A stretch of deathly silence filled the Tianjing fans in the viewing gallery. All of them knew that there was definitely a disparity between Barran and Noriba. However, Barran was, after all, the one who had created miracles time and time again. Therefore, the Tianjing fans still held expectations for Barran.
However, it was only 4 chops.
From the start of the bell to the end of the duel, only a short period of time had passed. Although quite a few experts could see that the injuries on Barran's body were one of the reasons why he had lost so quickly, frankly speaking, it was still because Noriba was too strong. Even if Barran had truly recovered, his strength was still lacking by more than a level. Furthermore, the difficulty of this CHF lay in the depth of the benches.
2: 0!
"What a real man! A real man! Is Vasilyevich someone that you sissies can provoke? "
"Brother Bai is fierce!"
"This one's too weak! Is there anyone that can fight!"
The southern viewing gallery started to clamor once again. Accompanied by their excited roars, the Tianjing fans responded with silence.
Being supported off the stage, Barran's entire body had turned stiff, and he was utterly unable to move. That final chop was too frightening! All of the Soul Power he had gathered on his runic shield had been cleaved apart by that chop! The shockwave from that chop had nearly damaged his Soul Sea! Nevertheless, it had still destroyed all of his defences, causing his muscles to spasm. He might need a very long time to recover, as the disparity in strength had exceeded the limits of his willpower.
All of the Tianjing fans, including the members of the Tianjing squadron, looked towards Wang Zhong with deep worry in their hearts. This was basically a hopeless situation. With Grai down, Barran, the only person who had the chance to create a miracle, had also fallen. Tianjing had practically exhausted all of their strength to reach this stage. Clearly, Barran, who was in peak condition, was able to resist for a while, or at the very least, consume some of Noriba's energy. However, at this moment, he was basically unable to do so. As for the others …
Could it be that brother King would really end up in a tragic situation, and end his journey in this CHF with a slaughter of a substitute?
The question now was, how would they fight in the 3rd duel? Would Wang Zhong personally go up? The most likely scenario was for Vasilyevich to use a substitute to exchange, allowing Vladimir to easily snatch back a victory. Finally, in the 5th duel, Vladimir would use his absolute strength and the advantage of being a substitute to completely suppress Tianjing.
That was simply too easy!
However, if Wang Zhong didn't step up, there wouldn't be much of a difference in the outcome. Perhaps, he could let Emily, who had been performing pretty well, take the risk. However, Vasilyevich had left 2 soldier slots open for him. Coupled with their occupational superiority and the strength of their S rank mainstay, dealing with Emily would definitely be a piece of cake.
Lost!
However, Mo Xingchen, Mo Wen, Carolyn, Gui Xinying and the rest, as well as Vladimir, clearly did not have such thoughts. All of them were paying attention to Wang Zhong's expression. At the instant when Barran had lost, they did not see any traces of disappointment or worry on Wang Zhong's face. There were many people who felt that Tianjing's loss would result in a comeback. Clearly, Vladimir would not make such a mistake.
"It's up to you now!" Hearing that, Scarlet nodded her head. Taking a deep breath, she stood up. Tianjing only had 2 choices, Scarlet and Emily. However, in terms of heart, Scarlet was still the better choice. Furthermore, Scarlet was also willing to bear the responsibility of deciding the outcome of this match.
With a smile, Scarlet turned around and walked up the stage. At this moment, she could feel all of the dejected sighs coming from the Tianjing fan region. Even though they were the so-called Tianjing fans, frankly speaking, they only believed in Wang Zhong and Grai, and at most, Barran. As for the other members of the Tianjing squadron, they were still as pessimistic as ever.
This was unavoidable. After all, the other members of the Tianjing squadron did not have any outstanding achievements to brag about. However, that wasn't important. What was important was the stage for the quarterfinals, the stage that they yearned for even in their dreams. Being able to stand here and fight for Wang Zhong, for Tianjing, and for an even greater dream was already a blessing for them.
Wang Zhong had said that he would fight in his own style for this duel. Regardless of victory or defeat, he would still go up for the 4th duel. Even if it ended, they had done their best.
In the viewing gallery, old Greene's eyes were filled with gratification and encouragement. To him, he was already extremely satisfied. Seeing his granddaughter standing on such a stage was undoubtedly the greatest honour for him.
Upon seeing Tianjing's choice, Vasilyevich's side quickly responded, with a soldier wielding a one-handed runic sword standing up.
