Battle of the Four Cornerstones

Xiao He also thought Zhang Ming's debut was brilliant, as he basically controlled the entire situation single-handedly. Of course, he didn't actually know what exactly happened on the field, because Zhang Ming's hallucinations affected everyone.

However, this was only possible because no one knew about Zhang Ming's Superpower. Once everyone is more prepared for his Superpower next time, this illusion will be exposed.

Furthermore, besides using illusions to make the enemy "think" he is injured, he himself must also possess the means to harm the enemy. Otherwise, the enemy could easily break Zhang Ming's abilities simply by doubting what they see.

This Superpower certainly has unlimited potential, but its effectiveness still depends on Zhang Ming himself.

As the three players came off the field, Cui Man first praised them, "You did a great job! Isn't that fantastic? You won the second match smoothly, so the game against Australian Team is now our victory."

The difference between team matches and individual matches lies in the "best of three" format, so after winning two consecutive matches, they won the first round.

"Oh, easy peasy. Those Mutant from abroad are nothing special. Level 5, huh?" Zhang Ming said smugly.

But Xiao He bluntly exposed him. "You can only be so smug for a moment because people don't know about your Superpower yet. Your handling of the details is a complete mess. Those ground spikes couldn't possibly pierce a human body so easily."

"As long as he believes it, that's fine!" Zhang Ming said, dissatisfied.

Xiao He continued, "Furthermore, your final act of deliberately severing Scott's hands to steal the spotlight is a huge plot hole. Besides..."

"Anything else?" Zhang Ming muttered under his breath.

Han Tianyu elbowed him, saying, "Don't interrupt Mr. Yinglong's speech!"

Xiao He cleared his throat and continued, "Furthermore, your personal abilities are also very important. If you rely solely on illusions and don't have a way to harm the enemy yourself, then your illusions will be ineffective."

"Tch... I get it." Zhang Ming was a little unconvinced, but he didn't dare say, "If you're so good, then you do it," because the other person was just too good.

Cui Man watched from the side and nodded in satisfaction: Zhang Ming is the type who doesn't listen to ordinary people, so the only one who can't talk back to him is Yinglong, who has defeated him twice.

They've won the first round of the team competition, and now they have a half-hour break to adjust.

"Alright, you six newcomers, take a break," Cui Man instructed Han Tianyu and the others. "The next round is the time to showcase the might of our Dragon Country, so..."

At this point, Cui Man fixed her gaze on Xiao He, Xie Haining, and Xia Yu, her face full of trust and satisfaction. "The next two matches will be played by Yinglong, Gluttonous Beast, and Candle Dragon. It's time for the Four Cornerstones of the Special Response Department to show their strength and shut up those who doubt you, understand?"

Although only three of the Four Cornerstones were on the field, Xiao He's ability was activated by Ye Wanqing, so although only three people were involved, it was a battle of the Four Cornerstones.

For some reason, when Cui Man mentioned the "Four Cornerstones," everyone in the Dragon Country's rest area immediately felt that they had already won this round of the competition. Except...

"Isn't a round of competition supposed to consist of three matches?" Zhang Ming asked, spoiling the mood.

Everyone present immediately fixed their gaze on him.

"You mean, you think I'll lose a match?" Xiao He asked, arms crossed, his expression menacing.

Zhang Ming pondered for a moment, then changed the subject, "Um, I'm a little hungry, I'm going to get something to eat..."

Xiao He, Xie Haining, and Xia Yu hadn't played before, so they didn't need a rest and could start playing immediately.

"I have only one request." Before getting on the elevator, Cui Man pressed her index finger to Xiao He's forehead, "After defeating your opponents, don't disturb them. Let them demonstrate their strength."

"Okay." Xiao He nodded readily. "I will only intervene if they are in danger."

The second team was Team Y Country. After a commercial break and a prize draw, the host announced the participants for the second round, "For the second round, Dragon Country has sent their first-generation Mutant: Yinglong, Gluttonous Beast, and... Zhu-Long! So, does Y Country have a way to deal with 'Yinglong'? Let's wait and see!"

