Chapter 446: A Desperate Gamble

At this moment, she was internally inclined toward Li Hao going up, as this would still leave Cheng Konghai a chance to avoid Maxis. However, during the preparations over these past few days, Li Hao had discussed with her that this situation might arise. She could take the third match; she had been against it, but Li Hao was very insistent.

Zhou Naiyi truly did not know what other options there were, or perhaps Li Hao really had confidence in her.

Li Hao saw Zhou Naiyi out and gently patted her shoulder, "Sister Yi, believe in me, you will definitely win!"

To say she had confidence would be lying to herself; Zhou Naiyi knew very well what kind of opponent she was facing, "Li Hao,"

"Huh? Yeah."

"Being able to fight alongside you is the luckiest thing in my life."

Zhou Naiyi entered the arena. Regardless of who the opponent was, once she had decided, she would not hesitate. From the moment the new Tianjing Mecha Martial Arts Team was formed, this team was not just Li Hao and Cheng Konghai's personal team, but a big family. Every victory was a victory achieved through the collective effort of every team member.

This was the greatest happiness.

Whether in victory or defeat, she would not be afraid, and even less would she retreat!

"The third match contestant for Tianjing Mecha has come out, Zhou Naiyi!" the host said loudly, their voice also tinged with a bit of surprise.

Suddenly, the entire arena was whispering. Some anxious Earth spectators were already cursing. What was going on? At a time like this, they still weren't putting up Cheng Konghai. If they were more decisive, Li Hao should have gone up at this moment.

Taking one match would at least seize the initiative for victory and also build confidence for the team members. At the same time, there were still two matches left, which could ensure Cheng Konghai avoided Maxis. Although Cheng Konghai might not necessarily win, the odds of winning were still quite high. That would be better than this, right?

Among those remaining, Zhou Naiyi was the most unstable point besides Nailong. She was a great hand at team battles with a clear train of thought, but when it came to breaking through defenses, the pressure was too great.

Tianjing Mecha was, as always, determined to walk the tightrope.

Without a doubt, the one Galaxy Team had prepared for Zhou Naiyi was Weijia. Both were the vice captains of their teams. Weijia was a super-strong flame ability user and possessed the ability to defeat opponents invisibly. At the same time, with Flowing Heart Martial Arts, Weijia's ability absolutely and steadily suppressed Zhou Naiyi. In terms of hard-fighting ability, Weijia was a pillar who had won championships and was Maxis's right-hand man.

Once this lineup was revealed, Tianjing Mecha Academy fell into dead silence.

"As expected of Mu Jiang, very good, very pretentious. It's his consistent style, I like it!" the fiery Huo Laoshi shouted in approval in the live broadcast room.

"Galaxy Team chose to use Weijia to face Zhou Naiyi. Could there be a possibility that this itself is also a tactic of Tianjing Mecha?" Kuangwu Daren said.

"Could there be a possibility that you are joking?" Huonan said. "Mu Jiang's honey-sweet confidence will surely pay the price. He doesn't seem to understand who he is facing. This is the pride of the NUP, the Galaxy Fleet. Zhou Naiyi has no chance. She is the weak link of Tianjing Mecha; she is a typical system-type warrior, her individual ability is not outstanding!"

"Puppet God must know this point. Knowing this, there must be a reason for her to go up."

"Don't mistake coincidence for inevitability. The bystander sees clearly while the player is confused; psychological warfare or whatever, Galaxy won't fall for that. Dear audience, please cast your vote of support. Of course, those who want to support Tianjing Mecha can also hurry up; they don't have much time left." Huonan didn't care about that. Li Hao could be confident himself, but being so certain without risking his life would mean missing the opportunity. The series of previous victories was the easiest way to make people at the bottom get inflated. He had seen too many people start crying halfway through their laughter.

Combat scenario: City Battle.

Both sides entered the combat selection. This terrain was quite friendly to both sides and could fully utilize the technical characteristics of the mechas they were good at.

