The coach of the Donglü City team, Huang Yulong, could no longer suppress his anger. Amidst the rising tide of scolding, he stormed onto the stage and, with his hair bristling with rage, declared, "You injured someone in an exhibition match. Do you have any manners, you punk?"
"Manners? Is there a rule saying you can't knock someone down in an exhibition match? I say, Coach Huang, if you have this much free time to lecture me, you should go check his injuries. He's the golden boy of Donglü City. If he can't get up, the subsequent matches will be—"
Hearing this, Huang Yulong's anger intensified. He thought, *Don't you even look at whose territory this is? You're spouting nonsense and you've injured my most promising disciple. I'm furious.* He immediately leaped up, looking as if he was about to clash with Xiao Chong.
The situation became chaotic. Just then, another person leaped from below the stage, blocking Xiao Chong, and shouted, "Coach Huang, what is this? Do you have the nerve to fight with the younger generation?"
"Good, Chu Tianxiong. Behind this cunning scheme, I suspect your master has lent quite a bit of support. Fine, I won't bicker with this junior. Instead, I'll learn your advanced techniques!"
Chu Tianxiong took a step forward, his cold eyes meeting Huang Yulong's. He paid no mind to the anger of Huang Yulong or the entire audience. The two respected chief referees, unable to watch any longer, were about to step forward to mediate. Unexpectedly, Shen Lannin leaped onto the stage first.
"Gentlemen, today is a youth Taekwondo competition, not a battle between ninth-dan black belts. Coach Chu, I am also from Donglü City, and I have long admired your esteemed reputation. Coach Huang's methods, I, this humble student, have also gained insight into today. Now, with tens of thousands of spectators and major broadcast stations watching, do you two really intend to steal the spotlight and make a fool of yourselves?"
Shen Lannin's meaning was clear. Although she strongly disapproved of Huang Yulong's actions, there were only unwritten rules for exhibition matches. Therefore, even if someone was injured, it was still Huang Yulong's 'proper instruction.'
"Fine. Today, I'll give Shen Coach face. However, Huang Yulong, this matter is far from over!"
"Hmph, I'll be waiting."
Under Shen Lannin's mediation, the two men, each with their disciples, departed. The chaotic scene finally resumed its competition progress after more than ten minutes of rectification.
After this incident, the audience's mood had clearly changed. After all, the Donglü City team had lost its strongest player, making it incredibly difficult to enter the top four.
Shen Lannin returned to the Aixi City area with a displeased expression. Her disciples wanted to speak, but they were still stunned by Xiao Chong's earlier kick.
That kick, in their eyes, had surpassed the strongest skills a third-dan black belt could unleash. Moreover, the most crucial point was that he had completely broken through the opponent's defense with a series of extremely dominant consecutive attacks. This combination of skills could be said to have reached an unimaginable level.
"Listen, next up is you, Peng Lin. Don't be reckless, but don't be afraid of causing trouble either. I've got your back, so go all out."
Hearing Shen Lannin's words, Peng Lin's spirits lifted. "Coach, with your words, what do I have to fear? However, if I'm lucky enough to win, you have to promise me one thing."
"What is it?"
Peng Lin's face instantly turned red. "I, I want a hug from the coach!"
"You rascal, it's a deal. Go!"
At this moment, the host Yue Ran also spoke again after the brief commotion: "Alright, ladies and gentlemen, next up is the second match of the day. One side is Aixi City, represented by the 'heavenly pride' Shen Lannin. The other side is Yufang City, whose strength is considered the strongest. It is rumored that the two coaches are old rivals, so this match will surely be more exciting than the last. Please welcome Peng Lin from Aixi City and Pang Qiang from Yufang City to the stage!"
"Kid, we had a conflict with Leng Ziyu just now. I assume she won't hold back. You must be careful. Remember, no matter what, protect yourself and don't get injured, understand?"
Shen Lannin's eyes seemed to speak, making Peng Lin's heart flutter. Thinking of that hug, his mind seemed to drift among the clouds. The surrounding cheers and applause were not as inspiring as the beautiful thoughts.
"Kid, it's up to you."
Ren Yuanhao also patted his shoulder. After Peng Lin stepped onto the stage, his gaze shifted to Xiao Chong.
This young man gave off an extremely strange feeling. If a suitable word could be found to describe him, it would be copy!
That's right, Ren Yuanhao believed that this young man named Xiao Chong was very likely also an esper, and his esper ability was possibly quite powerful, much like the copy ninja in Naruto, Kakashi. At this moment, he only hoped his judgment was wrong. If he truly possessed such an ability, at the very least, in combat sports, it would be an extremely powerful, even monstrous, capability.
Xiao Chong also seemed to sense a sharp gaze constantly watching him. As soon as he turned his head, Ren Yuanhao retracted his gaze first.
—Damn it, espers really do generate a special frequency. If I had stared at him for a few more seconds, I probably—
A chill ran down his spine. He thought that he must be cautious with every step he took from now on. Xiao Chong was probably being eyed by Leng Ziyu's man. And that 'copy' ability was indeed very enticing. Perhaps after this Southeast District competition ended, Leng Ziyu's man would take action!
If such a violent individual obtained the 'copy' ability, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Ren Yuanhao was lost in thought for a long time. If Shen Lannin's exclamation hadn't pulled him out of his complex thoughts, he might still have been trapped in his own imagination.
It turned out that the first round had already passed its halfway point. As far as he could see, Peng Lin was being pushed back by a torrent of leg techniques. However, Pang Qiang, despite being able to score by attacking the head, deliberately didn't go for points. Instead, he continuously bombarded Peng Lin's forearms and elbow joints with consecutive kicks, clearly intending to cripple him.
"I didn't expect Pang Qiang to be a black belt as well. I must say, although Leng Ziyu's mouth is rather vicious, the disciples she trains are quite impressive." Shen Lannin's brow had hardly unfurrowed since Peng Lin stepped onto the stage.
"Sister Lannin, even as an outsider, I can see that Pang Qiang's ultimate goal isn't to win!" Yang Lingxue said with a pout.
"That's right, this is clearly an attempt to disable the opponent. What kind of Taekwondo is this?" Ye Lan's eyebrows were tightly furrowed. Ever since she took that peculiar pill, these martial arts moves were stored in her mind like pre-programmed code. She had a feeling that in a critical moment, she could easily perform some moves from memory.