CHAPTER 75: CHAPTER 75 THIS IS PLAYING OUT OF THE ORDINARY

Both of them smiled knowingly. Although Wang Lan participated in the competition anonymously, could this truly be hidden from Wang Qianfeng and He MingXue? Even though they did not approve of Wang Lan joining such an insignificant competition, since he had already joined, they would let him do as he pleased.

The current Star Martial Art Competition was well-organized and had some substantial content. Moreover, Wang Lan’s gradual display of his strength during the Star Martial Art Competition also allowed Wang Qianfeng and He MingXue to see how well he had mastered the two A-rank Star Martial Skills.

The Vertical Flame Sword in the first match thoroughly impressed He MingXue; even he hadn’t expected the Flame Sword to be used in such a manner.

As the saying goes, a mentor can lead you through the door, but the practice is up to the individual. Star Martial Skills are just like that; it all depends on who uses them and how they are used.

"Did you see that provocation from Jin Cheng just now?" He MingXue suddenly asked.

"Just a piece of trash, no need to pay him any mind."

"I checked out that Jin Cheng. He’s very strong!" While speaking, the projector was already set up, and on the background wall of Wang Qianfeng’s office, Jin Cheng appeared, walking with that huge steel rod on his back.

"Indeed, he has brought ’Victory Heaven’!"

"’Victory Heaven’? That name sounds familiar."

"Thirty years ago, in the northwest region, there was a small Star Martial family known for forging Star Martial weapons. Their weapons had excellent Star Power conduction, and their craftsmanship was no less than that of renowned weapon forging families like Dragon Spring.

Thirty years ago, this Star Martial family obtained a special piece of Tungsten Iron material that was naturally formed. They forged a batch of divine Star Martial weapons and then sought out a Gold Attribute Star Martial Warrior to test the quality of these divine weapons.

Unexpectedly, all the weapons were deemed substandard. Not only could they not pierce the body of a Gold Attribute Star Martial Warrior, but they would also soften like noodles upon mere contact. It was later discovered that this special material could be easily controlled by Gold Attribute Star Martial Warriors, with a Star Power conduction speed a hundred times that of ordinary metals.

In the hands of a Gold Attribute Star Martial Warrior, this material was like their own Star Power.

Later, the Star Martial family presented this special material to that Gold Attribute Star Martial Warrior. This gave birth to a legendary Star Martial Warrior from the northwest, known as the ’Northwest War Dragon.’

Ten years ago, a spatial rift appeared in the northwest. The Northwest War Dragon went into battle with the army and never returned. The powerful weapon the Northwest War Dragon relied on was this strange piece of Tungsten Iron known as ’Victory Heaven’."

"What’s the relationship between Jin Cheng and the Northwest War Dragon?"

"He’s the son of the Northwest War Dragon. He was stripped of his Star Martial Warrior benefits for refusing to enlist in the army. As the descendant of a military martyr, he would have received additional care and compensation from the country had he enlisted. Yet, he still held a grudge over his father’s death."

"After his father died, the country actually took care of him. Otherwise, where would he have gotten the Soul Beads to elevate his Star Power, and how could he have entered the training ground for free?

The country cared for him for ten years, yet this is how he repaid them. It’s quite disheartening to talk about... Although I don’t like him, I have to admit that he’s very strong. He is at the peak Star Shine rank in Star Power, trained in combat by army experts, and has participated in real battles in the training ground. Combined with the same Gold Attribute talent as his father and the aid of ’Victory Heaven,’ Wang Lan facing him doesn’t look good."

"He only cares about his personal grudges, lacking any of the awareness expected of a Star Martial Warrior. Moreover, he’s a fool who can’t tell right from wrong. His father died in battle, not at the hands of the northwest army. He should feel honored for his father.

In my eyes, such a person is trash. If Wang Lan can’t beat him... Hmph!"

"So what if he can’t?"

"Then he’s even less than trash!"

