256: Legalist trial, targeted elimination of the command ship

The atmosphere in the Dome Arena reached a new climax after the Hundred Schools Squad advanced to the Top 16. Winning consecutive matches, especially the clean defeat of "Heart of Steel," one of the War College's aces, made this team from the School of Literature and Law a true dark horse in this Championship, even showing signs of becoming a "title contender."

In the stands, the section for the School of Literature and Law had turned into a joyful sea of blue, with students waving flags and shouting the name "Hundred Schools." Students from other colleges had also shifted from their initial disdain and skepticism to curiosity, surprise, and even a gaze tinged with a hint of awe.

The holographic screen lit up again, displaying the bracket for the Top 16. When the names of the Hundred Schools Squad and their opponents appeared, another significant stir rippled through the audience.

[Top 16, Match 1]

School of Literature and Law · Hundred Schools Squad vs. Wings of the Firmament Academy · Eye of the Sky Squad

Map: [Cloudy Mountain Peak] (Special high-altitude/floating map: 90% consists of suspended shattered mountain peaks, aerial platforms, and thin clouds; 10% is the bottomless Void Realm below)

Victory Condition: In addition to standard conditions, if the divine domain core falls into the Void Realm, it is also judged as a loss.

Match Status: Preparation Phase (3-minute countdown)

"Wings of the Firmament Academy! They specialize in flying races and aerial tactics!"

"Eye of the Sky Squad, Top 8 last year. Captain Elena, lv208, Lesser Divinity initial stage. Her divine domain is [Eye of the Storm], and her core units are Storm Giant Eagles, Griffin Knights, and the supposedly very rare [Floating Fortress]!"

"This map... Cloudy Mountain Peak! It's completely the home ground for air forces! This is too disadvantageous for Lin Zhou and the others! Although Zhao Hao's Dragons have an aerial advantage, the opponent has a systematic air force and that cumbersome but terrifyingly powerful Floating Fortress!"

"How are the Hundred Schools Squad's Behemoths and most ground units supposed to deploy on such a map? Will they rely entirely on the Dragons and Judgment Angel?"

"This is going to be a tough fight... Let's see how Lin Zhou handles it."

Inside the preparation room, the atmosphere was more serious than the previous two matches.

A projection of the Cloudy Mountain Peak map was on the tactical table, showing a three-dimensional battlefield composed of countless suspended rocky mountains and artificial platforms of various sizes and heights. The distances between platforms varied, connected by swaying rope bridges or simply separated by the void. Gale-force winds howled between the platforms, and thin clouds partially obscured vision. Here, ground troops were almost useless; mobility and air power were the absolute Dominators.

The opponent's information was also displayed. Elena, lv208. Core units included: a large number of lv30-32 Storm Giant Eagles (high speed, high mobility, with lightning attacks), organized lv33 Griffin Knights (aerial knights combining mobility with melee capabilities), and the most troublesome—a [lv38 Storm Floating Fortress (Epic Unit Prototype)] serving as a mobile command post and fire platform.

"Floating Fortress..." Zhao Hao stared at the data, his expression grave. "I've heard of this; it's the signature of Wings of the Firmament. It's not fast, but it's incredibly durable with super-strong shields, built-in anti-air cannons, and an area-of-effect Lightning Storm Generator. It can even carry and deploy other aerial units. It's practically an aerial stronghold. If we don't take it down, our aerial advantage is non-existent."

Wang Meng scratched his head. "My Behemoths in a place like this... are they supposed to jump up and hit planes?" He made a rare joke, but his tone was somewhat helpless. His units were indeed a burden on such a three-dimensional high-altitude map.

Li Mo quickly calculated. "The energy shield readings for the Floating Fortress are estimated to be five to eight times that of a standard heavy mecha. Conventional attacks will be hard to break through in a short time. Its weakness might be its relatively sluggish movement, and the energy core maintaining such a massive shield and weapon System must be prominent and fragile, though usually heavily protected."

Qin Qing's cold voice rang out. "My Judgment Angel can try to approach and attack, but the opponent will surely have a tight anti-air fire net and escorts. Moreover, in the opponent's home environment, storm energy might interfere with the stability of the Holy Light."

Everyone turned their gaze toward Lin Zhou.

Lin Zhou stared at the map and intelligence, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the tactical table. His brain worked rapidly, combining the Hundred Schools of Thought, their own strengths and weaknesses, and the enemy's characteristics to simulate various possibilities.

"Our disadvantages are obvious: we lack a systematic air force, ground troops are restricted, and the high-altitude environment affects some of our units (like the range of the Literary Heart Elves and the mobility of the Law Fishmen)," Lin Zhou spoke slowly. "But our advantages also exist. First, Zhao Hao's Dragons are top-tier aerial units, with individual combat power far exceeding the opponent's Giant Eagles and Griffins. Second, Qin Qing's Judgment Angel possesses rule-level suppression, with extra effects against energy beings (storm elements) and flying units. Third, we have versatile tactics and rule-interference capabilities."

