novelraw Chapter 245 238: Changes
Chapter 245 238: Changes
At the Donghua contestants' seating area.
The news that Starry Sky Country had requested to end the tournament was somewhat unexpected, yet it also seemed reasonable.
Although Starry Sky Country held an absolute advantage in the tournament, Donghua had, despite losing several Martial Artists, seen two of their own break through their limits. This ratio was terrifyingly high. If the tournament continued, there was no telling how many more Saint Awakening Powerhouses would be created.
Ending the tournament voluntarily was a way to cut their losses.
The remaining Martial Artists in the seating area had mixed expressions. On one hand, they seemed to breathe a sigh of relief at Starry Sky Country's action, which was tantamount to admitting defeat, because they had defended the honor of the Donghua Martial Arts Realm. At the same time, however, they felt a sense of regret.
With the tournament over, they had likely missed a golden opportunity to advance to Saint Awakening.
"Good fortune lies within disaster; disaster lurks within good fortune."
Recalling the experiences of their comrades who had broken through, they realized each one had found a monumental opportunity amid a life-threatening crisis. This subtly elevated their understanding of life, the Martial Dao, and Saint Awakening.
To find life by facing death; to turn misfortune into a blessing.
"We won! We won!"
"You were all amazing!"
"..."
After a brief moment of commotion, the arena erupted in thunderous cheers, the atmosphere becoming electric. Influenced by this Spiritual Will, the remaining Martial Artists couldn't help but break into genuine smiles, a deep emotion stirring in their hearts.
In the past, they had risked their lives in battle for ideals, for the Martial Dao, or for personal gain. But now, their fights had taken on a new meaning.
They were fighting for "protection"—to protect the spirit of this nation, the faith of its people, and the trust of its countless citizens.
This seemed to herald a new era where the Martial Dao was no longer just a personal path, but something intertwined with the fate of the entire world.
「The next day.」
Although videos of the exchange were too bloody to be posted on major domestic websites and forums, news of the result spread rapidly across the internet. After all, the event had garnered immense attention due to Starry Sky Country's deliberate provocations beforehand.
"We won! We're victorious! Starry Sky Country requested to end the tournament mid-match! Our Martial Artists beat the nerve out of them!"
"You guys weren't there, you have no idea how brutal it was. To be fair, those guys from Starry Sky Country are really strong, but every single Donghua fighter fought a bloody battle to the very last moment. Not a single one of them left the ring on their feet; they were all carried off with serious injuries! I'm telling you, watching it, I felt like my blood was about to boil right out of my chest."
"'Dragons battle in the wilds, their blood black and yellow!' As expected of our Donghua Martial Artists! From now on, I'm their biggest fan!"
"..."
The spectators who had watched the tournament live were in awe of the Martial Artists' willpower and perseverance. They all became die-hard fans online, vividly describing the scenes of the tournament to others in writing.
Jiang Yun even worked through the night, compiling a vast amount of data to rush out a post titled, *"What Is Strong Is Not the Flesh, but the Unyielding Will—A Tribute to the Donghua Martial Artists."*
In it, he not only used exquisite prose to detail the entire tournament but also listed the participating Martial Artists along with some of their backgrounds and achievements. He also asked for those with more information to contribute and help flesh out the profiles of the individuals in his article.
Riding the wave of the exchange's popularity, the post instantly went viral. Countless netizens who knew something about the participating Martial Artists enthusiastically helped complete the data, making the images of these fighters more vivid than ever.
One by one, new stars were on the rise.
However, there are always those who love to sing a different tune. Numerous reposts appeared online, with some self-righteous individuals, who believed they held secret knowledge unknown to the public, starting to clamor for traffic and profit.
*"The Younger Generation Doesn't Respect Martial Virtue! Were Their Actions Too Cruel?"*
*"Two to Seven! Starry Sky Country Held an Absolute Advantage! They Chose to Suffer Slander Rather Than Disrupt the Peace!"*
*"Did Donghua Country Really Win? They Only Won Because the Other Side Went Easy on Them!"*
*"Starry Sky Country's Peaceful Spirit Is Worthy of Praise! Some People in Our Country Can't Tell Black from White!"*
...
These posts reprinted information from foreign websites, claiming that domestic media was shameless, distorted the facts, hid the truth, and slandered Starry Sky Country. They insisted that Starry Sky Country was a nation of peace and freedom, and that a perfectly good exchange had been twisted beyond recognition by the Donghua Martial Arts Realm's brutal methods, damaging the friendship between the two countries.
What was even more absurd was that many conspiracy theorists, "banana-men" scholars, and public intellectuals actually agreed with this view. Their reasoning was that the foreign media reports included pictures, and that foreign media always upheld the principle of respecting the truth and couldn't possibly be lying.
This left many netizens both furious and helpless. The invasion of culture was the most terrifying kind of aggression. Some people had long since forgotten their own people, their own Bloodline.
But soon, these types of posts were quickly 404'd. Many netizens clapped their hands in approval, joking that the relevant authorities had finally done something to cheer everyone up.
Without a doubt, after this exchange between the two countries, the prestige of the Donghua Martial Arts Realm was not only undamaged but actually swelled even further, using this event as a turning point.
At the same time, the malice shown by Starry Sky Country toward the Donghua Martial Arts Realm, combined with the formidable strength displayed by their fighters, instilled a strong sense of crisis in the various schools of the Donghua Martial Arts Realm. It made them begin to truly recognize the shifting global landscape.
This caused the schools that were originally hesitant about establishing a Donghua Martial Arts Association to change their stance, accelerating the formation process.
...
...
「Two months passed in the blink of an eye.」
In the highest-level special care ward of the Northern Secret Inspection Bureau's special hospital in Songyang City, Ning Muqing sat on a soft sofa in the suite's living area after finishing her morning exercises, watching the TV news.
"The riots in the Kegwa region of Black State are escalating, severely threatening the lives and property of local Donghua expatriates. The Foreign Affairs Bureau is currently carrying out evacuation operations..."
"Violent armed groups in the Silan Region are growing more rampant. The president of Banage has requested aid from our country, and nearly a thousand peacekeeping soldiers have now been dispatched to the Banage Region..."
"..."
Watching the news on TV, Ning Muqing frowned slightly.
'The world situation is growing more and more chaotic, especially in the last two months. This trend started right after the exchange between the two countries ended.'
'Not only that, but according to the information I've received, the world's shadowy circles have become much more active during this period. Many operations targeting Donghua corporations and the overseas forces of the Donghua Martial Arts Realm are underway. It also seems that the country is suffering from some sort of hidden turmoil, possibly related to the Celestial Demons.'
The entire world seemed to be gradually sinking into a state of inexplicable tension.
"Recently, changes to the physical education curriculum in elementary, middle, and high schools have been completed. Martial Dao classes have been added as a core subject, cultivating students' interest, tempering their will, and strengthening their bodies, receiving high praise from parents..."
"Preparations for the Donghua Martial Arts Association have entered their final stage. The official inauguration is now scheduled to be held in Shangjing Prefecture in one week..."
"..."
'A lot has happened in the last two months, both in the world at large and in the Donghua Martial Arts Realm. With a push from the higher-ups and using the exchange as a catalyst, the Donghua Martial Arts Association is rapidly completing its preparations and is about to be officially established.'
The reason the Donghua Martial Arts Association was being established so hastily was inextricably linked to the changes in the international situation.
'The Martial Arts Association is about to be established...'
Ning Muqing turned her head to look into the inner room of the hospital suite. There, on the soft bed, Zhou Yuanjue had been lying unconscious for nearly three months.
'When on earth are you going to wake up?'