Mr. Tail really has some skills—no wonder he's a professional. In just a few moves, he took down Luka's inner demon.
Luka's eyes instantly cleared.
Seeing this, Mr. Tail teased, "Luka, I've cleaned out all the noise messing with your heart. Now snap out of it for me!"
Once calm, Luka carefully reflected on everything in his heart.
Still, he believed he couldn't beat Boothill—even if given another chance, it wouldn't work.
Tail tried earnestly to persuade him, but with no effect. Tail was getting desperate.
After a moment's thought, he asked one final question. "That little fan of yours—Maggie—she fought her illness her whole life and still lost in the end. Tell me, did she lose?"
Luka's gaze suddenly became clear. "She lost."
"Hm?" Tail immediately had a bad feeling—could Scott's story be repeating?
Fortunately, it was just Tail's imagination.
Luka spoke slowly and steadily. "But she did everything she was supposed to do with all her effort. She kept throwing punches at the illness—one after another. She was the greatest fighter! In my heart, Maggie won! She won beautifully."
"You get it perfectly well, don't you? The ring has standards for win and loss. But when judging a life, we're the only ones qualified to decide. Luka, what's important is always throwing the next punch!"
[Mr. Tail almost went full reverse psychology.]
[Even knowing the story's ending—do you still have the courage to keep moving forward!]
[Knowing you'll die, yet still doing it.]
[Facing death to live!]
[I feel like Luka still has character arc development; it's just too scattered. You really need to watch the dedicated movie first to feel it here.]
[Didn't expect Maggie, who was described back then, to end up being such an important character.]
— —
Back in the waiting room.
Luka clenched his fists. "Miss Carmella, Coach—I'm sorry. I shouldn't have given up so easily."
Carmella glanced at Stelle. "Player Luka, what's gotten into you?"
"He got mind-fixed…"
[Salute to the legendary mental coach Mr. Tail.]
[Talk therapy—Mr. Tail used talk therapy.]
[If you ask me, Huohuo should forget about the Ten-Lords Commission and Shackling Prison. Just go straight to the Alchemy Commission and become a psychologist—no more living in fear.]
[Judge + psychologist—got potential? Hell yeah!]
With Luka back on his feet, everyone was naturally thrilled—though the recovery speed was honestly ridiculous.
Next came the key focus.
How to enter the revival match? And who exactly was the opponent?
Seeing there was nothing left for him to do, Tail slipped away.
Since Tail had helped so much, Stelle decided to see the two off.
"Alright, you can stop here—hurry back to your business." Tail said.
At that moment.
Huohuo's little face flushed bright red. "I can't hold the secret anymore—Trailblazer, I have to confess. Actually, Mr. Tail came looking for you this time because…"
"You dare!"
Stelle smiled calmly, completely in control. "I knew it—Tail missed me."
"Wuwuwu… Mr. Tail! I'm sorry! Actually, it's because Mr. Tail really loves watching Player Luka box."
Tail's eyes widened. "You little brat! This is the confidentiality level of a judge? Fine—I'll settle the score with you later. Anyway, that's the situation you heard. You better coach that kid properly and let him win a few matches beautifully, got it?"
[Hahaha, turns out it's genuine fan love.]
[He really is a fanboy.]
[No wonder he helped.]
Stelle clasped her hands in respect. "I won't let you down."
After a bit more small talk, the two left.
...
Stelle returned to the waiting room.
Carmella had already started researching the revival match opponent.
"From what I hear, in previous Martial Exhibition Ceremonies, the revival match was a free-for-all among high-popularity eliminated contestants, with only one winner advancing back to the qualifiers.
But General Jing Yuan changed the format—hoping to give contestants more chances and showcase the beauty of true martial duels.
I heard the Luofu invited a highly respected warrior renowned for virtue to serve as the 'judge' for revival challengers. Do you know about the 'Knights of Beauty'?"
Stelle shrugged. "Old acquaintance."
Luka looked over with envy. "The Astral Express's social circle is insane… I join one tournament and suddenly I'm surrounded by all your best friends…"
[Argenti is a brick—wherever needed, he's moved there.]
