If they weren't colluding, Lai Anli absolutely wouldn't have intervened the moment the white-robed youth was about to attack. Wouldn't interfering with a God-level expert's engagement be courting death if he had no backup?
And the current situation was glaringly obvious: this was a deliberate setup to frame Chen Feng. Lai Anli struck precisely when Chen Feng's power was depleted and his mind reeling; the coordination with the white-robed youth was seamless!
Given such ironclad evidence, the white-robed youth's pretense of absolutely forbidding Chen Feng from dying by anyone else's hand seemed utterly false.
Lingfeng watched the white-robed youth remain silent, staring at Chen Feng with an air of cold arrogance. A sudden thought struck her; she realized the other party had no real need to deceive her.
The truly powerful had no reason to lie, for they had already surpassed the necessity of deception!
She managed to ease the tension in her chest and looked back toward the arena, her initial surge of excitement having subsided.
————
"I won't let you die so quickly; I'll make you suffer every agony!" Lai Anli hissed menacingly, grinning triumphantly at Chen Feng. A dense, foggy black energy coalesced on his fingertip, aimed directly at Chen Feng’s head.
"Wait a moment!" Chen Feng spoke up.
"What, scared now?" In Lai Anli's eyes, the situation was entirely under his control. Severely wounded, Chen Feng, no matter how strong, was surely no match for him. Filled with glee, he flicked his finger, the dark energy stopping right before Chen Feng's forehead. "I never thought you'd see this day, champion of the Five Zenith Tournament—wasn't that quite magnificent? If you kneel and beg, I might consider sparing those few!"
The 'few' he referred to were naturally Lingfeng and the others.
Chen Feng ignored the taunt, taking a deep, ragged breath before slowly saying, "What is your relationship with the Magic Association? Do you have some kind of pact?"
"The Magic Association? Haha, you are indeed quite perceptive!" Lai Anli chuckled. "You managed to deduce the connection between me and the Magic Association!"
"Those formations—I can't imagine who else besides the Magic Association could deploy them. Moreover, it’s impossible to cooperate like this without a major power backing you," Chen Feng stated, pointing toward the white-robed youth.
"Fine, you're smart, but what use is knowing now? You're going to die anyway!" Lai Anli sneered, and the light on his fingertip intensified abruptly. "Die! The taste of death is quite exquisite!"
Swish!
The beam of white light pierced Chen Feng’s head without hesitation, not pausing for a second, and shot far into the sky.
"Why so easy?" Lai Anli muttered in surprise. He blinked and focused his gaze, only to find that Chen Feng was no longer there.
"Where—where is he?" Terror seized him. He spun around quickly, checking front, back, left, and right. The surroundings were clear blue sky; except for the white-robed youth and his group, Chen Feng was nowhere to be seen. "Wasn't he injured? How could he..." Lai Anli said nervously. Just as he prepared to look up, a rushing wind roared past his eyes, and the sole of a foot slammed squarely onto his face.
CRASH!
A tremendous impact. The force of the kick was immense, like a mountain crushing down. Lai Anli felt a searing pain in his nose, and tears immediately streamed down. His nasal bone was utterly pulverized by the single kick, and the sheer power caused half of his facial bone structure to cave inward.
"Aaaagh..." A piercing shriek erupted from him. His mind roared, and his body plummeted straight down. In that moment of freefall, his neck was suddenly seized by an iron grip.
"You went to great lengths to try and kill me, but unfortunately, you shouldn't have been overly self-assured," Chen Feng said calmly, his eyes blazing, showing not a hint of injury.
"You..." Lai Anli cried out in horror, unable to believe what he was seeing. He had clearly witnessed Chen Feng severely wounded and exhausted after his battle with the white-robed youth, struggling even to maintain flight. Then, in the blink of an eye, he was acting as if nothing had happened?
"The power you just channeled into me didn't harm me; it actually replenished my strength," Chen Feng stated with a cold smile.
It turned out that when Lai Anli grabbed Chen Feng's arm and used the energy within his body to attack, he expected Chen Feng to violently explode. Instead, Chen Feng’s body contained the Ultimate Power and the Dark Power constantly wrestling, which instantly neutralized and absorbed the incoming attack, restoring his stamina. "Impossible, how can this be!" Lai Anli's face contorted into an expression of utter dread, unable to accept what he heard.
