Chapter 85: Training Through Combat

Entering the battlefield.

Sky Wolf V6 vs. Gray Reaper.

Both sides brought out their most proficient Mecha. The big screen showed the first-person perspective of the two pilots. Luo Diping was full of confidence, while Zuo Xiaotang's face was still flushed... he seemed to be shaking...

Zhou Naiyi looked at Li Hao; this arrangement seemed too risky. The idea was good, but if Zuo Xiaotang could not overcome this state, it was highly likely he would be left with psychological trauma and never recover.

This Campus Tournament's singles matches used a unified Arena mode. At this distance, there was not much time left for the Gray Reaper. If it could not gain an advantage within five seconds, once the Sky Wolf Mecha closed the distance, given the Gray Death's performance, it would be nothing but prey.

Zhou Naiyi understood Zuo Xiaotang very well. He was not some dual-cultivator of long and short range who was hiding some secret attribute. Having experienced the S Tournament, she knew very well that miracles could not be relied upon. Those who could finally stand at the peak all had solid, formidable strength.

She longed to move forward. Anyone who had experienced the stage of the S Tournament and witnessed those kings dominating the world would not want to stop their steps. It was just that the future was still hazy; how could one become that powerful?

The match begins!

Two Mobile Suits entered the battlefield. Ma Long was already praying, "Zuoge, come on, Zuoge is mighty!"

Burn the boats, and find life in the face of death!

That was what Ma Long thought: give it a go and ignite one's potential. The moment he stepped onto the competition field, Zuo Xiaotang finally calmed down. The feel of the Mecha could still help him recall familiar memories.

The Sky Wolf Mecha's engine emitted a huge roar as it rushed toward the Gray Reaper. Zuo Xiaotang's heavy sniper rifle raised, but he did not fire in a rush. For a Sniper, firing many shots was useless; one useful shot was enough.

The arena suddenly fell silent. Everyone stared at the Gray Reaper. This little fatty might be nervous, but once he entered the arena, he really had the air of an expert. Just this composure and certainty were different. By not firing, he had a chance for a life-or-death strike and was also exerting pressure on his opponent.

The distance between the two sides grew closer and closer, with only ten meters left. The Gray Reaper's sniper rifle was aiming steadily at the opponent, still not moving. The closer the distance, the more disadvantageous it naturally was for a sniper Mecha, but it also placed huge psychological pressure on the attacker. At this moment, as long as there was a misjudgment, it was absolutely a one-shot kill.

One second!

The atmosphere stagnated. Everyone held their breath, waiting; the winner was about to be decided!

Boom...

……………………

？？？？

The entire Tianjing Arena erupted into a huge uproar. Everyone felt as if their eyes had gone blind. What the hell was this?

On the field, the Gray Reaper hadn't fired a single shot before being pounced on and executed by the Sky Wolf Mecha. What the hell was this?

"Damn it, a person like this is still on the school team? How did he get in? How did he get into the Tianjing Mecha Martial Arts Team? What kind of psychological quality is this!"

"Holy crap, I thought it was a god descending, waiting to be slapped in the face. It blinded my Titanium Alloy dog eyes. I've seen a living ghost."

"Execute me to give that sniper some courage. I've never seen anyone so cowardly; cowardly to the skies. What can this kind of psychological quality do?"

All kinds of mockery and discussion shrouded the arena. The situation could only be worse than what was seen. The Tianjing Mecha Martial Arts Team was a piece of Glory. One minute on stage, ten years of practice off stage. In an official match, everyone's details would be magnified. Standing in this honorable position, one had to bear the pressure and requirements of that honor.

Zuo Xiaotang's performance was simply an on-the-spot explosion.

Until the match ended, Zuo Xiaotang's brain was still buzzing. Where am I? What am I doing?

His hands had stopped shaking, but his brain didn't seem to be listening to him. He was suppressing the recoil, waiting for the final moment, but for some reason, his hand just wouldn't move.

After being hit, his mind went completely blank. When he finally came to his senses, his first thought was that it was over.

Completely over.

The situation for the second team was also very bad. Zhou Naiyi and Wuzang looked at Li Hao. This was his first major decision as Team Leader, and it ended in a crushing defeat. Being a Team Leader clearly wasn't just about having guts; responsibility and judgment of consequences were what mattered. Otherwise, Zhou Naiyi could have easily made the decision, but she couldn't, precisely because she would consider the negative effects brought about by failure.

The risk-reward ratio of this kind of decision was quite exaggerated; many times, it was not proportional, and Li Hao had encountered the worst result.

Sure enough, before long, everyone's focus pointed directly at Li Hao. This kind of decision must have been made by the Team Leader.

"Won two matches and forgot his own name? What the hell is this Li Hao? Relying on Wuzang and Zhou Naiyi to act cool here?"

"Exactly, I'm already a senior, and I've never heard of this person. Why is he the Team Leader?"

"Compared to this person's lack of self-awareness, I prefer Gao Yunfeng's conservatism."

"I don't know what the principal is thinking. Wouldn't it be better to have Wuzang and Zhou Naiyi join the first team and form a Trident with Gao Yunfeng's experience and stability?"

"What is Principal Long doing? We don't have the foundation of other academies, so let's not do so many fancy things, splitting into a first team and a second team."

"I think this Li Hao is the problem. What kind of bullshit Youth Class? It's been disbanded for so many years. And if he were someone of note, would he have waited until today?"

