Chapter 654: What Are We Fighting For

Chapter 654: For What Do We Fight

As the final battle commenced, whether it was the Top Ten Universities, the Thirty-Six Upper Academies, the Seventy-Two Lower Academies, or the countless vocational colleges and high schools... everyone was now either watching the live broadcast, awaiting the news, or checking for updates, employing every means possible to follow the dawn of this clash.

Meanwhile, on the Floating Continent, sky-obscuring advertisements had filled every inch of space.

From the vast expanse of the blue sky down to every blade of grass, every tree, every bamboo stalk, and every stone on the battlefield, all were plastered with a dense tapestry of advertisements.

And when Zhang Yu and Kuang Tianqing arrived at the battlefield, the fervor of the live broadcast reached an absolute boiling point. Countless streams of spiritual realm information converged above the battlefield, actually forming visible ripples of divine power that swept across the arena time and again.

Kuang Tianqing: "Zhang Yu, let us fight. This world has waited too long for this battle."

Zhang Yu: "It has been too long, then let us end it quickly."

The gazes of Zhang Yu and Kuang Tianqing brushed against each other, and in the next instant... there was no further preamble, no superfluous dialogue, and certainly no probing strikes.

At the very first moment of engagement, both sides unleashed their full might, seeking only to use the fastest speed and the most overwhelming power to utterly obliterate the opponent before them.

Simply because they shared the same unshakable confidence, each believing himself to be stronger than the other.

As Zhang Yu wielded the spiraling longsword forged from Bai Zhenzhen's corpse, he felt as though he and the blade had merged into a single entity.

The Feather Spirit Root within the hilt resonated across the distance with the True Spirit Root inside Zhang Yu's body. With every pulse, they interconnected their spiritual energy and mana, continuously stimulating, adapting to, and... enhancing each other!!

At the same time, the phantom of Bai Zhenzhen seemed to materialize behind him, gently embracing him as she spoke, "Yuzi, let us defeat him together."

Pure white sword qi of Absolute Emotion surged forth, spreading from the blade into Zhang Yu's body, bringing with it waves of soul-stirring pressure.

Yet, relying on the dual spirit roots within, his own thousand-times-tempered flesh, and the blessing of the Earth and Wood Holy Body... Zhang Yu stubbornly withstood the backlash of the Absolute Emotion sword qi, maintaining his body's self-healing and self-destruction in a delicate state of equilibrium.

This meant that Zhang Yu, wielding the sword, could channel the power of the Absolute Emotion Sword Dao for far longer than Bai Zhenzhen, driving this destructive force with even greater madness in battle.

"Kuang! Tian! Qing!"

Amidst a thunderous roar, a radiant glow of a shattering Golden Core erupted from within Zhang Yu. His entire being whipped up an earth-shattering wave of sword qi as he fiercely charged toward Kuang Tianqing.

A shrill cry!

Accompanied by the radiance of the shattered Golden Core and a piercing wail, a mass of pulsating flesh and blood was spat from Kuang Tianqing's mouth.

Simultaneously, the various artifact spirits within Kuang Tianqing's body operated autonomously, pushing his entire Dharma Remains to one hundred and twenty percent capacity, turning his whole being into a blur of phantoms as if he had detached himself from this very world.

"Elites of the Four Academies, come forth for me!"

The power of the top scholars from the Four Heavenly Demon Academies surged from within Kuang Tianqing, propelled by the force of the shattered core, and was collectively channeled into the Demon Fetus.

The Demon Fetus was seen continuously dissolving and regenerating, the forces of life and death intertwining in an endless cycle of birth and demise, which, after nine consecutive cycles and nine successive explosions, slammed toward Zhang Yu.

"Zhang! Yu! You shall fall to me!"

From the very onset of the battle, both sides unleashed their ultimate techniques.

Speed that looked down upon all in the same realm, power that dwarfed all peers.

Equally earth-shattering moves were displayed, equally mountain-cleaving destructive force was unleashed, yet neither could obliterate the other.

For at this very moment, their opponents were equally strong, equally terrifying, equally flawless, and equally invincible at the Foundation Establishment stage.

Thus, both could only continue to push their power, squeeze their bodies, and force out every last drop of their potential.

