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The reporters couldn’t even keep count of how many times Happy managed to cause such a commotion.

1v3 within five rounds!

It seemed like Ye Xiu was making things hard for her on purpose, yet Tang Rou seemed ever so satisfied. Could it be that they had some way ensuring their victory?

The reporters hurriedly checked for Happy’s scheduled matches, but after they checked, they were dumbstruck once more.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call Happy’s match schedule a journey to death.

Round 4, Happy would play their home game against Team Tyranny.

Round 6, they’d be welcoming Blue Rain in a home game.

Round 8, still on their home turf, Tiny Herb would come knocking.

The three teams at the top of the Alliance were all congregated in the next five matches. Happy might have the home advantage all three matches, but if you wanted to complete a 1v3 at the hands of these three teams, that was a senseless dream.

Ye Xiu, you really do have a grudge against Tang Rou! Right? Right?

Several reporters had their heads raised to observe Ye Xiu’s expression, while the others checked the other two teams.

Round 5, Happy would challenge Team Parade in their away game, a below average team like Radiant.

In their away game in Round 7, however, their opponent was Team Heavenly Swords.

Team Heavenly Swords?!

The quick thinkers immediately let their imaginations take flight.

From what info they had gleaned from the situation in the Heavenly Domain as well as what Ye Xiu let leak during a certain press conference, it was clear that Team Heavenly Swords and Team Happy had good personal relations.

If they had the confidence that they’d be able to achieve a 1v3 within the next five rounds… Was Heavenly Swords their ace up the sleeve?

Heavenly Swords would let them win?

The Glory Alliance had never had any match-fixing issues in the past. At most, all they had were teams whose morale had depleted with their hope for their goals lost. This sort of situation would usually appear at the end of the season, when the conclusion to the regular season had been set. No team would lose their fighting spirit at the beginning of the season.

Though there might have never been such a case in history, that didn’t stop people from making these malicious guesses. Almost all the reporters believed that there must be something fishy going on what with such an absurd promise. Even Chang Xian. Although he wouldn’t suspect Happy of faking a match, there must be something going on.

The press conference came to an end before the reporters could figure things out. In the end, all the questions were about if Tang Rou could achieve her 1v3 or not, and no one else cared about anything else regarding this match. Even when the victorious Team Radiant came to the stage, the reporters were still discussing Happy among themselves. After it was announced that they could start asking questions, someone stood and asked a very courteous ”congratulations to Radiant for winning the match, how did you feel about it” before the reporters went silent.

The reporters were all absent minded and Team Radiant’s players, having come over delighted about their victory, were dumbstruck.

Before the match began, the cheers for Happy wer ever so loud. It was clear that no one was treating them like a new team to the Alliance anymore, but a team far above Radiant.

Radiant hadn’t been at all angry about this. Three All-Stars, just the player lineup seemed much grander than anything Radiant could offer. But so what? It wasn’t as if Radiant had never seen team with three, or even more, All-Stars. It wasn’t as if they had never fought these teams before. When had they ever given up in the face of these odds?

Compared to those powerhouse teams, Happy was nothing, no?

Radiant valiantly received Happy’s challenge. Radiant had never expected to find any breakthrough point in the three All-Stars, but the others, the rookies, became Radiant’s focus.

They had chosen Tang Rou. She was someone who already held an important position in the team, even being placed as the last defender in the group arena. It was clear how much the team trusted and depended upon her.

Against Tang Rou, Radiant had made ample preparations. Thus, from the group arena to the team competition, Tang Rou had been completely within their grasp, burying the 7 points Happy might’ve gotten.

Compared to many other teams, Radiant really wasn’t very strong, but they hadn’t gotten to the point where they could be bullied so easily. This time, using their home advantage, and ample pre-match preparations, they had won a match that many thought hopeless. They were excited and delighted, prepared to discuss their victory at the press conference. Yet, why did they end up ignored like this?

Why would this happen?

The three members of Radiant that attended didn’t understand. They weren’t that famous, and their team wasn’t that powerful, but that didn’t mean they should be ignored like this.

At the same time, at another, slightly later, press conference, things were heated.

The most eye catching match of the round, Samsara’s away game against Tyranny, had just ended.

Countless players, moved by the persistence of Tyranny’s veterans, were wishing them well, hoping that they would be able to get good results in this season, hoping that they would end their pro careers satisfactorily, hoping that they could strike a fierce blow at the Samsara that had shattered their dreams last season.

The result was disappointing.

