Su Yu's team matching was clearly problematic.
At this moment, none of the other students spoke up.
On the arena stage, an inspector from the Supervisory Court suddenly barked, "Do any students have doubts or other objections regarding their teammate assignments?"
Many turned to look at Su Yu.
The Supervisory Court had clearly noticed the issue as well.
Wearing a smile, Su Yu saw the numerous gazes directed at him and answered, "None. The lots have already been drawn and the matches are about to begin, so I won't raise any objections. Lest someone outright cancel the tournament and delay so many senior students!"
Su Yu spoke casually and bluntly.
He wasn't objecting only because the competition was hosted by the Single Divine Character Faction. If he pressed the matter, they might shamelessly cancel it altogether, inconveniencing countless other students.
As soon as he said this, many breathed a sigh of relief.
This was for the best!
Some people had received decent draws with strong teammates. While Su Yu's group clearly had issues, who knew if the Supervisory Court stepping in to investigate might lead to the tournament being scrapped immediately?
Evidently, this was one of the scenarios Liu Hong had anticipated.
If the Supervisory Court truly insisted on investigating, they would simply cancel the tournament, shifting all the blame and public resentment onto Su Yu.
The inspector from the Supervisory Court held his tongue.
Aside from Su Yu, practically no one spoke.
Good luck or bad, just as Su Yu said, raising an objection now and delaying everyone's matches would invite public outrage.
On the stage, Liu Hong smiled faintly and said, "Since no one has any objections, what you must do now is quickly familiarize yourselves with your teammates. On the battlefield, the most crucial thing is to learn your teammates' capabilities as soon as possible, understand each other's combat styles, coordinate your plans, figure out who is suited for what role, and decide who will act as team captain during battle. All of that is up to you!"
...
Su Yu ignored Liu Hong.
Liu He and the others stared at Su Yu with cold expressions. After a long moment, Liu He said chillingly, "Su Yu, we probably won't get a slot! But with our strength, there's still hope of breaking into the top ten!"
Su Yu looked at him and smiled faintly. "Senior Liu, are you saying you're willing to cooperate?"
Liu He frowned, glanced at Liu Hong on the stage, and fell into an internal struggle.
Cooperate?
His elder brother and the Single Divine Character Faction had placed him in Su Yu's team explicitly to drag Su Yu down. If he cooperated, what would his brother and the others think?
After a moment of silence, Liu He said, "I believe that as geniuses, we should display our own style and strength in battle. We should show everyone that our Single Divine Character Faction has no less magnanimity than anyone else. Lin Yao and Yang Sha may be weak, but I'm not!"
Su Yu chuckled. "So Senior Liu means you're willing to fight?"
Su Yu added teasingly, "You all got matched with me. I don't think you're foolish—you all know what you're supposed to do!"
Liu He felt increasingly stifled. He said coldly, "We fight for ourselves, not for anyone else! Once on the arena, there are only enemies and allies!"
"Let's hope so."
Su Yu smiled faintly. "Suit yourself, Senior Liu."
Liu He couldn't help but ask, "You're the strongest. Aren't you going to make any arrangements or tactical plans?"
He still wanted to fight a few matches!
Even if they couldn't take first place, in this squad of theirs, Su Yu had top-twenty strength, and he himself ranked in the top seventy or eighty. On top of that, Yang Sha was close to Top 100 level. Lin Yao was weak, and Xia Huyou was hard to gauge...
With a lineup like this, beating some weaker teams would be effortless.
In the entire academy, the Top 100 Rankings had only a hundred spots. As for senior students, while there were many strong individuals, those with real talent had long since advanced; the remaining peak Yangxing students amounted to around a hundred in total.
Factoring in the students from all races mixed in, when grouped into teams, their squad's overall strength should easily land them in the top fifty.
After all, their squad had several Top 100 students!
"Arrangements?"
Su Yu chuckled. "Fine. If you want arrangements, here's one: your objective is simple. Target the weakest person on the opposing team. Win or lose, it doesn't matter to me."
Liu He felt a flash of anger!
Yang Sha was also annoyed. "Among the three of us, Liu He is a true Top 100 student, and I've challenged Top 100 students before. You're telling the three of us to gang up on someone who might not even be in the Top 100?"
