Chapter 16: The Blessed One’s Life is Short

The first to step onto the stage was a dark-skinned man named Wild Bear. Just like his name—wild and bearish.

His challenger was a sturdy but unremarkable man, who surprisingly held his own against Wild Bear for quite some time. But eventually, he couldn’t hold out and was defeated. Then came the next challenger.

Meanwhile, on Stage 2, a chubby guy walked up. He wasn’t tall—more like… horizontally gifted.

Still, others were raring to go, ready to test their strength.

Worth mentioning, Wild Bear had remarkable stamina and endurance. He eliminated four opponents in a row!

Watching Wild Bear defeat four in a row had Xiao Jing’s blood boiling with excitement—he nearly grabbed a carriage by the roadside and ran laps with it!

The chubby guy on Stage 2 beat two opponents but was defeated by the third, who then became the new stage-holder.

By the time Wild Bear began showing signs of exhaustion on Stage 1, Xiao Jing knew his chance had come. He told Song Yan to hold back and wait for an opportunity, then quickly stepped onto Stage 1 himself.

Right now, Xiao Jing only needed to defeat Wild Bear and then the current defender on Stage 2, Qing Ling. There were only four competitors left. That meant victory was in the bag! Excluding Song Yan and Qing Ling, only two others remained!

Xiao Jing was born in the Marquis of Zhen Nation’s household, a family of famed generals. He had trained in martial arts from a young age and had the fists to prove it!

To be honest, aside from Wild Bear, Xiao Jing didn’t think much of the other thirteen participants.

But this experience made him realize just how fun it was to be the “final player”! If it were a direct confrontation, he might not have been able to beat Wild Bear. But now that the bear had been worn down, it was a guaranteed win!

Xiao Jing stepped onto the stage and cupped his fists in greeting. “Ni Die, please give me your guidance!”

Wild Bear returned the courtesy. “Wild Bear.” After all, he’d already witnessed Xiao Jing’s fiery mouth and didn’t want to get into a war of words!

With minimal pleasantries exchanged, the two swiftly entered combat mode.

Even though Wild Bear was clearly spent, his strength remained formidable!

Xiao Jing didn’t let down his guard. Right from the start, he unleashed a barrage of flashy and savage moves:
Black Tiger Steals the Heart!
Monkey Snatches the Peach!
Crane Spreads Its Wings!
Crow Boards the Plane!
Goddess of Mercy—Sits in Meditation!

His attacks grew fiercer and fiercer! Soon, Wild Bear collapsed in defeat.

Now, only three had yet to take the stage: the tall and thin Qing Ling, the burly bearded Qi Si, and the even sneakier-than-Xiao-Jing Song Yan.

Qing Ling chose Stage 1. Qi Si went to Stage 2. Everyone’s attention was focused on those two stages. No one seemed to remember—there was still Stage 3!

Song Yan scratched his head and casually stepped onto Stage 3, only for an awkward scene to unfold: everyone was occupied with Stages 1 and 2, and no one challenged him!

The ultimate sneak not only coasted into the finals but might as well have been divinely chosen for the win! Can you believe this?!

Xiao Jing: “Ref! Someone’s cheating! He didn’t even fight and still won!” he cried out, then caught sight of Song Yan standing there stunned. He silently screamed in his heart, “This is totally rigged!”

Jealousy aside, Xiao Jing only needed to defeat the lanky Qing Ling to win this round!

“Ni Die!”
“Wang Jian!” they introduced themselves simply and began.

Uncertain of his opponent’s capabilities, Xiao Jing chose a cautious approach—defense first, attack later. Wang Jian also probed with a few trial moves before shifting into a more analytical stance, trying to spot weaknesses for a swift takedown.

As they fought, both observed the other, calculating the most effective way to bring their opponent down.

Wang Jian’s hands suddenly formed claws, slashing toward Xiao Jing’s throat! Xiao Jing twisted his body, throwing a punch at Wang Jian’s chest. The latter reacted fast, flipping away—but Xiao Jing hadn’t expected to land the hit. He had been testing Wang Jian’s evasive habits, waiting for that split-second opening!

Xiao Jing dove to the side in a roll and kicked Wang Jian hard in the back!

