Genius Chapter 168: Four Directions Inferno

Chapter 168: Four Directions Inferno

Translated by Karai of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Addis

When time was mentioned, Bitter Melon and Apple, who had specifically researched the mechanics over lunch, immediately began to grasp the implications. Bitter Melon pondered the timing and said, “9:00, 14:00, 12 pillars… You’re not suggesting that the 12 zodiac changes are related to the time of day, are you?”

ScarletFruit was taken aback. “12 times? What are the 12 times?”

“Yes, the 12 times,” Su Mo clarified when he had a moment.

“It’s an ancient Chinese timekeeping system. I looked up related papers in the ancient Chinese library over lunch. It seems that before our current 24-hour system, there was the ancient 12 times system, where 1 time was equivalent to our current 2 hours,” Apple said thoughtfully. “From the time of Chou to the time of Yin… If the 12 zodiac signs correspond to the 12 times, it would fit perfectly.”

If that’s the case, with the 12 zodiac signs corresponding to the 12 times, then the morning session would have started at the time of Si, corresponding to the snake in the 12 zodiac signs. For the afternoon match starting at 14:00, the corresponding time would be Wei, which is the sheep in the 12 zodiac signs.

This logic did indeed explain why the morning session had used the snake position as the reference point…

Bitter Melon frowned and said, “But if that’s the case, then my morning match dragged on until 11:00, which should have been from Si to Wu, but our coordinates were still set based on Si.”

“So I said it wasn’t certain from the start,” Su Mo summoned his beasts to assist Yu Zhen with the attack. “Because the fourth match started between 9:00 and 11:00, I initially thought I had made an error. It wasn’t a mistake; it was just that the system used fixed-point time.”

Apple immediately understood and said, “I get it now. The system reads the time from the start of the match. For example, if the fourth match started within the Si time period, regardless of how long it dragged on, it would still calculate using the snake position as the reference point.”

So, when the match started, the time reading was Si, and the entire field was based on the snake position. Therefore, even though Bitter Melon extended the time, the reference point remained the snake position, so they hadn’t noticed any issues.

In the afternoon, when the match began at 14:00, it was within the Wei time period of the 12 times. Therefore, the reference point for this match was based on the sheep position.

ClearWind was puzzled and said, “Wait, I don’t understand. So now we just look at the sheep’s position, right?”

“This match’s mechanism has so many twists,” Apple replied. “Honestly, if you’re not familiar with ancient Chinese culture, you wouldn’t know about all these complications, from zodiac signs to time periods. The time periods were something I stumbled upon while researching this afternoon. This is incredibly difficult. If it’s based on time changes and not the 12 time periods, who would have guessed there was such a mechanism? This morning, we were all focusing on the snake position.”

This was actually a hidden mechanism. The system’s game design was very flexible. Like the earlier Five Elements mechanism, even players who didn’t understand Yin-Yang and the Five Elements could deduce the change mechanism based on the sequence of interactions within the game environment, or simply avoid risks and face the central stage directly.

Similarly, the 12 Zodiac and 12 Time Periods were meant to be surface mechanisms. The 12 Zodiac signs were intended to help players determine movement sequences through changes in animals. Having played Celestial Horizon for so long, the 12 Zodiac signs were familiar as part of ancient Chinese knowledge. Even without understanding the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, knowing the order of animals could help deduce movement problems based on changes in the sequence of animals.

Coordinates were straightforward; they were just 12 numbers that changed in horizontal or vertical directions, always with the same reference point.

Players who reached the finals were no pushovers. They could deduce that the snake was the key coordinate point based on changes.

The 12 Time Periods were a hidden mechanism. To make it easier for players to quickly adjust, the system used the starting time as the reference for the entire match. This allowed players to adjust their strategies based on the snake’s position, providing multiple ways to approach the game.

Upon understanding this, Cantaloupe was excited and said, “So, it’s a good thing they used fixed starting times.”

The system using a fixed start time for the whole match was meant to reduce difficulty and help players adapt to the arena’s rhythm without being thrown off by frequent changes in coordinates. If the time had been randomly changed, BrokenOracle, who had played through the long two-hour fourth round in the morning, would certainly have discovered this hidden mechanism issue.

