Kanagawa Gymnasium.
The basketball court was as silent as if someone had pressed the pause button.
Everyone looked toward that exceptionally outstanding figure.
The Miuradai players' eyes were filled with fear.
The spectators all stared open-mouthed, their faces showing horror, shock, disbelief, and incredulity.
Aida Yayoi, who had come to capture material, seemed to have forgotten to press the camera's shutter.
She stared blankly at Qing Junce below, the lingering shock still visible on her face.
Standing beside her, Nakamura Taizo pointed at Qing Junce below. "Th-this... this... this..."
His mouth opened and closed, then closed and opened again. He wanted to say something, but he couldn't manage to finish a single sentence.
Aida Yayoi composed herself, and a flash of wisdom suddenly gleamed in her eyes.
She secretly felt fortunate. This trip had truly been worth it.
Shohoku had produced an extraordinary genius.
She secretly decided that once the game ended, she absolutely had to go to Shohoku for an exclusive interview.
After an unknown amount of time, deafening shouts and cheers finally erupted inside the gymnasium.
"Ah... What did I just see?"
"Am I dreaming?"
"Was that really real?"
"Who on earth is Shohoku's #9?"
"So fast! He can run that fast while dribbling!"
"That's the fastest dribbler I've ever seen."
The spectators were completely worked up.
Although there weren't many people in the stands, the fervor of their cheers was in no way inferior to that of packed arenas.
The ones who could still remain relatively calm were the members of the Ryonan team, who had already witnessed Qing Junce's strength.
Even so, when they saw the speed at which Qing Junce left the Miuradai players behind, they couldn't help swallowing.
Aida Kenichi was so excited that his fingers trembled. Pointing at Qing Junce below, he said in a shaking voice, "H-Heavens! His... his speed is even faster than during the practice game!"
Sendoh's expression was solemn as he slowly said, "It's not that he got faster. He simply wasn't using his full strength before. The question is, how much strength is he using this time?"
The Ryonan players fell silent at his words.
Their wariness of Qing Junce deepened further.
On the court.
Qing Junce slowly turned around. The corners of his lips lifted slightly, revealing a row of white teeth, while a confident and flamboyant smile spread across his face.
He calmly walked past the Miuradai players just like that.
Their eyes followed him closely, but not one of them dared to say a word of provocation.
That scene had cast an indelible shadow over the hearts of the Miuradai players.
At that moment, their hearts felt unbearably heavy, as if a mountain had been placed on them.
He returned to Shohoku's half of the court.
Mitsui Hisashi looked at Qing Junce and couldn't help speaking. "You bastard."
Complicated emotions filled his eyes.
He had already experienced Qing Junce's strength.
But the strength Qing Junce had displayed now still left him unable to calm down.
Qing Junce replied blandly, "That's why you should just pass me the ball."
Although Akagi Takenori and the others were angry, they had no way to refute him.
There was nothing they could do. On a basketball court, strength gave one the right to speak.
Qing Junce's strength forced them to admit that he truly had the qualifications to receive more possessions.
The game resumed.
Miuradai launched another offensive.
This time, they focused most of their attention on Qing Junce.
In particular, Miyamoto Kazunari, who had been responsible for guarding Qing Junce earlier, stared at him with eyes as wide as bells, not daring to relax for even a moment.
However, Qing Junce's speed and agility far exceeded their expectations.
Right before Miyamoto Kazunari's eyes, Qing Junce's figure gradually blurred, faded, and vanished.
He disappeared?
Miyamoto Kazunari was startled and hurriedly began searching in all directions.
Only after seeing that the basketball was still in his teammate's hands did he slightly relax, though he still prepared to remind his teammate.
"Be careful, Captain, that guy..." He suddenly stopped before he could finish.
Murasame Kengo was dribbling the ball. Before he could even cross half court, he felt a gust of wind sweep past him. Immediately afterward, his hand suddenly felt empty.
Murasame Kengo's heart tightened. He hurriedly looked down, only to discover that the basketball had vanished.
Where was the ball?
Thump...
At the same time, the sound of the basketball striking the floor came from behind him.
He turned around in horror.
That familiar Shohoku #9 jersey once again entered his field of vision.
It was him again.
"Damn it." Murasame Kengo cursed under his breath and immediately chased after him.
However, the result was the same as before.
No matter how desperately he chased, the white figure only grew farther and farther away.
"Damn it! Why is he so fast?" Murasame Kengo gritted his teeth, blood vessels showing in his eyes.
Seeing this, Kawasaki Akio, Miuradai's center, immediately hurried forward and blocked Qing Junce's path.
Miuradai's center, Kawasaki Akio, hurriedly rushed forward and stood in front of Qing Junce.
The other Miuradai players also became more vigilant. They stared intently at the players they were guarding, afraid that Qing Junce would take the opportunity to pass.
But they were clearly worrying too much.
At that moment, passing the ball wasn't even an option in Qing Junce's mind.
Almost in an instant, he charged straight up to Kawasaki Akio.
