169: Chapter 169 Is this really a technological gap?

Wei Tianlong punched the railing in even greater excitement.

"This is the orthodox system!"

"Numerical values, energy, and burst output are the fundamental factors that determine the outcome of a battle!"

"How could Su Bai's card, which relies on special mechanisms to win by a fluke, possibly block the Titan Furnace personally designed by Master Qi Yuan!"

"Master Qi Yuan?"

Li Qingyue suddenly turned her head.

Wei Tianlong was stunned.

"Isn't it?"

"The Titan Furnace uses Master Qi Yuan's newly published bidirectional mana anchoring theory. This is..."

Before he could finish his sentence,

the expression on Li Qingyue's face had already turned extremely bizarre.

Bidirectional mana anchoring theory?

Of course she had read it.

Qi Yuan had sent hundreds of messages in a row in the Sanctuary core group chat, praising that paper as a masterpiece unparalleled in heaven and earth.

Even the usually calm Qi Yuan had called the mysterious genius who provided the theoretical concepts "a peerless figure sufficient to change the history of card-making."

But looking at it now, that paper shared a massive number of similarities with the Stand System.

Especially the structure of Mental Power converting bidirectionally between reality and nothingness, which came from almost the exact same source as Su Bai's Stand circuit.

Li Qingyue slowly turned to look at Su Bai.

"Does Qi Yuan's paper have anything to do with you?"

Su Bai was slightly taken aback.

"Who is Qi Yuan?"

"A Tier 9 Material Master of the Truth Sanctuary."

"Never seen him."

Su Bai shook his head.

"However, I previously answered a few questions about bidirectional mass-energy conversion in the chat group. Someone probably passed the ideas on to him."

Li Qingyue: "..."

She suddenly looked forward to Qi Yuan's expression when he learned the truth.

That old man, who was brimming with pride in the core group chat and boasting that his new theory would definitely allow his disciple to win the championship, probably never dreamed in his wildest dreams that his proud Titan Furnace used nothing more than a few scraps casually leaked by Su Bai while crafting his Stand.

"Teacher?"

Su Bai looked at her in confusion.

"It's nothing."

Li Qingyue looked back toward the arena.

But the corners of her mouth quietly curved upward.

"I just suddenly feel that the upcoming scene should be quite interesting."

In the center of the arena,

the dust filling the air gradually dispersed.

A black and gold figure slowly rose from the deep crater.

Qin Ye stepped on a dark golden pocket watch beneath her feet.

She still stood straight,

her Magical Girl armor dress spotless.

Even the soul gem on her chest had not added any new cracks.

[The World] hovered in front of her.

It was still using its arms to block Wei Xiaoyu's battle axe.

The full-force burst of the 100,000-revolutions Titan Furnace had indeed smashed it into the ground,

but that was all it achieved.

"How is this possible..."

Wei Xiaoyu's lips trembled slightly.

She could no longer hear the sounds from the outside world.

Her ears were left with only the out-of-control roar of the Titan Furnace.

100,000 revolutions.

This was the theoretical limit that a Tier 5 physical body could bear in Shen Ye's deductions.

To break through this limit, she had already abandoned the safety modules and actively cut off cooling and energy reflux.

She was using her own body as fuel!

Yet why was Qin Ye completely fine?

"Do you think that my Stand only knows how to dismantle cards?"

Qin Ye raised her head.

"Isn't it?"

Wei Xiaoyu spoke with difficulty.

"Of course not."

Qin Ye looked at the battle axe before her.

"Dismantling your cards is simply because it's more convenient that way."

"Since you hid your card in your heart and were unwilling to let me dismantle it..."

The corners of her mouth curved up slightly.

"Then I'll just smash both you and the card together."

Wei Xiaoyu's pupils shrank drastically.

Qin Ye took half a step back.

[The World]'s cross-blocking arms separated simultaneously.

Losing its obstruction, the battle axe came slashing down with the force of the 100,000-revolutions Titan Furnace!

