Chapter Seventy-Four

“You’re quick to react, Senior Sister. But for the next minute, you’d better protect yourself well—I’m going to get serious now.” Yuxingyue warned Lin Ling, preparing to use her fast-paced freestyle strikes to finish the fight quickly. With only a minute left, Yuxingyue wasn’t sure she could defeat Lin Ling, but it didn’t matter; this was just an internal match. If it were a real competition, things would be different.

Lin Ling laughed at Yuxingyue’s warning, “Are you going to use that technique against me? Don’t think it’s an unbeatable move. If I hold out for a minute, it’ll be a miracle—and the flaws in your leg technique will be exposed.” Lin Ling’s confidence made Yuxingyue uneasy. Did Lin Ling truly see through her leg techniques? Even so, Yuxingyue decided to try and knock Lin Ling out with her quick freestyle attacks.

Yuxingyue unleashed a move from her repertoire, “Scattering Sand Disperses Easily.” She altered the rhythm of her kicks, aiming to confuse her opponent—deception was key, but so was delivering a decisive blow. Lin Ling was momentarily distracted; this was not the pattern she had seen before. Still, she didn’t give up, defending against Yuxingyue’s attacks while searching for an opening to seize the initiative.

Lin Ling thought to herself, “Yuxingyue must be changing her kicking pattern to throw me off. If I follow this sequence, her next move will be a right-leg kick to push me out of the ring.” This was Lin Ling’s guess—if she was correct, she had a chance to win.

But Lin Ling’s speculation was slightly off. Yuxingyue did start with her right leg, but it was only to mislead her; she quickly withdrew the right leg and launched a surprise left-leg side kick. Lin Ling blocked the side kick with both hands and deflected the attack. By now, Yuxingyue’s stamina was visibly waning; just one move had left her exhausted.

“With my current stamina, I can only pull off one more move. I hope it works,” Yuxingyue thought, and soon gathered all her strength for one last attack—“Scatter Outside, Scatter Within.”

Yuxingyue struck with dazzling speed, alternating left and right kicks. Lin Ling didn’t retreat, instead betting everything on a side kick to break through Yuxingyue’s defenses. She reasoned that when executing such rapid leg techniques, the middle was the weakest point for defense, and aimed to exploit it.

But at that moment, Xu Yaya called out, “I declare the match over—a draw for both sides.” Everyone present was stunned, including the two on stage. Xu Yaya quickly explained her reasoning, “You both fought well, but I don’t want to see you injure each other. I can see that Lin Ling was about to use a side kick to knock you out, Yuxingyue, but if Lin Ling succeeded, you might need a month to recover. Meanwhile, Lin Ling would be seriously injured by your rapid kicks before she could execute her move. Do you understand?”

The others nodded, some understanding more than others. Lin Ling said, “So even the captain worries about our safety! You’re right. I don’t want Yuxingyue to get hurt—if the others found out, it would be embarrassing for her.”

Yuxingyue snorted, “I’ve told you many times not to call me Yuguoguo. The captain is right—we shouldn’t get carried away. If she hadn’t stopped us in time, we would both have been injured, and I don’t want to spend another month bedridden.” She suddenly recalled the unhappy memory of Lin Zi Mo taking care of her for a month when she was injured before.

The match ended in a draw. Xiao Jian had written Yuxingyue’s name earlier, hoping to spar with her, but Lin Ling had beaten him to it. According to the rules, the match should have ended, but Xiao Jian hadn’t participated, which was a pity. If Zhang Yan were still around, perhaps he and Xiao Jian could have had a proper match.

Wang Chaolin suggested, “Now that we’ve all competed, how about a match between Xiao Jian and Captain Xu?” The idea was quickly met with approval. They hadn’t seen the captain’s strength for a long time, and Xiao Jian grew tense. He had never challenged Xu Yaya before, afraid his abilities wouldn’t measure up. Years had passed, but Xiao Jian was still just as confident in himself, yet before Xu Yaya, he could hardly speak.

The crowd egged them on, and Xu Yaya, resigned, said, “Since everyone wants to see me spar with Xiao Jian, I’ll oblige—please don’t hold it against me.” Xu Yaya agreed to fight Xiao Jian, and he was stunned, only realizing it wasn’t a dream when she took his arm and led him to the stage.

Yuxingyue was excited for Xiao Jian—being the current captain of the Tianyuan team meant he was strong. Ten minutes later, both had changed and returned to the stage, Xu Yaya still leading Xiao Jian by the arm. The aura surrounding Xu Yaya was so overwhelming that Xiao Jian could barely breathe, stumbling as he walked.

Seeing Xiao Jian’s trembling legs, Xu Yaya said, “Xiao Jian, you don’t need to worry—I won’t go too hard on you. Winning or losing doesn’t matter; what matters is our lasting friendship, which is proof of true victory.” This made Yuxingyue applaud, adding, “The captain’s words are always misleading—she’s never kept a promise yet.”

Xu Yaya rolled her eyes at Yuxingyue, then made a provocative gesture toward Xiao Jian. Everyone knew that before challenging an opponent, Xu Yaya would always taunt them, drawing their ire and pushing them to give their all. Her aim was to rile them up and win the match.

Xiao Jian recognized the provocation—it had been so long since he’d seen Xu Yaya taunt someone that it immediately infuriated him. Her gesture was infuriating, even more so than the usual middle finger, and the audience could feel the murderous intent radiating from Xiao Jian.

Xu Yaya assumed her fighting stance, making it clear the match had begun. Unable to bear her taunts, Xiao Jian charged at her, intent on defeating Xu Yaya with sheer strength. But he forgot who he was up against. Everyone was nervous for him, hoping he wouldn’t be utterly defeated.

Those who knew Xu Yaya understood her rule: finish the match within one minute. She had once ranked among the top eleven in Asia, and if she had beaten the one above her, she would have been top ten. After retiring, life wasn’t easy. Many foreigners challenged her, but all failed, and they dubbed her “the Unstoppable Doctor.”

After retirement, Xu Yaya spent three years studying abroad and earned her doctorate. Three years after graduation, she gathered the former Tianyuan team for a reunion, leading to today’s scene.

If she said she’d finish a fight in a minute, she meant it. As described, Xu Yaya quickly knocked Xiao Jian out, the whole match lasting exactly thirty seconds. Xiao Jian was left battered and bruised—no wonder foreigners called her “the Unstoppable Doctor.”

Wang Chaolin and Yuxingyue helped Xiao Jian off the stage, and Xiao Jian said to Xu Yaya, “Captain, thank you for fulfilling my wish. It seems I still can’t defeat you. Once I become stronger, I’ll challenge you again, okay?”

Xu Yaya smiled, “Of course! When you think you’ve grown stronger, come find me. I hope we both change a bit—I look forward to your performance, Junior Brother Xiao Jian.”

“Yes, Captain!” Xiao Jian replied. Zhou Ruoxue tended to his wounds. Honestly, Xu Yaya was ruthless—even with her former teammates, she didn’t hold back. She wasn’t intentionally harsh, simply too focused. Yet Xiao Jian bore no grudge, choosing instead to understand.