Chapter 158
Xie Qingxuan seemed to be deep in thought. She went through the logic and summarized the whole strategy: send flowers, confess her feelings, ask to be taken care of, and have intimate physical contact.
"Thank you, I understand."
Xie Qingxuan politely thanked her.
Fan Qiuling fell silent. She didn't know exactly what her captain had understood, but if he said he understood, then he must truly understand, right?
At the same time, the voice of the Dream Weaver Rabbit rang out from the broadcast.
Everyone was used to it, but their hearts still sank.
This is already the third Stage Battle announcement in Area A1 today.
Whether it's practicing dance music or finding someone to challenge, they don't have much time left.
Xie Qingxuan glanced at Ji Shuzhu, whose pupils were shrouded in Black Mist, and said softly:
"The teams in Area A1 are all of very high quality. We can't simply strip them of their spotlight without going through the Stage Battle, but at the same time, we don't have much time left."
"Therefore, this time the Shining Formula will not have any new materials. We must use the extracted dance as the main axis and combine the existing Shining elements to create the best formula."
Ji Shuzhu savored the lingering aftertaste on her tongue, enjoying the brilliance of yesterday's 14 performances, and responded with a hint of regret:
"You're right."
After the choreographer finished speaking, she turned to look at the two of them and said:
"I will re-choreograph this dance, adding all the difficult and impossible-to-learn moves to Xie Qingxuan and me. If you have any objections, please feel free to speak up."
Chu Qiushuang nodded in agreement, indicating that she had no objection.
Fan Qiuling was the same.
There was no way around it. Putting aside the fact that they had no say in the team, realistically speaking, their team didn't even have a week left. This was even with the other team choosing to meet them on the last day of the deadline; otherwise, they would only have three days.
In such extreme circumstances, whether one can be allocated more actions and showcase their brilliance on stage becomes a detail that can be temporarily ignored.
After all, nothing is more important than advancing to the next round, and nobody wants to be eliminated without even getting a chance to perform in the second Public Performance.
Ji Shuzhu said:
"So the question is, which team should we challenge?"
Fan Qiuling sighed:
"If Dream Weaver Rabbit didn't distribute mobile phones, we would still have many options. But now, we can only look for strong teams that are very confident in their abilities. At least, we'll only accept matches from teams that are all B-Class."
Chu Qiushuang understood the implication.
Xie Qingxuan, this Stage Tyrant, is still trending on Weibo after getting their phones, and there's no reason they wouldn't see it.
In other words, the team's terrifying record of winning 14 games in one day must have spread to all the teams in the AI region.
Even though everyone knows that their team has only just reached the A1 zone and hasn't had much time to practice dancing, there are still very few teams that dare to challenge them in Stage Battle because of Xie Qingxuan and Ji Shuzhu's past record of speed-passing.
Xie Qingxuan said calmly:
"I never intended to challenge the weak."
"I speedrunned the first two areas just so I could Kiriwake Yayoi."
Chu Qiushuang's silence was deafening.
Damn it, do you even listen to what you're saying?
That team has an absurd 3A1B combination, okay? And unlike our team which relies solely on Xie Qingxuan's single [Flow State] attack, the enemy team has a whopping three [Flow State] attacks. Plus, they have a week's training time advantage. How do you think their chances of winning are?
Fan Qiuling thought it was feasible. Unlike Chu Qiushuang, she had personally stood on the stage and experienced Xie Qingxuan's charm as Stage Tyrant. The kind of stage presence that turned teammates into pawns, gathered all the glory on himself, and radiated to the world like a tax was completely incomparable to that of a normal team.
Even a team with a 3A1B configuration might still be able to put up a fight.
It's worth noting that Xie Qingxuan embodies the brilliance of almost half the contestants in this region. She hasn't truly unleashed her full potential on stage yet, otherwise her "Flow State" state that day wouldn't have lasted so long.
Imagine the kind of miracle that could be created if all the focus and energy scattered across 14 stages were concentrated and unleashed in just three minutes on one stage.
