When Jiang Shi discussed this matter with his sister Jiang Yan, he had originally planned several ways to explain. However, his elder sister turned out to be more open-minded than he had imagined. Without even asking, she waved her hand dismissively, “Go ahead, just remember to come back.”

So, he arrived with his suitcase at the doorstep of Han Yuze’s house.

Strictly speaking, this was probably the first time Jiang Shi had entered Han Yuze’s home.

The space was as spacious as expected, but the surroundings were much neater than he had imagined.

Jiang Shi was quite satisfied with the living environment, but this satisfaction was not enough to prevent him from feeling a twinge of regret. Although he had known early on that Han Yuze, the cunning guy, had a specific agenda, and he had subconsciously thought it was indeed a good way to exercise stamina, in just half a week, Jiang Shi already had the impulse to pack his suitcase and go home.

It was only at this moment that he realized how restrained Han Yuze had been when they were at Jiang Yan’s place. Now, fully entering this person’s territory, the shackles were completely unleashed, and it remained to be seen how unrestrained he could be.

Regardless of whether it was genuinely for the purpose of stamina training or to showcase the stamina advantage that Number 1 must uphold, in this ambiguous atmosphere of their private world, whether it was day or night seemed irrelevant.

Jiang Shi, who considered himself someone who never took a loss, now felt that Han Yuze, this guy, seemed even more inhuman than he was.

Finally, exhausted, he pushed the man on him away, his voice sounding somewhat hoarse, “That’s enough… Are you planning to spend the whole year here?”

Han Yuze leaned against the sofa’s cushion, pulling Jiang Shi into his arms, “Train well these days. In a few days, we’ll start adjusting and prepare for the Semi-Finals.”

Jiang Shi looked at this guy who used public affairs for personal gains, narrowed his eyes, and said, “Han Yuze, people outside saying you have no shame might not be entirely baseless.”

“It’s not entirely baseless. I’m only shameless towards you,” Han Yuze said, smiling meaningfully. “Moreover, Teacher Jiang, you seem to be quite receptive, right? Is it time to end the training now?”

Indeed, Jiang Shi felt a fiery sensation in a certain part of his body, but this was clearly the result of someone’s restless hands. With his unwillingness to take a loss, he wouldn’t just go along with it. Slowly, a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth as he approached Han Yuze, his tone silky, “Not entirely sure, so let’s see how things go.”

Wasn’t Han Yuze deliberately teasing him?

Well then, let’s see who can’t resist the restlessness first. Jiang Shi was also adept at this kind of teasing.

…

…

…

Even in the “mutually hurting” play, the two of them were quite willing.

The days passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, it was the day of the Best of Eight and Semi-Finals.

As the main perspective partner of Seven Silver Coins guild’s live broadcast, Bi Binghuo was naturally willing to provide appropriate equipment support.

After adjusting for the last few days, Jiang Shi’s state when he returned home could be described as radiant. After Han Yuze sent him home, he didn’t rush back. Instead, the two of them went straight to the best equipment room in the Starry Sky-themed internet cafe to play games before joining the guild members to go to the competition venue.

Naturally, the Semi-Finals garnered much more attention than the first-round breakthrough matches.

Although they had become accustomed to the atmosphere on-site during this time, when they went to report for duty, the exceptionally enthusiastic live environment still startled the members of Seven Silver Coins.

It was only when they reached the resting room that Deep Well Ice Player, who hadn’t said a word all the way, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Green Fanatic actively lightened the atmosphere, “Brother Player, don’t be so nervous. Take a deep breath. Today, we have two consecutive matches. Hurry up and get yourself in the right state.”

Han Yuze pulled his little disciple by the collar and directly dragged him to the side, “Alright, stop crowding around him; it’s making him even more nervous.”

Seemingly very much in agreement with Han Yuze’s words, Deep Well Ice Player even raised his eyes and gave a approving look.

The knocking sound of the staff interrupted the conversation inside.

“Time to choose the starting points.”

“Coming, coming.” What Pen Carries Fragrance responded, then turned to look at the others, “Who’s going, Brother Milk?”

Choosing the starting point was a new addition after entering the Semi-Finals. According to the final ranking order of the first-round matches, each team could sequentially choose their desired initial spawning point.

Because the selected spawn point would be erased from the map in advance when the next team made their selection, teams with earlier positions not only could hide their own spawn point information from more teams but also gain more information about the positions related to other teams. This was the reason why Blood Rose cooperated with Seven Silver Coins in the previous round to fight for rankings.

In this new map with unknown initial spawn locations, under normal circumstances, it would undoubtedly be Jiang Shi, the team captain, who should go.

However, this time, after hearing what What Pen Carries Fragrance said, he still lay in his position without moving. He just lazily raised his eyelids and pointed to the man next to him, “Here, let God Yu go. He’ll command the first match.”

“Yeah, sure, I’ll go.” Han Yuze said as he stood up from his seat and followed the staff.

After he left, What Pen Carries Fragrance walked over with some concern, “Brother Milk, are you feeling uncomfortable? Why did God Yu take over the command this time?”

Jiang Shi didn’t expect What Pen Carries Fragrance, who usually seemed easygoing, to be so sensitive at crucial moments.

He silently smiled, “I’m feeling very well, but God Yu insists that I take a break for one match. Can’t argue with that.”

What Pen Carries Fragrance: “I see… But God Yu has always been in command during the Crusades. I guess he finally felt the itch for some tactical action.”

“Yeah, probably,” Jiang Shi casually replied, lowering his gaze slightly.

He wasn’t lying. In terms of his condition, it was different. The tension was almost constant throughout, almost equivalent to ten times the intensity of a leisurely mode for an hour. Moreover, the total duration of both matches was at least six or seven hours.

Han Yuze was concerned that he might have a repeat of what happened five years ago.

Jiang Shi immediately saw through Han Yuze’s concerns but didn’t expose them. He simply agreed.

He was more than willing to accept this kind of gentleness.

Of course, the main reason was that he was truly confident in leaving the team in this man’s hands.

Seven Silver Coins guild finished the first-round matches in the fifth position.

Although they couldn’t know the initial spawn locations of the top four powerful teams, they were at least in the middle. They could determine the remaining positions of the guilds Steel Heart, Dark Temple, and Love and Peace.

After a while, Han Yuze returned to the resting room and directly waved to the teenager with a board. He signaled him to quickly take out his notebook.

With a new map, only a moment of observation time, and relying solely on Han Yuze’s one-sided description, it provided quite a challenge for map drawing.

When the staff called them to go to the competition venue, the young man with the board had just finished a quarter of the map, focusing mainly on the vicinity of the three known initial spawn points.

The map quickly circulated among the members of Seven Silver Coins.

They set off for the arena.

Finally, amid the enthusiastic cheers of the audience, the highly anticipated Semi-Finals officially began.

Due to the direct and intuitive description of the map in advance, the members of Seven Silver Coins quickly adapted to the surrounding environmental conditions after refreshing at the starting point. Then, under Han Yuze’s leadership, they headed directly to the first target point with determination.

After their performance in the previous matches, everyone almost completely stopped treating Seven Silver Coins as a new team with inexperienced members. They were now eagerly anticipating them to reshuffle the team rankings in the Century Cup. The attention they received was astonishingly high.

With official access to data, it was clear what the netizens were interested in. The two commentators were well informed about what the audience was looking for in this match.

Being sentimental toward Seven Silver Coins, the commentators were more than happy to pay close attention to their situation at all times. Just as they were about to introduce the lineup at the beginning, they were shocked.

The starting lineup of Seven Silver Coins was far more absurd than the non-healing formation in the previous match.

“In the starting lineup of Seven Silver Coins… there’s no Poisoned Milk!?”

The whole venue fell silent, leaving only the astonished voice of the commentator that pierced through the clouds.

At the same time, in the waiting area, Scavenger couldn’t help but ask, “Is it okay for you not to play?”

“It’s okay. Today’s command is in God Yu’s hands. Just listen to his arrangements,” Jiang Shi replied, as calm as ever. “When needed, he will send someone to replace me on the field.”

Speaking, his gaze calmly fell on the screen in front of him.

The screen displayed the combat perspective of their own team.

Looking at the figure sprinting on the screen, a faint memory flashed in his mind of the last thing Han Yuze said to him. A slight smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

He said, “Save some energy. Trust me.”

---

Just as the commentators expected, the news about Snake Scorpion Curse purchasing the Poisoned Milk rune formula indeed dominated the headlines of major holographic media that night. The discussions outside were fervent, to the extent that the freshly released list of the top eight teams for this Century Cup faced unprecedented neglect.

The advancement coupled with the sale of the formula made Seven Silver Coins and Jiang Shi even more popular. The title of “God Milk” spread like wildfire, and those who had mocked the return of these veteran players were completely silenced.

For a while, they were basking in glory.

Even the other teams in the top eight lacked presence, and there was no need to mention the four eliminated teams.

Inside the Crusaders’ guild that night, the atmosphere was extremely heavy.

Everyone in the collective meeting room was as silent as a cicada in winter, with only occasional notification sounds breaking the silence, tapping one after another on their chests.

All those notification sounds were messages of guild members leaving.

A wave of continuous and unremitting withdrawals like this had not occurred even when Yu Weize terminated the contract.

At least back then, the management could appease the guild members, saying that the termination was the result of comprehensive discussions, and they promised to quickly reorganize the team and provide satisfactory answers in the upcoming Century Cup.

But now, the first round of matches had officially ended, and the Crusaders, who ranked 12th after four matches, would become the relegation team of this edition, participating in the Nianhua Cup in the second half of the year to compete for that crucial spot to return to the Century Cup.

Countless curses were on the tip of their tongues, but they swallowed them back.

Pojun Baba raised his eyes and looked at the nervous management team, gritting his teeth while pinching his eyebrows.

The first time.

This was the first time he regretted the decision to terminate the contract with Yu Weize back then.

But at this moment, regret was evidently futile.

“Guild Leader…” Someone couldn’t help but speak softly, breaking the news of withdrawals and the barrage of curses in the guild channel, “So, what’s the next step?”

“Let it be like this.” Pojun Baba sighed deeply, his tone filled with exhaustion. “Let’s continue to work hard in the next Hua Cup.”

Yes, the next Nianhua Cup was already destined to be their next stop.

However, the professional players in the guild’s team could continue to fight, while he, as the high-level manager serving as the guild leader of the Crusaders, probably wouldn’t live to see that day.

Hopefully, the person taking over the guild leader position won’t handle things based on personal preferences and can lead the Crusaders to go further!

Feeling unbearable pressure in his heart, Pojun Baba suddenly received a friend request.

He opened it.

[Yu Weize: Guild Leader Pojun Baba, our guild is running out of space, we need to expand a bit but lack funds, can you spare some for us? ~#Smile.jpg]

Pojun Baba felt his chest surge twice and couldn’t help but spit out a mouthful of old blood.

I’ll spare your m**—!

On the other side, in the territory of the Seven Silver Coins guild.

The group of people who successfully advanced had just shouted for guild members to join the celebration party in the territory.

In the midst of the lively atmosphere, Jiang Shi could only lean close to Han Yuze’s ear, raising his voice as much as possible to ask, “Did you get a response from the Crusaders?”

Han Yuze resisted the urge to use his hand to rub where he felt the itchiness due to the breath so close to his ear. He also leaned in a bit, “Got a response.”

Jiang Shi asked, “What did they say?”

Han Yuze suppressed a laugh, “He told me to get lost.”

Jiang Shi blinked, made a clucking sound, and said, “Still so irritable, not civilized at all.”

Han Yuze agreed, “Indeed, if you don’t want to give, just say so. At least talk politely.”

What Pen Carries Fragrance, as today’s atmosphere organizer, had just gone around to other places to enjoy a bit. Upon returning, he saw the two talking confidentially as if no one else was present, and he pounced on them, putting his hand on one shoulder, and exclaimed, “What are you guys talking about? Any good news?”

Jiang Shi replied, “No good news, but there’s one bad thing.”

