Chapter 201: National‑Level Burdens, the True Peak Duel!

Boom!

After returning the tennis ball, Sanada's brows twitched slightly, his sword‑sharp gaze constantly fixed on Ju Juping.

Stomp!

Facing the incoming ball, Ju Juping lunged forward, leapt powerfully, assuming the stance to unleash Explosive Ball Chaos.

Swish swish

On the court, the brewing oppressive momentum was about to erupt, and the air seemed to thicken in an instant.

"Since the Mountain's defensive range cannot encompass all ball trajectories, then..."

Seeing this, Sanada immediately made a decision.

Swoosh~

He planted his foot heavily, twisted his body at once, executing a clean, crisp direction change, sprinting toward the net, his sharp gaze shifting rapidly with Ju Juping's movements.

"I'll return your shot just before the tennis ball splits!"

Boom!

The racket's black rim struck the tennis ball fiercely; in an instant, the muscles on Ju Juping's arm surged like waves, a blood‑red aura enveloped the ball, and it burst through the air toward him.

The ball surged forward, but Sanada was already prepared; he raised the racket to his shoulder, aimed at the ball crossing the net, tightened his arm muscles, and the racket slashed diagonally.

"Its pace… like a forest."

Sanada's movement was decisive, without any hesitation, the tennis ball now lay just in front of the racket.

They were separated by only a short inch!

"Naïve!"

Yet seeing Sanada's response, Ju Juping sneered coldly and shouted.

The next instant.

Before the racket could touch the ball, the pale‑yellow ball shadow trembled violently.

A whizzing tremor rang across the court!

Dozens of pale‑yellow ball shadows scattered along chaotic trajectories, Sanada's gaze hardened, and the slashing racket cut through empty space.

Puff!

A cloud of dust surged abruptly on the ground behind him.

"Budongfeng Middle School's Ju Juping scores, 40‑0."

The referee raised his hand to award the point.

"Sanada's Mountain and Forest, these two supreme defensive secrets, surprisingly cannot break Ju Juping's Explosive Ball Chaos."

Wan Jing Wenta's eyes flickered, showing surprise and doubt.

During the Kanto tournament, this move was easily countered by Yukimura, causing him to underestimate the threat of Explosive Ball Chaos.

"One centimeter past the net, the tennis ball begins to split."

Off‑court, Liu Lian Er's complexion darkened slightly as he strained to analyze Explosive Ball Chaos from his own perspective.

"First trajectory deviates right 15°, second deviates right 23°, third…"

But soon, he halted his muttering, shook his head, rubbed his throbbing brow, looked up at the court, and wore a helpless expression.

The variations were too chaotic; he couldn't discern all the ball paths.

From just these few balls, he couldn't gather enough data to gauge Ju Juping's true attack rhythm.

This Lion King of Budongfeng is far tougher to handle than Ice Emperor's Qiansui; Sanada will inevitably face a fierce battle.

Not far away.

Seeing the subtle shift in the crowd's expression, Neicun Jingjie couldn't help but curl his mouth into a grin, his eyes brimming with satisfaction; the impact of Jing Xing's loss earlier was now completely washed away by Ju Juping's overwhelming aura.

"Deputy Minister Ju will definitely win."

Neicun Jingjie's resolve hardened, and before his grin could fade, a hoarse roar echoed again on the court.

"Go die for me!"

Boom!

Qie Yuan's hair turned icy pale, his skin flushed crimson as he leapt, slamming the racket down hard; the tennis ball emitted a fierce tremor, and a savage gust surged across most of the court in an instant.

"Power's decent."

Scoring consecutively, Ju Juping's momentum surged; with a glance, his foot already landed on the target spot.

Through demonic transformation, Qie Yuan Chi has also entered the national tier, yet his strength still lags far behind the top‑national level of Ju Juping and Sanada Xianyi.

"What a pity, too crude!"

Accompanied by a low shout, Ju Juping's racket yanked forcefully at the rebounding tennis ball.

Boom!

The ferocious tennis ball collided with the racket, yet it failed to splash a drop of water.

Its violent spin was instantly shattered, like a kitten confronting a lion; the gap between them was insurmountable, and this fierce serve posed no hindrance to Ju Juping at all.

The racket struck down like a lion's fierce paw, the tennis ball instantly reversed and flew back with powerful, merciless force.

Tap tap tap.

The tennis ball surged aggressively, Qie Yuan remained undaunted, lunging forward in a swift arrow step, eyes fixed on the ball; his crimson eyes stared at Ju Juping, emitting a cruel cold glint.

"Lion King of Budongfeng, you're truly strong. But you're not my target!!"

Sizzle—

Qie Yuan Chi also skidded to a halt, his face turning blood‑red, frantic and fiery.

As he sidestepped, his racket rose, veins bulging on his blood‑red arm; his left hand aligned with the incoming tennis ball, already assuming an attacking stance.

"Ga! Ga! Ga!"

A shrill, mocking laugh like a demon's taunt rang in Yiwu Shen Si's ears, and his complexion turned cold.

"This guy's target is me."