Wang Jian dodged quickly and took a defensive stance.

“Interesting!” Wang Jian smirked.

This time, Xiao Jing launched the first real offensive—his right fist shot out like a blur, while his left hand sneakily aimed low!

“Uh, aren’t you ashamed, doing that as a girl?” the system gasped in shock.

“I’m a man right now!” Xiao Jing retorted.

Seeing the sinister claw approaching, Wang Jian quickly flipped to avoid it. What kind of shameless move was that?! If he hadn’t dodged in time, he’d have lost both pride and—well, you get the idea.

Realizing his opponent’s underhanded tactics, Wang Jian attacked! He sprinted in with a spinning kick aimed at Xiao Jing’s head!

Xiao Jing didn’t dodge. He tilted his head slightly, caught Wang Jian’s leg with both hands. His shoulder went numb from the impact, but he gritted his teeth and slammed Wang Jian face-first into the ground!

He didn’t let go. Locking the leg in place, he pressed it against Wang Jian’s neck. There was even a loud crack! He’d dislocated a joint purely by force! Then, he trapped Wang Jian’s right hand with his own and drove his knee into Wang Jian’s left arm, completely immobilizing him!

Shamed and furious, Wang Jian could only admit defeat: “I lost…”

Meanwhile, over on Stage 2, the match was also drawing to a close. Bearded Qi Si had fought his round fiercely.

The examiner recorded everyone’s performance, deeply impressed by Wild Bear’s endurance, as well as the victories of Xiao Jing, Qi Si, and… Song Yan.

The tournament wasn’t just about brute strength. The final phase—stage defense—revealed who had brains and who just knew how to brawl.

Sure, it might not be entirely fair, but it was all part of the unspoken rules.

That said, Wild Bear, Xiao Jing, and Qi Si were understandable. But Song Yan? What the heck?! The guy hadn’t even fought—just floated his way to victory! That level of luck was unreal!

But then again, when he sleepwalked and fought Xiao Jing to a draw, maybe the guy did have some skill after all?

Xiao Jing walked over to Song Yan and patted him on the shoulder, saying earnestly, “Bro, eat whatever you want, and I swear I’ll never scold or kick you again! Treasure every moment of your life, okay?”

Song Yan blinked in confusion. “Did I get diagnosed with something terminal? Why do you sound like I’m about to die?”

Xiao Jing turned dramatically. “Because you’re a blessed one! And blessed ones usually… don’t live long.” Then he walked off, taking his legend with him.

Song Yan was baffled. I just accidentally won a match. Why do I feel like I’m about to die? But then again… maybe it made sense. After all, listening to Ni Die had gotten him here!

If Xiao Jing knew what Song Yan was thinking, he’d probably be laughing his head off!

After the tournament ended, royal guards respectfully escorted the four victors to the palace to meet the king of Liang.

“Rumor has it that the new Emperor of Liang, Xiao Zheng, is the most handsome man in the human realm!” the system whispered excitedly.

“Wait a sec! Xiao Zheng?! In the original plot, he was a deranged stalker fan of Lin Wenyu! He loved her to the point of obsession. Even after she married Mu Yichen, he wouldn’t let go and waged war against Ji Kingdom, plunging both nations into misery and bloodshed!”

“Yup, classic yandere. Good luck dealing with him!”

“He may be obsessed, but at least he’s loyal. And let’s be honest—he’s handsome! Shame he’s got an extreme possessive streak. He tried to drag Lin Wenyu back to Liang by force. When war broke out, Lin Wenyu killed herself between the armies to stop the bloodshed. Her noble sacrifice let her ascend to the heavens! But even that didn’t wake Xiao Zheng up. He was hellbent on killing Mu Yichen. After Lin Wenyu’s death, Mu Yichen gave up on the war. But Xiao Zheng still pushed forward! The people were suffering, and Xiao Zheng lost their support. His own ministers turned on him. In the end, he was betrayed and killed by a weakling brother who seized the throne. Pitiful! For a woman, he lost the people, lost the court, and ended up alone and betrayed!”

“Yup. A simp to the very end.”

“Then I guess today, I’ll get to meet this legendary simp myself!”