Chapter 158: You Have Won

Aizhe glanced at Lou Yitong out of the corner of his eye, calculating how to deal with the situation, only to find that Wanxiu Waihao had anticipated his next move. The attacks coming at him grew even more fierce, giving him no opportunity to spare a thought for anything else, let alone handle Lou Yitong.

Although Aizhe made no move, Wanxiu Waihan’s opponent also noticed the situation. Scanning the surrounding battlefield, he refused to remain at a disadvantage. It was already certain that he would lose to Wanxiu Waihan, but if Wanxiu Waihao and his group grew stronger, their entire team would likely suffer defeat.

Glancing sideways at Lou Yitong and the two support girls, who possessed no combat strength whatsoever, he realized that if he went all out to deal with Lou Yitong first, his teammates would undoubtedly have an easier time. Furthermore, their teammates facing Zuo Chen, Zheng Chao, and Xiao Daopeng could also eliminate those three. That way, perhaps they could leverage a numerical advantage to secure victory.

With this thought in mind, he acted swiftly. Taking advantage of an opening in Wanxiu Waihan’s assault, he lunged directly toward Lou Yitong.

Without a second thought, he unleashed his full strength in a strike directed straight at Xuan Xuan and Lou Yitong.

He completely forgot that he was inside a mecha, whereas Xuan Xuan and Lou Yitong possessed no defensive measures whatsoever.

Wanxiu Waihao had trusted Xuan Xuan implicitly and hadn't been paying attention to this side, but Aizhe’s peripheral vision had never left Xuan Xuan and Lou Yitong.

Such a strike might mean little to someone equipped with a mecha, but to two girls without any mecha protection, it would undoubtedly be fatal.

The moment Aizhe spotted his teammate’s attack, he instantly abandoned his defense against Wanxiu Waihao’s preceding blow. Pushing his speed to the absolute limit in a fraction of a second, he rode the momentum of Wanxiu Waihao’s strike to accelerate even faster.

Though his mecha prevented Aizhe from reaching his ultimate speed, his movements were undeniably swift.

Kuang Shao and Zhan Yu stood up simultaneously. Although Xuan Xuan always maintained an air of mystery, neither of them had ever witnessed her true personal combat capability.

Even with the little Zhan Yu knew, anxiety made him blind to reason.

Upon seeing the action unfolding below, Kuang Shao couldn't suppress his urge to curse, "Targeting two defenseless girls—how utterly shameless!"

Naturally, Kuang Shao completely forgot that he had previously attempted to eliminate Lou Yitong first when facing Wanxiu Waihao's group.

It never crossed Kuang Shao's mind. He only thought Aizhe's teammate was being utterly shameless at that moment.

Wanxiu Lianhao remained relatively composed, though his grip on the armrests was undeniably tight.

Aikan also stood up immediately, his face turning ashen. What was Aizhe doing?

Why didn't he seize the opportunity to deal with Wanxiu Waihao? The most logical move right now was to stall Wanxiu Waihao and prevent him from saving anyone, yet Aizhe was risking an attack from behind to rush over there.

And incredibly, Aizhe was actually rushing to save his own opponent.

Realizing his opponent had shifted targets, Wanxiu Waihan gritted his teeth and hurried after him.

Xuan Xuan remained utterly calm. Watching the incoming attack, she raised a wind shield. Although this level of attack was fast, its destructive power was limited.

Three or four instantaneous wind shields would be enough to handle it. Lou Yitong had even greater faith in Xuan Xuan beside her. Completely unfazed by the impending assault, her singing remained steady and unwavering.

Spectators in the arena had also risen to their feet. They didn't understand the purpose of Lou Yitong’s singing, nor did they grasp the meaning behind Aizhe’s actions.

Yet the attack aimed at Xuan Xuan and Lou Yitong left them stunned.

In a flash, the strike reached Xuan Xuan, and at that exact moment, Aizhe arrived as well. Giving it everything he had—even using the momentum of Wanxiu Waihao's rear attack to thrust his speed to its absolute peak—he forcibly twisted his body to place himself directly in front of Xuan Xuan and Lou Yitong.

Speechless, Xuan Xuan looked at the mecha blocking her path, and with blinding speed, she erected three more protective shields in front of Aizhe. Did he not realize that if he were struck, the recoil of his mecha would inevitably sweep her and Lou Yitong along with it?

What on earth was he trying to meddle in?

The attack came to a halt right in front of Aizhe. Without a moment's hesitation, Wanxiu Waihan delivered another blow to his previous opponent, kicking him out of the arena before anyone could react.

Only then did the spectators and combatants snap back to reality. They looked at Aizhe with strange expressions. What was the purpose of his behavior?

To claim he was preventing casualties among his opponents would be a far-fetched excuse indeed!

Besides, how on earth had Aizhe blocked that attack without sustaining a single scratch on his mecha? He had merely taken two steps back.

Aizhe's strength had always lay in his speed; when had he ever displayed such formidable defensive capabilities?

By this time, Wanxiu Waihao had caught up. Wanxiu Waihan’s opponent was now out of the picture, and Zuo Chen’s trio was invigorated—not only by Lou Yitong’s support, but by the sweet taste of impending victory and the urge to retaliate against those who had attacked Xuan Xuan and Lou Yitong.

Wanxiu Waihan freed up his hands to take over Zuo Chen’s opponent, while Zuo Chen shrewdly shifted to Xiao Daopeng’s side, the two of them teaming up to handle a single foe.

Xuan Xuan watched the figures on the field with a detached expression, and Lou Yitong remained unperturbed.

