The King's Avatar

”A beautiful Life-Risking Strike, a thrilling one-hit kill! Even more incredible, it was done by Yang Cong! This is really too rare, thank you for Yang Cong for your thrilling performance!!” The live host was shouting, and in the television broadcast, Pan Lin and Li Yibo were also discussing this topic.

For Yang Cong to become an All-Star, he was no ordinary player. But on this stage that was resplendent with such stars, he seemed more like a passing guest. He hadn’t left much of a mark in the Alliance, and even now there wasn’t too much time given to him. This one use of Life-Risking Strike at this All-Stars would perhaps become an unforgettable moment of his professional career.

”Alright, right now Team B is in the lead 1-0!” As the host announced, the display screen updated with the current score.

”Next, will the second players of the two teams please come onstage?” Everyone’s eyes swiveled from left to right, waiting to see which two players would stand up.

”First is Team A, this is - oh, another player from Samsara, their vice-captain, Jiang Botao!”

Jiang Botao walked onstage. Team B’s player had also stood forward, Zou Yuan from Hundred Blossoms.

”This is a clash of vice-captains!” The host tried to let these matchups have more topics of discussion. Unfortunately, after these two vice-captains went onstage they didn’t discuss much as they exchanged blows back and forth. Jiang Botao, who had already expressed how he didn’t care much about the All-Star stage, played relatively relaxed. Zou Yuan, on the other hand, was different. Although this was his third time voted into All-Stars, this was the first time he’d earned recognition for his own merits, and not for this or that reason. He didn’t want to disappoint those who had voted for him, and so even though this was just a show of a match, he didn’t want to lose!

Sadly, things were just that fickle. Zou Yuan, who didn’t want to lose, ultimately lost; Jiang Botao, who didn’t care about the outcome and played very relaxed, actually won.

”Team A catches up with another point!” the host declared, and the scoreboard updated to reflect this. Zou Yuan returned to his teammates in disappointment, his mood so low that it gave Team B a shock.

”What’s wrong? Do you have some grudge against Jiang Botao?” Ye Xiu asked.

”No?” Zou Yuan was caught off-guard.

”Then why do you look so unhappy?” Ye Xiu didn’t understand.

”I… lost!” said Zou Yuan.

”Not like it’s your first time,” said Ye Xiu.

Everyone felt like they were going to be driven mad. This was supposed to be comforting? This wasn’t very comforting, was it?

As Zou Yuan’s teammate, Yu Feng understood him a bit better and quickly pulled Zou Yuan aside to comfort him. Everyone else shot disdainful gazes at Ye Xiu.

”Who’s up next?” Ye Xiu ignored them, calling for the next player.

”It’s my turn.” For Team B, Misty Rain’s Li Hua was playing in the next battle.

From Team A, the one who stood up was Wind Howl’s vice-captain, Liu Hao.

”Haha, another confrontation between vice-captains.” When the host said this, the stadium booed him for his dullness. These were all All-Stars! Practically all of them were either captain or vice-captain of their respective teams, so discussing a conflict between captains or between vice-captains or between captain and vice-captain wasn’t rare at all. This host probably had nothing to say, and so he kept using this as a topic of discussion.

This thought was actually quite correct. The host truly had nothing he could say.

Liu Hao, Li Hua? This… This was another matchup where there wasn’t any conflict to be discussed, not at all, not in the players’ pasts, nor from the teams they were currently on, nor from any previous fights. Even in the team competitions, thanks to reasons like rotation, these people hadn’t ever met, as though they were two parallel lines never intersecting…

When things had reached this point, it had to be said that the television broadcasters Pan Lin and Li Yibo were leaders in their profession for a reason. While the live host scrambled to find a topic and was booed by the audience, these two said with shock, ”Whoa, this is actually the first time these two players are meeting on the official stage!”

From this it could be seen that looking at things from a different angle instantly revealed more points of interest.

Liu Hao and Li Hua, meeting for the first time, were both unfamiliar with each other. Not only was Liu Hao unfamiliar with Li Hua, he was unfamiliar with the All-Star stage as a whole. This was the first time he had reached this stage, this was something he had anticipated for so long, only to discover now that he could only show his face very briefly in the individual round.

Liu Hao very much wanted to prove himself, but… on this star-studded stage, he truly had no way of grabbing a larger role. The team competition was undoubtedly the event that drew the most attention. Compared to Team B, where people like Ye Xiu and Wang Jiexi and Chu Yunxiu were all too lazy and wanted to scurry into the individual matches, Liu Hao was anxious to play in the team competition! Because he knew clearly, the team competition rosters represented those with the strongest battle ability, the stars among the All-Stars. How he wanted to have that identity for himself!

Unfortunately, he did not…

Even if they counted the six people who had the highest All-Star vote count, he wouldn’t make it in neither Team A nor Team B.

In Team A, the six people ultimately set to appear in the team round were Zhou Zekai, Sun Xiang, Yu Wenzhou, Huang Shaotian, Tang Hao, and Xiao Shiqin…

Of the six people, aside from Yu Wenzhou ranked at 11th, the others were all tenth place and higher. Liu Hao had no place to try and challenge them for the right to play in the team competition.

