Chapter 188: Dreaming Cilang, the Name of the Bible

Group A, Ice Emperor versus Li Hai Da in the semifinal arena, Ren Zu You Shi and Jie Chuan Cilang vs Wan Jing Wentai and Hu Lang Sang Yuan.

Boom!

Boom!

The fierce sound of hits on the court never ceased, and the doubles pair sent out by Ice Emperor shocked many, because Li Hai Da was actually being pressed head‑on.

"K, &, N"

Seeing a slight flaw in the opponents' defense, Ren Zu You Shi decided not to miss the chance, swinging the racket from a diagonal upper angle downwards, carving a shifting arc of light in front of him.

Heh heh

At the instant the tennis ball struck the racket, his wrist twitched, and each string brushed across the plush surface.

Thousand Techniques·Side‑spin Slice!

Whoosh!

A sharp streak of light shot over the net, and the tennis ball bounced high toward the outer side from a single point on the ground, its trajectory unusually devious.

"Damn, too late."

Wan Jing lunged forward, his weighted wristband already removed, yet the tennis ball still flew out of the court from three centimeters away from the racket.

Boom!

Before the tennis ball could descend, it turned into a streak of light and shot back in reverse.

Sure enough, the next instant the tennis ball struck the edge of the net.

Puff!

The opponents could always, at varying moments, unleash a myriad of hard‑to‑handle devious shots, and their fierce onslaught prevented Wan Jing and Hu Lang from mounting any effective counterattack.

Pop.

However, after the tennis ball hit the net it spun upward, and then an astonishing event occurred.

Liu Lian Er opened his half‑squinting glasses, his calm gaze shifting back and forth over Ren Zu You Shi and Jie Chuan Cilang, replaying scene after scene of their attacks and defenses in his mind, meticulously analyzing their data.

At that moment, the tennis ball slid leftward across the net, while Cilang surged to the right; opposite directions, leaving virtually no room for rescue.

The doubles pair was very strong.

The spectators outside shouted in amazement.

If one were to compete against such opponents, one's Data Tennis would suffer severe suppression.

After a brief thought, Liu Lian Er realized Coach Sakaki and Ji Bu Jingwu's plan.

What a pity.

Jie Chuan Cilang sprinted toward the net, extending his racket into the right half of the court, ready to intercept the ball.

"Useless, this is senior Wan Jing's clever technique!"

Such devious timing control.

This is Li Hai Da's unrivaled interception genius!

Tap tap tap.

"Wan Jing, watch this!"

"What a beautiful variation slice."

Although the ball's trajectory seemed to head toward the right half, he knew senior Wan Jing's true intention would not be that simple.

"Clever technique·Tightrope Walk!"

"Ren Zu You Shi."

"It hit the net! Can it get over?!!"

Nevertheless, even so, he remained fully confident about the match.

Wan Jing Wentai blew a bubble, pointing a finger at the opposite side: "Cilang, you were careless~"

Almost no useful data could be gathered from him; the opponent perfectly condensed his qi, raising the difficulty of data collection by more than one level, and the myriad complex techniques required far more data than those of others.

"After all, doubles isn't a one‑person game."

Seeing the figure whose face always wore a radiant smile, Wan Jing Wentai's mouth curled with the arc of a scheme fulfilled; he knew Cilang's abilities all too well.

His racket also traced a line beneath the tennis ball.

Meanwhile, from the backcourt, Ren Zu You Shi flashed a cold, mocking smile.

After the tennis ball fell, it landed precisely on the edge of the net and then slid steadily toward the left side.

The gum bubble burst, Wan Jing Wentai's bright, sharp eyes locked onto the incoming ball, his knees snapping down quickly, then a sway, his body lunging forward and down, his right foot stepping out boldly.

"Bing Di Xue Yuan Ren Zu You Shi scores, 40-15!"

Single Match No. 3's Qiansui Qianli, Doubles No. 2's Ren Zu You Shi

Then, who will be Singles No. 2?

Ji Bu Jingwu.

If this is indeed the deployment, Ice Emperor is preparing to win three matches in one breath, catching Li Hai Da off guard and thus clinching victory.

Liu Lian Er stared deeply at the gray‑white figures darting across the court, as if trying to imprint them in his mind, pondering how to deal with such opponents.

"It seems Ice Emperor intended to decide the outcome within the first three matches."

These thoughts flashed through his mind; regardless of the opponent's schemes, Li Hai Da's strength cannot be shaken by Ice Emperor.

