Full-time master: I have a spirit behind me.

Chapter 970 Extra Chapter: Captain Qiu Fei
"The captain of the Ember team, Captain Li, has retired. This year, the Ember team is basically composed of newcomers and semi-newcomers, which is also our best chance yet. We must go all out!" The captain of the newly promoted professional team said in a deep voice in the away game's locker room.

He's right. The previous professional league tournament was also the last retirement match for Li Wen, the captain of the Ember team. With Li Wen's retirement, the Ember team underwent a complete overhaul.

Aside from Qiu Fei, the most senior players are mostly second or third-year students. Although some outstanding players have won the Rookie of the Year award in previous seasons, they have indeed weakened considerably compared to the three-time champions and top-tier team of the Ember team at its peak.

This baton, which has served as a deterrent to the new team for several years, is finally nearing the end of its lifespan.

Now, it all comes down to whether the new team is tougher or whether this old, less intimidating weapon is more powerful.

"Do you have confidence?" the captain of the Qingshan team asked loudly.

The other team members exchanged glances and weakly replied, "Yes."

No, boss, even if the Ember team isn't considered top-tier, their weakest player is still roughly a second-tier player. In team matches, they still have a top-tier Battle Mage and two first-tier players as support and cover.

Our... only the captain and vice-captain can be considered second-tier, at most close to first-tier level. If we want to cut off the use of the deterrent rod... we're still a bit far off, right?
Well, it's true. If we can win this match, the reputation of Team Aoyama will be completely established!

Fight!

……

Home Locker Room

"Captain, time's up."

Qiu Fei stared blankly at the water bottle in front of him, unaware that the captain was calling him.

"Captain? Captain Qiu Fei?" the team member repeated.

"Huh?" Qiu Fei paused for a moment, then looked up. Although it had been almost two months, he still wasn't quite used to being called the captain. "Sorry, I was a little distracted. Everyone, let's get ready to set off."

"Yes!" The members of the Ember Team straightened their backs, naturally proud to be members of the Ember Team.

"By the way, from now on, don't call me captain, just call me Qiu Fei," Qiu Fei reminded him.

"Huh?" The team members looked at each other, hesitated for a moment, and then nodded: "Then we'll still call you Brother Qiu Fei."

"Okay, that's good." Qiu Fei nodded.

In his heart, both in the past and now, there are only two captains: Ye Xiu and Li Wen. Before reaching their level, Qiu Fei never felt that he was qualified to be called a captain.

"Let's go." Qiu Fei, having finished putting on his team uniform, was the first to push open the door...

……

"Did we really need to sneak in like this?" Bai Shu muttered to himself. "I was actually planning to ask a girl out to dinner today."

"Heh, you always say the same thing, but you've never actually asked anyone out." Lü Liang sneered. "I used to think Old Wei was the most useless one, but I never expected him to be the first to get married. You're completely useless now..."

"I..." Bai Shu scratched his head, not daring to say a word.

"Alright, alright, keep your voices down, or we'll be recognized. I felt like the way those people over there were looking at us was weird," Old Wei, wearing a hat and mask, said in a low voice. "They probably recognized us."

"I don't think they recognized us; it's more like they mistook us for fugitives or something," Fang Shijing sighed.

Li Wen also found it somewhat amusing, but after all the lights in the venue went out, all the former Ember team members looked in the direction where the players were entering.

Wearing the captain's uniform, Qiu Fei walked into the arena.

His expression was calm, showing some of Sun Zheping's coldness and some of Li Wen's composure.

"This child has truly grown up..." Su Muqiu sighed.

“Yes, back then, Brother Ye sent Xiao Qiu here to participate in the Challenger Tournament to hone his skills and prepare him to take over One Autumn Leaf’s debut. Unexpectedly, due to a twist of fate, Xiao Qiu did not become the captain of Excellent Era, but instead became the captain of Ember.” Li Wen smiled.

"I can only say that fate plays tricks on people..." Zhang Jiale said with some emotion.

Lin Jingyan, Fang Rui, and Chu Yunxiu also had some feelings. They once thought they would dedicate their lives to their team, but they never expected to end up in Ember and retire here, fulfilling everything they had ever dreamed of.

