Chapter 34: Entrapment

Watching the battle between Qin Jue and his opponent, the surrounding martial artists wore expressions of detached amusement. To them, the best outcome would be mutual destruction. Within the crowd, Xu Panyue silently slipped away. As one of the few martial artists who had reached the Third Pass, he needed to ensure he did not become a target for others. His plan was simple: ensure his own safety first, wait until the others had exhausted themselves, and then select a suitable opponent to challenge and advance.

In the center of the arena, after a few rounds, Qin Jue sensed the time was right. As his opponent threw a punch that he easily dodged, he suddenly surged forward, doubling his speed, and unleashed a punch of his own.

Caught off guard!

The man was stunned, unable to evade in time, and took the full force of the blow directly to the face.

"Bang!"

The punch was heavy and powerful. Blood sprayed from the man’s nose as he saw stars, his legs turned to jelly, and he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

[Congratulations to the host for successfully defeating an opponent. Obtained 1 Victory Point!]

On the periphery, the others noticed this turn of events. Xiao Wushan and his companions were pleasantly surprised, while Chen Xi let out a long sigh of relief. Seeing the sudden ambush earlier, they had worried their squad leader would be overwhelmed, but to their surprise, he had turned the tables.

After dealing with his opponent, Qin Jue continued toward a vacant area.

"Move aside!"

Suddenly, an impatient voice sounded from behind. A burly man, eight feet tall, rushed over. He wanted to plant his flag as well. Qin Jue turned to face him but did not budge. The giant frowned. He recognized Qin Jue and had even witnessed the previous fight, but he thought little of it, convinced that the man could not possibly be his match. Seeing Qin Jue standing his ground, the giant realized he also intended to plant a flag.

"Hmph, overestimating yourself!" The giant sneered and launched a sudden attack, throwing a right hook in an attempt to catch him off guard. Since the goal of planting a flag was to draw attention through combat, the giant had no intention of letting a seemingly easy target go.

Qin Jue’s gaze turned cold. He leaned back slightly, nimbly avoiding the blow. The giant then lifted his left leg and swung it horizontally toward Qin Jue’s ribs, fast and fierce. Qin Jue tapped his toes against the ground, distancing himself just in time to dodge the strike.

"Are you only capable of hiding?" the man shouted, rushing forward again.

Qin Jue remained indifferent, engaging the man at his own rhythm.

"Why are they fighting again?"
"Is this guy a battle maniac?"
"Whatever, it's best if they both end up crippled."

No one had expected that Qin Jue, having just finished one fight, would immediately clash with another. Did he not know how to conserve his strength?

Watching from afar, Xu Panyue observed the scene and noted Qin Jue’s position, an incredible theory forming in his mind. He stared deeply at Qin Jue, who was trading blows with his opponent, then instinctively shook his head, finding the idea absurd.

On the sidelines, the other soldiers were equally baffled. "Why is the squad leader doing this?" the bruised Xiao Wushan muttered. Under these competition rules, shouldn't one wait for the right moment? It seemed as though their leader didn't care about anyone, which felt far too arrogant. Beside him, Chen Xi was also puzzled, though he suspected there was more to it than met the eye. Perhaps the squad leader had other plans.

In the arena, after a dozen rounds, Qin Jue saw his opening. His movements shifted, and he delivered a spinning back-kick that landed squarely in his opponent's abdomen. The immense force caused the man’s face to contort in agony; he was sent flying through the air before crashing heavily onto the ground.

[Congratulations to the host for successfully defeating an opponent. Obtained 1 Victory Point!]

The crowd erupted in an uproar at this second victory.

"Well done!" Chen Xi clenched his fists, unable to hold back a shout, his face filled with excitement. He knew the squad leader had his reasons.

"Look! Qin Jue is going to plant his flag!"

A sudden exclamation drew everyone's attention. They watched as Qin Jue, having defeated his opponent, walked straight to the vacant area, picked up the black flag, and planted it firmly in the ground. This unexpected development left everyone stunned, their eyes locked on Qin Jue with expressions of profound shock.

"That Qin Jue must be insane!" a soldier who was jealous of Qin Jue couldn't help but chime in loudly, as if wanting everyone to hear.

"How does someone of his level dare to plant a flag?" another echoed. If he had been evenly matched with a peer, how could he possibly think he was ready to hold a point? Was this any different from seeking death?

"Perhaps he just wants to finish early and return to camp?" someone else sneered openly, drawing a round of laughter from the crowd. They all assumed Qin Jue was no different from the others who had failed.

Hearing these remarks, Xiao Wushan and his men were incensed, turning to find the source of the insults. Even Chen Xi frowned, his expression darkening.

"Say that again!" Xiao Wushan demanded, finding the man who had spoken. Despite his own injuries, his aura as a Third Pass warrior flared, causing the sharp-featured man to flinch and shrink back into the crowd.

"What is all the racket? Are Officer Wu’s subordinates so lacking in discipline?" a military commander from the opposing unit said coldly.

Xiao Wushan’s momentum faltered. Official rank held absolute weight. Moreover, he himself couldn't understand why his leader had chosen to plant the flag now. Could he not have waited?

High up on the observation platform, the senior officers, with the exception of Wang Zhong, all looked surprised. One commander remarked sarcastically, "Tsk, tsk, surely Qin Jue isn't planning to just give up on everything?" In these circumstances, those who rushed to plant flags usually did so just to be noticed, without any real hope of holding the point. It was just like the burly man Qin Jue had defeated. Without talent, planting a flag early was essentially an act of self-defeat.

"Sun Dazhi, what is that supposed to mean?" Wu Mi retorted, glaring at the man. They had been rivals for years and often bickered. It was clear Sun Dazhi was trying to belittle Qin Jue to lower the commander's opinion of him.

Sun Dazhi shrugged, choosing not to argue further. Wu Mi’s face darkened as he looked at Qin Jue in the arena, forced to make excuses. "Perhaps he is simply confident in his own strength..." His voice trailed off, lacking conviction even to himself. Anyone with eyes could see that planting a flag this early was highly irrational.

After speaking, Wu Mi glanced cautiously at Wang Zhong, only to find the commander’s face expressionless, which left him feeling uneasy. Did the commander think this was foolish too? *Qin Jue, you must prove yourself to me!*