"It's over. It's a ranged soldier against a soldier." A wave of sighs instantly rang out in the originally silent Tianjing viewing gallery.
"What's more, it's an assassin-type soldier."
"Is he trying to pin his hopes on Scarlet's ice attribute special ability? A ranged soldier with an ice attribute special ability is able to slow down the surrounding space and unleash a perfect lockdown. It's somewhat effective against assassins. "
"It's useless. According to the data, De Gea also has an ice attribute special ability. This means that his ice resistance is extremely high. Scarlet simply doesn't stand a chance. The ice mirror combination that caught her off guard the last time has already been thoroughly researched. This time, it won't have any miraculous effect. "
"Is there really no one from Tianjing that can help brother King? Grai, sigh …"
The gloomy atmosphere from the Tianjing fans caused a tragic atmosphere to pervade the entire stadium. Being directly eliminated was definitely the most miserable way to lose.
Scarlet was still dressed in her usual tight fitting black leather attire, the most standard attire for a ranged soldier. Frankly speaking, she was rather eye-catching when paired with a beauty like Scarlet, who possessed a pair of 1.2m long legs. Perhaps, compared to ball queens like Laura and Sharmie, she didn't cause people's blood to swell up. However, she was just like a big sister next door, and seemed more pleasant to look at, while giving people a more amiable feeling.
What was even more eye-catching was the pair of leather boots on her feet. Unlike ordinary boots, they seemed to be made from the skin of some kind of mutated beast. Moreover, they were engraved with runes, causing the entire pair of boots to emit a soft light and texture.
"What a fancy pair of boots. Runic boots?"
Many experts noticed it, including Vladimir, who was below.
"Do they have some pretty patterns? I've never heard of any runic boots before. What a joke."
The Federation's runic forging system focused on weapons. At the most, it would extend to armours. However, the effects of armours wouldn't be particularly strong. Instead, it would mainly be weapons. What's more, they would definitely be alloys that had a certain amount of dimensional crystals fused into them. As for these boots … they were completely just for decoration. Most likely, they were a type of good luck blessing.
"Let's hope that Scarlet can create another miracle. Just like her ice mirror, she's a soldier that possesses intelligence."
While everyone was in discussion, De Gea, who was standing opposite Scarlet, had a cold and callous expression on his face. To the people of the northern regions, De Gea's physique wasn't considered large, standing at approximately 1.9 metres tall. The muscles on his body didn't appear excessively large, and he was considered to be the skinny type. Such a physique would cause people to look down on him.
In the past, his overly skinny and weak physique had caused him to be labeled as a loser, with people even making fun of him as a skinny monkey. That was until he awakened his special ability, and used his speed to walk a path that was vastly different from the ordinary soldiers of the northern regions. In the end, he became one of the mainstays of the Grozny squadron, and obtained the acknowledgement of Vasilyevich.
However, just the acknowledgement of his family wasn't enough. A true expert needed to have dazzling combat achievements.
This was a stage that he had always longed for. Although his opponent this time was indeed slightly weak, regardless of whether they were strong or weak, male or female, he would definitely give it his all, without the slightest bit of leniency.
All for the sake of letting the world remember his name — De Gea!
Whoosh …
As the longsword was unsheathed, a clear sword cry rang out across the stage.
Scarlet's eyes were brimming with fighting intent. Bending her graceful figure slightly, she extended her hands towards her waist.
An aura rapidly condensed between the two. Although it wasn't as overbearing and overbearing as the aura of Vladimir, Carolyn and the others, a tense atmosphere immediately started to spread out.
Ding.
The competition bell rang. With a light tap of his feet, De Gea shot forward like an arrow.
The majority of the soldiers of the northern regions weren't proficient in speed. However, this clearly wasn't a problem for De Gea. Not only was he quick, he appeared rather lithe as well. In a fight between a close combat soldier and a ranged soldier, the former would have to do their utmost to find a way to close in, while the latter would have to maintain a safe distance from the latter.
De Gea's advance was quick and swift, akin to a gust of wind. Seemingly at the same time, Scarlet's hands started to move, as the two Kalam pistols in her hands started to fire. In an instant, a delightful barrage of bullets intertwined in the air, forming a net.
Bang Bang Bang Bang!