Fortune plays tricks on people...

"Wait, did Xiao Qiu glance over here just now?" Fang Rui tugged at his collar and asked in a low voice.

"I don't think so. Our disguises are so thorough." Bai Shu looked up and down.

……

They probably thought their disguise was spot-on, right? Qiu Fei wore a helpless smile.

It looks like they've all arrived.

Qiu Fei felt a warm current flow through his heart. Was it because he was worried that he would feel pressured as the team leader for the first time?

No way...

Qiu Fei shook hands with each of the opposing players and nodded in acknowledgment. This made the members of the Qingshan team, who had wanted to make a name for themselves by defeating the Yujin team before the match, feel somewhat flattered, including the captain of the Qingshan team.

After all, Qiu Fei was a well-established top player, only one step away from being crowned. This step was only because the players of the Ember team were too brilliant, and Qiu Fei was willing to hide his brilliance under the shadow of his brothers, which is why he did not get his own title.

Such a contestant is so kind and gentle to me...

At the very least, they felt respected, and that was enough.

"Now we will verify the identities of both players."

Upon hearing the voice, Qiu Fei was startled and looked at the referee in his uniform who had spoken. He instinctively exclaimed, "Captain Ye?"

"This player shouldn't try to get close to the referee on the field," a smiling voice rang out.

Qiu Fei looked over and saw Su Mucheng behind Ye Xiu, holding materials and wearing a hat with her long orange hair tucked inside.

"Verification complete, my work is finished. Now, both players, please do your best and remember the principle of 'friendship first, competition second'." Ye Xiu said solemnly, "Respect the spirit of competition and do not do anything that goes against the professional ethics of a player..."

"Understood!" both sides shouted in unison.

"Well then, good luck." Ye Xiu smiled and led Su Mucheng off the stage.

Qiu Fei took a deep breath, and the fighting spirit in his eyes burned even hotter.

The format is completely aligned with the World Invitational Tournament. The first round is a 3v3 arena match, the second round is a 2v2 duo match, and the third round is a 5+1 team match. As for Team Ember, the first player remaining on the field in the first round was…

Qiu Fei, captain of the Ember Team, is a Battle Mage with the ID "Silver Horned Spear".

Without showing any mercy, the arena map was finalized, and the goal was to completely crush the opponent through individual skill.

"Captain Qiu's Ram Horn Silver Spear, a one-versus-three! This must be the first one-versus-three victory of the season, right?" Pan Lin shouted excitedly.

"Qiu Fei already possesses the strength to be crowned a titled warrior. After Sun Xiang's retirement, he is undoubtedly the number one battle mage. Although Sun Xiang's successor is quite good, he is still far inferior to Qiu Fei." Li Yibo made a fair assessment: "I'm afraid that after this season, the title of Battle God will change hands."

"This little Qiu..." Ye Xiu's lips curled into a smile.

"Are you feeling smug?" Su Mucheng raised an eyebrow: "Although you taught me the basics, it was Yu Jin who honed my experience."

"That doesn't change the fact that Xiao Qiu is the inheritor of the God of War's will." Ye Xiu smiled and patted the little girl's head: "Let's have a meal together after the match."

"Uh-huh!"

Just as Ye Xiu had predicted, the match proceeded quickly. After Qiu Fei defeated three opponents in a row, the successors of Da Meng Xian Jue and Zai Shui Yi Xia from the Yu Jin team won the match with their standard Blooming Flowers and Blood Scenery playstyle.

"These two lads are quite good; they didn't waste Lao Zhang and Da Sun's guidance." Fang Rui nodded. "Compared to them, Lao Lin and my successor are a little lacking."

"It's still a bit lacking," Zhang Jiale said critically. "It's still rather rigid. After teaching for so long, it's still just imitation. Although the imitation is fairly good, it's still a bit off."

"..." Lu Liang glanced at him speechlessly: "If Da Sun said this, I wouldn't be surprised at all, but it feels so awkward when you say it."

"Just telling the truth," Zhang Jiale shrugged.

The remaining two top-tier players on the Ember team are naturally the successors of the Ammo Expert and the Berserker. After all, Zhang Jiale and Sun Zheping retired relatively early, giving them enough time to cultivate a qualified successor. This successor will not only inherit their accounts but also their playing style and will, allowing them to go further on the path pioneered by their predecessors.

