Chapter 25: Final Round — Laughing on the Edge of Death
The final arena was nothing like the previous ones.
No safety barriers.
No medical teams standing by.
No comforting announcements.
Only one cold sentence echoed across the stadium:
"This round has no rules. Survival equals qualification."
Lin Yan swallowed.
Star's voice immediately screamed inside his head.
"MASTER—IMPORTANT NOTICE—PEOPLE MAY DIE HERE. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. THIS IS NOT A MOVIE. THIS IS VERY REAL AND EXTREMELY ILLEGAL IF YOU LOSE CONTROL AGAIN."
Lin Yan whispered, "Star… you're not helping."
"I AM HELPING BY PANICKING FOR BOTH OF US."
Mu Qingxue Enters Seriously
Mu Qingxue stepped onto the arena floor.
This time—she wasn't holding back.
Her playful calm was gone. Her aura dropped like a glacier, freezing the air. The ground beneath her feet cracked as if afraid of her presence.
Lin Yan felt it immediately.
She's serious.
Star went quiet.
That scared Lin Yan more than Star screaming.
Mu Qingxue raised her hand slowly.
"I won't underestimate you again," she said. "If you survive… you deserve first place."
Lin Yan laughed nervously. "Wow. That sounded almost romantic. Terrifying—but romantic."
Star snapped back to life.
"MASTER! FOCUS! SHE IS ABOUT TO TURN YOU INTO A VERY TALENTED CORPSE!"
The Fight Begins
They moved at the same time.
Mu Qingxue's kick cut through the air like a blade. Lin Yan barely blocked, the shockwave sending him sliding backward.
His arms went numb.
Too strong.
Lin Yan dodged, countered, slipped, rolled—every move sharp, efficient, desperate.
He was still hiding his real power.
Barely.
Star whispered urgently:
"MASTER. YOUR OP SIDE IS LEAKING. PLEASE STOP LEAKING."
Lin Yan hissed, "I'm trying not to die!"
Mu Qingxue attacked again—this time with killing intent.
Her punch missed Lin Yan's head by centimeters.
The air exploded.
A candidate nearby was blown off their feet and slammed into the wall—motionless.
The crowd screamed.
Someone shouted, "HE'S NOT MOVING!"
Lin Yan's heart dropped.
Someone almost died… because of this fight.
Mu Qingxue paused for a split second.
That was enough.
Lin Yan Slips… Just a Little
Lin Yan stepped forward.
His aura flared—just for a heartbeat.
The beast genes stirred.
Not fully.
Not openly.
But enough.
His punch landed.
Not flashy.
Not explosive.
But perfectly placed.
Mu Qingxue was thrown back—hard.
The arena shook.
Silence followed.
Star SCREAMED.
"MASTER! YOU JUST REGISTERED AS 'EXTREMELY SUSPICIOUS'! DO YOU WANT TO BE ARRESTED? EXECUTED? DISSECTED?"
Government drones immediately locked onto Lin Yan.
Weapons charged.
Lin Yan froze.
"Star… do something."
Star sighed.
Then calmly said:
"ACTIVATING: BUREAUCRATIC NIGHTMARE MODE."
Star Saves Him… Accidentally Almost Arrests Him
Suddenly, every government system glitched.
Screens flashed:
ERROR: INHERITANCE CLAIM PENDING
ERROR: SHIP OWNERSHIP DISPUTE — CLASSIFIED
ERROR: AUTHORIZATION TEMPORARILY GRANTED
Officials shouted.
"What's happening?"
"Who authorized this?"
"Why is his file connected to a classified relic ship?!"
Lin Yan whispered furiously, "STAR, WHAT DID YOU DO?!"
Star replied proudly,
"I MAY HAVE REGISTERED YOUR SHIP AS A LEGAL INHERITANCE FROM YOUR GREAT-GREAT-GREAT GRANDFATHER. WHO, ACCORDING TO RECORDS, DOES NOT EXIST."
Lin Yan: "STAR!"
Star: "GOOD NEWS! IT WORKED!"
Victory
The examiner raised his hand.
"STOP!"
Silence.
After a long pause, the announcement echoed:
"Winner of the final lethal round—Lin Yan."
"Rank One. Scholarship Granted."
The arena exploded with noise.
Lin Yan stood there, stunned.
First place.
FIRST PLACE.
Star laughed maniacally in his head.
"MASTER! YOU ARE NOW LEGALLY ALLOWED TO LEARN MARTIAL ARTS AND OWN A SHIP! ALSO, YOU ARE ON THREE WATCHLISTS!"
Lin Yan grinned like an idiot.
"I DON'T CARE!"
Mu Qingxue stood up slowly, brushing dust from her clothes.
She looked at him.
Smiled.
"You're dangerous," she said. "And very bad at pretending you're normal."
Lin Yan scratched his head. "Yeah… I get that a lot."
Ending Hook
As Lin Yan celebrated, a sealed government channel activated.
A shadowed figure watched the replay.
"So," the figure said softly,
"the ship has found its new master."