A silver kunai, gleaming with cold light, suddenly flashed by, missing Yu Xiaogang's face by only half a foot. If it had been any closer, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
The master, who had never experienced much combat in his life, was so close to danger at this moment that he broke out in a cold sweat, feeling a deep fear in his heart.
However, the Shrek members weren't focused on Yu Xiaogang; they were all staring at the silver kunai.
"This direction..." Tang San observed the trajectory of the kunai and shook his head slightly.
When it came to hidden weapons and mechanical devices, Tang San was undoubtedly a master. He was incredibly sensitive to the direction and shooting angle of any weapon. Just from the moment of launch, he could determine its final landing point.
The other Shrek members also shook their heads. The trajectory was off; it could only be said that Chen Xuan's technique was not yet refined enough.
However, for a support-type spirit master, having such accuracy was already quite impressive.
Ning Rongrong, dressed in a blue dress that reached just below her knees, revealing her long, straight legs, looked elegant and graceful, embodying the demeanor of a noble lady.
At this moment, she lightly covered her red lips, her eyes sparkling as she questioned herself. After more than six months of training in hidden weapon techniques, and even under Tang San's guidance, she still couldn't match her classmate, Chen Xuan.
In fact, from the moment the kunai was thrown, Dai Mubai had already grasped the situation. The straight line trajectory could never hit him; it would only brush past his neck with a foot to spare.
"Brother Chen, your accuracy is lacking," Dai Mubai said with a smile. His spirit power receded, and he relaxed his defensive stance.
He confidently stood in place, motionless, letting the kunai fly straight towards him without any intention of dodging.
This extremely confident display made Chen Xuan chuckle softly, as it was exactly what he had hoped for.
Sure enough, just as everyone expected, the silver kunai flew past Dai Mubai, missing his neck by about a foot and causing no harm.
Seeing this, the Shrek members shook their heads slightly, not noticing anything unexpected.
However, the next moment brought a sudden change. Chen Xuan vanished in a flash, leaving only a trace of yellow light in his place.
"Where is he?" This was the question in everyone's mind.
Ma Hongjun shook his head, quickly scanning the surroundings, trying to spot Chen Xuan's figure.
"Where is he?" Dai Mubai's pupils narrowed as the golden light ahead was too glaring, making it hard for him to track his opponent's movements.
"Behind you." Suddenly, a cold voice sounded in his ear.
At the same time, a kunai with a cold gleam appeared, pressed against his neck, the coldness piercing his bones.
"When did this happen?" Dai Mubai's body stiffened, his face filled with shock.
Without any warning, Chen Xuan had appeared behind him, holding a sharp weapon against his neck.
A slight movement could take his life, leaving him decapitated.
Everything happened too quickly. Not only Dai Mubai, but even the Shrek members felt caught off guard, unable to see clearly or understand how Chen Xuan had managed it.
Only Tang San, Flender, and Liu Erlong seemed to have some idea, as if they had grasped the reason.
"The outcome is decided; there's no need to continue," Chen Xuan said calmly as he withdrew the kunai and returned to the crowd.
"I admit defeat," Dai Mubai said through gritted teeth, feeling extremely frustrated. He had the strength but couldn't use it.
Even though he didn't want to admit it, by the rules of the match, he had already lost, though not completely defeated.
The Shrek members were stunned, taking a while to react. Then came the surprise—this outcome was too unexpected. It was something they hadn't even dared to imagine before.
Tai Long and Jiang Zhu were utterly astonished. Even now, they found it hard to believe that the unremarkable support spirit master in their class had defeated Dai Mubai, the captain of the Shrek Seven Devils.
Dai Mubai was furious. In normal circumstances, he had a hundred ways to defeat Chen Xuan. Even Tang San wasn't his match, yet now he had lost to a support spirit master who hadn't even used his martial spirit.
He was the one who had to suffer in silence!
If he had been completely overpowered, it would have been easier to accept. But he hadn't even used his full strength, making this outcome hard to swallow, with a burning rage he couldn't vent.
Overconfidence and underestimating his opponent accounted for ninety percent of his defeat. But no matter how unwilling he was, he couldn't change the fact that he had lost.
"Sigh." Zhu Zhuqing sighed softly, her gaze never leaving Dai Mubai. However, the look in her eyes was one of disappointment.
After Chen Xuan's victory, Liu Erlong felt a sense of satisfaction, looking at Flender with a mocking gaze, as if to say, "Your strongest student isn't even as good as one of my support spirit masters."
Flender's face darkened. Being teased by an old friend like this was too much, a bitter pill to swallow.
"Brother Chen, how did you do that just now? You disappeared in a flash, faster than our seventh sister!" Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong's eyes lit up with curiosity as they rushed to Chen Xuan, eager to know.
Ma Hongjun also came over, exclaiming, "Brother Chen… no, Brother Chen, you're a god! You even stepped on the invincible Dai Lao Da. You're amazing!"
Clearly, Ma Hongjun was exaggerating, making fun of Dai Mubai and intentionally making him uncomfortable.
Hearing all the praise for Chen Xuan, Dai Mubai felt even more bitter. Noticing the disappointment in Zhu Zhuqing's eyes, his expression grew darker, with an unquenchable fire burning in his heart.
Seeing that they had rested enough, Yu Xiaogang stepped forward at the right moment. With his hands behind his back, he stood tall and said, "Mubai, as a strong attack-type spirit master, when facing a support-type spirit master, you should have advanced immediately, closing the distance and delivering a fatal blow. Mubai, you were too careless."
Even now, he still didn't acknowledge Chen Xuan's capability as a battle spirit master.
Dai Mubai, already feeling frustrated, grew even more irritated at being scolded after losing to someone weaker than himself.
Oscar, unable to bear it any longer, stepped forward to defend him, "Master, Dai Lao Da said from the start that he'd give Chen Xuan three moves. You can't blame him for that."
Yu Xiaogang's expression didn't change. He still stood tall with his hands behind his back, exuding the air of a great master.
After a while, he spoke slowly, "Underestimating your enemy is underestimating yourself. Even a support-type spirit master can have offensive abilities. Mubai, if you hadn't been overconfident from the start and had taken every opponent seriously, using your third spirit ability, White Tiger Vajra Transformation, to greatly increase your defense, Chen Xuan wouldn't have been able to break through it even with ten knives."
"Mubai, you were too careless. Learn from today's lesson, or you'll suffer in the upcoming competition," Yu Xiaogang critiqued.
He stood tall, with an air of superiority, as if he could easily see others' flaws.
Dai Mubai, already irritated, was on the verge of exploding after Yu Xiaogang's relentless criticism, but he bit his tongue and held it in.
"Oh, I get it!" he responded coldly, his face dark.
Chen Xuan couldn't help but smirk at Yu Xiaogang's deliberate critique. It was obvious that Yu Xiaogang was still holding a grudge from a previous incident where he had lost face, so now he was deliberately belittling him.
Chen Xuan found it amusing. What did he mean by not being able to break through even with ten knives? This was just a sparring match, meant to be controlled. If he had used his Rasengan, the outcome would have been much worse.
Not to mention, he still had a trump card he hadn't revealed—the deadly power of his Mangekyō Sharingan. But there was no need to use such a lethal move against his own people.
However, Chen Xuan chose not to argue. After all, challenging someone on their own turf would only lead to unnecessary trouble.
Satisfied with his critique of Dai Mubai, Yu Xiaogang turned his attention to Chen Xuan and said, "Chen Xuan, even though you won against Mubai with some trickery, don't get too proud. In my opinion, in a fair and square fight, you're no match for him."