Unlike Scarlet's barrage blockade, this time, the barrage of bullets was considerably denser. Furthermore, the barrage was clearly on a higher level than before. The increase in her special ability had clearly increased her Soul Power bullet reserves. A ranged soldier that didn't care about energy consumption was the most frightening aspect of a ranged soldier. Not only that, she would also have more combat strategies to choose from, as well as a better state of mind and performance. Mastering one would lead to mastering a hundred. This was a virtuous cycle.
In an instant, the barrage of bullets had already sealed off all of De Gea's paths of advance, with the main focus being on his lower body. Either he would jump up to evade the barrage of bullets, or he would retreat and allow the ranged soldiers to widen the distance between them. At this moment, Scarlet had already started to move about!
The emotions of the Tianjing fans were instantly stirred. Scarlet's might and her barrage of bullets had indeed stirred the hearts of the Tianjing fans. Even a Mo's List ranged soldier like Alasi was secretly nodding his head in approval. This girl's current strength had already improved by too much compared to when she had just entered the CHF. Truthfully speaking, the majority of people wouldn't have an absolute disparity in strength due to the limitations of the Casted Soul Stage. If one were to put in more effort in their usual training, they would be able to gain enlightenment under the stimulation of certain special environments. Once that happened, the feeling of enlightenment would be completely different. Scarlet and Barran belonged to this category.
However, this wasn't enough to defeat their opponents.
There wasn't the slightest change in De Gea's eyes. Regardless of whether it was jumping up or retreating, it would be easy for him to do so. However, the rhythm of his advance would definitely be messed up. He didn't want to see his opponent forcing him into a battle of attrition. If he wanted to prove himself in the northern regions, not only would he have to win, he would have to do it in a clean manner.
Taking advantage of the momentum, he slid to the left, before his body started to sway like a phantom. The sway of his body rushed through the barrage of bullets at a high speed, appearing as though he had passed right through De Gea's body. However, he wasn't harmed in the slightest, and wasn't even hindered in the slightest.
50 metres! 40 metres!
Countless of De Gea's fans, who were originally filled with anticipation for Scarlet, immediately grew nervous, their hearts rising to their throats. Indeed, this De Gea was different from any ordinary soldier from the northern regions! Such a nimble and nimble movement technique was simply not the style of a soldier from the northern regions! Looking at the speed of his advance, would he really be able to close in on De Gea in an instant?
"Impossible! The Kalam Pistol has a maximum range of 20 to 30 metres! Victory or defeat will only be determined when De Gea reaches that distance! "
"Scarlet still has her Ice attribute special ability! She can reduce his speed!"
There were only a few words being said within the viewing gallery, while the fight on the stage had already rapidly entered its climax. Without any pause, De Gea was already within the 30 metre range of Scarlet's perfect attack. At this instant, a silent power erupted from his body.
The standard shooting motion had turned into a flick, as Scarlet's arms swung out in a concentrated arc in the air.
Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang!
The barrage of bullets that appeared to be the same as the previous one had been split up, appearing as though it was being shot towards an empty area.
However, no one would think that this was a mistake.
Arc Shot! Furthermore, it was an Arc Shot formed by 7 to 8 barrage of bullets!
The reason why Arc Shot was so hard to defend against was due to the unpredictability of its trajectory. One could guess that it would curve to the left, but it might actually curve to the right. At the very least, one would have to wait for the bullet to travel half the distance before one could make a judgement. Furthermore, the crisscrossing Arc Shot would interfere with one's judgement of the bullet's trajectory, making it even harder to judge.
De Gea's eyes narrowed slightly as he increased the speed of his movement technique, intending to rely on his explosive speed to rush out of the range of the Arc Shot. Clearly, Scarlet had already predicted this. What should have been a lengthened arc shot had already started to converge together, appearing as though she had already predicted De Gea's path of advance. Crisscrossing, they intertwined and intertwined, before arriving in an instant.
Arc Shot! Furthermore, it was multiple shots fired at the same time! De Gea's figure came to an abrupt halt, no longer a mirage. The unpredictable intertwining trajectories of the Arc Shot were basically the nemesis of anyone who believed themselves to be nimble and agile. The runic sword in his hand rapidly sparkled with brilliance.
Shadowless Gale Sword!
The Federation's Quick Sword Style! De Gea's sword shadows were so dense that they appeared to be completely impenetrable. They formed a sword net before him, completely blocking the barrage of bullets fired by the Arc Shot. If he couldn't even defend against such an attack, he simply wasn't fit to remain in the Grozny squadron.
Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding!
Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang!