Core Shattering Art activated! Heavenly Demon Phantom! Heavenly Demon Void! Netherworld Dissolution! Xuanming Return to Ruins Art! Myriad Bones Withered Marrow Curse! Great Ode of Heaven and Earth Yin and Yang! Cursing Heaven Myriad Demon Throne! Eight Gods Ultimate Arts! Four Academy Scholars!

Feather and True Dual Spirit Roots! Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Divine Power! Heaven and Earth Calamity Formless Mind Weapon! Heavenly Sun Radiant God! Taihao Holy Law Sword Formation! Azure Water Golden Crystal Armor! Demon Sage Myriad Changes Divine Scripture! Seven Extremes Dharma Remains! Heavenly Meteor Core Shattering Scripture! Immortal Dao Sun! Absolute Emotion Sword Dao!

In the blink of an eye, a hundred exchanges of fierce combat had passed. The entire battlefield was rent by collapsing mountains and splitting earth; the land for dozens of miles around was ravaged as if by unending natural disasters, leaving behind nothing but scorched earth—and this was merely the effect of the shockwaves from their clash.

And what of Zhang Yu and Kuang Tianqing, the primary targets of these attacks?

Still undefeated!

Still invincible!

Even as ultimate moves were unleashed in rapid succession, even as high-temperature heat waves that incinerated all things pierced their bodies, even as heaven-destroying sword qi tore at their flesh... it was still not enough.

Both standing at the absolute pinnacle of their realm, both having eradicated every single weakness, they simply could not defeat their opponent, could not utterly suppress the one who stood before them, blocking their ambitions and their path to immortality.

Watching this scene, Wen Wuya was plunged into sheer shock: "Strength, speed, defense, destruction, constitution, techniques, potential... every single aspect is unprecedented, every single one pushed to the utmost limit of extravagance. Is this truly a level attainable at Foundation Establishment?"

Lines of data continuously flickered in Jiu Tianliu's eyes: "Just how many spirit coins would it cost to reach their level at the Foundation Establishment realm?"

The answer was incalculable, simply because both harbored mysteries within them that Jiu Tianliu could not fathom. This represented an absolute information gap between them and him, an insurmountable barrier even for the top finance student of the Ten Academies.

Ye Xingli no longer had the mind to read the scrolling comments or check her fans' reactions; at this moment, her eyes were locked onto the broadcast, her mind churning like a tempestuous sea: "Throughout history, it would be hard to find university students this monstrously powerful."

Faced with an opponent who was just as invincible, just as unconquerable as oneself, how could one possibly win?

"Zhang Yu..."

Kuang Tianqing let out a long laugh, her body turning into a phantom that passed right through Zhang Yu as she shouted, "You truly surprise me."

"Who would have thought that a minor character, once only fit to be repeatedly humiliated by me in public without the power to resist, could now stand before me and fight me to a standstill!"

Bai Zhenzhen whispered, "It is a psychological attack. Be careful, Yuzi. She wants to disrupt your mental state and lower your performance."

Bai Zhenzhen understood all too clearly that any shift in mental state, any fluctuation in fighting spirit or resolve, would bring about subtle changes in the exertion of power.

And when combat power reached the level of Zhang Yu and Kuang Tianqing, even the slightest subtle change would manifest as a massive disparity in the material world, affecting the battle and deciding the outcome.

"I understand, but we are not afraid of her psychological attacks."

The spiraling sword in Zhang Yu's hand slashed out once more, its pure white sword qi tearing through heaven and earth, directly cleaving Kuang Tianqing's figure in two, only to watch her silhouette merge back into one.

"Kuang Tianqing," Zhang Yu sneered. "Have you forgotten? It was you who ran when facing me, you who fled twice in a row. Are you finally done running this time?"

Kuang Tianqing replied coolly, "Fleeing was to preserve my immortal potential, to win the championship. My anger at your slander was also to minimize the loss of my immortal potential, likewise for the championship."

"But today, at the hour of the final battle, all that is meaningless. No matter how much you speak... you will not cause my mind to waver in the slightest."

Boom! The two collided violently, like a comet striking the earth. The blazing shockwave, accompanied by the continuous caving in of the ground, left yet another massive crater on the battlefield.

At the same time, Kuang Tianqing continued, "Today's battle is fought for the survival of the common people, to extend the lifespans of the masses, so that everyone can live a few more years, study a few more years, and work a few more years."

