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"What's going on? Everyone, let's put in more effort! We can still win this last round. Feng Ling, you and Lott switch places; you can take the field now, but don't rely too much on that sealing power. I believe if you use your usual charging speed, you can even surpass that third-year player. What you need more is confidence; you don't have to push yourself to score. There's still time; we're only down by 15 points. We have a chance to turn this around."
Upon hearing the command to take the field, Feng Ling stood up in his position and said seriously, "If I can't break through that player, then we might struggle in the next two matches. We must win this one; it's a battle for our dignity. I am the top player in the runner position."
However, when Lott was substituted out, his expression was one of disappointment. Among them, he seemed the most disheartened. As a backup runner, he didn't possess the dreamlike footwork of the newcomer Feng Ling. In terms of speed, he was comparable to an average offensive team member; he was the type who accumulated strength over time, and perhaps his only advantage was his insight.
As an excellent leader, Guo Yu understood how disheartened some members of the team were feeling. He glanced at Lott sitting in the corner of the bench and smiled, "We won't fail so easily. We are Star Team, after all—gathering countless stars into one body. Only those with true talent qualify to be part of Star Team. You all meet that standard. Right now, it doesn't matter; as long as we win this match, any losses during it will become mere memories."
Lott seemed to calm down a bit at Guo Yu's words. Guo Yu looked at the others present and quickly said, "Now we need to adjust positions from the first three rounds; everyone gather around to listen to me."
Meanwhile, on the other side in the player area, Ice Dust Team faced a serious shortage of players on the bench. Defensive players like Adams were pushing themselves to their limits. Despite having received a relaxing massage and drinking some sports drinks, their sweat had diminished only slightly.
In such a hot environment and with at least two more matches ahead, even iron bodies could not withstand it. The most pressured was Adams; his legs, abdomen, and arms were swollen in multiple places—bruised and purple. He gritted his teeth during the massage to avoid making any noise, yet tears still streamed down his face.
Long Xingchen said seriously, "Our lineup hasn't changed much; the fourth round is when victory will be decided. Xiu, you'll replace Lin back in the runner position. Although we have a 15-point lead, please try to forget about it; we might face a fierce counterattack."
"That's good; let me get acquainted with that first-year newcomer. Don't worry; I'll definitely hold my ground against him," Xiu replied with a smile.
"Yes, I'm counting on you," Long Xingchen nodded repeatedly after looking at Xiu. "Additionally, there's one more change: I will still be Command Tower. The offensive and defensive teams will switch roles—Adams will sit back on the bench while Kole takes his place. Maiko will also return to the bench while Allen joins the defensive team; everyone else remains unchanged."
Adams had undoubtedly pushed himself too hard over three rounds and desperately needed time to recover his stamina. On the sidelines, Freya urgently called for Surgeon to give him a massage for recovery; those bruises would also be treated with traditional cupping therapy. Maiko's injuries were quite severe as well—his chin was scraped—but aside from these superficial wounds, other targets were also present, making Surgeon watching from the side feel alarmed.
"There are no other objections; there won't be many changes for the fourth round. The offensive team will assist the defensive team by maximizing our firepower. For both ends of our attack: receiver Grenade Kesa will pass to Nemo upon receiving the ball; Nemo will coordinate with Freyr for a shot. When both teams push forward into enemy territory, it's best to attack from within five yards; shooting from further back will decrease your shot speed. Perhaps this distance is still too far back; ideally, if everyone can keep pressing forward into enemy lines, zero yards is a safe distance."
After laying out these simple tasks, the referee's whistle suddenly blew. The two-minute break wasn't long but was enough to clarify everything that needed addressing. As both teams began the fourth round, their expressions turned serious as they stepped onto the field; everyone was determined to seize victory this time around—the center would fight for possession of the ball.
The referee tossed the ball up, and both teams sent out their centers. The center for the Ice Dust Team was Kole, standing at six feet one inch tall. He appeared quite bulky, a true food lover, but one should not underestimate his mass. As a key player in the first round, he managed to hold the defensive line until the fourth round when he was finally substituted back into the game to join the fray.
Kole's strength lay in his weight and pushing power, though he lacked the jumping ability of his opponent. A muscular giant on the opposing team wiped sweat from his brow with a finger and quickly passed the ball to a teammate behind him. Feng Ling's figure blended into the offensive group, and these four offensive players advanced forward under the protection of their defenders.