Su Yu replied indifferently, "Senior Brother Yang, what do you think? Would your Single Divine Character Faction ever let me reach the finals?"
The three fell silent.
After a long time, Lin Yao spoke up. "Su Yu, how about this? If we face students who aren't from the Single Divine Character Faction, we give it our all. As for when we face Single Divine Character Faction students..."
Liu He gave a low snort. "We'll give it our all then, too! Su Yu, don't think every student in the Single Divine Character Faction is targeting you. Who has the free time to care about you? Aside from the core lineage, nobody can even be bothered with you!"
The so-called core lineage referred to Zhou Mingren's faction.
Su Yu didn't care what he said and smiled. "Then let's leave it at that! If you're willing to pitch in, go ahead; if not, it doesn't matter. I won't force you, lest you get ostracized by the Single Divine Character Faction. If we lose, fine. But if I win and you contributed heavily, heh... I doubt your days will be easy moving forward."
Su Yu wore a playful smirk!
Liu He dismissed it entirely. Win? Like hell they would!
Whatever. It was normal for Su Yu not to trust them. There was nothing more to say!
They would deal with it on the arena!
A moment later, Liu Hong shouted from the stage again, "Time is almost up! Today's competition has a large number of participants, so we will resolve things quickly! Twenty arenas will be opened, with forty teams stepping up each round! After forty rounds of bouts, the first round will be essentially complete. Winners stay, losers are eliminated!"
Forty sets of matches, each lasting at least three to four minutes, meant the first round would take over two hours.
No one objected. Taking longer was actually good; if someone expended a lot of energy early on, they could recover afterward instead of fighting consecutive bouts in an exhausted state.
"The matchups are also simple: Team 1 faces Team 2, and so on. For the first flight, the first forty teams, step onto the stages!"
Below the stage, team after team quickly ascended, mounting different arenas according to their numbers.
Referees from the Referee Office took their positions.
Su Yu cast a brief glance. Among the first forty teams, there were indeed several strong squads; any team with a Top 100 student or a peak Yangxing student counted as strong.
Beside him, Xia Huyou was more curious about who the last member of Su Yu's team was.
Everyone assumed it was him... but he couldn't be bothered to explain. What they thought was their own business.
Su Yu certainly knew it wasn't him. Yet this fellow hadn't even asked—did he already know who it was?
He didn't inquire either. Glancing at the forty teams taking the stages, he said swiftly, "Team 16 should be the strongest. Three of them are powerhouses—two are Top 100 students, and one is a veteran Top 100 student who only fell off the list because he exceeded the age limit!"
A team with three members at Top 100 caliber was indeed formidable.
And so, the tournament began.
It was crisp and swift.
With the referee's command, deafening booms and battle cries rang out without pause!
Only now could the gulf between Top 100 students and ordinary students be seen clearly.
Team 16, which Xia Huyou had mentioned, crushed their opponents in the blink of an eye like snapping dry twigs!
The three members with Top 100 strength took on one opponent each. Just as matches on other arenas were getting underway, their foes were battered and broken in an instant!
Some Yangxing students possessed virtually no real combat ability.
Unlike warriors, who possessed decent combat capability even at Qianjun Realm, some Civilization Masters in the Yangxing Realm didn't even have divine characters and had practically no combat techniques to speak of.
People like that joining the tournament were merely there to join the excitement!
Boom!
A rumble resounded as the match between Team 15 and Team 16 on Arena 8 concluded. In the blink of an eye, all five members of Team 15 were knocked off the platform!
"Team 16 wins!"
The referee swiftly announced the verdict. Just as this match ended, on Arena 1, a referee shouted, "Team 1 wins!"
Only then did Su Yu shift his gaze over.
Somewhat unexpected!
That was fast!
Xia Huyou said in surprise, "A student from the Sealing faction. Pretty impressive—he directly sealed all his opponents, completely suppressing all five of them. Quite strong. Su Yu, watch out for that one!"
Su Yu said nothing. While those two finished, yet another team concluded their bout!
Accompanied by a colossal roar, a massive demon beast suddenly materialized on Arena 6.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The demon beast, which looked like a leopard, moved with blinding speed, knocking the opposing five clean off the platform in an instant.
