- Global Reincarnation: Only I Know the Plot
- GROIKTP Chapter 497
“For the sake of fairness in the competition, we will now take a one-hour break to allow the two finalists to recover and be in their best form for the upcoming match.”
“Meanwhile, let’s take a look at the journey of both competitors through the tournament!”
With that, the host left the stage.
The so-called “journey” referred to video highlights of Chen Ye and Tang Zichen’s matches, from their city-level rounds to the provincial and national finals, culminating in their fight for the championship.
In previous tournaments, the audience found these videos quite interesting.
However, today, the spectators were too caught up in their own discussions to pay attention to the videos.
The results of today’s matches had completely shocked everyone.
The two competitors who were widely favored to win, Qian Ming and Sun Zhengying, were unexpectedly eliminated in the semifinals.
Meanwhile, Tang Zichen, who had been viewed as a dark horse, and Chen Ye, who was mired in controversy over the “rigged match” accusations, advanced to the finals to fight for the championship.
In other words, all the fan favorites were out, and the least expected had reached the finals.
This left the audience questioning their own judgment.
“Wow, I never saw that coming. What a surprising outcome.”
“Definitely a huge upset!”
“Those so-called experts who kept insisting the champion would either be Qian Ming or Sun Zhengying… I wonder how embarrassed they feel now.”
“I remember the betting houses accept wagers on the Martial Arts Tournament every year. A lot of people must be losing big after today’s results.”
“Haha, I actually placed a bet on that guy everyone accused of fixing the match. It was just a random bet, but he made it to the finals! My odds were 10 to 1—I’m rich now!”
“Wait, do you still think Chen Ye is rigging the matches?”
“Sigh, shattering a weapon with a single finger and injuring someone… His skill is too deep to comprehend!”
“We were all misled by the internet. The guy is obviously not fixing the matches—he’s just incredibly strong.”
“You don’t think Chen Ye might have already reached the Grandmaster level, do you? How else could he be this powerful?”
“I’m still a bit skeptical of Chen Ye’s record.”
“Let’s see if he can still win with a single finger in the finals.”
“I actually think Tang Zichen is the one who’s been hiding her true strength.”
“Exactly! Have you seen her matches? She’s never been the aggressor and yet she wins every time, looking like she’s barely exerting any effort. It’s like she’s playing with her opponents. I wonder if she’s using the tournament to hone her skills.”
“Whoa, are you saying she might already be at the Grandmaster level, with that ‘all-encompassing mastery’?”
“No way! Could this year’s Martial Arts Tournament really give rise to a Grandmaster?”
…
The stadium buzzed with discussion.
Following the earlier matches, many spectators, who had previously doubted Chen Ye’s abilities, were now taking his strength seriously.
The same shift occurred online, where netizens were starting to defend Chen Ye. Even some so-called “experts” were backtracking, claiming they had “always known” Chen Ye was a master.
Meanwhile, Chen Ye remained completely unfazed by the opinions of others.
He sat comfortably in the lounge, enjoying a glass of milk prepared by Xiao Ling’er.
Sitting beside him, Xiao Ling’er was happily glued to her phone, grinning ear to ear.
Chen Ye might not care about the opinions of netizens because, to him, this world was just a temporary stop.
But Xiao Ling’er was different. She took these things to heart.
Now that public opinion was finally beginning to shift in favor of Chen Ye, Xiao Ling’er couldn’t be happier.
At the very least, the next time she and Chen Ye appeared in public together, she wouldn’t have to walk around in shame.
“Chen Ye, you’re amazing!” Xiao Ling’er excitedly waved her phone at him. “Look! Now even the martial arts experts are saying you’re an unfathomable master!”
Chen Ye chuckled. “Never trust what those so-called experts say.”
“Oh, right!” Xiao Ling’er suddenly remembered that Chen Ye had once mentioned Tang Zichen as a formidable opponent, and she started to worry about the upcoming match.
“Chen Ye, your next opponent is Tang Zichen. I just called Grandpa, and he said she’s very powerful and might be participating in the Martial Arts Tournament as a way to temper herself… Grandpa even suspects she’s a Grandmaster-level powerhouse!”
Xiao Ling’er’s tone was filled with awe.
When it came to her grandfather’s analysis, Xiao Ling’er had no reason to doubt him.
She had researched Tang Zichen’s background and knew the woman was only in her early twenties, just a few years older than her, yet she was potentially a Grandmaster.
Such immense talent was truly terrifying!
“Chen Ye, you’ll be up against a Grandmaster… Are you confident?” she asked, somewhat nervously.
Without hesitation, Chen Ye nodded. “Of course!”
Xiao Ling’er thought he was being too nonchalant and pouted. “I’m being serious!”
“I’m serious too!”
“… Fine, do whatever you want. Just be careful.”
…
An hour quickly passed, and the highly anticipated final match was about to begin.
As Chen Ye and Tang Zichen stepped onto the stage, the stadium erupted into thunderous applause.
The entire crowd was abuzz with excitement for the national finals.
Both Tang Zichen and Chen Ye were unexpected finalists, making the match even more intriguing.
The biggest draw, however, was the widespread speculation over the past hour that Tang Zichen might actually be a Grandmaster-level martial artist.
A Grandmaster!
There were fewer than 100 well-known Grandmasters worldwide, and each was a towering figure in the martial arts world.
No one had expected this year’s Martial Arts Tournament to feature a potential Grandmaster.
The audience was thrilled at the prospect of witnessing a Grandmaster in action.
Their only fear now was that Tang Zichen might not fully showcase her strength and end the match too quickly.
But soon, that concern turned into excitement.
Because once Tang Zichen stepped onto the stage, she made a statement that shocked everyone.
“Chen Ye, I know I’m not your equal, but I hope in this match you’ll show me your true strength and defeat me. I’ll also give it my all—I want to see how far I still have to go before reaching the level of a Martial Saint!”
Upon hearing her words, the entire stadium fell into stunned silence.
What did she just say?
Chen Ye… is a Martial Saint??