"You can feel it, can't you, Zhang Yu? In today's battle, the momentum is with me. Everyone just wants you to lose!"

Hearing this, Zhang Yu had to admit that she was not wrong.

Just last week, after defeating Tian Sheng Gong and advancing to the finals against Kuang Tianqing... Zhang Yu had been receiving countless messages, private chats, and comments related to the final battle almost every day...

And the underlying message of the vast majority of them was... they hoped he would lose.

"Kuang Tianqing wants to extend everyone's lifespan. If she wins, you can live a few more years too, so just stop competing with her."

"We just want to live a few more years. What is wrong with that?"

"Hurry up and concede, do not block everyone's path to survival!"

Zhang Yu could feel that Kuang Tianqing was now gathering the expectations of all living beings, gathering the hopes of countless schools, countless teachers, and countless students.

After all, who would not want to live a few more years?

And he, Zhang Yu, was the one who was not expected to win in this battle.

Just then, Kuang Tianqing's eyes flashed. The power of the shattered core detonated in rapid succession, forcing Zhang Yu back step by step. "You feel it, don't you, Zhang Yu? The expectations of the entire world upon me."

"Are you truly prepared?"

"Can you bear the pressure after winning the championship?"

"And do you even know what you are fighting for?"

Bathed in the radiance of the Golden Core, Kuang Tianqing's arm continually disintegrated as he unleashed ferocious, shattering strikes toward Zhang Yu.

Zhang Yu swept his sword in a single arc, cleaving through his opponent's onslaught.

"Why do I fight..."

Zhang Yu knew perfectly well why he fought.

In high school, it was to pass the examinations for the Top Ten; after entering the academy... it was, naturally, to join a sect.

And joining a sect was simply to survive.

Survival—this was the primal drive that had set him upon the path of immortality, pushing him through endless examinations, the acquisition of countless credentials, and the defeat of rival after rival.

He merely wanted to survive.

Was that reason not enough?

Once, Zhang Yu had believed it was more than enough.

"But why... why do I feel right now that this reason falls short, so short, utterly and completely short..."

"Is it because I do not know which sect's cultivation art to choose once I claim the championship?"

"Is it because I do not know which direction this world ought to take?"

Amidst the sky-piercing crimson glare, Kuang Tianqing channeled the power of his shattered core to drive his Nether Disintegration, attacking with a resolve, will, and Dao heart that wagered everything, relentlessly driving Zhang Yu backward and bearing him down.

Yet in Zhang Yu's eyes, Kuang Tianqing's silhouette seemed to shift and blur, giving rise to one figure after another, some familiar, some strange.

Wang Yin: "If you wish to stand above the rest like me, you must learn to devour others."

Jiu Tianliu: "Are you a fool content to toil on construction sites for a lifetime, or slave away in the Artifact Refining laboratories until you die? Or will you learn to use your wits, become clever, make money breed money, and earn more spirit coins in a day than you could in a lifetime in the Artifact Refining or Civil Engineering departments?"

True Lord Magnetic Pole: "Man strives upward, just as water flows downward. Though the Civil Engineering department has treated you well, our Artifact Refining department offers a far vaster horizon..."

Director Gao: "Zhang Yu, the Finance department is making its move; your master is useless and cannot protect you..."

Dao Qiankun: "I want to change this world."

"The dream of changing the world is not reserved for Immortals or Spirit Transformation cultivators; even those at Foundation Establishment or Qi Condensation, nay, even mere mortals, are entitled to harbor such a dream."

"This world now deems weakness a disgrace. Yet every single person begins their journey from a place of weakness..."

Amidst the deafening roar of continuous explosions, blood coursed through Kuang Tianqing's veins like molten magma, his surging mana erupting like a volcano as he propelled the shattering force of his Golden Core, driving Zhang Yu back time and time again! Driving him back! And back again!

"Zhang Yu!" Kuang Tianqing roared in fury, "The mandate of Heaven is mine!"

"The entire world expects me to win! What do you possibly have to fight me with?!"

The two clashed and moved as one, and in the blink of an eye, their battle had raged thousands of meters away, sweeping from the plains to a lake, only to instantly blast the lake into a massive crater and summon a torrential downpour.

And within Zhang Yu's eyes, an increasingly fierce emotion began to burn.

"I... want more than just to survive."

(End of Chapter)