Chapter 158: Don't Mess with Lingyun Academy's Passersby

From the master seats, watching the eyes of the other two vice palace masters go wide and rigid, Vice Palace Master Xu burst into boisterous laughter. "Many thanks! Many thanks to you both for the reminder. This sudden turn of fortune not only exists, but it is monumental! Hahaha!"

"How can this be!" Vice Palace Master Yu’s eyes stared so hard they nearly locked in place. "This little girl is only sixteen, isn't she?! A ninth-tier Martial Master at sixteen?!"

He slapped his thigh and cried out, "Since when do such things happen?!"

"Precisely!" Palace Master Jiang echoed loudly. "Could she have used some strange method to force her growth unnaturally?! Vice Palace Master Xu, your Lingyun Academy has truly spared no scheming to take the crown in this national examination!"

"What nonsense?!" Vice Palace Master Xu flared up instantly. "Just moments ago, you claimed I planted cultivators among the disciples. And the result? Are there any cultivators? Why don’t we let His Majesty judge who is right?!"

At that moment, the Emperor, seated between them, spoke once more. Beneath his astonishment lay a faint trace of good humor. "Her martial essence is pure, and her circulation flows effortlessly. She is a fine prospect. It is a true blessing for our Great Jin to gain such talent. Sit down, gentlemen."

"Did you hear that?!" Vice Palace Master Xu glared at the two men before sinking back into his seat.

Yet his eyes remained wide and fixed upon the martial arena.

Inside the internet cafe, Nalan Hongwu pointed at the large screen, laughing heartily as he enjoyed his Häagen-Dazs. "I swear the Emperor's eyes are turning green with envy!"

However, only an old prince like Nalan Hongwu, who belonged to the same generation as the late Emperor, dared to speak so boldly; everyone else merely offered awkward smiles.

"Could it be that Boss Fang also knows the Sword Control Technique?" Seated around Fang Qi, several people turned their gaze to him as they watched Xiao Lengyu being suppressed on the martial arena until she could barely breathe.

"She’s from Boss Fang’s shop, isn't she?" Mu Donglai smacked his lips in awe. "I never expected that besides close-quarters combat, there would be such a marvelous Sword Control Technique!"

The expressions of everyone nearby twitched. "She’s from your shop too?!"

"Boss Fang, just what kind of shop do you run?!" The Eldest Princess finally found her voice.

We honestly thought you opened a shop that sold mundane pills and spiritual artifacts, but who knew you ran a place like this?!

"The shop Boss Fang runs... sells all kinds of miraculous martial arts?!" The Second Prince’s breathing quickened slightly. "Could this Sword Control Technique have been bought from Boss Fang’s shop?!"

By this time, everyone could see that this wondrous Sword Control Technique was far more than a simple way to extend a martial artist's attack range!

At least in the early stages, a martial artist with the Sword Control Technique compared to one without it was no different from the gap between a cultivator and a ordinary warrior!

Of course, what they did not know was that this was merely a newly mastered version of the technique. If Fang Qi were the one to execute it, the power would be far greater.

"With such swordplay, a martial artist would never have to fear a cultivator at any stage!" The black-robed elder beside them fell into deep thought. "Boss Fang, is this Sword Control Technique truly from your establishment?"

"Indeed it is," Fang Qi replied, crossing his arms. "Would you gentlemen care to visit when you have the time?"

"How much?!" the Second Prince asked on the spot.

"Twenty crystals. Satisfaction and mastery guaranteed."

"..."

"!!??"

The surrounding crowd stared at one another, their mouths hanging wide open.

What in the world?!

Twenty crystals with guaranteed mastery?!

"Hahaha! Twenty crystals for a copy of The Legend of Sword and Fairy, no lies there!"

"Hurry up and buy it! There isn't just the Sword Control Technique; there's also the Thousand Sword Technique, the Heavenly Sword, and the Sword God! It’s enough to keep you learning for a lifetime!"

"Twenty crystals for a lifetime of learning, provided you pay enough for your screen time!"

Players in the cafe who had not bought the game cried out, "I'll buy it! I'll buy it, alright!"

The players watching the live stream in the cafe erupted into a chorus of laughter.

"What is this game called?" Mu Donglai was clearly someone in the know.

"The Legend of Sword and Fairy."

Mu Donglai smiled and said, "Even if one has no time, one must carve out time to play it... Will you gentlemen join me when the time comes?"

"Ah?... Oh... Mmh!" The others looked entirely bewildered, though it sounded incredibly grand.

