Chapter 1 Ha?

"Ha?" Feng Bujue wore a disdainful look after hearing Ma Ma Hu's rather impressive remarks, "Your tone is rather immodest..."

"Hmph..." Ma Ma Hu chuckled. "Young man... do you think... this old man is relying on his age and boasting nonsense?" He didn't wait for Jue Ge to answer before continuing, "Heh heh heh... even the strongest fist fears youth, I agree with that, but..."

As he spoke, Ma Ma Hu widened his stance into a horse stance, slowly raised his arms, and adopted a fighting posture.

His speed wasn't particularly fast, but his fluid movements created multiple afterimages in the eyes of onlookers. His Dou Qi (inner energy) wasn't particularly strong, but the contained and profound power made the air around him feel thick.

"The battle of a martial artist isn't purely a contest of physical strength..." Ma Ma Hu continued, "Even if physical strength has passed its peak, the experience of battle, the realm of martial arts... will become even more profound with the passage of time."

"Is that so..." The powerful enemy in front of him had already adopted a fighting stance, but Feng Bujue remained completely unmoved, replying in a mocking tone, "Then I really have to learn from you... Ah!" Before he could finish speaking, Jue Ge seemed to suddenly see something, and in an instant, his expression changed dramatically. He raised his arm and pointed to the desert in front of him, exclaiming, "The Batmobile!"

Perhaps because his expression was too realistic, or perhaps because he shouted so desperately...

In any case, everyone present—the Rabbit Star people, even the three players from Corpse Blade—all turned their heads in that instant, looking in the direction Jue Ge was pointing...

"Ugh!"

In that split second, Feng Bujue suddenly struck, stabbing a kitchen knife into Ma Ma Hu's chest... The latter immediately let out a scream and turned his head back, staring at Jue Ge with an expression of "You tricked me!"

And the others (Rabbits), who had turned their heads back after hearing the scream, were all dumbfounded when they saw the situation... It took five or six seconds for even the fastest to realize what had just happened.

"So, as I was saying... the battle of a martial artist isn't purely a contest of physical strength..." After a few seconds, Feng Bujue looked smugly at the dying Ma Ma Hu, repeating his words and adding, "Intelligence is also very important." With that, he violently pulled back the kitchen knife.

As the blood on the knife dripped onto the sand, Ma Ma Hu had already fallen backward, eyes wide open in death.

"Too... too despicable!"

"Are you kidding me? This is allowed?"

"This guy actually used such a childish trick..."

"... Another Boss-level NPC taken down..."

"This is the first time I've ever seen someone play a game like this..."

At this moment, the viewers watching the livestream completely exploded.

Feng Bujue's actions couldn't be described as anything but shameless, but in a way... they were admirably shameless.

The move he had just pulled seemed to lack any technical skill at first glance, basically a dirty trick that only kids would use in a fight. But upon closer inspection, one would realize... he had used it with incredible skill.

Because no one would have expected... in such a situation, he would use such a method.

Imagine if Ye Gucheng and Ximen Chuixue were dueling... Both sides adopted their poses, exchanged a few cold, ambiguous words, and were just about to strike when Ximen Chuixue suddenly wore a shocked expression, pointing to the sky behind Ye Gucheng and shouting, "Look! Pigs are flying in the sky!"

If that kind of thing really happened, then I think... Ye Gucheng would definitely turn his head to look too.

In fact, this is almost a human instinct. As long as the person pointing and shouting performs convincingly enough, naturally enough, and suddenly enough... anyone would turn their head without thinking.

And Feng Bujue used this psychological blind spot to successfully complete a one-hit kill.

…………

"What's this? Is this what you call a super expert? The tactics he uses are so low-end?"

At this moment, in livestream zone six within the game (a layered space similar to a mall, each with a number, where players can freely choose which screen to stop and watch), four youths in matching uniforms stood together, one of them reading from the livestream screen with a scornful tone and a rather loud voice.

The man speaking, with the ID [Imagawa Yoshimoto], had a thin face and a pair of very distinctive eyebrows, which looked as if they had been painted on, shining brightly.