"A student from the Beast Taming faction! And he's even outlined a beast space—he's a capable one!"
Su Yu asked suddenly, "Can Beast Taming students bring Tengkong or Lingyun demon beasts into the fight?"
Xia Huyou glanced at him and said speechlessly, "What are you thinking? It has to be one they tamed themselves! Besides, only Beast Taming students are allowed to bring demon beasts into battle. The so-called Beast Taming faction means their mounts can be stored away. Do you think an overly powerful demon beast can be stored inside a divine character?"
Xia Huyou quickly added, "Those who haven't outlined a beast space aren't even considered true Beast Taming students—they're just probationary students at best, understand?"
Su Yu nodded slightly, looking toward that team.
A Beast Taming student!
This was the first time he had seen a student deploy a demon beast in combat. Su Yu took a closer look and recognized the leopard: a Wind Leopard. Not an overly powerful race, but known primarily for speed, which made it a top choice for many students.
It had the strength of roughly fifth or sixth tier Wanshi, which was already quite formidable!
With so many teams, Su Yu was dazzled, feeling that his horizons had broadened!
He saw students from the Divine Talisman faction tossing out talismans that caused quagmires to appear out of thin air, instantly trapping their opponents in mud while their teammates coordinated to shatter them in a flash.
He saw a student from the Divine Alchemy faction throw out a poison pill that knocked out the entire opposing squad in a heartbeat—along with his own teammates!
"Fatty... ahem, Huyou, does that count for the Divine Alchemy faction? If they ask elders for poison capable of killing Shanhai experts, wouldn't the tournament be unplayable?"
Xia Huyou looked at him oddly. "Aren't you familiar with the academy's rules? How come you don't know this?"
"The Top 100 arena has set rules, but here... it's a complete mess. Who knows what's going on? The rules were just made up!"
Su Yu was speechless too. How was he supposed to know?
As for whether Xia Huyou knew, he probably didn't either!
Sure enough, Xia Huyou shrugged: how was he supposed to know how they arranged it?
Fortunately, the Supervisory Court seemed to quickly clarify the situation, barking, "Students of the Beast Taming faction may only bring demon beasts they have tamed themselves! Students of the Divine Alchemy faction may only use pills they have refined themselves! The same applies to the Divine Talisman faction..."
Su Yu didn't bother scoffing. This was fine; otherwise, if someone brought a Shanhai-slaying poison pill, no one could fight.
If a student had the ability to refine a Shanhai poison pill, they wouldn't be a student anymore.
"Subsequent teams, proceed to the arenas according to your numbers! As soon as a match ends, the next team takes the stage immediately!"
A referee called out. The speed of the bouts varied across the stages, and they couldn't hold up the entire tournament for a single match.
...
Among the first flight of forty teams, there were several strong ones.
However, the disparities at this stage were quite large. When strong teams met weak teams, it was an overwhelming sweep with little suspense.
The matches where skills were evenly matched were between weak teams.
Team after team ascended the arenas; winners advanced, losers left dejected.
The disparity was too vast!
As long as a team had a Top 100 student, they almost invariably won, easily overpowering multiple opponents single-handedly. The gap was stark.
In the blink of an eye, half an hour passed.
The pace was faster than anticipated; by now, Team 590 was already taking the stage.
In half an hour, 295 matches had been decided.
At this rate, the first round would finish in roughly two and a half hours.
And now, it was almost Su Yu's turn.
Right at that moment, a referee shouted, "Arena 8, Teams 593 and 594, take the stage!"
When the two teams took the platform, many let out low cries.
A heavyweight was up!
Jiang Mu!
Ranked third on the Top 100 Rankings!
He was also the first Top 100 student Su Yu had encountered after entering the academy. Su Yu still remembered that scene to this day: the captain of the Yangxing Garden guards stepping aside for him, an awe-inspiring sight!
With Jiang Mu stepping onto the stage, the outcome was foregone!
In the mere blink of an eye for Su Yu, Jiang Mu moved so fast he left only afterimages. With a few rapid thumps, his opponents were all sent crashing off the arena!
His teammates hadn't even lifted a finger before the battle concluded.
Jiang Mu walked down from the stage looking utterly detached, showing no reaction whatsoever. It felt as though he had merely taken a casual stroll across the platform and the match was over.