Wanxiu Waihao and Aizhe were once again entangled in combat.

Yet the situation on the field shifted in an instant.

Aizhe’s team had fallen into a complete disadvantage, entirely suppressed by Wanxiu Waihan and his companions. Wanxiu Waihan cut an imposing figure, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. He had already dealt with three opponents, and the one he had taken over from Zuo Chen was kicked out of the arena shortly after.

With a cocky grin, he brushed Zheng Chao aside, leaving the remaining three to handle another opponent.

Spectators across the arena sighed in unison—the "Instant Kill" team had won.

Following this unexpected turn of events, and especially since Aizhe had taken the full force of Wanxiu Waihao’s previous strike, his mecha had suffered a degree of damage, placing him at a complete disadvantage against Wanxiu Waihao.

Trapped and unable to break away or achieve victory against Wanxiu Waihao, Aizhe knew the outcome was already sealed.

As Lou Yitong finished her song, Xuan Xuan tugged at her sleeve, signaling that there was no need to continue.

Xiao Daopeng, Zuo Chen, and Zheng Chao joined forces, and Xiao Daopeng's opponent was quickly subdued. The three of them were so overjoyed they nearly bounced in place. The adversary facing Wanxiu Waihan was likewise defeated within ten moves, causing Wanxiu Waihao to ease his movements slightly.

Aizhe swept his gaze across the battlefield and slowed his pace as well. The two men separated and stepped back. Aizhe glanced at Xuan Xuan, and seeing that she was indeed unharmed, he felt a sense of relief. "You won."

After withdrawing his hands, Wanxiu Waihao also glanced at Xuan Xuan and Lou Yitong before saying to Aizhe, "Thank you."

Regardless of whether it was necessary, Aizhe had ultimately stepped in to protect Xuan Xuan, meaning they hadn't truly won this match through pure dominance.

Aizhe said nothing more. He cast one deep, lingering look at Xuan Xuan, then quietly retreated to help his teammates up one by one.

While others hadn't noticed, Aizhe knew better than anyone. He had never actually borne the impact of that attack. As a wind-attribute practitioner, he was exceptionally sensitive to wind energy, and he had clearly detected several wind-element shields forming right in front of him—with the energy originating entirely from behind him.

And the only people behind him were Lou Yitong and Xuan Xuan.

He could only conclude that it was Xuan Xuan's doing.

The girl who had always been labeled as good-for-nothing was actually just concealing her true depth.

He found himself less and less able to read her.

Xuan Xuan glanced at him before casting a sideways look at the excitedly gloating Wanxiu Waihan. "Let's go."

Wanxiu Waihan curled his lip. He hadn't even finished basking in his glory yet—he had single-handedly taken down three people in a team match!

To leave without thoroughly showing off left him deeply resentful.

By this time, the commentator finally regained his wits. The dark horses had won?

An uproar swept through the arena, the surging roar of voices completely drowning out the commentator.

Subsequent competitors took the stage for their matches, but the spectators had completely lost the appetite to watch.

Following Aizhe's departure, Aikan didn't linger either; with a flick of his sleeve and a cold snort, he stormed off.

Kuang Shao watched his retreating back and curved his lips into a smile. "Actually, top ten is not bad either."

Aikan’s complexion turned pitch-black. With another cold snort, his resentment toward Aizhe's actions deepened.

Had it not been for Aizhe's behavior, his team might not have lost—winning was even a distinct possibility.

Seeing Aikan’s reaction, the great beauty Kuang Shao burst into a dazzling smile that made even Xuan Xuan briefly freeze in place, let alone anyone else.

Everyone on the grandstands stared dumbly at Kuang Shao, inwardly lamenting that he had simply been born the wrong gender.

Noticing all eyes fixed on him, Kuang Shao swept his gorgeous phoenix eyes across the crowd and let out a chilly huff, which only served to exude an entirely different kind of captivating charm.

A trace of a smile flickered in the eyes of both Wanxiu Lianhao and Zhan Yu. Wanxiu Waihao and his companions had truly secured the championship of the Novice Tournament this time.

Wanxiu Waihao remained at the venue. Even though Aizhe and his team had already exited, he refused to let down his guard and continued observing the upcoming opponents. While Zheng Chao and the others were too deliriously excited to stay still, Xuan Xuan and Wanxiu Waihan chose to leave. Naturally, Wanxiu Waihan was reluctant—he was the victor who hadn't yet received his due adoration—but a single glance from Xuan Xuan made him obediently trail along behind her.

Upon returning home, Tong Wan was sitting in the living room. Wanxiu Waihan rushed in excitedly, launching into an animated retelling of the day's events: starting from Xuan Xuan being abducted separately, all the way to him eliminating three people in the team match. Naturally, he considered the latter the highlight, though Tong Wan didn't quite see it that way.

Xuan Xuan sat to one side, watching Wanxiu Waihan gloat.

"You mean Zhan Yu went to rescue Xuan Xuan?" Tong Wan asked.

Interrupting Wanxiu Waihan right in the middle of his thrilling narrative, she prompted a nod from him. "We ran into Zhan Yu when we bumped into Bai Ruchen, so we contacted him and he rushed over."

Xuan Xuan glanced sideways at Wanxiu Waihan. So it was because of those two that Zhan Yu had shown up—meaning they were the ones who had ruined her chance of capturing the Zerg!

Wanxiu Waihan suddenly felt Xuan Xuan's gaze upon him grow distinctly unfriendly. Just as he was about to ask why, he heard Tong Wan ask with a gossipy glint in her eye, "How does Zhan Yu usually treat Xuan Xuan?"