Starforce Warriors

Chapter 149: Anticipation

The next four weeks passed quietly. Red Flag High School maintained an average performance in the league’s solo mode, with a win rate slightly above average. However, they remained undefeated in team mode. By the end of the seventh round, Red Flag High School's ranking in the league had dropped to ninth place. The decline was due to the strong resurgence of many established top schools, whose rankings steadily rose.

These schools consistently won all their team mode matches and dominated their opponents in solo mode, leading to a rapid increase in their overall points. Duxing High School, Lanshan High School, and Qishen Academy were particularly formidable. They maintained a perfect 100 percent win rate in both modes since the start of the league. The difference in their rankings was only due to the varying lengths of time they took to finish their matches.

Overall, it was incredibly impressive for Red Flag High School to achieve such a ranking as a dark horse. After all, the league was a team competition. The strength of one individual alone couldn't completely carry the team to victory. This was determined by the design of the competition format.

Additionally, it was worth mentioning that Quanye High School had ranked tenth. The performances of the two Jiepeng female students, Tsukiha Yaiba and Mizutani Hikaru, remained strong in the league. So far, they remained undefeated in solo mode. They also remained undefeated in team mode matches.

These two high schools were the biggest dark horses of the year. The media dubbed them the Order Disruptors. However, neither the media nor experts believed these two dark horses had a chance of winning the championship.

Many people thought that by the end of the long season, it would be quite an achievement if Red Flag High School and Quanye High School could maintain a ranking slightly above average, around the 15th to 20th places.

There was another significant reason aside from their lack of foundation. Both schools adhered to the route of traditional martial arts. Traditional martial arts took a long time to gain prominence. This was almost a rule in the martial arts world.

In contrast, the establishment of the New Martial Surgery Center, jointly created by the Jiepeng medical exchange delegation and the Ye Family's Duxing Private Hospital, had started offering surgeries and significant discounts to students from various high schools.

This led many already strong league star players undergoing surgery with the support of their schools. These surgeries implanted various Star Beasts' Inscribed Treasure Bones into the students, granting them powerful supernatural combat techniques. This method of enhancing strength through surgery was a shortcut. Even the cheapest surgery could elevate the strength of a Qi Refining Realm recipient by two minor stages.

The slightly more expensive surgeries could help a Limit Breaking Realm recipient break at least one innate energy shackle overnight. Moreover, these surgeries were not one-time procedures. As the recipient's cultivation advanced and their physical strength increased, they could undergo additional surgeries to add or replace Star Beasts' Inscribed Treasure Bones, further enhancing their abilities.

It was reported that over forty high school league players had undergone this new martial surgery in less than a month. After a brief adaptation period, they were able to return to the league. Thus, everyone could anticipate a large number of unfamiliar dark horses emerging in the league. The leaderboard rankings would see a new round of reshuffling. The trend was undoubtedly unfavorable for schools that adhered to traditional martial arts. It could even be described as the winter of traditional martial arts.

This was a significant reason why many people were not optimistic about the final league rankings for Red Flag High School and Quanye High School unless they abandoned their traditional practices and embraced the new martial arts.

At the same time, after a careful assessment of the wilderness environment and its threat level, Liuhe Base City ended the lockdown and curfew it had imposed. The city gates were reopened, allowing adventurers to go out hunting and search for resources.

The injured Grade Five star beast, the Yinji Moon Fox, was confirmed to have left the area. It no longer posed a threat.

The atmosphere within the city finally relaxed. The lockdown had only lasted less than a month, but it had caused a rise in prices within the city. Many companies, teams, and individuals who relied on hunting star beasts and gathering resources, as well as the related industries, breathed a sigh of relief. Had the lockdown continued, many would have faced significant difficulties. The slum hunting teams also resumed their activities.

It was worth noting that although the Ye family had established the Paradise Island real estate company and conducted extensive research on the slum, they had yet to start purchasing land or take any further actions. However, President Li felt like this was the calm before the storm. He did not slack off. On one hand, he had the Cloudy Sky Gang members remain vigilant and ready for action at any moment.

On the other hand, he explored every possible way to improve the average combat strength of the Cloudy Sky Gang. Over the past month, Li Xiaofei's strength had also increased significantly. He visited the Starry Sky Hotel once a week to receive guidance from his teacher, Li Zhoumin.

Under the tutelage of Inspector Li, Li Xiaofei's cultivation of the True Dragon Breathing Technique advanced rapidly, reaching the nineteenth stage of the Hidden Realm within the Qi Refining Realm.

The progress astonished Inspector Li. It's important to note that advancing in the Hidden Realm was several times more difficult than progressing within the normal ten stages. But Li Xiaofei had ascended nine stages in just one month. This was an extraordinary speed even with the aid of fourth-generation pure Starforce Reagents.

It only solidified Inspector Li's determination to mentor Li Xiaofei. However, Inspector Li didn't know that the existence of the Secret Time Pavilion meant that Li Xiaofei's month was nearly equivalent to a year for others. Additionally, the Secret Time Pavilion provided a significant enhancement to cultivation, contributing to such rapid progress. Regardless, Li Xiaofei's improvement was happening at a terrifying pace. The combat strength of someone in the Hidden Realm far exceeded his expectations.

At the nineteenth stage, combined with the Dragon-Subduing Eighteen Palms, Li Xiaofei's burst potential made him a formidable opponent even for those at the fifth stage of the Limit Breaking Realm.

Finally, it was time for the seventh round of the High School War God League. This round featured four high-profile matches.

Red Flag High School vs. Hongye High School.

Quanye High School vs. Petroleum First High School.

Duxing High School vs. Qishen Academy.

Lanshan High School vs. City Government Administration High School.

These four matches were true clashes of titans. Hongye High School and Petroleum First High School were both traditional powerhouses, having performed excellently and ranked highly in past leagues. Meanwhile, Red Flag High School and Quanye High School were this year's dark horses. Dark horses vs. prestigious schools. The anticipation was immense.

Would the traditional powerhouses maintain their dominance, or would the super dark horses rise to the occasion? Everyone was eagerly waiting to see.

The other two matches were between established powerhouses. Everyone was especially looking forward to the match between Duxing High School and Qishen Academy, which was a confrontation between the first and third place teams on the current league leaderboard.

Up until now, both schools, whether in solo or team mode, had maintained an absolute 100 percent win rate, demonstrating their overwhelming strength. Their upcoming clash meant that one of their undefeated streaks would inevitably come to an end.

At this point, Gu Haochen, the Little Sword Immortal of Hongye High School, posted on his social media:

Li Xiaofei is a very strong opponent. I am eager to face him in battle.

He was filled with confidence about the upcoming match. This statement heightened the anticipation of countless fans. This year's league had seen the rise of four major dark horses, Li Xiaofei, Gu Haochen, Mizutani Hikaru, and Tsukiha Yaiba.

Now that Li Xiaofei and Gu Haochen were facing off, who would truly retain their dark horse status? The day before the match, the hype and excitement on the light-network soared.

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