Chapter 36

**Update Time: April 12, 2013**

Meng Yu and his best friend Lu An were squeezed by the crowd, unable to move.

"Is it really that bad? Tang Tian is at most a dark horse, why are there so many people?" Lu An couldn't help but complain, his clean white shoes now covered with footprints.

Meng Yu, however, didn't find it strange: "I guess about half of Ande's students will come."

"That's true." Lu An nodded and laughed, "Even you, the top expert of Ande, are here. How could others not come?"

Since Shangguan Qianhui graduated, Ande had fallen from grace, plummeting year after year and was about to drop out of the top ten. The entire Ande Academy was collectively bewildered by this roller-coaster-like change. They seemed to have suddenly lost their spiritual pillar, feeling empty inside.

Tang Tian's sudden emergence caused a sensation in Ande Academy.

Meng Yu smiled bitterly: "Top expert of Ande?"

Lu An patted Meng Yu's shoulder comfortingly. As his best friend, he knew very well the pain in Meng Yu's heart. In the era of Shangguan Qianhui, the top expert of Ande was dazzling and glorious. Because the top expert of Ande was also the top expert of Starwind City. In comparison, the current top expert of Ande was almost a joke.

The top expert of Ande could barely touch the tail of the top ten in the entire Starwind City, no wonder Meng Yu's mouth was full of bitterness.

The crowd surged.

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In a corner of the stands, Han Father and Han Mother both wore wide-brimmed hats and scarves, almost completely covering their faces.

"Old man, will Bingning not notice us like this?" Han Mother whispered.

"Probably not." Han Father said calmly, "Bingning is far from us, she's on that stand."

"That's good, that's good." Han Mother breathed a sigh of relief, but soon became nervous again: "Old man, you were right. No matter what, we have to help Bingning this time. Bingning even said she likes women! My heart is pounding! I've thought it through, even if Tang Tian isn't good, he's still a man, and better than a woman!"

"Calm down!" Han Father quickly signaled his wife to relax: "Look, Bingning came to this match, which means she still cares about Tang Tian! Don't worry, we can't let her go down the wrong path!"

"Tang Tian, don't let us down!" Han Mother clenched her fists, a bit nervous: "I heard his opponent is very strong."

"Don't worry! Our Bingning isn't that superficial. Even if Tang Tian doesn't get a good ranking, Bingning won't look down on him." Han Father quickly reassured her.

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Meng Yu and Lu An looked around.

"There are so many people! The enthusiasm is even higher than a regular match!" Meng Yu couldn't help but marvel.

"Look at that!" Lu An, as if he had discovered a new continent, counted on his fingers: "The top expert of Yelin Academy, Zhao Wei, the fourth-ranked person in Starwind City; the leader of Hongguang Academy, Xue Yong, the ninth-ranked person in Starwind City; the leader of Shenwei Academy, Zou Kai, the seventh-ranked person in Starwind City..."

Each name made Meng Yu's heart race.

The top experts from the top ten academies were all present in the stands. Such an array of talent left one speechless. Meng Yu and Lu An had a momentary illusion that this was the final match.

These experts had various expressions—some were cold, some were arrogant, some were calm, some were curious, and some were looking around. But without exception, they became the focus of the entire venue. The audience, who had come for the excitement, were now all extremely excited. When had such a grand scene ever occurred?

Just seeing these experts today made the ticket worth it.

Moreover, Tang Tian's opponent...

When Tang Tian stepped into the venue, the originally bustling stands fell into a brief silence. Everyone looked curiously at Tang Tian, who was entering the arena.

He had once been the object of everyone's ridicule, having practiced basic martial arts for five years and being seen as a student with extremely poor talent, an unprecedented five-year repeater. He had also been the object of many people's envy, the only one who could make Shangguan Qianhui smile, the most beautiful smile in all of Starwind City belonged to him.

Many people had heard of Tang Tian's name, but this was the first time they had seen him in person.

"That's Tang Tian!"

"I don't see anything special about him. Why would Miss Qianhui like him?"

"He's not an ordinary person, practicing basic martial arts for five years. Is he an ordinary person?"

...

After the brief silence, various comments erupted.

Tang Tian, who had just entered the venue, was startled by the sudden wave of noise. He looked up and immediately drew a sharp breath. The stands were packed with people.

"Is my opponent today some extraordinary person?" Tang Tian scratched his head.

Tang Tian probably never imagined that his opponent was indeed not an unknown.

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Di Han walked into the venue with a blank expression. His gaze lingered on Tang Tian for a moment before retracting. He didn't care who his opponent was, and he paid no attention to the noise outside. The dense crowd in the stands had no effect on him.