He paused, his gaze becoming sharp. "The key lies in how to concentrate our advantages into a single point to break the opponent's strongest shield—that Floating Fortress. As long as we destroy or heavily damage it, their aerial System will lose its command center and fire pillar, crumbling into a disorganized mess."

"How do we fight?" Zhao Hao asked. "If we launch a frontal assault, my four Dragons plus Qin Qing's Angel will probably be tied down by anti-air fire and the enemy's air force before they even get close. Even if they break through, they might not be able to crack that turtle shell in a short time."

Lin Zhou pointed to a relatively peripheral but open-view suspended platform on the map. "We need a 'Bait,' a 'Control,' and a 'Finishing Blow'."

"Wang Meng," Lin Zhou looked at him. "Your mission this time is crucial, but it's not direct combat. You and your Behemoth and Troll troops need to establish a solid 'ground' stronghold on this C7 Platform. Use the defensive fortifications built urgently by the Dwarves and your [Tenacity Totem Pole] to attract as much of the enemy's air force's attention as possible, becoming a 'fragile but tempting' target in their eyes. Your task is to 'take a beating' and 'survive,' creating opportunities and time for actions in other directions. Can you do it?"

Wang Meng was stunned for a moment, then pounded his chest hard. "So I'm just being a target? No problem! My Behemoths have thick skin, and the Trolls can hide. I'll make sure they feel like they're doing themselves a disservice if they don't attack me!"

Lin Zhou nodded and looked at Li Mo. "Li Mo, your Goblin Engineers have limited utility in this match, but they aren't useless. I need you to urgently set up [Simple Anti-Air Ballistae] (using the Materials you're carrying) and [Energy Mist Generators] (to interfere with their precision locking) at Wang Meng's stronghold and between several hidden jump platforms we've designated. Meanwhile, your scout swarms (partially modified into flying models) must do their best to track the real-time position of that Floating Fortress, its shield energy fluctuation patterns, and the distribution of its escort forces. Especially find the 'tidal intervals' of its shield energy output—no matter how strong a shield is, there will be subtle fluctuations in energy distribution when maintaining and attacking."

Li Mo's eyes behind his glasses lit up. "Tracking energy fluctuation patterns... analyzing shield gaps... I'm good at that! Leave it to me! I'll try to build a dynamic model!"

"Qin Qing, Zhao Hao," Lin Zhou's gaze finally landed on the two of them. "You are the key to the 'Finishing Blow' combo."

"Qin Qing, your Judgment Angel needs to take on an unprecedented responsibility in this battle," Lin Zhou said seriously. "I need you, when the timing is right, to spare no Divine Power and use the fastest speed and shortest path to break through the enemy's interception and directly launch the strongest [Divine Judgment] at that Floating Fortress!"

Qin Qing's eyes narrowed. "Judge the fortress directly? Its shield..."

"I know the shield is strong," Lin Zhou interrupted. "But your [Divine Judgment] is not just a high-damage skill. Based on previous training data and the hidden traits in your skill description, when the judgment successfully locks and hits a 'sin-laden' target (which can be defined as the enemy's core command unit), it will attach a hidden [Rule Marker] effect, causing that unit to take significantly increased damage from all sources for a period of time! This effect is equally effective against shields!"

Qin Qing was slightly taken aback. She had indeed felt that her judgment skill was exceptionally effective against certain targets, but she had never performed such a clear quantitative analysis. "Rule Marker... damage amplification..." she mused. "If that's the case, the significance of Judgment isn't just the damage itself, but opening a Breakthrough for subsequent attacks."

"Exactly!" Lin Zhou confirmed. "What I want is that 'Breakthrough'! Your judgment is the first and most critical crack to tear through the iron curtain! Once the marker takes effect, subsequent damage, especially a full-force strike from Zhao Hao's Dragons, will have a completely different effect!"

Zhao Hao clenched his fist excitedly. "Understood! Once Qin Qing's judgment hits and the marker is applied, my Dragons will charge in and focus fire! No matter how thick that turtle shell is, I'll crack it wide open!"

"That's exactly it." Lin Zhou nodded. "But Execution is extremely dangerous. The Floating Fortress will definitely be heavily guarded with dense anti-air fire. Qin Qing, you need to choose the most suitable moment and route for your charge; you might need to sacrifice some angels as bait or cover. Zhao Hao, before Qin Qing acts, your dragons need to remain hidden or engage in skirmishes on the outskirts to preserve their strength. Once the Judgment hits and the mark appears, you must go all out and focus your fire at maximum speed! There is only one target: the core energy source or the command tower!"

