75: Kobe's shock

Before dawn, an aston martin cut a silver silhouette through the silent streets, finally coming to a stop in the Lakers' training facility parking lot with a slight screech of tires.

Lin Feng turned off the engine and pushed the door open to get out.

In the early morning of Los Angeles, the air still carried the chill of the night.

He hadn't gone home, nor had he taken even a moment's rest.

Those newly born "eyes" were buzzing in his mind, urging him on, longing for a court where they could be unleashed to their heart's content.

The training facility was empty and pitch black.

*Click.*

Lin Feng flipped the switch, and rows of lights turned on one after another, illuminating the massive court as bright as day.

The air was filled with the familiar scent of wooden floors mixed with sweat.

He walked to the ball rack and casually picked up a basketball.

When his fingertips touched the familiar grain of the basketball's surface, a completely different sensation surged through him.

Now.

Lin Feng thought to himself.

[Eye of the Heavenly Emperor, Activate!]

Without any warning, the world before his eyes changed.

The entire court seemed to be instantly digitized, turning into a virtual space composed of countless data streams and geometric lines.

He could "see" the subtle fluctuations in the air caused by the lights.

He could "see" the tiny gaps where each piece of the wooden floor joined beneath his feet, along with their precise angles.

The basketball in his hand was no longer a simple sphere.

He could "see" every black groove on the basketball's surface and the minute deformations caused by air pressure that were impossible for the naked eye to detect.

This was a brand-new world.

Lin Feng dribbled the ball once.

The ball hit the ground and bounced back up.

In his field of vision, a clear blue trajectory line perfectly predicted the height of the bounce, the speed of the rotation, and the exact position where it would return to his hand.

Not even a hair's breadth off.

He threw the ball toward the backboard.

While the ball was still in mid-air, another yellow prediction line extended from the backboard, precisely marking the landing spot after the rebound.

This had transcended mere vision.

This was an omniscient perspective that saw through the laws of how all things operated!

Lin Feng slowly walked to the Lakers logo at center court.

He looked at the orange hoop in the distance.

In his vision, the hoop was no longer a static object.

Countless pale gold arcs extended from his current position toward the hoop, filling the entire half-court.

Each arc represented a possibility for a shot.

And one of them was as bright as the trajectory of a star.

That was the one and only path that would result in a 100% hit.

Lin Feng didn't take any shooting stance.

He simply pushed the basketball in that direction with one hand, as casually as if he were tossing a trash bag.

The basketball traced an arc in the air that wasn't particularly graceful.

It didn't have the air-tearing dominance of the [Midorimas Full-Court Three-Pointer].

It looked like a weak floater from a beginner.

But it was precisely such a shot.

*Swish!*

A crisp, pleasant sound echoed through the empty arena.

Nothing but net!

There was no expression on Lin Feng's face.

This wasn't a skill that relied on muscle memory.

This was the inevitable result of perfect calculations made using the [Eye of the Heavenly Emperor]!

He began practicing his dribbling.

This time, he focused his vision on himself.

Sets of data appeared on his retina.

[Body Center of Gravity Height: 85.3 cm]

[Left Knee Joint Flexion Angle: 121 degrees]

[Core Muscle Group Power Ratio: 76%]

He could clearly "see" every minute change in his center of gravity.

He could "predict" which angle to use for a change of direction to save the most energy while exploding with the fastest speed.

He performed a wide crossover toward the empty space in front of him.

At the moment he made the move,

the [Eye of the Heavenly Emperor] automatically simulated a translucent defender made of data in his vision!

That virtual defender was completely fooled by his crossover, losing its balance entirely.

The red dot representing its center of gravity shifted wildly to one side.

Then, a red "Ankle Breaker" warning flashed at the virtual figure's ankles!

The figure collapsed to the "ground."

Lin Feng stopped his movements and stood in place.

He didn't even need a real opponent.

These eyes could already simulate everything on the court for him!

Just as he was immersed in this new sense of power, the training facility door was pushed open from the outside.

*Creak—*

Kobe Bryant, wearing a black training suit, walked in at dawn as usual.

He had thought he would be the first to arrive.

