A Pounce on Sight, No Beating a Hacker

Live broadcast?! Imperial Dynasty Defies Heaven's heart skipped a beat.

He had almost forgotten about that.

If I slack off too obviously, or get eliminated in the opening moments, I'll really make a fool of myself in front of the whole world... I underestimated things before.

Besides, being on the same team as a pro player, where's the room for improvement?

Thinking about it this way, he suddenly realized that taking on this task was a mistake.

[System: Countdown ended, event officially begins! Your opponent is a player from 1st District!]

[Please specify the match type within one minute. If both players select the same type, the subsequent two matches will be randomly assigned by the system.]

At the same time, 1st District also received a system notification.

The regional channels of the two regions were temporarily connected, and the shouts of players from both sides were simultaneously displayed to each other.

"1st District... I remember they had a fierce internal war, full of war-oriented guilds, and the average player strength was very high."

"We're not very lucky."

"That's right, 'Penglai Island' and 'Rugged Glory' in 1st District are still locked in a fierce battle."

"I have a friend there who says they fight every day, and almost everyone there has a history of war crimes. They're tough guys."

"No matter how strong 1st District, it's only compared to other regions. Against our 3rd District... I'm afraid it'll be a disaster, right?"

Indeed, when players in 1st District saw the name of the region they were matched with, they almost all wailed in despair.

"Who was the unlucky one who clicked 'confirm'? Isn't it said that the confirmation time also affects matchmaking luck?"

"Stop with the mystical stuff upstairs, it's just bad luck."

"Of all the regions, I had to run into the 3rd District I least wanted to encounter!"

"Damn it, what a bad start! We're so unlucky."

"Other areas are probably overjoyed, they've dodged a bullet."

"You guys still have the nerve to joke around? The loser gets to randomly select players to inflict negative status effects! Who knows what kind of weird effects they'll get? Is it too late for me to switch servers?!"

Not only was there a lot of discussion in the 1st District, but players in other regions who were watching the forums also breathed a sigh of relief.

"Okay, thanks to 1st District for 'clearing the mines'. 17th District is safe now."

"Thank you for the sacrifice of the District 1."

"The worst hasn't happened; now it's up to each individual to see how they perform!"

"Brothers from 1st District, we remember your contributions! Good luck, and if you get incredibly lucky, a comeback isn't impossible!"

Upon receiving the notification, the command structure of Zone 1 also experienced a brief period of panic.

However, they quickly calmed down.

Although the possibility is low, they are not without contingency plans.

"What's the panic! At worst, we'll just give up one race."

"It's not a guaranteed loss. There are four matches. If we play well in the last two, we still have a chance!"

"Yes, don't get discouraged first."

"We are not without the ability to fight. Even if we have the advantage in matchups, we can still win."

"We really won! We're Legend!"

"Then... as originally planned, a doubles match?"

"It was all arranged long ago, a doubles event. Godfall, tomorrow, it's up to you guys!"

Line 1 has placed its bets on the doubles competition.

Godfall's "Absolution" skill has extremely high burst damage and can quickly suppress opponents, especially effective against Priest. As long as there is no interference from others, it can control Priest to the point of being unable to move.

Therefore, the environment of the two-person track is extremely favorable to him.

Another contestant, "I Bet My Youth on Tomorrow," Heavenly Strategist.

The reason for not choosing "Priest" is the concern that the other party might have talents or professions that are effective against Priest.

Priest, after all, too easily restrained.

The Heavenly Strategist offers a more balanced approach to both offense and defense, making it a prudent choice.

Moreover, "Tomorrow's" talent is extremely suited for one-on-one battles.

[Mutual Conversion (Level): Allows you to choose to convert Strength to Intelligence, or Intelligence to Strength, within a limited time. Conversion lasts 30 seconds, with a 120-second cooldown.]

This talent is quite similar to "sacrifice".

If it weren't for avoiding Chongxing on the singles track, he would have been the perfect candidate to compete in the singles duel tomorrow.

System notification: "The selection process for the designated match type has ended. Both sides have selected 2v2 combat. Subsequent matches will be assigned by the system. The second option is a 5v5 team battle, and the third option is a guild war."

"Oh no! What's going on? The third lane also chose duo mode? What kind of strategy is this?"

Not only were players in the District 1 confused, but spectators in other regions were also baffled, and the forums were immediately abuzz with discussion.

"What are the District 3 thinking? Ignoring top-tier talent is like sitting on a mountain of treasure and starving—what a waste!"

"I don't understand either, why give up on the solo track? Let's take another look."

"This has really piqued my curiosity. I've even forgotten about the matches in my own region, and I have to come and watch this showdown."

