Chapter 110 - Accepting the Challenge

Shao Xuan stood on stage, exuding a calm that seemed in stark contrast to the recruits’ tumultuous excitement, confusion, and disbelief.

In truth, the platoon leader of the Gold Erasers had already received Han Qingyu’s answer yesterday while walking to the auditorium for the recruit briefing assembly.

Han Qingyu would be staying at Regiment 425.

Shao Xuan had asked for his reasoning, and Han Qingyu said it was because he had friends there that he couldn’t bear to leave behind.

If Shao Xuan were being honest, he didn’t really buy it. A possibility had crossed his mind, but he quickly dismissed it as unlikely. The boy didn’t seem particularly ambitious.

At that moment, chaos broke out in front of the command platform.

A person suddenly stepped up onto the edge of the platform and shouted toward the formation, “Are you really prepared to keep putting up with this? Are you so scared of fighting me that you’re even willing to give up on the Gold Erasers?”

It was Bai Ji, the White Erasers’ genius recruit.

This was perhaps his last chance to taunt Han Qingyu. Although everyone felt that he was going a bit too far, they also couldn’t understand why Han Qingyu kept avoiding the fight.

Bai Ji had been provoking him for two days already, yet Han Qingyu never rose to the bait even once.

Is it because he knows he can’t win? the other recruits wondered. Isn’t he supposed to be the strongest Eraser in a decade?

Bai Ji’s appearance and words had the crowd falling silent. Everyone—including the recruits, the Ninth Army leadership on the platform, the personnel from each platoon, and all the surrounding staff—stared at Han Qingyu with curiosity and anticipation, waiting for his reaction.

“What luck you have,” Han Qingyu said to He Tangtang. Despite not turning his head to face the crowd, they could still hear the distinct smile in his voice. “I’ll go beat him up ten times over for you.”

Then, without so much as a sideways glance at the crowd’s reaction, he strode forward.

“He’s coming over.”

“Mn.”

After avoiding the situation for two days, Han Qingyu finally walked up to the command platform with his maneuvering device strapped to his back and gazed calmly at Bai Ji.

“If I remember correctly, the prize for winning is two source energy cores, right?” Han Qingyu asked seriously.

Bai Ji stared blankly at him for a moment, then broke into a cheerful grin. “That’s right.”

“Do you have them on you?”

“Yeah, because I won in the end... but if you want to give it a try, I can include you.”

“Okay.”

Bai Ji gestured toward the source energy cores on his person and asked, “Do you want me to take them out first?”

“No need. I can just get them off your body myself in a moment.”

The surrounding atmosphere instantly heated up. Han Qingyu, the strongest recruit in a decade, had silently endured the provocations for so long. The moment he responded, however, he did it boldly.

This audacious retort left Bai Ji flustered and at a momentary loss for words. After a moment’s thought, though, he smiled confidently. “Alright, let’s head to the combat arena then.”

“The combat arena? That’s a bit far.” Han Qingyu looked around. “Why don’t we do it right here? It’s a busy day as is. Running back and forth would just be a hassle. What about our blades, though?”

“No need to switch,” Bai Ji eagerly replied. A dead iron straight blade could directly conduct source energy, giving him the advantage in overwhelming Han Qingyu with the sheer depth and intensity of his source energy surges.

Han Qingyu nodded. “That works. Given our skills, we should be able to control it so it won’t be fatal.”

The keyword here was fatal. As for non-fatal injuries, well, those could be overlooked.

Some of the sharper members of the audience noted Han Qingyu’s word choice.

Bai Ji agreed, “Exactly. I’ve always said that injuries are just a part of growth.”

An officer immediately sought the opinion of Acting Army Commander Lu Wuzheng.

Has Han Qingyu decided to accept Bai Ji’s challenge? Lu Wuzheng wondered, mulling it over before finally giving his approval.

The Coalition had always encouraged competition and sparring. This was the last day for this batch of recruits. It wasn’t a bad idea to send them off with a showdown between the strongest of this year’s and last year’s recruits.

Army Commander Lu then dispatched skilled fighters onto the scene to intervene if necessary, wary that the two young men would get carried away and end up needlessly risking their lives.

“The army commander has given his approval.”

With the order relayed, the pair prepared for their fight.

“This bit of running track will do,” Bai Ji said, glancing at the field before meeting Han Qingyu’s eyes. “Remember, you chose this yourself.”

With that, Bai Ji walked toward the opposite end of their self-designated arena.

Han Qingyu didn’t bother replying to his words. He simply stopped and stood firm.

Order abruptly took over the training ground. People found their places on the command platform, as well as on the inner and outer fields that surrounded the running track, clearing the sandy bit of straight in front of the command platform for the fight.

On the left stood Han Qingyu.

On the right, Bai Ji.

About 150 meters separated them. While this appeared quite far, with the maneuvering devices, it was actually extremely close quarters.

Members of Regiment 425 arrived late because of their regiment commander’s earlier argument, but managed to squeeze to the front with great difficulty.

“What’s this kid up to now?” Regiment Commander Li asked nervously.

