Rest in Peace, Battle-Hardened King (2)

In Episode 199, Takasago Kazuma instinctively jumped to block, but his center of gravity instantly gave way, and he staggered to one side.

Chi Tong remained composed, strolling between Muto Tadashi and Takasago Kazuma as they lay on the floor before heading straight beneath Hainan's basket.

He planted his feet, gently cradled the basketball in his palm, and calmly watched the hoop without the slightest hint of urgency.

Then, with a slight flick of his wrist, the ball left his palm, spinning softly as it dropped steadily through the basket.

The sound of the ball swishing through the net rang clearly across the entire arena.

Everyone stared dumbfounded at the court—at Chi Tong beneath the basket, at Muto Tadashi and Takasago Kazuma still sprawled on the floor, and at Maki Shinichi, frozen in place with vacant eyes. The once-noisy arena instantly fell into an even stranger silence than before.

The deathly silence lasted several seconds before the thunderous cheers from Ryonan's bench shattered it. Taoka Moichi leaped up from his seat, his face brimming with excitement.

Xiangtian Yanyi bounced up and down as she cheered, "That was amazing!"

"Captain Chi Tong is incredible!"

Meanwhile, Hainan's players looked as though every last bit of strength had been drained from them. When Muto Tadashi and Gao Sha climbed to their feet, their faces were bloodless, and the only thing left in their eyes as they looked at Chi Tong was undisguised helplessness.

The game continued, and time passed second by second. The gap on the scoreboard widened like a rolling snowball, with Ryonan visibly crushing Hainan. The arena had become almost one-sidedly silent.

Hainan's players grew heavier and heavier on their feet, their defensive movements sluggish as though they had been filled with lead. Even their most basic passes repeatedly went awry.