In other words, both defensive teams surged forward, but at that moment, they were shocked to find that the opposing defense had significantly increased in numbers. Guo Yu stared at the sudden turn of events on the field, surprised to see that members of the offensive team from the first half had joined the defensive line, effectively immobilizing their own defenders and preventing any breakthroughs from their offensive players.
Feng Ling leaped over a teammate's body to get past the wall of defenders. A player behind him reached out, attempting to grab his shirt. With a burst of energy, he pushed off with his legs as if propelled by rockets; this was clearly his normal speed. However, it left one defender confused about his direction. Feng Ling faked several moves before accelerating straight into the front line.
"Xiu!" Long Xingchen shouted.
"Leave it to me," Xiu replied confidently, patting his chest.
As soon as he finished speaking, he charged forward again, closing the distance between them in an instant. In just a moment, Feng Ling suddenly exerted force in his lower body, causing his figure to blur. In the next second, he zipped past Xiu at a speed that left Xiu in awe. Reacting quickly, Xiu turned and reached back with his hand, pushing Feng Ling's back with considerable force, sending him flying forward.
"Push foul!" The referee blew his whistle.
Feng Ling stood up; he still held onto the ball without it being stolen away. He was determined to end this quickly. Suddenly, a rift opened up behind the defensive line as three supporting players followed closely behind. Xiu focused intently on Feng Ling, trying to block his path while deciphering his intentions—clearly a challenging task.
"I'm going for it," Feng Ling declared.
He alternated between feints and exaggerated movements almost back-to-back—high throws and suspiciously low passes that seemed like they might slip through Xiu’s defenses. These actions appeared quite convincing now that his teammates were closing in around him, giving Feng Ling an opportunity to make his feints seem real.
The passing and feints continued in rapid succession as their eyes communicated intentions. Xiu saw through Feng Ling's plan and quickly moved left to intercept him. Feng Ling was surprised that Xiu had indeed read his movements correctly; just before they collided, he released a low-arc pass.
"Nice pass!"
Another figure joyfully received a low arc pass, swiftly darting past the two players. Although Xiu wanted to rush out immediately, he was suddenly knocked down by Feng Ling.
Seeing that he couldn't catch up, Freyr hurriedly moved forward to defend against the members of the Star Team charging into their territory. He threw the ball away at high speed, and just then, a short player burst out from behind him, leaping high into the air for a spectacular backflip kick aimed at the hoop.
In that moment, the ball was moving too fast for Freyr and Nemo to react. They had no idea that another figure was also rushing out from behind. The two figures overlapped, with the former's height providing cover, making it appear as if a single player was diving into the defense.
The ball accurately swished through the hoop, while Long Xingchen stood motionless in place, securing three points in that instant.
Even though the ball had gone in, there was no time to dwell on it. The next moment marked their offensive round. The entire team surged forward with heightened awareness. The receiver passed the ball from the front, and at that critical moment, a leaping figure perfectly aligned with the trajectory of the returning ball, sweeping it back behind him. Feng Ling landed back on the ground, shooting an intensely fiery gaze.
The defense on this side had just opened up. The ball was rapidly returned and cut straight ahead. Feng Ling caught it and charged forward, drawing absolute firepower before swiftly passing to a teammate beside him. Then came another high-speed throw, which was directly converted into a goal by the center.
"What is happening?"
On the Ice Dust Team's side, disbelief was evident on their faces. No one could provide them with answers; even Long Xingchen felt an ominous premonition. Meanwhile, on the Star Team's side, both offense and defense pressed forward aggressively. With receivers, centers, and runners forming an Iron Triangle, they tore through the defensive line at high speed—one side drawing fire while effortlessly slamming the ball into the hoop. The one making that high-speed shot was none other than the man who had clashed with Long Xingchen earlier.
In less than a moment, three balls landed on Long Xingchen's head. In under five minutes since the start of the game, they had scored nine points—narrowing down what had once been a six-point gap seemed entirely possible.
With twelve minutes in total for the match and only seven minutes left to close the score gap, this fast-paced battle resembled a quick resolution; clearly, stopping such a strong team through defense was futile.
As the game approached its climax, what began as passive play gradually eroded into a disadvantage. With only three points left to spare and two minutes remaining on the clock, the Ice Dust Team felt an intense sense of pressure. At this moment, it was still Star Team's offensive round—the same Iron Triangle continued to attack relentlessly while their defense was completely torn apart. Only Kole managed to hold on through sheer willpower.