Zhou Naiyi: Yaoying Athena.

Configuration: Light Type mecha, Super Type, NUP.

Dual-Engine Nuclear Fission Drive, Victory Shield defense system, Short-range Laser Gun, K23 Oath Sword, K23 Titanium Shield.

Weijia: Thunder Fire Zeus.

Medium-type mecha, Super Type, NUP.

LeihuoSiquhelietixitong, Mimicry system, K23 Thunder Blade, K23 Titanium Shield Laser Eye, Telescopic Shoulder Missile System, Thunder Fire Laser Gun.

Two Mobile Suits descended onto the battlefield. This time the city style was a Mars city. Both sides faced each other, the countdown began, 10... 8... 3... 0!

Amidst the cheers of the entire arena, the Thunder Fire mecha and the Yaoying mecha struck at the same time. During the advance, red light flames ignited one after another. The initial probing was all in the Burning Will phase. Athena's speed was faster; Zhou Naiyi took the initiative to attack first. The Oath Sword immediately unleashed a set of rocket thrusts, crazily sweeping toward the Thunder Fire mecha. Weijia was not in a hurry to counterattack; the Thunder Blade parried, the Thunder Fire mecha constantly moved and dodged, and the Titanium Shield precisely blocked. As the vice captain of Galaxy and also one of the top Thunder Fire Zeus users in the NUP, blocking this level of attack was not a problem at all.

Zhou Naiyi's flurry of crazy attacks was completely blocked by the Thunder Fire mecha. In the second before the attack momentum entered exhaustion, the Thunder Fire mecha suddenly lunged forward. The Thunder Blade ignored the attacks and cut directly into the middle position. This sudden counterattack was fast and ruthless. Even if it were hit by the Oath Sword, this blade would be enough to finish off the Yaoying Athena. Zhou Naiyi dared not fight hard and passively changed moves, following up with Lightning Acceleration. The Thunder Fire Zeus suddenly lunged, completely keeping up with Zhou Naiyi's speed. Boom...

The Yaoying mecha was instantly knocked back more than ten meters, the mecha vibrating violently. Just in a moment of distraction, the Thunder Fire mecha's Thunder Blade had already arrived. Athena's defense system opened immediately, but it only delayed it for a while. Under the blessing of the violent flames, the Thunder Blade smashed open the energy shield defense in two strikes. The third blade was already striking down at the head. Athena's K23 Titanium Shield immediately met it. Boom...

The Yaoying mecha took this blow head-on. Without being able to exert its mobility and being forced to fight hard, the mecha's disadvantage was magnified. The entire mecha's center of gravity was instantly pressed down, and the Thunder Fire mecha followed up with a side kick. Zhou Naiyi subconsciously stepped back, but the Thunder Blade had already kicked toward her shoulder.

Variable-line kick!

The Yaoying mecha was too late to dodge and was kicked directly. The mecha stumbled. How could Weijia fail to seize such a huge opening? The Thunder Blade cut in instantly. In an instant, flames soared into the sky, violently hacking at the Yaoying Athena. In her haste, Zhou Naiyi instantly performed a reverse flash to open up the distance, turned around, and ran. The Thunder Fire mecha was a little slow, but it followed up. Before the Yaoying mecha could fully accelerate, it could still catch up.

Just at this moment, the Yaoying mecha suddenly soared into the air, did a backflip, and red light flames exploded. Athena: Wind Thrust!

Zhou Naiyi gritted her teeth, her body enduring the massive operational backlash, but this time was the best opportunity for an attack. However, at this moment, Weijia's Thunder Blade swung out fiercely, a Flame Sky-Breaking Slash, but the mecha immediately moved horizontally. The two Mobile Suits instantly opened up the distance.

