42: Chapter 42 An Epic Buyer's Show

"It's looking a bit uncertain."

"Zhao Gang from High School No. 3 is a famous 'Iron-Shelled Tortoise.' He's mastered Earth-type defensive combat techniques, and with that C-grade alloy heavy shield... Although School Beauty Su's Ice-type is strong, it's perfectly countered."

At the commentary booth, two veteran commentators were analyzing the situation.

On the data panel, Zhao Gang's odds were as low as 1.2, while Su Qingxue's odds were as high as 3.5.

No one favored Su Qingxue.

Elemental countering is an ironclad rule in the martial arts world. Brittle elements like ice are naturally at a disadvantage against heavy earth, rock, and alloys.

On the arena stage.

Zhao Gang was shirtless, his bronze-colored muscles bulging like rocks. He held a half-man-tall black giant shield in one hand, which pulsed with a brownish-yellow halo.

"School Beauty Su, forgive me for being rude."

Zhao Gang grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth. "If I were you, I'd just admit defeat. This shield weighs three hundred pounds; it won't feel good when it hits you."

Su Qingxue didn't speak.

She stood quietly in place, her white martial arts uniform spotless.

"Begin!"

The referee's arm swept down.

Boom!

Zhao Gang moved.

He had no intention of showing mercy to the fairer sex. He kicked off the ground, the immense counterforce causing cracks to appear in the specially reinforced floor.

Savage Charge.

That massive black shield was like a moving hill, carrying a suffocating wind pressure as it ruthlessly crushed toward the slender figure.

He was close.

Su Qingxue still hadn't moved.

In the stands, many people had already closed their eyes, unable to watch.

"It's over."

Someone sighed.

Just as the giant shield was about to touch the corner of Su Qingxue's clothes.

The temperature plummeted.

In the previously sweltering air, countless fine ice crystals suddenly condensed, refracting a rainbow of neon colors under the spotlights.

Su Qingxue's wrist flicked lightly.

A long blade, crystal clear throughout and seemingly condensed from moonlight, appeared out of thin air in her palm.

[Moon Blade (Exquisite)]

In the preparation area.

Lin Fan adjusted his sitting position, propped his legs onto the back of the chair in the front row, and pulled a handful of melon seeds from his pocket.

"Fatty, pay attention and learn."

Lin Fan cracked open a melon seed. "This is a textbook-level buyer's show."

On the arena stage.

A flash of blue light appeared.

There were no flashy sword moves, only a perfect arc.

The [Moon Blade] sliced through the air, leaving an ice-blue trail that lingered.

Extreme cold.

Zhao Gang's original charging motion stuttered. To his horror, he found that the surface of his proud alloy heavy shield was instantly covered in a thick layer of white frost.

The molecular structure of the metal rapidly contracted and became brittle under the extreme cold.

Crack.

A crisp sound of fracturing.

The C-grade alloy shield, claimed to be able to withstand the full-force strike of an entry-level martial artist, did not make a loud metallic clang upon contact with the Moon Blade's sword energy.

Instead, like a piece of thin ice being struck, it instantly shattered.

Countless tiny metal fragments shimmered with a crystalline luster in the light, like a rain of metal.

The sword energy's momentum was undiminished.

It swept directly past Zhao Gang's legs.

"Freeze."

Su Qingxue's red lips parted slightly as she uttered a single word.

Zhao Gang maintained his forward-thrusting posture, but his entire body seemed to have been hit with a pause button.

A layer of blue solid ice spread frantically upward from his ankles, freezing him up to his waist in the blink of an eye.

His proud rock-like defense was as fragile as window paper before that extreme cold sword energy.

An instant kill.

The process took less than ten seconds.

Su Qingxue flicked her wrist, and the [Moon Blade] dissipated into the air like starlight.

Even her hairstyle wasn't messed up; she remained as cool and aloof as ever.

"Thank you for the match."

The entire venue was dead silent.

The commentator's mouth was agape, unable to make a sound for a long time. The expert who had just been analyzing how the Earth-type counters the Ice-type now felt a stinging pain on his face.

This was a counter?

This was clearly a crushing defeat!

"That weapon..."

In the VIP seats, the admissions director of Kyoto Martial Arts University suddenly stood up, his eyes fixed on the dissipating points of light in Su Qingxue's hand. "That wasn't a combat technique manifestation; it was a physical weapon! That cold energy... it was forged from at least C-grade, no, B-grade mutated ice-type materials!"

"Investigate! Where did this weapon come from!"

Not just him, but the eyes of all the admissions officers present were glowing with green light.

A weapon that could instantly change the tide of battle and ignore attribute counters was practically a divine artifact for low-level martial artists!

In the preparation area.

"Holy crap..."

Zhang Hao dropped his potato chips all over the floor. "Brother Fan, that... is that the one we pulled the night before last?"

The night before last, Su Qingxue had opened ten exquisite blind boxes in a row at the stall.

In the very last box was this [Moon Blade].

At the time, Lin Fan had even complained that this thing was a one-time use and a bit of a 'chicken rib'—useless.

Looking at it now...

How the hell was this a 'chicken rib'? This was practically a nuclear bomb!

"Stay calm."

Lin Fan brushed the melon seed husks off his hands, looking disappointed as if his friend was hopeless. "You're surprised by this? This is just the tip of the iceberg. The real highlight is still to come."

A gust of fragrant wind approached.

Before Lin Fan could react, a slender arm gripped his own tightly.

