Chapter 519 - 516: Sweep
Lin Xinghai watched the student walk step by step onto the arena platform. He gave a slight nod, then raised the Alloy Long Spear in his hand. "Senior, I await your guidance!"
His relaxed and casual expression made Ping Yake, standing opposite him, grow even more grim.
When he first received the challenge, he’d thought it was a mistake.
The challenger’s name was Lin Xinghai—a name he didn’t recognize at all.
After all, according to the Hero Ranking’s rules, the lowest-ranked person who could challenge him should have been number 91. To have an unfamiliar name suddenly appear—it would be a lie to say he wasn’t surprised.
So, he had immediately used his connections to find out just who this student named Lin Xinghai was.
However, by the time he began his inquiries, news about Lin Xinghai had already spread like wildfire across the campus network. The more he read, the more astonished he became, but his astonishment was matched by a sense of vigilance that rose to its absolute peak.
This was especially true after that short video of Lin Xinghai started circulating. Ping Yake watched it again and again, and he was left with only one feeling: utter horror.
After all, the speed Lin Xinghai displayed was even faster than his own.
Even so, he had still come. After analyzing the situation, he realized he wasn’t without a chance of winning. His glimmer of hope hinged on a single word: "stall."
"I wouldn’t dare presume to instruct you," Ping Yake replied, raising the dagger in his hand. "I also specialize in speed, but I can’t compare to you, junior. However, victory isn’t decided by pure strength. Many other factors can determine the outcome."
Just then, Little Fatty shouted a reminder from below the stage, "Boss, your opponent specializes in speed, too! But you have to watch out for his Superpower—he can control air."
"He can use his Superpower to make things like air walls or air bullets. Be careful, because you can’t see any of it—not the walls, not the bullets."
Lin Xinghai nodded at Little Fatty’s warning. It was indeed timely. If he’d run into that suddenly, he might have been caught at a slight disadvantage.
Ping Yake, on the other hand, glanced at Lin Xinghai in surprise. ’He chose to challenge me, yet he didn’t even investigate my abilities beforehand?’
In that moment, Ping Yake suddenly understood the frustration Zhao Junli must have felt.
But he said nothing, quietly adjusting his condition and making his pre-battle preparations.
Seeing that the two had stopped talking, Wei Kai, the referee, wasted no more time and told both contestants to get ready.
...
When the match began, neither side made the first move. Both seemed to be waiting for the other to attack first.
Seeing Lin Xinghai’s completely composed expression, Ping Yake finally couldn’t hold back. With a sneer, he gripped his dagger and simultaneously activated his Body Technique Martial Arts and Divine Demon Body.
Once he unleashed his Gale Divine Body, it was as if a tornado swirled around him, and he charged toward Lin Xinghai at extreme speed.
At the same time, invisible air bullets materialized out of thin air and shot toward Lin Xinghai. Empowered by the hurricane-like winds, their force was nearly as great as that of real bullets.
He followed close behind, biding his time and waiting for an opportunity to deliver a fatal blow.
This combination of attacks often allowed him to defeat enemies of a higher level.
That’s right. After Lin Xinghai had practically one-shotted Zhao Junli, Ping Yake had adjusted his assessment of Lin Xinghai’s threat level, placing him on par with someone in the top 70 of the Hero Ranking, or perhaps even higher.
That was why, from his very first move, he was giving it his all.
Faced with this fierce assault, Lin Xinghai wasn’t the least bit nervous. To others, the air bullets might be bizarre and hard to block, but thanks to his Investigation Technique, he detected them the very moment they formed.
Still, he didn’t dare to be careless. He immediately activated his Time Acceleration Ability.
In that instant, his speed reached a level Ping Yake couldn’t possibly match.
Before his opponent could even react, he had already moved with uncanny speed, weaving through the several air bullets as the tip of his spear thrust straight for Ping Yake’s vitals.
’So fast!’ Ping Yake’s pupils contracted. Although he had seen the terrifying speed Lin Xinghai displayed in the video, experiencing it firsthand was another matter entirely.
He immediately manipulated his Superpower to form an invisible wall of air while his body shot backward, instantly switching his strategy from "full offense" to "evade and stall."
But unfortunately for him, he was facing Lin Xinghai.
BOOM!
Lightning flared from the Alloy Long Spear in Lin Xinghai’s hand. He unleashed his Wind and Thunder Spear Technique, instantly shattering the wall of air.
The spear’s momentum didn’t falter as it continued its path, thrusting straight for Ping Yake’s chest.
"What—!" Ping Yake’s eyes filled with horror. He never imagined his Superpower wouldn’t even be able to slow his opponent’s advance.
However, his reputation as a veteran of a hundred battles was well-earned. The Blood Qi Power in his body surged wildly into the dagger in his hand.
For an instant, the dagger seemed to vaporize as it precisely parried the advancing spear tip. Using the force of the impact, he immediately retreated while simultaneously creating another wall of air.
Lin Xinghai’s eyebrow twitched slightly at the sight.
’I’m currently using Time Acceleration,’ he thought. ’The speed of my attacks is over ten times faster than normal.’
’But that ability he just used to vaporize his dagger was also terrifyingly fast. It actually managed to parry my attack.’
’Seeing this, I have to admit that these geniuses on the Hero Ranking really do have their own tricks up their sleeves.’
’In that case, I’ll just have to reveal a bit more of my strength and end this quickly!’
As he had this thought, he activated his Phantom Body Technique.
His base Speed was 510 points. The Phantom Body Technique doubled it, bringing his Speed to 1020 points.
Under these circumstances, and with the ten-fold acceleration from his Superpower, his Speed could reach a staggering 10,200 points.
Even Lin Xinghai felt it was a bit of a shame to use a Speed of over ten thousand against a student in the Blood Qi Mirror realm.
In that instant, both Ping Yake and the students below the stage only saw Lin Xinghai’s figure flicker for a moment before he vanished from sight.
Only the third-year students who had reached the Body Shaping Realm could make out his figure, which had become a blurry shadow streaking by at incredible speed.
It was an afterimage, a product of his immense speed.
When one’s speed reached a point of absolute dominance, dealing with an enemy was actually quite simple.
Lin Xinghai easily bypassed the air wall and appeared at his opponent’s side. He didn’t even need to use his Wind and Thunder Spear Technique; a single, simple strike would suffice.
Ping Yake still hadn’t processed what was happening when he felt a Giant Strength slam into his side.
The next moment, the blow sent him flying right off the arena platform and onto the ground below.
The entire stadium fell silent. Even the referee, Wei Kai, was momentarily speechless.
"I request to challenge the 71st-ranked student." Lin Xinghai’s calm voice echoed through the silent stadium.