Chapter 1197: Slap! Slap! Slap!

"This flyswatter is made of bamboo, soft and weak—how can it counter the Thunderclap Palm?"

"Is this guy out of his mind?"

"Jiao Tan is the top genius of the Martial Arts Hall, a master of martial techniques... Under normal circumstances, even if he couldn't match Ling Xuan on stage, he could at least put up a fight. But bringing a flyswatter... has he gone mad?"

Seeing Jiao Tan's appearance, everyone was stunned. Even Hall Master Liao and the others twitched their mouths, wanting to tear their hair out.

They had placed great hopes on Jiao Tan, but after training with Teacher Zhang for a few days, had he turned into a lunatic too?

A low-grade sacred artifact, or even a half-sacred artifact... they could tolerate that. But a flyswatter made from a bamboo pole, lacking substance... daring to step onto the stage with that—this was madness!

"You... are you sure you want to use this to fight me?"

Ling Xuan's face flushed red, nearly exploding with rage.

The exchange of war masters was solemn and dignified, but this guy came with a flyswatter, showing utter contempt and deliberately humiliating him.

"Yes. If you feel disadvantaged, you can use a weapon." Jiao Tan nodded.

"You..."

Gnashing his teeth audibly, Ling Xuan waved his hand dismissively. "No need. Today I'll teach you with my bare hands, so your Qingyuan War Master Hall knows... the weak are weak, no matter how much they struggle, it's useless!"

Whoosh!

With his words, he struck out a palm. Thunder rumbled, true qi crackled like lightning, and in an instant, the entire arena was filled with his aura. One wrong step and he would be attacked, falling into a passive position.

"Let's try it."

Jiao Tan responded, saying no more. He lightly raised the flyswatter in his hand and swatted at the thunder before him.

"You're asking for death..."

Seeing that the other truly dared to use that thing to withstand his Thunderclap Hand, Ling Xuan gritted his teeth, rolled his palm, and slammed it down fiercely.

He would use his strongest power to defeat his opponent in one move, making him understand what a true expert was.

"No need to watch anymore; the outcome is decided." Hall Master Zhao Yi shook his head.

"Indeed. Thunderclap is like lightning, combat power like a rainbow. Although he's only at the middle stage of Saint Domain Second Layer, even a Saint Domain Third Layer expert might not defeat him. A half-sacred weapon could be shattered on the spot... a flyswatter made from a bamboo stick... it definitely won't hold up."

Hall Master Liu Qinshan also nodded.

"It seems this year, the Qingyuan Empire won't get a single spot..." Hall Master Wei Qianshu chuckled lightly. Before he finished, a crisp "Slap!" echoed through the hall.

"What happened?"

Startled, he quickly looked up and saw that before Ling Xuan's Thunderclap Hand could reach Jiao Tan, the latter had already smacked him across the face with the flyswatter.

His entire face was covered in red dots, as if he had been splashed with hot oil through a strainer.

"Ah... I'll kill you!"

Clearly not expecting the flyswatter to be so fast, and being slapped in public, Ling Xuan was furious. He lunged forward and struck out another palm.

Slap!

Before his palm could reach the opponent, another crisp sound rang out, and the flyswatter landed on his face again.

"I..."

Ling Xuan was about to explode. He flickered, and five afterimages appeared on the stage, making it impossible to tell which was real.

As a war master seasoned in battle, though humiliated by two slaps, he knew that this strangely dressed opponent was not to be underestimated. He immediately unleashed his most powerful movement technique.

Seven Illusory Steps!

A mid-Saint Domain martial technique. When perfectly executed, it could produce seven afterimages, making it impossible to distinguish truth from illusion.

It was less powerful than the Thunderclap Hand, but far more famous. Since mastering it, he had never lost.

"Five afterimages—he has cultivated it to a superb level. Even I can't tell them apart..." Hall Master Zhao Yi stroked his beard, about to say something to salvage some dignity, when another "Slap!" sounded from the stage.

The flyswatter landed on the opponent's face again, right on target.

"Ah..."

Ling Xuan went berserk. He accelerated his steps, making the afterimages even more confusing and indistinguishable.

Slap! Slap! Slap!

Three consecutive slaps, each one accurately hitting his face, as if the afterimages had no effect on the opponent.

"Ling Xuan, he's using a weapon—you use a sword!"

Seeing their man being slapped repeatedly without even touching a hair on the opponent, the war masters of Chongyuan Empire could no longer hold back. Someone in the crowd shouted.

"Fine..."

Knowing that this opponent was not easy to deal with, Ling Xuan flipped his wrist, and a low-grade sacred artifact long sword appeared. Before he could even execute his technique, sword qi shot out like a rainbow, and in an instant, the entire arena was churning with waves of energy.

"Cold Rain Sword Intent... It was what Ling Xuan comprehended from winter rain at the age of twenty-three. Once unleashed, it moistens all directions, and no one can evade..."

Hall Master Zhao Yi continued, but before he could finish, he saw Jiao Tan, standing amidst the sword qi, raise his flyswatter again without much movement.

Slap! Slap! Slap!

Three more slaps, and Ling Xuan's entire face was swollen.