His old rival, Yang Wudong, followed after him, continuing his heckling, “It’s a showdown between the strongest newcomers of the Gold and White Erasers. What’re you so nervous for? This has nothing to do with you anyway.”

Meanwhile, the two fighters activated their maneuvering devices and drew their blades with resonant clangs.

Han Qingyu wielded a blade in each hand.

Bai Ji wielded only one—though from appearances alone, it was likely a custom broadsword from a veteran White Eraser. The blade in his hand appeared much longer, wider, and thicker than a standard dead iron straight blade. It also seemed quite heavy and better suited to unleashing the full power of the source energy surges.

From the beginning, Bai Ji had planned to use the overwhelming depth and intensity of his source energy surges to prevent Han Qingyu from outmaneuvering him.

After briefly considering his next course of action, Han Qingyu asked, “Did you intentionally injure He Tangtang?”

“Accidents are bound to happen while sparring,” Bai Ji said with a smile. “We’re all men here. Don’t be so petty, acting like a crybaby.”

“You call that an accident?!” a recruit immediately protested, having witnessed the incident firsthand.

That match had left a degree of righteous indignation festering in many of their hearts. Besides, they had a much deeper bond with He Tangtang and the others than Bai Ji.

These recruits didn’t hesitate to fill in those around them on the details of that match.

Everyone in the crowd was a soldier. Naturally, they grasped the implications of putting away one’s blade and resorting to punching and kicking in the combat arena. That was not to mention Bai Ji’s despicable act of deliberately bracing He Tangtang to prevent him from falling and ending the match.

The recruits finally understood why Han Qingyu decided to face Bai Ji after two days of avoidance—his brother’s injuries couldn’t go unavenged.

But will this really be okay? Bai Ji is really strong!

Bai Ji paid no mind to the whispers and stares from the crowd. He was aware that he’d gone too far in that fight against He Tangtang, but he’d only done it to force Han Qingyu’s hand.

Evidently, it had worked. Han Qingyu had accepted his challenge. Nothing else mattered. As long as he won, everything else could be worked out.

Fixing his attention solely on Han Qingyu, Bai Ji said, “Either way, at least you finally agreed to fight me. I thought—”

“We can talk after the fight,” Han Qingyu interrupted coldly.

Bai Ji laughed in bitter anger at being spurned once again. “Fine! I want to see just how terrifying this so-called ‘strongest Eraser recruit in a decade’ really is!”

With that, Bai Ji lowered his shoulders and braced himself.

A White Eraser veteran had once analyzed Han Qingyu’s abilities. As long as Bai Ji could draw Han Qingyu into a head-on clash and overwhelm him with source energy, victory would be assured.

His only concern was that Han Qingyu would avoid a direct confrontation and resort to guerrilla tactics or cheap tricks to win.

“You’re not going to throw your blade, are you?” Bai Ji goaded from a distance.

Surprisingly, Han Qingyu rose to that bait. “I can do that too.”

With that, he charged forward, hurling the blade from his left hand before even making it five steps, all while continuing to rush forward at full speed.

It was a straight line.

Both Han Qingyu and his blade traveled in a straight line.

Many audience members let out an involuntary sigh at this careless throw. In their eyes, this move had been Han Qingyu’s key to victory, yet he had used it so thoughtlessly.

The dead iron straight blade spun rapidly forward along a straight path like an upright gear. Though its momentum was extremely fast and powerful, it had lost its element of surprise, which would likely leave it ineffective.

Bai Ji smiled to himself. This guy’s so easily provoked.

As he thought this, he charged forward as well. The spinning blade was right in front of him.

Bai Ji gripped his broadsword with both hands and made a horizontal swing.

Han Qingyu’s thrown blade went flying.

While the impact was rather heavy, it wasn’t bad by any means.

Glancing back, Bai Ji noticed that Han Qingyu had closed the distance to within twenty meters of him.

Relief washed over Bai Ji. It seemed this would be a head-on fight after all. This brat had taken the bait. Han Qingyu’s defeat was inevitable.

At that moment, gasps of surprise and utter bewilderment rippled through the crowd.

Han Qingyu had actually... leaped into the air.

It wasn’t very high, but still, wasn’t he just putting himself at a disadvantage?

Han Qingyu had charged forward at full speed, leaped into the air, and then brandished his remaining blade with two hands as he swung at Bai Ji.

“Bring it on!” Bai Ji shouted triumphantly. Everything was going exactly as he had planned.

Then, taking a running start as well, he likewise leaped forward and swung his blade to meet Han Qingyu’s attack.

His heavy broadsword cut through the air with a thunderous crack. With a surge of source energy, Bai Ji brought it down on Han Qingyu in a powerful strike.

These two exemplary recruits were setting a spectacular example of exactly what not to do in a fight.

They leaped into the air and clashed head-on.

The broadsword and the standard-issue straight blade finally met in midair.

A sharp clang rang out as the two genius recruits collided.

Some in the crowd widened their eyes in shock. Others narrowed theirs in scrutiny.