Han Yuze, observing What Pen Carries Fragrance’s hand resting on Jiang Shi’s shoulder, remarked, “Put your hand down, where do you think you’re putting it?”

What Pen Carries Fragrance, innocently, withdrew his hand, saying, “My bad!”

He apologized to Han Yuze and continued to inquire from Jiang Shi. When he heard that the Crusaders had rejected the funding invitation, his face immediately turned sour.

He apologized to Han Yuze and continued to ask Jiang Shi. When he heard that the Crusaders had rejected the funding invitation, his face immediately turned bitter.

Looking around, he directly called Island Forest over to him, who was enjoying the celebration, “Guild Leader, the external applications to join the guild have already lined up for hundreds of orders. The Crusaders refused to allocate resources to us. If we don’t expand the guild, we’ll really get squeezed!”

Island Forest, holding a unique custom drink from the Genesis Continent, took a slow sip before comforting What Pen Carries Fragrance in a calm tone, “Don’t worry, dear, we should be able to find a solution to this matter here. Currently, although there is a vacancy in our position, I believe we can address it in the future. I have a relatively simple solution in mind. Would you like to consider it?”

What Pen Carries Fragrance patiently listened to the entire speech and then saw Island Forest revealing a standard customer service smile. “Of course, I’d like to consider it. Please tell me!”

Island Forest spoke calmly, “Dear, here’s the thing. In two weeks, it will be the final of the Century Cup, right? If our guild team can successfully secure the championship trophy, the rewards, including those supplies, should be sufficient to expand our guild to its maximum capacity. So, dear, what do you think of the solution I propose?”

After saying this, Island Forest blinked slowly, indicating her anticipation for What Pen Carries Fragrance’s feedback.

However, What Pen Carries Fragrance was momentarily at a loss for words. He was well aware that the Century Cup champion’s prizes included a considerable amount of guild supplies. Considering the support from their guild leader and the sensible decision-making of the vice leader, Jiang Shi, he glanced at the time, opened the internal private group, and sent a message.

[Poisoned Milk: What’s everyone up to? Assemble! Let me tell you about the training focus for the next phase!]

Tonight, the guild held an internal party, and everyone was joyfully celebrating.

In this lively atmosphere, What Pen Carries Fragrance, naturally, was the first to speak up, eagerly urging everyone to gather.

Although some were reluctant to leave the festivities, they gradually arrived in the meeting hall, murmuring to each other. The main training sessions had been conducted over the past period, and additional training at this point would be a temporary measure.

Considering the unique schedule of the upcoming Best of Eight and Semi-Finals of the Century Cup’s second round, Jiang Shi quickly outlined the targeted training content, “Stamina. In the upcoming period, each and every one of us must focus on strengthening our physical endurance!”

Unlike the leisurely pace of one match per week in the first round, the second round’s Best of Eight and Semi-Finals consisted of two matches scheduled on the same day – morning and afternoon. This meant the physical exertion for everyone would be doubled.

The need for precise training items made the operation of this combat meeting proceed quickly.

Towards the end, Jiang Shi invited Island Forest to introduce the current difficulties faced by the guild and the urgent need for guild supplies. This made everyone deeply understand the necessity of winning the championship.

After the meeting ended and everyone left, Jiang Shi pulled Han Yuze to the side.

Raising an eyebrow, Jiang Shi asked, “You’ve been looking at me with ill intentions all this time. What were you thinking?”

“Just looking at my boyfriend, why assume it’s ill-intentioned?” Han Yuze innocently replied, “Besides, I’ve been attentively listening to the leader’s speech and, in light of our current situation, came up with a very effective training plan.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Shi felt more convinced that this person had ulterior motives. “What plan? Tell me about it.”

Han Yuze glanced behind and, confirming that only the two of them remained in the meeting room, slightly closed the distance along with a curve at the corner of his mouth.

Jiang Shi felt a slight tickle passing by his ear and blinked slowly, instantly comprehending Han Yuze’s implication.

Looking down, meeting those deep eyes, although there was a slight warmth in his ears, he couldn’t resist the urge to ask, “Were you waiting for this?”

Han Yuze kissed his lips gently, “It’s been a long time since Sister came back, right?”

Jiang Shi bit Han Yuze’s lip in return, making it sound somewhat heartless, “Just two days.”

Han Yuze gazed directly at him, “That’s already a long time.”

Jiang Shi said, “Even if my sister is back, you won’t have a chance to do as you please, will you?”

“Opportunities are created by people.” Han Yuze smiled slightly, “This time, you can come to my place to prepare for the Semi-Finals.”

Under this expression, Jiang Shi blinked slowly and couldn’t help but say, “Do you know what you look like right now?”

“What?” Han Yuze asked.

Jiang Shi said, “Number 1 with cunning schemes.”

---

Harvesting the boss kill points, coupled with the contributions of the Crusaders and Snake Scorpion Curse, Seven Silver Coins directly surpassed the Black Tower Guild, securing the top position in the rankings.

Brother Tiao watched in amazement, “Compared to other guilds Blood Roses has previously allied with, Seven Silver Coins should be enjoying good treatment.”

“More than just good, it’s quite good! After all, having Return to Spring’s Skillful Hands, a popular healing god, in charge, other teams don’t even have a chance with Blood Roses. Surely, they get to enjoy all the benefits first!” Tao Zi just misspoke, but now he seized the opportunity to quickly shift the topic, “Looking at the current situation, it seems like Blood Roses is intentionally pampering Seven Silver Coins.”

Brother Tiao teased, “The reason behind this probably isn’t Yu Weize, right?”

“Of course not.” Tao Zi smiled meaningfully, “It can only be said that the support role, though seemingly not prominent, often holds a crucial position in each team. As for whether healing or control contributes more, this round can be considered a victory for the runemaster? It’s also a confirmation for Return to Spring’s Skillful Hands!”

Tao Zi was cautious with his words to avoid backlash from Return to Spring’s Skillful Hands’ large fan base.

Brother Tiao empathized with the strong survival instinct and cleared his throat, “In any case, from the perspective of the big points, there are still two bosses left on the field. With Seven Silver Coins and Blood Roses forming this… this unsettling and disruptive alliance, the upcoming matches are likely to be quite ‘lively.'”

The term “lively” in quotes clearly wasn’t a positive one, at least for the other teams.

Brother Tiao’s casually opened mouth accurately predicted the chaotic turn of events in the second half of the game.

All the teams on the field were top-notch professional squads, yet they were utterly defeated without any resistance. Most importantly, not only did the Seven Silver Coins and Blood Roses forcibly snatch the boss, but they also engaged in “head snatching” activities right in front of these professional players!

This left the professional players, who had always experienced ups and downs, with an inexplicable urge to vomit blood.

In reality, the so-called “head snatching” in the Blood Roses and Seven Silver Coins alliance was just a reasonable allocation of resources.

Considering that Jiang Shi’s team was relatively low in the previous ranking, the current placement was crucial. For Blood Roses, whose qualification was almost guaranteed, ensuring a ranking higher than their rival, Snake Scorpion Curse, was enough for this match. Thus, Return to Spring’s Skillful Hands was willing to play a leading role in ensuring internal peace in the alliance. He let Seven Silver Coins earn more points during the skirmishes and battles with mobs, keeping their ranking consistently ahead of their own team.

“Old Chu, righteous move!” Even Han Yuzee had to give affirmation with a serious attitude. “Is this alliance going to continue next time?”

“Next time? Forget it, next time it’s the top 8, and by then, facing each other head-on will be more like a fight to the death. Forming an alliance? No way!” Return to Spring’s Skillful Hands waved his hand disdainfully, pointed towards the direction where the figures had disappeared, and asked, “Can you even handle it? People are already leaving?”

“They treat us like rats meeting a cat when they see us. What can we do?” Helplessly shrugging, Han Yuze turned to Jiang Shi for agreement, “Right, Healing God?”

Jiang Shi directly smacked Han Yuze back with a cross, “Focus on the game.”

The ones who just escaped death were members of the Firepower Guild.

Han Yuze did have a point. After a disastrous encounter once before, when they revived and left the base again, the other teams’ players really didn’t want to fight them anymore.

Finally, the battle for the last boss began.

The alliance of Seven Roses did have good luck and numerical superiority, making it more favorable for gathering positional information. Surprisingly, they ran into the two teams already engaged in battle as soon as the ten players from Seven Silver Coins arrived.

Upon entering the battlefield and assessing the situation, Han Yuzhe and Jiang Shi had almost no hesitation. They charged directly towards the Crusaders.

Facing Akdas, Han Yuze was always precise and swift.

After finishing him off, he casually whistled towards the corpse, leaving behind a “Say hello to the leader of Broken Blade after the match” before gracefully plunging into a new battle. Meanwhile, the vision-impaired Akdas lay on the ground, in a “corpse” state due to an extended resurrection cooldown, nearly passing out due to anger caused by that remark.

But what could he do?

The Crusaders, who experienced a team wipeout at this crucial moment, were already destined to stop at this point, ending their journey in this season completely.

On the other hand, Seven Silver Coins and Blood Roses had a clear division of labor.

The latter once again reaped the rewards of five-player team headshots, while the former secured the kill on the second boss in this match.

With the fourth boss crashing down, the first round of the Century Cup came to a complete close with the end of the last match.

The final score rankings of this match –

First: Seven Silver Coins;

Second: Blood Roses;

Third: Black Tower;

Fourth: Firepower;

Fifth: Snake Scorpion Curse;

…

Eighth: Crusaders.

The entire arena’s lights illuminated the entire spectator area as the match concluded.

Under the watchful eyes of the audience, the lineup for the top eight in the next round was finally fresh out. According to the overall points ranking after four matches, the order was Blood Roses, Black Tower, Snake Scorpion Curse, Firepower, Seven Silver Coins, Steel Heartflow, Temple of the Abyss, and Love and Peace Guild.

In the main view rooms of the top eight teams, the fans’ congratulatory messages filled the screen.

In contrast, the fans of the four eliminated guilds remained silent.

This situation is like the official announcement of exam results, and the craziest are always the students who are perceived to have weak fundamentals.

Therefore, the live stream of Seven Silver Coins’ main perspective at the Starry Sky Internet Cafe exploded.

[“Oh my god! Amazing! Can only say Seven Silver Coins are amazing!”]

[“Fifth place! This is the fifth place! Has a new team ever directly secured the fifth position in the first round of the Century Cup’s history?”]

[“This is going to be explosive. Although I really hoped our team would win, I never thought we’d actually qualify for the quarterfinals!”]

[“Ah, Seven Silver Coins, today I am your fan!”]

[“Quarterfinals! Quarterfinals! Keep going, create history directly!”]

[“Celebrate all you want, brothers and sisters, friendly reminder, don’t miss the post-match interview later!”]

…

[“Laughing so hard, relying on Blood Roses to get BOSS points for advancement, and they still have the nerve to boast?”]

[“Hey, laughing so hard, without our team’s cooperation, could Blood Roses easily surpass Snake Scorpion Curse?”]

[“Spring God himself admitted the value of our team. What are these haters so worked up about?”]

[“Mocking when losing is understandable, but even when winning, you want to trash talk? Two first places, isn’t that enough to boast?”]

[“Don’t bring up the early matches to criticize us. We just entered the Century Cup, can’t we have an adjustment opportunity?”]

In this jubilant atmosphere, occasionally, there were a few voices of criticism, attempting to mock Seven Silver Coins for joining with Blood Roses just to gain an advantage. However, the momentum of the Silver Coin fans was too strong to be overshadowed.

Not only did the haters fail, but they were also fiercely attacked, and in the end, they had no choice but to sneak away and mute themselves.

On the other side, the post-match press conference was finally prepared under the arrangements of the staff.

The interviews in both venues started simultaneously, and unsurprisingly, Seven Silver Coins and Blood Roses received the same question: “What motivated you to form an alliance this time?”

The microphone for Blood Roses was pushed towards Return to Spring’s Skillful Hands.

