Lin Ran's jab left Tadayoshi Tanigawa's face contorted as if he had eaten feces.
Stuttering and wide-eyed, he fumbled for words for a long time, managing to utter no coherent response, which only drew peals of laughter from the onlookers.
This made him flush with anger, his chest tighten, and his face turn red.
If it weren't for his extraordinary willpower (and thick skin) that he forced himself to maintain, he would have truly spat out a mouthful of blood!
Baka!
For this year's Global Student Exchange Tournament, Sakura Country had spared no effort to secure this hard-won opportunity. What was it all for?
It was precisely to thoroughly promote their Sakura culture! To showcase their Sakura country's formidable national strength! To flaunt their Sakura country's talent pool!
Only by doing so could Sakura Country's international standing be significantly elevated, and thus break free from the control of the Lighthouse Country on the international stage.
Otherwise, they would never be willing to remain subservient, to be a dog led by the leash, as those who harbored grand ambitions for their nations were always made to be.
Especially after the young supreme leader of Sakura Country ascended, the series of radical measures they implemented further confirmed this point.
But now, as the competition progressed to this stage, not only had it failed to bring any positive returns to Sakura Country, but it had almost entirely been plagued by misfortune!
Amakusa Taro's reputation was tarnished, and Sakura currency suffered immense losses!
The Shimada brothers were injured and their faces were swollen!
The draw system was rigged, rendering it devoid of authority!
The general organizer was stumped, admitting their incompetence!
After this series of manipulations and upheavals, let alone elevating Sakura Country's international status, it was already a miracle that it hadn't fallen further...
If the Shimada brothers could win the championship, then it would be as if all that had happened previously had never occurred.
But if, in the end, the Shimada brothers could not win...
That irritable new leader would surely flay him alive!
And the root of all these troubles seemed to be inextricably linked to one person...
Lin Ran!
At this moment, Tadayoshi Tanigawa's gaze towards Lin Ran was almost spewing fire.
Unfortunately, a mere look could not kill, nor could it even inflict harm. Tadayoshi Tanigawa could only rage impotently.
"This guy is truly strong..."
"That Necromancer was a genuine peak Rank Seven expert, yet he dealt with him so effortlessly."
"He could even react with such agility!"
Isaac, the Doom Bell from the Byzantine Empire, sighed deeply.
Petrey from the Rooster Country nodded beside him:
"And this is even with him enduring the backlash of a secret art..."
"I now fully acknowledge Lin Ran's consistent individual strength."
Vasily from the Red Leaf Country sneered:
"And do you guys feel that Lin Ran's easy victory has a lot to do with him completely countering his opponent?"
"Every move and every strike from that Turing was precisely and perfectly countered by Lin Ran..."
"Honestly, this coincidence is a bit too unbelievable, isn't it?"
"And at the crucial moment, Turing's body simply vanished."
"Then Lin Ran declared him dead... In reality, who knows?"
"It's highly possible that this Turing was a plant hired by Lin Ran! Just to showcase his power and might!"
Vasily's words left Petrey and Isaac dumbfounded.
This guy was truly obsessed, to be able to say such things...
Fortunately, his words were not heard by Dolu from the Panama Federation, or Dolu would have certainly left a shoe print on his face for accusing their team member of being a plant for the Dragon Country.
After exchanging helpless glances, the two of them unconsciously shifted aside, wanting to distance themselves from this idiot.
As for Dolu from the same Panama Federation, after seeing Turing's demise, his mood was complex for quite some time.
If he were to say he was sad, it didn't quite feel like it.
After all, he wasn't close to this guy. He was at most a junior whom he had helped out a couple of times.
And later, he discovered that the guy's actual age far exceeded expectations, and his identity was likely fake...
The existence of this Necromancer might even be a disaster for the Panama Federation, so his death was perhaps for the best.
But if he were to say he felt nothing at all, it still felt a bit strange.
After all, Turing was fighting under the banner of their Panama Federation. It would be too outrageous for him to cheer about his defeat.
Not to mention that he had actually died...
Forget it, forget it. Let's just give up.
If he had the chance to face Lin Ran on the arena later, he would just avenge him then...
Besides these people, everyone else's eyes were fixed on Lin Ran, marveling at his terrifying strength.
Only now did they realize that even though the Dragon Country's participating team only had two members, they were already incredibly powerful!
They were even powerful enough to contend with their full-strength teams and emerge victorious.
As for Lin Ran, after dealing with Wiggins, he returned to the spectator stands with a triumphant grin and sat beside Luo Qingyan:
"That was satisfying!"
Luo Qingyan smiled:
"So, a great haul?"
Lin Ran chuckled, then extended his hand to activate the soundproof illusion array:
"Naturally..."
"Wiggins certainly lives up to his reputation as a seasoned old man; he really knows how to drop gold coins."
Luo Qingyan blinked in surprise:
"You mean, he had a lot of wealth on him?"
Lin Ran proudly wagged his finger:
"No, no, no..."
"These things, you can't buy with mere wealth..."
"You might not know, but Wiggins' strength once reached around Rank Ten. Later, due to the aging of his physical functions and the approaching end of his lifespan, he was forced to use various insidious methods to prolong his life."
"The price for this life extension was self-inflicted regression in cultivation."
"So, even though he's only at peak Rank Seven now, he still possesses the hallmark of a Rank Ten expert – his own created miniature world!"
"And when I locked onto his soul fragments, his newly created miniature world also unleashed its divine power, and I seized it as well."
"Now, everything within his miniature world is within my divine power space!"
Hearing Lin Ran's explanation, Luo Qingyan's interest was piqued:
"Oh? Then tell me quickly, what's inside?"
Lin Ran leisurely clapped his hands:
"There's just too much!"
"A massive quantity of alchemical tools and raw materials, equipment for crafting golems and finished and semi-finished products, artifacts and ancient texts related to necromancy, and a lot more miscellaneous junk..."
"The most outrageous thing is, Wiggins also set up something like a mass grave in there!"