Chapter 230: Temporary Weakness Does Not Mean Eternal Weakness

Chapter 230: Temporary Weakness Does Not Mean Eternal Weakness

"This!"

A wave of exclamations swept through the stands as everyone from Great Shen stared in disbelief at the scene.

Their warrior had clearly jumped off the stage, effectively conceding defeat. How could this man still deliver such a heavy blow!

"How can he be like this! It's disgusting!" Xiao Feiyan stomped her right foot in anger, as if the tiles beneath her feet were Tuoba Xiao.

Su Youyue's brows furrowed tightly.

She had long known that Tuoba Xiao was brutal and cruel, but seeing it firsthand was another matter entirely.

Watching their own warrior writhing in pain on the ground, Su Youyue glared fiercely at Tuoba Xiao before her gaze sought out Xie Yuan.

She saw him quickly walking over, bending down to inspect the injured man’s condition, then looking up and saying something to the stage.

Then Zhe Ying and Zhe Jing leaped off the martial arts platform without hesitation.

Seeing that Dongrong Country had won this round, the people of Dongrong not only found nothing wrong with Tuoba Xiao’s actions; they were even particularly pleased.

"Hahaha, as expected of General Tuoba! He beat those Great Shen people so badly that they surrendered!"

"You shameless Dongrong people, is this a martial contest or a killing spree!" Xiao Feiyan, seeing these people take pride in their actions, was so angry she wanted to rush over and fight them.

Hearing her dare to insult Dongrong, Prince Bei's face turned cold. "In the martial arena, swords and spears are used. Injuries and even deaths are common occurrences. Are you Great Shen people so petty? If you can't handle it, don’t play! But if you concede, you must fulfill the agreed conditions!"

Shameless? Even if General Tuoba relied on his strength, what does it matter in the face of national interests? Sacrificing one person's reputation for the benefit of the entire nation—should that person be condemned? No, they are a blessing to the nation!

Besides, General Tuoba is not someone who would use underhanded means.

It's right to make the Great Shen people see some blood and crush their arrogance!

Xiao Feiyan never expected these Dongrong people to be so shameless and arrogant. She was momentarily at a loss for words, nearly exploding with anger.

The others around her also wanted to curse the Dongrong people, but they harbored a lingering fear and did not dare speak directly.

At this moment, Emperor Bai Li Hongxuan raised his eyes from his seat: "Our Great Shen people are certainly magnanimous, but the martial arena of the two-nation contest is not a life-or-death arena. The Lady of Jinghai Hou's House is not questioning your country because our warrior was injured, but because our warrior had already left the platform when your general still delivered a lethal blow. This violates martial ethics and righteousness, harming the relationship between Dongrong and Great Shen, isn't that right, Prince Bei?"

Xiao Feiyan was greatly angered by Prince Bei's words but didn't know how to retaliate. The Emperor's words summarized exactly what she wanted to say.

Her anger wasn't about losing this round, but about the shamelessness of Dongrong. Where did Prince Bei get off with his arguments!

Prince Bei looked at the Emperor of Great Shen, inwardly sneering. What relationship existed between Dongrong and Great Shen? Though he wasn't a statesman, he knew since childhood that the basis of relations between nations was mutual interest, and the essence was a contest of power.

Talking about feelings in matters of national interest—this person must either be stupid or have ulterior motives.

"Your Majesty is mistaken. In Dongrong, martial contests have always been like this. Perhaps your Great Shen people are too weak and delicate, nitpicking instead of fighting properly!" Prince Bei snorted lightly. "No wonder Great Shen's soldiers are getting weaker."

Seeing the Dongrong people blatantly disregard martial ethics and still argue so strongly, the Great Shen people grew increasingly frustrated. However, the last part of what Prince Bei said was true—their army was indeed weakening and no match for Dongrong's forces.

Moreover, Prince Bei seemed to be deliberately taunting them. Want to pursue Dongrong? They should first consider their own strength!

Despite this, the Great Shen people were burning with anger.

If they heard such words in the past, they might have felt indifferent.

But today, their unity was strong, and hearing these words made each of them furious.

"Temporary weakness does not mean eternal weakness. Temporary victory or defeat does not determine eternal victory or defeat. Throughout history, many powerful dynasties have turned into ruins. The only constant is change." Emperor Bai Li Hongxuan spoke calmly, revealing no emotion, but clearly not pleased. "Very well, we in Great Shen are hospitable. Since Prince Bei insists on following Dongrong's rules in our martial arena, then for the next three rounds, we will follow Dongrong's rules. Life and death are fate, and each relies on their own skill."

"This..." The Great Shen people hesitated upon hearing this.

If there were no limits on life and death, the Dongrong people would show no mercy to their warriors!

Moreover, their earlier victories came from group tactics. One-on-one battles offered fewer tactical options. Clearly, the Great Shen warriors were inferior in martial skills. What if they died on the platform!

Prince Bei was somewhat surprised, raising his thick eyebrows and glancing at the envoys beside him.

The envoys nodded almost simultaneously.

Prince Bei then agreed, "Fine! Who's afraid of who! Let's do it!"

Xiao Feiyan was dumbfounded. She grabbed Su Youyue's arm anxiously. "Yue'er, how could the Emperor change such a rule?"

Earlier, though she was angry, she only wanted to curse the shamelessness of the Dongrong people, not change the rules of the contest.

If their Great Shen warriors lost their lives due to this rule change, she would be a great sinner!

At this moment, Xiao Feiyan finally understood the frustration and helplessness the ministers felt when dealing with this new Emperor.

Su Youyue patted her hand. "Feiyan, don't worry. We will win this martial contest."

Initially, she was puzzled whether Xie Yuan had changed his strategy and no longer planned to send ordinary warriors to wear down Tuoba Xiao.

But now, she understood.

Xie Yuan sent Zhe Ying and Zhe Jing to probe Tuoba Xiao's abilities and martial style. Sending ordinary warriors would not reveal Tuoba Xiao's true strength.

When he called Zhe Ying and Zhe Jing back, it meant he had a plan.

Moreover, everyone had overlooked one crucial point: Xie Yuan had not yet entered the arena.

There were three more one-on-one matches left, and he had three chances.

It was time for Xie Yuan to step forward.

For this martial arts competition, Great Shen must win!

Su Youyue cast a cold glance at Tuo Ba Xiao below the stage.

Taste the humiliation of being dominated, Tuo Ba Xiao. Your nemesis has arrived.