Chapter 322: S Tournament Rhythm

Li Hao had already been lifted off his feet, with no point of leverage...

Just at this moment, Li Hao in mid-air suddenly performed a swift, fierce rotation, not only breaking free from Li Xiangshan's control but also dragging Li Xiangshan down to the ground with him.

Crocodile Death Roll!

The two of them crashed onto the ground simultaneously; neither Li Hao nor Li Xiangshan took it to heart, stood up, straightened their clothes, and continued!

Both sides had already forgotten about Dita's existence; it had been a very, very long time since Li Xiangshan had been this focused. Although the Apocalypse was cruel and unfeeling, it was also the period of Li Xiangshan's life that was the most pure—pursuing the pinnacle of martial arts, the pinnacle of strength, and fighting alongside a group of the most talented people.

The two sides began to grapple again, arms locking; every contact was a collision of strength. Li Xiangshan kept trying to suppress him; Li Hao was at an absolute disadvantage in height, arm span, and weight, but he was not at a disadvantage in strength. During the grapple, Li Xiangshan...

Seeing that he was about to be swept, Li Hao performed a back handspring on one leg, and at the same time, his right leg whipped out like a lash, directly knocking Li Xiangshan down. Once they landed, both wanted to get up immediately, but Li Hao was faster, directly rolling over to pin him.

Horse Trampling the Flying Swallow!

Dita's eyes were shining as she watched Li Hao. Someone else might not understand, but she was, after all, a top-tier pilot. This wasn't a simple throw; when Li Xiangshan kicked out, Li Hao had exerted force to jump into a back handspring, and when that kick missed, it meant all of Li Xiangshan's attacking force had been spent. Having exerted force continuously, he was completely in a vulnerable window and was directly taken down by Li Hao's strength.

Core strength, power conversion, combat techniques as precise as a master butcher carving an ox—this was the terrifying part of Li Hao.

Li Xiangshan patted the ground, Li Hao stood up, and both of them laughed.

Looking at Li Xiangshan's heartfelt smile, Dita felt envious.

"Again!" Li Xiangshan said.

"Again!" Li Hao laughed.

Standing back in their original positions, the two men's states were clearly better than when they started. Their centers of gravity were lowered, and Li Hao's probing was clearly more intense; he was going to attack.

Li Xiangshan had entered a full defensive state; no one knew better than the Apocalypse crowd what it meant once Li Hao decided to attack.

*Whoosh. *

A low-altitude charge, a submarine-style tackle?

How to defend?

Li Xiangshan didn't even think about dodging; his center of gravity instantly dropped, his legs swung back, and his hands lunged directly at Li Hao. Offense and defense were one. The moment they touched, Li Hao slipped away from Li Xiangshan's interference like a loach, directly performing a 180-degree side-spin against the ground, while his right leg cut directly into Li Xiangshan's legs. With a twist and a lock of his legs, Li Xiangshan's massive body immediately hit the ground, and Li Hao's hands and legs instantly controlled Li Xiangshan's right leg.

Li Xiangshan tapped the ground.

Leverage effect; at a time like this, as long as Li Hao exerted force, the leg would break.

Dita's eyes were red from watching; this stuff was definitely not as simple as it looked. Every movement was tempered through thousands of trials; it was an art where offense and defense were fused together. Facing martial arts, distance control was crucial—this was also true in her sword style—but in martial arts, controlling distance was the most important thing of all.

Dita recalled things from the past; Li Xiangshan had once won the NUP military academy fighting championship, but because the most popular thing now was the Mecha Tournament, it didn't cause much of a reaction. And it was the same problem: these delicate techniques couldn't be used in mecha combat. A pilot's skill was a reserve; some could be used in mecha combat, while others couldn't at all. In mecha operation, it wasn't a simple repetition of a pilot's movements, but a kind of extension; the pilot had to simultaneously consider what their movements would look like after passing through the massive mecha's response.

The two people in the training ground were both somewhat unsatisfied; falling down again and again, standing up again and again. They fought like this for who knows how long; both were drenched in sweat, but it was incredibly satisfying.

Dita was also filled with emotion watching them. Among the NUP pilots, her idol was Li Xiangshan, not just for his technique, but also for his character and bearing. It was just that Li Xiangshan's presence in the NUP was becoming lower and lower, and he didn't even have his former status in the Hailong Team. Coming to Hailong Academy this time had left a deep impression on her; he was doing okay at Hailong Academy, but his existence in the Hailong Team was almost gone. Li Xiangshan himself had also lost that kind of confidence and pursuit; S11 was more like a farewell tournament for an old veteran to him.

And now, that Li Xiangshan who had fallen down again and again in battle but stood up again and again, had suddenly come alive. Those eyes that had lost their fighting spirit were once again ignited with the light that had once inspired Dita.

Just like that, the two of them kept fighting, kept fighting, with no one calling a halt, time and time again, until dark. Li Xiangshan lay on the ground, having run out of strength, but his face always carried a smile.

Li Hao sat on the ground, also looking satisfied; it had been a long time since he had been this satisfied.

