing more than a toy to scare children. If he thought that was a weapon, he was severely underestimating Fei Yan.

"This?..." Seeing the bandages on Fei Yan’s right arm, Zhang Yang was confused. "Is his right arm still not healed? Why are these bandages so much thicker than before? They’re wrapped around his whole arm. And what are those bells on his knuckles for? Does he plan to ring them to call for help? I don't get it."

"It's not that," Bai Ying said, also looking puzzled. "The things on Fei Yan's hands aren't ordinary bells; they are seals for a binding spell..."