Chapter 123: The Bat's Stride

No wonder bats never collide with any obstacles even in narrow, cluttered spaces; their abilities are truly formidable!

As for his opponent, Mailong, his subtle aura fluctuations and the minute signs of his muscles tensing were magnified countless times in Luo Chen's mind. Luo Chen realized then that Mailong’s footwork was actually quite simple, seemingly devoid of any complex patterns.

In the eyes of the onlookers, something strange was happening. Luo Chen would take a large step to the right, while Mailong would strike his sword straight at the spot where Luo Chen had just been. Naturally, the attack missed. The crowd was bewildered; with Luo Chen having already moved away, why was Mailong still attacking that empty space?

It did not end there. This bizarre scene repeated itself; Mailong acted as if he had suffered a sudden short-circuit in his brain, continuously attacking positions that Luo Chen had already vacated.

Mailong, trapped in the situation, knew exactly what was happening. Even before he could finish his movement, Luo Chen had already departed from the target area. Yet, because he had already committed his force, Mailong was forced by momentum to complete the swing, resulting in this incredibly strange phenomenon.

Mailong, who had been full of confidence just moments ago, felt a flash of shock in his eyes. How could this be? It was impossible! Could this kid be using some dark art? How could he always know what I was going to do in advance?

Like a bat, Luo Chen clung to Mailong, dancing continuously. The narrow space seemed infinitely vast in Luo Chen's eyes. At this moment, he realized that Mailong’s attacks were full of openings; any one of them would allow him to defeat his opponent instantly. However, Luo Chen did not intend to do so yet—having finally tested his "Super Psychic Wave," he wanted to savor the experience to the fullest.

Under the influence of the Super Psychic Wave, Luo Chen was invincible in this fight. He began to experiment with the "Shift" technique of his agility arts. With such precise judgment, his control over spiritual energy became effortless. To the observers, Luo Chen’s footwork suddenly became incredibly flamboyant. Every angle and every moment was handled with exquisite perfection—not a fraction more, not a fraction less. A slight turn of his body or a simple wave of his hand left the onlookers wanting to applaud.

This agility sparring match had suddenly become Luo Chen's personal stage. He didn't look like he was competing; he looked like he was dancing. The crowd was both mesmerized and horrified—what kind of footwork was this boy using?

The students did not understand the mystery, but it could not escape the sharp eyes of the instructors. Luo Chen's sensory perception seemed to have surged, and he had entered the third stage of footwork: "Subtlety."

Without the need for large-scale movement, one could dodge an opponent's attack relying only on an extremely minute, refined, and simple action. This stage required an incredibly high level of judgment; even a half-second or a slight deviation in angle could lead to being hit. Only experts with profound agility skills, accumulated through massive amounts of training and experience, could reach the realm of "Subtlety."

Although Luo Chen's "Subtlety" was not yet refined—in the eyes of the instructors, many of his movements still lacked perfect simplicity—it had already taken shape, which was quite unbelievable. Whether they were instructors from the first and second classes or the third and fourth, they all watched in disbelief as Luo Chen danced across the arena.

Finally, Mailong completely lost his confidence. If he were a mouse, then Luo Chen was a cat. No matter how agile a mouse might be, it could never outmatch a cat. The match had devolved into a game of cat and mouse.

His opponent had countless opportunities to finish him, yet he had held back. Of course, Mailong could not concede on his own; stuck in this impossible situation, he had to grit his teeth and endure.

Alize’s expression turned grave. "Joanna, if you were in the arena right now, do you think you could win against Luo Chen in an agility match?"

"I'm afraid it would be difficult!" Even the proud Joanna had to admit defeat, as Luo Chen’s movement technique was too marvelous. She bit her lip and muttered, "Why does this kid keep getting more monstrous? Even more monstrous than that freak. What else is he hiding?"

A few minutes later, Riger suddenly stepped in to stop the match. He gave a dry cough and said, "Class time is almost over. Let's call this sparring match a draw!"

His face was somewhat sullen. He had never expected that the third and fourth classes would produce a student who had already set half a foot into the "Subtlety" stage of agility arts. Although still raw, if he continued to develop like this, it might become problematic for the elite classes to send even their top students against him in the future.

In truth, everyone could see that if Luo Chen had chosen to strike, Mailong would have been defeated beyond a doubt. Riger’s move was clearly to save face. Mailong let out a sigh of relief; fortunately, the instructor had intervened, or he would have been utterly humiliated.

The instructors of the third and fourth classes were happy to let it end there. After this battle, they reckoned Riger wouldn't dare to constantly challenge their class for amusement anymore. Luo Chen had truly won them great prestige.

Stepping off the field, Luo Chen felt incredibly excited. This "Mind Blast" state was simply heaven-defying; the marvelous feeling was beyond words. If he had used this during his fight against Raphael, who had taken the Berserk Pill, Luo Chen was certain he could have toyed with him to death! Even if he were to face that terrifying hunchbacked old man again, even if he couldn't win, he should at least have the power to protect himself.

The feeling of being omniscient about everything around him lasted for a few more minutes before it finally faded, replaced by exhaustion. Nicole was right; using the Super Psychic Wave was extremely draining. This fatigue was not physical—Luo Chen’s spiritual energy remained abundant—but rather a heavy, drowsy lethargy. His eyelids grew increasingly heavy. He forced himself to stay awake for another ten minutes, but eventually, he couldn't hold on any longer. After informing the instructor, he left the agility class.

He returned to his dormitory as fast as he could. The moment he lay on his bed, he fell into a deep sleep, not even having the time to take off his coat or shoes. He didn't even need Nicole’s hypnosis to reach a state of complete slumber.

Luo Chen had no idea how long this deep sleep lasted. When he woke up, it was already pitch black outside, and the moon had risen. His head still felt somewhat dizzy.

Luo Chen walked out of his room to find Shi Feng preparing a late-night snack. Judging by his roommate's habits, it was at least ten o'clock at night.

Seeing Luo Chen, Shi Feng immediately said, "You beast, what is wrong with you? You slept so soundly that I knocked on your door and got no response!"

"When did you knock?" Luo Chen asked, puzzled. "I didn't hear anything."

Shi Feng cursed, "Damn it, you're hopeless! I almost broke the door down. I thought you had been dumped and were hanging yourself inside!"

Luo Chen sat down at the table and yawned, "Go to hell, I was just sleeping!"

Shi Feng had never seen the cultivation fanatic Luo Chen rest so early; usually, he would still be grinding at the training grounds at this hour. He looked at Luo Chen with a strange expression. "What did you do to get this tired? Don't tell me you were out engaging in group debauchery?"

"Group debauchery, my foot!" Luo Chen shook his head. The side effects of the Mind Blast were truly significant; it felt just like a nasty hangover. He looked at the food in front of him without any appetite, despite having missed dinner.

Still, that feeling had been truly marvelous. If only he could maintain that state permanently—it was basically like turning into a Super Saiyan!

Regardless, he had at least gained an effective emergency survival method. If he were attacked, he would have some leverage now. It was awesome, heh heh!

What would be a good name for that footwork used during the Super Psychic Wave? Hmm, since it was derived from the principles of how bats move, let's call it the "Bat Step"!