A rare, peak performance was considered unmanageable, a flaw. Anyone would feel awkward, let alone Sun Xiang with his arrogance and conceit. Ye Xiu still found time to send messages, which was clearly more than just complaining; it was a powerful mental attack.

How would Sun Xiang react to such words? Go crazy? Become depressed? The pro players speculated, feeling either outcome would be understandable. But Sun Xiang's final reaction surprised everyone.

One Autumn Leaf, Haolong Pojun (Dragon Breaks the Army)!

But instead of attacking, he... ran!

That proud and conceited Sun Xiang, after pushing One Autumn Leaf to its peak, suffered such embarrassment, but he didn't fall into chaos or desperately try to prove himself. His ultimate choice was to make One Autumn Leaf escape.

This final response stunned everyone.

After fighting to this point, after being provoked so much, that proud, conceited Sun Xiang actually chose to run?

Not just him, but any pro player on the sidelines would have thought of fighting to the death! Even if they lost in the end, they wouldn't want to be looked down upon like that.

But Sun Xiang chose to escape.

This meant he acknowledged Ye Xiu's judgment, admitting he couldn't handle One Autumn Leaf in its peak state.

He put down his pride, abandoned his self-esteem, all for victory!

Because escaping was the wisest choice at that moment. He could escape the chaotic situation and, after the skill's duration ended, remove some of the buffs on One Autumn Leaf, returning it to a state Sun Xiang could skillfully control.

Then, he could fight again!

Applause erupted, from the pro players. It wasn't loud, but it was full of meaning.

Sun Xiang wasn't a popular player and didn't have many friends in the circle. A seventh-season player, he was relatively junior. He'd won Best Newcomer and received various praises, but this was the first time he'd received such solemn respect from the pro scene.

Because he did something many people couldn't.

Pride, self-esteem!

Every pro player had them, but not every player could choose to put them down in such an embarrassing situation.

Everyone knew Sun Xiang to some extent, so they knew how difficult this step was for the young man. But now, he'd let go. Whether he'd win because of it was irrelevant; that alone was enough to move people.

This Haolong Pojun (Dragon Breaks the Army) seemed even more difficult than the Haolong Pojun (Dragon Breaks the Army) used against the trap.

Ye Xiu was also surprised.

Sun Xiang's changes this season were obvious, but he didn't expect him to control his pride and conceit to this extent. Even as an opponent, Ye Xiu couldn't help but applaud and cheer for Sun Xiang.

But that was all.

When it came to victory, Ye Xiu wouldn't budge an inch.

Arc Flash!

Chasing after One Autumn Leaf, Lord Grim followed. Ye Xiu wasn't going to give Sun Xiang a chance to breathe.

The two characters suddenly broke out of the chaotic battle. The NPCs had aggro on both characters, but weren't entirely focused on them. Their battles with each other hadn't stopped. When the two characters suddenly disengaged, they just took a swipe, but didn't organize any particularly targeted attacks. The NPCs ambushing on the mountainside immediately pursued the two characters who'd left the battle, making them the most aggressive and dominant attackers on the field.

No one could stop their attacks. Ye Xiu and Sun Xiang could only dodge the attacks from above while controlling their characters.

Lord Grim finally caught up to One Autumn Leaf, but Sun Xiang had delayed as much as possible. When Lord Grim finally caught up, he didn't rashly engage in a direct confrontation. One Autumn Leaf, in peak condition, completely adopted a defensive posture.

"Too calm! Too rational!"

"Doesn't seem like Sun Xiang at all!"

"Yeah, if I didn't know in advance, I really wouldn't have guessed it was Sun Xiang."

The pro players discussed. Sun Xiang was now the biggest highlight of the match. His changes and attitude impressed them. This season, Sun Xiang had been adjusting himself, making everyone wonder how to deal with Sun Xiang in the future. A Sun Xiang who could let go of everything and focus solely on victory would be even harder to deal with.

"Ye Xiu is also very stable," someone said.

Sun Xiang's unexpected actions made him the focus of the players, and they somewhat overlooked Ye Xiu's consistent focus. Sun Xiang had made various changes and adjustments, but ultimately only returned the situation to the starting point, and Ye Xiu hadn't been affected by it. Whether facing a Sun Xiang who couldn't control his peak state and had flaws, or a Sun Xiang who abandoned his pride and peak state to bring everything back to the starting point, Ye Xiu only pursued victory wholeheartedly. Nothing could change or shake that. Even if he was moved by Sun Xiang's actions, he would only become more determined and work harder to win the match.

The battle continued, and life was being consumed.

But One Autumn Leaf had lost some health when he was surrounded and when Sun Xiang couldn't control him and was countered by Ye Xiu. Now that Sun Xiang had regrouped and was fighting again, he couldn't close the gap, because Ye Xiu wasn't giving him any chance.

The life of the two characters continued to slowly decrease, with no major fluctuations, only small losses, showing how meticulous and cautious both sides were.

The audience held their breath for Sun Xiang. When Ye Xiu said those words, they thought Sun Xiang would lose, but they didn't expect the match to return to this situation. They might not have understood the meaning of Sun Xiang's choice to escape with Haolong Pojun (Dragon Breaks the Army), but they could see Sun Xiang's determination to win.

Chase him!

The Samsara fans stared at the small gap, cheering and shouting, hoping it would disappear.

But the gap remained stubborn and insurmountable. One Autumn Leaf and Lord Grim's health continued to decrease, but until one side's health completely disappeared, the gap remained.

In the first round of the individual competition, Ye Xiu won. He finally created an undefeated myth in one-on-ones, including the playoffs.

Chapter 115 Change