"Shrewd Merchant!"

Chu Yaoyao's face was flushed with excitement, her Gothic Lolita dress fluttering with her movements. "I want that too! I want that kind of shiny sword that can freeze people! I'll buy it no matter how much it costs!"

This girl was surprisingly strong.

Lin Fan felt like his arm was about to be shaken out of its socket.

"Let go, let go."

Lin Fan helplessly extended a finger, pressing it against Chu Yaoyao's smooth forehead to gently push her away. "Men and women shouldn't be so touchy-feely, and this is a live broadcast. Mind your image."

"I don't care! I want it!"

Chu Yaoyao flailed her arms and legs like a kitten with its fur standing on end.

Countless murderous glares from the surroundings shot toward Lin Fan.

That was the little princess of the Chu family! Many people struggled just to say a word to her, yet this guy was pushing her away with a look of disdain?

Lin Fan ignored those gazes.

He pulled out a pre-prepared megaphone from behind him and turned it to maximum volume.

"Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed bosses."

"Was that move just now cool or what?"

"Do you want that kind of freezing power that makes your opponent despair?"

Lin Fan stood on a chair, instantly transforming into a night market stall owner. "The same model of [Ice-type Exotic Treasure] will be available tonight at 8 PM at the West City Night Market blind box stall. Only three units available! First come, first served. On-site verification supported, ten-fold refund for fakes!"

The entire audience was floored.

The originally tense and serious Martial Arts Grand Competition had been forcibly turned into a new product launch by this guy.

But the effect was explosive.

In the stands, countless students had already started lowering their heads to pull out their phones and set alarms.

"I'm going to line up!"

"Don't stop me, I have money! I want to buy that sword that can instant-kill an Iron-Shelled Tortoise!"

"Is this Lin Fan a god? How is it that all the good stuff comes from him?"

In a corner.

The alloy armrest in Wang Teng's hand had unknowingly become deformed and twisted.

He looked at the three people chatting and laughing in the preparation area.

Lin Fan, Su Qingxue, Chu Yaoyao.

One Shrewd Merchant, two school beauties.

This combination was an eyesore to him, driving him mad with jealousy.

"He's arming the enemy."

Wang Teng's voice sounded like it was squeezed out from between his teeth. "He's using blind boxes to arm everyone... to deal with me."

Indeed.

Wang Teng wasn't stupid.

He could see it.

Su Qingxue's [Moon Blade], Zhang Hao's [Steel Body], and that [Thunder Dagger] Hou San had encountered...

These things were like a massive net, tightening bit by bit, trapping him—the arrogant young master of the Wang family—in the middle.

Lin Fan was using all the students in the school to hunt him down alone!

"The next round of drawing begins."

The broadcast interrupted Wang Teng's thoughts.

On the big screen, the names of the top eight began to scroll frantically.

Everyone held their breath.

This round was the quarter-finals.

Who would face whom?

Would Lin Fan face Wang Teng?

"Stop!"

The image froze.

[Third Match: Zhang Hao VS Wang Teng]

The whole place erupted in an uproar.

"It's over."

Someone mourned for the fatty. "Facing the current Wang Teng, this fatty is probably going to be traumatized for life."

Anyone could see that the current Wang Teng was a powder keg, ready to explode at any moment.

That Li Si from earlier had three ribs broken before being carried off. Although this fatty had high defense, he couldn't withstand Wang Teng's mad-dog fighting style.

In the preparation area.

Zhang Hao looked at the names on the big screen, the color instantly draining from his face.

Gulp.

He swallowed hard, his legs beginning to shake uncontrollably.

Fear.

It was an instinctive fear of death.

Wang Teng had already gone mad. The look in his eyes earlier below the stage was clearly one that wanted to kill.

Brother... Brother Fan."

Zhang Hao turned his head tremulously, his voice carrying a sob. "Can... can I forfeit?"

He was just a dead fatty who wanted to follow Brother Fan to make some easy money.

This kind of life-risking business really wasn't for him.

Lin Fan didn't laugh.

He put away his carefree expression, his gaze becoming more solemn than ever before.

The surrounding clamor seemed to fade away at this moment.

Lin Fan threw the melon seed husks in his hand into a trash bag, then slowly stood up and patted Zhang Hao's broad shoulder.

"Fatty."

Lin Fan's voice was soft, but every word was like a nail driven into Zhang Hao's ears. "Look at me."

Zhang Hao reflexively looked up.

He met a pair of calm and deep eyes.

There was no playfulness or mockery in those eyes, only a steadfastness that made Zhang Hao feel at ease.

Lin Fan helped Zhang Hao straighten his collar. "You are my partner. If you can't even get past this hurdle, our business won't grow big."

"But..."

"No buts."

Lin Fan interrupted him.

Lin Fan leaned in close to Zhang Hao's ear and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Go up there. If you can't win, then surrender."

He looked at Lin Fan.

The brother who had once picked through trash with him in the Wasteland Zone, who had been bullied by Wang Teng alongside him, and who was now leading him to a comeback against the odds.

Was he afraid?

Yes.

But some things were more important than fear.

"Let's do it!"

Zhang Hao grit his teeth, the fat on his face trembling as he forced a smile that looked worse than crying. "Damn it, it's just a mad dog on drugs, right? I'll knock out a mouthful of his teeth!"

In the distance.

Wang Teng watched this scene. He slowly extended his thumb and made a forceful slicing motion across his neck.