69: Chapter 69 A complete crushing defeat...
Lu Ming had already rushed in front of Ye Qing, his left fist slamming down with a whistling wind.
Liu Qing did not retreat.
She simply tilted her head slightly, and her dark green ponytail lashed out like a long whip, striking Lu Ming's metal gauntlet with precision.
"Snap!"
With a sharp sound, Lu Ming felt his left arm go numb, and a deep whip mark was left on his gauntlet.
He was sent stumbling sideways by the strike, his offensive collapsing instantly.
"What?!" he exclaimed.
Liu Qing did not pursue; she simply retracted her ponytail, her dark green vine-armored hair falling softly behind her head.
Wang Xin's arm blade struck from the side, aiming straight for Liu Qing's neck.
But before the blade light could land, a yellowish-brown light shot in from the side.
In Ye Wushuang's team, that short, stocky boy moved.
He raised his left hand, palm facing forward.
Lin Fan's gaze turned to him, and information appeared.
[Name]: Zhou Yan
[Rank]: 17 Armor Warrior
[Armor Spirit]: Earth-Armored Beast
[Aptitude]: high-grade mortal spirit
[Rank]: 18
[Armorization Part]: Left Hand
[Armorization Skill]:
Rock Shield: Condense a rock shield on the left hand to block attacks.
Earth Spikes: Pat the ground with the left hand to release Earth Spikes to attack enemies in front.
A heavy rock shield condensed into shape in front of his left hand. Wang Xin's arm blade struck the shield, only kicking up a few sparks.
Wang Xin gritted his teeth, wanting to change his move, but Zhou Yan had already launched a counterattack.
He slammed his left hand onto the ground.
Earth Spikes activated!
Three sharp stone spikes shot out from the ground, aiming straight for Wang Xin's legs.
Wang Xin was shocked and hurriedly jumped to dodge, but the stone spikes came too fast, still grazing his lower leg and leaving a bloody mark.
He stumbled two steps upon landing, nearly falling over.
Li Wei also made her move.
The petal-shaped crystal in her left eye suddenly burst with dazzling pink light—Lotus Illusion Light activated!
The target was still Liu Qing.
Their strategy was obvious: focus fire to take one out first.
But to Li Wei's surprise, Liu Qing simply closed her eyes.
Then, she whipped her head, and her dark green vine-armored hair exploded outward, countless tiny vine spikes shooting toward Li Wei like a rainstorm.
Dance of Thorns!
The coverage of the vine spikes was too wide. Before Li Wei could fully release her illusion, she was forced to interrupt it and retreated in a panic to dodge.
Zhao Tai raised his shield, wanting to charge forward to protect his teammate.
But just as he took a step, a golden light shot from the back of Ye Wushuang's team, precisely hitting his shield.
"Bang!"
The water screen on the shield vibrated violently, nearly shattering.
Lin Fan looked toward the last girl.
She stood at the very back of the team, her right eye covered by a layer of golden crystal. The surface of the crystal had fine, ripple-like patterns, and it was currently shimmering with a faint light.
[Name]: Jin Ling
[Rank]: 17 Armor Warrior
[Armor Spirit]: Golden Ripple Butterfly
[Aptitude]: high-grade mortal spirit
[Rank]: 18
[Armorization Part]: Right Eye
[Armorization Skill]:
Golden Ray: Shoot a golden ray from the right eye with strong penetrating power.
Ripple Perception: Release ripples from the right eye to detect the surrounding environment and discover hidden targets.
Jin Ling's right eye flashed again, and another golden ray shot out, hitting the exact same spot on Zhao Tai's shield again.
Cracks began to spread across the shield.
Zhao Tai gritted his teeth, desperately channeling his water screen to repair the shield, but Jin Ling's ray was too fast and too accurate; he simply couldn't keep up.
Lu Ming wanted to rush over to support Liu Qing, but the moment he moved, Zhou Yan's Earth Spikes shot out from beneath his feet, forcing him to retreat repeatedly.
Wang Xin clutched the wound on his leg, having already lost his combat capability.
Li Wei was pinned down by Liu Qing's vine spikes, unable to lift her head, and the pink light in her left eye grew dimmer and dimmer.
