Chapter 464: The Ultimate Art of Power and Speed

The Phantom Fighter flew out in response, crashing directly into an abandoned building and rolling into its depths, sending dust flying. Deep Space Ant—Power-Accumulating Bombing Fist!

The next moment, the Phantom Fighter broke through the ruins and soared into the air. Klein pursed his lips and checked the mecha's status; it seemed he still had to be careful with this hothead.

Zzzzz...

The Phantom Fighter dove down, while the Iron Armor Steel Fist stood ready. The Phantom Fighter's speed was extremely fast, with no intention of slowing down at all. Boom...

Both Mobile Suits vanished simultaneously, suddenly accelerating and rushing into the sky. The Phantom Fighter's two Titanium Swords frantically pursued Cheng Konghai. At full speed, the Phantom Fighter instantly left five or six afterimages in the air, and as its speed increased further, over a dozen Phantom Fighters suddenly enveloped the Iron Armor Steel Fist.

Abyss Mantis—Tearing Matrix!

Without any flashy, frantic slashing, the Iron Armor Steel Fist curled into a ball, hovering in the air while dodging wildly, its arms shielding it like a shield. An angry Klein didn't care about that; he wanted to tear Cheng Konghai into shreds.

Of all the martial arts in the world, only speed is invincible!

Both mechas utilized extreme mid-air suspension capabilities. The massive Golden Zone field granted both Mobile Suits sufficient aerial mobility, which also signified the two pilots' level of comprehension in the Flowing Heart Martial Arts stage.

In the entire S-Tournament, those who can achieve this can be counted on two hands. While many have reached the Flowing Heart Martial Arts stage, very few have mastered it to this degree, and they are merely the vanguards of their two teams.

Having suffered a slight disadvantage, Klein bombarded the Iron Armor Steel Fist, but the entire movement rhythm was extremely swift. Cheng Konghai tried to counterattack multiple times but was suppressed. No matter how fast his instantaneous burst speed was, it wasn't faster than the Phantom's already accelerated attacks. If he dared to make even a slightly larger move, he would be pierced by Klein first.

All Cheng Konghai could do was endure this round of Klein's burst.

The Iron Armor Steel Fist dropped instantly, but the Phantom Fighter's speed was even faster. The mecha took another dozen sword strikes; complete evasion was impossible. Both sides had extremely strong techniques, and their dodging reactions were even faster, but the Phantom Fighter was simply too fast.

Everyone watching felt a sense of suffocation. The two Mobile Suits fought from the sky to the ground, and back from the ground to the sky. One was attacking with all its might, the other defending with all its might, yet the attack wasn't purely an attack, and the defense wasn't purely a defense.

Just as the Phantom Fighter's two stingers transformed into countless sword lights enveloping the Iron Armor Steel Fist, a sound suddenly rolled in like a wail from the infinite loneliness of deep space: Klein's Abyssal Bass Cannon!

Cheng Konghai didn't tolerate such nonsense either. While his arms continuously shifted with precision to block the attacks, he unleashed an Indiscriminate Deep Space Intimidation directly. The two men's Golden Zone light flames collided, erupting into brilliant fireworks in mid-air.

Every object within a thirty-meter radius was shattered upon entering the range; nothing grew where they passed. How could these be two Mobile Suits? They were practically Abyssal Demon Machines!

Yet the two combatants were extremely excited, showing no regard for stamina or Zone Value, continuously maintaining high-intensity bombardment. With every collision, neither gave an inch. The Golden Zone confrontation and the mecha confrontation were pushed to the limit; a single local failure would lead to a devastating, storm-like strike.

That feeling of being poised for action was filled with suffocating pressure. Yet when the camera cut to the two pilots, Cheng Konghai looked indifferent, a trace of disdain even playing on the corner of his mouth—completely understated. Klein, meanwhile, was smiling, exceptionally excited; that was joy overflowing from his expression, with no pressure or caution to speak of...

Never mind the live audience, the experts in the contestant area were also left dumbfounded. Although there were gaps in the strength of the top eight in the past, they weren't that large, at most the gap between Team Leaders.

But what the hell is this?

Which of these two wouldn't be a Team Leader on any other team?

The one most moved was Long Danni in the crowd. It was the finals, and Long Danni had quietly arrived at the VIP seats, accompanied by the principals of academies like Hailong. Long Danni hadn't told Li Hao and the others; she didn't want to disturb the rhythm because Li Hao could handle everything. Watching the confident and passionate Cheng Konghai, Long Danni felt infinite emotion and excitement. She was once again proud of her

determination. She had withstood the pressure and given the special recruitment quota to Cheng Konghai. After this result came out, she not only endured a lot of criticism but also received inquiries from the Earth Military Academy Committee. Although they couldn't overturn her decision, this was definitely a challenge to her judgment. And now?

She could feel the envy and incomprehension of the principals around her. They were all envying Long Danni's luck; this was truly a stroke of blind luck. But if someone else were in this position, would they have given Li Hao a chance? Would they have let him "do as he pleased" like this?

Don't suspect those you use, don't use those you suspect!

"I probably couldn't last a minute in this kind of confrontation," Depuya said, sticking out his tongue. Before the top eight, he thought it was just bad luck. By the semi-finals, he felt that with a bit of luck, he could push through. After seeing this, he felt it was over; he was just there to make up the numbers.

Aofei bit her finger. "Klein's speed ability combined with the Phantom Fighter is the fastest in the entire S-Tournament, but everyone ignores his strength. Under sufficient momentum, he doesn't fear the Ant's strength. The Ant's strength is useless if it can't hit Klein at its peak."