After a moment of thought, he gave what he considered the most appropriate answer: “Upper limit. Because I believe that cooperating with Seven Silver Coins will raise the overall operational upper limit of our team, it’s as simple as that.”

Reporter: “Can this answer be understood as you are quite satisfied with the cooperation with the Poisoned Milk team today?”

Return to Spring’s Skillful Hands smiled slightly: “Of course.”

On the side of Seven Silver Coins, as the spokesperson, Han Yuze answered particularly directly: “Of course, it’s for the sake of Old Chun’s milk! Enjoying Spring God’s milk is as blissful as being a deity, you know? Is Old Chun’s milk ordinary? It’s extraordinary, and with his blessing, sometimes even the detailed positioning is unnecessary. Comfortable, can you understand it when I put it that way?”

Reporter: “Uh… Spring God’s healing is naturally the best in the server. However, by saying this, does it mean you are not satisfied with the healing in your own team?”

This question sounded somewhat provocative towards internal harmony.

Han Yuze turned and glanced in the direction of the neatly dressed youth, smiling, “Young man, you need to acknowledge your shortcomings.”

Seeing that the staff members were afraid that chaos would ensue, the microphone was handed over. Serious Young Man, replied, “Uh… I think what God Yu said is correct. There is indeed a considerable gap between me and Spring God. If I were to describe it, the completion rate of operations is roughly 9.33333 times.”

“… ” The reporter was momentarily speechless and didn’t know how to ask about the multiple of this five-digit decimal. So, the question was thrown to Jiang Shi, who had been detached from the conversation, “The last question is for Captain Poisoned Milk. After this match, there are many rumors outside claiming that the healing rune used by Snake Scorpion Curse was purchased from you. Is this true?”

In fact, this question was one of the most curious for many reporters.

After holding back all the way, throwing it out at this moment immediately attracted the attention of the entire venue.

Jiang Shi, as the main controller of the day, was already feeling a bit tired from the normal match. Just as he was daydreaming, he suddenly heard his name and slightly regained his focus, “Ah?”

The reporter was speechless for a moment and could only repeat the question.

“Oh, about this…” After the match, with his whole body relaxed, Jiang Shi’s voice sounded lazier than usual. The process of lowering his gaze seemed like he was contemplating. He then answered with just three words, “It’s true.”

The reporter followed up, “Since you are preparing to build a team for future competitions, why sell the formula to a professional guild? In this way, aren’t you afraid of bringing unnecessary risks to the team during the competition?”

This question was somewhat sharp, but Jiang Shi raised his eyes, expressing confusion, “But, at that time, I didn’t know I would spontaneously decide to participate in the Century Cup. Besides, Snake Scorpion Curse actively came to buy the formula from me, and their attitude was so good. There’s no reason to refuse, right?”

These words left the reporter dumbfounded.

Spontaneously deciding to participate in the Century Cup, and Snake Scorpion Curse actively paying for the formula?

Can you believe these are words from a human!

The interview for Snake Scorpion Curse was scheduled after Seven Silver Coins.

When the reporter mentioned Jiang Shi’s previous answer, the members of Snake Scorpion Curse fell into silence.

Under the continued questioning of the reporter, although Snake Scorpion Curse was unwilling, they had to admit, “He is right, we actively approached him to purchase the runic formula.” However, in the current situation, it seemed uncertain whether this formula trade was bringing risks to Seven Silver Coins or to them.

---

As the parties involved, the Crusaders’ players were naturally more frustrated.

By the time they were resurrected from their hometown, the atmosphere within the entire team became extremely awkward.

At this moment, Akdas finally remembered something and looked at Champs, asking, “When we were chasing, what did you want to say?”

Champs uttered four words, “Be careful, it’s a trap.”

Akdas remained silent for a long time before nodding, “Hmm, understood.”

However, it was evident that it was too late to understand at this point.

When he forcefully interrupted Champs’s words and went against the team’s decision, they had already fallen into the instance arranged by Seven Silver Coins.

Regret was inevitable, but at this moment, Akdas could only secretly take a deep breath and wave his arm, saying, “Let’s go, find the BOSS. If we can take down the BOSS, there might be a chance later.”

A chance, it was the only chance.

The wipeout at this point meant that they would have a much longer resurrection time than others. Once they encountered enemies later, being helpless was inevitable. This made the prospect of advancing to the top eight in the following rounds seem even more bleak.

But was giving up the only option? Akdas was clearly unwilling.

At this time, it was the first Century Cup after the withdrawal of Yu Weize. If he couldn’t take the lead and achieve good results, trying to regain the support later would probably be very difficult.

Feeling gloomy, Akdas, along with the other two mechanics, released a batch of miniature mechs, attempting to use the advantage of the mechanics in reconnaissance to quickly search for the hiding place of the BOSS.

The voice of one of the mechanics players sounded in the team voice chat, “Team Captain, I found the BOSS’s location, but there are already people there, and not just one team.”

Akdas felt relieved upon hearing this news.

So quickly having information about the BOSS, could it be that even the heavens were helping him?

Just as he was about to ask for specific details, he heard the mechanic player continue, “It seems that Rattlesnakes found it first, but Blood Roses and Seven Silver Coins have already started fighting. They probably want to snatch it forcibly. Should we… still go?”

Akdas felt the gazes of his teammates on him, but his mind was throbbing painfully after hearing the name of a certain guild. “You just said, who’s there?”

Mechanic player: “Rattlesnakes.”

Akdas: “The other two behind them.”

Mechanic player: “Blood Roses and Seven Silver Coins.”

Akdas: “.”

The scene of calling upon the heavens and the earth without a response surfaced in his mind again. However, faced with these stubborn guys who just wouldn’t go away, he could only grit his teeth, “There’s no point in going! Let’s go, see if we can find the other two BOSSes!”

Controlled to the point of speechlessness, not to mention being unable to resist, even health points couldn’t be suppressed.

The only meaning of going to join the fun was probably to present their heads on a silver platter.

Clearly, he couldn’t stand these people, but unfortunately, he couldn’t get rid of them. How infuriating!

The movements of the teams on the field were displayed through the god’s-eye view at the spectator arena.

Tao Zi captured the movement of the Crusaders and expressed surprise, “Huh? I thought the Crusaders would choose to take revenge in the chaos. Judging by the situation, can it be considered as admitting defeat?”

Brother Tiao, on the other hand, showed understanding, “With that lineup, there’s basically no way they can fight. It’s probably causing psychological pressure. I think their proactive avoidance of the battle is a wise choice. Although they are currently besieging Rattlesnakes, once the Crusaders appear, not to mention Blood Roses, at least it’s uncertain who Seven Silver Coins will target.”

The last words made Tao Zi laugh, “Indeed, they might not be able to change the situation even if they come over now. Currently, Rattlesnakes seems to be in quite a predicament.”

In fact, not only were they in quite a predicament, even the perennially gloomy Snake Scorpion Curse was almost driven to the point of exploding.

Before this, he obviously couldn’t have expected that Blood Roses, after failing to ally with them in the last match, would actively team up with Seven Silver Coins to counter them in this one.

Most importantly, the two support gods from these two teams cooperated exceptionally well.

It was well known that in a chaotic or one-on-one situation against Blood Roses, winning half the battle was possible if they could find a way to quickly take down Gentleman Fan within his protective circle.

Blood Roses was naturally well aware of this, so they always positioned Gentleman Fan in the safest spot at the start of each battle, and he was always ready to fall back for support. In such a situation, breaking through Blood Roses’ formation was already extremely difficult. Now, adding Seven Silver Coins to the mix just made it more lively.

The final result was that the players from Blood Roses completely cast aside concerns about falling back at any moment, while on the side of the Seven Silver Coins, it seemed as if the seven silver coins were firing with full force, completely ignoring the existence of HP. The subsequent healing and control seamlessly controlled the situation. Although it appeared that the backdoor was open, in reality, with the mutual support of Return to Spring’s Skillful Hands and Poisoned Milk, all offensive intentions were quietly resolved without a trace.

D*mn, those support players are really tricky!

Under the siege led by Yu Weize, the Snake Scorpion Curse ultimately couldn’t withstand it and became the second casualty in their team.

No One Crossing and the team’s War Craftsman had originally planned to quickly kill the BOSS under the delay created by their teammates. However, the Alliance forces came fiercely this time, and after the rear was breached, realizing that stealing the kill was hopeless, they had to fight back desperately, attempting to take away at least one opponent before falling.

As a top-notch swordsman player, No One Crossing’s full set of activated skills had a remarkable effect.

Tons of damage under the protection of the War Craftsman’s Golden Demon Puppet, and just as it seemed that they were about to kill Yu Weize, who was at the forefront and receiving high healing from Return to Spring’s Skillful Hands and Poisoned Milk, a green light surged under their feet, enveloping all team members. This abruptly raised the nearly depleted health of the fragile Mechanic.

Others might not be aware, but as one of the parties involved in the formula trade, No One Crossing was well aware of what the radiant glow in the runic field meant.

His mouth twitched fiercely, and not willing to give up, he quickly prepared a new burst skill.

However, with just a moment of buffering, it was enough to provide space for Return to Spring’s Skillful Hands to unleash her skills.

No One Crossing could only watch as Yu Weize’s health instantly filled up. Before the big sword could swing down, the four-cornered mechanical creatures crawling on the ground, who knows when they had bypassed the defense barrier created by the Golden Demon Puppet, emitted a fleeting red light. The burst of damage took away the remaining one-third of his health.

Without healing and damage support, the War Craftsman, a tank class, was left with a fate of being slaughtered.

“If you want to stay in the league, take this first BOSS.” Return to Spring’s Skillful Hands expressed generously at this moment. After all, their current ranking on the scoreboard was slightly higher than that of the Rattlesnakes. The previous wipe had tilted the balance in their favor, and if they could successfully suppress the Rattlesnakes in the ranking, they would achieve the ultimate goal of this match. Compared to the ownership of the BOSS, if the Rattlesnakes had taken the boss points from the previous leader, that would have been the most headache-inducing situation for them.

In general, pleasant cooperation should always show some sincerity.

“Thanks.” Han Yuze saw that the Blood Rose knight players had stabilized the BOSS’s aggro for them. He waved to his brothers and unceremoniously accepted the fruits of the war.

Jiang Shi was about to follow when Return to Spring’s Skillful Hands suddenly called him out.

He turned around, inquiringly.

Return to Spring’s Skillful Hands gave him a scrutinizing look before finally asking, “The one you just used, is it a healing field?”

Jiang Shi nodded, “Yes.”

Only then did he realize, “Oh, you’re asking about that. The formula for that, I sold it to Rattlesnakes back then.”

ReReturn to Spring’s Skillful Hands: “?”

The main perspective live stream viewers: “?”

A few seconds later, whether in the Rattlesnakes’ or the Seven Silver Coins’ live chat, the flood of question marks covered the screens.

This move is amazing!

Selling rune formulas to a professional guild?

Do you guys at Seven Silver Coins have this kind of business?

Naturally, it wasn’t just Return to Spring’s Skillful Hands who noticed this.

In the omniscient spectator scene, the two commentators who had witnessed the entire firefight fell into silence together.

After carefully choosing his words, Tao Zi said, “The rune field used by Poisoned Milk just now is indeed crucial! The pre-cast lasted until the completion of the construction almost precisely, right? If it weren’t for this brilliant move, No One Crossing might really have faced Yu Weize’s big healing and directly replaced him on the scene.”

“You’re right.” Brother Tiao naturally understood what her words implied. Combining the situation during the previous matches, he cleared his throat and tentatively threw out the topic, “That rune field does play a crucial role. However, have you ever felt that the effect of this field seems somewhat familiar?”

Tao Zi raised his head, coincidentally meeting eyes with his co-commentator.

Then, finding a trace of confidence in each other’s eyes for their speculations, he said with certainty, “Indeed, it’s a rune field!”

After smoothly bringing out the inferred conclusion, when looking at the field again, Tieshi’s trailing voice for the first time in his professional career sounded a bit uncertain because of his confusion, “What’s going on here? Rattlesnakes and Seven Silver Coins, both research and development teams, seem to have independently developed rune stones with the same attributes in the same Century Cup…?”

