Chapter 868: 867 peerless hero
The line of scrimmage, like a mirror, reflected two entirely different yet perfectly synchronized figures, both charging toward each other at full speed, a double-sided collision.
Donald, starting, stepping forward, unleashing full power in a straight line at a 45-degree diagonal to his left.
Li Wei, starting, stepping forward, accelerating instantly in a straight line at a 45-degree diagonal to his right.
Both men started perfectly aligned, with only six yards between them, each positioned three yards beyond the scrimmage line, simultaneously moving and exerting full force.
Their paths collided head-on at the apex of the pyramid.
Donald was gathering speed, and it was clear he was going all out. From the moment of takeoff, his target was Mahomes. Relentlessly hammering the quarterback, his ability to apply non-stop pressure throughout the game, giving the quarterback no room to breathe, was what earned him the title of Defensive Player of the Year for two consecutive seasons.
At this moment, it was still the first half, and Donald, brimming with energy, refused to ease up.
In that split second of takeoff, Donald caught the handoff between Mahomes and Li Wei. With no weather interference, he saw it all crystal-clear. His feet shifted subtly—he didn’t even need to deliberately alter direction to complete the target switch.
Even so, Donald still needed to adapt—
Facing Mahomes and facing Li Wei were two entirely different scenarios.
Thus, Donald accelerated, charging at Li Wei with everything he had.
But here’s the catch: Donald’s style involved lowering his center of gravity, bending his knees, and maintaining an attacking posture like a tiger descending a mountain. Facing Li Wei, however, required him to slightly elevate that center of gravity.
Li Wei possessed exceptional agility and explosive speed. If Donald kept his center low but missed the first tackle, Li Wei could instantly break free. Therefore, Donald had to raise his center slightly, boosting his ability to deliver a secondary hit if he failed to secure the first.
Back in Week 11 of the regular season, Donald’s success in containing Li Wei stemmed precisely from this tactic. Once Donald inflicted damage, it wasn’t just a minor scratch. The Los Angeles Rams’ other defenders would quickly converge to extinguish Li Wei’s follow-up plays.
The same principle applied here.
Every time he faced Li Wei, he knew it required 100% concentration and effort; even the slightest lapse could prove fatal.
Donald’s focus locked in perfectly, his gaze fixed firmly on Li Wei.
But Li Wei was also accelerating.
Donald’s pupils constricted. Something felt off—
Li Wei: 6.1 feet (185 cm), 218 pounds (98 kg).
Donald: 6.1 feet (185 cm), 280 pounds (127 kg).
In front of Donald, Li Wei seemed almost shrunken, an entire size smaller. In terms of physique and raw power, there was no contest. Yet here Li Wei was, crashing headlong as if ready to shatter glass with an egg. What on earth was going on?
Reckless? Foolish? Blinded?
No, Donald didn’t think so. This wasn’t the Li Wei he knew.
In the blink of an eye, Donald didn’t have time to think. Trusting his instincts, he assumed it was Li Wei’s strategy—a feint.
The likelihood of a fake move was high; he couldn’t let himself be baited.
Throughout his career, Li Wei had repeatedly used deceptive moves to change direction, turning defenders into clowns chasing shadows.
The thought flashed past in an instant, not even allowing full consideration before the collision took place.
The entire stadium collectively gasped, watching as Li Wei plunged into Donald’s embrace like a lamb charging into a tiger’s den, seemingly blind to the colossal figure before him—
Even Donald was momentarily stunned, his chest tightening.
It wasn’t a fake move. It was sheer, solid force colliding straight into his chest. Instinctively, Donald tried to lower his center of gravity to brace, but there wasn’t enough time to bend his knees. A torrent of power surged through his upper body like a storm.
Donald instantly recognized he’d fallen into a trap. His upper body leaned back, teetering on the brink of falling over.
In that critical moment, his core strength exploded, desperately fighting for balance despite being off-kilter. Leaning into Li Wei’s position with his shoulder, he tried to force Li Wei into exhaustion, pulling him down to the ground—
The Defensive Player of the Year lived up to his title. People saw Donald and Watt as pure power players due to their physique, but Donald was, in truth, a master technician. His footwork and hand techniques ranked among the league’s finest.
Yet Donald quickly realized he’d underestimated Li Wei once again.
In this clash, Li Wei seized every initiative, undergoing a transformation from the inside out, suppressing Donald’s movements step by step.
In that instant, following the collision, Li Wei didn’t unleash his full force. Instead, he maintained stable footing, using Donald’s right shoulder as a pivot point. Executing a clockwise spin, he both evaded Donald’s grasp and left Donald’s attempted shoulder tackle entirely behind him.
The next second, Li Wei was free.
Amidst the crowd’s gasps and cries of disbelief, Donald collapsed spectacularly—sprawled flat on the turf.
The sight was nothing short of shocking.
On the other side, Li Wei grunted in pain. Donald’s strength was still overwhelming; the head-on collision had his insides churning.
Though on the surface Li Wei appeared effortlessly nimble as he evaded Donald, in reality, he was utterly spent, a façade of strength hiding weary exhaustion.
Still, Li Wei didn’t quit. Biting down hard, his eyes gleamed with ferocity as he pressed forward. The killing intent radiating from him overwhelmed the defenders.
Despite his waning stamina, he astonishingly escaped another tackle and surged forward ten yards before finally being brought down by a double-team.
Li Wei rolled back to his feet, ferociously roaring at the Los Angeles Rams Defense players like an avenging god descending upon the field.
A single breakthrough. A single domination. A single face-off. The previously insurmountable struggle for a first down, the constant three-and-outs, was instantly reversed.
The Kansas City Chiefs’ morale ignited in an instant.
Outside the Mercedes-Benz Dome Stadium, Felix was the first to cry out, his voice hoarse, an immense energy erupting from his very soul—
The Edgerunner… have they awakened?
Once again, it was Li Wei. When the offense was gridlocked with no way forward, it was always Li Wei who stepped up and broke through.
Like a legendary hero, descending from the heavens on a Rainbow Cloud.
It wasn’t surprising, but the key was this: even though everyone knew Li Wei was likely to spark the Kansas City Chiefs’ counterattack, they still couldn’t stop him?
Donald lay on the turf briefly, taking a deep breath to collect his thoughts before standing up. Turning to look at Li Wei, his lips curled into a broad grin, devoid of frustration, rage, or disappointment—only electrified excitement and eagerness:
So, is the battle just beginning?