However, knowing was one thing, actually being able to use this knowledge on the field was another.
If knowing could solve all problems, then that would make competitions far too easy.
Mo Fan had used Shadow Dance to open up this exchange, and the mass of shadow clones distracted Huang Shaotian. This was a very clever opening move and Huang Shaotian had been completely tricked by it. He hadn't thought for a moment that this SHadow Dance was a mere distraction.
By the time the strike from the Underground Tunneling Technique slashed at Troubling Rain's throat, it was too late for Huang Shaotian to react.
Bird Fall, Flame Cut, Neck Bind Technique, Flickering Charge!
Four consecutive Ninja skills, the first three flawlessly executed in midair, the speed making the audience watch on in awe. By the time applause rose from the audience, Deception had already completed all four skills. Their eyes could barely keep up with the movements and Troubling Rain was completely helpless against it, all the skills hitting solidly.
Who would spare a thought for caring about how Deception was a scrap-picker now? The audience roared their excitement; this was a rookie! And right now, God Huang Shaotian was completely helpless against this rookie! What skill!
After Flickering Charge, there was a slight pause in the offensive. It seemed that Mo Fan had hesitated for a moment, but upon seeing Troubling Rain still struggling to orient himself, he immediately charged forwards with another attack.
Ninja Arts: Cicada Shell Double Slash!
Deception chopped both hands towards Troubling Rain's staggering form, but didn't expect a sword to flash out at him.
Sword light swept right into Mo Fan's line of sight.
Hit!
Blood splashed out and this time it was Mo Fan who didn't have time to dodge. Troubling Rain was still staggering, trying to orient himself after those attacks. He might not be steady, but his sword was. What terrifying adaptability and control!
At the same time, Huang Shaotian's typing was also very steady.
"Heh, you're stretching yourself a little too thin." Huang Shaotian said even as Troubling Rain continued to steady himself and unleashed another attack.
Blade Storm!
Even under the current circumstances, the skill Huang Shaotian had managed to unleash was the powerful Level 65 Blade Master skill. The relentless stabs had blades sweep at Deception like a storm.
Substitution Technique!
Mo Fan resolutely gave up on resisting, using an escape skill.
The straw man that was substituted in was instantly torn asunder by Blade Storm. Mo Fan didn't dare have the escaping Deception launch another attack, aiming for a large tree behind him and leaping up into it with a few swings on his ninjato, looking down at Troubling Rain from up high.
Has he seen through me? That was what Mo Fan was thinking to himself then.
"Blue Rain's seen through it," Ye Xiu, on the bench, had already come to this conclusion.
You're stretching yourself a little too thin.
The audience probably hadn't thought anything of Huang Shaotian's words. Even the commentators were discussing the moment of hesitation after Flickering Charge and before Cicada Shell Double Slash.
"He shouldn't have hesitated!" Li Yibo said.
"He is a rookie, after all. He lacks experience!" Pan Lin sighed.
The two had noticed Mo Fan's hesitation, but didn't know the true reason behind it.
Mo Fan's hesitation was because he knew that he couldn't execute the following attack flawlessly. After that Flickering Charge, he could feel his focus slipping. It was just that it seemed like a great chance, so after hesitating for a moment, he went for it.
However, as reality had proved, Huang Shaotian wasn't an easy opponent to take on when he wasn't at his peak state. Even with his character stumbling around for balance, the Sword Draw Troubling Rain had used had still accurately struck Deception.
So, Mo Fan gave up trying. No matter what Huang Shaotian followed up with, he already had his Substitution Technique at the ready, fleeing first and thinking later.
"Huh?" Seeing Mo Fan's Deception dart up a tree, Pan Lin and Li Yibo were completely befuddled.
"That was a great chance for an attack! How come he didn't take it?" Li Yibo mumbled. This Happy! He could never manage to figure out what they were thinking! What was this strategy now? Just now, after he had used the Substitution Technique to escape Blades Storm, Deception had landed in a prime position to counterattack! Yet Mo Fan had Deception run all the way up a tree to escape. Was this Substitution Technique really just for an escape?
"Mo Fan's being very cautious!" Pan Lin tried to be optimistic about it.
"Yeah…" Li Yibo agreed noncommittally. This was one explanation, but his intuition told him that there was another reason behind it.
Blade Storm ended up hitting a straw substitute and Huang Shaotian naturally cancelled the skill as soon as he could. He looked around, immediately finding Deception.
"You climbed so high? Trying to capitalize on the fact that I can't climb trees?" Huang Shaotian sent a sneer emote and Troubling Rain charged.
Blade Masters didn't have the ability to climb with ninjatos like Ninjas. Troubling Rain darted to the base of the tree, sword light flashing, aimed right at the trunk of the tree.
It was all normal attacks, but slice, slash, cut, swipe, the sword light slid around the trunk and instantly carved out a path in the bark. Then, over and over again, sword light cut into the bark, splintering it and sending wood shavings everywhere.