"With Klein's speed, it's very likely to achieve a bullet-time effect. Attacks that look fast to us will become very slow to him. The Ant's offensive is fierce, but honestly, it poses no threat."

"This guy isn't an illusion; it's pure speed. Is this also an ability of the Golden Zone?" Yan Peng frowned. He was a power-type, directly manifested as muscle strength, enhancing the mecha's control and durability.

"Yan Peng, you still don't truly understand the Golden Zone. Muscle Enhancement is just the body's reinforcement to withstand the backlash of the constantly rising Golden Zone; it's still in the adaptation stage. The Ant and Klein's abilities are directly reflected as power and burst. In essence, it's the same as fire or wind—a manifestation of genetic power. They have already passed this adaptation stage," Chao Qinglong said.

"In other words, they have sufficient physical strength?"

Chao Qinglong smiled. Don't let Klein and Cheng Konghai's thin, frail appearance fool you; that's just a facade. New Humans who have awakened the Golden Zone can no longer be viewed that way. Truth be told, both possess the strength of an Explosive Muscle Steel Body.

Among the Hunters, the gap has actually widened; only Chao Qinglong can see it more thoroughly.

"The Ant is also amazing. He wasted five years, yet he still has this level of skill. On a technical level, he is very solid, with a qualitative change from his old habit of risking his life at every turn. In the confrontation with the Phantom's attacks, he dodges directly when he should."

"But speed is still king. His power is useless if he can't hit; it's too slow. Still, it's the Iron Armor Steel Fist; other mechas would have already failed to hold up. Master Jiabo is a bit awesome; it's practically tailor-made."

The entire key part of the mecha is pure titanium, plus the K23 covering, making the whole thing like a battle fortress. Although it is a huge drain on the pilot, as long as Cheng Konghai can hold on, it's not a problem.

"Both sides are still testing each other," Maxis smiled. "You can see they are both looking forward to and cherishing this opportunity." Everyone was stunned. Testing?

This is still testing?

"The current Flowing Heart Martial Arts is actually a bit generic. Most people have reached the level of Mental Power and have some understanding, but they can't truly unleash it, mainly because their bodies cannot withstand the backlash of this power. But for Cheng Konghai and Klein, they can fully accept it. Moreover, these two have very pure personalities and clear goals. In other words, their ability to control such Mobile Suits is like an ordinary person playing with a knife—they can fully handle it. Cheng Konghai's specialty is definitely not just great strength," Maxis continued.

Chao Qinglong was not far away. The two looked at each other; they were old rivals. After Li Hao and Xilian returned, their grudges had faded, and in a way, they sympathized with each other.

Chao Qinglong stood up, and Maxis didn't stay seated either. Both walked toward the middle. The team members in the middle hurriedly stood up to make room for them. "The feeling of watching the excitement is a bit bittersweet."

"Haha, how I wish it were the two of us meeting in the semi-finals." "Are you trying to handle me?"

"Not at all, the feeling is mutual."

Former rivals, a smile wipes away past grudges. By comparison, Fanli

and Victor were a bit jealous. Their perspective never reached the level of Maxis. Though the arrogant Victor had lost, the resentment and dissatisfaction in his heart had not yet faded.

Basta patted Weijia. Weijia had just been thinking about listening to the insights of the two big shots, and someone actually dared to pat his shoulder. He wasn't just any Tom, Dick, or Harry. When he turned his head, it was actually Basta. Weijia was stunned and could only stand up.

"Where is Romero?" Chao Qinglong asked.

"He went back," Basta said indifferently. The Lone Wolf should be very clear about the consequences. Martians take this aspect very lightly; the winner is king and the loser is the villain—that is fate.

"A pity. I really wanted to spar with him."

Chao Qinglong and Maxis's eyes flickered with a bit of regret. After Li Hao spoke, they went back and watched that match carefully, discovering that at the final strike, no matter how they adjusted, it seemed to have lagged. The slower it was, the more it lagged; it was completely wrong. Finally, they realized it was a problem with time.

Romero's strike was a life-risking move, and the price was heavy. This is the backlash of the Golden Zone; the stronger the power, the stronger the backlash. Without sufficient physical support, using it forcibly is actually no different from suicide.

But Romero was strong enough; it wasn't easy to survive after using such pure power.

The three men's gazes returned to the arena. Under the Phantom Fighter's frantic strikes, Cheng Konghai's defense had no flaws. His choice of the Iron Armor Steel Fist was also reasonable; only a mecha with 360-degree defense and attack like the Iron Armor Steel Fist could withstand the speed of the Phantom Fighter, and it best utilized Cheng Konghai's characteristics.

During this time, Cheng Konghai had already taken over a hundred sword strikes, but his blocks were all very precise. Although the attacks landed, they could only leave deep sword marks on the Iron Armor Steel Fist at most, and this kind of damage only made Cheng Konghai more excited.

As long as one is human, there will be a period of exhaustion, and Cheng Konghai was also constantly adapting to the Phantom Fighter's speed, his defensive precision becoming higher and higher. Klein's speed crushed Cheng Konghai, and Cheng Konghai's strength crushed Klein. Back then, the only thing Cheng Konghai could lead with slightly was extreme defensive counterattacks and instantaneous burst attacks—one force overcoming ten techniques. But now that mechas were added, the factors determining victory became uncertain. With the added factor of the mecha, could he still seize it?