Weijia was relaxed and at ease. He did not look down on Zhou Naiyi; the opponent using this set of operations was enough for her body to suffer, and there was no need to risk her life at all. As a championship member, only those who had won understood that many times, the moments of risking one's life were fifty-fifty. Do not passively accept the opponent's life-risking moves. You might win once, twice, or even many times by coincidence, but if you want to win the championship, one failure can change everything.

Making the opponent enter your own rhythm is the royal way.

Zhou Naiyi's chest heaved violently. She hoped the opponent would passively accept her moves, but Weijia's combat experience was too rich, combining reality and illusion, and his mentality in all aspects was top-notch. The opponent himself was a long-famed warrior.

Weijia did not intend to give Zhou Naiyi a chance to catch her breath. Golden Zone violently entered Flowing Heart Martial Arts, forcing Zhou Naiyi to enter his rhythm. Zhou Naiyi also elevated to Flowing Heart Martial Arts. Once she entered Flowing Heart Martial Arts, there wasn't much time left for Zhou Naiyi.

The Yaoying Athena engine roared. Zhou Naiyi's pupils emitted a crimson light, with a bit of gold in the red glow. The Flowing Heart Martial Arts realm also elevated her state and fighting spirit to the extreme. Her mind was incomparably clear. The opponent had the full ability and time to consume her until he completely mastered the situation, while she could not afford to consume or drag it out; she had to attack.

Boom.

The Yaoying Athena lunged, the mecha rushing rapidly toward the Thunder Fire mecha. The Thunder Blade mecha lowered its center of gravity, the Thunder Blade pulled back. The two sides got closer and closer. The light flames on the surface of the Thunder Blade constantly condensed. The K23 Element had been completely stimulated. Zhou Naiyi felt the gathering of energy, but the arrow was on the string and had to be fired.

Lightning burst. The moment the Yaoying Athena was about to accelerate, the Thunder Blade swept out fiercely.

Heavenly Heart Style: Flame Sky-Breaking Slash!

A blade of flame light killed out from the air. This level of ability projection that could condense to this extent was not just for show. The Yaoying mecha dared not take it head-on and directly used Variable Frequency Step to change direction. Accompanied by a loud explosion, the Thunder Fire mecha rushed directly toward the Yaoying's landing point. Being continuously stuck in the most uncomfortable position to change moves, Zhou Naiyi could no longer change and could only take it head-on.

Boom.

The Yaoying mecha was sent flying, crashing directly into a building. The Thunder Fire mecha pulled away on the spot, the Thunder Blade rotated and smashed out fiercely.

Zing.

Boom!

The red blade light instantly maxed out and swept directly into the building. Accompanied by a roar, the entire building collapsed, submerging the Yaoying mecha.

Weijia did not pursue. He could feel that Zhou Naiyi's Golden Zone was still stable. This woman's mind was particularly delicate and she was especially good at acting and ambushing. He wouldn't fall for this trick. The ticket to the finals was right in front of him. Knowing that he would come to catch Zhou Naiyi, Li Mo still dared to let her go up. If he said there was no preparation, he really wouldn't believe it. However, a clever woman cannot cook without rice. Zhou Naiyi's strength was there. What he had to do was to continuously apply pressure, suppressing her rhythm until she collapsed.

Suddenly, a warning sign appeared. The Yaoying Athena had already killed from the side. Just at the moment of crashing into the building, the Yaoying mecha had already crashed out from the side in a hair's breadth, then circled around under the cover of rubble and dust. The two Mobile Suits were entangled together again. Zhou Naiyi, under the blessing of Wind and Lightning abilities, did not have the intensity of Aofei and Dita, but Zhou Naiyi also understood this point. She was a half-baked amateur, so she used it all on the rhythm of acceleration. Wind Acceleration and Lightning Acceleration were two types of attack frequencies, which were very compatible with the Yaoying Athena. She had to constantly change the rhythm to apply pressure to the opponent.