The two commentators did not have the live broadcast visuals from the main perspective, so naturally, they couldn’t hear Return to Spring’s Skillful Hands’ conversation.

However, some viewers who were multitasking between several live streams heard the words and enthusiastically relayed the information in the barrage. In a moment, the screens were filled with a plethora of question marks.

Finally noticing the content of the barrage, Tieshi said, “So, the healing rune formula of Rattlesnakes was actually bought from Seven Silver Coins!?”

He unconsciously read it out loud, and by the time he realized he should cover his mouth, it was already too late.

But at this moment, aside from worrying about the prize money that might be deducted, his mind was left with only one thought.

If this news is true, it’s bound to become the front-page headline that can’t be suppressed even by today’s promotion list, right!?

---

“Ready, the fish is hooked~” Jiang Shi’s original words were indeed like that, and if you were by his side, you could completely see the joyful smile that followed the trailing wave-like intonation.

This made Han Yuze, who was nearby, turn his head involuntarily, “Is it this exciting?”

Jiang Shi smiled, “Fishing is supposed to be a joyful thing.”

Han Yuze nodded in agreement, “Indeed, fishing is a happy activity.”

Although he was continuing his words, it sounded vaguely wrong in his ears.

Jiang Shi glanced at Han Yuze, then finally uttered a low “Hmm.”

Han Yuze was prepared for a sarcastic remark from Jiang Shi, but unexpectedly, he didn’t deny it directly. Feeling a bit surprised, he was about to say something when Jiang Shi quickly adjusted his tone, “Ready, the real show is beginning.”

As the words fell, the cross in his hand slowly turned, revealing a strange glow.

The four members of Seven Silver Coins were desperately trying to escape in front, while the full lineup of the Crusaders was relentlessly chasing from behind. From a bird’s eye view, it might indeed be a very exciting battle.

However, the netizens in the Starry Sky Internet Cafe’s live broadcast room, having heard the content of the team voice chat in advance, could only express pity in their eyes when looking at the Crusaders.

As the saying goes, life’s path is so unpredictable that you never know whether what awaits you at the end of the road will be a pleasant surprise or a shock.

Everyone’s life journey is completely different, but at this moment, in front of the Crusaders, it seemed that only a dead end remained.

[“Tragic, too tragic, especially since they have no idea what they are about to face.”]

[“I suddenly feel that Seven Silver Coins are not targeting the Crusaders due to personal grievances. After all, looking at the current situation, without Yu Weize, their team is truly brainless.”]

[“Who’s the captain now? Akdas?”]

[“Yes, yes, it’s this little guy who boasted about taking over God Yu’s position.”]

[“Is it true or not? Akdas replacing Yu Weize? In terms of leading the team or personal skills, they are not on the same level at all!”]

[“Letting Yu Weize terminate the contract himself and then having the terminating party eliminate them from the competition – this script sounds pretty good.”]

[“It’s indeed a case of reaping what you sow, 66666~!”]

In addition to the fans of Seven Silver Coins, many haters who had been watching them also hoped there could be some way to remind the Crusaders to be more cautious. However, what happens on the battlefield has always depended on the players themselves. At this moment, the Crusaders on the map had already stepped into the attack range of the Alliance’s ambush, and no matter how you looked at it, it seemed hopeless.

As a professional player, Akdas was not the kind of brainless player. Otherwise, it wouldn’t make sense for Purgatory Dominance to fantasize about relying on him to lead the Crusaders in the future.

Although he wasn’t relenting in chasing Yu Weize, he occasionally released the miniature mechs in his hands, using the flexible and convenient characteristics of the mechanic profession to conduct terrain reconnaissance vigilantly.

It was precisely because of this that, after falling into the ambush, he caught the surrounding anomalies with the fastest reaction speed.

“Not good, there’s an ambush.” Akdas, who had experienced several Century Cups, instinctively issued a decisive command after confirming that there were people lurking around, “Retreat as a group!”

Because the four members of Seven Silver Coins were always within their pursuit range, and the position points detected by the mechanical sensors were at least two, Akdas immediately ruled out the possibility of another team causing trouble.

As for who specifically laid the ambush here, he didn’t need to confirm their identities.

In the end, they were all teams participating in the Century Cup, and one guild was more difficult to deal with than the other. Whether facing the Crusaders or the members of Seven Silver Coins, there was no reason to show mercy.

Although it was regrettable that he couldn’t personally kill Yu Weize, as long as the actual goal of wiping out the Seven Silver Coins team was achieved, Akdas was more than willing to sit back and enjoy it while ensuring his own safety.

Calculating happily like this, Akdas also turned around with his teammates.

However, before they could take a step, beams of light rose from the ground behind them, weaving into a colorful array of runes in an instant.

“Since you’re here, don’t be in such a hurry to leave,” Jiang Shi’s tone was playful, but even with such a friendly expression, one could vaguely sense the strong killing intent behind it.

Unable to hold back, Akdas cursed in his heart and disdainfully clicked his tongue.

He felt that this was indeed a new team without any match experience. They bragged so much outside, but when it came to the crucial moment, they didn’t even notice the ambush around them. They were still provoking them, probably not even aware of how they would die soon!

The interference of several rune domains in a row made the Crusaders’ formation chaotic for a moment, and the three engineers in the team had to take action.

It was also at this time that the previously silent surroundings suddenly became lively.

Akdas sneered inwardly, quickly scanning his line of sight.

Very well, it’s the Blood Roses.

Although they were also enemies, from the position they entered, it undoubtedly leaned more towards those of Seven Silver Coins…

Wait a minute, why is that Deep Well Ice Player there?

The Blood Roses members are so close to him, why haven’t they taken any action?

Originally, Akdas wanted to take advantage of the chaos, but after a two-second delay, he quickly reacted.

With a thud in his heart, he didn’t care about anything else and shouted, “Seven Silver Coins have formed an alliance with Blood Roses! Don’t linger in battle, retreat quickly!”

However, at this point, it was obviously too late.

In fact, when Jiang Shi used the rune domain to trap the Crusaders within the danger zone, everything that followed had already become inevitable.

Jiang Shi took the best position on the field, placing rune domains one after another as if they cost nothing.

Synchronously, Han Yuze’s army also pressed forward.

The Crusaders’ players were undoubtedly familiar with Han Yuze, but they had never experienced him fully unleashing himself without any worries.

In an instant, helmets were thrown off, and the formation collapsed. They could only struggle in the last moments before death, hoping to take a few people with them to the grave. However, they just helplessly watched as Gentleman Fan and Scavenger were healed to full before turning back and instantly wiping them out.

The Crusaders, already controlled to the point of despair, collapsed completely when they saw Gentleman Fan’s cross-team healing: “…”

D*mn, let it be destroyed! I don’t want to try hard anymore.

Corresponding to the collapse of the Crusaders was undoubtedly the purification of Seven Silver Coins.

Oh, this is the experience card that doesn’t need to consider its own health value. Truly, a reliable ally to whom one can completely surrender their back!

On the other side, the Blood Roses also felt a different kind of excitement.

Although they had always relied on Gentleman Fan to back them up, they had never experienced the taste of someone controlling the overall situation. One after another, the rune domains accurately blocked the opponent’s movements, as if predicting their every move, delivering heads right in front of them. With just a casual use of their output skills, they easily gained victories.

Most importantly, these were people from different teams, yet they controlled fixed-position rune domains, and there was not a single case of friendly fire from start to finish!

The precision of their operations was extremely terrifying!

Even though it was their first cooperation, with the help of these two support gods, the joint action of Seven Silver Coins and Blood Roses was executed seamlessly.

If it wasn’t known in advance who the opponents were, the way they quickly cleared the field would even make people suspect that they went to a lower-level tournament to bully rookies.

The scene after the firefight was peaceful.

The bodies of the Crusaders lay quietly around, and the desolate scene seemed as if it refused to close its eyes.

At this moment, the score ranking was refreshed.

The team from the Black Tower Guild suddenly displayed a massive score, propelling them to the top position.

Without a doubt, this was the completion of the first BOSS kill in this match.

Gentleman Fan, seeing this, turned to ask someone who seemed to be in a good mood, “Happy now?”

Han Yuze modestly waved his hand, “It’s okay, it’s okay.”

Gentleman Fan: “…”

Bah, with your smile almost reaching the sky, it’s clear you’re having a blast.

In the end, Gentleman Fan didn’t bother to comment. He asked, “So, can we get back to business now?”

“Sure, sure,” Jiang Shi replied with a smile. “Our God Yu is comfortable now. We’ll definitely work hard later.”

Gentleman Fan was also satisfied, “Then get ready. Let’s find a place and see if we can snatch a BOSS to startle everyone.”

The ongoing conversation here was naturally clearly audible to the “brothers on the ground.“

Recalling the entire process just now at this moment, all the details were vividly remembered, and it completely choked them up.

As for why they were preparing first instead of leaving directly, they were well aware.

The first resurrection cooldown after the initial death ended, and to avoid being camped by opponents at their corpses, the Crusaders’ players had to choose to return to the respawn point one by one.

As soon as the bodies on the ground disappeared, the Blood Roses and Seven Silver Coins also left without hesitation.

Because the previous live commentary focus was on the Black Tower Guild and the firefight for the BOSS with the firepower users, when the attention turned back at this moment, what they saw was this “buddy-buddy” scene.

Tao Zi was very surprised: “In the last round, didn’t Blood Roses attempt to team up with Vipers to deal with Seven Silver Coins? What’s the meaning of this round? They’ve suddenly formed an alliance with Seven Silver Coins?”

Brother Tiao quickly checked the replay of the battle just now and fell silent for a moment. “Not only did they form an alliance, but they also wiped out the Crusaders in one go.”

“Huh? Settling personal grievances?” An idiom flashed through Tao Zi’s mind, and he subconsciously blurted it out. By the time he wanted to cover his mouth, it was already too late, so he could only chuckle a few times. “But with no casualties on both teams in this match, it seems like their cooperation is quite good, doesn’t it?”

Some netizens who were also watching other first-person perspective live broadcasts: “…”

Far from cooperating quite well, it’s like they’re extremely intimate!

Just ask if you’ve ever experienced despair.

It’s that kind of despair where you’re controlled to the point of wanting to live and die at the same time, while also watching the opponent almost at full health. Seven Silver Roses alliance, you deserve it.

I wonder who the next unlucky one will be?

---

In the heart of Return to Spring’s Skillful Hands, a battle between reason and emotions took place. Finally, recalling the previous encounter where they were trapped in the rune area, unable to respond to the calls of heaven or receive any earthly support, he compromised, “No problem, helping with a heal on the fly is no big deal.”

Jiang Shi modestly smiled, “Then let me thank God Spring in advance.”

Afterwards, he turned to his teammates, “I said there’s no need to worry about healing in this round. Look, isn’t it as stable as it gets?”

Gentleman Fan responded with a mocking smile, leaving him to interpret it himself.

Watching the interaction, Han Yuze couldn’t help but laugh, then turned toReturn to Spring’s Skillful Hands, “So, it’s my turn next.”

Return to Spring’s Skillful Hands glared, “Didn’t we agree there were no conditions? I’ve already promised to heal you, what more do you want?”

“It’s God Spring without conditions, not me,” Han Yuze said without a hint of concern.

Having long been accustomed to this person’s nonexistent bottom line,Return to Spring’s Skillful Hands sighed and rubbed his forehead, “Alright, you’re right, you win. Please go ahead and state your conditions!”

Han Yuze silently smiled, “My conditions are actually very simple, just five words.”

Return to Spring’s Skillful Hands asked, “Hmm?”

Han Yuze spoke slowly, “Deal with the Crusaders first.”

Return to Spring’s Skillful Hands blinked, and after a moment, a smile of understanding appeared, “I knew you were waiting for this. Always avoiding conflicts with the scoundrels and Old Yu, revenge is never too late for a typical case.”

