Zhang You approached slowly.
30 meters, 20 meters, 10 meters!
The distance had closed significantly, but Zhang You's hands still hung loosely at his sides.
His footsteps were casual, and his entire posture radiated complete defenselessness!
Huang Chen frowned deeply, utterly unable to comprehend Zhang You's behavior.
Was he arrogant? Or was he simply fearless because he had something to rely on?
A distance of 10 meters was already very close.
One had to remember that this was not an octagon; this was the Martial Arena! Contestants here used energy!
And energy could be projected outward!
Although Huang Chen did not understand Zhang You's objective, he had no reason to shrink back from such a prime opportunity!
Huang Chen began gathering energy in his left hand. Given his current level of control, he could gather a maximum of 20 points of energy into an energy ball at one time.
Twenty points was equivalent to the damage of a full-force punch thrown by someone with a muscle strength of 80.
A muscle strength of 80 referred to the total sum of all muscles across the entire body combined.
Since the action of throwing a punch could not mobilize the entire body's muscles simultaneously, the resulting damage output would only be around 20 or 30 at most.
Therefore, the damage of Huang Chen's energy ball was already quite substantial, and this was a ranged attack to boot!
Of course, for these 20 points of energy to be projected outward, "propulsion" was required, and this propulsion also consumed energy.
Using 20 points of energy as propulsion would give the 20-point energy ball an initial velocity of 10 meters per second.
Similarly, using 40 points of energy as propulsion would give the 20-point energy ball an initial velocity of 20 meters per second.
Velocity could not be accumulated infinitely.
And at a distance of 10 meters, an initial velocity of 10 meters per second was already more than enough!
Huang Chen finished gathering the energy ball in his hand, but he did not rush to fire it immediately; instead, he waited.
He waited for Zhang You to get closer.
6 meters! 5 meters! 4 meters!
At this distance, Zhang You maintained that same nonchalant attitude.
Huang Chen's previous doubt instantly dissipated, replaced by a surge of wild elation.
There was no need to wait any longer! At this distance, it was absolutely impossible for the other to react in time!
Once the energy ball was fired, it would take a mere 0.4 seconds to reach and strike Zhang You.
In that sliver of time, it was too late either to raise a hand in defense or to channel energy for protection!
Huang Chen raised his left hand without hesitation, detonating 20 points of energy in his palm to shoot the energy ball directly at Zhang You's body.
While firing the energy ball, Huang Chen did not idle either; he activated his sole Energy Imprint and sprinted toward Zhang You's right side.
"Leg muscle enhancement!"
[Name: Primary Leg Enhancement]
[Type: Enhancement]
[Energy Consumption: 40]
[Energy Line Width Occupied: 4]
[Effect: Leg muscle strength increased by 10%, lasting for 10s]
[Cooldown: 30s]
Energy Imprints were special energy lines inscribed within the body.
When energy flowed out through these special energy lines, it produced unique effects (skills).
Of course, there were limitations. Every Energy Imprint had to be inscribed on the foundation of the original energy lines, which meant the number of Energy Imprints a person could possess was extremely limited.
To use a vivid analogy, the energy lines inside the human body were like a large water pipe carrying water, while an Energy Imprint was equivalent to branching a small water pipe off the side of the main pipe.
If the water inside the main pipe flowed out through the small pipe, it could produce certain special effects (skills).
However, because the water inside the main pipe was limited, if the combined widths of the connected small pipes exceeded the width of the main pipe, a shortage of water flow would occur.
Therefore, small pipes could not be connected infinitely to the same main pipe.
How many small pipes could be connected depended primarily on the width of the main pipe—that was the average energy line width listed in the data report.
The second drawback was equally fatal: it was expensive! Super expensive!
Energy Imprints had to be inscribed by professional imprint masters, and fees varied depending on the type and strength of the imprint.
Ranged attack types and recovery-type imprints, in particular, commanded astronomical prices.
Enhancement types like the one Huang Chen was currently using were the cheapest of all types, and their strength was merely primary; yet even so, it still cost several hundred thousand.
Huang Chen came from an ordinary family. To buy this Energy Imprint for their son, his parents had exhausted almost all of their savings, all for the sake of letting him achieve good results in the Selector Tournament.
Moreover, Huang Chen's purpose in activating the Energy Imprint at this moment was very simple: to secure a one-hit kill.
The energy ball was heading toward Zhang You's left side, while Huang Chen was launching an attack on Zhang You's right side.
Even if Zhang You had some means to withstand the energy ball, Huang Chen could still successfully strike from the right.
And vice versa.
Human reaction time generally fell between 0.2 and 0.3 seconds, and trained individuals could push it to around 0.15 at most.
This meant that to dodge this energy ball, an average person would have less than 0.2 seconds at their disposal.
That didn't even include the time needed for cognitive processing; factoring that in, there wouldn't even be 0.1 seconds left, not to mention Huang Chen's simultaneous charge from the right side.
Huang Chen's plan was flawless.
If an ordinary person encountered this situation without special abilities or a powerful Energy Imprint (skill), there was basically no possibility of turning the tables.
Unfortunately for him, his opponent was Zhang You.
Although Zhang You's physical body existed in the mortal world, his spirit had long since reached the realm of a "divine being."
His reaction time was neither 0.3 nor 0.2, nor even 0.1—it was zero.
An expert could use supreme technique to make the correct response to an opponent's attack within an extremely short window of time.
But Zhang You was different. He didn't even need an extremely short window of time; he could achieve absolute synchronization with his opponent's attack.
This was no longer a level reachable by mortal technique; this was a domain that only a "divine being" could touch.
Huang Chen's entire tactical setup was utterly meaningless in front of Zhang You.
The very moment the energy ball was unleashed, Zhang You's body was already leaning.
His feet remained completely stationary; only his upper torso tilted slightly to the right, evading the energy ball at an extreme angle.
"What?!"
Seeing this scene from his attacking position on the right, Huang Chen felt an indescribable shock erupt within him. He simply could not comprehend this situation.
Could an energy ball fired at such close range actually be dodged?
Was this truly something a human could accomplish?
Regrettably, there was no medicine for regret in this world, and Huang Chen, who was moving at full speed, could not stop instantly.
At that moment, the distance between him and Zhang You was less than two meters.
This was his first close-range encounter with Zhang You, and also his first time seeing Zhang You's eyes clearly.
They were a pair of hollow and lifeless eyes, radiating an indifference and detachment that made him feel as though the person was completely isolated from the world.
Even more terrifyingly, after executing such an extreme evasive maneuver, there was still no expression whatsoever on Zhang You's face.
It was as if it had been effortless, completely beneath notice.
"The gap... is it really this vast..."
This was the final thought in Huang Chen's mind before his defeat.
By this time, Zhang You had already resumed an upright stance.
Looking at the rushing Huang Chen, he calmly raised his right hand.
Swish!
This punch struck Huang Chen's chin with pinpoint precision.
Zhang You didn't even borrow strength from his legs and waist; standing upright, he knocked his opponent down relying solely on the strength of his right arm's swing.
It was as if... he had casually batted away a kindergarten child.
[Contestant Huang Chen has been detected unconscious, match over!]
[Winner: Zhang You]
[Match Duration: 1 minute 57 seconds]
[Match Score: 100]
The system's prompt tone chimed, and a white light once again enveloped the two figures in the arena.
After just a brief moment, they were teleported back.