The first match was a highly anticipated two-player battle, where both teams were simultaneously teleported to a randomly generated battlefield.

Since the arena terrain is different for each match, players do not need to adapt to the environment in advance; their advantage depends entirely on luck.

Starting lineup:

"Godfall (Swordsman) + I Bet My Youth on Tomorrow (Heavenly Strategist) vs. Chongxing (Priest) + Imperial Dynasty Defies Heaven (Heavenly Strategist)"

The team on the left is from the District 1, and the team on the right is from the District 3.

The moment the player roster was announced, all the God's Domain in the game were taken aback.

"I have to admire the strategy of the third-line command! It was truly unexpected, catching the front-line troops off guard!"

"This is practically a modern-day version of Tian Ji's horse racing strategy. You think you're using a stratagem, but you've actually been outmaneuvered."

"Excellent! Thumbs up for the commander of Zone Three!"

"That's incredible! If I were a player on the field and suddenly saw the opposing team with an unexpected lineup, I'd probably panic too, right?"

"So, are the players in the District 1 really panicking?"

There was indeed a moment of hesitation, but both Godfall and Mingtian were experienced and composed masters, and they quickly regained their composure.

Both sides have now been transported to the arena, with less than a minute remaining before the start of the match.

The arena was much larger than I had imagined, with cover and obstacles scattered everywhere.

The two could very well use the terrain to silently approach their opponent and try to defeat one of them first—the target being the Heavenly Strategist!

The two worked in perfect harmony, locking onto the same target almost instantly.

In a typical team, the Priest might be targeted first.

However, they knew perfectly well that they were not confident they could quickly resolve the Chongxing, so they could only risk suppressing the Imperial Dynasty Defies Heaven first!

At this moment, "Imperial Dynasty Defies Heaven" was unaware that it had become the opponent's primary target. It was still thinking about how to deal enough damage before Chongxing its power, so as not to lose face for Century Imperial City.

As he was secretly making plans, he heard Chongxing beside him say, "After the game starts, we don't need to go deep into the arena. We'll just stay here and wait for them to come."

"Stay close to me and don't move without permission."

Zhang Mingzhen had already scanned the arena map—the entire arena was circular, wide in area, and scattered with obstacles.

If the two advance rashly, they are easily separated and ambushed by their opponents.

While he himself was fearless, the Imperial Dynasty Defies Heaven might not be able to handle the situation.

The two have never worked together before and lack chemistry; if separated, he may not be able to provide timely assistance.

It would be better to remain still and observe.

Once the enemy has searched the entire map but can't find you, they will naturally advance towards your spawn point, allowing you to wait in ambush.

He shared his idea with the Imperial Dynasty Defies Heaven, who nodded in agreement.

After all, neither of them had participated in closed team training and had no experience in ring teamwork—because Zhang Mingzhen hadn't wasted any time on training.

"Okay, I will definitely follow you closely."

"But what if they get close and take control of the situation, and we're standing too close and get restricted at the same time?"

Both opponents are melee classes, especially Godfall, whose skills are rumored to be primarily focused on control.

If the two players are positioned close together and are thus controlled by the area of effect, the situation may take a sharp turn for the worse.

"They won't have that chance," Zhang Mingzhen replied firmly, and then said no more.

The system displayed the message: "Countdown begins: three, two, one, begin!"

Like arrows released from a bow, Godfall and Tomorrow burst forth from the starting point, speeding along the predetermined route into the arena area, constantly concealing their figures with obstacles and swiftly moving between cover.

The fluid and graceful movements drew continuous praise from the viewers in the live stream.

Their route was meticulously planned, with cover along the way, and the two team members coordinated flawlessly, without the slightest hesitation.

Judging from their movements, they clearly intend to flank the enemy—meaning they don't plan to engage in direct combat.

"That's natural. How can we go head-to-head at the start? The intimidating presence of Chongxing is Chongxing."

"The team from the District 1 did the right thing, proceeding step by step. Taking out the Heavenly Strategist first is the best strategy."

"But they've already circled around most of the way, how come they haven't run into the third team yet? Could they have had their movements detected by the other team?"

"How could that be? Chongxing haven't moved an inch; they've been guarding the spawn point the whole time."

"Wouldn't this be considered using stillness to control movement?"

"You could say it's about waiting in comfort, but the terrain near the spawn point is narrow, and the spawn area is right behind it, lacking enough room to maneuver, which is actually not conducive to the Priest's performance."

"Chongxing -type classes typically prefer open terrain with obstacles... Do they have other plans?"

"They probably have a strategy. Look, we're about to run into them!"

Godfall led his team around the area but failed to find any trace of the three teams of players. He couldn't help but wonder: Had their tactics been figured out?