Every single Soul Power bullet was intercepted by the dense net of swords, but every single one of them exploded with a clear explosive sound. Countless amounts of cold air exploded out from the exploding Soul Power bullets, instantly causing the entire area to be filled with cold air. It was almost like a dense fog, and a layer of ice could be seen rapidly condensing on the ground with the naked eye.
This was the freezing effect of her ice attribute special ability. Naturally, the difference between Scarlet and Vladimir was like the difference between the heavens and the earth. Such a reduction in speed and stagnation would definitely affect a soldier. However, the problem was that she was up against a soldier from the northern regions. This was definitely an extremely depressing matter, as the soldiers from the northern regions possessed the highest ice resistance within the Federation.
However, De Gea's advance had suddenly slowed down. This was definitely a trap!
Seemingly all of the soldiers from the northern regions were enveloped in the radiance of Vladimir, Noriba and Pomo. However, this did not mean that they had no combat strength. Furthermore, before this match, Grozny's side had already seriously researched Scarlet. With Barran's injuries still yet to fully recover, Scarlet should be their only hope. Letting Barran take the lead was definitely Wang Zhong's usual tactic. First, he would make his opponent underestimate him, before unleashing his ultimate move.
Although the Ice Mirror Combat Tactic from the previous match was no longer useful, who could guarantee that they hadn't come up with a new move?
De Gea wasn't the only one who felt that something was amiss. Being a ranged soldier, Grozny had started to open fire wantonly even before entering the effective range. Could it be that he wanted to compete with the soldiers from the northern regions in terms of attrition?
If that was the case, Scarlet would definitely be displaying her slight skill in front of an expert. Her chilling barrage of bullets appeared even more like a last-ditch struggle. However … such a situation would definitely not appear on Scarlet. She was widely known for her cool-headedness and intelligence. In other words, she was trying to make a fuss over the chilling gusts of air!
Due to her "random shooting", the entire stadium was filled with chilling gusts of air. Although those shots did not pose any threat to De Gea, Wang Zhong could not help but give off a feeling of scheming.
In fact, Scarlet had also gawked for a moment. Indeed, it was just as Wang Zhong had expected. Her opponent had fallen for her trap. If De Gea had started to play with his life, she might really have no way of dealing with him. After all, she was indeed unable to match up against an S rank soldier. However, there were times when being overly cautious and steady wasn't a good thing.
This had given her the opportunity to execute her plan. The match had suddenly turned into a deadlock. De Gea's decision did not garner too much suspicion, as he knew that he would be able to obtain victory if he was steady. Although Scarlet's attacks were sharp and incisive, they weren't sufficient to break through De Gea's defence. Furthermore, once her attacks dissipated, De Gea's counter attacks would be something that Scarlet couldn't handle.
Many experts shook their heads, not showing any signs of looking down on Scarlet. Being able to engage in such a close range combat with an S rank mainstay, while being able to barely maintain a semblance of balance on the surface, her performance was already more than sufficient. However, it was a pity that Wang Zhong and Grai were the only ones that Tianjing could watch out for in a match of this level. Indeed, the rest of them could only drag Tianjing down.
Originally, Tianjing had the qualifications to wrestle with an S rank, while All Mouthy King had the qualifications to fight with Mo Wen for the title of the number one expert under the heavens. However, it was clear that with Scarlet's defeat, such a chance no longer existed.
"Just a little bit more …" Sharmie shook her head regretfully. "Barran's level isn't high enough. With just a duo core lineup, it's still too much for him to face an S rank. In fact, he doesn't even have the leeway to set up a strategy. Furthermore, he can't afford to make even the slightest mistake.
"Sigh. It'd be great if only one of us were in Tianjing." Laura nodded her head as she clenched her little fists tightly. What a pity! Being eliminated in such a manner was truly too tragic.
"Tianjing's lost."
Without talking about Laura, Sharmie, and the many experts present in the stadium, even the laymen in the audience were slowly able to feel the pressure they were feeling. Although the Tianjing side wasn't in pain, they definitely felt a sense of helplessness. If Wang Zhong and Vladimir were to fight at their apex, they would have no regrets even if they lost. However … they had been played to death by their opponent.
What's more, their opponent was still maintaining a stable stance, and wasn't even showing any signs of attacking at this moment.
From the initial unconditional trust towards Grai, to the anticipation towards Barran, and the tiny desire towards Scarlet, all of them had been easily smashed apart by Vasilyevich's absolute strength. Indeed, the status of an S rank couldn't be challenged.
