Chapter 43: The Shang Family Member's Dao Heart Shatters

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—

From the audience’s perspective, a figure darted swiftly through the darkness, with the surrounding scenery rapidly receding.

“Alright, the perspective has switched to Shang Xingren. Let’s see how he deals with Jiang Yan’s next attack.”

“Shang Xingren is moving!”

“Shang Xingren… he, he’s running away?”

The commentator’s tone was filled with astonishment.

The earlier perspective hadn’t shown the process of Shang Xingren getting injured, so most people assumed he and Jiang Yan were evenly matched, unable to gain an advantage over each other.

But now, with the perspective fully revealed, Shang Xingren had chosen to flee in full view of everyone, sparking suspicion in most people’s minds.

Was it a tactic?

Some speculated.

: Director, we want to see the replay.

: Hurry up and show us what happened in the earlier fight.

: Damn this useless guy. Wasn’t he acting all tough earlier? Why is he suddenly running away in the middle of a good fight?

Those outsiders didn’t know what Shang Xingren had just experienced, so of course, they couldn’t understand why he had to run.

But Shang Xingren truly knew just how terrifying that man was.

The bizarre way of attacking—when he first clashed Sabers with Jiang Yan, his body inexplicably got injured.

The seemingly impenetrable defense—even a dagger sneak attack and the immense energy generated by spatial compression couldn’t cause the slightest harm.

And, the absolute strength.

Shang Xingren still remembered the Yan Thunder Destruction Slash Jiang Yan had unleashed.

A Heaven Rank Martial Skill—even he had only barely grasped a hint of it, achieving control Proficiency only with the help of his family elders.

That man was undoubtedly a stats monster.

Shang Xingren even suspected Jiang Yan had been deliberately placed in this exam.

“No examinee could possibly possess such strength.”

Shang Xingren began to let his imagination run wild.

His inner pride made him unwilling to admit he had fled midway.

Suddenly, as if realizing something, Shang Xingren’s expression turned as unpleasant as if he had eaten something foul.

Had everything just now been Live Streamed?

Running away was merely a human instinct. Under that Saber Qi capable of annihilating everything, Shang Xingren’s instincts made him forget he was in an exam. A voice in his mind kept telling him:

“Run! Run! You’ll die!”

And so, Shang Xingren fled.

After fleeing, he was filled with regret.

He let out a bitter laugh. “I thought I would look down on life and death.”

His privileged background, absolute Talent, and status as the center of attention had made him so arrogant that he believed he was an omnipotent person.

The Bullet Comments audience watched the replay.

The development of alternate spaces had become quite advanced by now. Even though Shang Xingren used his spatial ability to hide within the Void, the Live Stream Room could still capture his blurry figure.

From his initial high spirits to suffering that despairing slash.

Lightning and Saber Qi dominated the entire screen.

The Bullet Comments suddenly became understanding. No one cursed Shang Xingren as a coward anymore.

: Alright, it seems like it’s not Shang Xingren’s fault.

: I apologize for cursing Shang Xingren earlier. In that situation, I would have run even faster than him.

: Isn’t Jiang Yan just too overpowered? How is this playable without nerfing him?

: I thought Jiang Yan was at most on the same level as Shang Xingren, but reality slapped me hard in the face. He’s a Prodigy among Prodigies. It’s hard to imagine even Shang Xingren being so helpless. How utterly despairing must ordinary examinees feel when facing him?

Only with Spatial Talent could one barely escape from Jiang Yan’s grasp. What about everyone else?

The significance of this conflict seemed to have shifted at this moment.

Shang Xingren lay wounded on the ground.

The previous sneak attack had been aimed almost directly at his vital points, and he had even employed an Earth Grade Martial Skill. As a result, the injuries from the Parry and Counter were exceptionally severe.

He sat cross-legged, striving to circulate his Qi through his meridians, working to regulate his condition.

Tap… tap…

Rhythmic footsteps reached his ears.

Shang Xingren’s expression darkened. In his current state, he could not afford to engage in intense combat.

“Shang Xingren?”

Frowning, Shang Xingren looked toward the speaker. “Xiao Ziming, it’s you!”

Shang Xingren’s tense nerves relaxed slightly.

His Family had dealings with Xiao Ziming’s Family, and the two had crossed paths several times. Shang Xingren knew that Xiao Ziming was an extremely arrogant person, one who disdained taking advantage of others in vulnerable situations.

Or perhaps, such Prodigies all harbored a certain pride within.

Sure enough, Xiao Ziming sheathed his sword, a mocking expression on his face as he looked at the disheveled Shang Xingren.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the young master of the Divine Capital’s Shang Family. How did you end up in such a sorry state?”

From the very first words, the taunts were filled with aggression.

Under normal circumstances, Shang Xingren might have traded barbs with Xiao Ziming, but now he had no such inclination.

Unconsciously, the arrogance in his heart had been nearly shattered by Jiang Yan.

“I got into a fight and lost,” Shang Xingren explained calmly.

“Tsk, seems you haven’t improved at all over the years. Fine, tell me who it was. I’ll take care of him for you while I’m at it.”

Xiao Ziming continued his mockery.

The two were often compared by their elders, and neither usually conceded to the other.

Surprisingly, however, Shang Xingren—who usually flaunted a tattered fan and loved to show off—unexpectedly refrained from retorting this time, which struck Xiao Ziming as peculiar.

“You can’t defeat him.”

With that single sentence, Shang Xingren thoroughly ignited Xiao Ziming’s temper.

“Shang, just because you’re useless doesn’t mean everyone else is as pathetic as you!”

Shang Xingren shook his head, lacking the energy to argue.

“I couldn’t even fight back against that person.”

Those words silenced the previously agitated Xiao Ziming. He looked at Shang Xingren suspiciously. “Are you serious?”

Shang Xingren nodded. “Yes. I even suspect that person isn’t a candidate but… the final test arranged by the officials.”

Hearing this, Xiao Ziming’s expression turned grave as well.

He was well aware of Shang Xingren’s strength—his spatial abilities were unpredictable and hard to defend against. What kind of opponent could make even him feel despair?

“So, what do you plan to do?” Xiao Ziming asked him.

Shang Xingren replied, “Join forces.”

“Damn it! I have no interest in such spineless tactics. No matter how powerful the opponent is, I have the heart to raise my sword against him!”

Xiao Ziming looked at Shang Xingren with disappointment.

“You’ve grown old. Before, even though your show-off antics were annoying, at least you weren’t this cowardly.”

With that, Xiao Ziming turned and left.

Shang Xingren’s lips moved slightly as he watched Xiao Ziming’s defiant figure gradually disappear into the night.

Jiang Yan remained suspended in the sky.

Many candidates noticed the sun rising in the night, casting curious glances toward it.

Then, Jiang Yan would follow their line of sight, swoop down, and rob them.

By now, the remaining candidates were mostly at the Second Grade Perfection level, with the occasional Third Grade Innate among them. Yet, none could withstand even a single move from Jiang Yan.

He was like an ultimate BOSS who had accidentally wandered into a newbie village, capable of turning both the brave warrior and the shoddy newbie gear into pulp with a single casual strike.

A peculiar phenomenon emerged in the official live stream room.

Whenever the perspective switched to other examinees, a figure would suddenly descend from the sky, snatch the points, and then soar back into the air.

As a result, the official live stream room simply gave up and broadcast Jiang Yan’s live stream footage for the entire duration.

A global live stream had become Jiang Yan’s exclusive showcase.