Chapter 311: Arrest Him
Minjiang’s reputation began to plummet. Even the fact that military forces from other cities forcibly stationed themselves in Minjiang was regarded as an “act of justice.” Most of the city’s political power had been taken over by a “provisional government” established by other cities. The future of this city had already become bleak.
Watching as the attribute “Cup” went from “nonexistent” at the beginning to rapidly becoming known worldwide because of the Minjiang incident, Xu Zhi tasted the flavor of manipulation behind the scenes.
She just didn’t know whether, among the many pushing forces, the “Cup” itself was hidden.
With the league about to begin, no explosive news could suppress the league’s hype. Would someone take advantage of this opportunity to do something?
The world order, which had remained fixed for hundreds of years, might be about to change. Xu Zhi was rather looking forward to it. After all, her stance was quite chaotic. She wasn’t exactly a “partner of justice,” but neither was she the embodiment of evil. If she had to say—
She was somewhere in the middle.
So the muddier the waters, the easier it was for her to fish in troubled waters.
After the short break ended, the teacher who had been following the squad reviewed the shortcomings of their trip to the Lost Land and set new training goals.
Because of that expedition, the seven-member squad had clearly developed strong coordination, and their strength had improved compared to before entering. Therefore, before the main tournament began, their training direction changed. Different training programs were created for each individual’s personal strength.
“Tomorrow is the start of the league. You should already know that the rules have changed this time.”
“The preliminary stage will last about a month. After that comes the group stage.”
“As a seeded team, you don’t need to participate in the preliminaries or group stage. You’ll have more time to train. However, you’ll also have fewer real combat opportunities compared to teams that fight their way up from the preliminaries. Therefore, the confirmed participating teams from Lian City will conduct training matches with each other.”
“But since you’re also opponents, don’t go all out in the scrims. Understood?”
“Understood.” The seven students nodded.
“This league’s rules are quite simple: only 1v1 and 5v5 team battles. In the 1v1 segment, each academy sends out five players for arena battles. Each time you defeat an opponent, your team gains one point. Winning the team battle grants four points.”
“At the end of the match, the team with the higher total score wins.”
In other words, if someone managed to defeat all five opponents in the 1v1 segment, then even if they surrendered the team battle, they would still win.
But if they failed to sweep all five—and even lost just one—then they would have to win the team battle to secure victory.
An extremely polarized rule set. It revealed that the organizers and investors wanted to see both peak individual ability and also players who could turn the tide in team combat even if their personal strength wasn’t overwhelming.
The preliminaries would have three rounds. Only those who won all three rounds could advance to the group stage.
The group stage adopted a points round-robin system. In the first round, teams drew lots fairly. Then four more rounds were played: winners faced winners, losers faced losers. No one was eliminated during these four rounds. Instead, teams accumulated “points.”
Each match victory earned one major point. The points from 1v1 and 5v5 within each match were considered minor points. After four rounds, teams with the highest major points advanced. If major points were tied, minor points determined ranking.
This was relatively the fairest system, minimizing luck. It ensured that teams advancing from the group stage weren’t just fortunate—they each had real strengths.
Then came the finals.
The finals no longer used a point system. Teams were grouped again, and every loss meant immediate elimination. There was no loser’s bracket.
The finals were far more brutal. Seeded teams would participate at this stage. Although the preliminaries and group stage already had high popularity, the finals were what the entire world truly watched.
After all, in earlier stages, losing once didn’t mean going home, and the quality wasn’t as high as the finals.
“In terms of individual strength, I’m not worried about us getting swept 0–5. So the team battle is very important.”
The teacher emphasized from the podium.
If they still got swept even with Chu Xiaoyue on the team, they might as well go home and farm.
“You’ll train during the day. The coaching staff will record noteworthy preliminary matches. After training, teachers will guide you through reviewing any important games from that day.”
Unlike other students watching casually, their match reviews would be targeted and supported by stronger faculty resources.
“There aren’t many teams in the preliminaries worth your attention. There’s no need to focus too much on that stage.”
The teacher’s tone was matter-of-fact. She led a team aiming for the championship. There was no need to care about small fry.
“The first training match is scheduled for about a week later—against Lian City Academy’s team. They also have seed status. In a couple of days, the coaching staff will coordinate with them about the lineup. For this match, you can take it somewhat seriously.”
Lian City Academy—established by the council and military—represented Lian City itself. Its strength could not be underestimated. Lian City’s two seed spots belonged to Light Institute and Lian City Academy.
In the first round of the finals, teams from the same faction would avoid each other. They wouldn’t meet immediately. As for later rounds, with so many participating teams, encountering each other would require extraordinary “luck”—unless both advanced all the way to the end. So scheduling a training match posed little psychological burden.
“That’s all. Your training schedules will be distributed now. There are two months left before the finals. Make good use of it.”
Before the finals began, they would leave Lian City and travel to the competition venue. They wouldn’t have such excellent training conditions there.
The seven league participants began their busy training.
Meanwhile, the other students entered one of the most relaxed academic periods of the year.
[Just thinking about how every class will be spent watching matches makes me so hyped!]
[Too bad we can’t sneak a peek at how our team is training. I’m so anxious—I want to see their matches already!]
[Be patient. We’re a seeded team. Gotta wait until the finals.]
[Watching games without our own team to support feels so boring!]
[Place your bets! All preliminary teams have been officially announced. Any dark horses you think can make it through? Ten hours left—place your bets!]
[The merch is already on sale before the matches even start. Players and teams that performed well in past years have built up tons of fans. The event organizers are making a killing.]
[Of course I support our team, but I actually think Lingzhou’s seeded team looks strong too.]
[Heh. The moment you said “Lingzhou,” I knew—you’re just a simp! Strong? I think you’re blinded by beauty!]
[Wrong. The president is number one in the world! Lingzhou’s star can stand back a bit!]
[Disagree. I like older sister types. Especially the kind who look at me like I’m trash. So I think Sang Luo’s pretty good.]
[Am I the only one who likes the short, petite type… small frame… small feet…]
[Arrest him.]