Having returned halfway without finding anything, he suddenly realized that there was only one place he hadn't explored—the other party's spawn point.

They actually planned to lie in wait there and wait for their prey to come to them?

However, the terrain was not advantageous for the three teams.

Especially since both of them are melee classes, the narrower the space, the harder it is for magic-based classes like Priest to maneuver.

I really have no idea what they're planning.

The two exchanged a glance and could only rush towards the third team's spawn point, fully alert and ready to engage at any moment.

Meanwhile, Chongxing and his teammates, who were waiting in place, were not having an easy time either.

Thirty seconds after the start of the match, several vertical tornadoes will randomly rise from the arena every ten seconds. If you are not careful, you will be swept into the air, at which point you will be unable to use any skills and will be at the mercy of your opponent.

The original, unchanging strategies had to be adjusted due to the constant emergence of these new trends.

Especially for the Imperial Dynasty Defies Heaven, not only dodging tornadoes, but also maintaining a proper distance from Chongxing to avoid being instantly killed by concentrated fire, the pressure suddenly increased.

While dodging the columns of wind that kept rising up from beneath his feet, Zhang Mingzhen kept a close eye on the movements ahead.

Finally, two dark figures rushed into view at lightning speed; it was a team of players.

He secretly breathed a sigh of relief; it was good that he could see.

I don't intend to linger any longer; this contest should end.

As soon as the two entered his attack range, he raised his hand and unleashed a "Chasing Wind" attack.

The two, Godfall, were also dodging the tornadoes that could appear at any moment.

Upon spotting Chongxing and his group ahead, they immediately planned to flank them from the side.

However, three sharp Wind Blade had already pierced through the air, heading straight for the Godfall —a single blow would be fatal!

A five-figure critical hit damage number leaped directly above his head.

He collapsed to the ground!

The Wind Blade did not stop, but turned to the side and swept away the slogan "I Bet My Youth on Tomorrow".

Everything happened in the blink of an eye.

Not only Godfall two who were caught off guard, but all the players watching the live stream also found the scene utterly absurd—was this the ultimate showdown they had been waiting for?

Supporters in District 1 felt a dark cloud hanging over their hearts, almost unable to breathe.

Although they knew before the match that their chances of winning were slim, they never expected the outcome to be so dramatic, even casting a shadow over their spirits.

Players in the District 3 felt extremely honored.

"Look, this is the opponent you all intend to challenge on all fronts; this is the strength of our three fronts."

"Chongxing has shown is merely the tip of the iceberg. Today, I will let you all witness it with your own eyes."

This battle undoubtedly boosted the morale of the District 3 significantly.

The forum erupted in uproar.

Everyone knew that Chongxing was powerful, but no one expected him to reach such an unbelievable level.

Faced with absolute power, all strategies seem to lose their weight.

To defeat the District 3, one would probably have to concede at least one victory first—a reality that almost completely extinguishes any fighting spirit.

"The District 3 have won."

"I hereby assert that the District 3 have won this match."

"The champion of this year's King of Glory tournament will undoubtedly belong to one of the District 3."

"Everyone, let's disperse. Why waste time watching the matches from the District 3? I'm going back to check on my own region's results."

"Congratulations to the District 3 for securing first place ahead of schedule."

"What's the point of comparing these two? I used to think the District 3 made unclear decisions and didn't put the top players in one-on-one duels to unleash their full potential; now I realize, what did I know?"

"Even in two-player battles, they're absolutely dominant; they could probably wipe out the entire field in a five-player match."

"It's embarrassing that we know nothing about the term 'combat strength'."

The forum erupted in uproar.

Those grand pronouncements from before have vanished like smoke in the blink of an eye.

Some people hurriedly apologized to the Legend figure, admitting that their earlier boast of challenging him after the level balance was achieved was far too naive.

Some people also quietly lit virtual candles in remembrance for the frontline players.

It was a statement tinged with both sympathy and self-deprecation—they were merely the first to taste defeat, and many more were about to follow in their footsteps.

The two Godfall in the middle of the battle were far more shocked than the bystanders.

Even as the system terminated and teleported them out of the instance, the two were still unable to shake off their daze.

They were once Wind and Cloud in their region; who would have thought they would be defeated in a single move?

That wasn't even a complete skill—between half a move, two heroes fell.

Recalling his previous arrogant declaration to have a one-on-one duel with Chongxing, Godfall felt his cheeks burning. This was a slap in the face!

Back in the District 1, Godfall was met with worried glances from other players. He could only manage a wry smile and console himself, saying, "There's really nothing I can do. The other guy is definitely cheating. We're not even in the same league."

"I've dragged everyone down."