...
"Teams 599 and 600, take the stage!"
When number 600 was called, it drew a wave of attention again.
They had heard earlier that Su Yu's team was Team 600.
Su Yu said nothing and walked straight toward the arena.
Lin Yao and the others followed. Lin Yao suddenly turned back to look at Xia Huyou, who was still eating, and couldn't help saying, "What are you doing? Get on stage!"
"..."
Xia Huyou stared at him as if looking at a fool.
Cut the crap, I'm not on your team. Why would I go up there?
"You..."
Just as Lin Yao was about to speak, someone leaped onto the arena from the other side.
Zhou Hao!
When Zhou Hao stepped onto the arena, many were caught off guard. This guy... although he had only fought once so far, many knew how fierce he was. Was he on Team 599?
But soon, when all five members of Team 599 took the stage, everyone gasped in astonishment. Holy crap, he was on Su Yu's team!
What the hell?!
Where was Xia Huyou?
Many looked toward Xia Huyou. Xia Huyou kept munching on his snack. What are you looking at me for? I never said I was on Team 600.
...
In the spectator area.
Elder Sun was slightly surprised. Looking at Liu Hong, who had just stepped down from the platform, he sent a voice transmission: "Why did you assign him to Su Yu's team?"
Zhou Hao was formidable!
More importantly, he wasn't from the Single Divine Character Faction!
Liu Hong explained via voice transmission, "Xia Yuwen's group wanted to snag a slot. If Zhou Hao were placed in another team, he might actually secure one. I figured since Zhou Hao and Su Yu don't get along, putting them in the same squad kills two birds with one stone—knocking them both out so an outsider doesn't snatch the slot."
Elder Sun frowned. "Zhou Hao is no weakling. If he cooperates with Su Yu..."
"He was nearly beaten to death by Su Yu last time."
Liu Hong transmitted back, "Elder Sun, even if Zhou Hao cooperates with Su Yu, they won't win. Besides... he's Xia Yuwen's disciple. Xia Yuwen was almost crippled by Bai Feng just recently. If his student turns around and cooperates with Su Yu... with Xia Yuwen's temper, he'll definitely cause trouble for Zhou Hao. And if Zhou Hao works with Su Yu, knowing the Multiple Divine Characters Faction, anyone who helps them is one of their own... Heheh, at that point, they might even intervene in Xia Yuwen's internal affairs, escalating their conflict!"
Elder Sun's eyes flickered, and he cast Liu Hong a glance.
Liu Hong continued by voice transmission: "Elder Sun, I was never optimistic about Dean Zhou cooperating with Xia Yuwen! Blood is thicker than water, after all; the Manor Lord has a son, he's not childless! And when the Manor Lord steps down is entirely up to him. Getting involved in the Xia family's succession struggle for Manor Lord... I think it's too dangerous, even if we accepted Xia Chan. Since that's the case, it's better to let the Multiple Divine Characters Faction clash with them!"
Elder Sun nodded slightly.
Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly looked toward the arena!
Boom!
A massive crash resounded!
On Su Yu's stage, Su Yu was blunt and direct. Striking in an instant, he blurred into an afterimage. A single sweeping kick threw out dozens of phantom blurs; even though the five opponents were spread out, in a single breath, all five were kicked off the arena!
Elder Sun frowned and transmitted, "This brat has grown stronger again! The Multiple Divine Characters Faction... truly produces monsters!"
Then, pondering, he added, "Starting next round, arrange for several strong teams to clash. Don't make it too conspicuous. Wear Su Yu down gradually. Once his stamina is largely depleted, send Xiao Zhou's students up... and cripple him!"
Liu Hong looked at him and nodded slightly.
Elder Sun naturally wanted to ruin Su Yu too. It wasn't about Su Yu personally, but displaced wrath—Bai Feng had killed one of his Lingyun disciples, and Elder Sun hadn't vented his fury yet.
...
On the arena.
Su Yu was clean and efficient, not bothering to drag things out. It was only the first round against weaklings—did he need to hide his strength?
That would be acting like an idiot!
Having routed the opposing five in a single strike, Su Yu cupped his hands and stepped down from the platform.
This time, Zhou Hao followed along.
