Above the mage

Chapter 756 The Holy Empire's Trump Card

Golden Flower Dynasty is currently leading Linhai City by two to one.

Next up is the team competition.

Fritz and the team leader mage from Linhai City each submitted a list of five contestants for the team deathmatch to the referee.

During this brief respite, the audience remained immersed in the afterglow of the battle.

The entire stadium was incessantly noisy from beginning to end, and the boiling heat could not be calmed for a long time.

This arena was originally the home ground of the Plantagenet dynasty, and more than 80% of the seats in the stands were occupied by local spectators.

Previously, everyone regarded Linhai City as a top-tier enemy, and they were quite wary and cautious.

In this highly anticipated battle, a beautiful young girl decisively and cleanly defeated four top elites of the same age from Linhai City.

With such an impressive record, how could they not be excited?

On the other hand, the audience members who had come from afar to support Linhai City felt aggrieved but had nothing to say.

They were outmatched in skill and strength, and their own team lost cleanly, leaving no excuses.

What can be done?

What's even more disheartening for them is that the ace player can play twice.

In other words, Liu Ying, who just swept the entire field, can still continue to play in the fourth team match.

Wouldn't that mean we'd have to witness our own players getting utterly crushed again?

Thinking about this, they all felt restless and couldn't bear to watch any longer.

"Their mentality has collapsed. I bet they won't be able to adjust after they find out that their captain will have to play again after being benched."

Arya sensed the atmosphere of the entire venue, then glanced at the obviously dull atmosphere in the Linhai City contestants' area, and said with schadenfreude.

"Thank goodness our captain is still us." Gareth, who is usually very confident in his abilities, rarely expressed such sentiments.

The other team members nodded in agreement.

Because they dared not imagine what they would do if Liu Ying were their opponent.

Just thinking about it gives me a headache.

As for Linhai City, that's something they really have to face; their heads must be about to explode.

"To be honest, they played really well," Cedric suddenly said.

"Indeed, Olivia is already outstanding, and this Triss is even more remarkable," Feng Lin commented.

Gareth, who was twice beaten, is the most qualified to comment on Olivia's performance.

As for Tris, his combo of spell suppression is an unstoppable move in any match, and he has been personally certified by Liu Ying as "very powerful".

To outsiders, Liu Ying's comments seemed like mockery, like she was "showing off".

But they knew their captain quite well, knowing that Liu Ying was always "straightforward".

When she said that, that's really what she thought.

She genuinely believed that Triss's curse magic was very powerful, if she hadn't encountered him.

If it were any other mage of the same rank, they would have been completely locked down long ago.

"It's a pity that Liu Ying is even more powerful." Gao De said, looking at the girl beside him who had fallen silent again, her eyes filled with a gentle smile.

This single sentence encapsulates the most authentic theme of the competition.

In a competition, it's not that if you perform well, you'll definitely win, nor does losing a competition necessarily mean you performed poorly.

Competitive games are never just about effort or performance.

One side performs well, but the other side performs even better; this is the most common logic of winning and losing in sports.

With Liu Ying in charge, the entire Golden Flower team felt secure and extremely relaxed.

They showed no tension or seriousness about the upcoming team battle.

It was never them who were anxious, calculating, or racking their brains for a way out; it was the city of Linhai, trapped in a desperate situation, that was the one that should have been anxious.

On the other side, in the Linhai City contestant area, the oppressive atmosphere was almost tangible, weighing heavily on everyone's hearts.

Having just suffered four consecutive defeats, the team's morale had already plummeted.

In situations like this, someone needs to step forward and say something.

However, the team leader mage had already gone to submit the list of participants for the next team competition.

As for the captain, Triss, he remained silent after leaving the field, and it was unclear what he was thinking.

A deathly silence and oppressive atmosphere continued to spread, enveloping the entire team.

After an unknown amount of time, the team leader mage who had gone to submit the list finally returned, his face extremely solemn. He brought bad news as soon as he spoke: "I saw the Golden Finch Flower's list of participants. Liu Ying is still on it. She will continue to participate in this team competition."

The already somber atmosphere grew even more so.

At this moment, the team leader mage spoke again: "Holy has exhausted his mana in the gauntlet battle, so he can't play in this round."

To make matters worse.

Even with their full starting lineup, it would be difficult to face the Golden Flower team, let alone with the absence of their crucial defensive mage, who had to be replaced by a substitute player.

The outcome of this match seemed to have been decided even before it began.

"What do you all think?" the team leader asked in a deep voice, looking around at everyone.

Everyone was taken aback upon hearing this.

The leader mage's question was naturally meaningful.

