The match entered the 91st minute, already the first minute of stoppage time, with very little time left until the end.
However, at this very moment, a miracle occurred once more. As the fans on the sidelines saw Cao Baming sprinting towards the penalty area, they seemed to sense a premonition.
It was strange. Although the fans clearly saw Cao Baming charging from midfield all the way into the penalty area like a sports car, the other defensive players beside him seemed completely oblivious, standing still as if rooted to the spot.
What seemed strange to the fans was in fact the effect of his top-tier "Phantom of the Pitch" talent. Not only did it provide a speed boost comparable to the "Flying Bird" skill when passing by players, but it also made him completely unnoticeable to them.
By the time they realized what was happening, Cao Baming had already sprinted tens of meters from his previous position into the penalty area. By then, it was far too late to sense the danger!
The Paris Saint-Germain defenders, as usual, were bewildered by a player like Cao Baming. They couldn't make heads or tails of him and just wanted the game to end quickly!
Even Verratti, the deep-lying playmaker for the team, was frozen in place like an idiot, completely useless.
Compared to Cao Baming, the entire defensive line seemed to be half a step, or even a full step, slower.
Suddenly, the eyes of all the fans lit up. At this very moment, Henry's cross from the wing landed perfectly on Cao Baming's head.
Marquinhos and Ramos beside him desperately tried to engage Cao Baming physically. Even inside the penalty area, they didn't hold back, intending to pull him down from the air together.
Despite such overt actions, the referee seemed to turn a blind eye, his whistle firmly in his mouth, refusing to blow.
Cao Baming, closely following, leaped high. Even with the combined efforts of the two to pull him down, they couldn't stop his head from meeting the ball forcefully. The ball then rocketed towards the goal!
The shot landed just in front of the white line of the goal and immediately rebounded towards the top corner of the net!
Despite possessing the world's top reaction speed and height, Donnarumma couldn't save such a difficult shot, allowing Cao Baming to easily score another goal.
"GOAL!!!!"
"A spectacular goal in the final minute!!"
Ramos and Marquinhos lay in the penalty area, looking disheveled.
It was then that the fans understood the referee's reason for not blowing the whistle. He completely trusted Cao Baming's ability to score such a goal effortlessly, making a whistle unnecessary.
Seeing Ramos's pitiful state, the fans no longer pursued the matter. Whether a foul was given or not, it didn't matter much.
Recalling that in the previous match, he had been injured and shown a yellow card in the process of trying to stop Cao Baming's last goal, it truly was a pity.
Although the injury wasn't severe, he was still sidelined for several days. This was his first match back in the Champions League, and he still showed no mercy, not holding back at all.
The spirit of "Water Lord" (a nickname for Ramos) also earned the admiration of the fans!
With this game-winning goal, a system notification once again sounded in Cao Baming's mind.
"Congratulations to the host for completing the Champions League goal challenge. Reward: 10,000 points!"
Soon after, the final whistle blew!
"Congratulations to Arsenal, congratulations to Cao Baming for another victory in the Champions League! With five consecutive wins, Arsenal has secured their spot as group leaders!"
"And due to this loss, Paris Saint-Germain, even in their second-to-last match, has not yet confirmed their qualification for the knockout stage! This is unprecedented!"
At this point, the fans finally understood why this group was called the "Group of Death" during the initial draw.
It wasn't because there were too many strong teams, but because Arsenal was in it!
With a happy mood, Cao Baming walked off the field. As expected, none of the Paris Saint-Germain players dared to exchange jerseys with him.
Waiting, waiting, the system's voice arrived.
Since they had secured their spot as group leaders, the system's Season Mission 2 should have been considered accomplished in advance.
Indeed, shortly thereafter, the system's voice came through.
"Congratulations to the host for completing Season Mission 2: Advancing from the Champions League group stage as group leaders. Mission Reward: One Top-Tier Talent Skill Card!"
With an excited heart, Cao Baming immediately clicked to open the reward!
His eyes flickered with anticipation, raising his expectations to the maximum!
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining the reward, Top-Tier Talent Skill Card [God's Perspective], which has been directly upgraded to max level!"
Amidst a flash of golden light, Cao Baming stood frozen in disbelief!
"???"
"Isn't this a skill card I already have?!"
"It can be like this!"
For a moment, Cao Baming felt speechless.
The system's reward was supposed to be a top-tier golden talent skill card, upgraded directly to max level. This would be equivalent to receiving three golden skill cards.
However, "God's Perspective" was a talent he already possessed. If this reward happened to be the same one, it could only be upgraded to level three. It couldn't possibly directly upgrade to the breakthrough max level of four, could it?
Holding onto a sliver of hope, Cao Baming asked again. As expected, the system's mention of "max level" meant max level, exactly three segments, not a bit more, not a bit less.
Wouldn't that be a loss?!
With the situation as it was, he could do nothing about it and could only accept it reluctantly.
Let's look on the bright side. The "God's Perspective" card had been the most satisfying one he had used since arriving in this world, and it had brought him the greatest benefits and results in his matches!
He wondered what the effect of upgrading it to max level would be.
Even before the system finished speaking, Cao Baming eagerly asked about the effects.
"Ding!"
A moment later, the system began to continue its explanation...
"God's Perspective, talent upgraded to top-tier. New effect: Gain mind-reading abilities on the field. Predict future events within a certain period through players' micro-expressions and movements."
"Current effect has been upgraded to max level and does not conflict with any other talent skill cards."