Chapter Thirty-Five: Di Han, the Rain Man

Meng Yu and his best friend Lu An were squeezed so tightly by the crowd that they could barely move.

“This is too much, isn’t it? Tang Tian is at best a dark horse, so why are there so many people?” Lu An couldn’t help but complain, his once pristine white shoes now covered in footprints.

Meng Yu, however, wasn’t surprised. “I’d guess half of our Ander Academy is here today.”

“That’s true,” Lu An nodded, laughing. “Even you, the number one expert in Ander, came. How could the others not come?”

Since Shangguan Qianhui graduated, Ander had plummeted, dropping straight down these past years and now teetering on the edge of falling out of the top ten. The entire academy faced this rollercoaster change with collective bewilderment, as if their spiritual pillar had vanished, leaving emptiness in their hearts.

Tang Tian’s sudden rise had caused a sensation at Ander Academy.

Meng Yu gave a bitter smile. “Number one expert in Ander, huh.”

Lu An comfortingly patted Meng Yu’s shoulder; as his best friend, he understood Meng Yu’s pain. In Shangguan Qianhui’s era, the number one in Ander shone brilliantly. Because Ander’s top was also the top in Starwind City. In comparison, now the number one in Ander was almost a joke.

The best in Ander could barely scrape the tail end of the top ten among Starwind’s academies. No wonder Meng Yu spoke with such bitterness.

The crowd surged.

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In a corner of the stands, Han’s parents wore wide-brimmed hats and gauzy scarves, their faces almost completely hidden.

“Old man, do you think Bingning will notice us like this?” Han’s mother whispered.

“She shouldn’t,” Han’s father answered calmly. “Bingning is far from us, she’s on the other side of the stands.”

“That’s good, that’s good,” Han’s mother sighed in relief, but soon grew nervous again. “Old man, you were right, no matter what, we have to help Bingning this time. Bingning even admitted she likes women! My heart, it’s beating so fast! I’ve thought it through, Tang Tian may not be perfect, but at least he’s a man, better than a woman!”

“Calm down!” Han’s father quickly signaled his wife to relax. “Look, Bingning came to this match, that shows she cares about Tang Tian! Don’t worry, whatever happens, we can’t let her stray from the right path!”

“Tang Tian, you’d better not mess this up!” Han’s mother clenched her fists, nervous. “I heard Tang Tian’s opponent is very formidable.”

“Don’t worry! Our Bingning isn’t shallow. Even if Tang Tian doesn’t get a good ranking, Bingning won’t look down on him,” Han’s father reassured her.

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Meng Yu and Lu An looked around.

“So many people! The excitement here surpasses most of the main event matches!” Meng Yu couldn’t help but sigh.

“Look over there!” Lu An, as if discovering a new world, counted on his fingers. “Night Forest Academy’s number one, Starwind’s fourth-ranked Zhao Wei, Hongguang Academy’s leader, ninth-ranked Xue Yong, Shenwei Academy’s big boss, seventh-ranked Zou Kai…”

Each name made Meng Yu’s heart race.

The top-ranked experts from the ten academies had all appeared in the stands. Such a lineup left them speechless; for a moment, Meng Yu and Lu An had the illusion this was the finals.

These experts, some with cold expressions, some arrogant, some calm, some curious, some scanning the crowd, but without exception, they were the focus of everyone’s attention. The audience, originally just here for the spectacle, were now all excited beyond measure. When had such a grand occasion ever occurred?

Just seeing these experts today made the ticket worthwhile.

And Tang Tian’s opponent…

When Tang Tian entered the arena, the previously bustling stands fell into a brief silence; everyone watched him curiously.

He had once been the butt of everyone’s jokes, having spent five years cultivating basic martial arts and considered the worst in talent, a record-setting five-year repeat student. He was also the object of envy and jealousy, for only he could make Shangguan Qianhui smile—the most beautiful smile in all Starwind City belonged only to him.

Many had heard the name Tang Tian, but this was the first time they saw him in person.

“So that’s Tang Tian!”

“He doesn’t look special. Why would Miss Qianhui like him?”

“He’s not ordinary. Who else would train basic martial arts for five years? That’s not something a regular guy would do.”

…

After the brief silence, a storm of discussions broke out.

Tang Tian, just entering, was startled by the sudden roar of voices. He looked up and gasped—the stands were packed with people.

“Is my opponent today some extraordinary figure?” Tang Tian scratched his head, puzzled.

