Chapter 12: The Decisive Battle against Li Wa
Chapter 12: The Decisive Battle against Li Wa
This was the first time I had entered Zi Xue’s room. The room was decorated in light purple tones, giving it a very elegant atmosphere.
I sat in a chair while Zi Xue sat beside me. For a long time, neither of us spoke.
Finally, I broke the silence.
“I apologize for losing my temper yesterday. I know you were thinking about what was best for me, but I still feel that I didn’t do anything wrong. I was only pursuing victory. How was that wrong?”
Zi Xue glanced at me, lowered her head, and said quietly, “You can do whatever you feel is right.”
I looked at her.
“Are you still angry with me?”
Zi Xue shook her head stiffly.
I said, “By the way, did you know that your sister also wants to challenge Li Wa?”
Zi Xue immediately raised her head, shock filling her face.
“What are you talking about? My sister wants to challenge Li Wa too?”
I was surprised by her reaction.
“You didn’t know? I thought you told her to do it.”
Zi Xue’s face flushed red with anger.
“Why would you doubt me?! How could I not know you wanted to challenge Li Wa? Everything you’ve done until now was for this challenge. Do you stop trusting people the moment you argue with them?”
I sat there, stunned.
My mind went completely blank.
“I…”
Zi Xue interrupted me.
“Say no more. I’ll take you to my sister. Ask her yourself.”
She stood up immediately, pulled me out of the chair, and dragged me out of the room.
“Zi Xue, don’t be angry,” I said quickly. “Listen to my explanation. I didn’t doubt you. I—”
But Zi Xue refused to listen. She pulled me down the hallway until we reached another room.
Turning to me, she said coldly, “My sister is inside. Ask her yourself.”
Then she knocked on the door.
A voice came from inside.
“Who is it?”
“Sister, it’s me. I brought Lei Xiang. He wants to know why you challenged Li Wa.”
“Oh, wait a moment.”
Soon the door opened, and Zi Yan walked out.
She first looked at Zi Xue’s pale face, then glared at me coldly.
“Did you bully my sister? Why is her face so pale?”
Before I could answer, Zi Xue spoke first.
“Sister, he didn’t bully me. He just wanted to ask why you challenged Li Wa.”
Zi Yan said calmly, “There’s no special reason. Li Wa keeps bothering me, so I decided to return the trouble he’s caused.”
Zi Xue turned to me.
“You heard that. I didn’t tell her to challenge Li Wa. Are you satisfied?”
Tears began to fall from her eyes.
I frowned.
“Zi Xue, don’t act like this.”
Zi Yan stared at me angrily. Seeing Zi Xue crying, her anger immediately exploded.
“You still say you didn’t bully her? I’ve already heard about the things you’ve done. I knew you were ruthless toward your opponents, but I didn’t expect you to be so cruel toward your own girlfriend—my sister. I will never forgive you.”
She raised her hand as if preparing to attack.
I quickly explained, “That’s not the case. I’m not bullying her. Please don’t misunderstand.”
Zi Xue wiped the tears from her cheeks and said to Zi Yan,
“Sister, please don’t. The reason I brought him here is because I want you to stop challenging Li Wa.”
Zi Yan frowned.
“Why?”
Zi Xue answered, “Because he wants to challenge Li Wa. Two people can’t challenge Li Wa at the same time.”
Zi Yan raised an eyebrow and looked at me with disdain.
“Know your place. Challenging him with your strength is suicide. You’re completely overestimating yourself.”
Her words immediately angered me.
“Why can’t I challenge him? Even if I lose, at least I’m willing to try. Since you already know Li Wa is stronger than you, what’s the point of your challenge? You’d only be giving him another chance to show off his strength. It would be different if I challenged him. I will prove he isn’t the strongest.”
To my surprise, Zi Yan looked at me with admiration.