Compared to that, it is Ren Zu You Shi who truly concerns Liu Lian Er.

Outside the arena, his sea‑weed‑like curly hair quivered slightly, a smug grin spreading across his face.

Although Jie Chuan Cilang's net offense lagged slightly behind Wan Jing's, Ren Zu You Shi was the strongest presence on the court at that moment; his national‑level skill fully compensated for the gap between Cilang and Wan Jing.

"So you can still catch up, Cilang?"

"I'll claim this ball!"

Sanada, who entered the match at Single Match No. 3, has already broken their tactics.

At this moment, Ren Zu You Shi and Kawaguchi Cilang have not yet returned to position, and Hu Lang Sang Yuan's earlier ball maneuver was precisely for this moment.

"How arrogant a fellow, you should know

that now Cilang wouldn't even dare to be careless with me."

Whoa.

The tennis ball has already left the net, wobbling as it falls downward; with this ball's force and speed, it will not bounce very high after hitting the ground.

However, at the same instant.

Snap—

An arcing step slides out, and Kawaguchi Cilang, who was charging to the right, instantly halts his body, then forcefully pushes off with his right foot on the ground and springs to the left.

At the same time, his body leans back and falls, his racket extends, yet it remains half a racket face away from the tennis ball.

Pop!

The free left hand braces on the ground and pushes!

Kawaguchi Cilang manages to move a short distance left again; the descending tennis ball is caught by his racket, and as his body hits the ground, his arm swings upward.

Swish!

The tennis ball flies over Wan Yi Wentai's head and lands in Hu Lang Sang Yuan's opposite backhand corner.

"Game, Bing Di Xue Yuan Ren Zu You Shi, Kawaguchi Cilang, 3-2!"

"What's going on?"

Liu Lian Er's pupils contract; in that instant, Kawaguchi Cilang's stats suddenly surged dramatically, completely overturning the previously gathered data.

Could it be that the opponent has been hiding their strength?!

"Hoo~"

Getting up from the ground, Kawaguchi Cilang's steps wobble; his eyes seem closed yet a sliver remains open, as if in deep sleep, and he even lets out a snore.

"Is he asleep?"

Wan Yi Wentai feels surprised.

Bang!

Before he can think, the next ball attacks from the opposite side.

"Cilang, just like that, show your true power and make everyone gasp!"

Ji Bu sneered.

Although the drowsiness issue hasn't been fully resolved yet, Cilang has instead taken advantage of this

by being in deep sleep, discarding excessive bodily sensory interference, having no stray thoughts, and in a naturally relaxed state, he displays concentration beyond limits!

"During the training camp, Cilang didn't miss watching the Chinese wuxia movies I collected."

Ri Ji Ruo curls his lip, recalling the wuxia film 'Su Qi'er' that Cilang watches over and over; his current look is exactly like the protagonist's Sleeping Arhat Fist in the film.

"What kind of trick is this!"

Watching the snoring figure before the net, Hu Lang Sang Yuan furrows his brows, his steps never cease, and he quickly reaches the ball's landing spot.

"Since that's the case, I'll use this move to make you fully awake!"

Bang!

His arm muscles twist, driving the racket to strike the tennis ball fiercely, a violent spinning yellow arc attempts to break through from beside the sleeping Kawaguchi Cilang.

Swish~

Without opening his eyes, Kawaguchi Cilang's body shifts slightly; seeing no motion, the racket is already in front of the tennis ball, and once again returns the ball in an unexpected stance.

Bang!

"Game, Bing Di Xue Yuan Ren Zu You Shi, Kawaguchi Cilang, 4-2!"

"What's up with that guy, who can play tennis while sleeping?"

Qie Yuan said uncertainly, while beside him, Mao Li Shousanlang's eyes flickered slightly, and a thoughtful expression appeared on his cynical face.

Bang! Bang!

Wan Yi and Hu Lang both exerted all effort to turn the tide, but the match situation could not be salvaged; defeat was only a matter of time.

The gaze returns to the Budongfeng side.

Ji Le Jing Xing and Neicun Jingjie have just finished the doubles No. 2 match and come down from the court.

"We won."

Looking at his father, Ji Le Jing Xing feels a complex emotion; when he discovers the latent spirit wind ability within his body, some forgotten memories resurface in his heart.

"How can I become as strong as dad? When I grow up, you must teach me!"

"Dad promises you, but what kind of tennis player does Jing Xing want to become?"