A vigorous urge to destroy chilled his heart; Yiwu Shen Si's eyes were indifferent, his shoulders rose and fell rapidly, and a quick step completed his body's activation.

Facing the imminent attack, he hesitated not a moment and reacted decisively.

As his steps kept advancing, a strong wind brushed his cheeks, ruffling the hair on both sides, revealing a pair of deep, resolute eyes that reflected a wild, crimson‑haired lunatic's silhouette.

Yiwu Shen Si remained as calm as ever, and thought coldly, "Thinking a new look can defeat me is a grave mistake."

"Ha ha, watch me!"

Qie Yuan Chi Ye laughed loudly, the blood surging in his body nearly boiling, the crimson aura spilling over his racket; his arm muscles tightened and relaxed, and the racket whooshed out.

Swish swish swish~

The racket shot forward, the tennis ball arrived at his front, but the yellow ball suddenly trembled and, in the next instant, the very real ball inexplicably vanished from Qie Yuan Chi Ye's sight.

"How could this be?!"

The scarlet, violent eyes narrowed; after the racket swung empty, it hung on his shoulder, and Qie Yuan stood stunned for a moment.

In an instant, the snarling face regained a hint of clarity.

It is

Ice Emperor Qiansui Qianli's divine disappearance!

Qie Yuan quickly recovered, but it was already too late to save the ball.

Fortunately, this is a doubles match.

Tap tap!

Behind him, Sanada rushed over, promptly taking the position; he swung the racket with both hands forcefully, and a yellow tennis ball instantly shot back from the empty spot.

Bang!

A strong, powerful arc flew out, the tennis ball rubbing the air as if igniting a scorching flame; the blazing red light suddenly swept past Yiwu Shen Si's position at the net, aiming straight for the backcourt.

"So you used a pull‑hit to unleash a ferocious 【Fire】?"

On the high platform, the elegant, austere Ji Bu Jingwu tilted his head forward slightly, his charismatic eyes flashing with a different brilliance, as if trying to see through the two players on the court.

"Sanada is about to show his true skill."

Qiansui Qianli drew both hands from his pockets, eyes narrowed, expression solemn; only those who have truly sparred with Sanada Xian Yilang can know that guy's strength.

Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain, Hidden Thunder!

The Six Ultimate Secrets encompass everything, together forging his arguably flawless tennis system.

Aside from Jiecheng Wu of Budongfeng and Xingcun Jingshi of Li Hai Da, who possess overwhelming strength, it is hard to find a middle‑schooler in Neon who can reliably suppress even one of them.

With that, Sanada's title of Tennis Emperor is well deserved!

"Well timed!"

When the lion's eyes opened, Ju Juping's momentum surged, his movements bold and grand, his stride filled with beastly wildness; he leapt forward in a single step, heading straight toward the crimson ball shadow.

Whoosh~

Flames surged, airflow roiled, the black collar flipped up, revealing sharply defined Wildness muscles. He planted his foot heavily on the ground, his body suddenly leapt into the air, then his arm swung the racket down with a fierce aerial press.

Bang!

The racket struck down, the lion's aura billowed out, as if the lion opened its mouth to bite the flame apart.

The thudding sound of the hit, like a war drum, made the crowd's hearts skip; Li Hai Da's people did not expect Ju Juping could counter the fire‑like onslaught so brutally.

Bang!

Bang!

"40-15"

"Game, Budongfeng Middle School Ju Juping, Yiwu Shen Si, 3-0."

"Please have both players switch courts."

"0-15"

"Take this! Sanada, Blast Ball Frenzy!"

Ju Juping let out a roar, the racket snapping out harshly like a lion's tail swing.

Although his ultimate technique, Lion's Roar·Blast Ball Frenzy, which perfectly fuses Wildness with tennis, requires a great amount of stamina to execute.

Thus Blast Ball Frenzy remains his irreplaceable main move.

However,

How long can this technique remain effective against Sanada?

Bang!

Accompanied by an explosion, the tennis ball instantly split into dozens of bursting yellow streaks, rushing forward.

"Trying to keep scoring with the same move, you're underestimating me!"

Sanada smiled coldly, a deep‑blue electric arc crackling beneath his feet; with a single step he was already at the front of the tennis ball, his hands gripping the racket's handle like a sword, his aura icy and fierce.

Whoosh!

The racket slashed from the upper right downwards, the frame instantly tearing two phantom tennis balls, yet his figure never stopped.

Sizzle!

On the court it seemed a straight bolt of thunder was drawn; a single swing shattered all ball shadows ahead, until a palpable heavy force came back through the racket.

"Got you, Movement Like Thunder!"

Zzzzz—

A flash of lightning, the tennis ball instantly became a lightning afterimage, moving so fast Ju Juping's reaction lagged a beat.

"30-30"

"This is the true meaning of Thunder, Movement Like Thunder?"

Ju Juping slightly raised his eyes, and a dangerous look appeared in his dark pupils.

If he had only caught the Exploding Ball Chaos, he wouldn't have shown such an expression; after all Jiecheng, Qian Sui, and even Xingcun Jingshi of Rikai University had all countered this move.

