How Do We Play If This Boss Isn't Nerfed?-Chapter 42: Why Is Your Head So Pointy?

Before long, the three top students Sun Qian had called out stepped forward, each with a different expression.

They were Wei Feng, Zhao Jin, and Xiong Qihong from Class One, corresponding to the 12th through 10th ranks in the grade.

Lin Ye flexed his wrists and walked back onto the arena platform.

His first opponent was the 12th-ranked Wei Feng.

He also used a saber as his weapon. With a well-proportioned build and a steady aura, he was clearly a balanced speed-and-power type, just like Lin Ye.

"Please, guide me."

Wei Feng cupped his fist in his palm, his eyes sharp.

There was no more idle talk. As soon as Sun Qian announced the start,

the battle erupted instantly!

Wei Feng shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow, his battle saber carving a sharp arc through the air as it chopped straight for Lin Ye’s face!

The wind from the blade howled, its momentum immense and heavy!

Lin Ye’s expression remained calm. With a shift of his feet, he brought his staff up to block, the tip striking the flat of his opponent’s saber with precision.

CLANG!

A crisp ring of metal on metal echoed.

A tyrannical force traveled up the saber, making Wei Feng’s arm go numb. But he reacted in a flash, twisting his wrist with the momentum and sliding the blade down the staff to slice horizontally at Lin Ye’s waist!

Lin Ye changed his move at the speed of light.

He switched from a one-handed to a two-handed grip, blocking again with the horizontal staff.

From the very first exchange, Lin Ye could clearly feel it.

This person’s skill level was more than just a notch or two above the previous two opponents.

Their figures crossed rapidly on the platform, flashes of saber and staff clashing relentlessly, producing a series of dense, explosive sounds.

Wei Feng’s saber style was bold and sweeping, yet it combined both speed and power. Every strike carried the determination to sever anything in its path.

But Lin Ye’s Staff Skill was more fluid and seamless. Facing his opponent’s tempestuous assault, his defense was watertight.

"Such a fast staff!"

"Wei Feng’s rapid-saber tactic is actually useless!"

The students below were dazzled. They realized that Lin Ye wasn’t using the extreme offensive tempo he had displayed before.

Against a more aggressive opponent, he had adopted a defensive, counter-attacking rhythm.

This kid from Class Seven wasn’t just a tempest on offense.

His defense was also watertight.

Even a reckless brute like Wei Feng, who only attacked and never defended, couldn’t find an opportunity or a flaw.

Sustained offense was undoubtedly a massive drain on stamina.

Wei Feng’s explosive fighting style was all about a three-pronged initial assault.

Once that assault was over, he would instantly find his strength failing him.

Lin Ye finally caught an opening and switched from defense to offense.

A heavy blow from the staff smashed directly onto Wei Feng’s right shoulder.

Wei Feng cried out in pain and hurriedly retreated.

Before he could stabilize himself, Lin Ye was on him like a shadow, his staff moves flowing in a continuous, relentless stream. One heavy, precise blow followed another, raining down on him.

But Wei Feng didn’t give up.

Even though defense wasn’t his strong suit, he persevered and blocked most of the attacks.

Unfortunately for him, once Lin Ye had seized the opportunity,

he unleashed an offensive tempo even more aggressive than Wei Feng’s had been.

The students watching from the sidelines felt a chill run down their spines.

Suffocating!

It was too suffocating!

’This guy from Class Seven... he’s really something else!’

Finally, Wei Feng’s defense completely crumbled. Lin Ye’s staff swept him across the side of his waist, sending him flying sideways off the platform. He struggled a few times but couldn’t get back up.

Lin Ye retracted his staff and stood tall, his chest heaving slightly. Sweat beaded on his temples, and a red mark from a grazing saber strike was visible on his arm.

He had won, but not unscathed. The fight had taken a considerable toll on his stamina.

"Next."

Giving Lin Ye little chance to rest, Sun Qian immediately called for the next person to take the stage.

There was a ten-second interval, however.

Lin Ye’s condition had mostly recovered by the time the second battle began.

Zhao Jin’s weapon was quite special: a Nine-Section Whip.

With a flick of his wrist, Zhao Jin brought the steel Nine-Section Whip to life. It moved like a venomous snake, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

The Nine-Section Whip rattled as the tip whistled through the air, lashing toward Lin Ye’s ankle from an extremely tricky angle.

Lin Ye’s eyes narrowed, and he lifted his foot to dodge.

His opponent’s Qi and Blood had been tempered by a Cultivation Technique, and its density far surpassed that of anyone Lin Ye had faced before.