And they all understood that deeper meaning:

From every angle, this team fight was completely devoid of any clear leader.

No matter how the tactics are arranged or the formation is adjusted, the final outcome will only be defeat.

Forfeit the match?

This was a thought I had never considered.

They represent the young mages of Linhai City.

Before the competition, everyone was determined to show their skills and win the championship. No one ever thought that their journey would end by forfeiting the competition.

However, after calming down and analyzing the situation rationally, withdrawing from the competition has become the most dignified and rational choice at present.

The defeat in the gauntlet battle will only be remembered by the outside world: all four of Linhai City's players were defeated by Jin Quehua's ace player, Liu Ying.

This is because Liu Ying's individual strength is too extraordinary, not because Linhai City as a whole is weak.

But if this depleted team suffers another crushing defeat, all the external details will be overshadowed, leaving only a cold, hard conclusion:

The five-person team from Linhai City was completely crushed by the entire Golden Flower Dynasty.

Conversely, if they voluntarily withdraw from the competition at this moment, public opinion will clearly distinguish the gap between the strong and the weak.

Only Liu Ying is a powerhouse of a level above the rest; the remaining members of the Golden Finch Flower team are roughly equal in strength to the elites of Linhai City.

After all, the two teams were tied 1-1 in the first two games, which is enough to prove that the overall level of the two teams is comparable.

From a rational perspective, this is the optimal solution to stop losses and save face.

On an emotional level, the team's mentality had already been completely shattered by the relentless onslaught of attacks.

Everyone witnessed their own magical system being easily and gradually dismantled by Liu Ying, and their confidence and fighting spirit had long since been worn away.

No one wanted to step onto the stage again, face that unsolvable figure, and endure a second crushing defeat.

Everyone understands the principle, but voluntarily withdrawing from the competition is still an incredibly difficult decision.

"Let's forfeit the match." After a long silence, Captain Triss finally raised his eyes, his gaze revealing only a calm weariness.

He was the only one most suitable to make this decision.

After making this decision, Triss looked at the other four.

"What do you mean?" the leading mage asked.

"Then let's give up." The other four gave the same reply, without any objection or hesitation.

"Then let's give up." The team leader mage nodded, exhaled a long breath, and finally made up his mind.

"Get ready to go on stage." On the other side, Cedric and the others were already eager to try.

But just as everyone was getting ready and about to step onto the stage...

On the high platform of the arena, the chief referee suddenly stood up, his clear and authoritative voice resounding throughout the Dragonspine Arena: "The fourth round of this match, the five-person team deathmatch."

"Upon the submission of an application by the team leader of the Linhai City Mage Team, the Linhai City team voluntarily forfeited this match."

"According to the tournament rules, the Golden Flower Dynasty Mage Team is declared the winner of this round."

"The Golden Flower Dynasty Mage Team defeated the Coastal City Mage Team with a total score of 3-1, successfully advancing to the next round of the semifinals!"

The Golden Flower team members were all taken aback, then burst into laughter and abandoned their stage presence.

"They actually forfeited the match?" Aria blinked, somewhat surprised, then nodded knowingly. "That's to be expected."

Gareth stretched out his arms and said calmly, "There's no need to fight. Since we have no chance of winning, forfeiting is the most rational choice."

No one looked down on them; on the contrary, they all seemed to understand.

Linhai City has exhausted all its trump cards.

Meanwhile, in the contestant area on the other side of the arena, the mage contestants from the Holy Empire all showed some surprise upon hearing the result that Lin Hai City had withdrawn from the competition.

However, no one dared to mock them; after a brief moment of thought, they all nodded in understanding.

After a brief period of celebration, the referee's voice rang out again, drawing the atmosphere into a new round of tension: "Next, we will immediately begin the semi-final matchup draw ceremony. The captains of the four teams that have advanced will come up on stage to draw lots in turn to determine the semi-final matchup groups."

One sentence instantly captivated the attention of everyone in the room.

With Linhai City's elimination in the quarterfinals, only two of the remaining four teams in this year's Unparalleled Magic Fighting Tournament truly possess the seeded strength to dominate the championship:

The Plantagenet Dynasty and the Holy Empire.

The two teams are significantly stronger than the other two teams.

With the semifinals draw now underway, the probability of two strong teams meeting early is as high as one in three.

Once drawn, it will be a clash of titans, and one of the strongest teams will inevitably be eliminated in the semifinals, missing out on the final.

The thought of this made everyone tense.

Everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed on the lottery table in the center of the high platform.

The drawing rules are the same as the previous round: four crystal nameplates engraved with incomplete patterns are randomly matched and interlocked, and those with complementary patterns immediately lock in their semi-final matchups.

