Little harm, maximum humiliation

Wang Shan was already seething with rage on the arena platform.

After all, mixed among those first-tier talismans were quite a few high-grade and even supreme-grade ones, each packing the equivalent of a full-force strike from a late Qi Refining Stage cultivator.

For a genius disciple ranked forty-ninth in the Outer Sect, a single one posed no deadly threat, but there were simply too many!

He knew perfectly well that if he kept dodging like this, his spiritual power would eventually run dry. Then he would truly be in trouble.

Just then, a sharp gleam flashed in his eyes. Seizing an opening, he slipped through a gap between wind blades like a phantom.

The longsword in his hand became a streak of cold light, thrusting straight toward Chun Xiaobai's chest.

"Whoa!"

Chun Xiaobai cried out, spun around, and ran, desperately flinging talismans behind him as he fled.

Wang Shan pursued relentlessly, scrambling to dodge the wind blades and fireballs hurtling toward him.

"Lightning Technique! Take this!"

Seizing a perfect opportunity, Chun Xiaobai plucked the most brilliantly glowing talisman from his stack-a first-tier supreme-grade Lightning Talisman-and activated it toward Wang Shan, who was chasing him from behind.

Wang Shan slammed to a halt, but before he could retreat, the dazzling bolt had already shot toward him. It struck the tip of his outthrust sword with pinpoint accuracy and coursed through the blade into his entire body.

Crackle!

Every strand of his meticulously groomed long hair instantly stood on end, exploding into a bird's nest.

Little harm, maximum humiliation!

"You!"

He instantly realized he had been tricked.

That damned bastard must have had the Lightning Talisman ready all along, deliberately luring him into close pursuit before launching a sneak attack at a distance too short to dodge!

But before he could retaliate, several basin-sized fireballs came hurtling straight at his head.

He could only scramble aside to avoid them.

Then Chun Xiaobai's endless talismans forced him backward, step by step, leaving him trapped once again on the receiving end of a one-sided beating.

The spectators who had been cheering loudly earlier now ground their teeth, clenching their fists so hard they practically struck sparks.

"Go, Senior Brother Wang! You have to kill this brat today!"

Wang Shan noticed that the stack of talismans in Chun Xiaobai's hand was dwindling rapidly. Fewer than twenty remained.

He knew that if he could just hold on a little longer and exhaust this bastard's supply of talismans, victory would be his for the taking!

Yet every remaining talisman was first-tier high-grade. Not only were they immensely powerful, their area of effect was frighteningly wide.

After he struggled through another five, an enormous fireball grazed his protective gang qi and exploded, though it failed to strike his body directly.

Even so, the violent impact cracked his gang qi shield, sending the spiritual power inside him surging wildly.

The disciples below had their hearts in their throats, silently pleading, Senior Brother Wang, hold on! You have to hold on!

Ten left.

Five left.

Three!

The thoroughly bedraggled Wang Shan finally saw hope-the first light of victory!

The last one!

Chun Xiaobai activated his final Lightning Talisman, but Wang Shan, ready for it this time, narrowly managed to dodge.

Chun Xiaobai was a little surprised.

This genius disciple ranked forty-ninth really did live up to his reputation.

Had this been Lu Mang, the fiftieth-ranked disciple he had faced earlier, his relentless barrage of talismans would probably have blasted him into charcoal by now.

"Hmph! Let's see how you survive now!"

A vicious gleam flashed in Wang Shan's eyes. Suppressing his fury, he thrust his sword forward, ready to put an end to this farce.

Suddenly.

Chun Xiaobai reached into his Storage Bag again, and another brand-new stack of talismans appeared in his hand!

Without a word, he fired off five Fireball Talismans in succession. The raging waves of flame forced Wang Shan's charging figure backward again and again.

That shameless maneuver instantly provoked a tidal wave of curses from below.

"Shameless! Absolutely shameless! He actually brought that many talismans!"

"Elder Fu! This isn't fair! He's cheating!"

"Shut up!"

Though Elder Fu's face had darkened with anger too, he had no choice but to speak up, glaring at the crowd to maintain order.

Wang Shan kept retreating. Failing to defend himself in time, he was struck by another high-grade Fireball Talisman. His entire sleeve ignited with a whoosh, billowing black smoke.

Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that he, the illustrious forty-ninth on the Heavenly Prodigy Ranking, would be driven to such a state by a newly admitted disciple wielding talismans.

He could only fight back with everything he had.

But the harder he resisted, the more wretched he became.

By this point in the fight, the spiritual qi inside him was no longer enough to sustain his protective gang qi continuously.

And whenever he could not raise his protective gang qi, even a glancing hit from a Fireball Technique or Wind Blade Technique immediately left a bloody gash on his body.

Fireball Technique!

Wind Blade Technique!

Lightning Technique!

Ice Spike Technique!

Earth Spike Technique!

Chun Xiaobai grew more excited as he fought, jeering, "That's it? Forty-ninth? Did you get in through the back door or something?"

Talisman after talisman sailed toward Wang Shan's head like snowflakes that cost nothing.

Wang Shan's face alternated between red and white with fury. His breathing grew increasingly ragged, and even his footing began to falter...

These were signs of extreme rage combined with the imminent exhaustion of his spiritual power.

And as Chun Xiaobai watched Wang Shan grow angrier and angrier, his lungs practically ready to burst, his own grin only grew wider.

Finally, unable to endure another moment, Wang Shan clenched his teeth, his gaze turning vicious. Gripping his longsword tightly, he charged straight through two Wind Blade Talismans and lunged at Chun Xiaobai.

Slash! Slash!

Several sprays of blood burst from his body, but he ignored them. At last, he reached Chun Xiaobai, raised his longsword, and unleashed a fierce slash of Sword Qi!

"Holy shit!"

Seeing the deadly Sword Qi before him, Chun Xiaobai cried out and took to his heels.

And the slash of Sword Qi that Wang Shan had finally managed to unleash at close range somehow skimmed right past his scalp.

"Stand still, damn you!"

Wang Shan continued pursuing him with his sword. Just as he forced Chun Xiaobai to the edge of the platform-

Chun Xiaobai suddenly stopped and twisted sharply sideways at an awkward angle, barely evading the sweeping slash of Sword Qi Wang Shan had been certain would hit.

Coming up behind Wang Shan, Chun Xiaobai grabbed a handful of talismans, pointed, and said, "Well, that's it. Only these last ten supreme-grade Lightning Talismans left."

Without a second thought, he tossed them overhead and roared.

"Lightning Talismans, go!"

Wang Shan stared at the dense cluster of talismans above his head, scared out of his wits.

With what little strength remained inside him, he might not withstand even one supreme-grade Lightning Talisman, let alone ten!

Though these Lightning Talismans would not kill him, the violent thunderforce they contained would inevitably inflict serious damage on his meridians.

At best, his cultivation would regress. At worst, his Dao foundation might be damaged, leaving him forever stranded at the Qi Refining Stage!

Now that Chun Xiaobai had sealed off his escape route, his only path to survival lay below the platform.

There was no time to hesitate. Before Chun Xiaobai activated the talismans, he abruptly turned and leaped off the platform.

The instant Wang Shan's feet touched the ground, a quiet voice suddenly drifted into his ears.

"Oh, whoops. I misspoke. They're low-grade Fireball Talismans."