Had this been anyone else, the Iron Tower Squad would have felt deeply insulted, but in the presence of the Seventh Prince, their eyes instead showed a flicker of gratitude. They knew they were doomed to lose anyway, and having the Seventh Prince step up first would minimize the damage inflicted upon them.

"I will not use the Talisman Sword or the Dragon Armor," the Seventh Prince announced as he stepped onto the competition platform, uttering his first words.

No Talisman Sword and no Dragon Armor? Was the Seventh Prince... perhaps too arrogant!

Seeing the Seventh Prince act this way, Chen Feng secretly nodded in approval.

The essence of battle lay in momentum. This Iron Tower Squad had already adopted a defensive posture before the fight even began; they were already conceding the psychological advantage. The Seventh Prince's verbal provocation further crushed their confidence. It seemed certain that these three men were destined to fail.

Furthermore, the Seventh Prince’s stroke of genius was demonstrating to the world that he wasn't relying solely on the Talisman Sword and Dragon Armor to be the favorite for the championship. Defeating these three men was the best possible way to showcase his true abilities.

The fact that the Seventh Prince considered all these layers demonstrated his profound strategic depth.

The three members of the Iron Tower Squad exchanged uneasy glances. If the Seventh Prince fought without his magical sword and armor, he was merely an eighth-level Mage and an eighth-level Warrior. With their numerous scrolls, victory was still possible for them!

With this thought, the three roared in unison, and the green-robed Warrior on the far left charged forward. A smile played on the Seventh Prince’s lips. He pointed his staff in the air with his left hand, yet no magical fluctuations emerged. Simultaneously, he exerted force through his legs, pushing off the ground, and launched himself toward his opponent like a diving eagle.

The charging green-robed Warrior was overjoyed to see the Seventh Prince rush him. Blessed with inherent divine strength and built like an iron tower, if he unleashed his full Battle Qi, combined with his body's speed and power, even an eighth-level Warrior might struggle to withstand his formidable punch.

The green-robed Warrior couldn't help but grow excited at the thought of knocking the favored Seventh Prince to the ground with a single blow.

In an instant, the Seventh Prince was upon him. The green-robed Warrior let out a loud shout, expelled a long breath, and threw out both his fists, each the size of a cooking pot.

The fists whistled through the air, sounding as if the very atmosphere was weeping, hurtling toward the Seventh Prince’s chest.

The fists drew closer, less than half a meter away. At their opposing speeds, half a meter would take less than a tenth of a second to close. However, just then, the green-robed Warrior caught a trace of mockery in the Seventh Prince’s eyes. Immediately, he felt his entire body tense, his footing disappeared, and he stumbled, nearly falling flat onto the ground.

In that very same instant, the Seventh Prince moved like a nimble swift, slipping beneath the opponent’s fists. He spun, bringing his palm down hard on the Warrior's back, slamming him clear off the competition platform.

This sequence was as fast as lightning. Those in the stands hadn't even registered what happened before the green-robed Warrior "whoosh"-ed out of the ring. What... what exactly had occurred?

Chen Feng was momentarily stunned, then understood: "I didn't realize the Seventh Prince was also a Space-element Mage. He must have cast a spatial spell just then, making that Warrior feel like the ground vanished beneath him, causing him to stumble. That's how he fell for the trap."

Defeating a seventh-level Warrior with an eighth-level Warrior skill wasn't astonishing, but knocking him off the stage in a single move was frankly unbelievable.

The Seventh Prince knew he had only one chance to act. Any delay would allow the remaining members of the Iron Tower Squad to attack. Being surrounded by three opponents of equal rank, even with his dual cultivation in magic and martial arts, he wouldn't emerge unscathed, and any victory would be a pyrrhic one.

The magic he used wasn't some overwhelmingly powerful spatial spell; anything too strong would drain his mana excessively and alert the opponents. The spell that merely made the opponent stumble was both unexpected and effective, perfectly complementing his Warrior skills to remove the foe from the ring. One had to admit the Seventh Prince’s fighting methodology was excellent!

By eliminating one teammate in a single move, he immediately put immense pressure on the remaining two of the Iron Tower Squad. Naturally, within three minutes, these two were also sent flying off the platform by the Seventh Prince.

After securing the victory, the Seventh Prince walked back to the resting area, casting a deliberately provocative glance toward Chen Feng. He was met instead with an expression of utter disdain.

"Three opponents of seventh-level cultivation. If I wanted them off the platform, thirty seconds would have been sufficient. In a fight to the death, I could take one down in a single second!" Chen Feng mused inwardly. With his power, capable of defeating a first-level Battle Master alone, dispatching several seventh-level Warriors was child’s play. A combination of blinding speed and close-quarters techniques—either Nizhebo, Kuihua, Guishao, Qinyueyin, or Mengdan—could kill a seventh-level Warrior instantly.

It was precisely because he could achieve one-hit kills that he held a measure of contempt for the Seventh Prince taking over three minutes to defeat his opponents.

"However, the Seventh Prince's combat style is certainly worth learning and adapting. First, use a low-level spell to exploit an opponent's opening, then strike when they are careless—a brilliant tactic! It’s just like playing the King of Fighters game; sometimes, to maximize efficiency in winning, you willingly take an opponent's super move. Perhaps I should adjust my fighting approach," Chen Feng reflected, experiencing a moment of sudden enlightenment.

