Chapter 223 - 173: Zhao Manying’s Secret

Words : 2012 Updated : Oct 8th, 2025

Chapter 223: Chapter 173: Zhao Manying’s SecretShi Renzhong was thirty-two this year, at such a young age, it was impossible for him to have built the Emperor Star Club from scratch and to own a fortune worth hundreds of billions. His wealth mostly came from his illustrious family background. He was the second son of Shi Hongyi, the wealthiest man in the Asia-Pacific Community, and had exhibited extreme talent from a young age. Passionate about Martial Arts, Shi Hongyi had invested massive resources into him, hiring a top global coaching team, providing the best possible cultivation conditions, thus setting him up for success right from the start. At the age of eighteen, Shi Renzhong first evolved into a Mutant. Then, over ten years, he evolved three more times into a Super Mutant and ascended the Global Ladder, rapidly climbing in rank. During this period, Shi Hongyi purchased the Emperor Star Club and handed its management over to him. Shi Renzhong advanced from the Class A league to the Super League step by step. The team’s performance improved year after year, moving from the bottom of the league to eventually winning the championship, single-handedly creating the present glory of Emperor Star. His contributions were indeed immense. Turning a weak club into a champion was not an uncommon story in history. The unique aspect of Emperor Star Club was that the owner was a full-time team member who actually participated in matches, improving his personal skills alongside the club’s achievements. Although Shi Renzhong acted ostentatiously, he was straightforward and honest, and the team’s results were solidly earned. With strength, capability, good looks, and being a top wealthy second generation, he was immensely popular with countless fans. The nickname "Martial King" was rather arrogant, even more high-profile than some Heavenly Kings, but it was relatively down-to-earth among many of Shi Renzhong’s extravagant nicknames. It just sounded a bit off when said too quickly. Ji Xinghuo looked at Shi Renzhong, his expression indifferent. He had seen a lot about Shi Renzhong online even before he met Zhao Manying, especially after Zhao Manying joined Emperor Star Club. There had always been rumors that Shi Renzhong had been pursuing her for years, which was practically an open secret. So, when Zhao Manying publicly announced her relationship, most people assumed that Shi Renzhong was her boyfriend. Many fans of the couple were overjoyed and immediately sent their congratulations. But it was soon denied by Shi Renzhong. A portion of Ji Xinghuo’s many "enemies" were fans of Shi Renzhong, who cursed the ugliest and bore the most hostility. In a way, the two were rivals in love, although they had never met before. However, whenever Zhao Manying occasionally mentioned Shi Renzhong, she showed no particular emotion, no different from when she talked about other teammates. Ji Xinghuo didn’t ask further questions. At this moment, amidst the shouts of hundreds of thousands of spectators, Shi Renzhong sprinted through the tunnel, beams of light following his footsteps. As all eyes were on him, he entered the fully transparent login hall and climbed onto the platform, ceaselessly waving to his fans, a smile on his face, looking completely triumphant. During this, the host energetically read out Shi Renzhong’s details—age, height, weight, educational background, professional templates, ranks, career data, and so on. Meanwhile, his highlight reel played on the big screen, showing only his finest moments in the arena. Shi Renzhong stood firm on the stage. Then, the lights returned to the tunnel entrance, and the host shouted loudly, "Qi Feng!" Qi Feng, the second to enter, was also a core member of the Emperor Star Club. As a Thermal Stringer with extraordinary talent, he was ranked 85th on the Global Ladder, his strength in the team second only to Zhao Manying, with a tactical status even higher than Shi Renzhong’s. One by one, the Mutants competing entered the stage. Typically, a club team has up to twelve members, five of whom start the match, with the rest as substitutes. Besides the core members, other players frequently change. According to different Spirit Realm Worlds, different tactics are formulated. Coaches choose the most appropriate teammates for professional combinations, a deeply strategic matter. Soon, eleven competition Mutants had entered, leaving only one left. The venue suddenly fell silent for a few seconds. Everyone held their breath. Dum dum dum... Amidst deafening music, a beam of light descended from the sky, illuminating a tall, elegant silhouette. Zhao Manying stood within the circle of light, dressed in a fitted battle outfit, her form graceful, her clear eyes beautiful, her peerless face bearing a light smile as if a Moon Palace Fairy had descended to earth. She simply stood there, exuding a confident and powerful aura. The enthusiasm of the audience was completely ignited, reaching its peak. In that moment, not only the over three hundred thousand spectators present but also hundreds of millions watching the live broadcast were uncontrollably cheering for Zhao Manying. "Sword Immortal!" "Sword Immortal..." The sound waves were like a raging tide, one wave higher than the last, almost flipping the venue over. On the big screen, Zhao Manying’s highlight moments played as the host’s voice, filled with vigor, echoed as she calmly passed through the tunnel and walked towards the platform in the login hall. Ji Xinghuo’s family all started shouting loudly too. Liangqiu Feiyan looked at Zhao Manying not far away, dazzled and immensely envious. Zhong Ming sighed, "To be a star of the Super League is really awesome! When will I be able to step onto the stage of the Super League..." Ye Dongyun laughed, "Younger brother, you can do it." Wang Zizhen unconsciously clenched his fists, a look of determination flashing in his eyes. Ji Xinghuo also felt a surge of emotions. A hard-to-describe feeling rose in his heart, recalling every little detail of their private moments together, intertwined with her current center-stage persona, making everything