"Wang Lan is definitely talented, but unfortunately, Jin Cheng is practically cheating," He MingXue sighed, arms folded.

"You think that kid doesn’t have his own tricks?"

"Are you talking about the Phoenix Form? Old Wang, I can guarantee that even if Wang Lan were beaten to death, he wouldn’t use the Phoenix Form on such an occasion. He may seem humble, but he’s actually very proud inside. Unless it’s a matter of great importance, he wouldn’t resort to cheating."

The host delivered an impassioned speech, and with the sound of a whistle, the match began.

Suddenly, Jin Cheng placed the Tungsten Iron he had been carrying on his back down in front of him, and it bizarrely began to squirm like water.

"Huh? Jin Cheng’s Star Martial Skill is unlike anything we’ve seen before. We all know that Jin Cheng is a Gold Attribute Star Martial Warrior who can control metal. But metal itself is an extremely hard substance and, typically, can’t be manipulated as flexibly as substances like water or earth.

Yet in Jin Cheng’s hands, the Tungsten Iron can move as fluidly as if he were controlling water. Has Jin Cheng’s control over Gold Attribute Star Power reached such a bewildering level? It’s truly astonishing."

WHOOSH—

Suddenly, the Tungsten Iron wall before him instantly shot out several steel spikes. Thin chains were connected to the back of the spikes, leading to the Tungsten Iron wall in front of Jin Cheng, where his hand rested.

Witnessing this scene, Wang Lan instantly deduced Jin Cheng’s method for controlling the Tungsten Iron. Gold Attribute Star Martial Warriors can’t manipulate metal from a distance, similar to how most Earth Attribute Star Martial Skills require contact with earth-based substances.

Earth-based substances are everywhere, but Gold Attribute materials are hard to find in the wilderness. So, Gold Attribute Star Martial Warriors who can’t achieve Elementalization of their bodies always carry a block of metal with them, a fact Wang Lan was aware of.

However, he didn’t expect Jin Cheng to control metal to such an extent; with a mere gesture, sharp attacks were already flying at him.

Wang Lan instantly drew Ghost Wail. Contrary to everyone’s expectation, he didn’t choose to dodge. Instead, with a flicker of his body, he slashed through several tentacle-like chains with a single stroke.

As long as Jin Cheng’s hand remained on the Tungsten Iron wall, the chains he shot out would pursue their target like living creatures.

If he started dodging, he would be caught in the chains’ relentless assault.

CLANG, CLANG—

Two crisp sounds rang out as the incoming chains were blocked by Wang Lan, but contrary to expectation, the chains did not break. The chains, which appeared to be only thumb-thick, were extraordinarily tough.

After ascertaining the toughness of the Tungsten Iron, Wang Lan changed his strategy.

Chains rained down from above towards Wang Lan, who easily evaded them with a flicker of his body.

BOOM! The chains pierced deeply into the cement floor, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Wang Lan’s figure became a series of afterimages as he rapidly closed in on Jin Cheng. Under Jin Cheng’s control, the chains pursued as fast as streaks of light. Even with Wang Lan’s phantom-like movement technique and a powerful Star Martial Skill like Star Cloud Dance, he couldn’t shake off the pursuing chains.

Jin Cheng, clearly a Gold Attribute close-combat warrior, had somehow developed a ranged attack capability similar to a Mage. This was definitely an anomaly among Gold Attribute Star Martial Warriors, an outlier among outliers.

Every second was a dance with death; every fleeting image, a heart-stopping crisis.

The audience members all clenched their fists tightly, staring unblinkingly at the thrilling chase unfolding in the arena.

Compared to his duel with Lan Die, although this lacked that same overwhelming sense of pressure, the speed and danger were no less intense.

Even the Star Martial Warriors watching backstage all wore solemn expressions.

They were all pondering one question: if they were in Wang Lan’s shoes, could they dodge Jin Cheng’s razor-sharp attacks?