Bitter Melon said, “Knowing the mechanism in advance is advantageous… but BrokenOracle is not that simple.”

In the arena, the summoner occupied the high ground, while the array master and the Doaist priest were maneuvering below. The summoner had a significant advantage from the high ground, with a great view to deploy summons. The Doaist priest and mage were being pressured by the summoner and had to avoid skills. However, once the mage’s bug circle cooldown was up, the mage and Doaist priest quickly changed their strategy.

Being in a high position was advantageous, but being in a low position was not necessarily a disadvantage.

Especially for the well-coordinated duo from the Xiaoyao team, instead of continuing to avoid the opponent’s advantage after discovering it, they used the influence of the bug circle on the summons to force the array master to move. The fluctuating glazed bricks already made positioning difficult for players, and now the mage, skilled in delayed control, and the Doaist priest, with speed control advantages, used the environment to apply pressure. Within seven or eight seconds, they had affected the array master’s positioning.

SkilfulEmptyHand saw the situation on the field and said, “Wait! The bug circle’s delayed control is slowing down the summons’ actions!”

“Doaist priest and mage are forcing the array master to move! They’re using continuous control!” CloudTraveller immediately said, “They want to push the array master out of the summons’ assistance range and change the situation to a 2v1.”

[BrokenOracle’s reaction was so fast; he immediately cut off UnchainedWanderer’s retreat.]

[What is continuous control? Can someone explain?] 

[I suggest you check the forums for BrokenOracle’s highlights. His Doaist priest is really impressive.]

“Someone is asking about continuous control. Let me introduce the combination of Haitang and BrokenOracle,” FirstUnderHeaven continued, “Doaist priest and mage are two different types of control: speed control and delayed control. Their top spot in Celestial Horizon’s 2v2 rankings wasn’t just due to equipment, but because of their excellent control skills. Their coordination is extremely high, and their timing for speed and delayed control is impeccable. In other words, they can achieve seamless control with their coordination.”

[So impressive!? Seamless control.] 

[Yes, it means that as long as they have mana and no external interference, they can continue to control seamlessly.] 

[Other Doaist priests and mages often experience interruptions in control, but not these two. Their seamless control is on a godlike level.]

SkilfulEmptyHand said, “But there’s a problem: both mage and Doaist priest are very mana-intensive professions. If they use seamless control at the start, they might end up running out of mana and becoming passive later on.”

“That won’t happen,” CloudTraveller said. “Both of them have active skills with pets. The arena’s combat rules require players to bring only one pet with an active skill. Haitang has a top-tier quest pet, the Dream Sea Siren, which can quickly restore mana.”

FirstUnderHeaven asked, “So, running out of mana might be an issue for the Advertising team?”

“Both team leaders definitely considered this before the match, especially since both DPS are mana-consuming casters. Mana management is crucial,” CloudTraveller said. “I heard UnchainedWanderer mention that his pet, the Deep Sea Siren, is a mana-restoring support pet. They probably prepared for a prolonged battle and would have brought a mana-restoring pet.”

SkilfulEmptyHand said, “In that case, will the summoner have to come down from the high ground? Otherwise, the array master will be in danger.”

All four mages had their mana under control, so it came down to competitive play.

CloudTraveller looked at the agile figure of the array master in the Glazed Palace main hall. “Don’t underestimate UnchainedWanderer.”

“Check out his positioning.”

SkilfulEmptyHand focused and said, “The array master hasn’t even been controlled yet.”

The live stream’s focus was on the clash between the array master and the mage-Doaist priest duo. Despite being surrounded, the array master had yet to be affected, maneuvering skillfully among the glazed bricks.

As the long-time 2v2 champions, BrokenOracle and Haitang had top-notch skills, but they had already started applying pressure with seamless control in under two minutes. This showed that their opponents were extremely strong.

Both teams in this battle were of exceptional quality.

[So impressive!] 

[Doesn’t the array master plan to create a strategy guide? I’ve been wanting to ask about his positioning since he dealt with assassins.]

[This is the first time I’ve seen an array master’s positioning so impressive…]

[To hold out so long against BrokenOracle and Haitang is incredible.]