"Don't even think about getting past me!" Kawasaki Akio shouted. He hurriedly lowered his stance and spread his arms, trying to use his body to pressure Qing Junce.
However, his defense was completely useless before Qing Junce.
Qing Junce's speed did not slow in the slightest. He suddenly stopped in front of Kawasaki Akio, then smoothly and beautifully spun around, instantly creating half a body's distance between them.
Qing Junce calmly slipped past Kawasaki Akio.
By the time Kawasaki Akio reacted, it was already too late.
He turned around in shock, secretly marveling, So fast. I couldn't even react.
After breaking past Kawasaki Akio, there was no longer anything blocking Qing Junce's path.
He charged into the paint once more, leaped high, and delivered another one-handed slam dunk.
Crash...
The basketball dropped through the net.
Shohoku 39—44 Miuradai.
"Damn it! Where did this guy even come from?" Murasame Kengo wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and thought with a slight tremble.
Miuradai's coach could no longer remain seated. He rose and shouted furiously, "What are you doing? Our target is the mighty Kainan! Stop letting that guy get the ball! Have you forgotten everything I taught you?"
Hearing their coach's scolding, the Miuradai players steadied themselves again.
Murasame Kengo exchanged a glance with his teammates, and they immediately understood one another.
Miuradai inbounded the ball again.
This time, they attacked with exceptional caution, afraid that Qing Junce would suddenly appear and steal the basketball from their hands.
Araki Kazuo passed the ball to Murasame Kengo before the center line.
Murasame Kengo glanced at Qing Junce's position, then deliberately passed the ball to Kawasaki Akio, who was farther away.
After a series of cautious passes, Miuradai successfully brought the ball across half court.
Kawasaki Akio reached Shohoku's three-point line, where he encountered Akagi Takenori's powerful resistance.
He didn't clash head-on with Akagi Takenori. Instead, he quickly passed the ball to his team's Shooting Guard, Takatsu Hiroshi.
"Shoot it quickly!" Murasame Kengo hurriedly reminded him.
Takatsu Hiroshi was in an excellent position.
Mitsui Hisashi was still more than a step away, and there were no other Shohoku players nearby.
Takatsu Hiroshi knew this was a rare opportunity. Without the slightest hesitation, he jumped and shot.
"Damn it, I'm a step too slow," Mitsui Hisashi cursed under his breath.
However, at that moment, a white figure suddenly appeared like a ghost and blocked the space between Mitsui Hisashi and Takatsu Hiroshi.
At the same time, a taunting voice rang out.
"Who are you looking down on?" Qing Junce said, then leaped directly in front of Takatsu Hiroshi.
Immediately afterward, he swung his palm and viciously swatted away the basketball Takatsu Hiroshi had shot.
How could this be?
How did he get there?
Murasame Kengo's eyes widened in disbelief.
He had clearly confirmed Qing Junce's position just moments ago, yet in the blink of an eye, Qing Junce had appeared in front of Takatsu Hiroshi.
The moment Qing Junce successfully blocked Takatsu Hiroshi's shot, the Miuradai players' hearts all jolted violently.
What kind of monster was this?
The Ryonan players in the stands also swallowed nervously.
"That guy is way too ridiculous!" Koshino Hiroaki said, his face full of shock.
Ikegami Ryoji couldn't help saying, "He's practically not even human!"
Aida Kenichi had completely forgotten to take notes. He stared fixedly at Qing Junce below, his face filled with admiration and shock, and muttered, "Amazing. He's simply too amazing."
Uozumi's expression grew even more solemn.
If Shohoku kept winning all the way, they would eventually face Ryonan.
When that happened, how could they restrain this guy?
It seemed that after returning, he would have to discuss it properly with the coach and devise a strategy specifically aimed at him.
On the court.
After Qing Junce swatted the basketball away, Miyagi Ryota successfully picked it up.
He immediately dribbled toward Miuradai's basket.
Araki Kazuo hurriedly followed closely behind Miyagi Ryota.
Miyagi Ryota's eyes darted around as he searched for a chance to pass.
However, all the other Shohoku players were being tightly guarded by Miuradai's players, and he couldn't find a suitable passing lane at all.
Miyagi Ryota steeled himself and decided to shoot.
He changed direction repeatedly and quickly shook off Araki Kazuo before charging into Miuradai's interior.
Before Araki Kazuo could catch up, Miyagi Ryota leaped high and released the shot.
However...
Crash...
The basketball struck the rim and bounced away without going in.
The corner of Miyagi Ryota's mouth twitched slightly.
The Miuradai players also let out a collective sigh of relief.
However, at that moment.
Qing Junce suddenly appeared beneath Miuradai's basket like a ghost.
He leaped high, caught the rebounding basketball in midair, then continued his momentum and swung his arm, slamming the ball behind his back.
Crash...
Under everyone's gaze, Qing Junce completed an aerial alley-oop behind-the-back dunk.
Shohoku 41—44 Miuradai.
Qing Junce landed steadily on the floor.
The entire court once again fell completely silent.
There had not been many spectators to begin with, making the silence inside the gymnasium seem especially eerie.
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