Sometimes weakness is a means to win; sometimes strength is the way. The key was to thoroughly assess the enemy’s mindset during confrontation.

Gradually, Chen Feng fell into deep contemplation.

"The techniques I have mastered—An Goushou, Kuihua, Nizhebo, Baihezhe, Qinyueyin, Mengdan, Guishao—seven moves in total, covering both long and short range. If I coordinate them well, perhaps I can elevate my strength further." Thinking this, Chen Feng seemed to glimpse a new horizon. While refined techniques and powerful skills were crucial to victory, timing the strike perfectly and using the most appropriate move was equally vital.

It was like how Xiao Feng in Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils could defeat Shaolin Xuanji’s formidable martial arts like 'Tianzhu Finger' and 'Sleeve Universe' at Juxian Manor using only the most rudimentary 'Taizu Changquan'—it all hinged on seizing the right moment and applying the appropriate move. In the vernacular of Wuxia, this could be encapsulated by the phrase: 'Anticipating the enemy’s intention before it forms.'

Previously, Chen Feng usually met force with force, relying on the savage techniques of Iori Yagami to violently break through defenses and overpower opponents. He had never seriously considered analyzing the enemy’s intent first and then winning through finesse.

Even the overwhelmingly ferocious Iori Yagami in King of Fighters '96, during his rampage against Kyo Kusanagi, employed subtle tactics against Goro Daimon and Benimaru Nikaido, managing to have Daimon’s super move strike Benimaru instead, thereby conserving his own energy.

"Directing the opponent's force is the most efficient way to conserve Cyclone Energy. I need to change my tactics going forward," Chen Feng finally realized, feeling a surge of relief. "If I had to fight Griff, Danny, and Moko again now, even without the (Ming Yu Jian), I could defeat Danny and Moko using only Cyclone Energy. Fighting Griff earlier needlessly wasted so much of my Cyclone Energy!"

Through this half-day of reflection, Chen Feng’s comprehension of combat naturally ascended to a new level.

Once clear on this, he looked up. The third match had just concluded. The victors were a team composed of two sixth-level Mages and one seventh-level Mage. The seventh-level Mage in this group possessed a third-level Advanced Magic Pet, which, upon deployment, swept the opponents off the stage in just a few exchanges, ending the battle swiftly.

Currently, the teams drawing numbers seven and eight were competing on the field. Team Seven consisted of one young girl and two burly men, clearly outmatched by Team Eight. Sure enough, within five minutes, they were knocked off the platform.

"Now, the mercenary team composed of Iori Yagami, Judy, and Angelisa versus the team comprised of Moshiru, Fikbo, and Renard—the Berserk Squad!" the announcer's voice boomed.

"Allow me to first introduce the mercenary team," the host began, offering a brief pre-match introduction to give the spectators at least a baseline understanding of the opposing strengths.

"This team features two beauties well-known to everyone here: Judy and Angelisa!" As the host finished speaking, the entire arena erupted in clamor. Judy and Angelisa were both among the Four Great Beauties of the Imperial Capital, and a team featuring such celebrated beauties naturally drew intense scrutiny.

"The presence of these beauties is the signature trait of this squad, but what’s even more astonishing is their strength. This team swept through the preliminaries with an undefeated record! Next, let's look at their opponents, the Berserk Squad, made up of two seventh-level Warriors and one eighth-level Warrior. They are known for their savage and bloody fighting style. In the preliminaries, every team they faced ended up terribly maimed; they are arguably the most violent squad participating this year. However, faced with a mercenary team boasting two renowned beauties, will the Berserk Squad be able to bring themselves to fight viciously? We await the spectacle!"

The host’s perfectly timed introduction successfully ignited the atmosphere in the arena to its peak.

"The Berserk Squad?" A faint smile touched Chen Feng's lips as he stood up and walked toward the competition platform.

"Stay put. Leaving these three to me alone is more than enough."

"You alone?" Angelisa’s face instantly registered alarm. "They are a team composed of two seventh-levels and an eighth-level Warrior, and they are notoriously brutal! I watched their preliminary matches; not a single team they fought didn't end up severely injured, and two entire teams were crippled... How can you possibly handle them by yourself?"

"Hmph!" Chen Feng's eyes glowed upon hearing the word 'brutal.' "Cruelty... Haha, I am genuinely eager to see who is truly more savage." With that, he ignored Angelisa’s pleas and walked onto the platform alone, leaving behind only his arrogant back for the two women.

ps: Two more chapters tonight, delivered together. Everyone has seen Lao Ya’s efforts. Please support the author with monthly tickets below. If we reach 215 tickets—we are currently at 208—Lao Ya will add an extra update! Don't forget. Also, a preview of the coming storyline: revenge is coming soon. After the revenge plot is concluded, Chen Feng will learn skills from many more people; many King of Fighters characters will be featured! Throw those recommendation tickets and monthly tickets fiercely! (To be continued. For future developments, please log onto www**m for more chapters and to support the authentic reading experience!)