No one knew exactly how powerful the Tactics of the Deva King were. All they knew was that the Tactics of the Deva King were the hardest tactics to master in the world.
However, Patroclus was not the main concern of the warriors on the stage. To reach Patroclus, they needed first to finish the opponent standing in front of them right now.
Li Shiming swept Vayu in the air as his soul energy started to levitate his body. Wang Tong smiled knowingly as he swung Einherjar at lighting speed, hovering in the air at about the same height as Li Shiming.
For the two powerful warriors, controlling the airflow around them using soul energy was simply a piece of cake. Some of the more talented level six fighters who were on the verge of becoming an Einherjar could not only walk in the air, but also in space without any protection.
Wang Tong's ability to match whatever Li Shiming flaunted had made Li Shiming wonder if he were wrong about the Blade Warrior's decision.
What perplexed the commentators was the fact that Wang Tong seemed to be unaffected by the severe blows he had sustained.
"Kom! KOM!"
Li Shiming and Wang Tong both knew that there was no turning back from here. It was a match of life and death.
By Then, Li Shiming had completed unshackled the energy sealed inside the Vayu, as blue lights erupted from the blade, beckoning wild gales around him.
On the other side of the arena, Wang Tong's golden energy was no less belligerent than that of Li Shining. Amidst the brilliant golden hue, the Lance of Einherjar scintillated like a bright beacon in the night.
The two fighters started the attack at the same time as they both disappeared from the audiences' view and reemerged at a close range with each other at the center of the stage. The lance and the blade collided again, sending a thunderous roar through the arena. The two players had forsaken unnecessary moves and focused solely on the GN force output. Such confrontation was a testament to the fighters martial arts foundations.
Li Shiming had trained hard every day just for this match. His hard work coupled with his unrivaled talent made he firmly believe that no one in the world could exceed him in terms of martial arts foundations.
"I am Li Shiming, and I will win!"
On the other hand, although Wang Tong was forced to train like a dog by Old Fart, he didn't train nearly as hard as Li Shiming did. However, thanks to the gruesome training in the crystal space, Wang Tong was able to hold his ground during this bare-knuckle round.
Vayu's Blade Aura glinted off the shiny blade and flew at Wang Tong. Li Shiming started to become more aggressive in his actions. The technique he used was called the Waterfall Flower.
Each strike carried more blade aura than the last. Li Shiming remained calm as he was fully engrossed in the fight. He felt as if it were not the blade he was carrying, but the responsibility and the family honor.
With a lance in his hand, Wang Tong didn't evade any of the attacks. Instead, he let the lance meet the blade head on. As someone who had butted heads against an Einherjar, Wang Tong was not afraid of a level six fighter.
Li Shiming carried on the Waterfall Flower to the thirty-fifth move, as the blade aura utterly engulfed him, threatening to kill anyone who dared to approach.
There and then, Li Shiming lashed out the thirty-sixth move as the Vayu become blindingly bright. Wang Tong knew that this was the killing move. However, he didn't retreat or evade the attack. Instead, he plunged into the attacker with the lance without hesitation. Wang Tong had such confidence because he remembered that Mr. Wannabe had told him that there was not one in the world who could stop him.
Blast Lance of Tong!
"Kom!"
The Waterfall Flower was one of the deadliest techniques of House Li. After the first thirty five moves, Li Shiming had charged up a tremendous amount of power in the last strike, making the final attack almost unblockable.
To a level six fighter, the thirty-sixth move was the apex of skills. On the other hand, Wang Tong seemed ill-prepared as he hurried to improvise an attack with his lance.
A blinding burst of light erupted from the point of contact, and the fast-spreading light soon smothered the audiences' views like a thick blanket.
"Kom!"
When the light finally faded away, everyone was shocked by what they saw, as over a million audiences gasped in unison.
Vayu was thrown aside; the tip of the lance pierced right through Li Shiming's shoulder. Was the invincible House Li and the legendary Vayu defeated so easily?
Li Shiming pulled the lance out of his shoulder slowly and painfully. As soon as the lance left his body, he fell to the ground, face whiter than paper. He laid on his side, lacking any vigor to get up as he stared at Vayu a few feet away from him.
"Vayu was no match for his lance?"
"Why?"
"It shouldn't end like this!"
This defeat was a devastating blow to Li Shiming. The Waterfall Flower had never been countered in the entire history of House Li. However, he had failed and brought shame to his family name.
Li Shiming reckoned that the fault wasn't in the technique, since the Waterfall Flower had been proven by Li Feng to be flawless. His downfall was his opponent's overbearing power; he was simply too weak.
Wang Tong's eyes were fixated on his lance as he was taken aback by his performance. He realized that he had gone beyond his damage output limit during that last strike.
He didn't strike just once, but three consecutive times. His skill had surpassed Mr. Wannabe.
The dead silence still loomed over the arena. No one could believe that House Li could be defeated and neither did they want to see the backbone of the human race crumble.
Although House Li had become everyone's easy target to hate and envy, seeing the helpless Li Shiming, all they could think of was how much House Li had given to the human race.
The remorse inside the arena could even be felt inside Ayrlarng. No one was cheering for Wang Tong, as they felt sorry for Li Shiming.
Li Shiming didn't make it to Patroclus as Wang Tong defeated him with his lance of Einherjar. The reality was often cruel, as a hero would rise only by stomping on others' broken backs.
Before this fight, everyone believed that only Patroclus and house Dower could bring down House Li. However, after this fight, Wang Tong was added to the equation of the power struggle.
Wang Tong had defeated Michaux Odin and then Li Shiming. Was there anyone who could stop his winning streak?
Li Shiming gazed at Vayu, and for the first time, he wondered if he deserved this blade. All of his ambitions and grand plans seemed more like a joke to him. He could not turn back time, and had become the loser.
Without thinking much, Li Shiming reached out and grabbed Vayu in his hand. The handle felt comfortable; he had gotten used to the feeling when he was as tall as the blade itself.
Ever since he was a child, Li Shiming had sworn to protect his family honor. How could his journey end here?
For every other member of House Li, Li Feng was no different from a god. However, Li Shiming always remembered his name with a hint of jealousy.
"Why did he choose Wang Tong but not me?" Li Shiming asked himself.
Li Shiming tightened his grip, and suddenly, a flow of energy surged into him as realization dawned upon him: if Li Feng could ascend godhood from mortality, so could he.
He needed to prove to everyone that only he was the true heir of Li Feng!
Li Shiming's hands trembled as energy shot through his body. Although his face looked pale, it was gaining a tinge of redness by the second.
"What a pity!" Zhang Jin lamented.
Like House Ma, House Zhang never had to face the brutal competition of METAL combat, as they excelled in an entirely different, but also important field.
Patroclus watched Li Shiming quietly and said, "Li Shiming is not done yet. Wang Tong's attack might have helped him to release his full potential. "
Zhang Jin was taken aback by Patroclus's comment, as she recalled that Patroclus had confessed that Li Shiming was one of his worthy opponents.