He stood silently like a wooden dummy in front of Tang Tian, waiting for the referee to enter.

Many people in the stands became serious.

"Rainman Di Han!" Meng Yu said solemnly, "It's really him! I didn't expect him to really participate in the martial arts meeting, not just a namesake."

A trace of awe flashed in Lu An's eyes.

In this world, there are always some extraordinary geniuses. Even in the prestigious Starwind City, there are some geniuses who have never attended a single day of school but have astonishing strength. Di Han is one of the most outstanding among them. Di Han grew up in poverty, with a solitary and violent personality, and was extremely averse to academy life. His martial arts were entirely self-taught.

Contrary to his terrible personality, his talent was very outstanding, especially in water-based martial arts, where he was once considered a water-based genius on par with Han Bingning.

He always acted alone, making a living by hunting monsters. What made him even more awe-inspiring was that he had also been a hired killer. His specialty was ambushing in the rain. To date, he had never failed, and in the rain, Di Han was like an unstoppable killing god. His nickname "Rainman" came from this.

This was an opponent no one dared to underestimate.

The experts in the stands all had solemn expressions, closely watching Di Han in the arena.

The reason this match attracted so many experts was not only because of Tang Tian but also because of Di Han. Ordinary people might not know much about "Rainman" Di Han, but in the expert circles, Di Han was well-known.

Di Han had never participated in a martial arts meeting before. If it weren't for Tang Tian's attention, no one would have noticed that Di Han had quietly registered for the preliminary rounds.

In many professional predictions, Di Han's winning rate was astonishingly high.

Di Han's combat experience was far beyond what they could imagine.

The referee's hands were sweating. This was the first time he had served as a referee in front of so many people. However, the rules of the martial arts meeting were very simple. Seeing that both were ready, he said without hesitation, "Begin!"

As soon as he announced the start, he quickly retreated.

The match began.

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Tang Tian stared at Di Han.

He felt that the other party was shrouded in darkness, always a bit blurry.

Di Han suddenly raised his head, his eyes flashing with a sharp light, like a blade in the darkness. Tang Tian suddenly felt a sense of danger and, without thinking, took a sidestep.

Sss!

A cold light grazed past Tang Tian, streaking by.

It was a knife as thin as a cicada's wing!

The knife was only three inches long, with a shape similar to a willow leaf knife, but extremely thin, almost translucent.

A trace of light seemed to flash in Di Han's eyes.

The martial arts he practiced was called "Rain Threads," a rare third-stage martial arts technique. This ancient martial arts technique made Di Han a feared ambusher. The true energy in Di Han's body could transform into invisible threads, allowing him to control the thin blade from any angle.

Tang Tian, seeing the thin blade floating in mid-air, was greatly surprised.

What kind of martial arts is this?

Di Han's combat experience was extremely rich. Although such a straightforward competition was not his forte, he was still full of confidence.

The invisible true energy threads trembled slightly, and the thin blade disappeared in the air.

Tang Tian's eyes narrowed, and he kicked off the ground, his body flying backward!

A barely noticeable cold light grazed past his nose, the icy chill making Tang Tian's hair stand on end.

Just two dodges made Tang Tian realize the danger of his opponent!

Dangerous person!

Without a word, Tang Tian opened his water bottle martial arts cabinet, and the black iron gloves appeared in his hand. The cold metal sensation made Tang Tian's mind suddenly clear.

With a sudden roar, Tang Tian's fist disappeared in the air.

When the fist suddenly emerged from the air, it seemed to hit the air.

Ding!

A spark bloomed from Tang Tian's glove, and the clear collision sound echoed throughout the venue.

Flash Punch!

A second-stage martial arts technique? A cold light flashed in Di Han's eyes.

Looking for death!

Although it was surprising that "Flash Punch" could be cultivated to this level, a second-stage martial arts technique was still a second-stage martial arts technique. Relying solely on a second-stage martial arts technique to fight him was looking for death!

The invisible true energy threads trembled slightly in the air.

The thin blade floating in the air, like an ice block, suddenly melted at a visible speed, turning into a puddle of water. The puddle quickly divided into five parts, recondensing into five semi-transparent water droplets. The droplets were stretched into five semi-transparent water needles, floating in front of Di Han.

This... this... this...

Tang Tian was dumbfounded, Di Han's martial arts were simply beyond imagination.

The crowd in the stands was also in an uproar; they had never seen such a peculiar martial arts technique.

Di Han's narrowed eyes were filled with a cold light.

It's all over!

The true energy threads suddenly trembled.

The five water needles floating in front of him disappeared in the air simultaneously, their sharp whistles piercing the eardrums.

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