SkilfulEmptyHand said, “Both sides are at a stalemate.”

“Not necessarily,” Midnight Bell added. “Do you think it’s so easy to maneuver under the eyes of the 2v2 champions? Look at UnchainedWanderer; his position has changed.”

The array master indeed had not been hit by a control skill, but to avoid being controlled, he had to move to the side. As a result, he was farther away from the summoner’s summoned creature’s control circle. The control range of the summoner’s summoned creature was limited, and in a 2v2 match, they couldn’t coordinate with their teammate for a large-scale control. If the opponent chose to play defensively, it became difficult to maintain effective control from a distance, leading to a stalemate.

BrokenOracle’s goal was precisely this; he knew that killing the array master was not an easy task. He just wanted to use control to split the battlefield and then disrupt the opponent’s coordination, breaking through one by one. While occupying the high ground had its advantages, this advantage was not without counterplay.

“They’re trying to create distance!”

“Complicated. Brother Wanderer is being attacked from both sides.”

“The skill range is a problem. If they are forced to create distance, it’s going to be troublesome.”

“They’re forcing a decision—either give up the high ground or split the battlefield,” Apple said cautiously. “This is difficult to handle. The map advantage in 2v2 isn’t as pronounced as in 5v5. In other words, with fewer players, the map advantage becomes harder to leverage. Originally, Momo and UnchainedWonderer’s positions covered half of the Glazed Palace main hall. In this situation, there will be gaps in the control coverage.”

The Glazed Palace map was considered a medium-sized map among most arena maps, with the main hall being the largest area.

The terrain obstacles tested the players’ skills. The high ground with glazed bricks provided a favorable environment for long-range control and fragile professions, but this advantage was not absolute. In matches with more players, the advantage of high ground was more pronounced, especially in 5v5 scenarios, where it could cover a large area with control. However, this match was a 2v2, and with a mechanism advantage, the Xiao Yao team sought ways to neutralize this benefit.

The simplest method was to avoid the high ground summoner’s control.

“But it’s not impossible to fight,” ClearWind said. “Big Brother and Brother Wanderer have quest skills. If things go wrong, they can just use that teleportation skill to escape.”

“Are you stupid? Based on the arena conditions, the cooldown for that skill is probably only one use. It’s a survival skill; using it at the start would be a waste,” ScarletFruit replied.

The Advertising team was a bit concerned, but the two players on the field showed no signs of retreat.

Yu Zhen observed the positioning of the summoned creatures while maneuvering. Although it seemed like he was moving outward, he was always paying attention to Su Mo’s summoned creatures’ positions. The two hadn’t played much in the arena but had collaborated in many other scenarios, where only they could catch certain operational details. Facing the threat from the Xiao Yao team, Su Mo was prepared for no retreat and was even planning a new wave of maneuvers.

“Left or right?” Yu Zhen asked.

Su Mo watched the situation below and saw that BrokenOracle had already escaped the control circle of the summoned creatures. As HaiTang’s Gu circle closed in on the array master, he did not hesitate and immediately said, “To the right, force HaiTang.”

Yu Zhen asked, “Apply pressure to see if we can take her down?”

Su Mo replied, “Yes, let’s see if we can get a kill.”

The situation on the field unfolded as the commentators had anticipated. The Doaist priest had moved away from the summoner’s control, and it was clear that the array master was about to leave the protection circle. The live stream chat began to show signs of impatience.

[What’s going on? Why is the summoner still up there?]

[Why isn’t the summoner coming down to rescue the array master? The control is clearly ineffective on the glazed bricks above!] 

[Abandoning the high ground could still save the array master, but if the array master is forced out, it will be too late for the summoner to come to the rescue.]

[What is archdemon thinking? The opponent isn’t a typical team! This seems like carelessness!]

SkilfulEmptyHand said, “We can see that both teams’ health levels are still within the healthy range. The array master is still maneuvering. He just took a control effect and is now in cooldown for the control break skill. Unless he uses an immunity skill, it will be difficult for him to escape the Xiao Yao team’s encirclement…”

“Array master retaliated. After evading the attack, he quickly deployed two layers of group damage array, but they were avoided by the Doaist priest and mage,” asked FirstUnderHeaven continued. “It seems like they might counterattack, but the summoner hasn’t moved yet. It’s hard for the array master alone to achieve a counterattack effect in this situation…”

CloudTraveller added, “Yes, the range of array master’s group damage array is limited. Without the summoner’s assistance, the opponents can completely avoid the array with their positioning, which essentially wastes the skill.”

