Suppressing the intense pain coming from his left hand, Li Yingjie looked at the confident Song Lianlu across from him, and his heart sank. That last move had let him know just how wide the gap was between his strength and the opponent's. Under these circ.u.mstances, how could he beat the other? Li Yingjie's gaze began to waver with uncertainty ...

Song Lianlu had similarly sensed the power behind Li Yingjie's attack. Despite his hastiness in blocking it, he had still managed to take it. It looked like the strength of this c.o.c.ky punk in front of him was indeed weaker than him by a strand. With this, he had some basis for confidence now. His initial caution and tentative approach vanished, to be replaced by a raging barrage of attacks.

Facing this sudden attack, Li Yingjie naturally did not choose to take it forcefully. He instantly retreated to evade — it should be said that though Li Yingjie's evasion ability was not as elegant as Luo Lang's, it was still extremely remarkable, nimbly dodging all of Song Lianlu's fierce attacks. Still, even so, Li Yingjie was already disadvantaged, clearly being a pa.s.sive receptor of Song Lianlu's attacks.

Just like that, one attacked fiercely without any reservations, while the other dodged narrowly again and again. Everyone could tell that the loss of the New Cadet Regiment's representative was just a matter of time. Unless this freshman managed to pull out some ultimate move and have a sudden explosion of strength like the previous freshman, the outcome of this match would not change.

Of course, they would not jump to a conclusion so quickly ... after all, before the final results were out, anything was possible. Thus, everyone watched the stage intently, waiting for the results to emerge. Either this freshman would be on the defensive right until he gets defeated, or, like in the previous round, he would suddenly explode and launch a counterattack from dire straits.

Below the stage, the spectating Wu Jiong and Qi Long's faces were growing darker and darker. They knew that, if things continued like this, Li Yingjie would definitely lose! It was not that they could not accept failure, but they did not want to see Li Yingjie being pummelled continuously in such a frustrating manner. In their minds, even if they lost, they must lose gloriously!

Ling Lan frowned. Li Yingjie's old problem had appeared again. The moment he met an opponent he could not beat, he would become unmotivated and defend pa.s.sively, having no courage at all to risk everything in a last-ditch struggle.

Ling Lan began to think back — when had Li Yingjie begun to have this issue? As Ling Lan had not paid much attention to Li Yingjie in the past, by the time she had noticed, this fellow had already had this problem. Of course, Ling Lan was not a saintly matron. She would not go and help this irritating punk the way he was back then even when she noticed. Therefore, this problem had lasted all this while until today.

Sensing his boss's confusion, Little Four could not help but roll his eyes. Without saying a word, he pulled out out several video clips he had recorded in the early days, projecting them within Ling Lan's minds.p.a.ce ...

The first video was of Ling Lan's first fight against Li Yingjie. Without even sparing the other a glance, Ling Lan had sent Li Yingjie flying with one punch ... At the end of the video, Li Yingjie's disgruntled and resentful gaze was clearly captured within the frame.

The second video was Ling Lan's second fight against Li Yingjie. Again, she had not even looked at him, sending him flying with one kick ... Li Yingjie's expression at this time was one of dejection, with even a touch of self-doubt.

The third video was similarly a fight between Ling Lan and Li Yingjie. Ling Lan once again casually sent Li Yingjie flying with one punch ... Li Yingjie's expression here now was somewhat wooden, and a light trace of self-contempt could be read from his lips.

The fourth video was still a fight between Ling Lan and Li Yingjie. This time, Ling Lan just happened to be in the period when her killing intent had been the densest. Regardless of how Little Four tried to cover it up, some had still leaked when she had fought, instantly smas.h.i.+ng through Li Yingjie's mental defences. That time, Li Yingjie did not even manage to do anything before being sent flying off the stage by a punch from Ling Lan ... back then, his gaze was filled with terror ...

From then onwards, whenever Li Yingjie encountered someone stronger than him, he no longer had the courage to try and fight it out ...

Ling Lan rubbed her forehead wearily.

"Little Four, you mean that, Li Yingjie's current condition is completely because of me?"

Little Four nodded firmly.

"Of course. The first few defeats had already made that fellow's heart become unbelievably weak. That fourth time, was coincidentally when your killing intent was at its worst. His spirit received a terrible blow by that killing intent you leaked, leaving him with an inner demon."

"Tsk, why is this fellow's heart so d*mn weak? Isn't he very arrogant and proud?"

Ling Lan was somewhat baffled by this. Qi Long had been constantly losing to her as well, and she did not see any openings open up in that brat's mental state to produce an inner demon. He still fought as roughly as before.

"How could it be the same? Qi Long respects you, Boss. In his heart, Boss is not only Boss, but also a Master. Losing to you is very normal for him. But it's different for Li Yingjie. He has always considered you, Boss, as a rival, desiring to beat you so much that he was almost crazed by it. But Boss just happened to be too strong and overwhelming. Losing again and again, losing until he had no more confidence, and then his already fragile heart was coincidentally invaded by Boss's killing intent, hence leading to this problem ...."

Little Four's explanation made Ling Lan somewhat depressed. She had never thought that Li Yingjie would end up following her in the end, making this problem an issue she had to handle.

If she had only known earlier, she would have been more merciful back then

1

. However, it was too late for all that now — she might as well put her energy into thinking about how she could resolve the psychological problem this brat had now.

