116: Chapter 116 The Legend of the Slow-Down Ball! A phenomenal pass and deceptive dribbling, Mertesacker delivers an own goal.

Dipping Shot?

Deceleration Ball?

In the system space, time seemed to stretch infinitely. Two skill options radiating legendary golden light, like two distinct yet fatally tempting fruits, floated before Yu Bai's consciousness.

Dipping Shot (Legendary) — The royal road, violence, heritage. It is the ultimate form of Cristiano Ronaldo's signature knuckleball, a perfect combination of power and eerie dipping, a lethal weapon that can truly elevate his already terrifying long shots and Free kick into the realm of "unsolvable." Choosing it means he will reach an unprecedented extreme on the path of a "heavy artilleryman" and "master of curves." Combined with "Carloss Shooting Power," the scene would be too beautiful...

Deceleration Ball (Legendary) — The way of trickery, bizarre, unknown. Unheard of, a subversion of physical laws. Suddenly, significantly, and counter-intuitively decelerating during high-speed movement... This has completely transcended the scope of ordinary football skills, approaching a "rule-breaking" ability. It does not bring direct destructive power, but extreme deceptiveness and possibility.

"Many times..." Yu Bai's thoughts, like lightning, flashed through countless game scenes.

He remembered how many times at Leicester, he used "Kevin De Bruynes Gods Eye View" to see that wonderful Passing line that tore through the defense, and calculated the ball speed and rotation, accurately delivering the ball to the path of his teammates' runs. But Vardy or Mahrez would sometimes, due to the ball speed being too fast or the rotation too strong, take a slightly heavy touch under high-pressure pressing, or fail to adjust for a shot in time, missing excellent opportunities.

A perfect insight, a precise delivery, yet it all came to nothing because of the receiver's momentary "inability to digest" it.

He also remembered when he was Dribbling to break through, sometimes to pursue the ultimate efficiency in getting past players, he would deliberately push the ball a bit further and use his explosive power to force his way through. But facing speed-type fullbacks at the level of Héctor Bellerín or Kyle Walker, if there was the slightest mistake, the ball could be intercepted or go out of bounds.

"If... when Passing or pushing the ball, the ball could, at the last moment, suddenly, subtly... decelerate for a fraction of a second?"

Yu Bai's heart skipped a beat!

Decelerating even for 0.5 seconds!

For the receiving player, it could be the difference between "difficult to handle" and "perfectly placed"!

For the defensive player, it could be the desperate moment between "able to intercept" and "missing by a hair"!

For his own Dribbling, it could be the exquisite control between "dangerously close" and "handling with ease"!

What the "Deceleration Ball" brings is not direct lethality, but absolute control over "timing" and "rhythm"! It is the "magic" that turns the impossible into the possible! It is the "trickery" that plays the opponent in the palm of one's hand within a hair's breadth!

The Dipping Shot is certainly powerful, but it is more like an upgraded version of "Carloss Shooting Power" and "Beckhams Curve," which is just adding flowers to the brocade.

But the Deceleration Ball... it is unique! It opens up a new track! It is a divine artifact that can push his "Gods Eye View" insight and Passing ability to another dimension!

"I choose B! Deceleration Ball (Legendary)!"

Almost the moment the thought arose, Yu Bai used his will to send a firm and urgent shout to the system space!

[Selection confirmed.]

[Acquiring skill "Deceleration Ball (Legendary)"...]

[Integrating with host...]

Boom—!!!

In an instant, Yu Bai felt his brain being violently impacted by an invisible, cold, and majestic torrent of information! Countless complex, contradictory, and even counter-intuitive "knowledge" and "feelings" about ball rotation, aerodynamic paradoxes, fine-tuning of muscle exertion, and distortions in space-time perception were forcibly stuffed into his neural synapses!

His body, especially the muscle groups in his legs and core, began to spasm and tremble uncontrollably! It was as if he was passively adapting to a brand-new, extremely precise, and counter-intuitive exertion pattern! A strange feeling of exertion that suddenly "converges" and "stagnates" during high-speed bursts!

"Ugh...!"

Yu Bai let out a muffled groan, his face turned pale instantly, and fine cold sweat seeped out on his forehead. Intense dizziness and nausea surged like a tide, and his stomach churned violently!

Outside, the celebration had just subsided, and his teammates were patting his shoulder, preparing to return to their positions.

"Yu, are you okay? Why is your face so pale?"

Harry Kane, who was closest to him, was the first to notice something was wrong and asked with concern.

Yu Bai wanted to wave his hand to say he was fine, but the intense physical discomfort made it impossible for him to stand steady. His Vision went black, his body uncontrollably stumbled back a step, and then he fell flat on his back onto the turf! His hands subconsciously covered his forehead.

"Yu Bai has collapsed?!" the commentator exclaimed.