Han Yuze neither confirmed nor denied, “What do you say?”

Return to Spring’s Skillful Hands replied, “Okay, deal.”

The group in the video gathered together to discuss tactics briefly. Although the conversation was still clearly heard in the main perspective of both teams in the live stream, due to the rapid shifts in thought, the viewers’ understanding was momentarily lost. This caused the entire barrage discussion focus to shift to the condition proposed by Yu Weize.

[“Did I misperceive it just now? Did Yu Weize actively suggest dealing with the Crusaders?”]

[“During the previous interview, wasn’t it evident that the Crusaders and them have never gotten along?”]

[“Not getting along? I thought it was just for show, after all, both guilds are still listed in the Alliance Guild, right?”]

[“Surface alliance, behind-the-scenes enemies? 66666, they’ve seen through this gimmick.”]

[“So, when Yu Weize left the guild earlier, it was because of a falling out with the Crusaders? Dealing with the Crusaders in this round is basically preventing them from advancing to the next round, harsh move.”]

[“Considering the situation with Yu Weize leaving earlier, no matter how you look at it, the Crusaders seemed to have wronged Yu Weize first, right?”]

[“Don’t judge, I’m not a fan of Yu Weize, just objectively stating that at the time, there were rumors that the Crusaders intentionally provoked him.”]

[“Then how did they end up forming an alliance again?”]

[“Hehehe, you guys don’t know about this. I’ve received some inside information that the Crusaders were scared of the Seven Silver Coins and had to reluctantly cede territory and compensation.”]

[“? Where did this inside information come from? Is the situation inside these top guilds really this stimulating?”]

[“You guys are so gossipy. Am I the only one who wants to light a candle for the Crusaders? Seven Silver Coins are one thing, but if Blood Roses are involved too, meeting them is pretty much a GG rhythm.”]

[“You can’t say that. What if the Crusaders are lucky and never encounter this alliance combination throughout the entire map? After all, the map is so big, maybe…”]

The barrage on this side continued its intense discussion.

In the game map, the two teams, after finishing their discussion, had encountered the first pair of enemy forces for this match.

Because the speed of hiding was extremely fast, but from the flashing screen, the fuzzy figures of those few people in the distance could still be vaguely captured.

The viewers in the livestream were completely silent.

As they say, Cao Cao arrived when he was mentioned. Among so many teams, they unexpectedly had this kind of destined meeting. One really couldn’t tell if the Crusaders had bad luck or good luck.

The hiding speed of the Seven Silver Coins and Blood Roses was quite fast, ensuring they were not discovered by the opponents. After a simple exchange, excluding the Deep Well Ice Player, the other four members of the Seven Silver Coins walked out unceremoniously from their hiding place.

This time, they directly headed in the direction where the Crusaders were located, without making any attempt to conceal their movements.

They had confidence, not only because they had the support of the Blood Roses’ God Spring, a god-tier healer, but also because the terrain around them had been explored in advance.

As for leaving Deep Well Ice Player behind, it was for the convenience of subsequent operations. Moreover, considering the situation where both teams couldn’t share a voice channel after forming an alliance, a situation highlighted by the failed cooperation between Blood Roses and Rattlesnakes in the previous round, it was necessary to leave someone behind for communication between the two teams.

In this way, Deep Well Ice Player seemed a bit busy.

For someone with a deep social anxiety, being the bridge for communication between two teams was an undoubtedly challenging task.

[[Current] Deep Well Ice Player: Poisoned Milk said, just wait here peacefully, he guarantees the completion of the task.]

[[Current] Deep Well Ice Player: Yu Weize said, let God Spring prepare to come over and support in a bit; he might be preparing for a tough fight, and Healing Dad will need to watch him.]

[[Current] Deep Well Ice Player: Scavenger said, you can completely ignore her later; she can run on her own.]

[[Current] Deep Well Ice Player: Poisoned Milk said, then when the time comes, let Scavenger come over for a heal. After all, a healer dad shouldn’t be wasted in vain.]

Blood Roses’ players: “…………”

Without discussing the blatant shamelessness conveyed between the lines, just looking at Deep Frost Ice Patient’s earnest attitude in trying to faithfully replicate the original sentences, Mad Stomp couldn’t help but twitch his mouth, “Short-range friend, is typing really that inconvenient?”

[[Current] Deep Well Ice Player:……]

[[Current] Deep Well Ice Player: Being able to stay behind is already giving face to Poisoned Milk, understand?]

[[Current] Deep Well Ice Player: If it weren’t in the game, when he made this suggestion, I should have blasted him with a cannon.]

Mad Stomp rubbed his head, “Are you really so resistant?”

This time, Deep Well Ice Player pursed his lips and didn’t reply.

In a place not visible to the Blood Roses, his hands trembled slightly as he gripped the heavy cannon.

He swore that after the match, he would definitely kill Poisoned Milk, the guy who left him so weak and helpless alone!

On the other side, Jiang Shi sneezed lowly.

Rubbing his nose, he said in a puzzled tone, “Lately, it seems like I’ve been sneezing a lot in the game. Is this some new system setting?”

[[Party] Deep Well Ice Player: Have you ever thought that it might be a curse from somewhere?]

“Prepare well, don’t mess around,” Jiang Shi disdainfully clicked his tongue and turned to look, “Provocation duty, will you go?”

Han Yuze gracefully took on the task, “Of course.”

The players from the Crusaders clearly did not expect that the members of Seven Silver Coins would approach them so openly.

Looking at the current ranking situation, they were also one of the teams on the edge of advancing or retreating.

Only eight teams could qualify for the first round, and aside from those who had essentially secured their spots, the remaining teams were in a situation where advancing by one meant the other would have to retreat. In a sense, the competition was much fiercer among these teams compared to those at the front.

At a time like this, if they could eliminate Seven Silver Coins, who were also fighting for a spot, it would mean more chances of advancing for the Crusaders. Moreover, there were many grievances between the two guilds.

Without much greeting, the two sides quickly engaged in battle.

In the Crusaders’ team, there were a total of three engineers, and the densely packed miniature mechs surged forward, creating a formidable formation.

However, even though Seven Silver Coins didn’t have a numerical advantage, Han Yuze’s skills in his operating field were top-notch, and he showed no weakness in countering their attacks.

Jiang Shi quickly set up several rune domains for cover, and with Scavenger and Gentleman Fan flanking, their main target was surprisingly the Crusaders’ healing player, Champs.

The burst damage from a combination of a rogue and an assassin was undoubtedly terrifying, but Champs was well-prepared. At the critical moment, she quickly activated the Priest’s level 55 skill, Soul Faith, providing her with a few seconds of invulnerability. During this time, she utilized a taunting skill, with the Knight player beside her absorbing Gentleman Fan’s threat, and managed to withstand Scavenger’s damage, pulling herself back from the brink of death.

“Don’t mind Yu Weize, kill the rogue first!” After giving the prompt in the team’s voice chat, Champs activated Faith and, with increased movement speed, retreated to a safe distance. She prepared to assist her Knight teammate in launching a counterattack.

The other two Crusader engineers also quickly returned to defend.

Akdas’s strength was obviously a bit weaker than Han Yuze’s, but the ambition to replace him made him grit his teeth, and he barely managed to single-handedly withstand the fierce onslaught. “I’ll hold Yu Weize here; you guys go for a quick victory! There are only four of them, we can’t miss this opportunity!”

“Got it!” Champs naturally understood that opportunities were rare. However, after agreeing, she still faintly felt that something was wrong. Subconsciously, she looked at the battlefield between the two engineers from both sides.

Has Akdas improved so rapidly recently? He could barely hold off Han Yuze?

At this moment, she couldn’t dwell on it too much.

She quickly retracted her thoughts, guarding against the enemy’s burst, and prepared to raise her health when her teammates received high damage.

But before the Crusaders could surround them, Gentleman Fan, after the expiration of the taunting effect, suddenly lowered his figure. With a strange movement, he stepped on several traps laid by the Crusader Knight.

At the moment when the cooldown skills were ready, he directly entered stealth.

Both rogues and assassins had invisibility skills – [Stealth] and [Escape] respectively.

Although their health values were somewhat low, with their coordinated efforts, they managed to escape from the Crusaders’ encirclement.

Returning to Han Yuze’s vicinity, with the cover of the miniature mech lineup, the three of them decisively turned around and ran, almost without any hesitation.

“D*mn it, chase them! Don’t let them escape!” Akdas, wanting to prove himself, was annoyed that Yu Weize, this sixth player, was actually retreating at the first sign of trouble. He gritted his teeth and gave the order.

The Crusader players decisively pursued.

Among them, only Champs didn’t get too carried away. Watching the fleeing Seven Silver Coins, she frowned, and the uneasy feeling in her heart intensified.

Isn’t it against Yu Weize’s style to retreat without fighting?

Champs: “Akdas.”

Akdas’s voice was full of impatience, not even turning his head: “Deal with it after the fight!”

Champs opened her mouth to remind, but the words were swallowed back.

At the same time, Deep Well Ice Player in the rear conveyed the latest information to his allies.

[[Party] Deep Well Ice Player: Poisoned Milk said, ready, the fish is on the hook~^_^~]

Return to Spring’s Skillful Hands somewhat used to this friend’s eccentricities, thought for a moment and asked, “What’s with this expression?”

[[Party] Deep Well Ice Player: Judging from his tone, it should be this kind of expression. Since it’s conveyed, I have to keep up appearances a bit.]

Return to Spring’s Skillful Hands: “.”

Need to compliment his dedication?

---

It can only be said that the commentators on the stage cannot hear the conversations in the team voice channels of each team; otherwise, after Tao Zi’s words, he might have to pat his own slightly sore little face.

In the first-person perspective livestream room of the Starry Sky Internet Cafe, the barrage had already burst into laughter as soon as the commentator’s words landed.

[“Tao Zi: There is definitely a special arrangement here! #Confirmed.jpg”]

[“Everyone doesn’t believe that we are actually panicking series.”]

[“Hahaha, I’m afraid other guilds are also guessing the tactics of this mysterious guild at this moment.”]

[“Really funny, in the end, only the person involved is panicking.”]

Corresponding to the barrage were the conversations in the Seven Silver Coins’ team voice channel at this moment.

“Are you really sure you can do it?” Gentleman Fan asked for the umpteenth time.

“Why, what’s wrong with the second profession? Does the healing skill of the Elf sacrifice not match your nobility?” Jiang Shi raised his eyebrows, “And we used this lineup during training before. If you had objections back then and didn’t question the tactics now, it wouldn’t be appropriate, brother.”

Gentleman Fan laughed, “So we wiped during training.”

Playing with the cross in his hand, Jiang Shi said, “What if I say it was intentional at that time? Do you believe it?”

Before Gentleman Fan could mock again, he was lightly interrupted by the adjacent Scavenger, “It doesn’t matter, being killed by healing a few times, just place a few orders in the black market after the match.”

Gentleman Fan shook his fan, showing approval, “Not a bad idea.”

[Deep Well Ice Player: When you guys charge with confidence later, I’ll be behind, taking advantage of the situation, ready to assist.]

Gentleman Fan sneered, “Taking advantage of the situation or conveniently running away?”

Faced with the attitude of his teammates, even Jiang Shi couldn’t help but look at Han Yuze, “God Yu, look at them. Where’s the basic trust between teammates?”

Han Yuze reassured, “It’s okay, I trust you.”

Gentleman Fan and Scavenger in the team voice channel both made a “tsk” sound, expressing their disdain.

Jiang Shi was satisfied with Han Yuze’s answer, and there was no hint of guilt on his face, “Exactly, if things don’t go well, we still have an honorary healer in this match! We can let someone help fix any gaps after the match.”

Of course, the Seven Silver Coins team knew who Jiang Shi was referring to as the “honorary healer.“

It was precisely because they knew that they were shocked by this person’s shamelessness.

If he helped with spring rejuvenation, how could it be considered lending a hand?

Who knows who is the one fixing the gap!?