In fact, this was the conclusion that the various experts had reached before the start of the match. The greatest problem wasn't Wang Zhong, but the fact that everyone other than Wang Zhong had been completely seen through. Even Grai had fallen to his opponent's counter attack. What's more, Pomo and the others still had trump cards up their sleeves that no one else knew about.
On the stage, Scarlet was still "bitterly struggling". She continued to run around, and continued to seal off her opponents. Although the effects of her methods were already starting to dissipate, she still did not give up. Instead, she calmly carried out what a ranged soldier should do.
Perhaps they were infected by her stubbornness, or perhaps they were already indifferent to it.
"Don't care about winning or losing! If you can't accept it, just fight!"
"Do your best, Scarlet!"
"Do your best, Tianjing!"
"Later on, brother King will come up with a final duel! Tianjing will be as mighty as ever!"
A few male fans in the viewing gallery started to shout out, which quickly gained the support of quite a few people. Being Tianjing's fans, they were already extremely satisfied with this match. The only reason why they would care about victory or defeat was due to brother King's invincible performance. However, with Tianjing's strength and historical results, they had already walked all the way to the semifinals. What else was there for them to ask for?
The originally gloomy atmosphere in the stadium was quickly stirred up, as the Tianjing fans appeared to have already walked out of the shadow of defeat, causing the stadium to be filled with excitement and liveliness. However, such a change was completely useless in the fight that was taking place below the stage.
Scarlet's position had already been completely sealed off, with both sides being reduced to a distance of a dozen metres. This distance was more than enough for a soldier like De Gea to unleash a fatal attack. De Gea only wanted to force his opponent to use her trump card first. As long as he could break her trump card, this duel would be settled.
There was no room for mistakes, and no mishaps!
A flash of brilliance flashed across De Gea's eyes. The runic sword in his hand was already prepared to block all of Scarlet's final counterattacks. At the same time, with a tap of his foot, he no longer continued to move back and forth in a forced manner. Instead, he suddenly dashed forward!
Due to his rapid speed and the fact that there was no space for him to evade, many of the Tianjing fans closed their eyes, unable to bear the sight. However, it was at this moment that a sliver of a faint smile appeared on Scarlet's face. Ever since she had fallen off the cliff with Wang Zhong, Scarlet had understood a principle: desperate situations were not necessarily desperate. There was nothing absolute in this world. As long as one looked at things from a different perspective, that desperate situation might turn into a new hope and starting point.
This was what Wang Zhong had brought to everyone. Looking at things from a different perspective, as well as using one's strength to attack one's opponent's weakness!
Unknowingly, a layer of ice had already appeared on the stage. Both sides continued to unleash their ice attribute special abilities, causing a considerably thick layer of ice to form on the stage's surface. In the eyes of the onlookers, this was a hindrance to Scarlet's movements. However, in Scarlet's wild and imaginative mind, this stage appeared just like heaven!
Scarlet's frosty aura started to gather around her legs, causing De Gea to feel slightly flabbergasted. He was unable to understand Scarlet's actions, as they were completely illogical. However, this clearly did not affect his desire to obtain victory.
It's over!
With a violent dash, the distance between the 2 was instantly closed to within a few metres, while the runic sword sparkled with a dazzling brilliance.
With a runic sword in her right hand and an ice shield in her left, she had fused both attack and defence into one!
Gale Thrust!
This sword was incomparably quick. Being forced into such a position by a ranged soldier, Scarlet was basically unable to defend herself. However, it was at this moment that Scarlet's body suddenly flung out. With a gorgeous drift, she evaded De Gea's attack like a spectre. At the same time, she slid and shot forward, appearing a dozen metres away in the blink of an eye!
What kind of speed was that?!
De Gea wasn't the only one who was dumbfounded. Even the countless people in the viewing gallery were completely dumbfounded.
In that instant, she had moved as fast as a gale, and as fast as a clap of thunder!
Even Napier Mo, who had just been awarded the title of the CHF's strongest assassin a few days ago, was dumbfounded by what he had just seen. That speed was slightly exaggerated! Furthermore, that change of direction was too unreasonable! It completely went against the laws of how one could unleash their strength! It was just like an arc shot! Was that even considered an arc?
The shock only lasted for an instant, as the close-up shots on the large screens allowed many people to clearly see what had happened. Scarlet had actually condensed a pair of … ice blades beneath her feet!
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