It is believed that Ice Emperor's team, relying on his honed eyesight, can find the real tennis ball among the many split balls.

In this world, there are many who can use their eyesight to break through Exploding Ball Chaos.

But at present, he sensed a strong threat from this counter.

And Wildness's intuition has always been accurate.

Stab!

The racket tore through the air, and electric light ravaged the court.

"game, Rikai University Affiliated High School Sanada Xian Yilang, Qie Yuan Chi Ye, 1-3."

Boom!

The fierce sound of hits echoed continuously on the court.

Yiwu Shen Si and Qie Yuan Chi Ye kept running on the court, exhausting themselves to keep up with Ju Juping and Sanada's pace, only to ensure the formation's integrity and not let the opponent exploit a flaw.

Since just now, apart from serving and receiving, the two of them have not touched the tennis ball even once.

Sanada let out a deep shout, his racket swirling violently in his hand, surrounded by flames.

The relentless onslaught was as fierce as a volcanic eruption, fierce gusts rolling across the court, the flaming tennis ball leaving lingering crimson streaks in the eyes.

And faced with such attack.

Ju Juping did not retreat at all; a pair of lion‑like eyes showed increasingly strong aggression, he had fully thrown himself into the match, the lion king's dominance evident.

The racket snapped, a terrifying lion aura stunned the entire arena!

"This is the pinnacle of clash!"

Swiftly flashing to fill the gap, Yiwu Shen Si's eyes trembled, and at that moment he once again deeply realized the gap between himself and the national top level.

Although both are national‑level, in this match between the two, he doesn't even have the qualification to intervene.

"Damn, what monsters are they!"

White curly hair fell messily over his face, his blood‑red visage full of resentment and anger, Qie Yuan Chi Ye let out a gritted, snarling shout from his heart.

"Even if we reach the national level, mastering a brand‑new power like Demonization, we still can't keep up with Vice‑Director Sanada's silhouette? Then what meaning has my long‑standing effort!"

But even with lingering resentment, his steps never slowed a fraction.

"How could it be repaired!"

For Rikai University's victory, Qie Yuan Chi Ye forced himself to endure a flood of frustration and humiliation, suppressing the shame of not even touching the tennis ball, returning to guard the empty spot so Sanada would have no worries.

"Compared with the previous match, this is completely a different level"

"No wonder they're the team that made the finals, truly impressive!"

The spectators outside were both surprised and excited, the atmosphere was extremely lively.

The astonishing duel left people speechless; most spectators couldn't understand the match at all, some even couldn't spot any trace of the tennis ball.

Yet even though their eyes were burning and gritty, they still refused to miss any slightest change on the court.

You should know, this is exaggerated to the point that even national‑level players can't intervene!

Powerful!

Intense!

A top‑level showdown rare in two or three years!

Boom!

Ju Juping made a quick sidestep, the tennis ball bounced high off his side, swift as a gale.

"game, Rikai University Affiliated High School Sanada Xian Yilang, Qie Yuan Chi Ye, 2-3."

"Please have both sides exchange courts!"

Although the battle was very tense, after Sanada displayed his full strength, both rounds of combat ended with Ju Juping losing points, ending the fight.

"What's up with Ju of Budongfeng?"

Xiangri Yueren furrowed his brows; Ice Emperor and Budongfeng had been training together for so long, he knew exactly what Ju Juping's signature moves were; besides Exploding Ball Chaos, the opponent should also have a stronger Lion Roar·Exploding Ball Chaos.

Given Ju Juping's personality, no matter how much he worries about stamina consumption, he shouldn't have endured not using it until now; this is clearly unreasonable, too abnormal!

From Budongfeng's stands, Shenwei Ming was equally puzzled.

"Senior Jiecheng, why doesn't Vice‑Director Ju use his signature move? This is exactly the crucial point of the match!"

Jiecheng Wu shook his head, gazing at the four players on the court exchanging blows, his eyes slightly narrowed.

"Ju, it's not that he doesn't want to use it, but even if he did, it wouldn't change the current situation."

In terms of strength, Ju Juping and Sanada now differ little, almost on the same level.

Not only do their basic strengths seem comparable, both also possess signature moves that the other finds hard to counter.

Sanada's Movement Like Thunder and Ju's Lion Roar·Exploding Ball Chaos are both the topmost techniques at the national level, each representing the highest standard in their respective middle‑school domains.

However, though the signature moves are strong, they demand equally high stamina; currently they cannot execute their moves many times, so both sides are cautious, not forcing signature moves to score, but striving to find the opponent's flaws to tip the scales of victory toward their side.

Only, Sanada's Wind‑Forest‑Fire‑Mountain coordination is truly perfect, offense and defense forming their own system, almost flawless.

Ju Juping, though strong, finds it still a huge challenge to directly break through Sanada's Wind‑Forest‑Fire‑Mountain; if he cannot breach that encirclement soon, under Sanada's attrition, he will be the first to falter.

Suddenly!

Just as Jiecheng Wu was pondering, the court suddenly changed.

(End of Chapter)