"Yeah... and some people say he's in the same league as Devourer of Heavens and Shiva..." A slightly short and chubby man next to Imagawa Yoshimoto, with the ID [Tokugawa Tadanao], chimed in.

"Heh... I've seen his competition footage from S1, but in my opinion, he's nothing special..." Another man standing with them, with the ID [Hojo Kazu], also said at this moment, "Speaking in terms of level thirty or so, I don't think I'd lose to him."

"Hmph... there's nothing strange about that." Finally, the last of the four, a red-faced man with the ID [Toyotomi Hei], sneered, "It can only be said that the overall level of Chinese players is too low. If you want to say they have anything that others can't match... hmph... probably only the number of people."

"Heh heh... so-called rich fools..." Imagawa Yoshimoto replied with a smile.

"But it's really annoying..." Tokugawa Tadanao said at that moment, "If elites like our 'Sengoku Studio' had entered this game earlier, then in S1... there wouldn't have been a chance for those second-rate guys to perform."

The group stood in a very conspicuous spot, saying these things in a very arrogant manner, without lowering their voices in the slightest. Many players who heard their conversation nearby clearly showed expressions of displeasure, disgust, or indignation, but no one went up to argue with them.

The main reason... was naturally because there were security robots in the game watching over them, so they couldn't just go up and slap them; and another reason was that these guys with the "Sengoku" emblem embroidered on their uniforms... were indeed well-known skilled players, and also a strong dark horse in this S2 competition.

In fact... shortly after the end of S1, this "Sengoku Studio," composed entirely of Japanese professional players, had quietly entered Thriller Paradise, and appeared on the Guild Comprehensive Strength Rankings in a very short time.

In the S2 competition, the Sengoku Guild sent a total of two teams to participate, and both teams entered the rematch. And the four people in front of them... were precisely "Sengoku Team Two."

"I see..." Suddenly, a voice sounded behind the four members of Sengoku Team Two, "So the recently rising 'Sengoku' ... is nothing more than this."

"Nani?" Hearing this, Imagawa, Tokugawa, Hojo, and Toyotomi all turned their heads in unison, glaring fiercely at the speaker.

"You are..." Toyotomi Hei looked at the ID displayed above the other person's head, and his expression immediately changed, "'Trash Alliance' team's [Honghu]?"

"Indeed." Honghu adjusted the glasses on the bridge of his nose, replying with a smile.

"Hmph... I wondered who it was..." Imagawa Yoshimoto snorted coldly, "Just some guy that no studio would even take in, yet you're presumptuously commenting on elites like us... saying 'nothing more than this'..."

"Heh... yes, I'm just an ordinary player with a very average skill level. However... I understand what Feng Bujue did just now more thoroughly than you 'elites'..." Honghu's tone was obviously sarcastic when he said those two words, "... more thoroughly."

"What do you mean?" Hojo Kazu heard the meaning in his words, so he asked in a deep voice.

"What do I mean..." Honghu shrugged his shoulders, pretending to be nonchalant, "I think... some things are better left unsaid, but rather hinted at, so that others can think for themselves. Heh..." He smiled, "It's like teaching elementary school students how to do math problems. If you directly give them the answer, they still won't be able to do it when a different problem comes up; but if you teach them the way to solve the problem..."

"Who are you calling an elementary school student?" Tokugawa Tadanao was provoked by Honghu's insulting words and immediately became agitated, taking a step forward... as if he was about to hit someone.

"Don't be impulsive..." Toyotomi Hei blocked him with his arm, giving his teammate a look, "Don't be so easily provoked."

"Yeah, there are security robots here, so violence is not allowed." Honghu replied fearlessly, "So it's best for everyone to pay attention when speaking... It's not like just because the people around you don't come up and slap you, it means they agree with you... maybe they're just enduring you." He spread his hands and shook his head, "People who are annoying but don't realize it are not just annoying... but stupid."

When he said these words, many of the nearby players showed expressions of approval, and there were faint sounds of laughter from the crowd. Basically, everyone was using their eyes or actions to say to Honghu—"Well done."