Xiao He, Xie Haining, and Xia Yu arrived at the preparation room, but did not rush to appear. Looking at Xie Haining and Xia Yu in front of him, Xiao He suddenly felt very at ease for some reason: after all, they had come all this way together and were completely trustworthy companions.

Xie Haining instructed, "You guys focus on your own attacks first. Xia Yu, if you feel pressured, try to stall for time. If even stalling for time is difficult, you must come to me and Yinglong's side. Don't try to be reckless, understand?"

"Okay!" Xia Yu nodded obediently with a smile. "I will try my best!"

"No, I think Old Xie meant that you shouldn't work too hard and should prioritize safety..." Xiao He explained.

"Okay, Brother Xiao!" Xia Yu replied cheerfully, but Xie Haining didn't seem to believe she would do that.

At this point, the host began introducing the three Mutant from Y Country: "Y Country has sent three Mutant: 'Thunder God,' 'DE Makina,' and 'Truthspeaker'! Let's look forward to the competition! Please welcome the contestants to the stage with applause!"

Xiao He, Xie Haining, and Xia Yu arrived on the field, and a burst of cheers greeted them.

Xiao He glanced at the other party's Mutant: Thunder God had fought him before, and his intelligence was very comprehensive. He believed that Xia Yu and Xie Haining should be able to handle it.

The remaining two are a man and a woman. The female Mutant is dressed in a gray hooded blouse, brown shorts, black stockings, and Doc Martens—just like an ordinary person; this is clearly "Makina." The other man, tall and thin, is wearing a black tuxedo and a top hat; he should be "The Truthspeaker."

At first glance, neither of these two seemed particularly strong in combat, so Xiao He turned to the Truthspeaker.

Actually, there's a very simple rule for 3v3 team matches: if the three players can coordinate their abilities, then it's naturally more worthwhile to play as a team. By covering for each other and cooperating, one plus one can sometimes be greater than two.

However, if the three players lack synergy, it's best to divide the team match into three 1v1 matches and let each player compete based on their individual skills, seeing who has the strongest remaining player.

Just as Xiao He attacked the Truthspeaker, Makina suddenly stood in front of him.

"Ward?" Xiao He seemed somewhat surprised. "What? Do you think I wouldn't lay a hand on a woman?"

"Of course not, this is a competition, I don't expect anyone to go easy on me," Makina smiled slightly, "But I'm the strongest one here, so only I can hold you off."

"You're the strongest one?" Xiao He was slightly surprised, but Superpower can't judge a book by its cover when it comes to superpowers, so he didn't let his guard down. Instead, he raised his hand and used his Psychokinesis to separate the two of them from the other four.

"Oh my, the renowned Yinglong actually wants to have a private date with me, what an honor!" Makina laughed, taking off her hat. The blonde, blue-eyed girl from Y Country looked to be only eighteen or nineteen years old. Although she was wearing smoky makeup, she had a very sweet appearance and a curvaceous figure. A few freckles on her face added a touch of playfulness to her look.

However, compared to Ye Wanqing, this girl still lacked a certain something.

"Anyway, let's give it a try." Xiao He thought to himself, then rushed towards Makina and punched her on the head.

"Ares, Ares!" Makina shouted, raising her hand. A red blade descended from the sky and struck Makina. The next moment, she was dressed in a majestic golden armor. The armor was decorated with axe blades on the shoulders, while the elbows, knees, and ankles were covered with sharp blades. She also held a red greatsword in her hand.

"The blessing of Ares of War? What are the effects?" Xiao He wondered with interest, then punched her on the head.

Makina wielded her greatsword with elegant and fluid movements, perfectly showcasing the power of the sword's unique streamlined blade. Xiao He felt a sharp pain in his hand and instinctively pulled his hand back.

"Oh!?" Xiao He looked at his hand; his glove was pierced, and a thin line of blood was seeping out: this sword had actually managed to hurt him...