In the end, everyone silently shook their heads.

"Too fast, too strong, and just too indefensible," an agile warrior murmured, shaking his head.

"The weakness of Gold Attribute Star Martial Warriors lies in their speed. Once you break through their defenses, victory is basically assured. But if you’re facing someone like Jin Cheng, how can you break his defenses if you can’t even get close?"

"Unless... your attack range is longer than Jin Cheng’s."

"Not necessarily. There’s also the assassin class of Star Martial Warriors, who have invisibility and stealth skills. But Wolf, at least, doesn’t have invisibility or stealth skills, nor does he possess any long-range attacks. In this battle, Wolf is being completely countered."

"Not necessarily!"

"Brother Qi Ming, do you have any insights?"

"Have you all forgotten that Wang Lan is a Fire Attribute Star Martial Warrior? Fire Overcomes Metal."

"That depends on what kind of metal it is. The Tungsten Iron that Jin Cheng is controlling requires flames of at least five thousand degrees to be affected. That damn monster! How does he control metal so quickly and flexibly? It’s unreal!"

"Indeed, unreal. With such strength and ability, he would have been identified as a talent for special training long ago. Why is he participating in the Star Martial Art Competition? What are he and Wolf thinking?"

"Perhaps what we pursue means nothing in their eyes?"

The contestants’ analysis backstage was fully recorded by the organizers. Soon, these analyses would become material for the broadcast, designed to hook the audience and leave them desperate for more.

While the contestants backstage analyzed the battle, Wang Lan, using his Star Cloud Dance movement technique, had painstakingly managed to close in on Jin Cheng.

Wang Lan’s intentions had been clear from the start, obvious even to the audience.

When Wang Lan closed to about four or five meters from Jin Cheng, Jin Cheng’s mouth suddenly curled into a cold smirk. He gave a thumbs-down, a clear echo of his gesture after the initial draw.

"WOW—"

"He’s that arrogant?" A wave of surprised exclamations erupted from the stands.

In that instant, a dozen more chains shot out from the Tungsten Iron wall, swift as arrows, instantly arriving before Wang Lan’s face.

"Not good!"

"AH—" Many audience members instinctively covered their eyes.

In Wang Qianfeng’s office, Wang Qianfeng and He MingXue both held their breath for a moment. This attack was too fast. Evidently, judging by Wang Lan’s previous actions, he hadn’t realized the Tungsten Iron wall could launch more than just a few chains.

If he was caught unprepared, the probability of being hit and losing the match was as high as ninety percent.

Suddenly, Wang Lan’s body spun a full one hundred and eighty degrees vertically in mid-air, like the hand of a clock, the iron chains barely grazing past him.

Suddenly, Wang Lan extended his palm, and a cyan flame shot up from it.

FSSSHH—

The Flame Sword flashed, and five chains were instantly severed.

The severed ends glowed bright red.

"WOW—"

"Just as expected, Wolf used the Flame Sword after all," someone backstage said nonchalantly, folding their arms.

"That can’t be right. Those are Tungsten Iron chains. Even cyan flames shouldn’t be able to sever them instantly, should they?"

"Perhaps Wolf’s cyan flames are many times hotter than we imagine."

"Old Wang, quick, playback, playback!" He MingXue exclaimed excitedly.

"What for? It’s the decisive moment..."

"Never mind that, playback!"

The footage rewound to the moment Wang Lan executed the Flame Sword slash.

"Zoom in, zoom in, zoom in more! Play it at thirty times slower speed."

Soon, the footage revealed the form of the Flame Sword.

It turned out that although the Flame Sword was made of cyan flames, its form had transformed into a saw. This saw had rapidly moving serrations, which were still too fast to discern clearly even when the playback speed was slowed by a factor of thirty.

"Damn! How did this Demon manage to control the Flame Sword with such precision? Is this a Star Martial Skill of attribute manipulation or shape manipulation?"