The King's Avatar

With the three individual rounds over, Happy was in the lead 2 to 1. There would be a short break before the group arena, but the commentator and special guest still had much to do. Due to Qiao Yifan’s beautiful Ghost Chaining, they still had a mystery to uncover! Li Yibo wanted to just leave this be, but Pan Lin, at a time like this, just simply refused to sync to his rhythm. After hurriedly going over the current progression and situation of the round, he immediately returned to the match that had just occurred, and immediately returned to the mystery they had left unsolved.

”Zhou Yebai’s mistake really shouldn’t have occurred. Isn’t his judgment way off?” The broadcast cooperated with Pan Lin’s commentary and was currently giving a playback of Rangoon Creeper’s beautiful two strike combo. It was aimed at nothing, completely ignoring One Inch Ash behind him.

”Such a weird mistake wouldn’t be without reason, right?” With Li Yibo refusing to cooperate, Pan Lin could only keep talking to himself, asking the program director to switch to Zhou Yebai’s point of view at the same time.

”Wait!” The scene flashed by and Li Yibo suddenly yelled, seeming to have noticed something.

”What?” The scene paused.

”Go back, slow motion!” Li Yibo’s voice had twisted a little.

Pan Lin didn’t understand, but still had the broadcast director cooperate, rewinding the recording and replaying it.

”Stop!” Li Yibo suddenly cried out.

The prepared broadcast director stopped the scene. Li Yibo pointed at a point on the screen: look here!

In Zhou Yebai’s point of view, there was the lighting effect of the explosion after the Ice and Plague Boundaries had been blown up by Ghost Feast, and right in front of him, there was the clear cut silhouette of a person.

”One Inch Ash!” Pan Lin yelled, ”One Inch Ash really did appear there. There was nothing wrong with Zhou Yebai’s judgment, but…”

”Keep this scene, switch the view,” Li Yibo directly interrupted him.

Pan Lin was stunned, but still had the broadcast switch to an full view.

”Hey!” After switching, Pan Lin cried out, unable to control his surprise. In the full view, One Inch Ash wasn’t there at all. He had already arrived behind Rangoon Creeper by then, about to get to the position he had launched his offense from.

”What on earth is happening?” Pan Lin was shocked, switching the shot back and seeing the silhouette of One Inch Ash once more.

”This…” Pan Lin stared, and stared some more, and suddenly gave a ”ah!”

”Do you see it now?” Li Yibo asked.

”This… This…” Pan Lin grabbed the mouse, tracing the cursor over the image, over the edge of the silhouette of ”One Inch Ash”.

”This isn’t One Inch Ash at all, but a silhouette formed by the lighting from the explosion of the two Ghost Boundaries,” Li Yibo explained.

”This… Is this something created by the system?” Pan Lin suspected.

”Probably not.” Li Yibo shook his head. He had never heard of anything like it.

”A coincidence?”

”We probably won’t know until Qiao Yifan is interviewed,” Li Yibo guessed.

The audience at the venue all saw the scene and commentary in the TV broadcast through the big screen, seeing the silhouette made in that moment by the two boundaries of Ghost Feast.

It wasn’t just the crowd that was surprised. Even the pro players at their respective benches, including Gods like Ye Xiu and Wang Jiexi, were all dumbstruck.

This was something unique that they had never seen during their pro careers, such a lifelike silhouette… It was a coincidence, right?

Tiny Herb’s members could only guess, but Happy’s members could be more direct. They all turned their heads as one to face Qiao Yifan, using their gazes to prompt him to explain.

”Ah… This, is something I discovered by accident,” Qiao Yifan said.

”You created it purposefully!” Ye Xiu’s surprise didn’t fade because he knew that, for something like this, noticing was one thing, but replication was something else entirely.

”Yeah… I tried to practice it, I’m just lucky that Luo Ji helped me with the calculations involved,” Qiao Yifan said, pulling out Luo Ji to give him credit. Luo Ji was usually at school, but when it came to matchday Saturday, he would swiftly rush to the stadium to regroup with everyone else. It was tiring, but if he couldn’t even make it to the matches, then there really was no point in being a pro player at all.

”Just a little,” Luo Ji hurriedly added, having been pushed into the spotlight.

”Amazing!” Ye Xiu complimented. Setting aside the practicality of this technique for now, for such a young player to have such creativity and spirit to research a new technique was something praiseworthy. Ye Xiu dared to be certain that this was an unprecedented new technique, something that even the All-Star level Ghostblades of Void hadn’t even discovered.

”Ah… It’s alright! I just felt like it might be of some use.” Qiao Yifan was at a loss in the face of such a compliment.

”When we get back, let’s all discuss together,” Ye Xiu decided with a smile.

”Yes!” Qiao Yifan was very happy too. This acknowledgement was something he’d never get tired of.