"Team doctor! Quickly!" Mauricio Pochettino saw it clearly from the sidelines, his face changed, and he immediately shouted towards the medical bench.

On the Arsenal side, Alexis Sánchez was fuming over the conceded goal. Seeing Yu Bai suddenly collapse, he frowned. Although dissatisfied, he still had good sportsmanship, kicking the ball that hadn't been kicked off yet out of the sidelines, signaling for the Tottenham team doctor to enter.

The match was interrupted because of this.

Tottenham's chief team doctor, Shabaz Mughal, sprinted onto the field carrying his medical bag, knelt beside Yu Bai, and quickly checked his pupils, breathing, and pulse.

"Yu, where are you uncomfortable? Can you hear me?" Mughal asked anxiously.

Yu Bai lay on the ground, eyes tightly closed, feeling the impact of the information and the spasms of his body slowly receding like a tide, but the intense dizziness and nausea still remained.

He knew he was definitely not injured, but the "side effects" of this fusion skill were too intense. He needed time, a little time to calm down and adapt.

"I... am a bit... dizzy... nauseous..."

Yu Bai opened his eyes, his voice a bit weak, and lied to the team doctor, "My body... doesn't feel right."

He needed this reasonable "timeout."

"Where specifically? Chest? Abdomen? Head?"

Mughal followed up, pressing and checking his abdomen with his hand.

Just in these few seconds while Mughal was asking, the intense discomfort, just as suddenly as it had appeared, quickly receded and disappeared.

Yu Bai felt he had regained control of his body, his brain was clear, even more awake and sharp than before! That subtle perception of muscle fibers, ball rotation, and spatial speed had been elevated to a whole new level!

"Ugh..."

Yu Bai blinked, felt it out, and then under the concerned gazes of the team doctor and surrounding teammates, he propped himself up on the turf and sat up slowly, a "confused" yet "relaxed" expression on his face, saying:

"It seems..."

"It's better again."

Mughal: "..."

The referee Lee Mason signaled that Yu Bai must go to the sidelines and could only return to the field after his permission.

Accompanied by Mughal, Yu Bai walked slowly to the sidelines.

The match had already restarted, Arsenal kicked off.

Yu Bai stood outside the sideline, waiting anxiously, but his mind had already sunk into the system space.

[Name: Yu Bai]

[Age: 32 years old]

[Speed 72, Explosiveness 80, Strength 55, Ball Control 83 → 85, Passing 92 → 99, Shooting 91]

[Dribbling 94 → 96, Tackling 31, Heading 31, Vision 95, Composure 72, Stamina 90]

[Overall Rating 91 → 93]

[Skills: Beckhams Curve (Superstar), Demon of Dribbling (Legendary), Carloss Shooting Power (Superstar), Kevin De Bruynes Gods Eye View (Superstar), Deceleration Ball (Legendary)]

[Enhancement: Knee (Permanently reduce injury risk by 50%)]

[Special Ability: Star Treatment]

Looking at the eye-catching, bright red "→" and the soared values on the attribute panel, Yu Bai stood on the sidelines. Despite his best efforts to restrain himself, the corners of his mouth uncontrollably curled upwards, and finally, with a "pfft," he laughed! He laughed so hard his shoulders shook slightly!

Mughal: "???"

He was really a bit worried; could something be wrong with Yu Bai? But he felt it wasn't good to ask! So he didn't!

The broadcast camera happened to capture this interesting scene...

[What is Xiao Bai giggling about on the sidelines? Did he find money?]

[Upstairs, are you stupid? Does the young master lack money? He must be thinking of Dilraba (lemon)]

[Could it be a concussion aftermath...]

[This smile... has a story!]

99 Passing!

Maxed out directly!

This was completely within Yu Bai's expectations.

One of the core application scenarios for "Deceleration Ball" is Passing. That deceleration, which violates physical laws, has a subversive improvement on Passing timing, lines, and reception comfort.

99 Passing means that his theoretical value in this technique has reached the limit recognized by humans and even the system!

Combined with "Gods Eye View" and "Deceleration Ball," to what extent will his Passing threat rise?

He dared not even imagine!

Dribbling 94→96!

Increased by 2 points!

This first surprised Yu Bai, then he suddenly realized! For attributes above 90, each 1-point increase is as difficult as ascending to heaven, and the effect is vastly different.

Dribbling from 94 to 96, this is almost a qualitative leap!

This means his control of the ball, especially the fine control under high speed and high confrontation, has reached a whole new realm.

"That's it..."

Yu Bai's thoughts raced, "Deceleration Ball" can not only be used for Passing and Shooting, but also for Dribbling!