"I will seize the opportunity." Qin Qing's voice remained cold, but the determination within was unquestionable.

"My Dragon Breath has been hungry for a long time!" Zhao Hao licked his lips.

The countdown ended.

Consciousness descended upon [Cloudy Mountain Peak].

A strong sense of weightlessness and the whistling sound of wind instantly enveloped their senses. Lin Zhou's divine domain core projected onto the top of a medium-sized floating mountain. The side of the peak had several natural caves that could be utilized, and the top was relatively flat. Below was a churning sea of clouds and the endless Void Realm, with other floating platforms in the distance swaying slightly in the wind.

Wang Meng and his followers appeared on a larger nearby platform and had already begun feverishly constructing fortifications as the glow of the [Tenacity Totem Pole] lit up. Li Mo's Mechanical Goblins spread out like ants, beginning to set up ballistae and release improved flying scout bugs. Qin Qing's Judgment Angel squad spread their wings of light, hovering beside the peak as their Holy Light faintly clashed with the surrounding storm energy. Zhao Hao's four dragons concealed their auras, hiding within the thick cloud layers.

"Enemy units detected! Eleven o'clock direction, five kilometers away! A flock of Storm Giant Eagles! Numbers exceed fifty! Behind them is a Griffin Knight formation! Further away... detecting an ultra-large energy signature! It's a Floating Fortress! It is moving slowly toward the platform where Wang Meng is located!" Li Mo's scouting information arrived quickly.

"Execute the plan!" Lin Zhou ordered calmly.

The battle erupted instantly.

The Storm Giant Eagles let out sharp cries, turning into shadows wreathed in electricity as they were the first to pounce on Wang Meng's platform. The lightning balls they spat and their diving claw strikes landed on the thick fur of the Behemoths and the shields hastily raised by the Trolls, exploding into bursts of electric light. The Griffin Knights followed closely behind, throwing armor-piercing spears that shimmered with cold light and waiting for an opportunity to charge.

Wang Meng roared repeatedly as the Behemoths swung their giant paws, swatting away any approaching Great Eagles. War Tramples sent shockwaves through the platform, shaking down many Griffins. The Ogre Headhunters threw their javelins with all their might, but hitting high-speed moving aerial targets was quite difficult. The wooden bunkers and ballista platforms urgently built by the Dwarves were constantly being destroyed under the lightning and attacks.

Just as Lin Zhou expected, Wang Meng, acting as the "bait," successfully attracted the enemy's first and most ferocious wave of attacks. The massive silhouette of the Floating Fortress also loomed in the distant clouds, its surface energy shield flickering with a steady blue-white light. Several rotating anti-air turrets had already locked onto Wang Meng's platform and began firing intermittently, each shell carrying astonishing power and blasting large craters into the platform.

"Qin Qing, Zhao Hao, get ready!" Lin Zhou stared intently at the battlefield. Wang Meng's side was under immense pressure, but they could still hold on for now. The key lay in the movements of the Floating Fortress and Li Mo's data analysis.

"Analyzing Floating Fortress shield energy fluctuations... detecting regular oscillations! Approximately 0.8 seconds before each main cannon (Lightning Storm Generator) charges and prepares to fire, the shield in its rear-side area (suspected energy convergence node) will experience a brief weakening of about 5%! Estimated duration is 0.3 to 0.5 seconds!" Li Mo's voice carried the excitement of discovering a Treasure Trove. "In addition, its surrounding escort forces are currently concentrated on the front (facing Wang Meng's platform) and both sides; the upper rear is relatively empty, with only regular patrolling Great Eagles!"

A 0.3 to 0.5-second shield weakness window! The upper rear is empty!

"Now's the time!" A sharp glint flashed in Lin Zhou's eyes. "Qin Qing! Target the upper rear of the Floating Fortress! Full-speed charge, Judgment! Zhao Hao, prepare to focus fire on the coordinates!"

"Understood!" Qin Qing shouted clearly, the light wings behind her suddenly expanding to their limit! Sixty Judgment Angels simultaneously erupted with dazzling Holy Light, turning into a brilliant stream of light. Instead of charging straight at the Floating Fortress, they first dived down, using a smaller floating mountain as cover, then suddenly veered, launching a death-defying assault from the blind spot above and behind the Floating Fortress at a nearly vertical angle!

"Enemy attack! From the rear!" Elena's startled cry rang out across the simulated battlefield. The Floating Fortress's anti-air turrets struggled to turn, and the surrounding Great Eagles and Griffins also rushed back to help. But Qin Qing and her angels were too fast, and their angle was too tricky!

