Chapter 131: A Poorly Played Drama

Not only was Ke Bei bewildered by the words of this War God-level powerhouse, but the thousands of people beneath the Bluestone Arena were also stunned. It was already defying common sense for Jia Wen to have fought two consecutive matches, but now Ke Bei was expected to fight continuously as well?

"Heh, you have ninety-nine matches remaining. That is no problem, is it?" the War God acting as referee walked slowly to stand before Ke Bei, a faint smile on his face as he spoke softly.

Ke Bei nodded and took his place in the center of the Bluestone Arena. He didn't mind; in fact, a hundred consecutive matches suited him well—it would save trouble later to resolve everything at once.

When the crowd beneath the arena heard the War God's words, they collectively gasped. A sudden silence fell over the venue, followed immediately by a wave of astonishment. Throughout this Azure Dragon Ranking tournament, aside from Li Qingfeng and Mu Duanhun, no one had fought a hundred consecutive matches. Even Wang Yuan had fought them in a standard, methodical fashion. The crowd beneath the arena could never have imagined that the fellow they had been despising just moments ago would attain such glory.

Most of the people gathered around the arena were veterans; they knew exactly what it meant to be capable of fighting a hundred consecutive matches.

"Brother..." seeing Ke Bei block Jia Wen's sword, Luo Ling finally breathed a sigh of relief and unclenched her tightly gripped fists. However, hearing that Ke Bei was to fight ninety-nine more matches, her worry returned. Like Ke Bei, Luo Ling had not been at the Jiujiang Talent Training Camp for very long and was unaware of the unwritten rules, failing to grasp the significance of such a feat.

"Hm?" Hearing Luo Ling call out to him, Luo Han finally pulled himself from his shock. He took a slight breath and, seeing the worry on his sister's face, shook his head with a bitter smile.

"Ling'er, don't worry about that guy anymore. His strength is far beyond anything you or I could imagine. To be capable of a hundred consecutive matches means that Ke Bei possesses the strength of an invincible fighter in the Transcendent Realm!" Luo Han inhaled deeply, looking at his sister's face, and stated each word clearly.

"Invincible in the Transcendent Realm?" Luo Ling was stunned for a moment, and then a sweet smile bloomed on her face. "Is he as strong as Li Qingfeng and Mu Duanhun?" She suddenly remembered that at the start of the Azure Dragon Ranking, those two had also fought a hundred consecutive matches.

"Yes!" Luo Han nodded heavily. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he never would have believed that a newcomer who had been at the camp for only four months, without a mentor, could reach such a level.

Ke Bei, unaware of the implications, felt no pressure at all. He had absolute confidence in his own strength.

The rest of the time, the Bluestone Arena became Ke Bei's private stage. Opponents kept coming up, but after witnessing his prowess, nearly half of the ninety challengers simply conceded. The crowd below grew larger until almost every trainee in the Jiujiang Talent Training Camp had gathered.

"What do you think?" In a secluded corner away from the arena stood two men. One had half-black and half-white hair, cradling a Tang saber with a cold, icy expression. The other wore an elegant white robe, a refined and calm smile on his face. It was the man in white who spoke.

The cold, dual-toned haired man stared at Ke Bei and shook his head slowly, saying nothing.

"I understand." Li Qingfeng smiled faintly. He knew what the gesture meant: even the cold man was not confident he could defeat Ke Bei.

"I am not certain I could beat him either. Heh, perhaps under the War God level, no one can be sure of victory against him." Li Qingfeng watched Ke Bei on the stage with a calm, inscrutable expression.

"Ninety-third!" Ke Bei smiled faintly, his Nine Suns Divine Skill pulsing as he casually flicked a young man off the arena. With his current strength, he could defeat an average high-level Transcendent fighter with a wave of his hand. In just two hours, he had already bested ninety-three young geniuses. Dressed in his silver battle suit, he stood calmly in the center of the arena, awaiting the next challenger.

Thump! With a light sound, a contestant leaped onto the stage. Ke Bei turned to see a burly man, broad-shouldered and thick-necked, wielding a pair of octagonal giant hammers.

Ke Bei raised his hand, his Dantian vibrating as the Nine Suns Divine Skill turned into a pale golden liquid, a formless, scorching internal energy gathering at his palm.

"Wait!" Just as Ke Bei prepared to strike, the burly man lowered his voice, looking at Ke Bei with a nervous expression. Checking to ensure no one was watching, he stepped closer. "Brother, can I ask a favor of you?"

"What is it?" Ke Bei asked.

"Cough, I know I'm no match for you, but please, don't make me lose too ugly. My girlfriend is watching. I can't just concede, but if you defeat me instantly... you understand, right?" The man was sweating, his eyes darting toward a corner to the northeast.

"Ah... that's easy enough," Ke Bei said, glancing toward the corner and spotting a woman on her tiptoes. He understood immediately and lowered his voice, agreeing readily.

"Thanks, brother!" The man looked delighted.

"Come on. Use your full strength, I'll manage the rest!" Ke Bei dissipated the energy in his palm and took two steps back.

"Here I come!" The man roared, charging like a giant bear. "Earth-Shattering Eight Hammers!"

"Impressive!" Ke Bei shouted, raising his fist to meet the hammer. He made sure the crowd heard his shout, putting on a show of using all his strength while actually using none.

BOOM!

With a thunderous crash, Ke Bei staggered backward, barely steadying himself.

"Roar! Take another one!" The man turned slightly red, roared again, and swung his hammers once more.

"Looks like I have to use my full power!" Ke Bei shouted again, stomping his foot to make the arena tremble.

BOOM!

Their attacks collided again, and both men were sent flying backward. The burly man stumbled, then planted his feet firmly.

"Hahaha, what a thrill! Today I, Zhao Xiong, have finally met a worthy opponent!" The man laughed loudly, winking at Ke Bei while his back was to the crowd.

Ke Bei smiled, performed a graceful mid-air flip, and landed on the edge of the arena, pretending to be pushed back by an invisible force until he barely managed to stop.

"That's enough!" The man decided to quit while he was ahead. "Brother, your skill is excellent! Though we are evenly matched, I am a few years older; I shall concede this match!" The man laughed, turned, and jumped off the arena.

"Boooo!" "Boooo!" The crowd jeered, seeing that Ke Bei had clearly gone easy on him. But in the northeast corner, the woman was beaming.

Ke Bei, watching the man jump away, was slightly stunned; he had been ready to keep up the charade longer.

"Ke Bei wins!" The War God hovering above the stage announced with a puzzled look. He had seen the charade as well. He could not understand why a genius like Ke Bei would debase himself to help someone else put on such a mediocre performance. He looked at Ke Bei with newfound curiosity.