Lin Yao and the others looked completely dazed. Winning wasn't surprising; what shocked them was that Zhou Hao was their teammate. Holy crap!
That bastard Xia Huyou had stood by them for so long earlier without uttering a single word.
Making them talk to him for half the morning!
Liu He frowned slightly as he looked at Zhou Hao, but Zhou Hao didn't spare him a glance, his gaze fixed on the experts across the arena.
...
In the first round, no truly formidable teams crossed paths.
The only highlight was when two Top 100 students leading their respective squads clashed. The two engaged in an intense battle, delivering a mini-climax that lasted seven or eight minutes before a victor emerged.
Along the way, several cloaked students took part. Su Yu didn't dwell on them; they were likely students from all races. None revealed their faces, fighting under cloaks using standard techniques that revealed little.
Soon, it was Team 888's turn.
Wu Jia's team!
Su Yu took a glance and lost interest. Wu Jia's luck seemed quite good—she had actually been grouped with Li Minyu. Li Minyu was fifth on the Top 100 Rankings, very powerful!
Wu Jia was no weakling either, also being a Top 100 student.
It seemed Liu Hong hadn't targeted Wu Jia. Her team was quite strong and might even make a run for the top five. Whether out of wariness toward Chen Yong or something else, Liu Hong apparently hadn't played any dirty tricks on her.
Rank five of the Top 100 facing non-ranked students was also a one-sided slaughter, securing victory in the blink of an eye.
The disparities among the students were laid bare in full.
...
While the first round was underway.
Below the stage.
In a certain five-person team.
Jia Mingzhen chuckled via voice transmission: "Everyone, should we take first place later? Old Wan told us to stimulate the students, but right now there's no need at all. They're all howling like rabid dogs. Do they even need our help?"
Five elders!
All five grouped into a single team! It wasn't luck, nor coincidence—it was outright cheating.
Even with Elder Sun watching below, they cheated openly and brazenly. One against five... what could he possibly spot?
"Old Jia, stop fooling around!"
The only female elder among them transmitted, "The five of us aren't disguising ourselves as freshmen just to play. Who has the time to mess around with students? How are things progressing on your end?"
Jia Mingzhen transmitted with a grin, "What's the rush! I realized we made a slight miscalculation. We shouldn't have pretended to be disciples of elders. Having an elder as a teacher makes people wary. But no matter... lately I've been selling off some of an elder's private stash in the black market. I did it very discreetly and made a tidy sum. Someone should discover it soon. As long as I dangle enough leverage out there, someone will come looking for me sooner or later."
"That's a decent method. Keep at it then. The rest of us have also uncovered a few things..."
With that, the female elder transmitted, "The All-Races Sect actually has an assassination order out on Su Yu, with quite a hefty bounty! How about the five of us lure Su Yu out of the academy and use him as bait to go fishing?"
Jia Mingzhen glanced at them. "You're vicious. Personally, I think using him as bait is boring. How about we drive Su Yu into defection? Let him join the All-Races Sect! With his talent, the All-Races Sect would definitely value him highly. He might even attract the attention of some Shanhai or Sun and Moon figures!"
"You bastard..."
The others were rendered speechless. And you have the nerve to call us vicious?
Jia Mingzhen wasn't joking. He transmitted, "I'm serious! Of course, too many eyes are on Su Yu. Frankly, I think we could nudge people like Huang Qifeng to join the All-Races Sect. What do you think? Or someone heavier—what about Zhou Pingsheng?"
"..."
The others stared at him, frowning.
Jia Mingzhen explained, "Those fellows are brimming with resentment right now, and people from the All-Races Sect know it. I suspect someone is already courting them in secret!"
"Old Jia, whether that's true or not, we cannot proactively push our academy's people toward the All-Races Sect. That idea of yours is dangerous!"
Jia Mingzhen said dismissively, "Some people in the academy changed long ago! Whatever, forget it if you don't agree. In my opinion, if things keep going like this, either the Multiple Divine Characters Faction will betray us, or someone from the Single Divine Character Faction will. It's completely predictable!"
Jia Mingzhen said no more. According to his judgment, if this life-and-death struggle continued, the losing side would hook up with the All-Races Sect sooner or later.
The All-Races Sect had plenty of eyes watching the major academies!