Unable to retort, everyone gave up arguing, and only Han Yuze remained nonchalantly praised on the side, “Indeed, when it comes to assistance services, no one in the entire server can compare to our healing god.”

Scavenger: “…”

After a moment of silence, she directly used a skill to disappear, “You guys continue, I’ll go scout.”

“Ah, I’ll go too.”

Gentleman Fan also wanted to leave this annoying couple, but Jiang Shi, faster than him, blocked his way.

Jiang Shi patted his shoulder, “Go where? Looking for an opportunity to ambush someone? Can you run away from Sister Scavenger, who is good at running? Now is not the time to start a fight with other teams. Go, gather with allies at the agreed-upon location first.”

The moment before, the audience in the live stream room was laughing and joking about the “internal strife” in the team’s barrage, but the next moment, they were all stunned. Wait a minute, the match has just begun, right? How can there be allies already? Is this the rumored pre-match PY trade!?

Because of the chaotic mode of the Genesis League, alliances were not uncommon in the Century Cup.

However, everyone is a top team here to participate in the competition, and there is competition among them. Therefore, even if alliances occur, most of them are temporary decisions made based on the situation of the match. Although pre-arranged alliances are not impossible, they are indeed very rare, and the number of times they have occurred in the history of the league can probably be counted on one hand.

And obviously, the Seven Silver Coins, as a brand-new team entering the Century Cup, do not seem to have the qualifications for such pre-arranged appointments.

No matter how you think about it, the only possibility is that the Seven Silver Coins have found a big thigh to hug in advance, using this to secure a stable spot in the playoffs.

The majority of the audience in the live stream room, who had been following the team all along, naturally hoped that their favored guild could go further. However, the unexpected development in front of them made them slightly hold their chests.

[“Hey, babes, although advancing is indeed crucial, publicly hugging a big thigh like this may not be advisable! I’m afraid you’ll get criticized!”]

[“Oh, why play this move suddenly? After the match, will there be another misunderstanding by the haters?”]

[“Laughable. Did it really need any misunderstanding? No wonder they were so confident when facing the media earlier; turns out they were waiting for this!”]

[“Why laugh? A cooperative relationship is natural. When both are part of the alliance, who is nobler than the other?”]

[“Look at the other 11 participating teams, all from established guilds. Are these arrogant fans of this guild really that pretentious? Who is more noble?”]

[“True, you claim to be noble. In the previous round, didn’t two top-level guilds form an alliance and cause trouble? They ended up losing. Noble alliances, huh?”]

[“Boasting about having the geographical advantage. Face it head-on, and see if your team can even be recognized by their mothers.”]

[“Annoying! Can’t the haters roll out of the livestream? Look down on us and still insist on watching from the first-person perspective, seeking attention!”]

The barrage in the livestream room clashed with opposing views.

As the argument escalated, the main perspective of the Seven Silver Coins finally captured the sight of other teams.

Just as the dispute was intensifying, they noticed that the incoming team was none other than the Blood Roses, who hadn’t gained any advantages in the previous round. Immediately, the atmosphere lightened, and someone exclaimed, [“Alright, wasn’t it bragging just now? This is good; this old grudge can finally be settled.”]

This statement boosted the spirits of the Seven Silver Coins’ fans, but they couldn’t help feeling a bit anxious.

After all, though infuriating, the statement was not entirely unfounded.

Who would have expected the luck of the Seven Silver Coins to be this unfortunate? In the very first round of the match, they encountered the Blood Roses, with whom they had a heated confrontation in the previous round.

Truly, a narrow road for enemies.

From the Blood Roses’ perspective, the aggressive move in the previous match, joining forces with the formidable Rattlesnakes, made it clear that they wouldn’t rest until the Seven Silver Coins were eliminated. Considering the unsuccessful attempt due to terrain issues earlier, the direct confrontation now seemed like an opportunity to settle the score, no matter how one looked at it.

Oh, they’ve seen the opponents; why haven’t they run away yet? The Blood Roses are not easy to deal with when directly confronting them. Are they really so eager to offer themselves up? The fans of the Seven Silver Coins were anxious, and even the haters, who were initially mocking in the barrage, temporarily set aside their remarks.

Both sides in the livestream room watched as the two teams approached each other, getting closer and closer, about to enter each other’s skill range.

In the tense atmosphere, a battle was about to erupt.

In the video, the PoisonedMilk slowly raised his hand, the staff with a cross-shaped design making a subtle arc in the air.

Then, he greeted the approaching members of the Blood Roses from a distance, “Here they are, everyone, sorry for the wait.”

Viewers: “?”

The alliance partner for the Seven Silver Coins in this match was actually the Blood Roses?!

If it weren’t for the intense clash between the two teams in the previous round, just hearing this enthusiastic greeting would have made it seem like these two guilds had an exceptionally close brotherly relationship.

So, the alliance isn’t with the Crusaders?

This time, even the previously lively haters were left dumbfounded. Just a moment ago, they were imagining the Blood Roses mercilessly defeating the Seven Silver Coins, and now they were acting all buddy-buddy?

However, the attitude of the Blood Roses had already explained that the situation was not a wishful thinking by the Seven Silver Coins.

Return to Spring’s Skillful Hands also waved from a distance, signaling allies to discuss countermeasures.

Having the alliance relationship confirmed had its advantages.

Although nobody knew which location on the map would refresh, as long as they determined the general direction, they could smoothly arrange a meeting and then have enough time to discuss strategies.

“What do you say, individual actions or collective actions?” Return to Spring’s Skillful Hands didn’t waste time and directly posed the question.

“Since we’ve formed an alliance, let’s ambush together if possible,” Jiang Shi replied.

“Alright, but for collective action…” Return to Spring’s Skillful Hands’s gaze shifted between Han Yuze and Jiang Shi, “…who wants to lead?”

“Since you proposed the alliance, the physical work of commanding is naturally yours!” Jiang Shi dodged responsibility without hesitation.

Hearing the dialogue, the audience in the livestream room instantly became happy: [“Listen, there’s no thigh-hugging; it was the Blood Roses who took the initiative to propose the alliance!”]

The haters, covering their painful faces, fell completely silent.

Return to Spring’s Skillful Hands, on the other hand, wasn’t in a hurry to show joy. Instead, he became vigilant at the straightforwardness of Jiang Shi, “Conditions?”

This simple question made Jiang Shi and Han Yuze seem like sly old foxes who never did anything without a good reason.

This time, Jiang Shi didn’t need to speak; Han Yuze directly acted as a spokesperson, “No conditions, just need God Spring to graciously provide healing, also taking care of us fragile ones would be enough.”

Spring Healer’s attention was completely on these two sly foxes. Only after hearing this did he notice the starting lineup of the Seven Silver Coins in this match, and his mouth twitched violently.

D*mn, no healers, no tank. They’re really an all-fragile team. It’s like they are practically asking to be exploited!

Jiang Shi caught Return to Spring’s Skillful Hand’s change in expression and patted his shoulder reassuringly, “Don’t worry, God Spring, you handle healing, I’ll control the situation. With both of us as big supports, their damage output won’t be much of an issue. I promise you, as long as our Seven Silver Coins brothers are alive by the end, I won’t let any casualties happen to your Blood Roses.”

Return to Spring’s Skillful Hands, expressionless, responded, “…Okay.”

Understood. Interpreted from another perspective, that statement was a clear threat. Not bad, not bad at all.

Both sides were playing this silent game of riddles, and the viewers in the livestream room were left with one predominant thought.

If they understood correctly, the so-called honorary healer in the previous discussion for the Seven Silver Coins must be their God Spring, right?

---

This night was indeed very exciting.

After a lively exchange between the two top gods in the Genesis Continent, they discovered that even for beginners, they seemed to excel in all aspects, and their practical exploration in bed was even more thrilling than in the arena.

One of them discovered the other’s penchant for biting the neck when caught, while the other experienced the service provided by hands that controlled hundreds of machines. It was a unique experience.

In summary, both of them finally let loose for once.

After a battle of wits and strength, they were thoroughly exhausted.

They almost fell asleep with their eyes closed, and the process of falling asleep was completely unremembered.

A good night’s sleep, but when Jiang Shi woke up, he still wasn’t accustomed to waking up and finding another person lying beside him.

As his mind gradually cleared, his gaze hesitated for a moment.

Unexpectedly, Han Yuze was even easier to wake up than he had imagined. With a simple glance, it was as if a specific signal had been received. The person who was asleep just a second ago suddenly opened his eyes.

Their eyes met.

Jiang Shi felt that the burning sensation he had all over his body last night was even more intense now. Using reason to control himself, he opened his mouth, “Hungry, what’s for breakfast?”

Once he spoke, he realized that his throat was surprisingly hoarse.

Subconsciously connecting it to the repeated damage to his vocal cords last night, the trailing end of his voice suddenly quieted down in a strange manner.

However, Han Yuze, without much insight, leaned forward to him, “Why did your voice suddenly become hoarse? Was it because of last night…?”

The focus of concern was undoubtedly correct, but unfortunately, the process of expressing care lacked finesse.

Just as Jiang Shi was about to respond, he lifted his leg.

Clang!

Han Yuze rubbed his sore buttocks, somewhat helplessly, “Mr. Jiang, your shy cooldown seems to be a bit too long?”

Jiang Shi lowered his gaze and glanced at him. Although his ears were red, his tone was as calm as ever, “Any objections?”

“None, of course not.” Han Yuze smiled, responding to the hint in his eyes and gesturing to the state of undress, “How about taking a bath and changing clothes first, and then we go out to eat?”

Jiang Shi was about to reply, “Sure,” when he suddenly stopped.

Two seconds later, he said, “You go and bring it back for me.”

Han Yuze asked, “Why?”

Jiang Shi said, “…”

Without receiving an answer, Han Yuze became even more puzzled.

After processing the information, he looked at Jiang Shi. The latter had finally revealed a slightly embarrassed expression, and Han Yuze couldn’t help but burst into laughter. Trying to keep a thin face, he buried his face in his large hand, laughing heartily.

In the end, he still left a bit of face, laughing out loud, with Jiang Shi looking at him and finally revealing a hint of a smile. In the end, he left a thin face, buried his face in his large hand, and finally laughed out loud.

Their laughter was quite carefree and unrestrained, and Jiang Shi casually picked up the pillow next to him and threw it at Han Yuze.

With a slightly lowered tone, he said, “So, are you going or not?”

“Going!” Han Yuze, to avoid being attacked again, directly grabbed his coat, which was thrown haphazardly on the floor, and put it on. He then entered the bathroom, saying, “I’m going now!”

By the time Jiang Shi got up, Han Yuze had already gentlemanly prepared breakfast. They both sat down to eat.

When Jiang Shi took the last bite, he saw Han Yuze handing a tissue to him, lifting his gaze, “Are you finally being attentive now?”

Han Yuze smiled, “I think I was quite attentive yesterday too.”

The table was wide, but Jiang Shi’s long legs made it difficult, and Han Yuze was well-prepared this time. He dodged his swift kick, saying, “After using it, are you planning to murder your husband? That’s not good, right?”

Jiang Shi, not falling for his act, said, “Tidy up a bit; it’s time for training.”

After a night of passionate activities, the two gods needed to focus on the upcoming first-round matches of the Century Cup. The time between each match was only a week, making the preparation time for tactical adjustments quite tight.

Other members of the Seven Silver Coins logged in one by one at the agreed-upon time, but Jiang Shi had to wait quite a while for Han Yuze to finally arrive. Although he wasn’t late, Jiang Shi couldn’t help but ask, “What’s going on with you two? You’ve been living together for a while now. Why do you still log in separately?”

Jiang Shi replied, “Oh, I’m playing from home, and Yuze went to an internet cafe, so it took him a bit longer.”

The team voice channel fell slightly silent for a moment.

Then, Deep Well Ice Player in the team voice chat typed a line: [What’s going on with you guys? You’ve been living together for a while, and now you’re logging in separately?]

Han Yuze, feeling both annoyed and amused, quickly clarified, “Don’t talk nonsense. I just came to the internet cafe from the alliance partner’s place to play. I’ll go back to sleep at night. What kind of separation is this?”