“Good. You have courage,” she said, nodding. “I’ll let you fight Li Wa. I want to see whether you truly have the ability to become the strongest. But if you plan to fight him the same way you fought my father the other day, you won’t even be able to touch him. Think carefully before making your decision.”
I answered proudly, “I’ve already thought it through. Challenging the strong is something to be enjoyed.”
Zi Yan looked at Zi Xue.
“Sister, what do you think?”
Zi Xue looked at her with tear-filled eyes.
“This is his decision. He can do whatever he wants.”
Zi Yan comforted her.
“A man must sometimes risk his life for certain things. He has courage. You should support him instead of crying.”
None of us expected Zi Yan to speak on my behalf. My opinion of her changed considerably.
Zi Yan then said to me,
“You don’t need to worry about my sister. Just prepare for the fight. Don’t break the rules. If I withdraw, your match with Li Wa will take place in two days. I hope to see a good battle between two strong fighters, not a one-sided slaughter.”
Recalling Li Wa’s arrogant expression, a fierce desire to fight surged within my heart.
Turning to Zi Xue, I said softly,
“Can you walk me out?”
Zi Xue nodded.
I held her small hand as we walked toward the mansion entrance.
“Please don’t blame me,” I said gently. “I never doubted you. In my heart, you are the most important person. No one can replace you.”
Zi Xue suddenly threw herself into my arms.
“Be careful,” she said softly. “I’m sorry. I was too selfish.”
My heart immediately felt lighter after hearing her apology.
I hugged her and smelled the fragrance of her hair.
“Why did your sister suddenly speak so well of me? That’s not the impression she gave me when we first met.”
Zi Xue raised her head and giggled.
“You don’t understand her. My sister likes strong men. Do you know what she told Li Wa when he was pursuing her?”
I glanced suspiciously toward the mansion.
Zi Xue continued,
“She told him that she would only consider marrying him after he became a Dragon Knight.”
That woman is crazy.
Fortunately, she wasn’t my type.
I said, “Li Wa might be seventy or eighty years old by the time he becomes a Dragon Knight. Is she really willing to wait that long?”
Zi Xue lightly punched me.
“That’s not what she meant. She said she would marry the strongest man on the continent—even if he isn’t human. Who knows? If you defeat Li Wa, she might become interested in you.”
Heavens… she worships power even more than I do.
She should have been born a man.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” I said. “Having you alone is more than enough.”
Zi Xue smiled happily.
“It wouldn’t matter to me. Even if my sister married you, I’d still be happy. That way I wouldn’t be separated from her.”
I gave a bitter smile.
“Never mind. Both you and your sister change moods so quickly. One of you is already enough to handle.”
Zi Xue frowned.
“Are you complaining about my temper?”
“No, of course not,” I replied quickly. “My Zi Xue is the gentlest person in the world.”
At that moment, someone coughed behind us.
I immediately let go of Zi Xue and turned around.
The duke had returned.
Zi Xue’s face flushed red, and she hurried back inside the mansion.
The duke walked toward me with a dark expression.
“Brat, is this what you call not being too close to my daughter?”
He deliberately emphasized the word close.
Caught red-handed, I awkwardly apologized.
“I’m sorry, Your Grace.”
The duke snorted.
“Why did you come to see Zi Xue?”
I answered honestly.
“I decided to challenge Li Wa. But since Miss Zi Yan also wanted to challenge him, I came here to ask her to withdraw and let me face him instead.”
My words caught the duke’s interest.
“If you’re challenging Li Wa, then you must be the first-year champion. Not bad. That’s quite an accomplishment. But challenging Li Wa… I’m afraid you’re still…”
I smiled bitterly.
“Too weak to win because of the gap in strength, right? I know that already. But I’m willing to try. At least I’ll know how big the gap is and what I lack. Only by setting a goal can I improve.”
The duke revealed the same expression Zi Yan had shown earlier.
“Well said. I will look forward to your performance. It seems agreeing to your relationship with Zi Xue wasn’t a bad decision after all. Do your best.”
He laughed loudly and returned to the mansion.