"Is Huang Shaotian trying to cut the tree down?" Pan Lin stared in shock.
"So fast!" Li Yibo exclaimed over Huang Shaotian's mechanics. In just a few moments, the cut around the trunk had deepened greatly. Mo Fan didn't even manage to react before Troubling Rain suddenly jumped back twice, Ice Rain hanging to his left before being swung out.
Sword Draw!
Dark blue sword light arced out beautifully, but soon enough, the middle of the arc dimed and died. This part of the arc had sunk into the deep cut on the tree.
Rumble!
This Sword Draw had the tree finally succumbing to it's injuries and gravity, splintering and swaying before tilting to one side.
It really did get cut down!
Everyone stared in shock. That tree wasn't thin at all. A character definitely wouldn't be able to put their arms all the way around it. Yet, in these few short moments, Huang Shaotian had gotten Troubling Rain to cut it down.
"Huang Shao so fierce!!!" On the spectator stands, Blue Brook guild's leaders led the fans into cheering.
Huang Shaotian didn't stop to gloat, retracting his sword quickly. He didn't even bother to pose before he leaped onto the tree and ran up the angle at which the tree was still falling.
Triple Slash!
Sword light opened up his path, and with the tree slowly falling and the angle becoming lower and lower, Troubling Rain was swiftly heading towards Deception, who was steadily losing his height advantage.
Shuriken!
Mo Fan was no sitting duck either, sending out a shuriken under the cover of the leaves.
Clink!
Triple Slash just so happened to collide with this Shuriken, knocking it aside. Troubling Rain's speed didn't slow in the slightest.
On this steadily falling tree, both characters moved rapidly.
Troubling Rain was charging forwards and Deception was retreating.
The tilting tree had created a lot more cover for the characters.
Hundred Streams!
Troubling Rain continued to charge, when suddenly several streams of water erupted from a nearby patch of leaves.
Rising Dragon Slash!
Huang Shaotian's reaction speed was nothing to laugh at. Troubling Rain ascended into the sky. The streams arrived, rising up and weaving into a prison, yet Troubling Rain had used this Rising Dragon Slash to escape from above, clearing the attack in a jump.
Falling Light Blade!
Then, Troubling Rain once again plummeted onto the tree. Huang Shaotian had already caught sight of Deception.
Collapsing Mountain!
Troubling Rain leaped up again upon touching the ground, slashing down towards Deception.
Deception hurriedly jumped away.
This Huang Shaotian, he'd somehow managed to twist in the air, changing Collapsing Mountain's angle and sending his Collapsing Mountain after Deception.
Mo Fan had no choice but to have Deception parry, bringing his ninjato up to meet the sword.
Clank!
The weapons clashed. Collapsing Mountain had very high priority. Just raising a ninjato to meet it wouldn't be able to deal with it at all. Deception spat blood. This represented that he had taken damage from the strike and he fell back against the tree from the force, but with a quick roll, he was back on his feet.
The two danced their deadly dance of skills along the fallen tree, their skilled mechanics sending the stadium into awe.
But that was when, in the chat, two shocked words popped up under Huang Shaotian's name, "Holy crap!!!!!!"
What?
Everyone blinked in confusion for a moment before they saw Troubling Rain disappear into the foliage of the tree with rustle.
Boom!
Soon after, the tree finally crashed fully against the ground, everything that was squashed under the tree roared with rage, dust and rocks flying up and engulfing the area like the aftermath of an explosion.
The entire scene was plunged into a cloud of dust.
Where'd Huang Shaotian go? Where was Troubling Rain? What happened?
Everyone noticed then, with shock, that Troubling Rain's health had plummeted in that moment by 50 percent. In addition to Deception's previous attacks, he only had 10 percent remaining, already at red blood.
It was lucky it was a TV broadcast, allowing them to replay a close up of what just happened. Then, everyone realized, that after Troubling Rain's Collapsing Mountain, he had stepped down to land, only to miss the tree and fall through the foliage. He had landed on the ground first, and then, the tree landed on him...
The replay was wound back a little first and then everyone realized what had actually happened.
Before, it was Deception at that position, so Huang Shaotian's Troubling Rain attacked. However, back then, Deception had stabbed his ninjato horizontally into the tree and stood on his ninjato. When he jumped away, dodging, he had taking his ninjato. The area he was perched on, hidden by the leaves, was actually devoid of branches, so there wasn't actually anything to land on there.
God Huang Shaotian had ended up falling for such a simple trap, causing his character to misstep in battle.
Even the experienced and skilled commentator pair Pan Lin and Li Yibo were lost for words in the face of this scene.
Jouissance: And thus this is why we call Huang Shaotian "Master of Fighting Trees" (战树大师 zhàn shù dà shī), which has the same pronunciation as Master Tactician in Chinese (战术大师) and only one character difference, except instead of "fighting tactics", it's "fighting trees"