"Oh, what a waste," Makina said with heartache. "That blood contains Miracle Factor."

"Heh..." Xiao He chuckled, unleashing his kinetic energy from his feet as he charged toward Makina.

But this time, Makina actually took the initiative to come forward, and her movements were extremely graceful, almost inhuman, perfectly synchronized with her armor and sword.

Xiao He guessed that this was probably the fighting instinct she had gained from the blessing of Ares, the god of war.

In the instant their figures passed each other, Makina knelt down and slid under Xiao He, using the momentum of her forward charge to sweep her greatsword across Xiao He, leaving a trail of red light.

However, Makina also realized that something was wrong: her attack had been absorbed by Xiao He.

Xiao He was unharmed. After landing, he pushed off the ground and launched another attack on Makina.

Makina skillfully dodged Xiao He's attacks and waited for an opportunity to launch her own. Although she wielded a greatsword almost as tall as herself, her movements were exceptionally agile, and her timing for counterattacks was impeccable.

Her combat skills were truly beyond the reach of ordinary people; they were nothing short of divine.

But human skills are not necessarily useless.

Xiao He withstood one of the opponent's attacks, and then, taking advantage of the moment when Makina's center of gravity shifted forward, he grabbed at Makina's face.

Unable to adjust her center of gravity, Makina had no way to avoid it. Xiao He slapped her across the face and slammed her to the ground, creating a dent in the ground.

"Ah--!" Makina wasn't injured at all; instead, she let out a beautiful moan, "I was pushed down by Yinglong!"

As she spoke, Makina reached out and grabbed Xiao He's arm, stealing glances at him through his fingers. "My heart is beating so fast!"

"You madman!" Xiao He was a little angry and raised his right fist to punch Makina in the face. But Makina immediately raised her legs and wrapped them around his neck. The two bodies intertwined and twisted, and the next moment Makina locked him in Armbar.

"Ares's blessing will grant me mastery of all martial arts." Makina smiled slightly, twisting Xiao He's arm behind his back. However, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't break his arm. His arm was like steel, and no matter how much force she used, her strength vanished as if it had sunk into the sea.

"Forget about Ares' blessing," Xiao He said, supporting himself with his foot, then lifting Makina to his feet. "Even if Ares came on his own, he wouldn't be a match for me."

After speaking, Xiao He raised his other hand towards Makina, channeling the accumulated kinetic energy into Makina's armor, causing the impact to explode. Makina cried out in surprise, thrown backward by the attack, before regaining her balance in mid-air and landing on the ground.

Makina was stunned for a moment, then her armor cracked open with a "snap." Judging from the situation, it seemed that another blow would completely shatter the armor.

"What you say may have a point," Makina smiled slightly, "But my task is not to defeat you, but to buy you time."

With that, Makina raised her hand and shouted, "Hermes!"

A gentle breeze swept past her, and her heavy armor vanished instantly, revealing her as an ordinary person, except that a small wing had appeared next to her Martin boots.

"I know about her Superpower now," Cui Man said into the earpiece. "Her nickname is DE Makina, full name is deus-ex-ma***** (the **** part happens to be the English word for Dragon Country, which will trigger a harbinger of harmony), which means 'Deus ex Machina,' a technique from classical drama. When certain predicaments cannot be solved, a god is summoned to solve the problem, creating a plot twist."

"Who cares?" Xiao He chuckled. "Even if she really has the blessing of the gods, I'll still defeat her."

"I already said," Makina smiled slightly, her figure flashing as she appeared behind Xiao He in the next instant, "My mission is not to defeat you, but simply to buy time for my teammates to win."

"Then you're going to be disappointed," Xiao He said with a slight smile. "You can't delay me, and your teammates can't win either."

Meanwhile, on the other side of the field, Thunder God was also engaged in a fierce battle with Xie Haining.

"What the hell are you running around for?! Come on, let's fight!" Thunder God roared in exasperation.

