[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-how-do-we-play-if-this-boss-isn-t-nerfed":3,"chapter-how-do-we-play-if-this-boss-isn-t-nerfed-how-do-we-play-if-this-boss-isn-t-nerfed-chapter-40":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","How Do We Play If This Boss Isn't Nerfed?",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1618115,2083,"Chapter 40: A Lad from Class Seven Has Come, His Staff Flies in the Sky","how-do-we-play-if-this-boss-isn-t-nerfed-chapter-40",40,"\u003Cp>Before Sun Qian could call for a suitable candidate, a cold snort, sharp as striking metal, cut through the silence below the stage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ll take him on!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All eyes turned toward the voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A lithe, sharp-eyed male student pushed his way through the crowd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He carried a long, narrow saber. Though it was unsharpened for safety, Lin Ye could still feel a sharp aura emanating from it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Go, Hao! You’re the man!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cut him down, Hao! Beat him black and blue!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some in the crowd began to fan the flames.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were all hot-blooded young men, seventeen or eighteen years old, so it was only natural that some were starting to get annoyed with Lin Ye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Junhao, from Class One of the third years, ranked 28th in the grade!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amidst the shouting and instigation, Shen Junhao himself seemed to be basking in the attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a single, fluid motion, he leaped and landed gracefully on the platform. His movements were crisp and efficient, with no wasted motion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Ye’s gaze fell on him, and the level indicator above his opponent’s head came into sharp focus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[LV8]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The same level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Qian was extremely satisfied to see Shen Junhao volunteer. He had been planning to pick him or another top student with a similar ranking anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stepping up voluntarily naturally gave him an edge in morale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Chen Meng, I admit, I underestimated your student.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But it ends here!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Meng didn’t even bother to glance at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze remained fixed on Lin Ye on the platform as he spoke in a flat tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Go all out.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you injure him, I’ll cover the medical expenses.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Meng paused, then his lips split into a vicious grin that would put any villain to shame. He added, \"Don’t kill him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This exchange was like pouring oil on a fire, utterly infuriating Shen Junhao on the platform!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’re courting death!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Junhao let out a low roar as the Qi and Blood within him erupted!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Qian said no more. He knew words were useless; only a victory on the platform could wash away this humiliation!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He waved his hand!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Begin!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Freed from the [Overwhelm] effect, Shen Junhao was no longer cowering before the fight even began.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He surged forward, intending to engage Lin Ye in close-quarters combat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The family Cultivation Technique Shen Junhao practiced, the Wind Formulas, specialized in speed and Body Technique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although he wielded a saber—a weapon seemingly reliant on powerful, sweeping strikes—he had perfectly integrated his Cultivation Technique with his saber skills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His bladework was deceptive, overwhelming slowness with sheer speed, often settling the fight before his opponent could even react!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, this speed—so extreme in the eyes of others that it was difficult to even track—was a disappointment to Lin Ye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Not fast enough.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’It’s not even as fast as the agile mutated beasts in the ruined city.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boosted by his skyrocketing Spirit attribute, Lin Ye’s dynamic vision and neural reaction speed had risen accordingly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Lin Ye’s vision, Shen Junhao’s every move was perfectly clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>WHOOSH!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Junhao closed the distance, his saber transforming into a blinding flash of cold light. With a shriek that tore through the air, it shot straight for Lin Ye’s neck!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This strike, fueled by his rage, was the pinnacle of his skill!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Faced with this explosive attack, Lin Ye’s response was simplicity itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He merely took a slight step to the side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lightning-fast blade grazed past the tip of his nose, missing by a razor’s edge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As his strike missed, Shen Junhao’s pupils contracted. Alarm bells screamed in his mind!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Such fast reflexes!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Acting on pure instinct, he wrenched his body around, redirecting his blade in a horizontal slash at Lin Ye’s waist!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Lin Ye’s counterattack had begun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His footing shifted, and the alloy staff in his hands suddenly trembled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Twirling Staff Form]!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that instant, the plain, unadorned staff seemed to come alive, exploding into a sky-full of afterimages—an impenetrable storm of metal that instantly enveloped Shen Junhao!