"Anyone who tries to kill me dies!" Chen Feng took a sudden step forward and swung his right fist. The punch landed squarely on the opponent's head. Bang! The head cracked into several pieces like a watermelon struck by a wooden rod, spraying scarlet matter everywhere. He had already asked what he needed to know; there was nothing left worth extracting. It was better to eliminate this potential trouble than leave him alive.
Chen Feng turned toward the white-robed youth. "You killed those from my Nether Holy Camp—I will make you pay in blood!"
The white-robed youth sneered, "You'll need the ability to do so!" With that, he released the restraints holding Lingfeng and the others and charged toward Chen Feng. Instantly, the two resumed their fierce battle.
"Such... incredible speed," Jin Ling mumbled dazedly, rubbing his eyes forcefully.
"Such formidable defense," Lei Di muttered simultaneously.
"Chen Feng, be careful!" Lingfeng whispered to herself.
The trio felt no joy of survival; they were entirely stunned by the spectacle of the fight.
Under the aftershocks of their combat, the three were pushed further and further back, eventually reaching hundreds of miles away, yet they could still feel the immense power vibrating around the two combatants.
"A casual punch from either of them could shatter my defenses and kill me instantly... and they can throw over two thousand such punches in a single minute!" Lei Di clenched his fists, his teeth grinding audibly.
"Compared to their speed, I'm as slow as a snail. And this is just their normal fighting pace, not even close to their limit!" Jin Ling felt icy chills crawling down his spine, deeply shocked by the two 'monsters' fighting before them.
The white-robed youth, having been knocked momentarily senseless by Chen Feng's combination punch earlier, was now much shrewder. Relying on dodging and rapid offense, he fought Chen Feng to a standstill.
Logically, Chen Feng's cultivation level was lower than his opponent’s, but grief and rage often unlocked a person's potential. The death of thousands in the Nether Holy Camp and the demise of Mary Bense and others had severely stimulated his nerves, causing his speed and strength to continuously escalate.
Ultimate Power: 70, 75, 80, 85...
Dark Power: 70, 75, 80, 85...
The two distinct forces rose slowly together, and the resulting fusion power gradually increased, climbing from its previous peak of 70 to the current 85, and it was still growing.
The white-robed youth grew increasingly alarmed the longer the fight went on, filled with mounting fear. This youth before him could truly be called a monster. In battle, others weakened, but he actually grew stronger.
In their initial exchanges, the white-robed youth delivered seven or eight attacks in every ten moves, forcing Chen Feng into passive defense with only one or two counter-attacks. Now, however, they were evenly matched, and Chen Feng's offensive momentum was clearly gaining.
'If this continues, I will eventually lose!' The white-robed youth felt fear for the first time.
Chen Feng had completely forgotten about winning or losing. His heart held only one desire: to strike down this youth and avenge his fallen subordinates and friends. Recalling the vivid faces that had disintegrated into bloody pulp, his heart felt as if it were being twisted by a knife, fueling ever-increasing strength and maximizing the power he could unleash!
"Unforgivable, absolutely unforgivable!" Chen Feng ground out, roaring as he charged forward again.
Gai Shiki. Goufuyou, Gai Shiki. Naraku Otoshi, Hyakushiki. Oniyaki, Nanahyaku Nanajushiki. Dokurakutou, Nihyaku Juunishiki. Kinketsuzan, Nanajukushiki Kai, Hyakuyonjushiki. Arazu...
One move flowed seamlessly into the next as he unleashed them. The faster he fought, the less he seemed to think, sometimes executing a move instantly without conscious decision, and sometimes the technique he used bore little resemblance to the fixed forms of the King of Fighters moves.
Anyone familiar with playing King of Fighters knows that every character's moves have fixed sequences; they are usually immutable. For instance, Kyo Kusanagi’s Hyakuhachi Shiki. Yamatabareshi—in any version, Kyo must raise his left hand and extend his right hand forward horizontally to execute it, or it fails! In the relentless combat, Chen Feng's understanding of the King of Fighters skills deepened, allowing him to modify the specific motions of the established moves, sometimes unleashing even greater power than the originals.
