A battle of will and skill

A battle of will and skill

"The first competition is the armed swimming event!"

Lu Zhanting stood by the lake, pointing to a flag about two kilometers away on the opposite shore.

"The rules are simple. Everyone carries 20 kilograms of weight. Start from here, swim to the other side, capture the flag, and return to the starting point. The team with the shortest time wins. The Dragon team gets 4 points, the Tiger team gets 3 points, the Leopard team gets 2 points, and the Wolf team gets 1 point."

“Furthermore,” Lu Zhanting added, “teams are allowed to engage in ‘reasonable’ confrontations during the competition. Any means are permitted as long as no one is killed.”

The moment those words were spoken, everyone's gaze shifted.

Qin Feng, in particular, looked at Lu Chen and a cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

The phrase "reasonable confrontation" gave him a lot of room to maneuver.

"Prepare!"

The four teams lined up by the lake, and the team members were checking their waterproof backpacks and equipment.

"Listen up, everyone," Lu Chen whispered to his team. "After you get in the water, don't rush forward. Maintain formation and conserve your energy. Our goal isn't to be the first to reach the other side, but to be the first to return to the finish line."

"Understood!" the team members replied in unison.

"Also, be careful of Team Dragon." Lu Chen's eyes darkened. "Qin Feng is the kind of person who will do anything to win."

"start!"

At Lu Zhanting's command, the four squads charged into the icy lake like tigers descending from the mountain.

The lake water was already quite cold in early autumn, stinging the skin.

Qin Feng's Dragon Team lived up to its reputation as a top-notch combination; they displayed formidable strength as soon as they entered the water, rushing to the forefront like an arrow.

The other two teams followed closely behind.

Only Lu Chen's wolf team, at a leisurely pace, lagged behind, the five of them forming a diamond formation, swimming steadily forward.

"Brother Chen, should we speed things up? If we keep going like this, they'll leave us far behind." Wang Lei said anxiously.

"No rush." ​​Lu Chen swam while observing the situation ahead. "Let them fight first. We'll conserve our energy."

With the race halfway through, the Dragon Team is already far ahead, less than 500 meters from the flag on the opposite bank.

Just then, something unexpected happened.

Suddenly, the Tigers, who had been following the Dragons, accelerated and flanked them from the flank.

"What are they trying to do?" Wang Lei was stunned.

"They want to seize the initiative." Lu Chen saw through their intentions at a glance.

Tiger Team Captain Zhao Hai had obviously also thought of a "reasonable confrontation". He wanted to harass the Dragon Team from the side when they were taking the flag, slow them down, and then take the opportunity to overtake them.

The idea was good, but they chose the wrong opponent.

When Qin Feng saw the Tiger Team flanking him, his face showed no tension, but rather a hint of disdain.

"Overestimating one's abilities."

He gestured to the team members behind him.

The next second, the four members of the Dragon Team suddenly changed direction, no longer moving forward, but instead heading towards the Tiger Team.

They were like four sharks, instantly breaking up the Tiger Team's formation.

Then comes the ruthless "rational confrontation".

The Dragon Team members were seen in pairs, tightly entangled with Tiger Team members, some pulling on their backpacks, others pushing their heads underwater.

The Tiger Team was thrown into disarray. They had intended to harass others, but instead, they were attacked back at them, and the methods used by the other side were so brutal.

In an instant, water splashed everywhere, and shouts and cries for help filled the air.

Qin Feng, however, completely ignored the chaotic battle behind him and accelerated alone, swimming towards the flag.

"Damn, Qin Feng is too cunning! He used his teammates as cannon fodder just to create opportunities for himself!" Wang Lei was dumbfounded.

Lu Chen's expression also turned very ugly.

Although Qin Feng's actions were not against the rules, they completely abandoned the team. He was simply using his teammates.

Soon, Qin Feng reached the other side and ripped down the flag.

Behind him, the Tiger Team had been completely worn down, with several members unable to swim due to choking on water. The Leopard Team seized the opportunity to overtake them and move into second place.

After receiving the flag, Qin Feng did not linger and immediately turned around to start his return journey.

"Brother Chen, Qin Feng is back! What do we do?"

"Get ready," Lu Chen uttered.

His gaze was fixed on Qin Feng, who was approaching.

When Qin Feng swam to within fifty meters of them, Lu Chen suddenly ordered, "Spread out! Encircle him from both sides!"

The four members of the Wolves immediately spread out like fans, surrounding Qin Feng from both flanks.

Qin Feng sneered when he saw this.

Is this the same trick again? That's how he dealt with the idiots in the Tiger Team.

He didn't take the Wolves seriously at all and was prepared to charge straight at them just like he had done with the Tigers.

However, just as he was about to make contact with the Wolves' encirclement, Lu Chen suddenly appeared alone and went to meet him head-on.

"You guys deal with his teammates, I'll handle him!" Lu Chen shouted to the back.

At this moment, the other members of the Dragon Team had also broken free from the Tiger Team's entanglement and were swimming towards this side.

Wang Lei and the others immediately understood Lu Chen's intention. They stopped paying attention to Qin Feng and instead went to meet the Dragon Team members.

A chaotic battle erupted instantly.