In the team competition, under Qiu Fei's leadership and with the support of Xin Fan Hua Xue Jing, the Qing Shan team almost collapsed at the first touch. They failed to organize a decent counterattack, and even failed to defend properly before being swept out of the competition, ultimately only managing to get one point.

There might be some exaggeration in this score.

Eleven to one, Ember Team wins the first round of Season 15.

……

"cheers!"

Glasses full of juice clinked together, and the two tables in the private room were almost full.

Zhang Jiale, as the head coach of the youth training camp, accompanied the team members, who were all his students to some extent. Sun Zheping was also pulled over to keep him company, while Qiu Fei sat at another table.

"You played very well, Xiao Qiu. You truly deserve the title of Battle God." Ye Xiu said with a smile, then added after a moment's thought, "You are the Battle God who belongs to you."

Qiu Fei was taken aback.

His own fighting god...

Yes, a fighting god who belongs to him.

His own Battle Mage fighting style has been regarded as a must-learn subject for the Battle Mage class. His combo of Dragon Emergence and Flowing Clouds was even said to be no less powerful than Dragon Rising its Head...

He is not anyone's shadow, but a true "God of War" who has created his own path.

This title is more authentic than any other title currently bestowed, because it was given by Ye Xiu, which is very important to Qiu Fei.

"You've become quite formidable, Xiao Qiu," Su Mucheng said with a smile, holding a lion plush toy. She also showed some favoritism towards Ye Xiu, her favorite disciple.

"The youngest of the three kids back then is now a big shot in the alliance," Lu Liang sighed. "But you, Bai Shu, are the most disappointing. In the end, you still didn't make it to the title..."

"Well, I also won the World Invitational Championship..." Bai Shu muttered. He was quite frustrated about it. If his playing style was still the earliest knight style, he probably would have won long ago.

However, banning accounts using the "sneaky" playstyle is inherently difficult, especially for players like Bai Shu who are extremely difficult to defeat. Every time I finish playing against Bai Shu, I'm afraid someone will challenge me to an offline match...

Everyone was laughing and joking at the dinner table. Although Li Wen didn't interrupt, he listened to everyone's conversation with a smile and slowly ate what was in his bowl.

Afterwards, Lao Wei and Lü Liang were quite drunk, and the two of them were walking unsteadily, arm in arm, singing.

Everyone followed behind them, in case the two did anything unexpected.

Qiu Fei, Ye Xiu, and Li Wen walked at the very back.

"I don't know if I can be a good captain..." Qiu Fei suddenly said, "...a qualified captain like Captain Ye and Xiao Wen..."

Ye Xiu and Li Wen were both taken aback. They exchanged a glance, and then simultaneously patted Qiu Fei on the shoulder.

"Getting hung up on this is unlike you, Xiao Qiu," Ye Xiu said with a smile. "Like today, didn't you do a great job? Cooperating with your teammates and managing the whole team..."

“Yes, you also made the tactical arrangements independently this time,” Li Wen added.

"But compared to you, I'm still lacking..."

“Not bad at all.” Li Wen laughed. “I used to worry about whether I could be a good captain, whether I could do my job well. After all, the responsibilities of a team member and a captain are different…”

But, Xiao Qiu, I only realized later that when you were worrying about whether you could be a good captain, and because of this worry you kept working hard and striving together with your teammates...

Actually, you're already a very qualified captain.

Ye Xiu lit a cigarette and let out a long sigh: "Yeah, from the moment you took on the responsibility, you became the captain."

You never thought about running away, did you, Xiao Qiu?

“Never,” Qiu Fei said seriously.

"Brother Qiu Fei, shall we head straight back to the club?" The members of the Ember team turned around and called out with a smile.

Just as Qiu Fei was about to say something, he felt a slight push on both shoulders.

Qiu Fei turned his head and glanced at Ye Xiu and Li Wen, who had smiles on their faces: "Go on, with your teammates..."

"Got it." Qiu Fei smiled and ran towards his teammates, who would be by his side from now on: "Let's go back!"

(End of this chapter)