Divine Level Witch Doctor

After completing fifty laps of dribbling, Zhao Yuan walked back to Liu Zhu’s side, his breathing perfectly even.

For someone who had already reached the Mid Stage of Muscle Strengthening, this bit of exercise didn’t even count as a warm-up.

”So, what do you think? I’m getting pretty good, right?” Zhao Yuan asked.

Liu Zhu said excitedly, ”Pretty good? That was amazing! Come on, be honest with me. Have you played basketball before? Are you just hustling me?”

Zhao Yuan chuckled and shook his head. ”Of course not. I played a little in middle school, but that was just fooling around. This is the first time I’ve ever tried to learn for real.”

Liu Zhu nodded. ”That’s true. During the game against the orthopedics department, your dribbling was clearly clumsy. You were even like that for the first twenty laps of practice just now. It was only after twenty-odd laps that you started getting smoother and smoother.”

At this, Liu Zhu paused, staring at Zhao Yuan for a long moment before saying with utmost seriousness, ”Man, I’m starting to think that ’Old Demon’ nickname everyone gave you is spot on! Mastering unguarded dribbling to this degree in just fifty laps... if you’re not a demon, what are you? I honestly thought it would take you at least three to five days to get to this level!”

He let out a long sigh. ”Compared to you, I feel like all my years of playing basketball were a complete waste!”

Zhao Yuan just smiled without explaining. ’Of course,’ he thought, ’I know exactly why I’m learning so quickly and so well. For one, it’s because I’m practicing the Four Saints Technique, which has massively improved my reflexes and coordination. And for another, it’s because I’ve entered the Mid Stage of Muscle Strengthening!’

’According to the Information Leaf, once you enter the Mid Stage of Muscle Strengthening, your control over your body’s muscle groups increases dramatically. Zhao Yuan had felt this clearly while he was practicing his dribbling. He could now control every muscle in his body with remarkable precision. That was why he could handle the basketball as if it were an extension of his own arm.’

”Are you done with your little existential crisis?” Zhao Yuan asked. ”What are we practicing next? Should I keep doing laps around the court?”

Liu Zhu waved his hand. ”Your dribbling is great when no one’s guarding you, so there’s no point wasting more time on it. How about this: next, we’ll practice your dribbling skills under pressure. I’ll be your defender. But don’t get cocky just because you nailed the unguarded drills. Dribbling with a defender on you is a whole different ball game. The difficulty is on another level!”

”Got it.” Zhao Yuan nodded.

Liu Zhu was about to explain some techniques for dribbling against a defender, but a sudden thought popped into his head. ’No, I won’t teach him yet. I’ll take him down a peg first, show him that basketball isn’t that easy to learn. That should keep him from getting too proud and complacent.’

So, he swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue, crouched down slightly, and gestured for Zhao Yuan to come.

”Come on, man. Bring everything you’ve got, or I’m going to absolutely school you!”

”Alright!” Zhao Yuan responded, a determined glint in his eyes.

Their one-on-one duel immediately caught the attention of the other players. Everyone stopped their training and gathered around to watch the show. A few of the more mischievous guys even started taking bets on them.

”Alright, alright, place your bets! How many times will Old Liu strip the ball before Old Demon Zhao can get past him even once? Taking all wagers!”

”I’ll put five bucks on Old Demon Zhao getting stripped every single time! Old Liu’s defense is number one on our team, maybe even the best in the whole university. Old Demon Zhao just learned how to dribble. There’s no way he’s getting past him.”

”Xiaquan, you’re underestimating Old Demon Zhao too much. Don’t forget, he broke through his opponents multiple times during the game against the orthopedics guys. Even if they’re not on Old Liu’s level, there’s no way Zhao Yuan won’t get past him even once! I bet he’ll get past Old Liu after getting stripped five times! Here, take my ten bucks!”

”I say it’ll take ten tries! I’ve got thirty bucks, and I’m putting it all on that!”

”I’m also betting on five tries! Here’s my money!”

The team members all jumped in on the fun, pulling out cash to place their bets. Yet even those with the most faith in Zhao Yuan figured he’d fail at least five times before succeeding even once. Most thought it would take ten or even twenty failed attempts. And of course, a few were certain he’d be completely shut out.

In other words, not a single person on the team actually believed in Zhao Yuan. While he had performed brilliantly in the previous game, he had mostly showcased his raw physical power. The other team only collapsed after a few of their players got injured trying to match his physicality. Against a player like Liu Zhu, who had both skill and game sense, a brute-force-only Zhao Yuan was bound to be at a disadvantage.

The team’s logic wasn’t wrong, but it only applied to ordinary people. And Zhao Yuan was far from ordinary.

”Here I come!” Zhao Yuan even gave Liu Zhu a heads-up before he started his drive.

”Bring it!” Liu Zhu spread his arms, his eyes fixed on Zhao Yuan with a sharp glint. Suddenly, he saw Zhao Yuan take off, charging toward him at an incredible speed. Before Liu Zhu could even react, Zhao Yuan slammed into him.

Liu Zhu felt like he’d been hit by a speeding car. He was sent flying backward, crashing hard onto the ground.

The rest of the team stared, dumbfounded. They were collectively stunned into silence.

”So, how was that? Not a bad drive, right?” Zhao Yuan asked, pulling Liu Zhu up from the ground.

”Not bad? It was horrible!” Liu Zhu said, his face dark as he rubbed his sore backside. ”You call that a drive? That was a charge! It’s a foul!”

”A foul?” Zhao Yuan scratched his head, laughing sheepishly. ”During the last game, I saw the guys from the orthopedics department driving like that all the time. I thought it was a legal move.”

”Now I really believe you’ve never played basketball before,” Liu Zhu said, shaking his head with a wry smile. After giving Zhao Yuan a quick rundown of some basic fouls, he said, ”That one didn’t count. Let’s start over. And remember, use your skills to get past me, not just your body.”

”I get it. Just watch,” Zhao Yuan promised, patting his chest. ”This time, I’ll definitely use technique, not just my body.”

Liu Zhu settled into a defensive stance. He glanced out of the corner of his eye at the teammates watching the show. ’That was so embarrassing,’ he thought. ’This time, I have to make a clean strip and get the ball. I have to save some face, or these guys will never let me live it down!’

”Whoa, look! Old Liu’s getting serious!”

”Old Liu is going all out now! Old Demon Zhao is in for it!”

Everyone sensed the shift in Liu Zhu’s demeanor and grew even more certain that Zhao Yuan was about to get schooled.