Liu Ying, as always, took the lead and went on stage first to draw lots.

This seems to have become the norm; the captains of the other three teams deliberately lingered a step, waiting for Liu Ying to step forward.

After going on stage, Liu Ying raised her hand and took out a crystal nameplate.

Half of a silver dragon bird is engraved on the clear crystal nameplate.

Following closely behind, Ellie, the captain of the Holy Empire, slowly walked onto the stage.

She reached out and pulled out the nameplate, then held it up.

It was a nameplate engraved with a broken cross pattern.

It is completely different in style from the nameplate extracted by Liu Ying, and there is no possibility of them fitting together.

Only at this moment did the tension that had been building up in the audience suddenly ease.

They missed each other!

Unlike Linhai City, the Holy Empire did not encounter the Golden Fern earlier.

Cedric's expression remained indifferent, but he slightly loosened his clenched fist and said in a low voice, "That's how it should be. The ultimate showdown should be left to the final stage."

The lottery continues, and the suspense gradually dissipates.

The captains of the remaining two qualifying teams took turns going on stage and drawing nameplates.

The Golden Flower Dynasty vs. the Verdant Ring.

Holy Empire vs. Twilight Duchy.

The referee team quickly discussed and finalized the complete schedule for the semi-finals, then announced it aloud, officially concluding the draw ceremony.

This time, the Plantagenet dynasty will take the lead, and the official competition will begin in three days.

Amidst the uproar, the audience and contestants left the stage one by one.

The states of mind in the four directions are completely different.

The Golden Flower Dynasty players' area was filled with relaxed joy and relief.

With their next opponent being relatively weak, the whole team was in high spirits and felt no pressure whatsoever before the match.

In contrast, the atmosphere among the people of Linhai City, who had just been eliminated in the quarterfinals, remained somber and gloomy.

Although they managed to save face by forfeiting the match, they avoided the humiliating outcome of being completely crushed.

.

But the frustration of having to give up the competition still weighed heavily on everyone's hearts.

The team members walked with their heads down, silently following their leader away from the field.

The exit routes for the athletes were branching out, and coincidentally, there was a large influx of people today.

After walking for a short while, the group bumped into the Holy Empire's mage team, who were also preparing to leave, at the corner of the corridor.

"You guys are unlucky to run into Golden Ferns in the quarterfinals." The two sides were originally unrelated, but Bai Nuode looked at the silent people from Linhai City and casually made a sarcastic remark.

These words were far from being sarcastic, but they certainly sounded harsh to the players from Linhai City.

"If you don't ultimately win the championship, what difference does it make whether you're eliminated early or late?" Philippa immediately looked up and replied.

But upon hearing this, Blake instead became even more arrogant, declaring, "So we will win the final championship."

"Bernold!"

A cold and sharp rebuke suddenly rang out.

Ellie Warwick, standing at the front of the group, paused slightly, turned her head to look back, her eyes covered with frost, and lightly swept over Bai Nold with a sense of intimidation.

Just moments ago, Bai Nuode was arrogant and domineering, but under the captain's gaze, he was like a sharp blade whose edge had been pinched.

He immediately shut his mouth, obediently tucked himself in, retreated to the side of the line, and dared not utter another word.

The contrast in that brief moment was enough to demonstrate Ellie's absolute authority within the team.

Then, Ellie turned to look at the mage leading the team from Linhai City. Her cold expression softened, and she nodded slightly in apology, very politely: "I'm sorry, the team member didn't know his place and offended us. However, he meant no harm, and I will discipline him strictly."

After speaking, she didn't linger any longer and led her team members in a hurried manner, quickly disappearing at the end of the corridor.

The people of Linhai City were left standing there, their minds still reeling from Bai Nuode's arrogant words.

Triss stood in the middle of the group, his brows slightly furrowed, his mind churning with thoughts.

After Liu Ying displayed such incredible strength, anyone with a sound mind who had witnessed the match would be filled with fear and apprehension, and no one would dare to claim certain victory.

But White still maintained a confident and assertive demeanor, as if he was certain of winning the championship.

Could it be that they are truly confident that they can confront or even defeat Liu Ying head-on?

Triss didn't believe it at all.

Such an anomaly as firefly is extremely rare, occurring only once every few centuries; it is impossible for a second one to suddenly appear in the world.

Although Bai Nuode has an outspoken personality, he is no fool who can only be arrogant and boastful, as he was able to be selected for the Holy Empire's mage team.

His confidence is not based on blind arrogance.

So, where does this confidence come from?

What secret cards are they hiding?