If Chen Feng hadn't been in a frenzy, he would have been ecstatic about this discovery, but now his mental focus was so absolute that he spared no thought for such technicalities. Moves poured forth one after another, each carrying immense destructive force. It was as if the saying from Feng Qingyang to Linghu Chong held true: in martial arts, speed is the ultimate defense!
If one could perfectly link every move and anticipate the opponent's intentions during combat, even using the simplest techniques without formal names would prove insurmountable!
In the game, masters fighting in King of Fighters execute attacks and defenses in a mere instant; speed eliminates openings, and an offense without weakness is impossible to withstand!
Chen Feng had nearly reached that realm. His connection between moves was so tight that sometimes he used the motions of Yashinonome to produce the effect of Yamatabareshi, or an Oniyaki attack carried the force of the Raikouken...
It was akin to two equally skilled masters fighting, and after thoroughly familiarizing themselves with each other's techniques, one suddenly used the opening stance of the Joryuuhachijyuuhashou to execute the Rokuha Myouken—how could the opponent possibly cope! (Sigh, perhaps too many metaphors, I apologize for the rambling.)
Bang! Bang!
After absorbing a Tenchi Haohaken and a Ryuuko Ranbu from Chen Feng, the white-robed youth's mind was slightly reeling.
"I have to commit everything! This is the only way!" The white-robed youth gritted his teeth, a decision hardening in his mind.
"Aaargh..." He roared, and a chain of pure white light suddenly rippled around his body, instantly forming an armor tightly sheathed against his skin. Clad in this armor, the white-robed youth charged directly at Chen Feng.
Tenchi Haohaken!
Chen Feng crouched in mid-air, striking like a viper spitting venom, landing squarely on the white-robed youth's chest!
BOOM!
The white-robed youth was struck dead center, flipped backward in a somersault, but instantly stabilized in mid-air—there wasn't even a scratch on his body!
"Go!" He suddenly surged forward, grabbing Chen Feng's shoulders with both hands and violently flinging him backward!
Under the throw, Chen Feng tumbled several somersaults, smashing deep into a soaring mountain peak behind him, his spine sinking into the rock and carving out a massive crater.
Thud!
Chen Feng stamped off the rock base with an explosive force and charged again. This time, both feet thrust forward—it was Andy's Chouretsuhadan!
Friends familiar with King of Fighters '97 know how potent this super move is. As it executes, intense rotational energy forms between his legs, drilling toward the opponent like an electric auger. As Chen Feng executed this move, his constantly spinning legs aimed directly at the white-robed youth's head!
"Argh..." The white-robed youth roared again, yet he made no attempt to evade the spinning assault. He thrust both hands forward, forcefully grabbing Chen Feng's spinning momentum, and used the leverage to fling him outward!
Bang! Chen Feng slammed into the cliff face again!
"I can't break through his defense." After two failed attacks, Chen Feng identified the fundamental problem. Whatever battle aura armor the white-robed youth was wearing was so potent that it blocked his super moves, which were powered by his fusion strength around level 85. This defense was utterly terrifying. It wasn't some external Divine Artifact; it was his inherent battle power, turning him into someone clad in impervious armor. How was he supposed to win?
Chen Feng charged again, unleashing Clark's Ultimate Phantom followed immediately by Ryo Sakazaki's Tenchi Haohaken—two of the most devastating fist attacks in King of Fighters '97—simultaneously striking the opponent's chest!
"Are you tickling me?" The white-robed youth grabbed the fists pressed against his chest, coldly sneering, and suddenly exerted force, tossing Chen Feng outward again. Chen Feng lost control of his body once more, crashing heavily into the mountainside!
Despite such powerful assaults, the opponent felt nothing; in fact, Chen Feng’s own fists were left faintly numb from the impact. This level of defense was unheard of! Fortunately, after activating this defense, the white-robed youth's offensive capabilities had severely diminished, limited only to simple throws. Otherwise, Chen Feng would have already lost!
"It seems I must use that move," Chen Feng took a deep breath, floating into the air once more, slowly raising one arm toward the sky. A white light instantly formed where his two arms converged!
Orochi Skill: Sun-Drenched Earth!