As the arena quieted down, Rockefeller slowly stood up and announced through the mic, "WELCOME… to the final battle of the pan solar system METAL tournament! To my left is PTRO-CLUS!"
The name needed no more introduction. Rockefeller announced the Ivantian's name with such volume and vigor that he felt like he had done the best MC opening of his career.
Before the announcement faded away, Patroclus walked onto the stage in a silver jacket, while cheers and shouts erupted from the crowd.
The cheers lasted for about six minutes until Zhang Zhongren stood up and cleared his throat to the mic. His voice was much deeper than Rockefeller's, "To my right, the Earthling, WANG-TONG!" The word "Earthling" evoked the immense pride in all those who shared the same planet with Wang Tong.
As Wang Tong walked onto the stage and stood side by side with Patroclus, the sixteen layers of energy shield were initiated one after another. The arena had prepared this fight as if it were a battle between two Einherjars. One could never to be too prepared, especially when the host, the Ivantians, had a bunch of cash to throw away.
The cheers shot throughout the arena. Women's faces were wet with tears while standing beside the men who had taken off their shirts off and were waving them vigorously. However, neither of the combatants could hear any of the clamor around them. They locked eyes while both momentarily held a faint smile that evaporated quickly.
They had finally reached the last mile, and both were in the condition that they wished each other to be in.
The feeling of uncertainty tingled the hair on the back of Wang Tong's neck, and the sense of imminent defeat churned his stomach. Yet, it was a refreshing and exhilarating sensation.
The two combatants bowed to each other with a great measure of respect. When they raised their torso, two rays of energies shot up on the stage, one golden and the other silver.
Both fighters were able to control their newfound level six soul energy with ease as if they were veterans.
"Kom!"
Both fighters stepped forward and executed the same move, as if one was mirroring another.
The earth trembled as lively energy rippled through Wang Tong's body. His fist punched through the fabric of the space with the new technique he had learned, "Space Warping Punch."
Li Ruoer's suspicion was right; unlike ordinary fighters, it only took Wang Tong one go to remember a set of complicated movements by rot.
Meanwhile, Patroclus finally acted more like a fighter than a disinterested on-looker, as it was clear that his powerful punch meant business. Although Patroclus's attack was as deadly as Wang Tong's, his strike did not resonate the same overbearing force in his opponent's movement.
"Kom!"
The two fists collided in the air, sending a shockwave rippling across the stage. However, neither of the two fighters were harmed, as they started their attacks again from point blank.
"Wang Tong's punch is the exemplar for the school of technique that emphasized strength! Not just any strength, but a perfect blend of hard and soft forces."
"Patroclus's punch is even more terrifying. It seemed to have utilized pressure difference to cause harm to his opponent."
The best, or worst, part of the Tactics of the Deva King was its inclusiveness. Once it was mastered, it would boost the damage output of any other technique that the cultivator used. The general process of cultivating one's power was to accumulate small increments at a time. However, ever since Patroclus had mastered the Tactics of the Deva King, he had already reached the pinnacle of technical finesse, and this technical advantage showed clearly during the battle.
The so-called "pressurized punch" used by Patroclus was much more effective in wounding the opponent than Wang Tog's brute attack. It could defeat the opponent with only minimum amount of energy.
Neither of the fighters flinched at the incoming attacks. "Wang Tong, you need more speed!"
Even as everyone thought that the power of the two attacks was at par, Patroclus's first started to pick up speed, and in a blink, the Ivantian's power surpassed Wang Tong's and forced the latter to be on the defensive side.
As Patroclus rained assaults on Wang Tong, the latter's defense finally gave in. Losing its protection, Wang Tong suddenly disappeared out of thin air. The final battle was finally about to start.
The last bout of attack was only a test of each other's mettle and strength. Under no circumstances would Wang Tong allow himself to fight so passively.
"Kom!"
Wang Tong suddenly appeared above Patroclus and bore down on him with a belligerent strike. Patroclus didn't waver as he glided his arm across the air like sharp scissor through silk, and diverted the surprise attack with ease. Wang Tong then doubled down on his aggression and forced Patroclus to crank up his defense. No one, not even Patroclus, dared take Wang Tong's full-on assault lightly.
"KOM!"
Wang Tong finally unleashed his favorite move, the Layered Fist of Tong. This time, he executed the attack to its full intent, knowing that the opponent would be able to take a full hit. As the battle pressed on, Wang Tong started to gain the upper hand in terms of initiative. Patroclus had tried a couple of time to reverse the tide, but failed. The overbearing attacks were too fast to evade and too dense to penetrate.
The power of the layered fist of Tong combined with Wang Tong's rich experience in hand to hand combat made the attacks impossible to break through. Patroclus felt that he had been brought to the stage where Wang Tong held a decisive advantage over him. What was worse, the shocking attacks left no room nor time for him to unsheathe his lance; he had no option but to focus on defense.
Led by his attack, Wang Tong inched forward as his opponent start to lose the ground.
It was the first time for the Ivantians to see their prince been pushed back by his opponent. Meanwhile, the earthlings shouted out Wang Tong's name in a feverish craze.
Wang Tong was completely engrossed in his attack while the joy of fighting against a worthy opponent gripped his heart. Wang Tong was well aware of the full power of the Layered fist of Tong, so he knew that he would have already killed his opponent if the opponent weren't Patroclus. However, not only was he not able to land a single solid blow on him, Wang Tong could feel that Patroclus's counter-attack was gaining vigor and frequency by the second.
"Wang Tong is in full control of the battle. His power will soon reach a plateau." Zhang Zhongren announced. Experience told him that prolonged fight was particularly dangerous for the aggressor. Rockefeller nodded and agreed with his partner.
The two experts didn't make things out of thin air. The battle had come to a critical moment too soon; something was amiss.
Many people believed that if Wang Tong couldn't land a solid blow anytime soon, he was bound to make mistakes as his power continued to increase.
Suddenly, Patroclus took a 180-degree turn in his strategy and unleashed a counter-attack with abandon as Wang Tong's fist hurled towards him. It was no better than a gamble. However, little did people know that the dice were loaded since Patroclus had already calculated the damage received on both ends, and he knew that Wang Tong would get the shorter end of the stick.
But one question remained: Would Wang Tong continue his attack and take a full hit?
Patroclus's attack was much more vicious and calculated that Wang Tong's, so if the latter was committed to the exchange of blows, he was bound to lose all the advantage he had built up. Unless, he was willing to take the chance, a chance that had high costs.
Only the powerful fighters such as Li Shiming could appreciate the maneuver and the finesse in Patroclus's counter attack. As the two fighters continued their paths, Patroclus's body suddenly shifted by an inch to the left and evaded Wang Tong's blow.
The impossible move both astonished and disturbed the audiences.