Chapter 137: Intellectual Superiority, Crushed!

"What arrogant nonsense."

Ma Tianxing sneered, "Do you know why I am a level 40 Platinum ranker?"

"Because you're trash?" Lin Han pondered for a moment before replying.

"Hmph, typical verbal sparring." Ma Tianxing continued, "Only those at Diamond rank or below can enter Relic No. 3, and the relic automatically marks every Diamond-ranked powerhouse, exposing their whereabouts to everyone’s sight."

Lin Han suddenly realized, "Is that why you've been avoiding your class advancement mission?"

"Of course!" Ma Tianxing sneered. "Relic No. 3 will open soon, so I must prepare for it. With my current strength, even some Diamond-ranked powerhouses have to tread carefully. What makes you think a nobody like you can win against me?"

Lin Han smiled. "I see. Thank you, Young Master Ma, for the information. You’ve saved me the time I would have spent investigating."

Ma Tianxing sneered, "Then let me see just how long you can hold out."

"Defense and combat are born of the same source."

"Sword strikes against the wicked in all directions, shield protects the living in every land!"

"Respected God of Knights, I am your most loyal believer. Grant me your power, and I shall spread your legacy to the four corners of the world!"

As Ma Tianxing chanted, a longsword and a shield materialized in his hands.

Lin Han took a closer look and praised, "As expected of the Ma family. To be equipped with a full set of high-tier gear—this must be worth tens of millions, at least."

"At least you have an eye for quality," Ma Tianxing chuckled.

But inwardly, Lin Han was already calculating. If this set could be enhanced by ten thousand times, it would at least be a Legendary-tier set! The five pieces of equipment on Ma Tianxing, if upgraded to Legendary status, would be worth nearly ten billion! If put up for auction, powerhouses from all over the world would fight tooth and nail for them. The more he thought about it, the more excited Lin Han became; he now viewed this set as already being in his pocket.

"Young Master Ma, come!"

Lin Han stepped forward, the power in his fist exploding outward.

Ma Tianxing’s eyes were filled with absolute confidence as he charged forward with his shield. A mere Silver-ranked rookie stood no chance against him!

Lin Han slammed a punch into the shield. Just as Ma Tianxing was about to swing his sword, a massive force surged from the shield, sending him flying backward through the air.

"What?!"

Before Ma Tianxing could recover from his shock, his body crashed into the surrounding ruins.

"What kind of power is this?" Ma Tianxing slowly crawled out of the rubble, his expression darkening. "You aren't Silver rank at all! You’ve been hiding your true strength!"

"Young Master Ma seems to have misunderstood something," Lin Han said with a soft laugh. "I never said I was a second-turn powerhouse; you were the one rambling on and on."

"Impossible," Ma Tianxing insisted. "Uncle Zhang has never made a mistake in assessing someone's strength. How could he have been so wrong this time? This is absolutely impossible!"

Of course he failed! Lin Han’s current aura was a perfect replica of the person he was imitating, thanks to the incredibly powerful transformative effects of the Mask of the Self-Sovereign. It could replicate a subject's aura with one hundred percent accuracy. Failure was virtually impossible! As a top-tier Legendary-tier item, even if some God-tier or Saint-tier powerhouses might see through the illusion, someone at the Supreme Realm certainly couldn't.

"Fourth Young Master Ma, hand it over."

"Hand what over?"

"The piece of equipment you used to track me. I’m quite interested in it. Give it to me, and I’ll spare your life. How about that?" Lin Han asked calmly.

"Spare my life?" Ma Tianxing sneered. "You just caught me off guard with a sneak attack. The power you emitted just now wasn't that great—it was at most the strength of a Diamond-ranked powerhouse. And even a Diamond-ranked fighter isn't guaranteed to beat me!"

Lin Han sighed. "What a stubborn nature. If that’s the case, we’ll just have to go again." He had held back his strength earlier, fearing that if he used his full power, he might destroy the equipment... It had been hard enough to find a set; he didn't want it to vanish just like that.

"Again!"

Ma Tianxing roared, a faint golden light radiating from his body as he charged straight at Lin Han. Lin Han threw another punch, this time applying a bit more force.

*Bang!*

This time, Lin Han’s expression turned serious. His fist had actually been repelled!

"How about that? Can't get through, can you?"

"Now it’s my turn to counterattack." Ma Tianxing chuckled, and taking advantage of Lin Han’s moment of surprise, he thrust his sword into his shoulder.

Lin Han retreated in pain.

[Received sword strike from Ma Tianxing, Shield -2500]

"How is this possible? I used even more force than before, and it felt like hitting an iron plate," Lin Han muttered, looking at his slightly reddened fist.

Ma Tianxing sneered, "Let me tell you, I have a one-time defensive artifact on me that can negate a single strike from a Supreme-tier powerhouse. And it lasts for three hours. If you can't unleash the power of a Legendary-tier expert, you'll never be able to break through my defense."

Lin Han was surprised by the answer and exclaimed, "As expected of the Ma family, to be able to bring out this level of gear. Must have been expensive."

"Too bad it’s a one-time item."

"It seems you still don't grasp the gravity of the situation," Ma Tianxing said. "For these three hours, your attacks will be like cotton candy, utterly useless against me, while I am free to slay you."

"It can withstand a strike from a Supreme-tier powerhouse?"

"So what if it can?"

"If it can block it, there must be a limit to the shield's value. A strike from a Supreme-tier powerhouse deals roughly tens of millions in damage. A Legendary-tier powerhouse's mana pool exceeds one hundred million, and a full-power strike can also exceed one hundred million. Based on your description, this item clearly doesn't have a shield value of one hundred million."

"It’s probably around a few tens of millions—equivalent to the health of a King-tier powerhouse. Am I right, Young Master Ma?"

Hearing this, Ma Tianxing’s expression grew grave; he hadn't missed a single detail.

"How do you know that? Who exactly are you?"

Lin Han replied helplessly, "Hasn't Young Master Ma ever been to school? If you just paid attention in high school, this is basic logic, isn't it?"