CHAPTER 207: CHAPTER 207: STRIKING YOUR WEAK SPOT

"The battle has started!"

Just as Liang Houyun spoke the words of agreement, Lin Ye immediately lunged toward him.

In that moment, Liang Houyun squinted slightly and chuckled.

"Cunning little brat!"

He instantly retreated, refusing to confront Lin Ye directly.

According to Lin Ye’s bet, both sides were to remove all equipment and disable skills to decide the outcome with pure combat.

And evidently, Lin Ye had counted on this.

From the moment Lin Ye appeared in the arena, he was already in casual clothes, clearly prepared for this.

Now Liang Houyun still had his equipment on; if he fought back, he would be violating the bet and would lose directly!

"Tsk? I really didn’t expect Lin Ye to pull such a trick!"

"Quite sly, but I must say, very clever."

"Useless. Lin Ye underestimated Liang Houyun. Removing equipment only takes about ten seconds, hardly making a difference! It will just make Liang Houyun more serious!"

"Indeed, such a petty trick might fool ordinary people, but in a battle above the 200-point stage, it’s unrealistic..."

"Look, Liang Houyun isn’t taking the bait at all!"

The spectators started discussing among themselves, with some feeling impressed by Lin Ye’s tactics, while others disagreed.

However, the mainstream opinion was that such a small move wouldn’t affect Liang Houyun at all.

In reality, the battle reflected this truth.

Under Lin Ye’s pursuit, Liang Houyun retreated effortlessly, quickly removing all the equipment he needed to take off.

Back in casual clothes, Liang Houyun’s tall and sturdy physique still exuded a significant oppressive aura.

In this state, Lin Ye, shorter and seemingly thinner in build, looked completely out of Liang Houyun’s league.

"Kid, my turn!"

Liang Houyun took several steps back and then fiercely launched an attack on Lin Ye.

"Lin Ye’s momentum is gone!"

"He resorted to desperate measures out of necessity, but unfortunately, his opponent didn’t fall for them."

"He was trying to catch his opponent off guard, but someone as seasoned as Liang Houyun couldn’t possibly fall for that."

"However, it’s good for Lin Ye to face some hardship; he’s been too smooth sailing and needs some knocking down."

"Indeed! It’s hoped Liang God will teach him there are always greater heights beyond his view!"

Many veteran spectators felt that the battle was already over the moment Liang Houyun removed his equipment.

After all, Lin Ye’s little trick was merely aimed at catching Liang Houyun off guard while removing equipment, or forcing him to break the rules...

Unfortunately, this level of trickery was utterly ineffective.

Yet, the subsequent battle didn’t unfold as people had predicted.

In the fight, even though Lin Ye appeared constantly at a disadvantage, he didn’t fall quickly as the spectators had forecasted.

"Unbelievable, why do I feel like Lin Ye might still have a chance to turn the tables?"

"A turnaround is unlikely, but I think there’s a good chance he can hold out until the ten-minute mark, ending in a draw."

"I also think Lin Ye is aiming for a draw."

"Too bad, he won’t be able to secure his twenty-win streak."

The spectators were now startlingly aware they likely underestimated Lin Ye.

Judging from this battle, if given a few more years to hone his skills, even Liang Houyun might struggle against him.

"Not bad, not bad!"

In the arena, Liang Houyun took Lin Ye’s punch without rushing to counterattack.

Counting the previous skirmishes, both sides have had back-and-forth exchanges; given his attributes in the Close Combat System, Liang Houyun still had the upper hand overall.

Initially, Lin Ye’s trick did catch him off guard.

With that move alone, Lin Ye managed to narrow the Life Value gap significantly.

At that moment, Liang Houyun realized Lin Ye never calculated for him to break the rules, but merely aimed to level the Life Value playing field.

Lin Ye’s punch didn’t land successfully; he didn’t advance hastily but took a step back.

Both were observing each other’s every move.

"More or less..."

Lin Ye muttered in his heart, realizing from his nearly depleted Life Value that there was no need to hold back anymore.

"Hey, kid, show your true skills! With just this, you won’t achieve your twenty-win streak!" Liang Houyun also noticed that Lin Ye had been holding back all along.

Lin Ye said nothing, simply beckoned Liang Houyun to make a move.

Liang Houyun chuckled lightly, stepped forward, and launched his attack on Lin Ye...

Though the Church Court had many issues, it indeed was an old force with a deeply ingrained training system.

For instance, much of Liang Houyun’s Combat Skills were honed within the Church Court.

Clearly, he no longer wished to waste time with Lin Ye and set aside his playful demeanor.

Initially, he was half-joking, also noticing Lin Ye’s plan to deplete his Life Value, allowing things to unfold as they did.

But now, he planned to get serious.

After all, if Lin Ye lost, he’d only miss an opportunity to attend a top university.

If he lost, he’d have to forfeit a billion dollars!

Since losing wouldn’t disadvantage Lin Ye, Liang Houyun only agreed to the bet, believing he was guaranteed to win.

If he had the slightest doubt about his chances, he’d scorn Lin Ye’s shamelessness.

At this point, his aggression intensified severalfold!

Seeing this, Lin Ye’s eyes glimmered.

As soon as Liang Houyun got serious, his opportunity would arise!

Although Liang Houyun didn’t seem like a legitimate Paladin, deep down, he was a Paladin through and through!

This was embedded in his genes, ingrained in his bones, and couldn’t be erased, no matter how carefree he appeared.

And Paladins practiced a set of Combat Skills from a young age; it became almost muscle memory.

As Liang Houyun charged at him, Lin Ye didn’t dodge, directly throwing a punch at Liang Houyun’s face!

Seeing this, Liang Houyun instinctively used his right arm to block, as if wielding a shield, to fend off Lin Ye’s punch.

But in the next moment, Lin Ye moved, turning in a ghostly manner, taking advantage of his shorter height to smoothly slip to Liang Houyun’s right side!

And the next moment, Lin Ye delivered a hard elbow strike to Liang Houyun’s right flank!

In that moment, Liang Houyun gasped, his body momentarily stiffening...

How did Lin Ye know about this hidden injury of his?