"What... exactly are you trying to say?" Toyotomi Hei was, after all, the captain of Sengoku Team Two, and his personality was more stable than that of his teammates. He suppressed his anger and asked again.

"It's very simple... I just want to kindly remind you that you have greatly underestimated Feng Bujue..." As Honghu said this, his eyes sharpened, and his tone suddenly turned cold, "This guy... is much more dangerous than you think."

He paused for two seconds before continuing, "Since you say his tactics are low-end and nothing special... then I'd like to ask you to consider a few questions..." Honghu's gaze swept across the faces of the four, "What kind of tactics are high-end?"

The four members of Sengoku Team Two were not intellectual players, so they were naturally hesitant to answer Honghu's question.

"Tactics, in the end... are just a means to achieve a goal." Honghu continued when he saw that they didn't say anything, "As long as it's 'effective,' what's wrong with simple and clear tactics?" He paused again, glancing at the large screen in the distance, "From a tactical point of view, Feng Bujue's approach was first 'unexpected' and secondly 'extremely effective.' Ask yourselves... If you were in that situation, could you immediately think of such tactics and successfully implement them?" He continued in a very sincere tone, "Anyway... I can't. To be honest, even if I really thought of such an idea, I might not be able to make the NPC turn his head, and even if I really made the NPC turn his head... I wouldn't be confident that I could end the opponent's life with a sneak attack. This is like the story of 'Columbus's Egg,' no matter how disdainful the onlookers are of the result afterward, before seeing this result... let alone asking you to do it, you can't even break through the fixed mindset..."

At this point, the four members of Sengoku were indeed speechless.

"Hmph... worthy of being the 'Strategist' Honghu." After a few seconds, Toyotomi Hei snorted coldly, "We are enlightened..." As he said this, he turned his head to his teammates and said, "Let's go..."

At this moment, the surrounding passersby were all looking at them with an attitude of "watching a failed attempt to show off," and they undoubtedly couldn't stay any longer.

"Hopefully... there will be a chance to actually learn from your strategy in the competition..." But before leaving, Toyotomi Hei did not forget to leave a harsh word for Honghu, "After all... there are many people in this world who can talk, but not all of them are truly capable."

"Heh..." Honghu replied with a smile, "Then please... look forward to it."

…………

On the other hand, in the desert.

"You despicable bastard! How dare you trick the Colonel and Ma Ma Hu..." After witnessing Feng Bujue's actions, Didi Wei was completely enraged, so angry that he couldn't even speak properly, sputtering out words half a sentence at a time, "I... I will tear you into pieces with my own hands!"

"Wait a minute!" At this time, San Yu Qiangxi shouted softly, taking a few steps forward with two teammates, and said, "Mr. Tianguan, we already warned you before... that Feng Bujue is very strong and extremely cunning, but the Colonel and Ma Ma Hu were still careless..." He glanced at Jue Ge, "Now is not the time to act rashly... He still has three companions whose whereabouts are unknown, maybe they are hiding somewhere in the dark preparing to ambush us, so in terms of numbers... we don't have the advantage."

"Yes..." Reborn as Wang also chimed in, "So... I suggest, let's be cautious and all four of us go together!"

"Ha! Hahahaha..." Feng Bujue immediately let out a super mocking laugh upon hearing their words, "What are you doing? The six major sects besieging Bright Summit?" As he spoke, he skipped sideways half a step, pinched his face into a shrewish appearance with his hands, and squeaked, "Don't talk about Jianghu (martial world) morality with these heretics! Everyone attack together!"

After saying that, he returned to his original position, changed his face in a second, and sighed solemnly, "Alas... to be honest, I've never stopped you from attacking together. It's just that you came up one by one, thinking you could handle me alone."

In the next second, Jue Ge spread his hands, and arrogantly shouted, "Stop judging this great one's courage with your petty minds! I said I'll take care of you alone, and that's what I meant. Who cares if you're ganging up on me... Hurry up and come forward to die!"