[Why does Argenti always show up everywhere?]
[Because he's Argenti. His character setting is appearing anywhere at any time while searching for Idrila.]
— —
Carmella: "Mr. Luka, the heroic image of you bravely swinging your fists will surely let this Knight sense your beauty. I sincerely wish you victory!"
"Thank you, Miss Carmella. I'll definitely succeed!"
"That way, I won't have to worry about job security anymore."
Soon after.
Carmella went out to handle the handover procedures for the revival match.
Luka furrowed his brow, muttering to himself inwardly. "Does my punching look beautiful? Hmm… how could I even see what I look like when punching?
Will that Knight of Beauty approve of me? The 'Knights of Beauty' sound like an organization extremely strict about aesthetics…
Stop overthinking, Luka! Think of Maggie—what's important is always throwing the next punch!"
[Not strict—they'd compliment a passing potted plant for half an hour.]
[Strict means greeting with compliments first.]
[Knights of Beauty are only strict with themselves.]
[It's Argenti—basically a guaranteed pass. Remember Penacony? As long as you explain clearly, he lets it slide.]
— —
Everything was ready. Luka had already stepped onto the ring.
As Luka's die-hard fan, Owlbert nearly burst into tears seeing him back on stage. "Next up, challenging the 'Knight of Beauty' Argenti—the massively popular young hero—'Iron Arm' Luka!
Player Luka! The entire galaxy is waiting for your return to the ring! We love you!"
Stelle gave a thumbs-up. "Argenti, of course it's you."
When Argenti appears, quality is guaranteed. Still dressed as a knight, he spoke. "We meet again, my dear friend. Your bearing remains as captivating as ever. Though I would love to chat more with you, Trailblazer, please forgive my neglect—today's protagonist is not you. It is Luka."
Luka was slightly nervous. "Ah… nice to meet you, Mr. Argenti. I've heard so much about you… you're really strong… and I'm strong too! Haha!"
"This is not our first meeting. I was present at your match against Boothill."
"Mr. Argenti, sorry for the embarrassing display. But don't underestimate me because of it!"
Argenti spoke with deep feeling. "No, no no no. You took one step forward and fearlessly threw a punch at a terrifying opponent… that scene was truly beautiful. I replayed it in my mind for a long time, holding back tears."
Luka instantly blushed. "You're making me embarrassed… losing so badly doesn't sound 'beautiful' at all."
"I must correct your view, Luka—Idrila's teachings do not include the twisted notion that 'the victor is more beautiful than the defeated.'
Boothill only wanted to frighten you, but you did not know that at the time. You believed you would die—yet for your dignity, your honor, your home—you still threw that punch.
To me, that is the finest embodiment of combat aesthetics.
However, though I greatly approve of you, according to the rules of the Martial Exhibition Ceremony, we must still duel."
Luka bumped his fists together. "Of course—no problem! I won't let down your appreciation, Mr. Argenti!"
At the same time.
The background music in the entire video switched to Argenti's signature BGM.
Back in the coach's seat, Stelle couldn't help shaking her head. "Can someone turn off Argenti's speaker?"
...
Luka swung his fists with burning passion, but in terms of true strength, Argenti was still far above him.
Though he knew full well the gap was insurmountable, he still fearlessly threw every punch.
After an unknown length of time in combat.
Argenti stepped back, creating distance between them. "Excellent! I was right not to misjudge you. Your skill, wisdom, and courage all shine with the 'beauty' of a true martial artist."
Owlbert quickly chimed in. "Argenti has acknowledged Player Luka's 'beauty'! Which means! 'Iron Arm' Luka is about to return to the Martial Exhibition Ceremony! Where are Luka's fans? Let me hear your screams! 3, 2, 1—let's go wild!!!"
Luka breathed a sigh of relief inwardly. "Mr. Argenti, I'm truly grateful for your recognition."
"No—I am merely exercising the authority granted me by the Xianzhou to allow your return to the ring. You do not need my 'recognition' at all—you need no one's 'recognition'."
"Haha… what you said is too profound. I honestly don't fully understand…" Luka spoke his honest thoughts.