Right then, a powerful sound of fist meeting flesh rang out, "Pow!"

On the stage, Song Lianlu had finally grasped a chance to land a heavy punch onto Li Yingjie's left shoulder. Li Yingjie was sent flying to crash heavily onto the stage. He slid several metres, leaving an extremely obvious line on the stage; it was clear to see how powerful the opponent's blow had been.

Li Yingjie could not stop himself from throwing up a mouthful of blood. Although his vital points had not been hit directly, the opponent's strength had still been strong enough to cause blast injury to his internal organs. He felt a profound ache in his chest cavity, and even worse, his entire left arm had lost all sensation. Who knew if that last punch had shattered the bones of his shoulder, or if it had damaged his nervous system ...

Song Lianlu saw the opponent struck down and pleasant surprise flashed through his eyes. Just as he wanted to follow through to determine the outcome, Colonel Tang Yu suddenly stopped him and indicated for him to stand to one side. Then, Colonel Tang Yu walked up to Li Yingjie's side and asked, "Do you choose to admit defeat or continue to fight?"

When Li Yingjie heard Colonel Tang Yu's question, a voice rang out in his heart,

'Li Yingjie, admit defeat quickly! The opponent's strength is so much higher than yours. You have no way of beating him. There's no point in persisting. You might as well admit defeat and suffer less.'

Yes, why did he have to hold on so hard and fight? He was weaker than the opponent to begin with ... wasn't it normal to lose?

Li Yingjie slowly raised his hand, prepared to say the words 'I admit defeat', when a cold voice rang out from behind him, "Li Yingjie, stand up!"

Li Yingjie turned his head in bewilderment and saw Ling Lan, who had initially been seated below the stage, now standing right by the edge of the arena stage, looking at him with an icy expression.

"Li Yingjie, where have the guts you had when you were younger gone to? G.o.dd*mmit, stand up! It's time to let them see what the real c.o.c.ky Li Yingjie is like." Ling Lan's gaze was clearly frigid, but for some reason Li Yingjie could see the same firm faith in him as before in his gaze ...

'He understands me, and is also willing to believe in me, which was why he had agreed to my request ...'

Li Yingjie did not forget that, before the round, Ling Lan's gaze had been on Qi Long, but he had still agreed to his volunteering in the end. Not perfunctorily, but with full faith in him, believing that he would put up a good fight.

'No, I cannot let him look down on me!'

Li Yingjie was shaken. A voice in his heart was raging —

yes, I'm c.o.c.ky and arrogant. I was not afraid of anything at the beginning. Even if someone was stronger than me, I would dare to challenge them ... admit defeat? When had this phrase appeared in my mouth? That's definitely not me.

Li Yingjie abruptly turned his head around. His initially slightly raised right hand changed directions to slam onto the ground and support him as he slowly pushed himself off the ground. In spite of the agony, there was no change in Li Yingjie's face at this moment, as if the wounds on his body did not exist.

Seeing Li Yingjie's movements, Ling Lan turned around with satisfaction, returning to her seat. She believed that, this time, Li Yingjie was different now.

Li Yingjie stood up straight, and turning to the waiting Colonel Tang Yu, he said, "I want to continue fighting!"

A trace of approval flashed through Colonel Tang Yu's eyes, and he nodded and said, "Alright, the match continues!"

Song Lianlu silently tsked. If Colonel Tang Yu had not stopped him, he could have taken the chance to beat the other until he had no more fight in him. At the heart of it, this punk had been saved by the referee.

However, this would be the only time! A subtle smile appeared on the corners of Song Lianlu's lips. This half-crippled punk before him was completely no match for him.

"Who was the one who yelled earlier?" In the Leiting area below the stage, Lin Zhidong frowned as he looked at Ling Lan walking back to her seat, and asked the people around him.

"I don't know. This person is very unfamiliar." The person beside him looked closely at Ling Lan, and found her face unfamiliar, and so shook his head. As Ling Lan had always stayed within the villa without going out, other than those people from the Doha academies, most of the major factions outside really did not know about her.

"This person needs to be watched." Lin Zhidong was extremely alert. Being able to rekindle a comrade's fighting spirit with just a few words, this person could not be simple.

"Yes, Vice Regiment Commander Lin, I will arrange it," answered the person beside him respectfully, silently memorising Ling Lan's name.

"Qi Long, Li Yingjie's aura seems to have changed," said Wu Jiong to Qi Long excitedly. Li Yingjie's transformation on the stage had also been sensed by Wu Jiong.

Qi Long let out a sigh of relief as well and replied, "Yes, we don't have to worry about him anymore." He then sighed and added, "Boss Lan is truly Boss Lan, able to change Li Yingjie with just one sentence."

These words received Wu Jiong's agreement. He glanced admiringly at the calm and cold-faced Ling Lan by their sides. Only a talent such as Ling Lan, who could discern a person's nature with one look, would be able to unearth the latent talents of everyone in their team, better leading them as they advanced further. On this point, Wu Jiong was really too far away from Ling Lan's level.

Once again, Wu Jiong felt the distance between he and Ling Lan keenly. This sort of respect and admiration acc.u.mulated bit by bit in Wu Jiong's heart, until it was so substantial that it could not be overturned. He could only continue to willingly chase after the other, until the end of time!