...

"Spending twenty crystals to buy The Legend of Sword and Fairy...?" Liang Heihu of Shengjing Academy sat in his place, resting his face in his hand with a somber expression as he watched his disciple suffer an utterly overwhelming defeat. "This is the result of twenty crystals?!"

Liang Heihu suddenly felt as though his intelligence had been insulted!

Out on the martial arena.

"Is this... the Sword Control Technique too?!"

"Mmh, just helping the boss spread the word... twenty crystals..."

"I’ve heard it already!" Xiao Lengyu’s face turned dark, nearly fainting from exasperation. She gritted her teeth and said, "I will definitely play The Legend of Sword and Fairy after this national examination!"

"Nalan Mingxue wins!"

"Hahaha, this bystander girl has some wit!"

"Come, come, come! Young master here can guide you through the entire walkthrough!" Xiao Yulu shouted with immense pride.

"I refuse to believe every single person from Lingyun Academy is this formidable!"

Seeing Lingyun Academy launch a fierce counterattack, the other two academies could no longer sit still.

"Avoid provoking these few. Challenge the others! The ones ranked lower!"

"Luo Yun, top of the Yellow Order from Xiyi Academy, challenges Xu Luo, eighth of the Yellow Order from Lingyun Academy!"

"..."

"Xu Luo wins!"

"Wang Zheng, second of the Yellow Order from Shengjing Academy, challenges Wang Tai, bottom of the Yellow Order from Lingyun Academy!"

"..."

"Wang Tai wins!"

"Ye Fenghuo, top of the Mysterious Order from Xiyi Academy, challenges Shen Qingqing, third of the Mysterious Order from Lingyun Academy."

"Shen Qingqing wins!"

"Challenging the lower-ranked ones?!"

Hearing one announcement after another, everyone’s minds went blank!

And what stunned them most of all was...

"Ying Zongxuan, top of the Heavenly Order, challenges Guo Xiong, fifth of the Heavenly Order from Lingyun Academy!"

"..."

"Guo Xiong wins?!"

"!!!???"

Upon seeing this result, the entire martial arena fell utterly petrified!

Even the voice announcing the victory carried a tremor of profound shock!

Even the Emperor of Great Jin, seated at the highest position, wore a look of complete bewilderment.

"Where did this bystander come from?!"

"What on earth is your Lingyun Academy up to this year?!"

The entire martial arts arena erupted in an absolute frenzy!

"Hahaha! In our Lingyun Academy, you can challenge the famous ones, but never, ever challenge a nobody!"

"Hahaha, don't say that, this big brother is an old-timer, he just prefers to keep a low profile!"

"How is your Lingyun Academy so incredibly entertaining?!" Watching the massive screen from the sidelines, Dong Qingli stifled her laughter, suddenly seized by a burning desire to join Lingyun Academy herself.

"The nobodies of Lingyun Academy are truly formidable!" From his seat in the special guest section, Fang Qi watched the spectacle unfold with genuine amusement.

"Imperial Sister, do not worry, we still have the Fifth Imperial Brother!" Though rumors of discord between the two princes had long circulated, the Second Prince offered words of comfort at this critical juncture, "Our Fifth Imperial Brother has accumulated so many points. As long as the others can hold the line just a little longer, there is still hope for Shengjing Academy to claim the crown."

As an alumnus of Shengjing Academy, the Second Prince naturally yearned to see his alma mater triumph.

"What Imperial Brother says makes sense." Upon hearing these words, the Eldest Princess finally recaptured a glimmer of confidence, "The Golden Crow Technique of our Fifth Imperial Brother..."

Before she could even finish her sentence: "Xu Zixin, ranked second on the Xuan Leaderboard of Lingyun Academy, challenges Ji Yang, ranked first on the Di Leaderboard of Shengjing Academy!"

The Eldest Princess's eyes widened in sheer, utter disbelief as she stared at the arena: "..."

The Second Prince: "..."

Up on the VIP seats, the faces of the Vice Palace Masters from both Shengjing and Xiyi Academies had turned as black as the bottom of a scorched pot!

Inside the internet cafe.

"Hahaha! Talk about driving them into a corner and wiping them out completely!"

"The last fat pig is ready for the slaughter!"

"The other two academies are about to lose the very shirts off their backs!"

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Brothers, please don't accuse me of leaving you on a cliffhanger these past few days, with these kinds of minor climactic chapters, wherever I choose to stop is going to feel like a cliffhanger... I will just update as early as possible...

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