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>DING! DING! DING! DING!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A series of metallic clashes, so rapid it made one’s scalp tingle, rang out from the center of the platform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Junhao’s swift and deceptive bladework was utterly broken. He felt as if he had been plunged into a sea of afterimages, with attacks raining down from every direction!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The individual strikes might not have been powerful, but they were faster than his own quick blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could only parry desperately, thrown completely onto the defensive!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Down below, the other students from Class One watched in stunned silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A moment ago, they were marveling at Shen Junhao’s speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next, they saw him utterly suppressed by a storm of staff-work so fast they couldn’t even track its movements!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was being overwhelmed by sheer speed!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Junhao’s rhythm began to falter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Already poor at defense, he had taken several solid hits from Lin Ye’s staff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in the next moment, the storm of afterimages before him vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Shen Junhao thought Lin Ye had tired, giving him a moment to catch his breath,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Ye’s technique changed in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air around the long staff coalesced, and it came smashing down from above with an unstoppable, crushing force!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From Twirling Staff to Heavy Staff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Ye could now switch between them seamlessly, smooth as silk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A shadow fell over him. A terrifying pressure, like a mountain crashing down, made Shen Junhao’s blood run cold!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could only roar, pouring all his Qi and Blood into his arms as he raised his saber to block overhead!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>CLANG—!!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Junhao felt an irresistible, terrifying force travel up the blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stumbled back several steps, his stance completely broken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fight wasn’t over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Ye would never miss an opportunity to beat a dog while it’s down. He stuck with the heavy strikes, each one devastating!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>THUD!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>THUD!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>THUD!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dull thuds of the staff striking flesh replaced the crisp clang of it being parried by the blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Accompanying them were Shen Junhao’s muffled grunts of pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Ye remembered Chen Meng’s instructions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hit hard, but don’t kill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the next three or four heavy strikes all landed on his torso and limbs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>None of them struck a vital point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once Shen Junhao had been reduced to a punching bag, Lin Ye slowed his assault.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He drew back his staff, gathered his strength, and then viciously jabbed its tip into Shen Junhao’s abdomen!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Junhao’s body flew backward like a kite with a snapped string. A crimson arc of blood sketched through the air before he crashed heavily onto the edge of the platform, completely incapacitated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fight was over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Ye brought his staff to rest and stood tall, his expression calm. He wasn’t even out of breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they could attribute his first-round, one-shot victory over Wang Hao to a massive gap in Qi and Blood—a simple case of being crushed by superior stats—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>then this match was different. This time, Lin Ye had displayed a dazzling level of martial skill that left them reeling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The web of afterimages, the fluid, effortless movements, the sheer mastery over the fight’s tempo—it was all too smooth!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’So the Staff Skill they had always considered unremarkable, the most basic of the basics, could be used like *that*?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Lin Ye achieve another swift victory, Chen Meng had no intention of being humble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without waiting for Sun Qian, the teacher in charge, to speak, he looked to the rest of Class One.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Next?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Qian shuddered violently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was blatant, in-your-face humiliation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The top students in the crowd, who had been eager to fight just moments before, were now dead silent, not even daring to meet Chen Meng’s gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A series of notifications sounded in Lin Ye’s mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Ding! Collected from Shen Junhao: Anger, Fear, Pain. Total Negative Emotion Value: 640 points!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Ding! Collected from Sun Qian: Anger, Shame, Jealousy, Hatred. Total Negative Emotion Value: 1,160 points!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Ding! Collected from Onlookers: Fear. Total Negative Emotion Value: 1,630 points!]\u003C\u002Fp>",1341,"2026-06-06T10:31:47.603Z",1,"novelbin.me","311e6a10772aafb69977d368f2c83eb08e65c830702008ae3559e01bf1b5a5fa","how-do-we-play-if-this-boss-isn-t-nerfed-chapter-41","how-do-we-play-if-this-boss-isn-t-nerfed-chapter-39",250,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fhow-do-we-play-if-this-boss-isn-t-nerfed-cover.jpg"]