...
While they chatted among themselves, the tournament for Su Yu and the others continued.
The first round had no major surprises, nor did any dark horses emerge.
After two and a half hours, the first round ended.
Out of 1,666 teams, 833 teams remained.
Liu Hong stepped onto the stage once more and announced with a smile, "The first round has concluded! Over eight hundred teams remain, and those who stayed are the cream of our student body. Congratulations! However, this is only the beginning. The upcoming battles will grow increasingly fierce. Remember: fighting to the death when you clearly know you're outmatched is foolish! Of course, the rules for the next round will be much harsher. To test everyone's adaptability, we will not continue with the previous round's format..."
Pausing, Liu Hong beamed and said, "For round two, we will adopt an arena defense format! Twenty arenas, twenty teams taking the platforms as defenders. Win three consecutive matches, and you advance to the third round! Anyone with confidence can step up to defend an arena; lose once, and you are immediately eliminated!"
"This way, the truly strong teams will stand out. Round-by-round bouts are dull!"
Right as he finished, an official from the Supervisory Court barked, "Teaching Assistant Liu, this is unfair! There is far too much room for manipulation!"
Liu Hong chuckled. "How is it unfair? We are here to select the strongest team. If you are defeated, you leave the stage. What is unfair about that?"
"What if three strong teams challenge a single team in succession..."
Liu Hong smiled and replied, "Then are those three strong teams out of their minds? Or perhaps that defending team simply isn't strong enough. If they're truly powerful, they can still win! This tournament is organized by the Divine Character College. So long as it aligns with the broader objective, there is no issue, is there? As for how the students choose their opponents, that is their business. Using one's brain is also an integral part of a duel between Civilization Masters!"
Liu Hong remarked casually, "For example, if someone has the ability to persuade three strong teams to challenge Zhan Hai's squad and wear them down, that is skill as well, fully within the rules. Civilization Masters aren't warriors—why must we rigidly cling to dogma and grind through round after round to the end?"
Liu Hong continued with a laugh, "I am doing this for everyone's sake, saving everyone time! This way, every winning team can eliminate at least three squads. By the end of this round, at most around two hundred teams will remain. If someone wins two matches only to lose the third, even more teams will be eliminated. It saves everyone's time and allows the strong to advance swiftly!"
Continuing, Liu Hong laughed, "This is also an opportunity for weaker teams! Think about it: what if a few troublemaking teams insist on clashing against other powerhouses? That's your chance! If they insist on bashing heads, it's their own lack of brains. Those with wits surviving to the end is entirely natural—that's how the real world works!"
"Strength, luck, brains—all three are vital; none can be missing!"
Liu Hong proclaimed loudly, "As long as you seize the moment and use your head, you might only need to challenge three extremely weak teams at the end to win! That is opportunity and luck. Otherwise, think about it: do you really have any chance of winning? If you don't, why enter the tournament? To be stepping stones and get beaten black and blue?"
"Relying solely on sheer strength, how many of you can defeat Zhan Hai and his team? If that were the case, why not just hand the slots directly to them?!"
"..."
The crowd below was silent.
Liu Hong smiled. "Are there any students who object? If not, we shall take it that everyone agrees. A rule agreed upon by all is what true fairness and justice look like, not just empty words!"
The Supervisory Court officials quickly turned to Old Huang.
Old Huang frowned, looking at Su Yu.
Liu Hong pulling this stunt was clearly targeted!
He had originally assumed Liu Hong would cheat in secret. Turns out... Liu Hong had no such intention. He wasn't cheating in secret—he was cheating right out in the open!
And practically none of the students would object. For the strong, it saved time; for the weak, it offered a chance to capitalize on circumstances.
It also helped some strong teams avoid accidental clashes with one another!
Old Huang looked at Liu Hong. Liu Hong wore an easy smile, looking thoroughly unbothered.
"Liu Hong..."
Old Huang frowned and said, "While this competition is organized by the Divine Character College, I hope you won't keep changing things on a whim..."
Liu Hong laughed and replied, "Dean Huang, I am putting practice into action. Look, everyone is very satisfied! Rules that satisfy everyone are rules that align with human nature! It's just a competition; if everyone ends up dissatisfied, what would be the point of holding it?"
