Time flew by, and soon another week had passed. Gu Xuan's record in all three battle modes had reached thirty-one consecutive victories. If he could secure a thirty-second win in each, he would directly ascend to become a Gold Spirit Fighter Badge holder.
Yu Tianheng and the others were in a similar position. Because they had also been on a winning streak in team combat, and their initial scores were already around 1,500, a thirty-second consecutive team victory would push them over the threshold as well. Although their solo and duo streaks couldn't compare to Gu Xuan's, their head start of over a thousand points meant they were right on the cusp of gold.
Today, everyone was buzzing with excitement. If they won this battle, they would not only be the youngest Gold Spirit Fighter Badge holders in the current Great Spirit Arena but also the youngest Gold-ranked team.
Of course, compared to the rest of the team, Gu Xuan's reputation was on another level. In just over a month, he had gone from a "small fry" with an Iron Badge to a nearly Gold-ranked powerhouse. It was a historic rise.
Now, whenever Gu Xuan appeared, the stands were guaranteed to be packed. Because of his streak, the betting odds against him were absurdly high—if someone could manage to beat him just once, they would essentially be set for life.
Inside the Emperor Team's private lounge, everyone held a file in their hands. This was the data for their next opponents: the Mad Rhino Team.
The captain, Kuang Xi, was a Rank 40 pseudo-Soul Ancestor. It was said he had hit Rank 40 a month ago, but had purposely delayed obtaining his fourth soul ring.
Once he obtained that ring, he would be in a different tier, and his team would be matched against Soul Ancestor-level squads. To avoid that jump in difficulty, he remained a Soul Elder for the time being.
Gu Xuan could guess their strategy. Aside from Kuang Xi, the team consisted of two Rank 38 Power Attack Type Soul Elders, two Rank 36 Defense Type Soul Elders, and two Rank 35 Soul Elders—one Support Type and one Agility Attack Type.
If Kuang Xi absorbed a fourth ring, he would be out of sync with his teammates, who weren't close to Rank 40 yet. By staying at Rank 40, they could remain a dominant force in the Soul Elder bracket, raking in more money to fund their future needs. Even for a pseudo-Soul Ancestor, the days requiring heavy expenditure were far from over.
With the data in hand, Gu Xuan began arranging the lineup. The opponents had three Power Attack types (including the captain), two Defense types, one Support, and one Agility Attack. Their composition was similar to the Emperor Team's, though they had an extra Power Attack user in exchange for a Control Type.
Truthfully, teams without a Control Type were rare. A Control Type soul master is the soul of a team, responsible for commanding and coordinating the entire operation. However, the data showed that the Mad Rhino Team's Support Type also possessed certain control capabilities, meaning they weren't purely for buffing.
Having spent over a month here, Gu Xuan had seen the Mad Rhino Team fight once. He had a basic understanding of their battle formations. There was a reason they were ranked so high and were on the verge of becoming a Gold-ranked team.
For this match, Gu Xuan decided on the following lineup: Power Attack Type Gu Xuan and Yu Tianheng, Defense Type Shi Mo and Shi Mo, Control Type Dugu Yan, Support Type Ye Lingling, and Agility Attack Type Osler.
He chose Osler over Yu Feng this time because the opponent's Agility Attack user possessed the Spotted Yellow Leopard Martial Soul, a creature famous for its raw speed.
Once the personnel were set, Gu Xuan began detailing the tactics. Before every match, he would devise a plan based on the enemy's information to prevent them from falling into a disadvantage early on. Even if the opponents hid their true strength, a well-rounded plan allowed the team to respond calmly.
Just as the tactics were finalized, the soul tool announcement rang out. "Will the Emperor Team and the Mad Rhino Team please gather in the preparation area!"
With a wave of his hand, Gu Xuan led the group out of the lounge. They were all in high spirits, moving with the confidence of a team that believed victory was inevitable. In fact, they were determined to win; one more victory and the entire team would ascend to Gold status.
Qin Ming and Yu Feng followed behind, heading toward the Emperor Team's dedicated observation room. Before they parted, Yu Feng called out, "Good luck!"
Gu Xuan and the others nodded with smiles.
In the preparation area, the seven members of the Mad Rhino Team were also glowing with confidence. Like the Emperor Team, a win here would promote them to a Gold-ranked team. Their average age was twenty-five, which was considered quite talented in the soul master world.
Kuang Xi was a rugged man, but he was observant. Seeing his teammates so confident, he warned them, "Don't get careless. The Emperor Team is from a proper academy. You've seen their record this past month. I don't want anyone dropping the ball at the critical moment."
The others nodded in unison. "Understood, Captain!" To be a team on the verge of Gold status, they possessed strong discipline.
At the commentator's signal, both teams ascended to the central main stage. As the aces among the Silver-ranked teams, they were the main event of the night.
The arena was already packed to capacity. Many people were willing to stand just to catch a glimpse of this match. The stands around the main stage held 30,000 seats, and every person had placed heavy bets. Everyone wanted to turn their "bicycle into a motorcycle."
In the capital, there were few truly poor people. The bets were high; the minimum was a thousand gold soul coins, and the highest had reached 300,000. For this single match, the betting volume had reached a staggering two million gold soul coins.
Gu Xuan himself had bet 300,000 on the Emperor Team, and the others had placed significant amounts as well. Since he started fighting, Gu Xuan had been betting on himself. By now, he had earned three million gold soul coins simply because he hadn't lost a single match.
The rest of the team, including Qin Ming, had also made a fortune. They were no longer short on cash. Of course, this required the one being bet on to be strong enough to ensure no losses.
Because of his extraordinary performance, Gu Xuan had been targeted by numerous factions. However, once they learned he was backed by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan and Bone Douluo Gu Rong, they all backed off. Only someone with a screw loose would dare touch Gu Xuan.
If anyone tried to play dirty, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan wouldn't even need to lift a finger; a single word would bring a crowd to wipe out their family. It wasn't an exaggeration—the soul master world isn't just about fighting; it's about worldly wisdom and connections.
(End of Chapter)
---
Leave a 5 star Review and a Power Stone.