Imagine, when I am Dribbling to break through, facing a defensive player pressing, I deliberately push the ball a bit further to the side, luring the opponent to make an interception or move their center of gravity, and then at the moment the ball is about to go out of control or the opponent sticks out their foot— "Deceleration Ball" triggers! The ball speed drops suddenly!

The defensive player's judgment and actions are all based on "normal ball speed." This sudden deceleration is enough to make his interception miss and his center of gravity lose balance!

As for me, I can easily catch up to the "slowed down" ball, or change direction directly to complete a breakthrough!

This is simply... a "dimensional reduction strike" for Dribbling past opponents!

Ball control has also increased by 2 points to 85, which is likely the combined effect of improved overall ball feel and body coordination.

The overall rating has soared from 91 to 93! Entering the ranks of the world's top superstars in one fell swoop!

The "Deceleration Ball (Legendary)" skill itself is very different from the skills Yu Bai obtained previously.

Like the "Demon of Dribbling", the moment he acquired it, he instinctively mastered various Dribbling techniques and rhythms.

But "Deceleration Ball"... the system only endowed him with the ability "to be able to do it" and the related muscle memory and force-exerting techniques, but how to apply it specifically in a match, when to apply it, whether to apply it to Passing, Shooting, or Dribbling, and what kind of effect it can achieve... all of this is blank and requires Yu Bai to explore and develop it himself in actual combat.

It is unique.

Its ceiling may only depend on Yu Bai's imagination.

"Go, go, go," the linesman signaled, and the referee Ryan Mason waved his hand to signal that Yu Bai could return to the pitch.

Yu Bai took a deep breath, his eyes becoming sharp and full of anticipation again, like a warrior who had just obtained a divine weapon, striding back onto the pitch.

The match continued, Arsenal tried to counterattack, but Tottenham was in high spirits.

24th minute.

Tottenham gained a positional attack opportunity on the left side of the frontcourt.

Christian Eriksen distributed the ball from the center, Yu Bai was on the left wing, receiving the ball with his back to the goal at the edge of the final third. Héctor Bellerín immediately marked him closely.

Yu Bai leaned against Héctor Bellerín, pulled the ball back with his right foot, and simultaneously half-turned to face Héctor Bellerín. He didn't do any fancy moves; he simply poked the ball lightly toward the byline and then accelerated to start! It looked like he was forcing a cross from the byline.

Héctor Bellerín reacted extremely quickly, showing his speed advantage, instantly cutting off the inside, sticking close to Yu Bai, not giving him space for an easy cross.

Yu Bai dribbled along the byline for two steps, then suddenly stopped! He pulled the ball back with the sole of his right foot, and immediately used the outside of his right foot to fiercely push the ball toward the penalty area! Attempting to cut inside!

This push, in high-speed confrontation, looked a bit too heavy! The ball rolled rapidly toward the half-space of the penalty area, looking like it was about to roll directly out of the byline or be intercepted by the covering Gabriel Paulista.

Seeing this push from Yu Bai, Héctor Bellerín felt relieved, and even had an extremely brief pause in his steps and a thought of giving up the chase!

"It's too long! Can't catch up! It's definitely going out!" This was his first judgment.

He had absolute confidence in his speed; if even he felt the ball couldn't be caught, how could Yu Bai possibly catch it?

However—

Just at the lightning-fast moment when the ball was about to roll out of the byline and Gabriel Paulista was also preparing to extend his foot to intercept—

That rapidly rolling soccer ball seemed to hit an invisible, soft air wall, or was gently tugged by an invisible hand!

Its speed slowed down abruptly, violating the laws of physics, in a way that was almost imperceptible to the naked eye but undeniably real! It was like a high-speed video being suddenly slowed down by 0.5x speed!

It was this subtle, extreme deceleration of less than 0.5 seconds—

That made the ball, which seemed "too long," stop just in time inside the byline, half a step in front of Gabriel Paulista's feet!

And it also allowed the "giving up" Yu Bai, as if he had predicted all this, to explode with his second step, snatching the ball before Gabriel Paulista could touch it, and lightly and steadily controlling it under his feet with his left foot!

"What?!"

Héctor Bellerín's eyes widened instantly, his face full of disbelief and confusion!

He had clearly seen the ball going out just now! Yu Bai clearly couldn't catch up either! How... is the ball still there? And he's there?

Is it an illusion? Héctor Bellerín blinked hard.

In a high-tempo match, it's hard for the human eye to capture that extremely subtle yet counter-intuitive deceleration change, especially with the preconceived judgment that "it's too long."

Yu Bai didn't care about Héctor Bellerín's shock; he controlled the ball steadily near the byline, looked up, and quickly scanned the penalty area!

Harry Kane was tightly entangled by Per Mertesacker at the near post.

At the back post, Erik Lamela was making a run, but his position wasn't the best.

The Passing lane seemed to be blocked.