Coming here had not been a waste.
Not only did I receive praise from both the duke and Zi Yan, I also retained the right to challenge Li Wa.
I looked forward to the battle even more.
……
“As the third-year champion Zi Yan has withdrawn her challenge to fifth-year champion Li Wa, first-year champion Lei Xiang will now challenge Li Wa. Judges, please take your seats.”
Because first-year champions rarely challenged fifth-year champions, the match caused a huge sensation throughout the academy.
The principal, vice principal, and teachers from every department came to watch.
The battle took place at the academy’s largest training arena.
Four mid-tier or higher magicians had been stationed around the arena, and nearly the entire student body gathered to watch.
The judge of this match was the vice principal himself.
When I stepped onto the stage, I suddenly heard the vice principal’s voice in my mind.
“Good boy. You’re very brave. If things become dangerous, use your dark magic. I’ll take responsibility.”
His words warmed my heart.
I glanced at him gratefully and stood at my side of the enormous arena.
Almost every student in the audience was shouting Li Wa’s name, especially the first-year students.
There were two reasons.
First, Li Wa was their idol.
Second, they hoped he would teach me a lesson.
Li Wa wore a simple suit of armor. His expression was calm and composed, completely unaffected by the crowd.
The vice principal called us to the center.
“Follow the rules of the tournament. Especially you, Li Wa. We all know your strength, so control your attacks. Do not cripple your opponent. Do not kill your opponent. Understood?”
We both nodded.
Li Wa looked at me.
“You’re not bad. You really persisted until the end to challenge me.”
“Hmph,” I replied coldly. “You just trained a few more years than I did.”
Li Wa laughed.
“You will never surpass me. You won’t defeat me until the day I die. Today I will avenge the many students you defeated from my department. Still, I should thank you for stopping Zi Yan from challenging me.”
I nodded.
“Because you are my opponent.”
Li Wa sighed.
“If I had fought her, I wouldn’t have been able to hurt her. I would have surrendered. I’m not as brave as you.”
The vice principal interrupted us.
“Enough talking. The match begins now.”
He disappeared from the arena in an instant.
The four magicians activated a magical barrier around the arena.
Li Wa and I stepped backward simultaneously, placing about twenty meters between us.
Li Wa smiled.
“I heard you don’t use weapons. Then I won’t use any either. That way you can’t claim I bullied you.”
“Use whatever you want,” I said coldly. “My hands are my greatest weapons.”
Li Wa sneered.
“Despite your weakness, you still talk big. Come then. Let’s see how strong your fists really are.”
Just as I prepared to attack, Li Wa suddenly vanished.
The next moment he appeared beside me like lightning and punched my shoulder.
A tremendous force exploded against my body.
My large frame flew backward and slammed into the barrier before falling to the ground.
Both Zi Yan and Zi Xue cried out in shock.
Zi Xue’s voice was filled with pain.
Zi Yan’s voice carried disappointment.
“What’s wrong with Lei Xiang? He’s far too weak. What a disgrace.”
Although Li Wa’s attack was powerful, my defense remained strong.
Suppressing the pain in my shoulder, I forced myself to stand again.
Li Wa laughed.
“Although I didn’t get to test the toughness of your fists, I’ve learned that your skin is quite tough.”
I released battle chi throughout my body and cast countless low-level magic spells toward Li Wa.
Li Wa simply stood there and took every attack. No matter what magic struck him, it vanished three feet away from his body.
What incredible battle chi armor.
I punched the ground with all my strength and shouted, “Hurricane!”
Li Wa’s lips twitched slightly. He copied my movement and also punched the ground.
The two attacks collided and immediately caused a massive tremor. My attack shattered, and the released battle chi burst beneath my feet. I was once again sent flying into the barrier.
I couldn’t believe that I had lost a clash of strength so completely.
Li Wa did not pursue the attack. Instead, he stood there calmly.
