Chapter 18 The Battle for the Championship

On the arena, Li Lu and the Ant Clan’s Havercheng had already exchanged blows.

Li Lu's towering figure seemed to teleport in front of Havercheng. His massive palm, as large as Havercheng’s entire body, slammed down as if swatting a mosquito, crushing Havercheng onto the arena floor!

*Boom!!!*

The impact of that palm sent tremors through the entire arena, clearly felt by hundreds of millions of spectators.

"Such power," Xu Jingming mused, his eyes fixed on Havercheng’s body beneath the furry hand.

"Was he flattened into paste?" countless viewers nervously watched.

Li Lu's expression changed slightly as he lifted his hand, bringing down the other palm.

*Boom! Boom! Boom!*

Both palms relentlessly pounded down, intent on crushing Havercheng to death.

Havercheng remained prone on the arena floor, not dodging, but instead slowly pushing himself up with both hands. The process was gradual, allowing Li Lu to strike him hundreds of times.

"Is that all the strength you have?" Havercheng chuckled softly, not a scratch on him despite the beating. "Is that supposed to tickle?"

"The Ant Clan's body is indeed resilient," Li Lu said, slowly spreading out both palms, a terrifying aura brewing.

Havercheng sensed a looming threat and instantly retreated thousands of meters, maintaining a safe distance as he solemnly regarded Li Lu.

"Ant Clan, since your body is so tough, try this saber technique," Li Lu said calmly, taking a step forward, his figure blurring. Havercheng immediately dodged, but Li Lu's superior speed allowed him to close in, a flash of light slicing across Havercheng's body, sending a chunk of armored flesh flying and purple blood splattering.

"Using palms as sabers?" Havercheng frowned slightly, ignoring the wound on his abdomen.

"Die," Li Lu said expressionlessly, continuing his assault, each palm-saber cutting into Havercheng's body, trying to kill him completely.

But Havercheng's body was rapidly healing. The numerous saber wounds on his chest healed completely in the blink of an eye. The large chunk of flesh initially sliced off grew back completely in just a second.

"Hmm?" Li Lu's face changed. "His recovery rate is this fast?"

Although powerful experts in this world had high regenerative abilities, having nearly one-twentieth of one's flesh sliced off and completely regrowing it in a second was still shocking to Li Lu.

Xu Jingming was also astonished. "The Ant Clan's Havercheng's recovery rate is dozens of times faster than mine!"

The larger the body, the slower the recovery.

Even at level 70, a dragon over a hundred meters long would take several days to regrow its tail.

A human might regrow a severed arm in a minute or two.

An ant would regrow a severed leg in seconds.

"Li Lu of the Xiao Clan, do you have any new tricks?" Havercheng asked, observing his opponent, confirming the power of his palm-sabers, then changing his strategy, using his thick chest and back to withstand the attacks. Even if wounded, he healed in the blink of an eye.

Li Lu continued his assault in silence.

Using his palms as sabers was his forte. But Havercheng's body was too tough, his recovery rate too fast.

"If you have no new tricks, then you've lost," Havercheng grinned, actively welcoming the attacks, enduring the palm-sabers with his body while launching attacks of his own.

His small hands were like incredibly sharp knives, drawing bloody gashes across Li Lu's body.

"A powerful expert's body can be a weapon, but the Ant Clan's body is practically a divine weapon," Xu Jingming observed clearly. The Ant Clan's fingertips could draw blood with a mere touch.

Li Lu was forced to defend, half his mind focused on defense, the other half searching for a way to win.

The two engaged in a frenzied battle.

But it was clear that even when Havercheng sustained wounds, they healed in the blink of an eye.

Li Lu's wounds healed much more slowly. In close combat, Li Lu even had one eye gouged out.

It took a minute or so for his eye to heal.

That was enough time for the Ant Clan to gain the upper hand. Havercheng took the opportunity to blind the other eye as well.

After six minutes of relentless fighting, with a small hole blasted in his head, Li Lu finally shouted the words, "I concede."

The match was finally over.

The arena was silent for a moment, followed by a burst of cheers.

Many ultra-small races, like the Ant and Bee Clans, jumped and cheered enthusiastically in the stands.

"Champion!"

"Havercheng, champion!"

These ultra-small spectators were incredibly excited. They vaguely saw the Ant Clan's hope for winning the championship. Since the start of the 'Ten Thousand Races Arena,' this was the first time the Ant Clan had reached the main event, and now they even had a chance at the championship. How could they not be excited?

"Lost," Li Lu muttered after conceding, his spirits dampened. "Losing this match, my chances of winning this tournament are almost gone."

Based on past experience, the champion was usually the one who remained undefeated.

The Ant Clan's Havercheng, however, grew more confident. "As I expected, when our strengths are similar, the Ant Clan will win in a head-on fight."

In the contestant's box.

Xu Jingming watched Li Lu leave the arena. "Li Lu's eyes are both blind, and he was fighting by sensing, with a hole blasted in his skull. If I fought him, could I win?"

