Chapter 157: This Wave of Clever Operations

After a moment of dead silence, a massive uproar erupted!

"Challenging the top of the rankings across an entire academy division!?"

"Who dares be so bold?!"

"Are they out of their mind?!"

The entire perimeter of the martial arena began to boil with excitement!

"Vice Governor Xu, I didn't expect your academy to harbor such an ignorant little brat who doesn't know the height of the heavens," on the high platform, Vice Governor Yu remarked with a faint smile.

"Challenging across a division?" The Eldest Princess beside Fang Qi said, a touch of disdain flickering in her eyes. "Has becoming the top of the rankings made them completely forget who they are?"

On the martial arena, the competing disciples emerged from their respective preparation rooms. Nalan Mingxue wore a gown of pristine white, with that familiar short blade still hanging at her waist.

Fang Qi leaned lazily against the back of his seat, shifting his gaze into the arena. "Though this person can be quite annoying sometimes—stoic and low-key wicked—her talent is truly undeniable."

"Boss Fang, this is no longer a matter of talent." This time, even Mu Donglai, the mustachioed young man beside him, found it hard to believe.

"Being young and aggressive is a good thing, but blind arrogance is unacceptable." The black-robed old man next to Mu Donglai shook his head. "I've heard of the Nalan family girl. She is the most naturally gifted genius in centuries. In due time, she will surely become a powerhouse, but right now... it is far too early!"

Fang Qi was somewhat speechless. "Can you people just believe me for once?"

The old man immediately glared, his beard bristling. "It's not that this old man doesn't believe you, but what you're saying..."

He stared at Fang Qi and snorted, "Is that even believable?!"

At this moment, the internet cafe's livestream chat was filled with mirth:

"Old Man: Just keep bragging, let's see what kind of wild tale you spin next!"

"Boss: I'm really not bragging, believe me! Believe me, guys!"

Fang Qi's face darkened as he looked at the scrolling comments, suddenly feeling a strong urge to turn the chat off.

Dammit, no matter how much he explained, they just wouldn't buy it. Forget it, he wouldn't say another word.

"Hahaha! This old man loves scenes like this! On such a grand occasion, I must buy a tub of Häagen-Dazs to calm my nerves!" Nalan Hongwu was greatly comforted to see such a spectacle. Realizing he hadn't eaten his Häagen-Dazs today, he quickly bought two tubs. "Little Yue, fetch this old man a tub of Häagen-Dazs! And get one for your Grandpa Fu too!"

Then, he dragged a stool over to the side and began happily munching away.

...

"Xiao Lengyu from Shengjing Academy just defeated the top ranker of the Mystical Division from Xiyi Academy, didn't she?!"

"Exactly! Another single spear strike! Being a whole realm higher, the opponent had absolutely no power to fight back!"

"It's a pity someone else is so blind as to challenge across two major realms. This has never happened in history, right?!"

The spectator stands murmured with discussions.

Xiao Lengyu wore a tight-fitting black outfit, holding a silver spear angled toward the ground.

In the martial arena, black and white stood facing each other.

Xiao Lengyu's expression was icy, clearly angered by the contempt implied by the opponent's cross-realm challenge. With a flick of her wrist, she spun a spear flower, the gleaming silver tip pointing forward. "Since you want to gift me points, I shall reluctantly accept them."

Nalan Mingxue opened her mouth as if to speak, but in the end, not a single word came out. "Uh... forget it."

"What do you mean forget it?!" Xiao Lengyu's face darkened.

She drew back the tip of her silver spear, shifting her center of gravity backward with the spear point lowered. Her entire body and stance resembled a heavy crossbow pulled to full tension. Immediately following, a massive amount of martial qi converged upon the spear blade, warping the surrounding air into distortions!

"Even if you are two major realms below me, do not dare hope for any mercy!"

"This is...!?"

Many spectators involuntarily gasped. "A Single Qi Piercing the Rainbow?!"

"The ultimate technique of the Protector Duke?!"