Every lash of the whip carried a gust of wind with extremely strong piercing power.

What was more troublesome was that a flexible weapon like the Nine-Section Whip had an unpredictable attack trajectory. Its raw power might have been less than other weapons,

but in terms of flexibility and variability, it far outclassed conventional weapons.

Zhao Jin’s martial skill level was clearly high. The steel whip in his hands would sometimes thrust like a spear and at other times entangle like a flail.

The novelty of the weapon caught Lin Ye completely off guard.

For a moment, the platform was filled with the flying shadow of the whip. Lin Ye was forced to constantly move and dodge, and he still took a few lashes from time to time, looking somewhat battered.

"The Class Seven kid’s speed advantage is being suppressed!"

"Zhao Jin’s Nine-Section Whip is the ultimate counter to close-quarters combat! I’ve almost never seen anyone get the better of it!"

"Bro, stop talking nonsense. The Class Seven guy is using a staff, which is already a long weapon. How are the fist fighters supposed to survive?"

Just as everyone thought Lin Ye was about to be worn down and defeated, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes as he broke his pattern of passive evasion.

’I can’t let this continue.’

’Right now, I’m moving to his rhythm.’

’If I can’t get close and establish my own tempo, if all I do is keep dodging...’

’I’ll never be able to win.’

Just as Zhao Jin lashed out, the whip sweeping toward Lin Ye’s chest, Lin Ye neither dodged nor evaded. He took the hit head-on!

PFFT!!

The steel whip struck Lin Ye’s body, and even with protective gear, a bloody gash was instantly visible to the naked eye!

Lin Ye flinched in pain but used that brief opportunity to close the distance with his opponent.

Zhao Jin was shocked and hurriedly tried to retract the whip to defend himself.

But Lin Ye was too fast!

Once Lin Ye got in close, the advantage of the Nine-Section Whip vanished completely.

But Zhao Jin’s fundamentals were solid.

Even with Lin Ye in close quarters,

he still used the steel whip to maintain a watertight defense.

For a moment, Lin Ye found himself unable to gain any real advantage.

Facing such an opponent, Lin Ye finally played his last trump card.

Chaotic Staff Style!

Lin Ye’s staff movements immediately became bizarre and unpredictable.

Zhao Jin’s expression changed. He had just seen Lin Ye’s staff clearly move to sweep his legs, but in the next instant, it had transformed into a thrust.

He barely managed to dodge the attack with a backward step.

But the next strike came immediately.

It was another one of those roguish staff moves—no discipline, no form, the kind of wild flailing meant to overwhelm a seasoned master.

This completely threw Zhao Jin for a loop.

’The textbooks never said what to do in a situation like this!!’

The scales of battle finally began to tip in Lin Ye’s favor.

After more than ten minutes, Zhao Jin’s stamina was the first to hit its limit.

Finally, just as Lin Ye’s staff was about to crack him on the head, he surrendered.

"Hah... hah..."

Lin Ye leaned on his wooden staff with one hand, panting heavily. He was soaked in sweat.

All over his body, in the places where the whip had struck, his training uniform was torn, seeping with traces of blood. His face was also a little pale.

It was, by all appearances, a narrow victory.

And it looked like he was completely spent, an arrow at the end of its flight.

However, this exhausted appearance was just an act Lin Ye was putting on for everyone else.

’If I don’t make it look convincing, people will really think I’m a monster.’

Seeing Lin Ye on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion, Sun Qian revealed a sinister smile.

He glanced at Chen Meng, who was standing beside him.

’Trying to win three consecutive gauntlet matches? Chen Meng, your arrogance will only lead your student to a miserable defeat!’

"Xiong Qihong, you’re up!"

Sun Qian gave Lin Ye no time to rest, immediately calling up the last person.

Lin Ye raised his head and looked toward his final opponent below the platform.

It was a giant of a man, over 2.2 meters tall, with knotted muscles all over his body, built like an iron pagoda.

His face was fleshy and fierce, and his head was bald. He didn’t look particularly bright.

His frame was even a size larger than Chen Meng’s.

Lin Ye was a little speechless.

’Seriously, man, how many drugs did you take?’

Xiong Qihong walked onto the platform carrying two enormous Mountain Axes. With every step, the entire stage let out a heavy, muffled THUD.

"You! Just give up!"

"I don’t want to bully a little guy!"

Xiong Qihong pointed his right battle-axe at Lin Ye, his voice booming like it came from inside a jar.

Faced with his opponent’s provocation, Lin Ye just smiled faintly.

"Dude, what kind of dragon did you fight to get that big?"

"Also, why’s your head so pointy?"