“That wasn’t bad,” he said. “But it seems you haven’t perfected the technique yet. It doesn’t have much power.”
I stood there in shock.
A Dragon Knight’s power is truly terrifying.
This strength was completely unbelievable.
Li Wa continued, “You’re really tough. You can take quite a beating. It’s been a while since I’ve practiced hitting a sandbag. Today seems like a good day for it.”
He flashed to my side. With a single punch, I was sent flying again.
This time I was prepared. The moment he struck me, I quickly concentrated the Heavenly Thunder Armor Technique and Demonic Arts at the point of impact. Although the blow was still heavy, it didn’t cause critical damage.
Just like that, I became a real sandbag.
Every time I was knocked down, I stood back up. And every time I stood up, I was sent flying again.
I never had the chance to attack.
Li Wa left no openings for large-scale magic, while low-level magic couldn’t harm him at all—not even my Demonic Arts.
In the spectator area, the principal said to the vice principal,
“Let’s end the match. This is hardly a fight. It’s completely one-sided.”
The vice principal shook his head.
“Wait a little longer. You never know when a miracle might appear.”
In the audience, Zi Xue was crying uncontrollably. She kept shouting for me to surrender. Unfortunately, the barrier blocked all sound from outside the arena, so I couldn’t hear her.
Zi Yan remained only because of her sister. Otherwise, she would have left long ago.
Li Wa’s lightning speed and overwhelming strength allowed me to witness the true capability of a knight.
No… I can’t lose like this.
My mind gradually became unclear. Li Wa’s punches grew heavier and heavier with each strike. Blood flowed from the corner of my mouth. My entire body felt as if it were being torn apart.
The flow of my battle chi became chaotic.
The pain was unbearable.
Li Wa struck me again, sending me crashing into the barrier.
At that moment I saw Zi Xue’s tearful face and Zi Yan’s look of disdain.
My heart shattered.
But this time, when I hit the ground, I didn’t collapse.
Instead, I stood there with my head lowered.
Li Wa suddenly sensed the rising aura around me and immediately stopped attacking.
I abruptly raised my head and roared toward the sky.
All the blood in my body began to boil. An intense heat filled my mind. My light green hair turned blood red. The wounds on my body healed rapidly, and a terrifying killing intent erupted from me.
The principal and vice principal both exclaimed at the same time.
“Berserker!”
The vice principal asked, “Should we stop the match now?”
The principal’s eyes shone with excitement.
“There’s no need yet. Li Wa still holds a huge advantage. Let’s observe a little longer. How many years has it been since a Berserker appeared? This is excellent. Our academy has finally produced one—and he’s only a first-year student. If we nurture him carefully, he will achieve extraordinary things.”
For the second time in my life, I had entered a berserk state.
However, because my Heavenly Demon Art had nearly reached the third stage, I was barely able to retain my consciousness.
Li Wa was stunned. With his background, he immediately recognized my berserk transformation.
He struck toward me again, sending a powerful surge of battle chi at my chest.
I laughed wildly and grabbed the incoming energy with my hand.
With a slight squeeze, his battle chi completely dispersed.
Zi Yan and Zi Xue were both shocked.
Just moments ago, Lei Xiang had been completely overwhelmed. Now he was not only fighting back—he had gained the upper hand.
Zi Yan said to Zi Xue,
“Sister, it seems you’ve found a treasure. This brat can even go berserk.”
Li Wa waved his hand. A longsword flew from the weapon rack into his grasp.
He stared at me intently, moving cautiously as he searched for an opening.
After entering the berserk state, I could feel explosive power surging through my entire body.
“Hurricane!”
I shouted.
Although it was the same technique as before, the difference in power was like heaven and earth.
Li Wa didn’t even dare block it directly and dodged aside.
The place where he had been standing exploded, leaving a ten-meter crater in the ground.
My battle chi ran wild, creating countless tornadoes filled with rubble and shattered stone, sealing him in from every direction.
This was the true power of the Mad God battle chi.