Old Huang fell silent for a moment. Dealing with someone like Liu Hong, who refused to play by conventional rules, was infuriating!
Yet everything this fellow did somehow remained within the bounds of permissible authority.
After a brief silence, Old Huang nodded and said no more.
Liu Hong smiled and announced loudly, "In that case, the second round is settled! Civilization Masters, use your brains more! Observe carefully whom you counter and whom you target, and don't let yourselves be countered or targeted!"
At this moment, below the stage, Su Yu called out, "Instructor, for this arena defense, does a winning team have to remain on stage, or can they step down after winning one match and choose when to fight again?"
"Also, if a team wins two matches and there are no uncommitted teams left for the third match, what happens?"
Liu Hong smiled. "Once you win a match, you are not allowed to step down. You must defend until three matches are completed! As for winning two matches with no challengers left, it's simple: pick any of the remaining teams. If you win, that counts as your three victories!"
"Once you have three victories, you naturally advance!"
Just then, someone in the crowd called out, "Does that mean even winning three matches isn't a guaranteed qualification? If a team runs out of opponents at the end, can they challenge a team that already has three wins?"
Liu Hong smiled. "To put it simply, say there are two teams left that both have two wins; they will fight each other. So in the very end, there will only ever be one odd team left with one or two wins. That team can challenge at will—they might be knocked out immediately, or they might eliminate a team that had three wins. It's that simple! Don't cry about unfairness. If you're strong enough, you'll win!"
"Then a team with three wins would have to fight an extra match!"
Someone objected.
Liu Hong chuckled, "Only a fool would end up in that final spot—ignoring the weak teams earlier and being forced to pick from whatever's left, which will all be powerhouses. They'd have been better off finding a few weak teams to fight right at the start! Neither side is getting an unfair advantage!"
This time, no one had any further questions.
What Liu Hong said made sense. If you couldn't get three wins early and waited until the end when only three-win teams remained, none of those three-win squads would be pushovers anyway.
"If there are no objections, let us begin!"
"Going up first isn't necessarily a bad thing. Some experts like to save themselves for the grand finale—the later it gets, the harder it will be!"
Liu Hong chuckled and barked, "The second round begins!"
Below the stage, people exchanged glances.
Go up first, or wait and see?
As for Su Yu, he couldn't be bothered with hesitation and walked straight toward an arena.
Finish fighting early, and he'd have time to recover his strength. Since the other side was going to target him sooner or later anyway, there was no point waiting.
The faces of Liu He and the others changed slightly!
This guy truly didn't play by the book. What strong team took the stage right at the outset? Everyone else, including Zhan Hai and his squad, was currently waiting and watching.
Going up first made it far too easy to be targeted!
Was Su Yu confident or just stupid?!
At least wait until heavyweights like Zhan Hai won three matches before making a move; that way, they could avoid clashing with those powerhouse squads!
There were quite a few who thought this way!
Yet here Su Yu was, the very first to ascend the arena!
Ignoring them, Su Yu stepped onto the arena platform, looked down at the crowd, and smiled. "We'll start things off to get the ball rolling. Anyone who wants to challenge us can come on up! A normal spar is one thing, but if you're deliberately targeting us... well, that's another matter entirely!"
With that, he cast his gaze toward a certain team in the crowd!
The strongest team of the Single Divine Character Faction!
Two of Zhou Pingsheng's students were in it, along with a student of Zheng Yuming's.
In that instant, the surroundings fell dead silent.
Many looked toward the teams composed of Single Divine Character Faction students. Would they step forward?
Or wait until Su Yu and his squad had fought two matches before taking the stage?
The other participants weren't stupid either. None of them wanted to be stepping stones for the Single Divine Character Faction, testing Su Yu's squad or wearing down their strength.
Thus, the most likely outcome was that Su Yu and his squad would face three consecutive teams composed of Single Divine Character Faction students.
In the spectator area, Elder Sun's lips moved slightly as he quickly transmitted orders downward.
With a squad featuring several Single Divine Character Faction students already on the stage, if they didn't strike now, when would they?
This was the prime opportunity to take care of Su Yu!
Liu Hong truly handled matters reliably—he had actually won them this opportunity completely out in the open!
Chapter 207