Chapter 251

Chapter 251

In plain terms...

Their Shoujun doesn't need tactics—they don't even need [Xing Ze Jiang Zhi] (XZJZ) to crush you!

Recalling the overwhelming confidence in Shoujun's previous attacks, Changying's command could only laugh bitterly in frustration.

Were they really this underestimated?

Well, if they want war, they'll get war!

Changying's command wasted no time ordering troops to flank Shoujun from the rear.

*Cough.*

Knowing Shoujun wanted a head-on clash, not playing smart would be idiocy.

They weren't about to give Shoujun a fair fight!

Even during friendly matches, Changying had noticed their mech squads usually came out worse against the opposition.

Excluding XZJZ as the game-changer, the overall gap stood at roughly 55% to 45%.

With encounter probabilities being pretty much random, this reflected the real combat disparity between both forces.

The difference was marginal.

Better strategy could compensate.

Victory required smart tactics and coordination.

And that was without XZJZ in the equation.

Even with both sides otherwise evenly matched, Changying would always suffer certain defeat against XZJZ's squad.

That was their unavoidable loss.

Only complete idiots would take that head-on fight!

Changying's command wasn't foolish enough to fall for cheap provocation and pit weaknesses against Shoujun's strengths.

Shen Geng had anticipated this.

But really—

Wasn't this the real showdown between their Combat Command Departments?

Changying wanted to wipe out their front line? Fine—they'd pull back and encircle the infiltrators instead.

When Changying noticed the sudden pullback, they immediately struck at Shoujun's exposed flank.

Would they keep picking them apart, or fall back to reinforce?

Both sides traded blows at lightning speed, where any hesitation or misjudgment would get them slaughtered.

The live audience, initially disappointed by XZJZ's surprisingly subdued performance, was now completely blown away.

This white-knuckle showdown was just as heart-pounding as any mech duel.

However, from start to finish, both sides kept up a relentless back-and-forth.

In other combat zones, there was rhythm—intense offensive pushes followed by tactical regrouping, steadily advancing their positions. Everyone could generally count on a stable period of rest and recovery.

But Shoujun and Changying had no such pattern.

The fierce struggle continued unbroken even after nightfall, as drone squads were sent on sneak raids into enemy lines.

By the end, the battle between these two elite teams had become a war of attrition.

Neither side’s fighters got much real rest.

At first, spectators wondered—was this all-out brawl between these two schools even sustainable? Surely they couldn’t keep it up for long.

If their stamina gave out, leading to a total breakdown, the scene would be disastrous.

Yet as they watched, the crowd went dead silent.

One day, two days, three days, four days…

Almost everyone only snatched an hour or two of sleep, chugged some water, choked down a bite of food, then silently dragged themselves back to position.

There was none of the arrogance or fragility others expected from the top schools’ elites—no whining about the grind or the hurt.

On the live broadcast, everyone gritted their teeth, not a single complaint uttered.

Gradually, the audience’s focus shifted from waiting for mistakes to wondering—how far could sheer grit carry them?

The answer was that there was no answer.

By the seventh day, the winner was clear.

Shoujun came out on top.

Not because Changying faltered, nor because they slipped up in their tactics.

It came down to a raw strength gap.

In the Combat Department, thanks to Bai Xingshu’s brutal drills, S-class and A-class students were a notch above Changying’s.

The Mechanical Engineering Department’s repair skills had sharpened after the heat they took over Bai Xingshu’s bullying incident—students pushed harder than ever to prove they weren’t dead weight, outperforming their opponents in efficiency and skill.

In the Combat Command Department, Commander Shen Geng had his squad’s respect since freshman year. Combined with his willingness to share command tricks, the whole department outclassed previous years.

And during third-year training, whether as Bai Xingshu’s enemies or allies, material consumption skyrocketed. Logistics, communications, and other specialties endured brutal hazing.

The steeper the grind, the higher they climbed.

Their egos got checked hard, and they learned to keep their feet on the ground.

Across the two schools, these differences amounted to just 5% to 10% in various areas. But those small edges added up to decide the fight.

Ground kept slipping, losses kept piling up.

It wasn’t that they had no chance—they were always one step behind.

If they’d just been tougher.

If they’d studied harder, put in more sweat these past two years.

While it was objectively a fair match, for Changying, the psychological impact was even harder to bear than the previous two exchange matches.

Upon hearing the broadcast announce the results, many Changying students broke down crying right then and there.

So then...

When the battle ended and both sides left United's competition zone, Bai Xingshu once again clearly saw that the students from Changying opposite them all had puffy, red-rimmed eyes, their faces filled with anger and frustration.

The only difference was that previously, United's anger and frustration had been directed at Shoujun, but now, Changying's emotions were directed at themselves.

However, this didn't really matter to Bai Xingshu and the other students from Shoujun.

For them, the most important thing was...

Sleep!!!

This was truly an exhausting battle!!!

The students returned directly to their school, crashed into their dorm beds, and slept like the dead for fifteen, maybe twenty hours straight before finally feeling human again.

It could only be said that it was fortunate they had finished their match first, giving them time to get proper rest.

After stuffing themselves, the students set off once more for the tournament grounds.

By now, it was already the ninth day of the semifinals, and the other match was nearing its conclusion.

No one needed to say it—everyone could see the outcome of the other semifinal.

Anhua Military University, victorious.