Li Wa remained relatively calm. Holding his sword, he used his battle chi to stabilize himself in midair. The flashing shadows of his sword formed a protective barrier in front of him.
Although he was eventually slammed into the barrier, the flying debris caused little damage.
Step by step, I walked toward him.
Li Wa’s eyes showed disbelief. He was clearly shocked by the violent madness of my battle chi.
With a light push off the barrier, he shot toward me like lightning and slashed with his sword.
After entering berserk mode, I barely felt pain at all. My defense had increased several times over.
I ignored his attack completely.
As he struck me with his sword, I roared and released a massive burst of battle chi that shook him.
“Heavenly Berserk Mode!”
The space around my body twisted. Every strand of crimson hair stood upright. My muscles swelled even further, tearing apart my clothes.
Li Wa immediately realized that I was no longer an easy opponent.
He quickly retreated. Flames erupted around his body as powerful battle chi surged outward.
“After entering berserk mode, you’ve truly become much stronger,” he said. “You’re finally worthy of being my opponent. Let’s end this.”
“Final Secret Technique — Dragon Cloud Tornado!”
His body spun rapidly, forming a dragon-shaped tornado of light that shot into the sky.
The principal suddenly turned to the vice principal.
“This is bad. Both Li Wa and Lei Xiang have released killing intent. Hurry—we must stop them. Persuade them first. Do not injure either of them.”
At that moment my Heavenly Berserk Mode activated completely.
A surge of crimson battle chi filled a three-meter area in front of me.
“Fight!”
The crimson energy surged forward like lightning toward Li Wa in midair.
Li Wa transformed into a dragon-shaped streak of light and rushed toward me.
At the moment our attacks were about to collide, two figures suddenly appeared between us.
Each released a strange energy—neither magic nor battle chi—and redirected our attacks into the sky.
The barrier above the arena could not withstand the tremendous power. It shattered into countless fragments of light and disappeared.
I suddenly felt all my strength leave my body.
After that, I remembered nothing.
When the light faded, Li Wa stood in the arena with a pale face, supporting himself with his sword.
The principal and vice principal stood between us.
The vice principal announced clearly,
“The match is over. Li Wa is the winner. Everyone may leave.”
He was right.
If our attacks had truly collided, the one who would have lost would certainly have been me. I had only borrowed the potential of berserk mode. Compared to Li Wa’s years of cultivation, there was still a huge gap between us.
The principal said to Li Wa,
“Li Wa, your skills have improved greatly. You truly gave it your all just now. Go back and rest.”
Li Wa smiled bitterly.
“Improved? I was nearly defeated by a first-year student. That’s embarrassing.”
The principal laughed.
“Don’t be discouraged. Someone with a physique capable of berserk transformation hasn’t appeared in hundreds of years. Even if you had lost, it wouldn’t have been shameful. Besides—you ultimately won.”
After that, I returned to my normal state and fainted.
Just before I hit the ground, the vice principal caught me.
“This child has exhausted too much energy. I’ll take him to receive treatment.”
The principal nodded.
Below the stage, Zi Xue was panicking and about to rush forward, but Zi Yan held her back.
“Don’t worry,” Zi Yan said. “My teacher is taking care of him. He’ll be fine.”
Only then did Zi Xue calm down.
……
When I woke up, I felt weak all over. My body felt soft and powerless.
As I struggled to sit up, a gentle voice spoke beside me.
“Lie down and don’t move. You need proper rest.”
When my vision cleared, I saw both the principal and vice principal sitting beside my bed.
“Thank you both for treating me,” I said.
The vice principal smiled.
“It was nothing serious. Your injuries weren’t severe—you simply exhausted too much energy. You just need rest.”
The principal asked,
“Lei Xiang, did you know before that you possessed the ability to go berserk?”
Berserk… could it be related to the Behemoth clan?
I became nervous.
“What berserk? I don’t know anything about that.”