"For Order and Judgment!" Archangel Raphael raised his holy sword high, and the power of all Judgment Angels converged into a single point! An unprecedented, extremely condensed pillar of golden light descended from the sky, ignoring the briefly fluctuating local shield that hadn't yet been adjusted to its strongest, and slammed heavily into a protruding structure (suspected to be a signal tower or secondary energy node) on the upper rear of the Floating Fortress!

[Divine Judgment: Ultimate] activated!

High light-attribute damage! Damage bonus against "Command Core" units!

Hidden effect triggered: [Legal Mark]!

A crystal-clear golden scales emblem, composed of pure Law and Order rules, emerged on the area hit by the Judgment! The emblem shimmered, emitting invisible ripples.

[Legal Mark Effect]

Area of Effect: Units (or parts thereof) directly hit by Judgment.

Effect: For the next 15 seconds, all types of damage taken by the unit are increased by 25%!

Special: This effect is valid against shields, armor, energy defenses, etc., and is a rule-based damage increase that can stack with most other damage-boosting effects.

Visual Representation: The marked area continuously emits a golden glow, making it extremely easy to identify.

It worked!

The armor of the Floating Fortress at the point of impact melted, with black smoke and electrical sparks erupting from within, causing the entire massive body to shake violently. More importantly, that dazzling golden scales mark, like a lighthouse in the dark night, pointed the way for the subsequent attack and tore a hole in the defense!

"Zhao Hao!" Lin Zhou barked.

"ROAR!!!!!!"

The four dragons, which had been waiting in the clouds for a long time, were like four falling meteors, diving down at maximum speed from four different directions! Their target was unmistakable—the marking point emitting that enticing golden light!

Raging Flame's Blaze Dragon Breath, Ice Scale's Absolute Zero Breath, Poison Wing's Corrosive Acid Mist, and Dark Scale's Dark Annihilation Wave... four types of Dragon Breath with vastly different properties but all possessing peerless power, produced a terrifying chemical reaction under the 25% damage amplification of the [Legal Mark], slamming into the Floating Fortress's wound almost simultaneously!

BOOM—!!!

A thunderous roar sounded as if the heavens were collapsing and the earth was rending. The thick shield that the Floating Fortress was so proud of was forcibly penetrated and torn apart by the torrent of Dragon Breath like fragile glass under the marking effect! The subsequent Dragon Breath poured inside without any obstruction, triggering chain energy explosions and structural disintegration!

After a blinding flash, the Floating Fortress, which could be called an aerial fortress, snapped into two pieces starting from the point of impact! A massive fireball of explosion rose into the air, and the wreckage, trailing thick smoke, slowly fell toward the endless Void Realm below... The command center had been surgically eliminated!

"No—!" Elena's desperate scream was drowned out by the sound of the explosion.

Having lost the unified command, fire support, and morale boost of the Floating Fortress, the remaining Storm Giant Eagles and Griffin Knights, though still fierce, were already in a state of collapse. Under the pursuit of Zhao Hao's dragons and Qin Qing's Judgment Angels, and the final counterattack from Wang Meng's base (where the Behemoths jumped up to grab low-flying Great Eagles and tear them apart), they were quickly wiped out.

In the round of sixteen, the Hundred Schools Squad created another miracle! With a precise "Bait-Control-Kill" tactic, they decapitated the enemy core and advanced to the Top 8!

The arena completely boiled over! The cheers almost blew the dome off!

"Decapitation! It's the decapitation tactic again!"

"Absolutely brilliant! The Judgment mark! The dragons focusing fire! The coordination was seamless!"

"Qin Qing's Judgment actually has a hidden effect! Legal Mark! Damage increased by 25%! That's insane!"

"Lin Zhou's command was divine! He completely seized the opponent's only weakness!"

"The Hundred Schools Squad... can they really create history?"

Inside the preparation room, the five returned and smiled at each other. Although their Divine Power consumption was massive (especially for Qin Qing and Zhao Hao), the joy of victory and the growth of their synergy made all the fatigue worth it.

"Qin Qing, your Judgment deserves the top credit!" Lin Zhou laughed.

Qin Qing nodded slightly, her breathing somewhat unstable, but her eyes were bright: "It was the team's coordination. Without Wang Meng attracting fire, Li Mo providing data, and Zhao Hao's killing blow, my Judgment wouldn't have been effective."

Zhao Hao chuckled: "Next time there's an iron turtle, we'll do the same!"

Wang Meng panted heavily: "The feeling of being a target... really isn't great, but as long as we won!"

Li Mo was already holding his data pad and starting to record: "The specific values of the Legal Mark need to be calibrated... 25% is an estimate; the actual value might fluctuate depending on the target's rule resistance..."

Lin Zhou looked at his excited teammates, his heart full of confidence. The Top 8 was right before them. And their footsteps would definitely not stop there.