Pause! Cheating?

A swirling ball of fire fell from the sky towards the five-member formation of the team.

Zou Yuan couldn't worry about being exposed anymore and immediately withdrew with his flying weapon. Du Wenhao also quickly retreated using a triple slash, and Zhang Wei's summoner hastily rode away on his broom.

Tang Hao, whose profession was rogue, needed a quick way to move. He picked up a brick and threw it into the air. In this critical moment, the brick accurately hit the fire machine, knocking it far away, causing the following missile to change direction and explode in an empty area, forming a mushroom cloud.

Tang Hao was terrified. If the missile had landed in their formation, not only would he have been blasted away, but even the nearby healer wouldn't have been spared. This was just a heat-seeking missile, and it had nearly destroyed the team's painstaking setup.

Before the fans had a chance to praise Tang Hao for his impressive brick throw, the other team's attack resumed.

Dancing Rain aimed her cannon at the exposed Dazzling Hundred Blossoms while Ye Qiu executed a powerful dragon-breaks the ranks towards the isolated Arrogant Flowers.

Zhang Wei's warlock hovered in the air, just about to support Arrogant Flowers, but an ice-blue wave sword swept him from the sky, sending him crashing to the ground.

Zhang Wei was surprised and looked back just in time to see a massive fist slam into his head. It was Shen Jian's fighter, waiting for him to fall.

Tang Hao saw his setup being destroyed in an instant. Though slow to react, he realised he had fallen into Liu Hao's trap, who had used himself as bait.

"Damn it!" Tang Hao roared in anger, like an enraged beast, charging fiercely at Liu Hao.

Liu Hao calmly chanted a wave sword spell. Seeing this, Tang Hao threw three needles, aiming to interrupt the chant. However, the needles seemed invisible as Liu Hao continued chanting.

Just as the needles were about to hit Liu Hao, Shen Jian's fighter suddenly stepped in front of Liu Hao, deflecting the needles with two quick punches.

Tang Hao was taken aback, not expecting the fighter to use his body to shield Liu Hao, so he had no backup plan after the needles.

"Duck!" Liu Hao shouted. His wave sword spell was complete.

Shen Jian obediently crouched down, allowing Liu Hao's short sword to pass over his head. Because the fighter's body had blocked the initial casting motion, Tang Hao couldn't predict where Liu Hao would strike. Forced to move instinctively, Liu Hao anticipated Tang Hao's random movement, and the flaming wave sword hit him squarely, engulfing him in flames.

After casting the flaming wave sword, Liu Hao immediately began chanting an immobilisation spell.

Zhang Wei saw this and knew that with Shen Jian's protection, Tang Hao's projectiles wouldn't interrupt Liu Hao's spell. He chose to support Tang Hao instead of Du Wenhao. The warlock rode his broom towards Liu Hao and launched an ice drill attack.

The ice drill, a high-level spell, summoned a drill to attack the enemy, causing significant magical damage and knockback.

Using the ice drill's large form as cover, Tang Hao advanced quickly.

The commentator praised the flawless coordination between the warlock and the rogue. The physical impact of the ice drill, combined with magical damage, was something the magic swordsman couldn't block.

In this tense moment, Shen Jian wanted to escape but realised he couldn't abandon his leader. Activating a defence boost, he said, "Boss, I'll shield you!"

Liu Hao dismissed this, "Get out of the way. I can handle it. Don't hold me back!"

Heartbroken, Shen Jian moved aside but followed orders, leaping over the ice drill.

"Shen Jian avoided the ice drill, but Liu Hao will be in trouble!" the commentator exclaimed.

"Liu Hao can dodge with a triple slash but must stop his spell!" another commentator noted. "If he continues, even if the spell completes, he won't have time to evade!"

Liu Hao, with a speed boost, managed to finish his immobilisation spell just in time.

"What's the point?" Zhang Wei thought, planning to attack Liu Hao after the ice drill hit.

The ice drill struck Liu Hao's sword, but instead of causing knockback or significant damage, a golden wave sword unexpectedly shot at the warlock.

A quick-wave sword with no chanting? Impossible!

Zhang Wei was stunned. Unable to react in time, he was hit by the wave sword and fell into the immobilisation spell's area.

"Pause! Referee, I want a pause!" Zhang Wei shouted.

The referee immediately paused the match, stopping the screen.

The audience wasn't surprised, as the ice drill had no effect, and Liu Hao's wave sword seemed only possible with chanting.

"Referee! I suspect a game bug!" Zhang Wei said that he wanted to accuse Liu Hao of cheating. The ice drill's lack of damage and knockback could be a bug, but an instant wave sword was only possible with chanting.

The referees reviewed the match footage, replaying it in slow motion. They only saw the magic swordsman blocking at the last moment.

Blocking reduces 70% of physical damage, but why did it negate magical damage from the ice drill? And how could he instantly cast the wave sword during the block?

"Is Liu Hao really cheating?" one referee wondered. In his years as a referee, he'd never seen anything so outrageous, like a weapon using skills from all 24 professions.

(End of Chapter)

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