Despite his efforts alone being insufficient, others were being pushed back continuously and could no longer muster any strength. The three Iron Triangles continued their assault, shifting their focus of attack onto Feng Ling. Xiu appeared increasingly flustered; he kept pursuing desperately because he feared letting Feng Ling slip past him again. He even sent another player to assist him this time but correctly guessed his opponent's offensive intent as another player shifted to center—a giant who seemed capable of blowing him over with just a breath.
"Come on," Xiu shouted.
At that moment, Xiu seemed to be filled with momentum. He lowered his stance and completely locked down all of Feng Ling's offensive intentions. In that instant, he saw through every attack route of his opponent. Although he remained motionless, Feng Ling felt as if a pair of eyes were scrutinizing him, leaving him with no thoughts of attacking for a long time.
"I've been seen through!" Feng Ling cursed inwardly.
"Hey, over here." Another figure rushed over from the side.
"Don't even think about it." In the next moment, Xiu moved again, sticking to him like chewing gum, thoroughly blocking all routes.
"Why are you so clingy?"
"Hehe, this is a competition. On the battlefield, it's life or death. Our Ice Dust Team has to advance, so we have to fight hard, rookie." Xiu replied with a smile.
As he spoke, Feng Ling frowned slightly and charged straight ahead. However, he suddenly stopped and then made a swift move to the right. His left foot instinctively took quick steps to change direction, his figure crossing over as he executed a feint. The move was executed beautifully; Xiu couldn't see through it and stumbled to the ground.
Without hesitation, Feng Ling suddenly accelerated.
With Xiu's speed, he could still catch up, but even though he was barely trailing behind now, it was difficult for Feng Ling to make a play. The feint had been impressive but not fluid enough; it caused him to pause slightly. Now at this speed, his options were limited to passing the ball to the receiver. The receiver quickly tossed it back to the center forward, who had already jumped up.
From a distance of ten yards, he was set to shoot. With this angle and position, even the center forward's kick could easily find the back of the net.
"Got it!" the giant laughed as he powerfully struck the ball with his ankle.
"Not while I'm here."
At that moment, Freyr leaped high from the sideline position toward the front in anticipation of defense. He was an unrelated party; his task was merely to prepare for a shooting opportunity. But seeing this situation unfold forced him into action. The giant hesitated for a moment, but by then the ball had already been kicked away. Freyr flipped backward and executed a heel kick that sent the ball flying out of bounds.
Just then, the whistle blew. Everyone turned to look at the referee, who was glancing at his watch and raised one finger before suddenly announcing: "The attacking side will reorganize; it's a throw-in for Star Team."
The players from the Star Team stepped out to the edge of the field, twenty-two individuals pressed tightly together, back to back, pushing against each other as they claimed their advantageous positions. In that moment, the receiver found it impossible to determine where to throw the ball. Suddenly, he seemed to have an epiphany and tossed the ball high into the air.
Feng Ling sprang into action, and the center behind him leaped up immediately. Xiu, Freyr, and Long Xingchen also reacted, while others sprinted forward. This all-out assault made it impossible to discern whether they were aiming for a touchdown or attempting a three-point shot. A touchdown was worth seven points, which could help them win the game; however, the area restricted by eleven players limited their movement significantly. Now, unless they could make a straight line to the front line, their options were severely constrained.
If Feng Ling attempted a touchdown, it would be quite risky since many knew that route and would likely ambush him for a sudden interception.
Feng Ling frowned slightly and shook his head but ultimately chose to proceed. As the runner for the Star Team, he could not afford to hesitate at this critical moment. He had to charge forward; everyone was willing to pass the ball back to him at high speed, allowing him to score in this manner—this was their last resort. The others were locked down in their offensive routes; only Feng Ling's speed could provide a breakthrough against Confronting.
Feng Ling's defender was Xiu. Upon seeing the ball land in Feng Ling's hands, Xiu's forehead twitched with sudden intensity. "Interesting, let's see what you've got; this is the final showdown."
A smile crept onto Feng Ling's lips, but he remained silent. He quickly shifted his movements, executing a series of impressive feints. The rapid throws had become meaningless; however, those crossovers could shift his center of gravity effectively. His footwork was practical despite being somewhat shaky, but Xiu merely watched as Feng Ling's body swayed in one direction before thrusting his hand forward unexpectedly.
"Smack!"
The ball was knocked down to the ground. Attempting to contest it was clearly too ambitious; Xiu's initial speed was swift while Feng Ling's defense was weak—he lacked the foundation for a steal and allowed Xiu to perform some stylish feints. As time expired completely, Feng Ling finally relaxed his tightly furrowed brow. He took a deep breath and looked up at the sky. "I thought I would be first; I didn't expect to lose again. This time, I lost."
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