Red and blue light clashed again and again. Just watching the flashing colors gave the viewers goosebumps. For a moment, the normal gamers didn’t know where to look. They simply watched in awe with their jaws wide open.

It’s here!

The experts knew where the key lay. Just when the collision between skills was about to end, all of them grew nervous and put their full attention toward the battle.

5, 4, 3, 2…

They had started counting down. The last collision between weapons was about to occur. Next would be the final strike. It had been a stalemate the entire time, but this next strike would end it.

She missed her parry?

But no one had thought that before the decisive strike, Tang Rou would slip up. Her Hundred Dragon Meteor Strike had failed to parry the Formless Phantom Blade’s sword slash. Blue light invaded her territory, and blood blossomed into the air.

Hit!

The second to last Formless Phantom Blade hit Soft Mist. Hundred Dragon Meteor Strike was interrupted. The red light glowing from Dancing Fire Flowing Flames dimmed.

The final slash, the strongest hit!

The sword light gave off its most resplendent light, flying towards Soft Mist’s head…

No blood. No knockback. The sword light was still as brilliant as ever. The sword light was still flying. Shock filled the faces of the ones who noticed what had happened.

The final slash, the strongest hit had missed?

Yes, the sword light missed. Soft Mist had retreated during this short window. She had actually ran away. She had always been fierce and domineering, but suddenly, it was as if someone else were playing. This sort of play had Fang Rui’s signature written all over it.

But in the next instant.

In the next moment, the next second, Soft Mist straightened back up and charged forward!

Du Ming’s Moon Luring Frost was stuck in the end lag from Formless Phantom Blade. There was no way for him to resist…

How did things turn out like this?

The experts were no longer thinking about the ongoing battle. They couldn’t understand what had just happened. If you could escape one of Formless Phantom Blade’s strikes by taking the previous one, then the skill would be too flawed.

However, Tang Rou’s Soft Mist had done it, and by taking the second to last hit, she dodged the final one. Then, the ending lag from the Formless Phantom Blade left the opponent with a huge opening.

The stadium screen immediately began showing a replay, starting from when the two skills clashed.

Once, twice…

The pro players could start to see the reason.

“Watch Soft Mist’s movements.”

“Her parries weren’t just to defend, but to guide…”

“Pay attention to the last one”

“The parry that she missed left an opening exactly where Tang Rou wanted him to attack.”

“Yes, taking the hit helped her get to the right position for the next one…”

“She had been setting it up bit by bit, and Du Ming didn’t notice it at all.”

“Not just Du Ming, did any of us catch it?”

Silence. From rookies to Gods, the ones who caught on the fastest were only able to catch it on the replay.

“Finally, she used the sort of micro-control that Fang Rui specializes in to dodge the final strike…”

“After that, counterattack…”

Yes, counterattack.

While the pro players were analyzing this play, Tang Rou had already started swinging her spear. Fang Rui’s dirty style had only appeared for an instant, then, it was back to her usual fierceness.

Due to being in a stunned state from the skill, Moon Luring Frost was in an even harder-to-break combo.

Du Ming didn’t understand why his Formless Phantom Blade’s final strike didn’t land. He didn’t have the time or resources to carefully analyze a replay like the pro players had done.

He needed to worry about the present. How could he get Moon Luring Frost out of Soft Mist’s combo, or find an opportunity to counterattack?

But Tang Rou wouldn’t give him any opportunities. She quickly reached the end of her combo. The combo had been so short that it felt rather wasteful.

Rising Dragon Soars the Sky!

Battle magic transformed into a dragon and flew into the air. Moon Luring Frost was still under Soft Mist’s control, and couldn’t dodge this attack.

However, Du Ming let out a sigh of relief.

Rising Dragon Soars the Sky was similar to Formless Phantom Blade. It had a long ending animation, so it couldn’t be comboed into anything. As for false combos, that depended on the situation. Moon Luring Frost was sent flying as one would expect. Du Ming didn’t see her setting-up any follow-ups.

Boom!

The Rising Dragon Soars the Sky ended, and the battle magic exploded. The glimmering light enshrouded Moon Luring Frost.

Soft Mist was stuck in the skill’s ending animation, but after Du Ming’s Moon Luring Frost was hit by the attack, he wouldn’t be able to move immediately. The explosive battle magic still rippled with power.

Tang Rou’s Soft Mist finished retracting her spear and immediately attacked again.

Raise spear, charge!

Dragon Breaks the Ranks!

That’s it?

Du Ming was somewhat surprised. Moon Luring Frost had already recovered. Because of the distance, dodging this Dragon Breaks the Ranks wouldn’t be difficult. Tang Rou’s impulsive usage of the skill would give him an opportunity to counterattack. Although Dragon Breaks the Ranks didn’t have a notable ending lag, if she missed, it was still quite a big opening.

There was no time to think. Du Ming had Moon Luring Frost dodge the attack. Although it wouldn’t be difficult, that was only from a pro player’s perspective. For a normal player, Tang Rou’s sudden Dragon Breaks the Ranks wouldn’t be so easy to react to.

Opportunity only came once.

Move to the side, counterattack!

Du Ming’s intentions were clear. After figuring out the timing, he made his move.

Move to the side, unsheath sword, and swing, all in one breath.

He turned and unsheathed his sword, but he unexpectedly wasn’t able to move to the side.

He looked to the side. In front of his eyes was a giant wall. A wall that was very very close to him. As a result, he wasn’t able to fully swing his sword. The sword light was blocked by the wall.

Du Ming stared blankly.

He had missed the timing. Soft Mist had arrived.

Dragon Breaks the Ranks!

Her spear, Dancing Fire Flowing Flame, struck Moon Luring Frost. Du Ming felt himself getting pushed on both sides. His viewpoint began getting smaller and smaller.

A scene suddenly floated into Du Ming’s mind.

In the previous round, Lu Boyuan’s Chaotic Cloudy Mountains had been pinned to the wall by the Dragon Breaks the Ranks and was killed.

A hole the size of a person had remained in the wall. In the group arena, damage to the map would remain.

Rising Dragon Soars the Sky had sent him into this hole. The exploding battle magic interfered with his sight, and pushed him even deeper.

At this moment, Dragon Breaks the Ranks…

Moon Luring Frost was sent even deeper. He was trapped inside the hole.

Left, right, retreat, jump?

He couldn’t.

There was only one direction: forward.

And forward was Soft Mist…