Gentleman Fan, with a pointed look, added, “Oh, going back to sleep.”

Jiang Shi seemed to completely ignore the emphasized tone on the word “sleep” and clapped his hands, “If you’re all ready, let’s start training.”

As Gentleman Fan seemed to have something more to say, Jiang Shi, with a gentle attitude, continued, “Or, Gentleman, if you’re not satisfied with the current training arrangements, would you like to have a private session?”

Although they were in the holographic world, Gentleman Fan still felt a mysterious chill down his spine. He turned to look at Han Yuze, as if asking, “Did you do something to provoke him!?”

Han Yuze shook his head, “I didn’t, I really didn’t. Don’t talk nonsense.”

In the end, he just turned around with a smile, following Jiang Shi.

Even What Pen Carries Fragrance, who was here to help with recording, was quite surprised, “What’s going on with you two? Does God Yu seem a bit too shameless recently?”

Gentleman Fan shook his fan and confidently replied, “No, he was always shameless!”

The training time given to each team passed quickly.

In the blink of an eye, the cohabitation life that Han Yuze had fought for also came to an end with Jiang Yan’s return from her business trip.

From the meaningful smile Han Yuze gave to Jiang Shi when he left, it was not difficult to see that he was quite satisfied with this period of time.

In God Yu’s own words, it was the most rapid progress in their relationship in a week!

At the same time, the last match of the first round of the Century Cup was approaching.

After today’s matches, the eight teams that would advance to the next round would be officially determined.

A few days ago, the new ranking guessing activity had already started online.

If the popular lists in the previous rounds were constantly changing, this time, the impressive support rate of the Seven Silver Coins clearly showed how much they had conquered the fans in their previous matches.

While in the preparation room, Jiang Shi glanced at the current support situation. Satisfied with achieving the first small goal, he closed the screen content.

Just at this moment, a staff member came to remind them to go on stage. Jiang Shi, who had been sitting on the sofa for a while, stood up and stretched his muscles.

After taking a few steps, he coincidentally met Han Yuze’s amused gaze.

Jiang Shi asked, “What’s so funny?”

Looking around to make sure others were at a safe distance, Han Yuze controlled the curvature of his lips and lowered his voice to Jiang Shi’s ear, “Did you not notice that when you got up just now, you subconsciously supported your waist?”

Jiang Shi: “.”

Indeed, he hadn’t noticed.

After the recent period of self-release, he didn’t expect that even this movement had become somewhat of a conditioned reflex.

Jiang Shi smiled ambiguously, “Is it funny?”

Han Yuze instantly straightened up, “It’s actually not that funny.”

Just as Jiang Shi was about to say something, the person in front of them, seeing that they had lagged behind, couldn’t help but call out, “What are you two lingering for? Hurry up, it’s time to go on stage!”

As the backstage players entered one after another, the atmosphere on-site was elevated to its peak amid the enthusiastic commentary.

The match officially began.

Watching the map of this match unfold before him, the iconic male voice of the commentator conveyed to every corner of the venue, “Welcome everyone to the competition venue of the fourth week of the first round of the Century Cup. I’m your old friend, Tao Zi! Today’s match has finally officially begun. As for the teams on the field, I believe there is no need for much introduction, and everyone is already very familiar. Now, let’s look forward to the exciting matches today!”

“In fact, at this stage of the Century Cup, a few teams have already secured their spots in advance. The final suspense will probably be revealed among the eight teams currently ranked lower. It depends on who can achieve relatively good results in this match, submitting a satisfactory answer to their guild fans.” Brother Tiao said, turning to his co-host, “So, Tao Zi, which guild are you more focused on?”

Tao Zi blurted out, “Of course, it’s the Seven Silver Coins! After the consecutive two low performances, until the direct victory in the last match, their performance with a one-versus-one tactic undoubtedly left a very deep impression. Whether this final charge is finally getting used to this arena and erupting again or a short-lived bloom followed by a decline, it makes people look forward to the ultimate result!”

This answer evidently resonated well, and the audience at the venue echoed one after another, making the atmosphere even more lively.

“Didn’t notice, huh? When did you start paying so much attention to the Seven Silver Coins? As an official commentator, you mustn’t be biased.”

Brother Tiao laughed and teased for a moment, steering the conversation back, “But leaving personal preferences aside, let’s first focus on the match lineups of each team. Well, overall, the representative teams of various guilds generally chose the usual most stable lineup configurations. Among them, there are also those familiar ace combinations. After all, it’s the last step, and I believe no guild wants to take too many risks…”

Before he could finish saying the word “risks,” Brother Tiao seemed to have noticed something. He gently pushed up the glasses on his nose to see more clearly. However, the tone still couldn’t hide the confusion, “Posioned Milk, Yu Weize, Gentleman Fan, Deep Well Ice Player, Scavenger… Did I get it wrong? In the starting lineup of the Seven Silver Coins guild for this match, they actually don’t have a healer!? Where’s the sacrifice player? Are they sure they don’t want to send their sacrificial board, Serious Young Man, onto the field?”

Upon hearing these words, Tao Zi also noticed the starting situation of the Seven Silver Coins.

As someone who had witnessed their journey all along, he blinked, not showing the slightest worry. Instead, he rubbed his hands, and an inexplicable anticipation arose, “Always feel like there’s some special arrangement for this!”

---

E-sports is like this; until the end, no one knows the final result. Even in the holographic era, it remains the same.

Everyone understands this principle, but reality is always harsh. The situation of a true comeback is rare, and that’s why the sudden outbreak of Seven Silver Coins after two lackluster matches is enough to cause a higher level of response.

Are they just a rookie team that doesn’t know any better? Yet, within their team, there’s Yu Weize, active on the field since the first competition.

Did they pretend to be strong but face a reality check in terms of performance? The current first-place ranking after the third match probably speaks for itself.

So, if Seven Silver Coins can maintain their performance in the third match or simply secure a top-four position in the last match, they can truly earn a ticket to enter the second round of the top eight.

Such an achievement is undoubtedly unprecedented for a new team. The media, who had gradually lost interest in interviewing Seven Silver Coins, suddenly expressed their attention with overwhelming reports.

At the same time, Jiang Shi’s first small goal is finally fulfilled.

As the betting for the last match of the first round begins, the support rate for the Seven Silver Coins guild skyrockets.

Whether netizens are just enjoying the excitement or not, it is a straightforward recognition.

“How about it, God Milk, finally feeling a sense of accomplishment?” Han Yuze’s words fall, but Jiang Shi doesn’t respond.

Instead, he leans against the door, looking at the man in front of him dragging bags: “…Are you sure you want to move in these days?”

Han Yuze smiles innocently: “I’ve got approval from your sister, why not? After all, it’s more conducive to the tactical discussion for the upcoming matches.”

Jiang Shi is silent for a moment and finally slightly moves aside to clear a path: “Alright, but I’ll warn you now, if you regret it later, it’ll be too late.”

Han Yuze’s action of pulling the luggage pauses slightly: “What do I have to regret?”

Jiang Shi looks at him, smirks, and says, “Guess?”

Han Yuze blinks and, pretending not to know anything, crosses the “warning line” at the door with his luggage.

As for Jiang Shi’s seemingly calm “warning,” both are grown men. In case things get out of control in a certain aspect, it’s uncertain who will regret it in the end. After all, it’s rare to have such an opportunity with Jiang Yan on a business trip. If they miss it once and want to live together again, who knows when it will happen.

Jiang Shi stands at the top of the stairs, watching Han Yuze enter the guest room. After a while, he goes to the room next door, gently knocks on the wide-open door, and asks, “What do you want to eat?”

Han Yuze, arranging his clothes in the wardrobe, pokes his head out at the question: “Are you cooking?”

Jiang Shi shakes his phone: “I’ll check what takeout options we have.”

Han Yuze: “.”

The daily life of two internet addicts is indeed quite real.

After a satisfying meal and tidying up, they sit on the sofa in the living room and start a strategy meeting for the upcoming match.

After spending over an hour deciding on lineup configurations and the general direction of their team’s strategy, the conversation finally broadens.

“So, how do you plan the alliance with Blood Rose?” Han Yuze lightly taps the table with the soda can in his hand. He doesn’t really think Jiang Shi needs his reminder, but he says it anyway, “You know, even with an alliance, the sly Old Spring won’t necessarily allocate resources to provide us with healing services.”

“Whether he heals us or not doesn’t matter; as long as he’s willing to heal his own people.” Jiang Shi lies lazily on the sofa, lifting his eyelashes slowly, “Pushing people into the fire pit, I may lack experience, but aren’t you skilled enough?”

Han Yuze can’t help but laugh, “How do you know me so well?”

Jiang Shi tilts his head and smiles, “Do you want to understand me even more?”

Even more?

Han Yuze is tempted to think in a certain inappropriate direction, but based on his understanding of Jiang Shi, he refrains from speaking under the other’s indifferent expression.

Indeed, Jiang Shi, seeing that Han Yuze doesn’t take the bait, casually puts on the jacket hanging on the nearby sofa, “Let’s go, find Old Bi and book a room.”

The booking a room that Jiang Shi mentions, of course, refers to reserving a private room at the internet cafe. After all, with the two living together now, one virtual cabin at home is definitely not enough.

As for the earlier mentioned “getting to know each other more deeply,” it’s the most straightforward 1v1 custom mode within the arena.

Although they initially thought there was no need to expect much, when they come out of the internet cafe, Han Yuze can’t help but sigh, “Why does this night feel a bit like five years ago?”

Jiang Shi, with a hint of sarcasm, responds, “Really? I think it’s quite different.”

Han Yuze knows what he wants to say and directly interrupts, “Indeed different. Whatever our relationship is now, I can’t bring myself to go all out against you.”

Jiang Shi was initially trying to tease Han Yuze about his nonchalant attitude during tonight’s competition, but unexpectedly, the other calmly admits, “Since when did you know how to show mercy in the arena?”

Han Yuze thinks for a moment, “Probably since I found out the reason for your retirement?”

Jiang Shi’s steps come to a halt.

Turning around, he sees the tall man standing under the streetlight, looking at him from a distance.

The light at this moment gives Han Yuze a faint white edge, creating a peculiar feeling, as if it’s a representation of a certain period of their relationship.

Separated one in front of the other, the person in the light can’t clearly see the distant figure, and there’s not much distance, yet it feels like they exist in two completely unrelated spaces.

At this moment, Jiang Shi realized that he might have been overlooking something, like the self-blame in Han Yuze’s heart.

With a slight movement in his heart, he said, “That matter has nothing to do with you. At that time, even I didn’t know it would turn out that way.”

“But it does matter. If I wasn’t so stubborn and thought everything was under control back then, I probably would’ve had someone five years ago.”

Han Yuze took a step forward, reaching out to Jiang Shi when he was close, his gaze fixed on him, “Doing something wrong, even if unintentional, as adults, we need to bear the consequences. These five years can be considered punishment, and I accept that. But as the saying goes, learn from your mistakes, and the same mistake should never be repeated.”

Jiang Shi’s gaze fell on the hand in front of him, and after a few seconds, he placed his hand in Han Yuze’s palm.

A hint of a smile flashed in Han Yuze’s eyes.

Naturally, he tightened his grip on Jiang Shi’s hand and, as they walked forward, his words, blending into the wind, sounded like a pledge and, at the same time, casual, “So, in the future, I can only be good to you.”

A small smile appeared on Jiang Shi’s lips, and he softly said, “Oh.”

The emotional turmoil about being neglected in the arena tonight was finally gone in this moment: “It depends on your future actions.”

Back home, the two in good spirits washed up and went to sleep.

The next day, they went to an internet cafe, booked a private room, and went online to coordinate with the other members of the team, finalizing their lineup system.

Whether it was Jiang Shi or Han Yuze, at least in the eyes of the two involved, they were genuinely and impartially devoted to preparing for the competition.

Unfortunately, their group of friends, upon learning that the two were now living together, completely doubted their upright characters.

