Chapter 153: Dragon King Li Xiangshan—Declaration of War!

At Tianxing Martial Arts, Dita watched the replay in silence. She recalled the gathering last week where Maxis and the others had emphasized the current complacency within the NUP. Was Freddy's skill level really that poor?

Obviously not. The foundation of his Super Limit Free Style was very solid, and he could fight however he pleased once he grasped the Golden Zone. Puppet had been popular for so long, so he certainly wasn't incompetent. But one look at Freddy's moves revealed the problem: any complex killing blow or large-scale skill must only be unleashed after suppressing the opponent's operational space. To show off like this in a head-on confrontation, unless one is a level above the opponent and has pierced through their operational limits, it simply cannot be done.

From this perspective, Freddy was treating his opponent as if they were a level below him. All those flashy moves shouldn't have been used like that. The only reason he held the advantage at the start was that Puppet didn't counter at all, likely wanting to see the trump cards of the Super Limit Free Style, only to end up seeing a fool.

Perhaps Freddy thought this was his serious state, but in another situation—if his opponent were a Moon expert he recognized—he would never have used such a reckless style. This is also the current state of the NUP: deep down, they always feel they can crush other war zones.

This is also the problem faced by those chasing a three-peat. Dita reviewed the videos of those who had previously attempted a three-peat only to return in failure. While there was certainly the improvement and desperate efforts of their opponents, their own problems were not small either. A three-peat is a hurdle; passion and enthusiasm alone are not enough—one must bring the spirit of staking everything on the line.

This was the consensus reached by everyone at this meeting, at least among the captains of the major main-force teams.

Puppet is strong, but the word "invincible" is nonsense in itself. Even someone as strong as Maxis and the others wouldn't dare to act so arrogant.

But now, Puppet is indeed affecting the NUP's reputation. It sounds ethereal, but it can easily create psychological effects for the S Tournament. If things go poorly, the NUP's rhythm might be ruined by Puppet.

And that streamer called Huonan is simply an expert at sowing discord. After Freddy failed, he was everywhere fanning the flames.

Dita was truly tempted. She wanted to challenge Puppet, defeat him, and suppress this evil wind. But she faced the same problem: as the captain of Tianxing Martial Arts, if she adopted the challenge-match format and it went through, it would involve the honor of Tianxing Martial Arts. This had to be handled with caution. It wasn't a question of being afraid or not, but as a qualified captain, she could not act willfully and had to consider the entire Tianxing Martial Arts team.

Dita was truly a bit conflicted. A girl's nature is sometimes quite delicate; she would definitely overthink things and wouldn't be so impulsive.

Just then, her Skycom rang. It was A Youyou.

"A Youyou, are you back?"

"Sister Dita, did you tell Aunt?" A Youyou asked.

"What? You mean Li Hao? What are you thinking? Although I don't think much of him, why would I do something like that? I thought you had come to your senses and were coming back," Dita said, speechless.

A Youyou breathed a sigh of relief. "Then I'm relieved."

"Tch, are you coming back? Let me gossip properly."

"Not yet. I'm planning to rest at the Space City and then head straight to Kepler. It just so happens that an Alliance supply fleet is heading there, so we're going with them; it's safer," A Youyou said. She had been longing for Kepler for a long time.

"You really have the body and fate of a princess. I don't know when I'll be able to see Kepler. Remember to take lots of videos and send them to me." Dita was truly envious. Having such a cousin was actually quite a blow. Right now, Kepler was the main war zone on the EMP; its exotic charm was boundless and completely different from the Solar System.

"Sister Dita, I don't know why you have a prejudice against Li Hao. I think you should have a match with him. Don't you often say that practice produces true knowledge?" A Youyou said suddenly. Dita was not only her cousin but also her best friend; she didn't want Dita to misunderstand Li Hao.

Dita's eyebrows twitched. "Him? You still haven't given up?"

Honestly, Dita really didn't think much of Tianjing Martial Arts, or that Li Hao person. To this day, she didn't understand what charm Li Hao had, or perhaps, due to her princess syndrome, was she trying to compensate for her lack of commonality?

A Youyou smiled slightly. "He is very good. You don't understand."

Dita was a bit surprised. A Youyou had been the apple of the family's eye since she was a child; what hadn't she seen? Su Yu taking her away by force was clearly because she had discovered a problem and was using action to express her attitude. Under such circumstances, A Youyou still dared to resist?

This kid must have a special skill, one hundred percent!

It feels... so exciting!

"Since you've said so, I'll try to see if this 'Master of Special Skills' really has any special skills," Dita said. "But if I beat your senior until he's depressed, don't blame me. You know I'm very serious about fighting."

"Sister Dita, that line works just as well for you, too." A Youyou's large eyes shimmered with brilliance, full of confidence.

???

Does A Youyou have some misunderstanding about mecha? She, one of the Big Dipper Seven Stars, a top representative of the NUP, and a third-rate player from the USE—are they a match?

Black Night Saber—is that something a normal person would specialize in?

Impractical. You can judge a person by their mecha.

The two chatted about some other things, then Dita glanced at the big screen. "A Youyou, let's talk later, there's a situation!"