Wang Churan hovered in the air, burning with anxiety.
She wanted to make a move, but a bone-chilling cold suddenly descended from above her head.
Looking up, she saw that Ye Wushuang was hovering above her at some point, his calm eyes watching her.
A pair of wings resembling ice crystal armor had emerged from his back.
The wings were composed of countless hexagonal ice crystals, each as thin as a cicada's wing, with edges as sharp as blades.
When folded, they fit tightly together, forming a heavy suit of armor covering his entire back.
When unfolded, the ice crystals slid against each other, instantly transforming into a pair of massive Ice Crystal Wings with a wingspan of three meters.
Spiritual Qi churned, and the powerful sense of oppression made Wang Churan feel fear instantly.
Rank 23 Armor Master!
Ye Wushuang did not attack; he simply looked down at her from above.
But Wang Churan had no doubt that if she were to move again, Ye Wushuang would show absolutely no mercy.
This was a thorough crush.
After a long pause, she smiled bitterly, closed her eyes, and spoke.
"I concede."
The referee immediately raised his hand.
"Semifinals, Class 1 Ye Wushuang Team, victory!"
Deafening cheers erupted from the stands.
Lin Fan sat in the stands, but his gaze remained locked on the five members of Ye Wushuang's team.
Liu Qing's Ink Vine Demon Flower was both offensive and defensive, and capable of area control.
Zhou Yan's Earth-Armored Beast provided frontal defense and ground control.
Jin Ling's Golden Ripple Butterfly provided precise long-range strikes.
And there was that tall, thin boy who had not made a move the entire time.
He hadn't moved once from start to finish.
But his gaze remained locked on every member of Wang Churan's team, his Spiritual Qi flickering, ready at any moment to deliver a fatal blow.
[Name]: Lin Feng
[Rank]: 18 Armor Warrior
[Armor Spirit]: Shadow-Escaping Cat
[Aptitude]: low-grade profound spirit
[Rank]: 19
[Armorization Part]: Right Hand
[Armorization Skill]:
Shadow Claw: Right hand transforms into a shadow claw, attacks ignore part of defense.
Shadow Step: Instantly merge into shadows for short-distance displacement.
Night Raid: Attack launched from the shadows, damage increased by 50%.
An assassin.
Lin Fan withdrew his gaze, the corners of his mouth curving up slightly.
A five-person setup: balanced in offense and defense, capable at both long and short range, and with an assassin to hold the line.
Ye Wushuang himself didn't even make a move, and they easily crushed Wang Churan's team.
Excluding Ye Wushuang, the gap between the two sides wasn't actually that wide; in fact, Wang Churan's team even held a certain advantage.
But the coordination and tactical proficiency of Ye Wushuang's team were far superior to Wang Churan's team.
Each of them used the most appropriate skill at the most appropriate moment, precisely dismantling every attack and coordination from their opponents.
This wasn't just a simple contest of strength, but a perfect performance of tactics and execution.
Of course, Ye Wushuang's own deterrent power was also one of the key factors in their victory.
The four people beside Lin Fan, including Xu Ziyan, were all silent.
No one spoke.
It was Lin Fan who broke the silence first.
"What? Are you all scared silly?"
Xu Ziyan swallowed hard.
"A little..."
Su Xiaoxiao rarely didn't retort; she just said softly.
"They are really, truly strong..."
Sun Wei nodded silently in agreement.
Qin Ling still kept her head down, her expression equally solemn.
Lin Fan looked at them and smiled.
"Scared?"
The four of them were silent for a moment.
Su Xiaoxiao was the first to puff out her chest. "Scared my ass! If you're not convinced, just fight!"
Xu Ziyan also nodded. "Right, anyway, I'll just listen to the Captain."
Qin Ling raised her head, glanced at Lin Fan, then lowered it again and said softly.
"Yeah."
Lin Fan looked at them, the smile on his lips deepening.
"That's good."
He stood up and looked toward the arena.
Ye Wushuang had already landed back on the ground and was leading his teammates off the field.
When passing the stands, his gaze seemed to sweep over this side, then moved away as if nothing had happened.
Lin Fan withdrew his gaze and looked at his own teammates.
"Let's go. Let that Genius see what a real dark horse is."