172: The Black Mamba returns to his peak

The entire Staples Center completely erupted!

That cry of "Kobe Bryant!!!" pierced through the arena's dome.

It was like a fuse that ignited the powder keg of the entire city of Los Angeles!

All the fans jumped up from their seats like they were going crazy!

They waved their arms!

They screamed until their throats were raw!

They used every ounce of their strength to roar that name that had accompanied them throughout their youth!

Kobe! Kobe! Kobe!

The mountain-shaking, tsunami-like waves of sound almost blew the ceiling off the Staples Center!

At the commentary table...

Charles Barkley's eyes widened. He looked at the back of the figure wearing number 24 walking onto the court in disbelief.

"Crazy! D'Antoni must be crazy!"

"Letting a veteran who has suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon play in a game of this intensity?"

"Does he want to completely destroy Kobe's career?!"

Kenny Smith also had a solemn expression.

"This is an extremely dangerous gamble."

On the court.

The Thunder players looked at the slowly approaching figure, their faces showing complex expressions.

There was contempt.

There was confusion.

But more than that, there was a heartfelt, final respect for this legend.

Westbrook curled his lip.

In his eyes, the Kobe before him was nothing more than an aged Lion with all its teeth pulled out.

Nothing to fear.

The game restarted!

Thunder's possession!

Westbrook received the baseline inbound pass, and his gaze instantly locked onto Kobe Bryant standing opposite him!

The corner of his mouth curled into an arc filled with cruelty and tyranny.

He was going to use the most savage, most direct way!

In front of the whole world!

Personally crush this so-called "legend" into pieces!

"Roar!"

Westbrook moved!

He was like a heavy tank filled with fuel!

With an unrivaled, violent posture, he ruthlessly charged toward Kobe with crushing force!

That speed!

That power!

It made everyone's hearts leap into their throats!

Everyone knew!

With Kobe's current physical condition, he couldn't possibly stop Westbrook's death charge that could destroy everything!

D'Antoni on the sidelines even closed his eyes, unable to bear watching!

However!

Just as Westbrook's steel-like body was about to collide with Kobe!

On the other end of the court, deep in Lin Feng's pupils, a burst of extremely brilliant pale-golden light suddenly erupted!

[Heavenly Emperors Eye · ZONE]!

Maximum power!

Output!

"Ugh!"

An indescribable, tearing pain ruthlessly hammered Lin Feng's brain!

His vision was a sea of blood-red!

He felt like his entire head was about to be blown apart by this terrifying power running on overload!

But!

He didn't back down!

He took his last and purest bit of mental energy, like an invisible torrent of energy!

Without reservation!

He ruthlessly injected it into Kobe Bryant's body!

[Emperors Edict: Peak Moment]!

In that instant!

Kobe, who was on the court preparing for the impact, suddenly trembled violently!

An indescribable, extremely vast, mysterious power!

Just like that, without warning, it ruthlessly washed through his entire body!

He felt it!

He felt it with extreme clarity!

His ruptured Achilles tendon that had been constantly aching!

That knee that was filled with fluid from years of battle!

That body that had long been eroded and riddled with holes by time and injury!

At this moment!

It was as if a source of life from a god had been injected!

All the pain disappeared!

All the fatigue was swept away!

Replaced by!

A feeling as if he had returned to ten years ago!

Back to his peak self, who could fly through the air and was omnipotent!

A sense of absolute control filled with explosive power!

In Kobe's eyes, the whole world changed!

Westbrook's breakthrough, which was originally lightning-fast!

In his vision, it became slow and laughable!

Every detail of the movement!

Every change in the center of gravity!

Every muscle quiver!

All were presented before him with crystal clarity!

The corner of Kobe's mouth slowly curled into a cold, bloodthirsty arc belonging to the black mamba.

He moved.

He simply took a half-step back to the left with extreme elegance.

Then, he reached out his long, pincer-like arm!

Accurately predicting all of Westbrook's breakthrough routes!

Cleanly and neatly, he gave a light tap to the high-speed moving basketball!

*Slap!*

A crisp sound of the basketball colliding with the palm!

Time seemed to stand still at this moment.

Under the horrified gaze of tens of thousands of spectators!

That basketball, which was originally held tightly by Westbrook!

Was actually stolen by Kobe just like that, with a nonchalant flick!

The entire Staples Center fell into a deathly silence!

Everyone was like they had been hit by a freezing spell, staring blankly at the court!

Their mouths were slightly open!

Their eyes were filled with an incomprehensible, massive shock!

What happened?!

Kobe Bryant!

Actually, one-on-one!

Frontally stripped the ball from a peak Russell Westbrook?!

How is this possible?!

Westbrook himself was completely stunned!

He looked down at his empty hands, his face written with disbelief!

However!

Kobe didn't give him any time to think!

After the steal, the Lakers immediately launched a lightning-fast counterattack!

Lin Feng received the ball!

He didn't even look at the rim!

He just used his last bit of strength to hurl the basketball toward the frontcourt!

The basketball was like a precision-guided cruise missile!

Crossing more than half the court!

Accurately landing in the hands of that fast-running purple-and-gold number 24 figure!

Kobe had the ball!

In front of him was the league's top defender!

Kevin Durant!

When enemies meet, their eyes blaze with hatred!

Durant spread his spider-web-like long arms, blocking Kobe's path firmly!

He would never allow this old guy to complete this counterattack over his head!

However!

In the eyes of Kobe in his "Pseudo-ZONE" state...

Durant's seemingly flawless defense was actually full of fatal loopholes!

Kobe didn't hesitate!

He performed the most classic move of his career!

Jab step!

Crossover!

Then, facing Durant's sky-covering block!

He suddenly leaned back!

His body stretched in the air into a picturesque posture that drove countless fans crazy!

With a light flick of the wrist!

The basketball traced an orange, perfect arc in the air that made everyone hold their breath!

*Swish!*

Nothing but net!

After the shot, Kobe slowly landed on the ground.

He was also shocked.

He looked down at his hands and felt his legs filled with explosive power again.

His face was written with incredulity.

This was no longer a simple state boost!

This was time travel!

He suddenly looked up with a very complex gaze at the young man on the other end of the court, who was leaning on his knees and gasping for air.

Lin Feng used his "Emperor's Authority" to make the black mamba's fangs razor-sharp once again!