Those Classmates who Suddenly Disappeared
Chapter 980: Perseverance is Victory

Chapter 980: Chapter 980: Perseverance is Victory

The third round of the Martial Arts Competition officially began, and in the pursuit of authenticity, the leader of Xuanjian Sect fought over three hundred rounds with his opponent. In the end, the leader of Xuanjian Sect was injured but managed to win the tough battle.

The audience witnessed a splendid martial arts duel and, since most had bet on both sides, nearly everyone made a profit, and no one suspected the leader of Xuanjian Sect of foul play.

The main betting house did incur significant losses, but these were much lower than expected, which allowed the bookie a sigh of relief, thinking that the losses here could be recouped elsewhere.

Subsequently, Jin Yi and the Female Sword Immortal also defeated their respective opponents, successfully moving on to the top eight and greatly enhancing their reputations.

With only the last match of the third round remaining, which was also the focus of everyone’s attention, both the leader of Xuanjian Sect and the main betting house kept their eyes firmly on this bout.

Gu Fan had already stepped onto the platform and began to warm up his muscles, completely ignoring the surprised looks from all around, leisurely carrying out his warm-up exercises.

The Lightning-curved Blade Guo Hu stepped onto the platform with a solemn stride, his eyes filled with sharpness, as if he himself was a razor-edged blade, his formidable murderous look chilling to the onlookers.

Seeing such a skilled opponent as the Lightning-curved Blade Guo Hu, many in the crowd regretted betting on Gu Fan. But, it was too late to change their minds now.

Even a fool could see the disparity in aura between the Lightning-curved Blade Guo Hu and Gu Fan. Simply comparing their presences, Gu Fan was utterly surpassed and there seemed little hope for him in the actual competition.

Considering Gu Fan beneath him, the Lightning-curved Blade Guo Hu began with overtures of surrender, "Kid, I’ve seen your fights. The conclusion is you’re not my match at all. You might as well just give up, you can’t count on your luck from before."

Gu Fan was not pleased with this remark, "First, we haven’t fought yet, so it’s too early to tell who will fall. Second, do you think the title of Martial Arts leader is decided just by martial skills?"

Lightning-curved Blade frowned, "Aside from martial skills, what else is there to compare?"

"Character. And my character is better than yours," Gu Fan said with righteous indignation, as if his moral standing was unbeatable, indeed coming across a bit shameless. But the audience didn’t mind, as they were all counting on Gu Fan.

Lightning-curved Blade Guo Hu scoffed coldly, "Well, I would like to see how your character will help you win this match." No sooner had his words faded, Lightning-curved Blade Guo Hu had already drawn his blade and lunged, his movements truly swift.

Gu Fan only saw a flash of cold light before his eyes, followed by an indescribable immense impact, and he found himself flying through the air.

With just one slash, Gu Fan was given no chance to retaliate and was heavily thrown to the ground, which startled onlookers, fearing the gap between them was insurmountably wide.

But in an instant, Gu Fan rose from the ground, appearing unharmed, his gaze still resolute. Although his clothes were slit open, there wasn’t a mark on his skin.

"Vajra Body Protection, huh? You managed to block one of my strikes, now I want to know how many more you can withstand." Without waiting, Lightning-curved Blade Guo Hu launched another assault, his blade swift as lightning, slicing ferociously at Gu Fan like a raging storm.

"Oh my God, this guy’s gone mad," Gu Fan realized he couldn’t keep up with the speed and curled up, trying his best to protect his vital points.

One, two, three slashes... Gu Fan didn’t know how many cuts he received. Although there were no external injuries, with so many attacks, his internal injuries were worsening, and he was on the verge of vomiting blood.

And despite Lightning-curved Blade Guo Hu’s intense offensive and the seemingly lopsided contest, with each strike he landed on Gu Fan, he could feel a formidable recoil force.

As the onslaught intensified, the rebound force had an increasing impact on Lightning-curved Blade Guo Hu, to the point that his arms were nearly numbed by the vibrations.

"That should do it," said Lightning-curved Blade Guo Hu, halting his attacks and stepping back a few steps, then fixed his gaze on Gu Fan who lay on the ground.

The audience below was on the edge of their seats, each and every one of them cheering for Gu Fan, hoping he wouldn’t go down easily and would get back up.

"Oh my god, it hurts so much," sighed Gu Fan, not letting the crowd down. He propped himself up with his hands and then struggled to his feet, his will to keep fighting undeterred even by the blood at the corner of his mouth.

Although Gu Fan’s clothes were tattered and he seemed injured, there wasn’t a hint of discouragement in his eyes.

"That’s it, get up, lad! I knew you could do it," the audience couldn’t help but shout encouragement for Gu Fan.

Lu Bei and Jin Yi were both astonished: "How can he still stand after being beaten like that? What kind of Martial Arts has this guy practiced?"

The leader of Xuanjian Sect and the big bookie were extremely anxious. They were both eager for Gu Fan to fall, but there he was, standing up again, which made them feel uneasy.

On stage, although Lightning-curved Blade Guo Hu was surprised, his confidence wasn’t shaken. He still believed he would win, so he took a deep breath, adjusted his mindset, got back into position to attack, and still didn’t forget to try and persuade his opponent to surrender, "Kid, I respect that you’ve held out until now, but I’m sorry to tell you, you don’t stand a chance."

Gu Fan was unimpressed, "I’ve said before, becoming the leader of Martial Arts isn’t just about Martial Arts skills alone. I will prove it to you soon enough."

"Okay then, prove it to me," Lightning-curved Blade Guo Hu roared as he charged at Gu Fan.

Gu Fan tensed up, his eyes wide open, trying to see his opponent’s attack clearly, but alas, the opponent was too fast. All Gu Fan could see was a cold light heading towards his head before his head took a heavy hit.

The world spun around him, and Gu Fan tumbled to the ground with a thud that made the audience’s hearts skip a beat.

For a long while, Gu Fan didn’t get up, as if he had passed out, instantly causing those who had been cheering for him to feel a chill in their hearts, murmuring in disappointment, "No way, lad, you were doing so well. Did you really lose here?"

"It’s over, I’ve won," Lightning-curved Blade Guo Hu sheathed his blade, his movements suave. His triumphant demeanor as the victor was unmistakable.

Just as someone was about to announce the winner, Gu Fan’s hand twitched, then he supported himself on the ground, biting down on his teeth and using all his strength to slowly lift his body off the ground bit by bit.

Witnessing this scene, the audience erupted into an uproar of shouts: "Well done, lad! I knew betting on you was the right choice, don’t disappoint us."

"How is this possible, why can he still stand up," Lightning-curved Blade Guo Hu couldn’t believe it, unable to accept it.

The leader of Xuanjian Sect who was watching the fight was also shocked, losing control and crushing the cup in his hand. Gu Fan’s resilience was beyond everyone’s expectations.

The big bookie still firmly believed one thing: "It’s useless, the gap in strength is too great, that kid can’t possibly win. Lightning-curved Blade Guo Hu, give it your all and make sure that kid never stands up again."