After the fight, Wang Tong gained another nickname: Omni-Fighter, as people remembered that he had also won the championship at the fleet combat tournament.
Wang Tong had set the bar so high that people doubted if anyone would be able to match his achievements. Also, Wang Tong's success gave hope to many ordinary people who used to see the tournament as a game for the privileged few.
The feeling inside Earthlings was mixed with joy and remorse. They celebrated Wang Tong's victory as much as they mourned Li Shiming's defeat.
It was obvious that without Wang Tong, the stage would have belonged to Li Shiming. As a twenty years old fledgling, he had already made a great achievement by becoming one with the sword. However, even the most advanced sword technique was not enough to overcome Wang Tong.
A seventeen years old no-account defeating an heir of the great houses, such was the legend that Wang Tong had created.
No one knew the technique Wang Tong had used to overcome Li Shiming. After the match, some Ivantian media interviewed their Prince Patroclus, the wielder of the Deva Lance. Even the Ivantians, who were so proud of the Deva Lance, wondered if Wang Tong's golden lance was its match. So arrogant were the Ivantians that only a display of total dominance could shake their pride.
The interviewer's question was simple and to the point, "How would the Deva Lance deal with the Li Shiming's ability."
Patroclus's answer, "I don't know."
From a technical perspective, being the one with the sword was the apex of sword skills. It was more of an intuition than a trained skill, and its damage potential was boundless.
Some interviewer asked his opinion about Wang Tong's counter strike, and Patroclus answered with the same words but with more decisiveness, "I don't know." Patroclus didn't even understand what Wang Tong had done, much less give it a name.
Although Patroclus's answer was disappointing, people couldn't help noticing the anticipating smirk on his face.
Inside Zhang Jin's studio, the heir of House Zhang was carefully examining each frame, trying to catch a glimpse of Wang Tong's power. However, the more time she spent on reviewing the tape, the more suspicious it seemed.
"Patroclus, look! What was going on here?" Zhang Jin shouted out at Patroclus.
Patroclus closed in and examined the footage; Zhang Jin's brow furrowed after seeing that Patroclus was not surprised by what he had seen.
"Look here, watch. Wang Tong's attack started after Li Shiming had already been struck. Don't you think someone was helping Wang Tong from behind the scene?" Zhang Jin pointed at the screen. Then she noticed something else: Wang Tong's attack angle lined up perfectly with the blow that Li Shiming had received.
"Well, maybe it was Wang Tong. I don't see anyone behind him anyways." Zhang Jin continued, "Li Shiming also dealt Wang Tong a blow."
The more Zhang Jin tried to explain the situation, the muddier it felt.
"Jin, why bother? It's very obvious. Li Shiming had received a blow before Wang Tong had started the attack—Reversed Causality." Suddenly, Patroclus's eyes lit up with fire.
"Reversed Causality..." Zhang Jin chewed on the words as the gravity of the revelation setting in.
"Gosh! Doesn't that mean he is invincible?"
"If he knows how to reverse nature's causality, then yes," Patroclus replied, seemingly unaffected by the discovery.
"Are you planning to finish the fight before he could use that ability? That is not your usual style, you know?"
"You know me the best. I had been waiting for so many years, and perhaps I could finally get what I wanted: a defeat. So, who cares about styles?" Patroclus said with glee.
Unable to comprehend Patroclus's logic, Zhang Jin shook her head and sighed.
Zhang Jin noticed that as Wang Tong revealed more power after each match, Patroclus had become increasingly lighthearted. But, a question still tugged at Zhang Jin's heart: How powerful exactly was Wang Tong?
Zhang Jin knew little about Wang Tong, but she knew a great deal about Patroclus—at least she thought she did—so her estimate of the results of their showdown was fifty-fifty. The odds were much against Wang Tong before his victory over Li Shiming.
The excitement and anticipation brought a curl onto Zhang Jin's lips. She conceded that Wang Tong had breathed a new life into the landscape of METAL combat, shaken things up, and made them much more entertaining to watch.
As if time had turned back, Zhang Jin remembered her first encounter with Wang Tong, the wild boy with a robust smile and tatted clothing. Who would have thought that he could make such an impact on the world?
It was not only Wang Tong's smile that was memorable to Zhang Jin, but it was also the freedom and liveliness that burned inside his eyes.
Compare to other fighters, let it be Li Shiming, Patroclus, or Lie Jian, Wang Tong stood on the stage without the constraints and the weight of worldly matters. Therefore, it was much easier for him to show everyone who he was, and unleash his full potential without worrying about consequences.
Unlike Patroclus who had already gotten too familiar with his power even to bother fighting anyone he considered unworthy, Wang Tong would gladly accept any fight or challenge and discover new abilities in the process.
As Zhang Jin marveled at the dramatic turn of events, Wang Tong's earnest voice rang in her mind.
Although Wang Tong had won the battle, it was a costly victory. Both combatants were gravely injured, and the three days of resting period might not be enough for Wang Tong to fully recover his soul energy.
No visitors were allowed while both warriors were in the emergency care units. After seeing their powers, the politicians knew that they had gained two Einherjar materials, and they needed to be protected at all expenses.
Li Shiming was in a more critical condition than Wang Tong. Although his ultimate ability was powerful, Wang Tong's attacks were so unpredictable that no mortal human could hope to defend against them. However, even after Li Shiming was dealt a blow unwittingly, the amazing technique of One with the Sword had allowed Li Shiming to follow up with a strike and injure his attacker.
Nevertheless, Li Shiming's attack came too late, and he had lost the battle—that was a reality that he had to come to terms with.
Inside the medic pod, nano-bots were working diligently to fix Wang Tong's body. Although he was immobilized in the pod, Wang Tong's mind raced as he tried to remember his final attack. However, he couldn't remember a thing.
Without that mysterious final strike, he would not have been able to overcome Li Shiming, not even with his three consecutive strikes of "Layered Lance of Einherjar."
"Kiddo, you are getting better, especially that final attack. Without it, you would have been dead already."
"Thank you, Mr. Wannabe. You have been very supportive. "
"Well, tell you the truth, my money was not on you in the last match. His father is an Einherjar, and he started training much earlier than you. It was a no-brainer."
Too tired to reply, Wang Tong showed Mr. Wannabe a middle finger.