"Back then, the Protector Duke used this exact martial skill to pierce through three Martial Kings with a single strike!"

"To think that at such an age, she has already mastered this technique?!"

"That girl won't be skewered right through, will she?!" the Second Prince muttered in a low voice.

After a long pause with no reply, the Second Prince couldn't help but look at Fang Qi. "Boss Fang, why aren't you speaking?"

"Stunned speechless?"

Fang Qi's face twitched. "You guys haven't believed a single word I've said, so what is there left to say?"

"Could it be that Boss Fang still clings to his opinion?" The Eldest Princess raised her slender neck, looking down at the martial arena with cold disdain.

Yet within a mere instant, that disdain turned to utter shock!

"Wait! Look over there!"

"This aura...!?"

"Fifth-tier Martial Master..."

"Sixth-tier?!"

"Seventh-tier?!"

"It's still climbing?!"

"Ninth-tier Martial Master?!"

Everyone stood up subconsciously, staring blankly at the martial arena!

As Nalan Mingxue's cultivation surged, the surrounding temperature plummeted, and a layer of frost slowly coated the ground!

"How is this possible!?"

The long blade at Nalan Mingxue's waist unsheathed!

A flash of blade light slashed out like a bolt of lightning!

How was it possible!?

From this distance?! Drawing the blade from thirty meters away?!

Thirty meters away from Nalan Mingxue, just as Xiao Lengyu's martial skill was on the verge of unleashing!

A streak of silver light sliced savagely toward her!

"Danger!"

In the blink of an eye, the razor-sharp blade edge, fast as a clap of thunder, had already shattered the martial qi surrounding Xiao Lengyu!

Thirty meters! At this speed, before her spear could even thrust out, she would have been slain by this blade edge several times over!

Boom!

The spear tip swiveled instantly, and the clashing energies erupted in a loud explosion!

Xiao Lengyu retreated half a step, while the long blade was violently knocked flying! It crashed heavily into the wall beneath the spectator stands, causing a large section of the pristine white wall to collapse!

The corner of Fang Qi's mouth curled upward. "Wanting to cast a high-power martial skill? Nonexistent. With the Sword Control Technique in hand, if she still let you pull off that kind of skill, she might as well leave the group chat."

The Eldest Princess felt as though her eyes were deceiving her!

Beside her, the faces of the Second Prince and the black-robed old man also twitched in disbelief.

"This is...!?"

"Could this be the Sword Control Technique again!?"

Everyone leaned forward, terrified of missing even the most fleeting detail!

Nalan Mingxue stood entirely unscathed; with a single guiding motion of her finger, the short blade flew forth from the collapsed ruins!

"My turn." If what the crowd had witnessed just moments ago was the raw advantage of the technique, then what they saw now was its masterful application!

Nalan Mingxue was exceptionally clever; if Song Qingfeng's mastery was merely transitioning from novice to proficient, hers had already achieved true fluency, as a single sweeping motion of her hand unleashed a creeping, bitterly cold blade qi!

Releasing her grip, the short blade soared out in tandem! It transformed into a streak of silver light, striking directly at Xiao Lengyu!

She pursued closely behind it, intertwining blade, qi, and fist so seamlessly that Xiao Lengyu felt as though she were under assault from three separate opponents simultaneously!

The swift, fluid grace of the Sword Control Technique combined with the close-quarters intensity of combat arts, interspersed now and then with her own exquisite martial skills, completely inverted the situation in an instant!

Xiao Lengyu discovered that despite her superior cultivation, failing to secure an advantage with her opening strike had stripped her of any further opportunity to retaliate!

"Now that is some impressive execution," Fang Qi remarked, his eyes brightening slightly.

Inside the internet cafe, many onlookers began flooding the commentary stream:

"Incredible execution, truly!"

"One step closer to the owner's level!"

"She has inherited the owner's true teachings!"

"Owner, adjust the spectator angle, I want to see their faces!"

"Hahaha, I want to see that too!"