Team Samsara, challenging Tyranny on Tyranny’s home turf, ended up winning by a significant margin of 8:2. They had only lost two points in the individual competitions, and managed to successively overwhelm Tyranny in the group arena and team competition.

And to think, this was their away game. Samsara was truly terrifying this season. With three rounds over, they had won flawless victories in two rounds, and in the third round, against a strong team like Tyranny, they had managed to win with an 8:2. With a total score of 28 after a mere three rounds, Samsara was still far in the lead.

As for Tyranny, at the end of three rounds, they had a total of 19 points, sliding them right back to number eight, the last position for the playoffs.

This opening no longer had an iota of the momentum they had displayed last season. Everyone’s worries for Tyranny seemed to have become reality. With another season over, how much had the state of Tyranny’s veterans slipped? After last season’s close call, had these veterans’ morale truly been unaffected? It seemed, with the loss they suffered against Samsara on their home turf, that the things that people were unwilling to see were really occurring.

Was Tyranny truly no longer capable of recreating its past strength? Many fans had already begun crying in the audience after seeing the result of the home game against Samsara.

In the post-match press conference, the air was heavy. Tyranny was comprised mostly of veterans. Many of the reporters offstage had accompanied them for years. Even for those who hadn’t, after these weeks of appearing in one another’s sight, asking questions, they had manage to grind out some form of acquaintanceship.

Tyranny’s upset represented the decline of the era they pursued. Each veteran reporter sympathized with this sorrow. At a time like this, it was mostly newer reporters that would tactlessly touch upon sensitive questions for Tyranny to answer.

”In the new season, Tyranny has already fallen behind Samsara’s immense lead by 9 points in three rounds. When faced with them directly, Samsara managed to claim 8 points in their away game. What will Tyranny do next? Will there be any changes made?” A reporter asked.

Make changes?

What changes?

Switch out the old for a newer generation and let that era truly become buried in the past?

”Tyranny will, indeed, make some adjustments.” Onstage, Vice Captain Zhang Xinjie answered this question.

”Oh? Could you give us some idea of the specifics?” The reporter asked.

”We will probably introduce some rotation, in order to make the team operate more efficiently,” Zhang Xinjie replied.

Rotation! Did that mean that Tyranny was preparing to switch in newer players? Did that mean that the players of that era would be truly leaving the stage?

The reporters gazed at the stage. When Zhang Xinjie spoke, Han Wenqing’s and Lin Jingyan’s expressions were as calm as ever.

”Then, what is Tyranny’s goal this season?” someone asked. Usually, in this sort of adjustment period, the team wouldn’t set their goals too high.

”Tyranny only ever has one goal: to be the champions,” Han Wenqing answered.

Was this the stubbornness of veterans? The reporters sighed.

”In the next round, Tyranny will face Happy. Is there anything you want to say?” Someone suddenly thought of such a question. Happy, Ye Xiu, this was a person from the same era as Tyranny’s veterans. Though Happy had another old player, Wei Chen, his pro career was short; most people saw him to be a substitute or switch, rather than a core member of Team Happy.

”We hope to give everyone a spectacular match.” A very standard answer.

”Happy’s player, Tang Rou, said that she would achieve a 1v3 within the next five rounds or else leave the pro circle. As their next opponents, what are your thoughts on this?” Tyranny’s match had ended late so the press conference was naturally later as well. The information regarding Happy’s press conference had already travelled here, and this sort of interview style was something reporters were good at.

”Good resolve. If you want to try to accomplish that against Tyranny, then give us all you’ve got!” Han Wenqing said.

”Will Tyranny make any arrangements against this?” a reporter asked.

”No.” Zhang Xinjie answered with one simple word, but the reporters believed him wholeheartedly. Tyranny’s strategist was Zhang Xinjie. Why would this strict and careful Cleric change the rhythm of the team just because of a bet?

”I give my early wishes that Tyranny earns a good result next round.” After saying that, the reporter ended his questioning. The other reporters soon followed up, most asking about the switching Tyranny would do.

After Tyranny and Samsara’s match, the third round came to a close.

In this round, apart from Happy versus Radiant and Tyranny versus Samsara, two other unexpected conclusions cropped up.

Team Parade had taken down Tean Royal Style, who seemed a little stronger than them, by 7-3 in an away game.

Team Hundred Blossoms, on the other hand, was defeated on their home turf by 301 Degrees with a 3-7.

Apart from that, the strong teams all won as expected, with scores above 7-3. After three rounds, the situations of the various teams were much clearer than they’d been after two rounds.