“It’s hard to say,” FirstUnderHeaven said, “Momo has two main skills in cooldown. It’s somewhat difficult to maintain strong control.”

On the field, the array master was still stacking attack-type arrays, an inexplicable move that left everyone baffled. However, this action only lasted for about 10 seconds. Suddenly, Midnight Bell noticed a flash from the array master’s weapon, and he immediately said, “Wait, the skill range is incorrect.”

The array master’s group damage array suddenly expanded outward in an instant. Not only that, but the summoned creatures, which had previously been held back by distance limitations, suddenly lunged forward a few steps and immediately controlled the two members of the Xiao Yao team who were in the vicinity of the array master.

The array master’s [Celestial Wolf: Peerless] and the summoner’s [Awakening: Void Form]!

The expanded group damage array stacked to four layers. The summoned creatures, which had been in cooldown, suddenly sprang into action. Zephyr Hawk and Thunder Lion’s double-layer control struck, with Solitary Wolf immediately tackling the mage HaiTang, who was on the right.

It happened almost instantly. Before HaiTang could use an escape control, the mage had already lost 70% of her health, and the nearby Doaist priest suffered collateral damage, losing 40% of his health. This sudden and fierce strong attack and control came swiftly and powerfully. The Doaist priest immediately used a defensive rune to protect his teammate, while HaiTang had no choice but to use a quest skill [Immortal Body] to gain 4 seconds of damage immunity, trying to break free from the strong control of the array master and summoner.

The sudden reversal in the situation was shocking. In the blink of an eye, the Xiao Yao team went from having the upper hand to a major blood loss.

“The Celestial Wolf: Peerless adds a 10% attack-type array and expands the range, right? And the Void Form resets cooldowns and enlarges the range,” said Cantaloupe, who was familiar with his teammates’ skills. Seeing this, he couldn’t help but marvel, “These two have really played it well!”

[Wow, the damage output is incredible!] 

[What’s happening!? Wasn’t the Xiao Yao team on the outskirts?!]

[The array master and summoner’s skill ranges have increased!]

[Range expanded?! Do both of them have area skills??? This has completely locked them down!]

“The Xiao Yao team is in a critical state. The Doaist priest is covering the mage as she retreats. The summoner has come down from high ground, aiming to press the advantage,” said SkilfulEmptyHand. “The array master used the immobilizing array, the Doaist priest is dispelling control, and they’re still chasing!”

FirstUnderHeaven added, “BrokenOracle has summoned his pet. He abandoned the attack and activated a healing-type pet.”

The Advertising team was almost in despair upon seeing this scene. How could the Xiao Yao team’s violent DPS all have healing pets?

“Are healing pets that cheap? Wasn’t it said that they’re hard to come by?”

“It’s no secret that BrokenOracle has a healing pet.” 

“Don’t worry, Big Brother also has a healing pet.”

Seeing this, Yu Zhen said, “Good, we forced out his pet.” 

“HaiTang probably wouldn’t use an attack-type pet; lacking mana, he had to choose the Dream Sea Siren,” Su Mo had known that both BrokenOracle and HaiTang had pets with active skills, but until the opponent used their pets, it was impossible to confirm which one they would choose. Now that BrokenOracle had chosen a healing pet, it meant his top-notch attack-enhanced pet was rendered useless, significantly reducing his killing power. Their objective was achieved.

The livestream chat became even more tense after this moment. 

[What’s going on!? How did the health go from low to full again?] 

[The turnaround was so sudden, I thought HaiTang was going to die.] 

[Can someone explain what just happened?]

“It was an expanded skill range,” said Midnight Bell. “In that last sequence, both the array master and the summoner likely activated their skills simultaneously, extending their control range by several meters and re-establishing control over the mage and Doaist priest.”

[So it was like this???]

