Chapter 521 - 308: Let It Rot

If there was a powerful enemy that even they couldn’t defeat—it didn’t matter. The Wise One would intervene.

"Chen Xinghao should have one round in the bag. Lei Ji is clearly grooming him to be the Stabilizing Needle that shores up the team’s morale."

After watching the performance of Chen Xinghao’s Envoy’s Pet, Zhou Shengfa nodded, then frowned slightly. "The other doubles pair is also excellent. If they weren’t facing such a powerful opponent, they should have been able to secure a win.

"But they’re facing Hezuo Province in this match, and prioritizing doubles pairs is Hezuo’s specialty. In my opinion, both the second and fourth doubles matches look dicey.

"That means this will inevitably become a battle of attrition. It’ll come down to who has more mental fortitude and stamina."

Sure enough, not long after Zhou Shengfa finished speaking, the doubles pair from Shanda University Affiliated School found themselves at a disadvantage.

The couple who tamed Left and Right Leaves were facing another pair from Hezuo—a former couple—and were somehow powerless to fight back.

The atmosphere in the commentary booth was just as tense. Lu Dongjie was responsible for commentating on the Shanyou Province teams, which included not only Huai City First Middle School but also Shanda University Affiliated School.

Aside from Su Zhi’s matches, he had also been paying close attention to the members of the Shanda University Affiliated School team.

After all, if they fell short, Su Zhi wouldn’t be able to advance, no matter how well he performed.

Lu Dongjie hadn’t worried about it before. In everyone’s mind, Shanda University Affiliated School was the top dog in Shanyou Province and should have easily won every match... But now, on the battlefield, he was discovering that wasn’t the case at all.

You may be a top dog, but who’s to say your opponent isn’t one, too?

"Left and Right Leaves are being suppressed! They’re trying to create distance from their opponents, and it’s clear they drilled similar tactics before the match, but Wood Element Pet Beasts are ultimately at a disadvantage against the focused assault of Fire Element Pet Beasts!

"Hezuo Province’s flame-tailed wolf and Purple Phosphorus Sparrow both excel at inflicting persistent burning damage, which is exactly what the Super Flower Demons fear most! In the face of Flame, their pollen is almost completely useless!

"However, the two Beast Tamers are still sticking to the strategy they decided on at the start, blanketing their opponents with wide-area, long-range attacks. Generally speaking, this is indeed how a Wood Element Pet Beast should handle a Fire Element Pet Beast, but the current situation doesn’t look very optimistic..."

[Golden Rare]: Seriously, what are those two from Shanda Affiliated thinking?? The enemy is right in your face, hurry up and fall back to defend!

[Su Zhi’s Doggy]: Why are they so obsessed with that damn Flying Leaf Storm?

[Annihilation]: A Flying Leaf Storm enhanced by Flower Spirit Blessing isn’t afraid of Flame, so it is a valid counter to Fire Element Pet Beasts. But the Purple Phosphorus Sparrow is an agile Pet Beast that excels at dodging; handling an attack like that is way too easy for it...

[Day after Day]: I don’t get it... Maybe they can’t just change the strategy the coach laid out...

[Spectator114514]: Ugh, I suddenly feel their pain. One time during a minor test, I had my Pet Beast use a Skill that wasn’t on the syllabus, and Old Ban nearly kicked my ass so hard it came loose.

[Spectator328128]: That’s some real homo-specific subtext (annoyed).

[Butterfly Fan Bone]: Is that how it works? But I’ve seen Su Zhi and his team switch tactics back and forth all the time during their matches...

[Day after Day]: But that’s definitely harder to do...

"Left and Right Leaves are out!"

As Lu Dongjie’s voice rang out, the two Super Flower Demons were roasted by the Purple Phosphorus Sparrow until they were fragrant. The referee stopped the match according to the rules and updated the score.

The score was one to one.

In the subsequent third match, the second singles player for Shanda University Affiliated School took the stage and wiped out the opposing singles player with a devastating offensive.

Chen Xinghao’s frown deepened, however, and he quickly walked over to Wang Haokun’s side.

"Be careful! Hezuo is full of tricks. It’s very likely they’ve saved their top singles player for last!"

Wang Haokun nodded, biting his lower lip.

He subconsciously glanced at the Wooden Token in his palm. ’To carry on the lost teachings of past sages...’

In the fourth match, the pair from Shanda University Affiliated School played fast. Or rather, they were hasty.

They hadn’t expected to play in the round-robin stage at all, and while they had prepared beforehand, they were mentally lax.

Furthermore, Lei Ji had specifically instructed them the night before: "Use a rapid assault tactic. The faster you fight, the better!"

Both of them sped up their rhythm, but in doing so, they failed to properly manage the timing and logic of their Skill releases. The doubles partners from Hezuo Province turned their opponents’ strategy against them. Just as Gao Yuxiang had dealt with Su Zhi before, they used the pair’s eagerness to win as an opening and broke right through.

Lei Ji’s face turned green as he watched.

"I told you to win quickly! Not lose quickly!"

When the fourth match ended, he seethed with frustration and angrily reprimanded the two partners. "You have no strategy in your heads at all! You were so nervous you forgot everything! Being tense on the battlefield is a fatal mistake! Even if you are nervous, you can’t let it show!"

The two of them remained silent.

Lei Ji opened his mouth, but he couldn’t bring himself to say anything harsher. In the end, he could only sigh.

"Wang Haokun... it’s up to you. Don’t embarrass me."

"...Yes, sir."

Wang Haokun took a deep breath and walked onto the stage.

It was rare for a match in the round-robin stage to go to a fifth round. Many spectators who were used to quick, decisive battles turned their gazes to the field with renewed interest.

What was more exciting than a clean sweep was the strategic game of a match point.

In Livestream Room 0301, Lu Dongjie was also commentating:

"We see that the third singles player for Shanda University Affiliated School is their vice-captain, Wang Haokun. His Pet Beast is Cyan, a Shadow of Ancient Jing by Race. And for Hezuo Province... they’ve actually sent out their captain, Chen Yaoyu! His Pet Beast is Rock Fortress, and its Race is the Yu Dian Farm Dog!"

[Golden Rare]: I love that thing everyone’s been saying:

[Annihilation]: Huh?

[Day after Day]: Tsk, tsk... This is Tian Ji’s horse race, isn’t it...

[Butterfly Fan Bone]: It’s a showdown between the local mutt and the local cat! Is this destiny?

"Ahem, although the act of placing a strong player at the end of the lineup doesn’t quite align with the unspoken consensus, it is a reasonable use of the competition’s rules to expand one’s own advantage."