Whoosh!

In his fury, Ling Xuan thrust his sword, unleashing a flurry of sword techniques.

Jiao Tan, holding the flyswatter, moved like a butterfly through a garden of flowers. No matter how dense the flowers, he easily dodged without being touched. More importantly, his hand never stopped.

Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap!

The sound was steady and rhythmic, almost like playing music.

"This..."

The other three war master halls stared wide-eyed in disbelief. Hall Master Xing and Hall Master Liao exchanged glances, unable to process what was happening.

They had all seen Zhang Xuan's training methods, which seemed more like a scam than anything else. How had Jiao Tan changed so much in the blink of an eye?

"Amazing. I never thought swatting flies could be so powerful. I saw Jiao Tan looking for flies in the latrine. One swat, and he said he'd break the front leg, never the back leg!"

"Flies are so small and fast—can he really do that?"

"Yeah, his control is incredibly fine..."

A few war masters from Qingyuan Empire whispered in the stands.

"Ah, I understand..."

Hearing their conversation, Hall Master Liao slapped his thigh in sudden realization.

"Understand what?" Hall Master Wei looked over.

"Jiao Tan is a genius of the Martial Arts Hall. He has studied many types of martial techniques, which can easily distract him in battle and limit his combat power. Teacher Zhang had him swat flies, which seemed useless, but actually embodies the principle of 'the greatest truth is the simplest.' Each fly's flight path is different, representing different techniques and movements. To hit it, he needs to observe the path and predict in advance... Most importantly, it helps him shed his impatience and integrate all the techniques he has learned..."

Hall Master Liao explained.

"This..."

Hall Master Wei pondered.

Thinking carefully, it did make sense.

As a genius of the Martial Arts Hall, Jiao Tan was naturally proud. Having him swat flies must have been a difficult psychological journey. By overcoming it and fully adapting, his understanding of martial techniques would naturally reach a new level.

That was why, no matter how the opponent changed moves or moved, he couldn't escape a swat... He could even knock off a fly's leg without harming its body. With an opponent's face that big, it was impossible to dodge.

Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap!

The sound grew louder and louder.

"Stop... I concede!"

After who knows how long, Ling Xuan had exhausted almost all his techniques without even scratching the opponent. He dejectedly gave up.

His face was now unrecognizable, swollen like a flatbread.

"Qingyuan Empire, Jiao Tan wins!"

With the concession, the match was decided.

"I am Bai Xun of Qianyun Empire, Saint Domain Second Layer Initial Stage. I also wish to learn from the experts of Qingyuan War Master Hall!"

Whoosh!

A robust young man leaped onto the stage.

"I am at Saint Domain Second Layer Initial Stage. I'll fight you."

Shi Hao stepped forward.

"Bai Xun is a genius of the Fist Hall of Qianyun Empire. His iron fists are nearly invincible. This janitor will have a hard time winning."

"Ahem, he's not a janitor; he's a genius from our Inner Breath Hall, Shi Hao!"

...

Seeing the two on stage, the war masters from both sides clenched their fists.

"Hall Master Xing, do you think your man can win?"

Hall Master Liu Qinshan looked over.

If earlier everyone thought Qingyuan War Master Hall was completely finished, Jiao Tan's strength had made them look at it with new respect.

"I... don't know either."

Hall Master Xing shook his head.

To be honest, Teacher Zhang's training methods were too bizarre. Even he couldn't fully understand them.

Shi Hao, a genius of the Inner Breath Hall, had been scrubbing toilets for days... Who knew if his strength had increased or decreased?

"There's no way he can beat Bai Xun!" Hall Master Wei Qianshu of Qianyun Empire said confidently. "I have absolute confidence in him. He is my personal disciple. His fist techniques are unmatched; no one can defeat him..."

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Before he finished speaking, the battle on stage had already begun.

Knowing this was a war master duel, Bai Xun showed no mercy. He threw a punch.

He used his strongest combat power.

Just as his fist was about to land on Shi Hao, Shi Hao suddenly extended his hand, pressed it against the opponent's face, and scrubbed vigorously as if cleaning a toilet.

"You..."

Bai Xun's eyes blazed with fury.

With a roar, he struck again, the air seeming to explode from the pressure. But again, before the punch landed, the opponent's hand appeared on his face, continuing to scrub, rolling up a large clump of dirt.

"Your face... haven't you washed it in days?"

Shi Hao wiped his hand on his clothes.

"..." Bai Xun.

"I'll kill you..."

Bai Xun's face turned livid as dirt clumps fell to the ground. He slipped on a pair of fist gloves and struck again.

For a war master of the Fist Hall, fist gloves could unleash greater combat power, equivalent to using a weapon.

Seeing him use a weapon, Shi Hao didn't hesitate. He grabbed a feather duster lying nearby and held it in his palm.

"Ice-Breaking Fist!"

With a furious shout, the fist gloves blazed with light. Bai Xun punched down, as if to crush the figure before him into dust.

But just as his fist extended, still some distance from the opponent's body, he suddenly felt something tighten on his face... A feather duster had been shoved into his mouth, swishing around with a stench of rot.

"..." Bai Xun.