[This skill is a bit newbie!] 

[I suddenly remembered, could it be their divine weapon skill? I recall both of them have three divine weapon skills.] 

[Chilling, they must have been plotting from the start.] 

[HaiTang and BrokenOracle also have many quest skills, this match might take a long time.]

“It’s not just that. The array master’s damage was increased,” CloudTraveller said. “They likely used skills that also boosted damage. This wave was brilliantly executed and clearly planned; otherwise, HaiTang wouldn’t have lost 70% of her health. It seems the Advertising team used two skills this time, but they managed to trick HaiTang’s Immortal Body skill and reduced BrokenOracle’s killing power. In this minor clash, the Advertising team gained the advantage.”

However, gaining the advantage now did not guarantee maintaining it long-term. BrokenOracle had lost his killing ability but still possessed burst skills.

The Advertising team’s pursuit had not stopped. After BrokenOracle restored health for himself and HaiTang, the healing pet’s group heal skill also went into cooldown. But they did not retreat. After stabilizing their health, they quickly regrouped and focused on the summoner for strong control. The array master’s control was area-based, but the summoner’s control was more flexible. Although the array master’s killing power seemed high, in reality, that last strong push was mostly due to the summoner maneuvering behind the scenes.

“Summoner was in danger.”

“No way!? He counterattacked!”

In the face of the Xiaoyao team’s counterattack, the summoner did not evade. Instead, he smoothly landed next to the Doaist priest. The advantage of a physical summoner was his increased physical attack power, especially effective in close combat.

What was the best way to break control?

Of course, it was to prevent the opponent from using control skills.

Rather than dealing with the mage with the threat of a curse circle, it was better to target the Doaist priest. When BrokenOracle chose a healing pet, his killing ability was reduced, leaving close combat as the only option. Seeing his teammate’s actions, the array master immediately used an array to restrict HaiTang’s surroundings, using area control to split the battlefield and slow down HaiTang’s support. Su Mo moved forward without hesitation, forcing BrokenOracle to retreat.

“My God!?” SkilfulEmptyHand exclaimed, “The summoner switched to melee, and they’re on the steps.”

The glazed bricks were still shifting, but the steps formed by the glazed bricks remained unchanged.

At this moment, the narrow staircase with only three steps became the only position for the summoner and Doaist priest. They were almost in a straight line, moving in and out.

For the first time, BrokenOracle felt the summoner’s melee capability. While Momo’s attack speed was slow for a melee profession, each of his swings was almost perfectly timed. BrokenOracle had seen the attributes of [Void Lantern], and remembered that one of the high-level attributes was [Interrupt Casting]. This was typically an important attribute for melee professions, but it appeared on the summoner’s weapon. Clearly, this was intentional by the blacksmith. It was just one possibility; perhaps Momo’s equipment also had other attributes related to interrupting casting.

Suddenly, BrokenOracle understood why most people reacted the way they did after facing Momo. Facing him was simply uncomfortable.

Especially under the pressure of melee combat, with a summoner’s pet in the back. Playing a physical summoner was not something everyone could handle, especially with the feeling of being pinched from both sides. Even though it felt like fighting just one person, it was like being surrounded on all sides.

Such a feeling of oppression, he had only encountered twice in his gaming career.

The first time was when he faced ReturnToSimplicity at Valor Peak’s hunting grounds, and this was the second time.

[Ah! The idol can’t cast spells anymore.] 

[Archdemon is very strong in melee combat, and the surrounding glazed bricks are rising and falling, restricting BrokenOracle’s movement.] 

[I’ve never seen BrokenOracle at a disadvantage in a 1v1 before.]

“BrokenOracle has been suppressed,” CloudTraveller frowned, “At this rate, HaiTang’s support won’t make it in time.”

SkilfulEmptyHand watched the two figures, one red and one white, on the field. Although Su Mo had only a venomous snake by his side, it still posed a threat to BrokenOracle. “At this rate… wait, what is that!?”

On the field, a layer of golden light suddenly enveloped the white-clad Doaist priest. When the venomous snake’s burst damage activated, the golden light transformed into a talisman standing at the top. The attacking summoner’s health instantly dropped by more than half, while BrokenOracle remained unharmed, as if all the damage from the venomous snake’s burst had been reflected back onto the summoner.