But it did not hit Qin Ye.

Dark golden ripples spread from beneath [The World]'s feet.

The speed at which the battle axe moved abruptly slowed down.

It did not completely stop.

The energy erupted by the Titan Furnace was too violent, allowing Wei Xiaoyu to retain a trace of motor ability even within the time standstill.

But this trace of speed was no different from stillness in front of [The World].

It sidestepped to avoid the axe blade.

Its right hand clenched into a fist.

Its waist twisted.

It was the simplest movement.

There was no manifestation of circuits.

There was no association stripping.

There was no time interlayer.

This punch carried only the pure power transformed from Qin Ye's 500,000 Mental Power!

"Ora!"

The fist peak crashed heavily against the side of the battle axe.

Clang!

Time resumed.

A crisp metallic vibration echoed throughout the entire venue.

The battle axe in Wei Xiaoyu's hand violently deflected.

Before she could regain control of her weapon, a crack appeared in the center of the axe blade.

At first, it was only as thick as a strand of hair.

Immediately after, the cracks rapidly spread to both sides.

One.

Ten.

Hundreds!

"No..."

Wei Xiaoyu stared blankly at her battle axe.

This Tier 5 SS-grade weapon, whose materials were personally selected by Qi Yuan, crafted with all of Shen Ye's effort, and capable of withstanding the 100,000-revolutions output of the Titan Furnace, was shattering inch by inch before her eyes.

Bang!

The battle axe exploded.

Countless dark golden fragments flew in all directions.

In the VIP seating area, Shen Ye's body shook violently.

"The Titan battle axe..."

"Was shattered with a single punch?"

Chief Commentator Lu Ming finally recovered his voice.

"Shattered head-on!"

"Contestant Qin Ye did not use association stripping; she used the purest power to shatter Contestant Wei Xiaoyu's Titan battle axe head-on!"

The entire audience was in an uproar.

However, it was not over yet.

[The World] did not stop after shattering the battle axe.

Its right fist retracted.

Its left fist blasted out!

"Ora!"

Wei Xiaoyu crossed her arms.

The sixteen layers of energy barriers on the surface of the Titan arm guards lit up simultaneously.

The first layer shattered.

The second layer shattered.

The third layer shattered as well!

The fist peak did not pause in the slightest, piercing through all defenses and slamming into Wei Xiaoyu's right arm.

Crack!

The arm guards, along with the internal cushioning structures, exploded together.

Wei Xiaoyu slid backward several hundred meters, her feet plowing two deep trenches in the arena.

"Stop!"

Shen Ye rushed abruptly to the edge of the VIP seating area.

"Xiaoyu, immediately activate the backup cooling array!"

"Don't fight head-on anymore!"

The Titan Furnace was already out of control.

The battle axe and arm guards were damaged one after another.

If the battle continued like this, Wei Xiaoyu would likely die!

But Wei Xiaoyu did not respond.

She raised her shattered right arm and wiped away the blood from the corner of her mouth.

Then she charged out once more!

"I haven't lost yet!"

The furnace flames dragged a dark golden tail flame several thousand meters long behind her.

Wei Xiaoyu had no weapon.

She gathered all her energy into her left fist and blasted it straight at Qin Ye.

Qin Ye looked at her.

She did not dodge.

She did not defend.

She simply raised a hand.

[The World]'s movements were completely synchronized with hers.

The fist peaks collided.

Bang!

The armor on Wei Xiaoyu's left arm instantly burst apart.

Her fist stopped in front of Qin Ye, unable to advance even a fraction of an inch further.

Qin Ye did not even take a single step back.

"Impossible..."

Wei Xiaoyu looked at her continuously trembling arm.

She didn't understand.

Clearly, she possessed higher-grade cards,

more powerful materials,

and a much more massive energy core.

Yet what Qin Ye used were merely two Tier 2 cards.

Why was there such a massive gap in their power?