Weijia also felt it. He was very patient and did not force an attack. He was confident that his attack power was stronger, but the Thunder Fire mecha's frequency was a bit slower, especially when it needed to build up for an attack, which made it easier for Zhou Naiyi to catch. Therefore, the Thunder Fire's attacks had to have a rhythm. Regardless of whether the attack succeeded or not, the Yaoying Athena would not have a chance.

"Weijia is fighting very patiently, this is difficult."

"Zhou Naiyi has been thoroughly studied. She knows a little bit of everything, but to be honest, she doesn't have the ability to end the battle in one strike."

"This is really a bit difficult. Weijia suppressing Zhou Naiyi is a suppression in all aspects, and this guy Weijia has a very meticulous personality. He only needs to drag it out and it will be over. There is a gap in the level of Golden Zone between the two sides."

"No way, going up first is useless. Weijia is fixed to catch Zhou Naiyi. Let alone Zhou Naiyi, even an ant might not have absolute certainty."

The Hunter side is also feeling a bit uncomfortable; the Ants were very fierce back in the day and had a great reputation, which certainly had something to do with their strength, but on the other hand, it was also because they were high-profile. Meanwhile, Maxis and his group are overshadowed by the brilliance of Xilian; their fame isn't as great, but they are all genuine experts, otherwise they wouldn't have won the championship. This group of people is truly terrifying.

"Did you see that? Did you see that? Little Kuang, what did I tell you? You have to believe in science and believe in strength. This is the deciding factor of this match. Zhou Naiyi's abilities are very messy; she seems to know a lot, and she even wants to play with ability rhythm, switching between Electricity and Wind, but she overlooked one point: this kind of half-baked approach works against ordinary opponents, but wanting to rely on this to defeat a champion Warrior is no different from dreaming. Moreover, during the ability switching, her Golden Zone is also constantly being consumed. Look at the strategy of contestant Weijia: the opponent attacks wildly, and he defends steadily. As soon as the opponent shows the slightest sign of wanting to slow down, he immediately increases the intensity and pushes the rhythm to the max. This is the 'grind-down' tactic—the strong suppressing the weak, steady and sure. And when it comes to tactical execution, no one dares to claim second place if Galaxy claims first. I think no one would disagree with that, right?" Huonan talked eloquently. He adjusted very well and had already cast himself into the Galaxy team; the feeling of following the strong is just so beautiful and wonderful. Anyway, anyone who can take down Mu Jiang is one of his own.

"Don't be happy so soon. The characteristic of the Yao Ying is finding opportunities during attacks. Weijia's fighting style is exactly the rhythm the Yao Ying wants. The opponent's defensive counter-attacks are very conducive to the Yao Ying's performance, and contestant Zhou Naiyi's talent is also quite astonishing. Her Imitation Ability itself is no small matter; this definitely doesn't count as an ordinary ability!" Kuangwu Daren couldn't just sit and wait for death while being led by the rhythm by Huonan, even though he was also worried to some extent.

"Heh, I call it the 'duck ability'—knows a little bit of everything, but isn't proficient in anything."

Things are looking great for Galaxy Academy; everyone's level is very high, and their understanding of the match is also very high. What Huonan said was a bit exaggerated, but the content was correct. Weijia now has an eighty percent chance of winning. If it continues like this, it won't be long before Zhou Naiyi enters a decline period. Furthermore, this Cheng Zhan environment is what everyone is most familiar with, so there are no variables. The same goes for a Mecha like the Yaoying Athena; once flexibility cannot control the rhythm, dragging it into a stalemate will make it slower and slower, and less and less confident.

One side is happy while the other is sorrowful. The overall level of Tianjing Martial Arts is a bit weaker, but one can also sense the situation of the Golden Zone on both sides. Weijia's light flame is very stable, while Zhou Naiyi's is constantly fluctuating, indicating that her control is still not stable enough. Under intense confrontation, it fluctuates, all of which are signs of insufficient confidence.

Clang, clang.