The members of the Advertising team were stunned.

“Whoa, a reflection damage skill?!” Cantaloupe leaned in to take a closer look, “BrokenOracle still had a reflection damage skill.”

“Golden light talisman…” Apple suddenly remembered, “It’s BrokenOracle’s weapon skill. Not long ago, he upgraded his second quest weapon, and the special skill on it is called [Reversing the Universe Talisman]. But he’s never used this skill before… It turns out to be a reflection damage skill.”

The fact that BrokenOracle was calm enough to use the reflection damage skill at such a critical moment showed his composure.

This reflection damage came as a complete surprise. Despite the Doaist priest escaping from the summoner’s constant interruptions, he did not flee. Instead, he cleverly used the narrow environment around him, placing three talismans to block the path. The flying talismans stood as if they had health, skillfully timed to coincide with the rise of the glazed bricks on the stairs. The talismans, combined with the glazed bricks, effectively cut off all three of the summoner’s escape routes like a wall.

[BrokenOracle is still casting the Condensation Talisman…] 

[Wow, a master-level skill!] 

“Condensation Talisman…” Watermelon said urgently, “Wait! Be careful of the Four Directions Inferno!”

ScarletFruit shouted, “Brother, run!!!” Apple said, “It’s too late!”

The [Four Directions Inferno] was a master skill from the Serene Essence Temple’s Daoist magic class, a skill that required multiple controls to cast.

The Condensation Talisman, as one of the fundamental control skills for Doaist priests, could cause a player to enter a 2-second suspension state if hit. If it missed, it would create a 5-second air wall to obstruct the player’s movement. The Four Directions Inferno was the ultimate skill based on the Condensation Talisman, requiring the Doaist priest player to use the Condensation Talisman to seal off the four directions and trap enemy units within the space created by the Condensation Talisman in order to cast it.

The smaller the locked space, the greater the damage inflicted. The conditions for Four Directions Inferno were quite challenging, and it was normally difficult to completely seal off retreat routes. However, the summoner seemed to be out of luck, as he was positioned on a narrow staircase, with two glazed bricks rising around him, losing the chance to retreat immediately. In such a confined space, releasing Four Directions Inferno would instantly kill the already low-health summoner.

[It really is Four Directions Inferno!] 

[What luck, last match was the Wrath of the Beasts, and this match has Four Directions Inferno!]

[Is this what high-end matches are like? The pros are so adept at seizing opportunities, using ultimate skills is as simple as taking a sip of water.]

“They’ve already sealed it off!” SkilfulEmptyHand said excitedly, “The Doaist priest used the skill! The summoner is going to die!”

The Condensation Talisman became tangible, and with a sweep of the fan, the Doaist priest rapidly affixed a fire talisman to the air wall.

Yu Zhen had used his control skill to immobilize HaiTang, and out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of the summoner’s figure through the shifting glazed bricks. He saw the firelight flare up, and just as it was about to engulf the summoner, he hugged the suddenly appearing summoner’s figure in front of him with one arm.

“It exploded!!” SkilfulEmptyHand said, but then noticed there was no prompt, “Wait! The summoner didn’t die.”

[He didn’t die?!] 

[Where is he?!] 

[Over by the array master!] 

[Teleportation??]

The live stream’s view quickly zoomed in on the array master’s position. The array master was seen holding the summoner in his arms. The summoner, who had only 40% of his health left due to the reflection damage, had not taken any further harm and had escaped from the Doaist priest’s ultimate skill.

Even though they knew there was a “Heart Line” skill, the ad team was still worried about potential mishaps along the way.

Fortunately, the situation was resolved without further issues, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. ClearWind, looking exhausted, said, “Thank goodness for the Heart Line skill.”

“What on earth is going on!?!” SkilfulEmptyHand exclaimed. “Is it an escape-type quest skill? But how did it manage to lock onto the array master’s side!? This seems similar to the Daoist partner skill used by Air and Durian Milk Tea before.”