The break after the individual competition soon ended. The following group arena would be the focus of this match, of all the matches this round. The reason the TV broadcast would choose this match was also mainly because of this group arena.

The venue suddenly fell silent. The Happy fans at their home stadium felt way too conflicted about this match that would decide the the result of the 1v3 promise.

Tang Rou stood from her seat. Five rounds… She had already failed four rounds, but her gaze was as determined as ever. Even though her opponent was Tiny Herb, even though no one had ever achieved a 1v3 against this team, Tang Rou didn’t feel a trace of hesitation or fear.

”I’m going.”

She gave her teammates a simple goodbye and went onstage. Seeing her, the Happy fans continued to be at a loss, uncertain how to respond. Instead, it was Tiny Herb that erupted into cheering and support when their first player Liu Xiaobie stood up. Happy’s home turf once again become useless. Tang Rou, who could once create an uproar, had become someone who brought a chill to the stadium atmosphere.

The match begun amidst this strange situation.

”I’m very honored to become your first opponent for your 1v3,” Liu Xiaobie typed. As a Hand Speed Expert, Liu Xiaobie enjoyed warming up by typing as he moved into position. Liu Xiaobie wasn’t trying to mock the other by choosing the topic of the 1v3. He truly admired this young woman for her 1v3 promise. Who didn’t have this sort of ambition? However, someone who dared say it, and make such a promise, that really was powerful, fierce.

”However, can you get past me?”

Windy Pavilion was a simple map without much decor. The two characters approached one another, closing the distance between them rapidly, as they adjusted their positions to prepare to attack. Liu Xiaobie’s Flying Sword leaned further and further forwards, his right hand creeping to his sword hilt with the cover from his body.

The two were only fifteen steps apart.

Fourteen steps...

Thirteen steps...

Liu Xiaobie was on guard for any attacks. The female Battle Mage in front of him often used Dragon Breaks the Ranks to increase speed and charge into an offense. With a mere ten something steps, it was just a blink of an eye for a Dragon Breaks the Ranks.

Twelve steps...

Eleven steps...

The closer they got, the clearer of a view Liu Xiaobie had. He carefully observed Soft Mist’s form. Soft Mist kept her spear held backwards. A Dragon Breaks the Ranks start didn’t look like that.

Was she not going to use Dragon Breaks the Ranks?

Then, take this!

Sword Draw!

At six steps away, Sword Draw had already been sent out.

Not close enough?

No, when the attack flew forwards, the two characters were still moving. Six steps was a short distance, so this attack was timed just right!

As expected, the flash of the sword created a shining line, linking the two characters together immediately. Soft Mist suddenly bent her knees in front of him.

That wasn’t enough!

There were very few Hand Speed Experts who had slow reactions. Creating variations in their attacks were their best weapon and the sword’s slash was immediately adjusted. Just bending down wasn’t enough.

However, Soft Mist didn’t just get down.

Sky Strike! Soft Mist’s spear was launched upwards. Bending down had given her a miniscule chance to maneuver, letting her parry this attack perfectly with her Sky Strike.

Clang!

Their weapons clashed. Sky Strike didn’t seem to be enough to completely parry Sword Draw, but Soft Mist had fully adjusted her form by then and used the momentum from that attack to increase her movement speed and the speed of her counterattack.

Dragon Tooth!

The attack sped towards his chest.

As fierce as expected! Liu Xiaobie exclaimed. Wanting to take the initiative to strike with just this attack, she really hasn’t changed a bit!

Liu Xiaobie couldn’t help but think to back in the beginning, when their captain had them go to the tenth server to train with Ye Xiu. This girl had been been quite a pain to deal with. The her who couldn’t even last a minute was already clearly showing her style. Never back down, attack whenever possible, from the first attack to when she fell, she was always on the offense. Though her abilities were unpolished back then and every member of Tiny Herb could defeat her, her burning spirit had left a deep impression on them.

And now, she was finally on the same stage as they were and shouldering a promise of 1v3 in five rounds.

You really have character, but we Tiny Herb aren’t willing to be a background to that character!

Liu Xiaobie wasn’t Huang Shaotian, and he didn’t have the habit of chatting as he fought. Determined and resolute, Flying Sword darted out.

Triple Slash!

Liu Xiaobie didn’t back down from Soft Mist’s advance, but instead used this movement skill to meet her.

This sort of exchange was exactly what Tang Rou wanted.

Dragon Tooth stabbed forth, but hit air as Flying Sword slashed, his form swerving, and then swerving again.

Triangle Triple Slash!

With Liu Xiaobie’s extremely fast hand speed, his direction changes with Triple Slash were dizzying. Flying Sword seemed to teleport, instantly dodging the Dragon Tooth and getting to Soft Mist’s flank, the edge of his sword plummeting down!