On the water, only Lu Chen and Qin Feng remained, facing each other from a distance.

"Lu Chen, you think you can stop me?" Qin Feng looked at Lu Chen with contempt in his eyes.

"How will you know if you don't try?" Lu Chen's expression was calm.

"court death!"

Qin Feng roared and pounced on Lu Chen like a cheetah. He planned to finish Lu Chen off as quickly as possible and then go help his teammates.

The two were instantly entangled in combat.

Qin Feng was very strong. He immediately locked Lu Chen's neck tightly, trying to push him into the water.

Lu Chen held his breath and suddenly thrust his knee upwards, striking Qin Feng squarely in the abdomen.

Qin Feng winced in pain and loosened his grip.

Lu Chen seized the opportunity to break free, grabbed Qin Feng's wrist with his other hand, and attempted to flip him over with a clean over-the-shoulder throw.

However, the effect of an over-the-shoulder throw is greatly reduced in the water. Qin Feng was only flipped over and quickly recovered.

The two tumbled and wrestled in the water, their punches landing hard.

Qin Feng's moves were wide and powerful, each strike heavy and forceful.

Lu Chen, on the other hand, was more agile. He constantly used the buoyancy of the water to deflect the opponent's force, then looked for weaknesses in the opponent's defenses and launched a rapid counterattack.

This is not just a contest of strength and skill, but also a battle of willpower.

The icy lake water was constantly draining their strength, making every breath incredibly precious.

"Bang!"

Qin Feng punched Lu Chen in the shoulder, while Lu Chen kicked Qin Feng in the side.

The two of them groaned simultaneously, separated, and gasped for breath.

"Lu Chen, are you a slippery eel?" Qin Feng wiped the water from his face and said fiercely. He hadn't expected Lu Chen to be so difficult to deal with.

"Likewise." Lu Chen's shoulder burned with pain, but his face remained calm.

He knew that Qin Feng's physical strength was rapidly declining.

He, having maintained a steady pace, still had plenty of energy.

With the balance of power shifting, the scales of victory are tipping in his favor.

"I don't have time to waste with you!" Qin Feng glanced at the chaotic battle not far away and knew he couldn't drag it out any longer.

He took a deep breath and charged at Lu Chen again.

This time, his offensive was even more ferocious, almost abandoning all defense and aiming every move at Lu Chen's vital points.

He wanted a quick victory!

Lu Chen's eyes narrowed; he had seen through Qin Feng's intention.

This is an opportunity!

Instead of taking the blow head-on, he sidestepped Qin Feng's straight punch and then submerged underwater.

Qin Feng's punch missed its mark, and he hadn't even had time to react.

The next second, he felt his ankle tighten, and a huge force came over him. He instantly lost his balance and was dragged underwater.

It's Lu Chen!

He grabbed Qin Feng's leg underwater!

Qin Feng was shocked and struggled desperately, but underwater, he couldn't exert any strength at all.

Lu Chen was like a water snake, tightly coiling around him and constantly dragging him deeper into the lake.

"Gurgle, gurgle..."

Qin Feng choked on several mouthfuls of water, and the air in his lungs was getting less and less. The feeling of suffocation made him feel an unprecedented fear.

The flag in his hand slipped from his grasp as he struggled and drifted towards the water.

Seeing the flag slip from his grasp underwater, Lu Chen immediately released Qin Feng and swam upwards.

He burst out of the water, grabbed the flag that was slowly sinking, took a deep breath, and swam toward the opposite bank.

The whole process was smooth and swift.

"puff!"

A few seconds later, Qin Feng emerged from the water in a disheveled state, coughing up several mouthfuls of water, his face pale.

He watched as Lu Chen, holding the flag that should have been his, swam further and further away, and his eyes instantly turned red.

"Lu Chen!"

He let out a roar of resentment, wanting to give chase, but found himself completely powerless.

Meanwhile, Wang Lei and his team successfully held off the other members of the Dragon team.

When they saw that Lu Chen had successfully captured the flag, they immediately broke free from the entanglement, quickly moved closer to Lu Chen, and escorted him to swim to the other side.

"Well done, Brother Chen!" Wang Lei shouted excitedly.

Lu Chen didn't say anything, but simply sped up.

Soon, the five members of the Wolves team successfully landed.

Without stopping, they immediately turned around and began their return journey.

On the lake, only the Dragon Team and Tiger Team, still struggling in the water, and the Leopard Team, which had just escaped from the melee, remained.

The outcome of this match is no longer in doubt.

On the shore, Lu Zhanting watched Lu Chen's final, impressive underwater flag-capturing maneuver on the monitor screen, and his hand holding the teacup paused slightly.

The instructors nearby were already in an uproar.

"This kid... he's too smart! He actually thought of using underwater advantages!"

"Use your strengths to attack the enemy's weaknesses. Qin Feng has the advantage in strength on land, but underwater, Lu Chen's agility and swimming skills become his greatest weapons!"

"Old Lu, I never expected your son to do this. He's truly surpassed his master!"

Lu Zhan-Ting put down his teacup and looked at the figure on the screen, who was leading his teammates to swim towards the finish line. His face remained expressionless.

But for the first time, a strange emotion welled up in his heart.

It was an emotion called "pride".