"The match is about to start! Place your bets and no more changes after!"
"Herta Lady's puppet or the swordmaster named Jingliu, hurry up and choose!"
It could only be said that Asta's promotion was truly effective. The support for "Herta" on the field had already reached a near-frenzied level, and some people had even started taking bets.
"I bet one thousand on Herta Lady's puppet to win!"
"I also bet one thousand on Herta Lady's puppet to win!"
"I bet one thousand too, betting on Herta Lady's puppet to win!"
"..."
Bets came in one after another, almost all of them placed on Herta's puppet. But at this moment, a calm yet abrupt voice suddenly rang out: "I bet three thousand on Jingliu to win."
Hearing that familiar voice, Stelle suddenly turned her head. She saw Jing Yuan take out a thick stack of credits and seriously place his bet with a solemn expression.
That stack of credits contained various denominations; it was clearly pocket money he had saved up for a long time.
Seeming to sense the gaze behind him, Jing Yuan slightly turned his head. Upon seeing Stelle and March 7th, he smiled and walked over, greeting them: "What a coincidence. You two are also here to watch the match? I thought you would be in the VIP box upstairs."
Stelle waved her hands repeatedly: "VIP box? Forget it. It's not good for watching the match while sitting there… Uh, I mean, it's more lively with more people, haha."
She quickly changed the subject: "Old Jing, you just bet quite a lot of money. That doesn't seem like you?"
Jing Yuan nodded: "Mm, I just happened to see an old acquaintance from the past and got carried away, so I put all the money in. Now that I think about it, it was still too impulsive. The opponent is a genius's proxy after all. Sigh…"
Stelle and March 7th exchanged a glance. The latter thought for a moment and asked curiously: "Old Jing, do you know that Jingliu?"
Although she had vaguely learned a bit about the "High-Cloud Quintet" through Dan Heng, since Dan Heng himself was unwilling to say more, she wasn't very familiar with the specific people involved.
Jing Yuan stroked his chin: "Mm… She is my master and also my friend. Oh, of course, she was also Dan Feng's friend in the past. It's just that something happened later, which caused her to fall into depression for a time and even show signs of descending into mara."
"Later, for the sake of her physical health, I spent money to send her out of the Alliance to travel the stars, hoping she could heal her wounds in the remaining time."
"I originally thought we would never meet again, but I didn't expect to see her once more at this Martial Arts Ceremony… How nostalgic."
"So that's how it is…" After hearing Jing Yuan's explanation, Stelle finally understood. No wonder she hadn't heard any news about Jingliu this time. It turned out the person had only just returned to the Luofu.
Jing Yuan smiled slightly: "But having said that, as both her disciple and friend, I naturally have some judgment regarding her strength. Although this puppet is a creation of a genius, …Jingliu's sword is by no means dull."
"Just watch."
...
Whoosh—
Just as the audience on the field was discussing in which move Herta's puppet would defeat her opponent, a sudden cold wind blew over. The low temperature made everyone present involuntarily shiver hard. As if sensing something, they all looked toward the competition passageway on the other side.
The person walking out from there was a white-haired woman wearing a black eyepatch. Even though half her face was covered by the eyepatch, her exposed delicate features still made people unable to help but imagine.
With every step she took, the surrounding temperature dropped a degree. Ice condensed beneath her long boots, leaving behind a path of blue ice crystals.
This kind of entrance presence—high! It was really high!
Stelle couldn't help but look at Jing Yuan. "Old Jing, you ate so well back then?"
Jing Yuan's mouth twitched: "Uh… I can't deny that when I first met her, I did have other thoughts. After all, I was still young back then and not a robot. But later on, hehe."
Stelle & March 7th: Later? What happened later?
"Later I found out that she actually… Sigh, never mind. Otherwise it would be treasonous."
Jing Yuan helplessly shook his head and looked at the figure walking toward the competition stage. "Aside from mental issues, her sense of direction has always been quite poor. She often ends up going the wrong way while walking…"
Before he finished speaking, everyone saw Jingliu walking more and more off course. She even fell down when going up the stairs to the arena stage.
Stelle & March 7th: ...
666, and he even provided a live example.
Under everyone's gaze, Jingliu slowly climbed up from the ground, then groped her way onto the stage like a blind person. The process was so arduous it could make ten billion Xianzhou people cry.
"A blind person's sense of direction should actually be better than a normal person's…" Stelle quietly complained.
Jing Yuan was silent for a few seconds. "…She is not blind. She just doesn't know the way, has no sense of direction, and happens to be wearing an eyepatch. Speaking of which, it's really strange. She didn't wear an eyepatch back then? Did something happen to her in these years?"
["Uh… Contestant Jingliu is physically disabled but has a strong will. What a truly admirable spirit!"]
Owlbert awkwardly eased the atmosphere, cleared his throat, and began the proceedings:
["Then, the second match of the second round of the Martial Arts Ceremony group stage, Herta Lady (puppet version) versus swordmaster Jingliu, officially begins!"]
On the competition stage, the jio-tier Herta puppet looked Jingliu up and down and slowly uttered a few words: "Root. Check. According. Error. Strong."
Jingliu's eyes, covered by the eyepatch, looked toward the Herta puppet. Although there was no expression on her face, it was obvious she was puzzled.
The puppet's built-in translator: "Based on my detection and analysis of you, your physical data is quite good. Very strong."
Jingliu still had no expression and didn't speak. She simply nodded slightly, as if acknowledging the other party.
Herta puppet (Screwllum): "Over. Compare. Inferior. Grant. Execute."
Translator: "However, compared to this puppet, you are still a bit lacking. I grant you the right to bow your head and accept execution."
Jingliu tilted her head, as if saying: I don't believe it. Come and try.
In this way, the two of them conducted their pre-fight trash-talk on the competition stage in an almost telepathic manner. This left the audience on the stage momentarily confused: What are they doing?
Jing Yuan couldn't help but cover his face: "Looks like after a few hundred years apart, even she has become someone I no longer recognize. I remember back then this old thing spent every day pretending to be young. Now she's like this… Sigh…"
Stelle: ? What is Jing Yuan talking about?
Herta puppet (Screwllum): "Since. I Screw… Herta. See. Heaven. Tech!"
"Heaven. Tech. One!"
Translator: "Since that's the case, I Screwllum… Herta shall let you witness the crystallization of genius technology's wisdom!"
Translator: "The Genius Society's technological level is first in the galaxy!"
Click, crack—
With that, the chest armor of the Herta puppet suddenly opened, revealing multiple dark gun barrels.