In the EMP live stream, Puppet had just won two consecutive matches in the high-tier bracket. Although high-tier players weren't as strong as S Tournament players, their volume of matches was truly high, and they basically all had one or two special skills. But facing Puppet, it wasn't enough. Not only was it not enough, but damn it, some people were even acknowledging him as fans on the spot. If the grandmother could endure it, Huonan couldn't!

So he's starting to have fans now?

Huonan was furious. The boss's mission was to take down Puppet; only by toppling Puppet would he get paid. But damn it, the big shots cared about their reputation and refused to step in, and these small fries couldn't beat Puppet—what was he to do?

It wasn't that he didn't want to stir up trouble, but stirring up trouble required an opportunity. He didn't praise the Chaoxian School because he liked it; as a Martian, everything except the Mars Three Sects was trash. The only reason he was licking their boots was to get the other side to be more effective. As it turned out, they were still trash.

Just as Zhuang Zhou was at his wit's end, he actually received an official notification. He connected: "Mysterious player."

"Everyone, wait a moment. It seems a heavyweight figure wants to declare war on Puppet!" Huonan muttered to himself, but he had to give the official side some face. He hoped this time someone with some weight would come; he had completely despaired of the Supernovas—these fledglings with their feathers not yet grown got cold feet at critical moments.

When the signal connected, Huonan was stunned. What the f***???

It was actually him!

The moment this person appeared, the viewership count in the live stream, which had been growing bit by bit like a baby nursing, surged in a short time, finally breaking through 70 million and setting a new record for amateur live streaming.

The person who connected had a square face and no expression; one look and you could tell he was a man of few words. Moreover, his appearance was very different from the handsome looks of the average Moon resident. His eyebrows were thick, with a vertical crease between them—he was the type who looked very ruthless. And this person was known to everyone across the Four Great Federations.

One of the NUP's Big Dipper Seven Stars, Tianquan—Li Xiangshan.

The USE has the Six Dragons, the NUP has the Two Gods and Seven North Stars, the ROM has the Three Wolves and Six Southern Dippers, and the TAS has the Four Titans. To be conferred such a title, the baseline is an EMP score of over 3000, being a representative of a major top-tier team, possessing more than two S-Grade ratings, and simultaneously achieving good results in the S Tournament. Strength, seniority, and battle records are all indispensable. Surpassing the Fifteen Generals, they belong to the level of being able to hold their own—true mountain-sitting dragons.

These people can no longer simply represent academies; they are absolutely representatives of the Federation level, the true face of the Federation.

Li Xiangshan is also a legendary figure of the NUP. He was a proud disciple of the Super Limit Free Style, entered the Baiwu Style at sixteen, and within three years, mastered the teachings of both schools. With a Dragon Spear, he roamed the Four Great Federations. He is the NUP's First Heavy Armor.

Hailong A-Grade Star War Military Academy, senior, team captain. Even the other Big Dipper Seven Stars have to call him Brother Shan when they see him. He is also the only Heavy Armor Warrior among the NUP's nine great experts.

Huonan controlled the ecstasy in his heart. "Everyone, as you can see, we are now connected to a player from the NUP, Dragon King Li Xiangshan, the Moon's First Heavy Armor!"

The question is, what is Li Xiangshan going to do?

Everyone was whispering. With Li Xiangshan's status, why would he appear here? Could it be because the Super Limit Free Style disciple lost face?

The camera turned to Li Xiangshan, who was silent for a moment. "I am Li Xiangshan. I am here to officially issue a challenge."

... That's it?

Huonan thought Li Xiangshan would say some polite words, but he didn't. A real man, no nonsense. A good man, a savior.

"Good! This is the manliest warrior I've seen in all my years of streaming. No blabbering! The top expert from the NUP, the First Heavy Armor, the super warrior Li Xiangshan who embodies both honor and strength, has declared war on Puppet! Who can tell Puppet, does he dare to accept the challenge!" Huonan roared with a somewhat ferocious expression. He had to support such a capable brother; this brother was too low-key. This isn't just a challenge; this is a declaration of war. This is a critical blow to that hiding, shameful matchstick.

Let you be reckless; you've finally angered the big shot of the Super Limit Free Style.

The whole place was boiling. Everyone was staring wide-eyed, and the Puppet Fan Club was also in an uproar—this was someone no one could contact.

Huonan looked at Zhuang Zhou. Zhuang Zhou was anxious, but he couldn't contact him. If he made a move, he would be discovered, and that would expose the captain. He had at least that much intelligence. Besides, the official side on Earth should notify him.

Dragon King... a nightmare-like existence. Frankly, even calling him the Solar System's First Heavy Armor wouldn't be an exaggeration. That such a person would take the initiative to challenge him—even as an opponent, Zhuang Zhou felt heartfelt admiration.

On the big screen, Li Xiangshan was very calm and patient, not in the least bit hurried. This was the demeanor of a great general.

Of course, at Li Xiangshan's level, there is no need for anyone else's approval.

It is just that the audience is as restless as ants on a hot pan; why? Among the Big Dipper Seven Stars, the Dragon King is the most composed one. Even if the Big Dipper Seven Stars were to issue a challenge, he feels like the least likely candidate, yet it is precisely him.

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