But he hadn't expected the court lights to already be fully on.

And that kid who should have been resting at home was in the middle of the court, playing alone with an extremely strange rhythm.

Kobe stopped and frowned.

He saw Lin Feng dribbling, but the movements were odd.

Sometimes he would break through fiercely, then suddenly stop.

Sometimes he would make an unbelievable feint, shaking against thin air.

It felt as though he wasn't practicing alone,

but rather engaged in an intense game with an invisible yet incredibly powerful opponent.

The sound of Kobe's footsteps startled Lin Feng.

Lin Feng withdrew from the world of the [Eye of the Heavenly Emperor], and the world before him returned to normal.

He looked at Kobe at the door.

"Up so early?" Kobe walked over and tossed his bag to the side, his tone carrying a hint of scrutiny.

"Couldn't sleep." Lin Feng smiled and passed the ball to him. "Care for a game?"

Kobe took the ball and weighed it in his hand.

He wanted to see if the kid's mentality had crumbled after losing six games.

"I'll attack."

Kobe didn't waste words and immediately squared up.

Holding the ball, he faced Lin Feng's defense, his eyes becoming focused.

He made a classic, highly deceptive jab step.

Right foot forward, shoulder dipping slightly.

This was the opening move for his fadeaway jumper, a killing blow he had used countless times to finish off opponents on the court.

However,

in the 0.01 seconds just as his right foot stepped out and his center of gravity tilted,

he saw Lin Feng move.

Lin Feng didn't get fooled by the feint and instinctively retreat or lunge forward like other defenders.

He simply took a step sideways to the right, as if taking a stroll.

That step was neither too much nor too little, neither too fast nor too slow.

Kobe's heart skipped a beat.

But his years of muscle memory still forced him to jump, leaning back in the air to perform that picture-perfect shot.

But when he raised the ball to its highest point, ready to release,

a palm appeared precisely before his eyes.

Like a wall, it blocked off all his shooting angles.

Lin Feng, like a prophet with foresight, had predicted the landing point of his fadeaway in advance and stood there calmly, waiting for him to fall into the trap.

*Clang!*

Under the interference, the basketball hit the front rim and bounced high.

Kobe landed and stood firmly.

He didn't look at the missed shot; instead, he looked at Lin Feng with an incredulous gaze.

How is this possible?

In that moment just now, he felt as if he were transparent.

Every single one of his thoughts and intentions behind every movement had been seen through clearly by this kid!

"My turn."

Lin Feng picked up the ball, showing no extra expression.

Transition from defense to offense.

Lin Feng held the ball, facing Kobe.

He didn't do anything flashy, just the simplest crossover that even a basketball beginner would know.

From left hand to right.

In front of a defensive master of Kobe's caliber, such a move was no different from standing still.

Kobe's defensive instincts allowed him to make an instant judgment.

This kid is going to break through from the right!

His center of gravity instinctively moved toward his left—Lin Feng's right—preparing to block the path.

However, at the very moment his center of gravity shifted!

Lin Feng's movement changed!

The ball that was supposed to cross over to the right hand seemed glued to his left hand, and with an extremely subtle movement, he snapped it back to the left!

Kobe's brain didn't have time to react at all!

His body had already lost its balance because of the previous prediction!

His feet felt as if they had been tripped by something, and he stumbled forward a couple of steps, nearly falling to the ground!

Ankle Breaker!

He had actually been shaken off balance by the most basic crossover!

Kobe forced himself to steady his stance and whipped his head back.

Lin Feng had already easily bypassed him and stood under the basket, laying the ball in with one hand.

Kobe wasn't angry.

In his heart, there were only stormy waves of shock!

He stared intently at Lin Feng and finally realized that this kid was completely different from yesterday and before.

It was the eyes!

In those eyes, there was no longer the previous sharpness and unwillingness.

Instead, there was a bottomless calm and indifference, as if he could see through one's very soul.

Kobe couldn't help but speak, his voice a bit dry.

"Kid, you... what happened?"

Lin Feng turned around, looked at the shocked Kobe, and curled his lips into a smile.

"I can just... see more clearly now."