"No matter. Remember one thing: you have already become the incarnation of combat's beauty. That is fact—neither victory nor defeat, nor the words of others, can render it nonexistent."
Luka still didn't fully get it. "Mm, I'll definitely keep it in mind… then go back and digest it slowly, haha."
"Oh, right—I heard there is another contestant in the Martial Exhibition Ceremony who also wields 'iron arms.' If the two of you could meet and duel, what a magnificent dance it would be!"
"Another 'iron arm'? Which contestant?"
"Farewell, Mr. Luka."
[Who could it be? So hard to guess.]
[Yeah, who exactly?]
[Who? Someone who should obviously be on the Xianzhou Luofu but hasn't appeared yet? Who? Who?]
— —
After finishing the press conference, Stelle browsed videos for a while.
Luka had completely blown up across the entire Luofu.
After all—who doesn't love a comeback story?
As soon as Stelle returned to the waiting room, she received a message from Lynx: Qingque had restored another portion of the data.
Scene shift—Stelle brought Luka to the Divination Commission.
Through Qingque's efforts, another segment of the Jade Abacus had been salvaged—and this might be the final piece.
Still, Luka didn't feel it was a pity. What if someone in this world still knew Igor?
Then the full story could be known.
Everyone began reviewing the data.
It explained why Igor had come to the Luofu: Jarilo-VI was suffering a disaster, and the intelligent machine at Igor's side suggested trying the Xianzhou—perhaps by participating in the Martial Exhibition Ceremony, he could gain the Xianzhou people's help.
After reading, Qingque let out a long sigh. She had originally thought the Xianzhou Alliance would send Cloud Knights to wipe out the Antimatter Legion above.
But nothing happened.
"Igor's final hope—the Xianzhou Alliance—ultimately never came to save his home."
Luka shook his head. "No, Miss Qingque—he didn't fail. Igor Haft later returned to Jarilo-VI and fought on the front lines resisting the Antimatter Legion.
He—and countless others like him—used their own flesh and blood to 'Preserve' Belobog, that isolated city at the end of days.
The fact that I can now stand on the Martial Exhibition Ceremony's ring and swing my fists for my home just like he did proves he didn't fail.
The people who died seven hundred years ago—they didn't fail either!"
"You're right. If Igor could see how brilliantly you're shining on the Martial Exhibition Ceremony ring, he would surely be very gratified."
Lynx said, "It's a pity we don't know what Igor looked like during the Martial Exhibition Ceremony."
"I went back to the archive and searched for ages… Seven hundred years isn't that long, but it fell right in a turbulent, chaotic era… The aftermath of the second Abundance War hadn't even settled before the饮 Moon's chaos began.
I couldn't even find a complete list of contestants, let alone Igor's name."
"It's fine. Even if the old legend is forgotten, I can still create a new one! On the Martial Exhibition Ceremony ring, I'll use my fists to rewrite Igor's story."
[Good! Full of spirit!]
[Keep going, Luka—cross this mountain, and they'll hear your story.]
...
The story continued developing. As usual, more qualifier matches were needed to earn enough points.
Carmella pulled out her phone to check. "Next match opponent is… let me see…"
"Ah!!!!"
Carmella's hand trembled as she held the phone. "Stellaron Hunter??? And it's that legendary one—the most violent, most brutal, most ruthless Sam?"
[Holy crap!!!]
[Firefly actually showed up?]
[No way—Firefly shows up and we still fight? Won't Luka just get incinerated on the spot?]
[Hahaha, very possible. After all, Firefly's the female lead of Season 4—making a cameo this season is perfectly reasonable.]
[I'm hyped for the rest of the plot.]
[Luka: Me vs. Sam? For real?]
— —
Carmella grabbed Luka's hand. "Player Luka, let me take you to withdraw—we're not fighting!"
Luka stopped Carmella. "Wait, Miss Carmella—what's the deal with this Sam? Why suddenly withdraw?"
"This person might be the most infamous wanted criminal—details later when there's time! Right now, priority is withdrawing! This is no joke."
Stelle stepped in to stop Carmella again. "No need to rush. Maybe they're just here to hang out with me."