The surrounding crowd kept a distance from the pair, and since they couldn't hear what the two were saying, they looked on in confusion as Spencer stood frozen, holding Chen Feng's shovel.

"What's wrong with the Vice-Captain? Is there something so interesting about that kid's shovel?" a Rank Eight Dragon Rider muttered.

"Who knows. The Vice-Captain is often unpredictable. Maybe he spotted the strange agility in the kid's movements manifesting on the shovel, so he's taking it to study!" replied a nearby Rank Seven Dragon Rider.

"Hmph! It's just a shovel. My family used to be blacksmiths; I still have seventy or eighty shovel heads sitting in the yard. If the Vice-Captain liked them, I would have brought them all to him!"

"..." The Rank Seven Dragon Rider broke out in a cold sweat: "Are the shovel heads from your family any good? Didn't you see the Vice-Captain nearly trip twice just from holding that kid's shovel?"

"That's true. What is the Vice-Captain even doing? Stumbling over a mere shovel—it’s clear he's never done farm work! I can swing a hoe without even raising an eyebrow!"

"..." The Rank Seven Dragon Rider was speechless again. After a moment, he suddenly slapped his forehead as if realizing something: "I know! This must be it!"

His loud exclamation immediately drew the attention of all the Dragon Riders. They all turned to look at him, asking, "What?"

The Rank Seven Dragon Rider suddenly found himself stared at by so many companions, his face flushed, and he stammered, "I... I understand... why the Vice-Captain is staring at that kid's shovel!"

Seeing the expectant expressions on everyone's faces, he continued, "That shovel must be a magical artifact! Otherwise, how could a mere kid match the Vice-Captain's speed?"

Only then did everyone realize the truth! Yes, only a magical artifact could explain it!

Magical artifacts were peculiar things, having a kinship with magic scrolls. When used, they could activate the inherent magic array inscribed upon them to actively release spells.

The 'Azure Bracelet' that had wrongly implicated Chen Feng was a subset of magical artifacts—a magical defensive tool!

The creation process for magical artifacts was exceedingly difficult. It first required a mage highly skilled in magic arrays, and secondly, someone who understood the art of forging! Consider this: what mage would be willing to learn smithing? And what smith could possibly become a mage?

Because of these two prerequisite conditions, magical artifacts were extremely rare. Those circulating in the world were almost all priceless treasures. Otherwise, how could the 'Azure Bracelet,' capable of releasing only a pseudo-level one spell, become the heirloom of the Leff family and the foremost magical defensive tool in Dragon Mountain Town?

Magical artifacts? A burning desire flickered in everyone's eyes!

If an ordinary boy carrying such an artifact could match the Vice-Captain in speed, what if they carried it?

Just thinking about it was exhilarating!

Possessing such an item wouldn't just slightly boost their strength; it would be a monumental leap!

At this thought, everyone regretted not being the one to challenge the kid. If they had won, the artifact would have been theirs!

Now, watching Spencer look 'reluctantly' at the shovel in his hands, they were all consumed by jealousy.

................

Chen Feng felt his body completely relaxed. He stretched his waist, and a chorus of popping sounds, like frying beans, erupted from his frame.

"So comfortable!" With that, Chen Feng's figure vanished momentarily, only to reappear in the same spot instantly. If one didn't look closely, it seemed as if he hadn't moved at all.

"Boom! Boom!" With two colossal sounds, two massive rocks flanking the valley suddenly shattered.

The onlookers nearby might not know the reason, but Spencer saw it clearly: Chen Feng had instantly darted to the left side of the valley and then the right, striking the rocks with a punch on each side!

The valley spanned nearly thirty meters from left to right, and he had crossed it back and forth in less than a second...

Spencer rubbed his throbbing head and sighed, casually tossing the shovel onto the ground!

His greatest asset, speed, offered him no advantage against this opponent. This realization was disheartening.

However, this feeling of dejection vanished in an instant. Anyone who diligently trains themselves day in and day out would vehemently deny any accusation of weak willpower!

"I didn't expect you to be so deeply hidden," Spencer stated calmly after regaining his composure.

"Hidden?" Chen Feng smiled, delivering a calculated blow: "What's there to hide? Speed isn't even my strong suit..."

"..." To match the speed of a Rank Nine Wind Attribute Dragon Rider while carrying a five-thousand-pound shovel, and yet claim that wasn't his strength... Was he genuinely trying to deliver a crushing blow or what?

In reality, Chen Feng was telling the truth. Speed was indeed not his specialty. In the realm of the Fist Emperor techniques, the Phantom Crane Step was considered merely second-rate!

Athena Miyagi's psychic teleportation or Iori Yagami's Demon Flick were both comparable to Orochi's skills; if he could master either, his speed would multiply several times over the Phantom Crane Step!

But his current cultivation level was too low; he had only mastered three skills: Arashi-Bachi, Phantom Crane Step, and Orochi No Mai. If he claimed the current Phantom Crane Step was his strength, it would be like treating a hundred-dollar bill as a priceless treasure while standing before a mountain of gold!

It was because of this context that Chen Feng uttered those words. Spencer, unaware of Chen Feng's true thoughts, was utterly devastated by the blow.

Chen Feng flexed, feeling every muscle and bone exquisitely comfortable, brimming with high spirits: "Come on! Again!"

"..."

Spencer was heavily discouraged, but he quickly rallied, thinking of a way to counter Chen Feng.

The crowd then witnessed a scene that defied belief.

While speaking to Chen Feng, Spencer suddenly retreated several steps, his hands transforming into phantoms that rapidly danced before him. Due to the sheer speed, afterimages of his arms swirled, creating the spectacular illusion of thousands of arms sprouting from his body.

The onlookers exchanged bewildered glances, utterly lost.

"What... what is the Vice-Captain doing?"

Spencer's logic wasn't flawed; the best counter to high speed was a defensive posture, using a flurry of strikes to block the opponent's attacks.

This was, of course, the most desperate strategy—a method where one could only lose, never win.

In the past, when he faced opponents using this technique, he always felt an inexplicable smirk of arrogant satisfaction. He never imagined that when it was his turn, it wouldn't feel amusing at all!

Chen Feng watched Spencer wildly whipping his arms alone, feeling puzzled—what was wrong with the man?

But after watching for a moment, he finally understood the opponent's true intent and couldn't help but laugh: "Aren't you tired?"

Spencer couldn't voice his suffering and didn't reply, continuing to windmill his arms relentlessly.

Seeing that his opponent was unmoved, still whirling his arms frantically, Chen Feng knew rushing in rashly would lead to him taking several hits. He wasn't in a hurry, though. He squatted down on the spot and watched the opponent with cold eyes.

In Spencer’s memory, Chen Feng was someone who acted without preamble. Now, with Chen Feng's terrifying speed, if he managed to strike first, Spencer would just be on the receiving end. That’s why he was swinging his arms with full commitment, adopting the stance of a Thousand-Armed Guanyin. He never anticipated that his opponent would simply squat down, seemingly indifferent...

Ten minutes later...

Spencer's fighting spirit finally began to wane. Under such strenuous motion, fatigue was inevitable. During these ten minutes, every time he tried to slow down to rest, the opponent would shift his feet as if preparing to attack, scaring Spencer into immediately increasing his speed...

After cursing Chen Feng countless times in his mind, Spencer's arm movements finally showed a slight lag. At that precise moment, his vision blurred, a massive fist suddenly appeared before him, his vision went black, and he was sent flying backward, crashing headfirst into a pile of rubble, repeating his earlier fate.