The principal explained,
“During your battle with Li Wa, you entered berserk mode. Berserk is a special physique that suddenly unleashes a person’s hidden potential. Attack, defense, recovery, speed—everything increases dramatically.”
I shook my head.
“I’ve never heard of it before. During the fight with Li Wa, my head suddenly felt extremely hot. My whole body felt like it was boiling. After that, I remember nothing. I lost, didn’t I?”
The principal nodded.
“Although you lost, you lost with honor. I’ve never seen Li Wa pushed so hard by another student. If you can learn to control berserk mode, you will achieve great success. Berserkers are extremely rare.”
Hearing that, I finally relaxed.
So berserk transformation isn’t unique to the Behemoth clan.
I smiled.
“I hope to continue receiving guidance from you teachers.”
The principal said,
“If you transfer to the martial department, it would be better for your future development.”
Before I could reply, a familiar voice spoke from the doorway.
“No. That’s impossible.”
Teacher Zhuang Jing had arrived.
“Our Magic Warrior class finally found such a talented student. How could you just take him away?”
The principal smiled awkwardly.
“Little Zhuang, I’m thinking about his future. You saw his berserk ability yourself. If he stays in the Magic Warrior class, it might limit his development.”
Teacher Zhuang Jing walked in and sat beside me.
“Who said that? Lei Xiang also has exceptional talent in magic. I absolutely won’t agree to transferring him.”
After speaking, she suddenly realized she had spoken too bluntly to the principal.
The vice principal quickly intervened.
“Let’s stop arguing and hear what the student himself thinks. Our academy always respects the student’s choice.”
I looked at them.
Remembering the motherly warmth Teacher Zhuang Jing had shown me, the answer was obvious.
“I’ve decided to remain in my current class. I want to continue learning both martial skills and magic. Magic is something I truly enjoy.”
The principal sighed.
“Very well. If you ever need help, you may request assistance from any teacher in the academy.”
I nodded.
“Thank you, Principal.”
He stood up.
“I won’t disturb your rest any longer. Take care of your recovery. You may take a break from classes and return in April.”
After he left, Teacher Zhuang Jing suddenly hugged me and kissed my cheek.
“Thank you, Lei Xiang,” she said with tears in her eyes. “Thank you for choosing to stay.”
I awkwardly touched my cheek.
“You don’t need to thank me. You’ve treated me so well. How could I abandon that and leave?”
Suddenly I felt a sharp gaze from the doorway.
Turning my head, I saw Zi Xue standing there.
Her face was pale, her lips tightly pressed together.
She had clearly heard everything.
Tears streamed down her face.
“Zi Xue, why are you here?” I asked.
“Yes, I came,” she said bitterly. “Did I interrupt your special moment?”
Then she turned and ran.
Teacher Zhuang Jing looked confused at first, then quickly realized what had happened.
Her face flushed red.
“What are you waiting for? Lei Xiang—go after her!”
I gave a bitter smile.
“How can I chase her? I can’t even move right now. It’s just a misunderstanding. I’ll explain once I recover.”
The vice principal chuckled.
“This hospital belongs to the academy. Rest here for a few days and you’ll recover. Your performance today truly surprised us. Train well and you’ll have a bright future.”
He paused, then added with a smile,
“By the way, stopping that attack of yours required quite a bit of effort. Your battle chi shook mine so badly that it disrupted my internal energy for half a day. If my light-element healing magic had been any weaker, I might have ended up hospitalized alongside you.”
Even though I knew he was joking, hearing him praise me made me happy.
“If you hadn’t confined me for three months, I wouldn’t have achieved today’s result,” I said.
The vice principal laughed.
“Rest well. And when you recover, go find your girlfriend. Girls need a little sweet talk. Being stubborn all the time won’t solve anything.”
He turned to Teacher Zhuang Jing.
“Let’s go, Xiao Zhuang.”
Teacher Zhuang Jing said to me before leaving,
“Come see me when you return to pack your things at the academy.”
I nodded.