"How did this bastard use sweet talk to get into the Team Leader position? I'm going to have a good talk with him later."

The whole arena booed. It wasn't about losing, but how could such brainless troop deployment and moronic psychological quality be qualified to appear on stage?

Long Danni was expressionless. She wasn't so fragile as to not be able to take this, but Li Hao's choice was a bit problematic. She actually didn't care about the details, only the results. From the current look of things, she was a bit disappointed, but not in a hurry. The competition had to continue, and there were still opportunities in team battles. The problem was, it wasn't just about winning; how could they win back the support of the students? One could not underestimate the human heart; not just anyone could be a Team Leader.

Lu Ying, Lu Lingxiao, and a few other girls were also very anxious. Although they wouldn't go so far as to be disdainful, for girls, a man could have anything, but he could not be a coward. Dropping the ball at a critical moment was super damaging. Zuo Xiaopang already lacked looks; ability was his only chance.

In the eyes of the vast majority of girls, it was clear that Zuo Xiaopang was no longer considered a man in their eyes.

And among the more extreme girls, Zuo Xiaopang probably wasn't even considered a human, let alone having the right to choose a mate. This battle was simply social suicide.

Without ability, the bigger the stage, the more it looked like a Guillotine. Zuo Xiaotang's personality belonged to the type that needed to rely on others and assist others. Li Hao insisting on letting him take charge was a bit rash.

Damn it, what to do? Clearly, the second team was still in the lead, so why did it feel like the second team was finished?

"Ma Long, no need to worry. I think Li Hao must have a plan." Tan Ziyuan suddenly said, "Since he chose him, he must have the courage to bear the consequences. Let's watch the team battle."

Ma Long glanced at A Youyou. This girl had been very quiet and focused, but she hadn't said anything. On the contrary, Tan Ziyuan seemed to trust Hao Ge very much. Based on Ma Laoshi's experience, for a girl to be willing to take sides at this time, she must have quite a good impression of him.

"Hao Ge definitely has a plan, everyone don't worry." Ma Long still felt he had to salvage things for Li Hao.

A Youyou smiled slightly, "Not worried. To be a Team Leader, one must dare to use people."

The big screen showed the second team. The atmosphere was heavy, but that Team Leader still seemed to be in a very relaxed state.

The atmosphere on the first team's side had improved. Gao Yunfei patted Luo Diping heavily, "Well done! That final feint suppressed the opponent so much they didn't even have the courage to fire!"

"Hehe, Team Leader, we'll win once we take the team battle!"

"We must be serious in the team battle and show our level. I'll still handle Wuzang. Others follow the tactics. Sakouqi, hold back Zhou Naiyi, don't fight to the death, break them one by one. Our team combat power crushes them. Anna, as the number one Sniper of Tianjing Mecha Martial Arts, give them a lesson!"

Good~~~~~~

The first team's momentum was like a rainbow. Anyone who had watched the matches knew that a 2-point lead didn't mean anything. Morale was very important. One careless move could turn into a comeback from 2 down to 3, which was the most damaging to morale.

It was fine to mess around in daily life, but in such an important Campus Tournament, Li Hao's performance was actually more disappointing than Zuo Xiaotang's. The Team Leader was the Spirit of a team. If the Team Leader was this reckless, how could they continue?

The others didn't speak. Actually, it was still okay, but it was inevitable that their emotions couldn't be lifted. Li Hao pulled Zuo Xiaotang aside alone. Zuo Xiaotang could no longer be described as dejected; he would even accept quitting the team. In fact, he hadn't wanted to participate in the first place, but he hadn't expected to cause everyone such big trouble.

"Hao Ge,... I... "

Li Hao patted Zuo Xiaotang, "Zuo Xiaopang, how about we make a bet?"

Zuo Xiaotang was stunned. A bet? At a time like this, he had expected Li Hao to give him a good dressing-down; in fact, he would have felt better if he had.

Zuo Xiaotang gave a wry smile, "I'm sorry, you know my problem, I'm just too nervous..."

"I know, it's no big deal, who hasn't been nervous before? It's just to get you used to it; actual combat is the best method." Li Hao smiled.

Those outside couldn't hear what was being said inside, but seeing Li Hao still chatting and laughing with the other person at a time like this, without the slightest bit of Team Leader authority, was just...

"It's too embarrassing, isn't it? I think so too, but it's fine, we've already hit rock bottom. We're probably about to be roasted to death, so there's nothing left to lose. Although I'm not really willing, I've decided to make a bet with you; whether you're willing or not is up to you." Then Li Hao whispered something in Zuo Xiaotang's ear.

Zuo Xiaotang, who had just been wilted like a dog, widened his eyes, "Really???"

"Who are you looking down on? From childhood to now, besides not paying when I treat people to a meal, when have I ever gone back on my word!" Li Hao was a bit embarrassed and angry.

Zuo Xiaotang couldn't be bothered to pay attention and held up three fingers, "One thing at a time, we've agreed. If you go back on your word, I'll fight you to the death... I won't talk to you for a whole week."

"Got it, got it, you're ruthless, okay? I'm suddenly not so happy about this anymore."

"No way, it's settled, you're not allowed to go back on it!" Zuo Xiaotang gripped Li Hao's hand tightly, his veins bulging and his eyes nearly popping out.

Everyone was baffled; this Second Team was truly something else, what kind of freaks were these.

The break time ended, and the team battle that would decide the victory began.