But Yu Bai saw it—when Per Mertesacker was marking Harry Kane, his body was slightly turned sideways to him. And behind him, goalkeeper David Ospina's positioning was slightly to the left because he had to cover the near post.

An extremely bold, even somewhat "malicious" idea flashed through Yu Bai's mind.

He didn't choose to pass to Harry Kane or the back post, but instead, from an almost zero-degree angle, he swung his left foot and used his instep to push a low, fast cross that skimmed the grass and headed straight toward Per Mertesacker's shin! This looked more like a desperate pass, or... a last resort?

Seeing the ball flying toward him, Per Mertesacker felt relieved, and even somewhat "secretly happy."

"This kind of pass? It's simply a gift!"

He eyed the incoming ball, adjusted his body quickly, and lifted that famous "long leg" of his—his right foot, preparing to use a clean and crisp big kick to clear the ball directly out of the danger zone!

His movement was standard, his force was sufficient, and his eyes were firm.

However, just at the moment his right foot was about to make contact with the ball—

That low, fast-moving ball, which had been whistling toward him, once again underwent that strange, physics-defying change!

The ball speed suddenly slowed down!

Like a high-speed racing car suddenly hitting the brakes!

Although the deceleration might have only been a fraction of a second, and the ball speed changed from a "cannonball" to a "fast ground ball," this subtle yet fatal time difference was completely disrupted!

Per Mertesacker's right foot had been swung out based on the trajectory and timing of the "original ball speed"!

As a result—

"Whoosh!"

His right foot kicked completely into thin air! With huge inertia, it swept through empty air!

Because he used too much force, after kicking empty, his body even had a brief, uncoordinated stagger!

And that "decelerated" ball, impartially and "gently," bumped into his left shin—his standing leg, which hadn't had time to react!

"Bang!" A dull thud.

After this impact, the ball instantly changed direction, refracting a strange trajectory, rolling slowly under the armpit of the stunned goalkeeper David Ospina, who hadn't reacted at all, and into the goal behind him!

2:0!!!

"Goal??? Own goal?! Per Mertesacker scored an own goal!"

"My god! What happened?! Per Mertesacker missed his clearance! The ball hit his leg and bounced into the goal!"

"Yu Bai's pass caused chaos! Per Mertesacker made an unbelievable, amateurish mistake!"

The entire White Hart Lane stadium, after a brief silence, erupted into an even crazier, and even somewhat absurd and joyful, frenzy! An own goal! And in such a ridiculous way!

After scoring, Yu Bai immediately raised his arms high, with an undisguised, brilliant, and ecstatic smile on his face!

He ran frantically toward the corner flag area, calling his teammates over to celebrate, feeling overjoyed in his heart:

Chose right! Really chose right!

This "Deceleration Ball" can not only deliver brilliant assists but also "create own goals" in this way!

So practical!

So satisfying!

And in the penalty area, Per Mertesacker stood there blankly, as if struck by lightning, head down, eyes staring fixedly at his left foot, his face full of disbelief, confusion, and the subsequent volcanic eruption of shame and anger!

He shook his head hard and forcefully, as if trying to shake that nightmarish scene out of his mind!

"How is it possible... How could I... kick empty?!"

He muttered to himself, fists clenched tightly, nails almost digging into his flesh.

Alexis Sánchez and Francis Coquelin ran over, patted him on the shoulder, trying to comfort him: "Per, it's an accident, just an accident."

"Cheer up."

But Per Mertesacker shook off their hands, still keeping his head down, his chest heaving violently.

He was angry, he was confused, and he couldn't forgive himself for making such a low-level, such a ridiculous mistake!

From beginning to end, he never suspected that it was the sudden deceleration of Yu Bai's pass that caused his misjudgment.

He attributed all the responsibility and anger to his own "mistake" and "stupidity."

After celebrating, as Yu Bai ran back, he deliberately passed by Per Mertesacker, who was still standing there with his head down, as if petrified.

He stopped, tilted his head, looked at this German tall center-back, revealed an incomparably "sincere" and concerned smile, and said softly in a voice that only the two of them could hear:

"Hey, big guy."

"Don't blame yourself too much."

"Sometimes..."

"Ball speed, can be deceptive."

"Especially..."

Yu Bai paused, his smile widening, "When I don't want it to be too fast."

After saying this, he patted Per Mertesacker's arm, not lightly, and then whistled, running back to his own half in a good mood.

Leaving Per Mertesacker alone, standing in place, ruminating on Yu Bai's meaningful words, which had been completely misunderstood by him, his face becoming even gloomier and uglier.

He looked at Yu Bai's infuriating back and muttered:

"Who doesn't make mistakes?"

"Who doesn't have times when they kick empty?"

"What are you so proud of?"

"Fk! If you have the ability to create another own goal for me, I'll call you daddy!"