“Spill it, how far has this lonely man and widow’s relationship progressed?” After the strategy meeting ended, under the seemingly casual remark from Gentleman Fan, the conversation seamlessly transitioned to gossip mode.

Han Yuze was helpless, “I’ve said it’s just a working relationship.”

“Just a working relationship?” Gentleman Fan looked at the others, “Do you believe that?”

A unanimous shaking of heads.

Han Yuze looked at Jiang Shi, shrugged helplessly.

Jiang Shi clicked his tongue, “Is everyone’s thinking so dirty nowadays?”

Gentleman Fan said, “Did I say something? You guys are the ones jumping to conclusions. Why does it become dirty?”

Serious Young Man also seriously presented some data, “Master, based on my understanding of your work efficiency, if it’s just to complete this battle plan, you can easily spare a lot of personal time.”

Serious Young Man also seriously presented some data, “Master, based on my understanding of your work efficiency, if it’s just to complete this battle plan, you can easily spare a lot of personal time.”

Island Forest said, “Wow, it sounds a bit exciting, oh dear.”

Jiang Shi was not someone who couldn’t take a joke.

Initially, he smiled as he listened, but for some reason, towards the end, he suddenly felt a bit warm in his ears.

Subconsciously, he glanced at Han Yuze beside him and realized that the other had been looking at him for who knows how long.

Their eyes met.

The surrounding words were briefly blocked.

Whether it was reason giving in first or the anticipation-filled emotion itself, at this moment, a thought flashed through his mind, feeling like there might indeed be some truth in what everyone was saying.

They were all adults.

And it was a romantic relationship.

As long as it didn’t interfere with their career advancement, it seemed like there was really nothing wrong with it.

In a certain way, with such a beauty living next door, who could resist not having certain thoughts?

If one claimed not to suppress thoughts of that nature, it would indeed be a bit false.

A few seconds later, Jiang Shi stood up, “It’s getting late. Let’s call it a night for today.”

After logging out, they left Starry Sky Internet Cafe.

On the way home, compared to usual, it seemed a bit quiet.

The two seemed to be chatting, one sentence after another, but there was an unspoken tension.

It continued until they entered the hallway and closed the door.

“Then, I’ll rest in my room first. Message me if you need anything.” Han Yuze, having changed into his shoes, was about to turn and go upstairs. Before he took a step, his wrist was suddenly held.

Turning around, Jiang Shi didn’t look at him but was still diligently changing his shoes.

However, the strength in the grip on the wrist was imperceptibly increased, and using an almost casual tone, he said, “I’ve always been willing to absorb others’ correct opinions, so do you want to consider…”

The subtle pause seemed unusually long.

Before Jiang Shi continued, Han Yuze had already taken over, “Actually, I’ve been thinking… whether we should consider doing something exciting?”

---

Muchuan Pants felt bitter inside but had nowhere to voice it out.

Actually, when Jiang Shi conducted the first runestone test, he had a faint premonition. Now it seemed that a man’s sixth sense was indeed this accurate—this runestone, adjusted to its end, unsurprisingly became his dedicated equipment.

The effect of the adjusted runestone redistributed the original single-target damage absorption to teammates within a fixed range, updated to sharing 50% of the effect among teammates.

Consequently, Muchuan Pants, who had already stacked all his equipment attributes onto his defense value, became an even more unstoppable force in this runic domain. All the damage values ​​acted on him were like scraping. In addition, once the series of physical dominance skills of the knight profession are activated, under the effect of the effect, the upright young man behind him can use recovery skills on himself from time to time very leisurely, which is enough to increase the health value.

The Rattlesnake players faced explosive attacks from the area’s monsters right upon entering the gate. Without time to adjust their formation amidst the chaos, they were directly swept by Muchuan Pants’s long spear. They involuntarily received a set of group taunting skills.

Ordinarily, even the most top-notch knight wouldn’t dare to taunt the entire enemy team at once. However, with the backing of this runic array under Muchuan Pants’s feet, he taunted fearlessly.

Eating tons of skill damage from the opponents, his health, in the eyes of the Rattlesnake players, didn’t seem to budge an inch.

What was going on? Could it be that Seven Silver Coins even developed a body-protecting field?

Would such a godly runic effect be allowed by Genesis officials?

As the Rattlesnake exchanged glances, they both noticed the skepticism in each other’s eyes.

For a moment, they didn’t even rush to break free from the taunt effect. Since they couldn’t locate the positions of the other members of Seven Silver Coins, they decided to focus on taking down the only one in front of them, Muchuan Pants.

Unexpectedly, the team’s skill bombardment on Muchuan Pants had no effect at all. Amidst the chaos within the building, their negligence allowed Gentleman Fan to sneakily steal a few heads.

The overly ostentatious displays of PoisonoedMilk and Yu Weize inadvertently made others subconsciously overlook the presence of the other members of Seven Silver Coins. Until this moment, Gentleman Fan’s consecutive display of assassinations completely gave everyone goosebumps.

Without a doubt, in terms of skill alone, this was a rogue master capable of ranking highly across the entire server!

Unable to comprehend the specific mechanisms of the runic field before them and unable to trace the assassin’s movements in the darkness, despite the desire not to miss this chance to team up with Blood Rose for the kill, the retreat order from Rattlesnake was resolute.

And so, the Rattlesnake retreated. But overall, their retreat wasn’t unjustified.

After observing Gentleman Fan’s precise positioning following perfect terrain utilization, it was highly likely that he could immediately claim his next head.

In just this short moment, Seven Silver Coins, previously sandwiched between two forces, had suddenly turned the tables. They forced their attackers out of their safe zone.

The battle gradually subsided.

Yet, the entire scene was in a complete uproar.

To dominate one versus two like this? Was this the same Seven Silver Coins that had been retreating in the previous two rounds!?

They had expected this match to determine the elimination rounds. However, it seemed they could still put up a fight after all.

“The performance of Seven Silver Coins is extremely outstanding! Forcing both Rattlesnake and Blood Rose, two powerful guilds, to retreat. I believe this can’t be solely explained by the ‘geographical advantage.’ Even if it were any other prestigious guild, their performance might not be more exciting than this!”

From the tone of the commentator, it was evident that even in this intense battle, they were getting excited. What truly brought the audience back to focus was the next statement, “Moreover, it seems Lady Luck is favoring Seven Silver Coins today! Iron Chain Creed Klimanss! Finally, the second BOSS of this match has been found, right at the top floor of this building. Judging from the current situation, it’s practically a gift to Seven Silver Coins! Oh, let’s check the situation with the Black Tower Guild… Well, as expected, with 5% health, if nothing unexpected happens, Black Tower will claim the first high-value BOSS points in this match!”

Shortly after the words fell, news of the BOSS kill came from the Black Tower Guild’s team.

But apart from the Black Tower’s fans, the attention of other viewers involuntarily focused on Seven Silver Coins.

Previously, utilizing Yu Weize’s mechanical army to harvest small monsters, then gaining a batch of heads gifted by Rattlesnake and Blood Rose, and now, with the likely unsurprising BOSS kill… The Black Tower Guild’s team might have secured their position at the top, but once Iron Chain Creed Klimanss hit the ground here, they would probably have to settle for second place.

Let alone their erratic performance, Seven Silver Coins had already secured a spot in the top four for this match.

Not only were they not facing elimination, judging by their performance, if they continued with such momentum in the next match, they might even advance to the second round!

The most fervent reactions were undoubtedly in the Starry Sky Internet Cafe’s live stream. The accumulated fans of Seven Silver Coins were sitting in front of the main viewing angle, emotionally overwhelmed.

The entire chat was completely filled with a unified slogan: [“Silver Coins, fly without worry, we’ll always be with you!”]

The following matches didn’t yield any surprises after all.

The last two bosses were respectively taken down by Rattlesnake and FirePower. Black Tower, in the end, failed to grab the second boss of this round.

The ranking of this round unfolded before everyone—Seven Silver Coins, ranked first!

Such a result shocked both the opponents and the fans of Seven Silver Coins alike.

It’s worth noting that in the history of the Century Cup, it’s an excellent achievement for newly qualified teams to survive the first round without elimination. As for achieving the first rank, it’s nearly an unimaginable scenario!

This achievement isn’t something that can be solely attributed to luck.

Does this mean that Seven Silver Coins truly possess top-tier strength to confront prestigious guilds?

After the match, the scene at the upcoming press conference was packed with reporters, all eagerly anticipating uncovering new information.

However, after enduring the official statements on Chairman Island’s forest, Jiang Shi finally responded. His familiar words were, “Runestone effect? It couldn’t possibly make me self-destruct, so you’d better go back and continue your research… But I don’t think it’s necessary. After all, by the next match, we’ll probably switch to other attributes for practical testing.”

The reporters were somewhat dumbfounded.

No one bothered to argue about using the Century Cup as practical testing. All attention was drawn to the underlying point—does Seven Silver Coins possess other hidden runic domain effects? Other guilds’ tech teams toil each year to develop one or two runic effects applicable in real combat. What’s going on with you guys? It seems like you’re freely getting one powerful effect after another!

Jiang Shi was very satisfied with today’s match results and felt good.

Before the press conference ended, he didn’t forget to exchange a few playful words with Han Yuze, amusing the reporters present.

Boosted by their first-place ranking in this round, they only needed to ensure they remained within the top four in the final match of the first round to firmly secure advancement to the second round.

Of course, their ultimate goal was to secure a place among the top four.

When leaving the venue to return to the game server, the members of Seven Silver Coins coincidentally met Blood Rose, who was also preparing to leave, at the entrance.

Return to Spring’s Skillful Hands noticed their arrival and suddenly halted his steps. As he stopped, the other members of Blood Rose quieted down too.

The atmosphere became somewhat awkward. However, Han Yuze seemed oblivious, walking directly past and casually greeting the Healer, “Spring God, it’s a pity about today.”

Return to Spring’s Skillful Hands, seeing Han Yuze’s frivolous appearance, became irritated and made a pretense of kicking him, saying, “Calling you my nemesis isn’t wrong.”

Han Yuze agilely dodged and stood back beside Jiang Shi, laughing, “A hundred years ago, I killed you once. Is there a need to hold a grudge till now? Moreover, today, it’s not really my fault. You should blame the one beside me.”

Return to Spring’s Skillful Hands looked at Jiang Shi, sighed silently, and smiled bitterly, “It seems it was a mistake not to completely dismantle your entire guild.”

Han Yuze replied, “Too bad, it’s too late now.”

Return to Spring’s Skillful Hands twitched his lips but restrained the impulse to hit someone.

However, Return to Spring’s Skillful Hands, staring at Jiang Shi, asked directly, “So, what’s the effect of your runic domain? This is the first time in my many years of partnering with Old Spring that I’ve seen him heal so haphazardly.”

Jiang Shi still smiled, “Well, you should go back and replay the videos several times. Then you’ll know.”

Return to Spring’s Skillful Hands rubbed his head, “Indeed, anyone who can make it into the Century Cup must have a heart as dark as night.”

Return to Spring’s Skillful Hands didn’t find this response strange at all. After all, the effects of items were practically considered guild secrets.

Without saying much more, he pondered for a moment and threw out one last question, “Next week is the final match of the first round. Do you have any other thoughts?”

Without explicitly stating it, Han Yuze caught the half-smiling expression on Return to Spring’s Skillful Hands’s face and suddenly understood, “Are you suggesting an alliance with us?”

Return to Spring’s Skillful Hands replied, “Consider it?”

For Blood Rose, a high-ranking competitor like Rattlesnake might not be an ideal collaborator, but for other guilds with less conflicting interests, they were the perfect alliance partner.

Unexpectedly, Han Yuze didn’t expect Blood Rose to straightforwardly abandon the thought of pushing them out of the competition.

Without directly answering Return to Spring’s Skillful Hands’s proposal, he just tilted slightly and said, “Don’t ask me, our family defers to the Healer’s decisions.”

Jiang Shi also chimed in straightforwardly, “No need to consider; I accept.”

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