"I've been playing well," Xie Haining replied calmly, "I'm just waiting for my chance."

"Hiss..." Thunder God roared angrily, then pointed at Xie Haining and shouted, "I thought you, a Level 2, had some special Superpower, but... you're just a piece of trash!? You actually sent me to stall me, does the Dragon Country look down on me!?"

"I need to correct you," Xie Haining said, pulling a Magnum pistol from his pocket. "I'm not at LV2."

That's right, Xie Haining is the second-to-last ranked Mutant in this Mutant Competition, with a score only slightly higher than that of the Balance Man Sebastian. This is only because Xie Haining's body became much stronger after his tumor was cured, and he continued to train for a period of time, which allowed his physique to improve to a level close to LV2.

Therefore, based on this rating difference, Xie Haining is allowed to use some necessary weapons. The immense power of the Magnum pistol is roughly equivalent to a heavy punch to Thunder God.

"..." A vein bulged on Thunder God's forehead; he was clearly furious. "I'll kill you!"

After saying that, Thunder God pounced on Xie Haining, delivering a heavy sweeping punch, with lightning dancing along the trajectory of his fist.

Xie Haining remained calm and gracefully took a small step forward while leaning back, barely avoiding Thunder God's fist. The lightning made his hair stand on end, but it didn't hurt him.

After dodging the attack Xie Haining kicked Thunder God in the stomach. Of course, the kick wouldn't hurt Thunder God, but Xie Haining used it to fly backward, then grabbed Thunder God's arm and swung on it, landing on Thunder God's arm before firing a shot at Thunder God's forehead.

"Bang!" A gunshot rang out. The bullet couldn't penetrate Thunder God's skull, but he was still knocked backward.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Xie Haining leaped onto Thunder God's arm, placed his hand on Thunder God's chest, and landed behind him. He then fired another shot at the back of Thunder God's knee, causing Thunder God to lose his balance and fall backward.

Thunder God struggled to steady himself, but then he realized that Xie Haining had secretly slipped a grenade into his chest while pressing it against him. He only had time to curse "Shit!" before the grenade exploded.

Thunder God could no longer maintain his balance and fell flat on his back with a scream. Xie Haining grabbed Thunder God's wrist, leaped lightly, and used his own weight and skillful force to twist Thunder God's wrist backward. Then, he delivered a low kick to Thunder God's elbow, and the sound of bones dislocating rang out.

Thunder God screamed in agony, lightning crackling wildly around him, but Xie Haining had already retreated from his attack range: during the previous battle, he had observed Thunder God's attack range and attack patterns, so he was on guard.

Xie Haining jumped back a step, aimed at Thunder God on the ground, and pulled the trigger. The bullet accurately hit Thunder God's forehead.

Thunder God shuddered as if he'd been punched, dazed as he tried to get up. Xie Haining landed with a backflip and immediately slid in front of Thunder God.

Thunder God was still trying to get up, so he remained kneeling. Xie Haining threw a grenade at him, then nimbly leaped onto his back, raising his gun to the back of Thunder God's head.

The moment the grenade exploded, Xie Haining also pulled the trigger. Thunder God was thrown into the air by the explosion, and at the same time, he was shot in the back of the head.

Xie Haining used the shockwave from Thunder God to jump into the air, adjusted his posture as he fell, and slammed his right elbow hard into the back of Thunder God's head.

Several attacks hit his head in succession, and even with Thunder God's LV4 defense rating, he groaned and collapsed to the ground unconscious.

Xie Haining landed lightly on the ground, kneeling on one knee, just like an elegant dancer.

After a long while, he rubbed his right elbow and said, "... It really hurts."

A gasp of surprise rippled through the audience.

"What elegant and fluid movements!" the host couldn't help but exclaim. "Contestant Candle Dragon danced on the edge of a blade like a ballerina! With his LV2 ability, relying on human weapons and dazzling skills, he defeated the LV4 Thunder God without a scratch! It's like a mortal defeating a god! He showed us that gods can be defeated!"