Chapter 324: The Finals Begin
[Shocking! Nearly two hundred seeded group teams have been eliminated in this year’s League group stage, failing to advance to the finals!]
[The largest number of qualifier teams ever to enter the finals—will this bring changes to the League?]
[Through a brutal selection from tens of thousands of teams, 4,620 group teams and 500 seeded finalist teams have emerged to form this year’s final lineup!]
[Examining the various changes brought by the League’s format reform.]
[The most accurate predictor blogger correctly forecasted the results of most matches!]
[Subordinate city teams flooding into the finals—what does this phenomenon signify?]
[Unprecedented! Two first-year students will appear in the finals! Boundless futures ahead!]
[It is rumored that several conglomerates are already contacting teams that advanced from the qualifiers into the finals. Many have secured sponsorships, potentially lifting their academies out of poverty and completely changing their fate!]
[The most brutal stage of the format—the finals—are about to begin. One loss means elimination!]
[A test of determination and ability. Can the miracles of the group stage continue in the finals? Will there be new changes among this year’s top 500?]
[Predictions! What results might the powerhouse academies achieve this time?]
On the day the group stage concluded, countless topics surged onto trending lists. Headlines and city news channels reported on the results. The teams that successfully entered the finals gained massive exposure and followers. Those who had risen from obscurity through the qualifiers caught the attention of various factions eager to sponsor them and secure naming rights.
Some forces, however, remained cautious. In their eyes, only teams capable of reaching the top 1,000 in the finals were worth investing in.
The League’s seeding rules were simple and ruthless: the top 500 in this year’s finals would receive direct finalist seed status for next year; ranks 500–1000 would obtain group seed status.
Only seeded positions were truly valuable.
Amid such fervor, even Light Academy of Lian City finally felt a hint of tension.
“Captain, please draw a good lot!”
Ji Muge pleaded humbly. A favorable draw meant she might get to play in the first match.
Chu Xiaoyue was relatively approachable with her own team. “I’ll do my best.”
If regulations hadn’t required only the captain to participate in the draw, they would have sent Xu Zhi instead. After spending time together, they had begun to suspect she possessed some sort of lucky aura.
Since arriving in Free City, they hadn’t arranged many scrimmages. As one of the League’s long-standing powerhouses—consistently achieving strong results each season—there was little desire among similarly ranked teams to expose too much beforehand. Scrimmaging weaker teams wasn’t particularly meaningful either. Unless it was simply to maintain coordination and feel, there wasn’t much need.
In previous years, they could at least spar with Council Academy. But this year, for reasons unknown, that side had hidden their preparations tightly.
Then again, considering they themselves were hiding Xu Zhi, it wasn’t entirely incomprehensible.
The next morning, everyone gathered early.
“Ready?”
Xi Min asked ceremonially before leading them to the opening ceremony.
“Been ready for ages.”
Tong Zhou responded first in his usual carefree manner. The others nodded politely.
“Then let’s go.”
As the team leader, Xi Min walked at the front, the accompanying assistant slightly behind her. The seven competitors of Light Academy followed.
The opening ceremony—firing the first shot of the finals—had been meticulously planned. The enormous venue could accommodate over five thousand teams simultaneously. As an established powerhouse, Light Academy of Lian City had naturally been assigned a position near the front.
Since it was the one occasion where all finalist teams appeared together, numerous invited media outlets and live broadcasts were present. The audience attending the ceremony were either wealthy or influential—tickets were extraordinarily scarce.
When Xu Zhi stepped out of the vehicle with her teammates, she was greeted by a frenzy of camera shutters and roaring voices from the invited media.
Captain Chu Xiaoyue had already donned her social smile. The other teammates followed suit, adjusting their expressions. Even Ji Muge, usually somewhat unrestrained, straightened up and composed herself.
As they walked from the parking area toward the stadium entrance, Xu Zhi noticed that although some gazes fell on her, far more were directed at their captain, Chu Xiaoyue.
Only after entering the venue did the manic shutter sounds fade—replaced by an even more intense atmosphere.
With over five thousand teams and tens of thousands of spectators—nearly a hundred thousand people—the scale of noise was unimaginable. Fortunately, their assigned seating was far from the audience stands. What they heard most were the voices of fellow competitors.
The moment Light Academy of Lian City appeared, Xu Zhi distinctly sensed numerous teams turning to look at them.
Some gazes carried curiosity or envy. Others held vigilance and apprehension. A few even sparkled with the excitement of seeing idols.
So their academy was even more famous than she had realized.
She acknowledged it again.
They moved toward the area arranged by the organizers. Passing by teams that had advanced from the group stage, they reached the section for seeded finalists—where “familiar faces” began to appear.
After all, they had stayed in the same hotel for some time. People had crossed paths. And among long-established powerhouse teams, prior interactions were common.
Though Xu Zhi recognized no one, it was clear other teams recognized them.
Once they found their seats, they sat down.
It was the very front row of the competitor section. Around them were other teams that had placed in last year’s top ten.
“You’re pretty late.”
A slow, casual voice came from beside them.
Xu Zhi glanced sideways. It was a boy who seemed acquainted with Qiu Hou.
“As long as the ceremony hasn’t started, it’s not late,” Qiu Hou replied with a smiling expression.
“You don’t seem nervous at all. Confident this year?”
“On the contrary, it’s because I’m nervous that I need to appear less so. But you seem quite at ease. Already certain of your results?”
Xu Zhi turned away, uninterested in such meaningless pleasantries. Instead, she observed the teams seated nearby.
As her gaze swept over one particular team, she suddenly felt something—a subtle awareness that someone was also observing her.
Her eyes shifted directly toward that direction.
Then she paused.
What a beautiful person.
Light golden hair and pale golden eyes signaled an exceptionally strong talent. Exquisite features and an air of noble purity made her seem like an angel descended to earth. The pure white team uniform complemented her perfectly.
Even Xu Zhi had to admit—this was someone so beautiful it was difficult to look away.
The other party was looking at her as well—perhaps more precisely, observing her. There was a trace of curiosity in those golden eyes, especially when they noticed Xu Zhi’s gray irises.
Then the gaze lowered slightly, landing on Xu Zhi’s wrist.
There, curled like an inky bracelet, lay Xiao Yi—utterly still.