more vivid in his mind. Zhao Manying stepped lightly, looking up in Ji Xinghuo’s direction as she walked through the tunnel. The two were only a few meters apart. Her gaze swept over the front row seats, pausing almost imperceptibly on Ji Xinghuo, before they briefly made eye contact and she continued forward. To others, there was nothing unusual about this. However, her siblings all knew that Zhao Manying was greeting Ji Xinghuo. Zhong Ming gently nudged Ji Xinghuo’s shoulder beside him, a smile appearing on his face. The entire Emperor Star Team had arrived. The venue’s lights brightened, followed by a grand and solemn championship ceremony. According to the Super League’s event process, each year’s opening match was held at the previous season’s champion’s home ground, with an award ceremony before the kickoff, honoring the champions with medals, each receiving a specially made champion ring. This was no ordinary ring, but Superpower One Star equipment. Not only did it encompass abilities, but it also symbolized honor, worth tens of millions of Ya Yuan. Beyond the Superpower Rings, there was also one most unique prize called the "Golden Crown," awarded only to the most outstanding individual of the winning side in the championship final. The crown, crafted from gold, was not Superpower Equipment. It was purely a mark of honor, a title countless Super League mutants longed for yet could not obtain, representing the highest achievement of one’s career. The host loudly announced, "Now, I invite Mr. Shi Hongyi, the chairman of the Quartz Group, the great Heavenly King, the ’Great Magician’, to present the awards to the champions!" An imposing man walked onto the stage. The big screen displayed his prestige. Ji Xinghuo, like the surrounding audience, was watching intently, but he wasn’t looking at the screen; he was directly observing the man himself. One of the thirteen Heavenly Kings of the Asia-Pacific Community, nicknamed "Great Magician," his professional template was a Superconductor Mage. Shi Hongyi had founded the Quartz Group. Not only was his personal strength formidable, but he was also wealthy enough to rival nations, a prominent figure renowned worldwide. Shi Hongyi was ninety years old this year, but he didn’t look it at all. Standing next to his son, Shi Renzhong, they looked more like brothers, perhaps even younger. He was just over one meter eighty, with unremarkable looks and not particularly muscular, dressed in a neat black suit, his gaze steady and his smile gentle, making him appear more like a government official. In terms of magnetic field sensitivity, Shi Hongyi’s magnetic field intensity was stronger than all the mutants on stage combined. But his ether energy fluctuations were extremely restrained, almost similar to a regular person’s. "Unfathomable!" Ji Xinghuo’s pupils contracted. This was the second Heavenly King he had seen up close, the previous one being the "Zeus," Heinrich Mueller, at the Midpoint Fortress, who was also a Superconductor Mage, ranked ninth on the Heavenly Kings list. Sёarᴄh the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shi Hongyi was ranked 26th on the list. However, Ji Xinghuo’s instinct told him that Shi Hongyi’s strength seemed stronger than Zeus! "He must be hiding his true strength." "However, it could also be that when I observed Zeus last time, the distance was further away, so the feeling wasn’t as intense as today." Ji Xinghuo thought to himself. Shi Hongyi, the true owner of the Emperor Star Club, gave a brief speech on stage, congratulating the team on their championship. Then, the award presentation began. He presented the champion rings to each team member, and when it came to his son Shi Renzhong, he nodded slightly, a look of approval on his face, clearly very satisfied with his son’s performance. Shi Renzhong was quite excited, but in public, the father and son did not say much. After distributing the rings, a staff member brought forward a golden crown. Shi Hongyi picked up the crown, gently placed it on Zhao Manying’s head, and said a few words of encouragement. The venue erupted in cheers. This was the second Golden Crown Zhao Manying had received. Her emotions appeared very calm; she merely nodded slightly to Shi Hongyi, her expression cool, not as excited as others. The audience thought this was just her usual demeanor, aloof and proud, as if the honors she won were all taken for granted, and they found nothing strange about it. It was Ji Xinghuo who noticed a subtle hint. Zhao Manying was different from usual! Although she always appeared standoffish in public, never showing much emotion, explaining that it was to avoid many troubles, at this moment, the iciness and indifference that flowed from her eyes didn’t seem feigned. Others couldn’t discern the truth, thinking it was her nature. However, Ji Xinghuo had been with her for many days and knew her very well, able to perceive some of her true emotions. At this moment, Zhao Manying felt no joy, seemingly suppressing her own heart, striving to maintain her composure. Ji Xinghuo was puzzled. "Why is that?" All along, he had thought that Zhao Manying had a perfect life, successful and promising, carefree in her everyday life. Only now did he realize that this was not the case; she had her secrets. After the championship award ceremony, the atmosphere in the venue subsided a bit, and the host began to introduce the guest team, the Skywalker Team members entering via another passage. As today’s opponents, they naturally did not receive a warm welcome from the audience, and their entrance ceremony was merely a formality. Then the head coaches of both teams appeared. The guest team first chose the Spirit Realm World for the battle, and the home team announced their first player to go on stage, followed by the guest team announcing two players. They alternated in selection, engaging in tactics and games until both sides had chosen all five starters, who then lay down in the Spirit Realm login pods. The arena’s center projected the scene of the Spirit Realm World, and the match officially began.

Chapter 223 - 173: Zhao Manying’s Secret

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