"Of course, just as strong as dad~~"

"Hahaha"

The younger self leans on his father's broad back, filled with such curiosity and yearning for tennis.

When exactly did the original inspiration fade away?

Was it when he saw his father's blinding brilliance and fell into decadence overnight, quitting the arena thereafter? Or when he realized he simply didn't possess his father's tennis talent?

Ji Le Jing Xing has already forgotten.

However, the father had never forgotten, and per their old agreement, he handed his power to him, though he never noticed.

Ji Le Jing Xing's eyes flicker lightly, his lips twitch: "Dad, tennis

is so interesting!"

"Um, is it."

If it's interesting, that's enough.

Ji Le Taizao's slightly weathered face showed a warm hue, as if a long‑suppressed worry had finally been lifted.

Behind, Jie Cheng Wu lifted the corner of his mouth slightly.

No wonder Ji Le Jing Xing rejects tennis.

Seeing the harsh world of tennis too early, a goal beyond his talent, and a father who is poor with words

These factors combined, causing the still‑immature Ji Le Jing Xing to feel overwhelming pressure and think of avoidance.

But coincidentally, tennis is a very solitary sport; on the vast court, he is alone.

Whether attacking, defending, or handling sudden situations during a match, the player must deal with them alone; apart from the one‑and‑a‑half minute break, no one can talk to him.

For the already‑avoidant Ji Le Jing Xing, tennis is a huge challenge.

That's why Jie Cheng Wu chose Ji Le Jing Xing and Neicun Jingjie to form a doubles pair; with a teammate's support, he gained the courage to stay on the court.

However, there are certainly more important reasons.

From the perspective of the Heavenly Emperor's Eye, Jie Cheng Wu clearly saw the latent power within Ji Le Jing Xing's body and chose the proper guidance to awaken his potential.

Just as in Kuroko's Basketball, Chi Si Zheng Shilong could find a unique talent in Hei Zi's below‑average basketball ability and, using Hei Zi's faint presence, turn him into the phantom Sixth Man of Emperor Light Middle School.

Jie Cheng Wu is doing something similar.

He had assumed Ji Le Jing Xing would use Neicun Jingjie's power to manifest his shikigami talent, but instead he ended up becoming Neicun Jingjie's shikigami.

Although the process differed slightly, Jie Cheng Wu was very satisfied with the final result.

"One win, one loss?"

Duobian Xiu, with a toothpick in his mouth, showed a slightly surprised expression; according to pre‑match intel, the supposedly perfect pair Xiaochun and Yuji would actually lose to Budongfeng's No. 2 doubles.

Now the next match's victory becomes especially crucial.

If they win the No. 2 singles, they gain the initiative; once they secure match point, the opponent will bear the psychological pressure of "must not make a mistake" in the following games.

"Now the No. 2 singles match begins!"

"Jie Cheng Wu from Tokyo Budongfeng Middle School versus Bai Shi Zangzhijie of Osaka Four Heavens Treasure Temple!!"

"Both players, please take the court!"

The announcement rang out; members of Four Heavens Treasure Temple and the Budongfeng crowd stirred, and the audience's eyes glittered.

"They actually met; this is the battle of the two schools' department heads!"

"The opponent is this guy? If you want to win..."

His eyebrows flicked up; a hint of surprise appeared on Bai Shi's face. Then with a light tug, the white bandage on his arm snapped away, revealing a gleaming pure‑gold armguard.

"Xiu, in order for Four Heavens Treasure Temple to win the National Champion, our agreement will…"

The two golden armguards made Duobian Xiu's hands feel a heavy weight as they sank, and a flash of surprise crossed his hair‑covered eyes.

No matter how tough the match had been before, Bai Shi had never considered removing his armguard.

But now, before the match even started, he took off the armguard without hesitation, deciding to step onto the court at his peak.

"Is it necessary to go this far?"

"Bai Shi Zangzhijie, the Bible of Four Heavens Treasure Temple."

"Technique, speed, strength, spirit, and stamina—all reach a perfectly balanced state, so regardless of the opponent's type, he can respond flawlessly."

Information about Bai Shi instantly flashed in Jie Cheng Wu's mind.

A smile tugged at his mouth; at his current level, only a few could still pique his interest, and Bai Shi Zangzhijie happened to be one of them.

【PS: In the prologue, Bai Shi actually had no armguard setting; when the left bandage fell apart, no armguard was seen, but since the new Net King has a new setting, we'll follow the new‑over‑old principle.】