He wasn't sure!

In the contestant's box, the Demon Dragon descendant, Lie Yun, and the Grey Elf Clan's Fu Jie also wore solemn expressions. "His body is indestructible, his recovery is incredibly fast, and his sharp claws are terrifying. How can we win against him?"

The Ant Clan had black exoskeletal armor on the back of their hands, and their fingertips were sharp spikes—simply natural weapons.

…

Time passed, second by second.

Every match in the final round-robin was intense. Xu Jingming, the Ant Clan's Havercheng, the Xiao Clan's Li Lu, the Demon Dragon descendant Lie Yun, and the Grey Elf Clan's Fu Jie did not hold back, striving for victory in every match.

"The Ant Clan's Havercheng." Xu Jingming paid the most attention to the Ant Clan's Havercheng's battles.

In the fourth match of the round-robin, the Ant Clan's Havercheng fought the Grey Elf Clan's Fu Jie.

Havercheng won this match easily.

Fu Jie was somewhat lacking in offense and couldn't even leave a scratch on Havercheng. The match held no suspense. Havercheng easily secured victory.

In the seventh match of the round-robin, the Ant Clan's Havercheng fought the Demon Dragon descendant 'Lie Yun.'

The Demon Dragon descendant Lie Yun had just defeated Li Lu in the previous match! This showed Lie Yun's strength. He was over five meters tall, had the greatest strength and speed in the round-robin, and his fighting style was extremely fierce.

But…

His fierceness met a wall in Havercheng! Lie Yun's ferocious attacks only lightly wounded Havercheng.

In the end, Havercheng shattered the Demon Dragon descendant Lie Yun's chest with his fist, piercing his heart and forcing Lie Yun to concede.

"The seventh match of the final round-robin has ended, with the Ant Clan's Havercheng emerging victorious," the tournament host, Pan Qiu, announced excitedly. "As of now, the Ant Clan's Havercheng has fought three battles and won all three!"

"Human Jingming has also fought two battles and won both."

"Demon Dragon descendant Lie Yun has fought three battles, winning one and losing two."

"Xiao Clan's Li Lu has fought three battles, winning one and losing two."

"Grey Elf Clan's Fu Jie has also fought three battles and lost all three."

The tournament host, Pan Qiu, announced loudly, "In this tournament, Lie Yun, Li Lu, and Fu Jie have no hope of winning first place! They cannot catch up to the Ant Clan's Havercheng in terms of victories."

"Therefore, the eighth match will also be the final match of this tournament, with Human Jingming facing off against the Ant Clan's Havercheng!"

"Whoever wins will directly claim the championship of this tournament."

The tournament host, Pan Qiu's voice, broadcasted throughout the myriad races' world.

…

In the world of the myriad races, the Human and Ant Clan spectators were in a frenzy.

Countless ants went wild, hugging each other, bumping heads, jumping and excitedly looking at their Ant Clan's greatest expert—Havercheng.

The Humans' joy was no less than that of the Ants.

"Sir Jingming is vying for the championship."

"In the final round-robin, Sir Jingming has won two matches. Once he defeats the Ant Clan, he will directly win the championship of this tournament."

"Our Human race is actually vying for the championship of the Ten Thousand Races Arena?"

The spectators from the Seven Human Empires couldn't believe what they were seeing. It felt like an unrealistic dream!

"We would have been satisfied just reaching the main arena, but Sir Jingming has reached the end as a Human martial artist. As long as he wins one more match… Sir Jingming will be the best of the myriad races!"

"Unbelievable, truly unbelievable."

Countless human spectators were excited and passionate, watching the livestream, both nervous and expectant, waiting for the final match to begin.

…

"Sir Jingming has finally reached the end." In the stands, Yu Yangwei, Ying, and the chubby Feng Ke had mixed feelings. They themselves had no hope, but they were finally seeing their friend reach the end.

"Seize this opportunity; winning will allow you to leave."

"Jingming, we have no hope, you must seize this opportunity," Yu Yangwei and the others thought.

At that moment, millions of spectating high-dimensional lifeforms had mixed feelings, a mixture of envy and jealousy.

After all, one of Xu Jingming and Havercheng would definitely leave, while most of the high-dimensional lifeforms had lost all hope.

…

The tournament host, Pan Qiu, also paid attention to the condition of the two contestants. After confirming that the Ant Clan's Havercheng had fully recovered, he said excitedly, "Next up is the final match of this tournament! Please, the two contestants, enter the arena!"

Countless spectators cheered.

Amidst the expectations of countless lives in the world of the myriad races, two figures appeared in the arena.

Xu Jingming and Havercheng faced each other from afar.

"Only one battle remains before leaving. I must win this battle," the Ant Clan's Havercheng muttered silently.

Xu Jingming observed his opponent. "I must seize this opportunity. When the next tournament begins, the ultra-small races' advantages will be even greater. The longer I delay, the greater the variables! This tournament is when I have the greatest hope!"

Their eyes met, and their mental wills clashed, each sensing the other's unwavering determination.