Helpless, he could only accept the arrangement to play in the individual round. And now, facing Li Hua, Liu Hao’s mind was completely blank. What kind of coincidence was this? Two teams would meet in at least two rounds of competition. Li Hua had entered the Alliance in Season 7, and it’d been several years now. Yet, somehow, they had never met?

Liu Hao felt that this was incredible. If he weren’t standing here on this stage now, he never would have expected such a strange thing to happen to him.

He thought it was strange, Li Hua felt the same, so the two players progressed very carefully. After they met, they tested each other, tried to feel out the opponent, while mentally reviewing what research their team had done on this opponent. Afterward, Li Hua’s Ninja Dark Forest vanished.

The Ninja’s hidden movement began. It looked like Li Hua had already found the rhythm of the battle. Soon, when Dark Forest appeared again and launched an attack, the rhythm was extremely fast. What about Liu Hao? These few years he’d been wandering about and currying favor, and too much of his energy was spent on these things. He was also furiously thinking, but he couldn’t think of any useful data. It could be summed up in one phrase: It’s only when it comes time to apply knowledge that you regret not acquiring enough.

Liu Hao was filled with regret!

As a newcomer to the All-Star stage, he was like Zou Yuan, he wasn’t as relaxed as everyone else. He desperately wanted to win, and he wanted to win beautifully, spectacularly, like Yang Cong in the first match. That Life-Risking Strike had been such a brilliant move!

Yet… Why did he have to meet this Li Hua?

This Ninja player who excelled at hidden movement had also been hidden to him throughout his professional career. Now he suddenly appeared in front of him, during his first All-Star appearance. Was his first show simply going to leave behind this mark of failure?

No… Not just failure, this was straight-up shameful! His Spellblade was beaten pathetically by Li Hua’s Ninja, as though this wasn’t a contest between evenly-matched heavyweights. At this moment, Liu Hao felt that he could already see countless audience members whispering amongst themselves, countless people staring dumbstruck, countless people thinking, Liu Hao’s doing really poorly, is that all the skill he has?

This… is just too painful! What is this Li Hua doing! This is just All-Stars, why is he playing so diligently! Liu Hao suddenly forgot how much he had initially cared about this match, and began to be dissatisfied with Li Hua’s investment.

This can’t happen!

Liu Hao’s heart was screaming, his Spellblade swung his sword, sending out killer shockwaves, but they revealed nothing. Dark Forest’s ghostly silhouette had already appeared at his side.

Flickering Pursuit!

Dark Forest’s afterimages filled the area, launching consecutive attacks toward Liu Hao’s Spellblade. Liu Hao still couldn’t get his bearings. He wildly slashed out with two attacks, but all he shredded were the images Dark Forest left behind in the air.

”Li Hua, old brother, how come you’re playing so seriously?” Liu Hao managed to squeeze out a laugh, trying to make his words sound more relaxed.

”Ah?” Li Hua paused. ”I’m… not really playing that seriously?”

Liu Hao was pissed!

Not playing seriously, you can say something like that? More importantly, you’re not playing seriously and yet you can still beat me down like this, are you purposely trying to devastate me!

Liu Hao’s little cosmos had been burning for who knew how long now, but the problem was, even though he used up so much energy, he found that he didn’t have any sure-kill method. His chaotic and random attacks would only make him feel more powerless and pathetic; he also had no way of calming himself down to make careful observations or analysis. This was the chance for which he had waited so many years, but in the end, it was just going to be destroyed by someone who was invisible to him during his entire pro career! How could he be calm? No way!

He lost!

In the end, Liu Hao lost. The more someone wanted to win, the more they couldn’t win. Last round it was Team B, this round it was Team A’s turn. Liu Hao came pitifully offstage, feeling that the eyes of the entire stadium were upon him. When he returned to Team A, he didn’t even lift his head. He wanted to explain something, but he also knew that those beside him were all Glory’s top players. Find some technical excuse to brush it off? He should just save it!

On that note, the individual competition ended, with Team B in a 2 to 1 lead. But as soon as the two teams had tied at 1-1, everyone knew that victory would be determined in the team competition. The group arena wasn’t important, this wasn’t an Alliance match were points counted.

One by one, the players went onstage to play in the group arena. Team A’s first player was Blue Rain’s little general Lu Hanwen, while Team B sent Tiny Herb’s Xu Bin. Lu Hanwen was young, energetic, and fearless, while Xu Bin had the title of Grind King, his rhythm like a slowly plodding old man. In this interesting confrontation, Xu Bin ultimately came out on top, defeating Lu Hanwen. Next from Team A was the number one Phantom Demon Li Xuan, who defeated Xu Bin. Then, Team B sent on their young player Gao Yingjie to send off Li Xuan. Team A’s anchor was the other half of Void’s Ghost Duo, Wu Yuce, who killed off Gao Yingjie without giving him much chance to perform.

With this, everyone could determine Team A’s roster for the team competition. What about Team B? Which expert would have the responsibility of anchoring the group arena? The host looked toward Team B, the entire stadium looked toward Team B, and then they all rubbed their eyes.

Who’s standing up?

That’s… Zhang Xinjie?

Is he going to the bathroom? Preparing for the team competition, probably. No, wait, what’s going on, he’s walking toward the stage? What’s going on here?

Team B’s group arena anchor is the Cleric????