Chapter 962: Stunning the Entire Audience

Li Bufan halted his steps and turned to glance at the man in the green robe. Without the slightest hesitation, he said bluntly, "Not interested."

The green-robed man's expression froze.

This guy has the nerves to ignore me!

"So what if you beat Shen Yidao? Do you really think you're invincible now?"

With a flick of his finger, the man sent out a black-and-white game piece. It shot forward like a crossbow bolt. A sharp crack split the air, and in the distance, a massive tree as thick as several people's arms was pierced straight through. A split second later, it exploded with a deafening boom. The entire tree snapped in half, and the solid wood within was crushed to pulp by the sheer force of that strike.

"

Hiss!

"

A sharp intake of breath swept through the gathered students from the various academies. Their eyes widened in shock. That technique was no small matter.

"Well? What do you say now?"

Noticing the stunned expressions of the onlookers, the man in green grinned broadly and said, "You should be willing to fight me now, shouldn't you?"

"Still not interested."

Li Bufan jumped down from the stage, ignoring the man completely.

His hidden weapon technique was impressive, but with Li Bufan's speed, the man would never even get the chance to make a move.

This was a match with no suspense whatsoever. It could not stir even a hint of interest in him.

"

Haha,

Bufan, if you won't fight, I'll fight instead!"

Jiang Xiaofan seemed quite intrigued by the man's technique. Smiling, he called out from below the platform, "I'll fight you."

"

Hmph!

"

The man in green scowled when he realized Jiang Xiaofan was one of Li Bufan's companions. Though visibly displeased, he still replied in a deep voice, "Very well. I'll give you a chance! A chance to suffer a crushing defeat!"

Jiang Xiaofan did not rush to enter the stage. Instead, he crouched down and picked up a handful of stones from the ground. With a light squeeze, he shaped them into ten smooth, round pellets.

After two months of cultivation in Flame Valley, his control over power had clearly reached an extraordinary level.

His precision had become so refined that even Ling Feng would be forced to admit defeat in that regard.

"

Hmph!

"

The man in green furrowed his brows and asked with an annoyed expression, "What are you up to, boy?"

Jiang Xiaofan walked onto the platform with a grin and said calmly, "That stone-flicking technique of yours... my master taught it to me too."

"Stone-flicking?"

The man's eyebrows knotted tightly. "You dare call Situ Lei's hidden weapon technique mere stone-flicking?"

"It is stone-flicking," Jiang Xiaofan replied, scratching the back of his head with a goofy smile.

"Trying to play dumb, are you? I'll make sure you die in rhythm!"

Situ Lei let out a cold snort, then produced a black-and-white piece out of who knows where. With a flick of his finger, he launched it straight at Jiang Xiaofan's face.

"Then I'll give it a try."

The moment he stepped into battle, Jiang Xiaofan's entire aura changed. His gaze sharpened as he flicked a stone from his fingers. The speed and force behind it surpassed even that of Situ Lei.

"So you have some skill after all. But your technique is crude, without variation. Just ordinary stone-flicking after all."

Situ Lei burst into laughter. Then his figure flashed, and both hands began to move rapidly, launching wave after wave of black-and-white game pieces. Each piece twisted through the air, changing direction mid-flight and accelerating across the stage.

In the blink of an eye, the entire platform was covered in his pieces. They formed a grand black-and-white battle array.

If every piece carried the power to pierce a tree, the combined force of this barrage would be beyond imagination.

"

Uh...

"

Li Yunting broke into a cold sweat as he watched from below. He turned toward Ling Feng and asked in a low voice, "Mr. Ling... is this really going to be okay?"

Ling Feng gave a nonchalant shrug.

Even if every piece exploded upon impact with Jiang Xiaofan, with that ridiculous defense of his, he would still come out unharmed.

But what intrigued Ling Feng was how Jiang Xiaofan would respond to this attack.

This would be the perfect chance to see what progress he had made during his time in Flame Valley.

Li Bufan also kept his eyes fixed on the stage without blinking. He had no interest in Situ Lei's hidden weapon techniques. If he were the one up there, he could dodge everything with Wind and Thunder Transformation. Situ Lei would not even graze the corner of his robe.

However, Jiang Xiaofan had always lacked speed. How would he deal with this deadly barrage?

"I didn't know you could flick stones like that."

Jiang Xiaofan looked at the array of flying game pieces and showed a trace of surprise. "Master never taught me that part."

"If you don't want to get hurt, you'd best surrender now!"

Situ Lei grinned broadly.

The military was different from the academies. At school, students sparred to learn. In the military, things were bloodier. Far more brutal.

This was a place for killing!

His hidden weapon techniques could wipe out swamps of enemies in an instant. Though he had never been especially outstanding at Zhenlong Academy, he could truly shine in the army.

He even dreamed that he might rise to become the most famous newcomer in the Southern Army. He would seize glory in the war against the Demon Race, build his reputation in a single battle, receive noble titles, marry a princess, and stand at the peak of life.

"Surrender? Why should I surrender?"

Jiang Xiaofan's words dragged him back from his fantasies.

Situ Lei snorted coldly. A ruthless glint flashed through his eyes. "Fine. Since you refuse to surrender, don't blame me for showing no mercy."

"Explode."

Swish! Swish! Swish!

All the suspended game pieces shot forward at once, all aimed directly at Jiang Xiaofan. The force behind them made the onlookers feel their scalps tingle.

"Is he trying to kill him?"

"Damn, what's wrong with that guy? Why isn't he dodging? He's not even putting up a true qi barrier."

"Is he trying to get himself killed?"

Even Situ Lei himself felt something was off. This might go too far. That kid could really die.

But it was already too late. The pieces were in motion. His mental strength could no longer halt their flight.

"Master taught me what to do in a situation like this."

In that critical moment, Jiang Xiaofan closed his eyes and flicked a single stone from his fingers.

A sharp whistle cut through the air as the stone spun into motion, circling around him at an impossible angle.

As it spun, it intercepted the flying game pieces one after another. In the blink of an eye, the single stone struck down over a hundred incoming pieces.

With a series of crisp clattering sounds, all of Situ Lei's black-and-white pieces rained down onto the stage. They fell one by one, shaking every onlooker to their core and shattering the illusion of Situ Lei's invincibility.

Compared to Jiang Xiaofan, his hidden weapon techniques were like a toddler stumbling through his first steps. Utterly laughable.

Silence fell. The entire arena sank into a strange and eerie stillness.

Jiang Xiaofan's single move, launched after his opponent's assault, had stunned the entire audience.

"Nice one!"

Even Ling Feng could not help but offer silent praise.

The Sword Maniac truly deserved his title as a veteran Human Emperor. He had precisely targeted Jiang Xiaofan's weakness and trained it to perfection. This brute who once relied solely on brute force could now unleash such a graceful counterattack.

At that point, Jiang Xiaofan had unquestionably earned the title of a top-tier prodigy!