“It isn’t a Daoist partner skill.” CloudTraveller, who had fought dungeons with them before and had seen this skill, clarified, “It’s a quest skill called ‘Heart Line.’ Momo and UnchainedWanderer have a binding relationship. This skill allows them to instantly teleport to the side of the bound player.”

[Wow, these two are actually bound together?] 

[Do you need to be in a binding relationship to win in arena matches now?] 

[Why is everyone focused on the skill’s effects while I’m the only one curious about their binding relationship?] 

[CloudTraveller seems to know a lot. I want to hear more about the binding details!]

[??? ‘Heart Line’? That name is quite absurd. Isn’t a binding skill usually associated with casual couple skills?]

Outside the arena, the excitement was palpable, but inside, the atmosphere remained tense and focused.

Once BrokenOracle reacted, he immediately went to support HaiTang. However, the joint assault from the summoner and the array master was no easy feat. HaiTang had exhausted both of her control-break skills and ultimately escaped with a 20% health disadvantage under the summoner’s assault. She activated a pet skill to restore mana and heal her teammates, and also received a single-target heal from BrokenOracle’s healing pet. Unfortunately, BrokenOracle’s healing pet was rendered temporarily useless for the next 6 minutes and couldn’t provide group healing.

As the glazed bricks settled back to calm, both sides entered a new round of engagement.

The match was intensely contested, with both sides seemingly conserving their trump cards and wearing each other down. As the Glazed Palace shook again, the two members of the XiaoYao Team split up to pursue their opponents, using two knockback skills to keep the enemy down below before the glass bricks rose. In this round, no one gained the high ground, and a new round of stalemate began.

The spectators in the live stream were growing anxious. Although this high-intensity battle involved mutual skill depletion, the longer it went on, the greater the exhaustion. With healing and mana-regenerating pets entering cooldown, both sides would fall into another disadvantage. It was clear that quick victories were not an option, and prolonged fights would become increasingly grueling.

“This isn’t going to work…” Watermelon said, “Both sides are mana-draining professions, but mana recovery speed is also an issue. The Doaist priest and mage can use small skills to wear us down, but we’re relying on summons and arrays. If we really run out of mana, the disadvantage might fall on us.”

“Hitting issues with magic professions is just like this,” Cantaloupe added, “Even with mana and health recovery, whether the cooldowns can keep up is a problem.”

“Prolonging this fight isn’t sustainable for long periods,” FireworksAndLanterns said, “Summoners are extremely mentally taxing professions.”

As time ticked by, Yu Zhen’s gaze occasionally fell on the summoner. Su Mo’s new device included an emergency medical alert system. If Su Mo’s physical condition deteriorated or his brain activity levels exceeded a certain threshold, the alert would send a message to Yu Zhen. Normally, playing for two to three hours wouldn’t be an issue, but the high-intensity and high-investment battle with BrokenOracle and HaiTang could have adverse effects over a longer duration.

Even though Su Mo’s data was still normal, it was important to be prepared for any potential problems.

The fight couldn’t continue like this; a decisive move was necessary.

“Their healing skills are on cooldown, defense and damage reduction are up… Attack damage has increased…”

Yu Zhen said calmly, “I’ll buy you some time, 6 seconds. Can you secure a kill?”

Su Mo paused slightly at Yu Zhen’s words. “It’s possible,” he replied, “but shouldn’t we delay a bit longer? It’s a bit risky to try for a kill now, and most of your skills are on cooldown…” He suddenly realized something midway through, “I understand. How much time do we need?”

“20 seconds,” Yu Zhen asked, “Can you hold out?”

Su Mo replied confidently, “Yes.”

[This prolonged fight seems never-ending.]

[Extended battles are like this; both sides are likely trying to use up their skills to buy time.]

“Control skills can still be adjusted seamlessly, but the cooldown for big skills is a problem,” said SkilfulEmptyHand, observing the positioning of the Xiaoyao team. “BrokenOracle has started protecting HaiTang. His ultimate skill is on a long cooldown. Is he trying to buy time for HaiTang to use her ultimate skill?”

“Possibly, but the conditions for the mage’s ultimate skill are also strict, so it might not be used,” CloudTraveller noted as he watched the field. “Look at the Advertising team; the summoner’s actions seem a bit unusual.”