Little did Tang Tian know, his opponent was indeed no nameless character.

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Di Han entered the arena with a blank expression, his gaze briefly lingering on Tang Tian before moving on. He didn’t care who his opponent was; outside voices meant nothing to him. The dense crowd in the stands had no effect on him.

He stood silently, like a wooden statue, across from Tang Tian, waiting for the referee to arrive.

Many in the stands grew solemn.

“Rainman Di Han!” Meng Yu said in a low voice. “It’s really him! I didn’t expect he’d actually join the tournament, not just someone with the same name.”

A hint of reverence flashed in Lu An’s eyes.

In this world, there would always be extraordinary talents. Even in Starwind City, filled with elite academies, there were those who had never spent a day in school but possessed astonishing strength. Di Han was the most outstanding among them. Born in poverty, withdrawn and violent, he rejected academy life and trained his martial arts entirely on his own.

His terrible character aside, his talent was exceptional, especially in water-based martial arts. He was once considered a water-type genius not inferior to Han Bingning.

He always acted alone, living by hunting monsters, and even served as an assassin. He was most skilled at ambushes in the rain. So far, he had never failed; in the rain, Di Han was unstoppable, like a god of death. Thus, he earned the nickname “Rainman.”

No one dared underestimate such an opponent.

The experts in the stands all watched Di Han with grave expressions, their eyes fixed on him.

This match had drawn so many experts not only because of Tang Tian, but also because Di Han was a key factor. Ordinary people might not know much about “Rainman” Di Han, but in the expert circles, he was renowned.

Di Han had never participated in the tournament before; if not for Tang Tian’s prominence, no one would have noticed Di Han quietly registering for the preliminaries.

Many professional predictions gave Di Han astonishing odds of victory.

His combat experience was far beyond theirs, by an unknowable margin.

The referee’s palms were sweaty—his first time officiating in front of such a crowd. Thankfully, the tournament rules were simple. Seeing both competitors ready, he quickly declared, “Begin!”

As soon as he announced, he retreated swiftly.

The match began.

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Tang Tian watched Di Han intently.

He felt as if the other was shrouded in darkness, always a bit unclear.

Suddenly, Di Han raised his head, his eyes flashing with a sharp light, like a knife’s glint in the dark. A surge of danger rose in Tang Tian’s heart; without thinking, he sidestepped.

Hiss!

A cold blade zipped past Tang Tian.

It was a blade thin as a cicada’s wing!

Only three inches long, somewhat resembling a willow blade, but much thinner, almost translucent.

A faint gleam flickered in Di Han’s eyes.

His martial art, called “Rain Silk,” was an obscure third-level technique. This ancient skill made Di Han a feared assassin. The true power within him could transform into invisible threads, allowing him to control the thin blade from any angle.

Tang Tian stared at the floating blade, stunned.

What kind of martial art is this?

Di Han’s combat experience was immense; although such an open fight wasn’t his specialty, he was still confident.

The invisible threads twitched, and the thin blade vanished from the air.

Tang Tian’s eyes narrowed; he suddenly sprang backward!

A barely perceptible cold light grazed his nose, the icy chill making his hair stand on end.

After just two evasions, Tang Tian realized the danger of his opponent.

A dangerous adversary!

Without hesitation, Tang Tian activated his Water Bottle Martial Cabinet, and the Sky Furnace Black Iron Gauntlets appeared in his hands. The cold metal brought clarity to his mind.

With a sudden roar, Tang Tian’s fist disappeared into thin air.

When the fist shot out from nowhere, it was as if he struck the air itself.

Clang!

A spark burst from Tang Tian’s gauntlet—a crisp impact that resounded across the arena.

Flash Fist!

Second-level martial art? A cold gleam crossed Di Han’s eyes.

Courting death!

Though “Flash Fist” was impressively refined, it was still a second-level skill. To challenge him with only that was suicide.

The invisible threads gave a slight twitch in the air.

The floating thin blade suddenly melted like ice, transforming into water before their eyes. The water split rapidly into five parts, reforming into five translucent beads. The beads stretched out, becoming five transparent water needles, floating before Di Han.

This…

Tang Tian was dumbfounded; Di Han’s martial art was beyond belief.

The stands erupted in exclamations—none had ever seen such a technique.

Di Han’s narrowed eyes were cold as a blade.

Everything was about to end!

The true force threads twitched.

The five water needles vanished simultaneously, their sharp whistle piercing the air.