Chapter 570: A Surge of Triumph and Turmoil

Almost the moment Yenir withdrew, a member of the Yamamoto Society, buzzing as if he’d hit the ultimate jackpot, dashed down to the stage.

Even the usually unflappable Yamamoto Ichiro, who wielded enormous power, along with the Cabinet Minister, clenched their fists in excitement.

They were spot on—they had bet correctly!

They had completely forgotten that not long ago they thought Ye Ze Ming was overly arrogant and reckless. Now they were eager to throw a huge celebration!

Forcing himself to remain composed and hide any hint of loss of decorum, Yamamoto Ichiro, president of the Yamamoto Corporation, steadily strode toward Yenir.

“Ye Ze Ming! From today, you’re the new president of Yamamoto Corporation—and my son-in-law, too!”

Ignoring the envious stares around him, Yamamoto Ichiro didn’t care that his words might have been a bit out of place for the occasion.

At that moment, he bitterly regretted sending a granddaughter who was nothing more than a marginal figure. Had he known Ye Ze Ming’s innate talent and battlefield prowess were so extraordinary, he would have sent his most cherished granddaughter without hesitation.

Such talent was too precious to let slip; he wouldn’t rest until he had him firmly in his grasp!

However, at that moment, Yenir, deliberately feigning exhaustion, only offered a slight nod, swaying as if utterly drained.

Not wanting to expose the limits of his act, he had fought this round relying solely on his extraordinary combat abilities.

“I think… I need to rest…”

Resisting the urge to glance at the rewards off in the distance, Yenir—despite his uplifted spirits—knew he had to maintain his act even more now.

Taking advantage of his feigned weakness and need for rest, he planned to avoid drawing attention from the higher-ups later on.

Under the guise of resting, he was sure that even the most inquisitive among the upper echelon wouldn’t be foolish enough to disturb him.

He was convinced that if Japan’s top officials had even a shred of common sense, they’d promptly hand over his rewards.

Sure enough, as Yenir appeared utterly frail, the faces of those surrounding him turned pale and they hurriedly summoned healer after healer.

“Ye Ze Ming! Hurry and rest! You must recover—you’re the hope of our Battle Zone!”

Flattering him without reservation, the Cabinet Minister—who had backed Yenir—set the tone firmly, casting a pained look at the injured Yenir.

No sooner had he finished speaking than he dismissed the ongoing contest and addressed the entire assembly:

“Ladies and gentlemen, I hereby declare Ye Ze Ming the champion of the Divine Warrior contest! I trust there are no objections!”

“Ye Ze Ming! Once your injuries heal, be sure to attend the Glory Festival and claim the honor you deserve!”

After his brief announcement, the Cabinet Minister wasted no time; with a sweeping gesture, he ordered a large contingent of soldiers to escort Yenir offstage.

Although, in theory, the Divine Warrior contest hadn’t yet concluded and the champion should be decided only after the other two emerged…

Yenir’s performance had been so overwhelmingly dominant that by then no one dared to object.

But once Yenir was taken off for treatment, everyone present suddenly remembered something and turned their eyes toward the overhead projection screen.

On it, in the midst of the other fighters’ battle scenes, a grueling chase had only just begun.

Under normal circumstances, they might have even admired the display—the two were putting on quite an impressive fight.

But now…

For some reason, a thought suddenly crossed everyone’s mind.

They couldn’t help but wonder… how could the gap be this vast?

Compared to Ye Ze Ming, other prodigies looked almost insignificant…

…………..

Four minutes later.

Yamato Teng, the first to finish his battle, looked exhilarated. Mustering his exhausted strength, he proudly stood before a massive mutated corpse and declared loudly:

“Withdraw!”

His expression was filled with pride—and a touch of excitement.

He believed his performance in the battle had been nothing short of extraordinary! To ensure the spectacle and to neutralize the mutated creature without a scratch, he had pushed himself to the limit!

In that moment, he could already envision the thunderous applause he’d receive the instant he emerged!

He was sure that once his father saw his performance, pride would fill his heart!

“Ha! Some think I was pre-appointed as the Divine Warrior champion just because of my status. But this time, I’m going to prove my worth—I truly am the strongest!”

Taking a deep breath as the withdrawal procedure commenced, Yamato Teng grinned proudly, ready to embrace his moment of glory.

While Ye Ze Ming’s match was tougher than his own, he was genuinely up against a mutated creature!

All things considered, this title was rightfully his!

But just seconds later, when he opened his eyes again, the sudden silence in the arena froze his proud smile.

Eh!?

Why was there no applause? Why did everyone look at me so strangely!?

Was it because my performance was too outstanding? Had I shocked everyone?

Swallowing his growing unease and sensing something was amiss as no one came forward to congratulate him, Yamato Teng couldn’t help but turn to the nearby referee and ask:

“I was the first to come out—doesn’t that make me the winner?! Why is no one speaking up?!”

Disregarding his image and as the arena fell silent, Yamato Teng could no longer contain the anxiety gnawing at him.

Especially when, to his shock, he realized that his father had vanished without him noticing!

After a brief silence, the referee standing beside him sighed and, with a conflicted expression, murmured:

“Yamato, you might… actually be second…”

“Just moments ago, the esteemed Ye Ze Ming successfully slaughtered the Man-Faced Insect….”

“Ahem, you…”

He wasn’t sure how to comfort him.

Upon hearing the referee’s announcement, Yamato Teng stood stunned, his eyes fixed blankly on the projection screen showing Yenir.

On the now-empty screen, the only image lingering was that of the Man-Faced Insect’s final moments.

“Killed!?”

“He killed that creature!?”

Bang, bang, bang—unable to believe what he saw, and as if the shock was too much to bear, Yamato Teng felt his head spin and his world turn upside down.

………………..

An hour later, when the champion of the Divine Warrior contest was formally announced, the entire Japanese Battle Zone was thrown into shock.

According to the official report, every survivor was stunned to realize that a super prodigy had emerged from their battle zone.

“Ye Ze Ming: Japan’s greatest genius of all time!”

….