"Let's call it a day, I'm hungry," Li Hao said, patting his stomach.

Li Xiangshan panted, "Li Ge, you are playing with fire. Do you know what activating me means for the Hailong Team and for Xilian?"

Li Hao waved his hand dismissively, "Do you have no confidence in me?"

Li Xiangshan was stunned, then couldn't help but laugh. Yes, he was the King of the Apocalypse; how could he fear a challenge?

"Dita, take care of Old Li, I'm going to eat, it's almost past mealtime." Li Hao wiped his sweat and returned the towel to Dita, already several meters away.

Dita suddenly remembered something, "Don't forget my coffee."

Li Hao was dazed; what coffee?

Dita smiled and handed the towel to Li Xiangshan. Li Xiangshan sat up slowly; he was truly exhausted, but he felt incredibly refreshed.

Wiping his sweat and drinking water, Li Xiangshan also took a deep breath. Looking at the very happy Li Xiangshan, Dita was also a bit curious.

"Did you see something?" Li Xiangshan said.

"Ah, what? You mean Li Hao? The huge obstacle to winning the championship on the Moon," Dita laughed.

Li Xiangshan shook his head, "Dita, I can tell your relationship with Li Ge is really good. Today he conveyed two messages that are crucial to me and to us."

Dita was stunned; it was just a sparring match, what messages were conveyed?

"First, the Super Mecha cannot be used in S11," Li Xiangshan said with emotion. He knew Xilian had been pushing for it, and of course, he knew the terrifying power of the Meraphis Family, but no matter how powerful the force, when facing the will of the entire Alliance, they could only nudge it. Judging from the current situation, the nudge had failed because there was still no reaction from the EMP. Under these circumstances, it was impossible to blindly promote it in the EMP in the few remaining months, let alone the S Tournament.

Dita nodded. At the beginning, when Xilian was making a big splash and the public opinion was grand, she had also once thought that the Super Mecha would replace them. However, after so long, there had been no movement from the Alliance side. She also came from a major family; even if the future was the Super Era, it certainly wouldn't be immediate. Any major reform required enough time to settle, not to mention the huge interests involved.

"Second, when a pilot reaches Burning Will, or even Flowing Heart Martial Arts, mecha operation has already changed. High-intensity detailed operations that couldn't be used before, and the uncontrollability of errors in delicate operations being transmitted to the mecha, are now controllable," Li Xiangshan said. Today's battle was Li Hao telling him that everything he was good at in martial arts could actually be used; at most, it would just take some time to practice.

He, Li Xiangshan, would also have the opportunity to return to his peak.

S11 was no longer a farewell tournament for an old veteran, but his last chance to prove himself.

Whether it was a period, a question mark, or an exclamation point, everything depended on himself.

Being one of the New Big Dipper, Dita was not a fool. She actually wasn't without perception, and in fact, the reason Puppet could win with inferior mecha was truly because of delicate operation—a level of detail control comparable to pilot duels.

"Brother Li Xiangshan, why?" Dita couldn't help but ask. No matter from which angle, Li Hao and Li Xiangshan should be opponents.

Li Xiangshan looked at the starry sky outside the window, "Perhaps... loneliness."

This was a powerhouse who had never been defeated.

On the other side, Anlita was gloomily reporting the situation to Xilian, describing the process in detail.

"Damn guy, I'll make him take a big fall sooner or later!" Anlita was still gnashing her teeth in anger. What made a smart person most furious was being played for a fool by an opponent. Li Hao was one thing, but how could that stupid little fatty make her fall into the trap? If she had been just a little more careful, she would have found the flaw.

Xilian smiled slightly, "There were still gains. At least we could observe a part of his mental framework ability, and you didn't lose unjustly. He calculated you thoroughly. You and Zuo Xiaotang have similar life experiences, which easily leads to empathy; the result was destined from the start."

"I did not!" Although she spoke fiercely, Anlita was clearly lacking confidence, "Boss, we can't just let it go like this. We have to give a counterattack; he plotted against us, we have to get it back!"

Anlita's eyes flickered. Even if she couldn't go directly for Li Hao, she could sanction that little fatty. Giving him a beating for being so thick-skinned would be fine, right?

"Forget it, let this matter end here. You should also learn your lesson. This time, he definitely got the better of us. Given his character, he will return it in his own way; we won't lose out," Xilian said lightly.

Having seen all the schemes and unscrupulous methods, he was not someone who talked about bottom lines with just anyone.

When Li Hao returned to his residence, everyone was surrounding Zuo Xiaotang to congratulate him, while Zuo Xiaotang could only giggle foolishly.

"Team Leader Li, so you finally know how to come back," Sheng Man said with a smile.

"What's the matter, why so happy?"

"Hao Ge, Zuo Xiaotang has awakened, a genuine Red Pupil, and it feels like he's only a hair's breadth away from Burning Will, it's amazing!" Huo Ying's loud voice boomed; the final shortcoming of Tianjing Martial Arts had been filled.