We can win!
Fan Qiuling was even more confident than Xie Qingxuan herself, and immediately replied:
I have no objection.
Ji Shuzhu felt the same way. She understood even better what big move Xie Qingxuan was holding back. If the opponent wasn't a high-quality and special adversary like Kiriwake Yayoi, the opponent wouldn't unleash her full strength at all, and naturally, she wouldn't be able to experience... her true brilliance.
Therefore, this battle is imperative.
Chu Qiushuang gritted her teeth and said:
"But they've been in A1 for a week now, so they might already be matched with opponents and preparing to advance."
"And just as we feel threatened by a duel with the other party, there's no reason for Kiriwake Yayoi to take the risk and agree, right?"
Fan Qiuling smiled, a dark glint appearing in her eyes, and said softly:
"You're right about one thing: everyone feels threatened when playing against strong teams."
"So... in area A1, who do you think would risk agreeing to Kiriwake Yayoi?"
Volume 1: Chapter 154. A Terrifying Battle of Female Warriors: Hero vs. Demon King. (5K2)
The next day.
A somber atmosphere hung heavy in the air inside the practice room.
Tang Liuli sat on the sofa, wearing an oversized hoodie that covered her hot pants, revealing her fair, slender, and alluring thighs. Her snow-white feet were shuffling in slippers, her toes pressing against the cool surfaces of the shoes, the slight pressure highlighting the arch of her feet.
The girl glanced at the three teams marked off by virtual red lines on the projection screen, her pretty face showing displeasure, and said indignantly:
"Avoiding war? That's far too cunning!"
Little Sakura wore a form-fitting yoga outfit that clearly outlined her shapely figure. She wore a sports jacket reminiscent of those worn by members of Island Nation adult entertainment groups, which concealed her prominent and full upper body curves. Her slender yet voluptuous thighs sat on the sofa cushions, creating delicate curves that exuded youthful vitality.
The girl's cherry-pink eyes slowly faded, replaced by a hint of helplessness. She felt extremely guilty and said with a touch of apology:
"Sorry, I didn't expect no one would accept the challenge."
Yesterday, during practice until dinner time, a group of people challenged the selected team through the system. However, less than five minutes later, the other team indicated that they were avoiding the battle and rejected the PK invitation.
Subsequently, they challenged two of the alternative teams, but were rejected within an hour of both challenges. After that, they simply abandoned their original cautious tactics and challenged a team from the entire B-Class group, and even several other strong teams.
Result...
"The teams that challenged later haven't even returned."
Chu Wangshu looked at the clock, which had already pointed to 10, and muttered:
"Even if you don't agree, you can just refuse us directly."
After a moment's hesitation, Kiriwake Yayoi replied with a possibility that even she herself didn't believe:
"Maybe they didn't see it, or maybe they just didn't have time to reply?"
To be honest, the PK invitation message is very obvious. Just like the Dream Weaver Rabbit's holographic projection can appear freely in 99% of the corners of the underground base, the PK invitation will also use holographic projection to present an extremely gorgeous and magnificent process animation.
Even if the challenged teams are practicing their dances at this time, it's impossible for them not to see it.
Rather, unless they spend the entire day in the entertainment area watching movies, playing games, and shopping, causing the AI system to refrain from displaying the challenge message out of humanitarian considerations, they would have seen it no matter what.
As for not having time to reply? It involves a major event related to advancement, so it's impossible for me not to have time to reply.
The fact that these teams say they "don't have time to reply" only proves that they are unwilling to accept the challenge, or that they have already found a challenger, but they are unaware of it because they chose to hide the notification.
The situation is terrible.
Because of the total number of teams that rejected them, coupled with the recent series of stage PK notifications, most teams in area A1 have already found PK opponents, and their team seems to be vaguely isolated, putting them in a very awkward situation.
Tang Liuli didn't kick Little Sakura while she was down. She realized what was happening, and, furious, gritted her teeth and said indignantly:
"It's not your fault, it's Dream Weaver Rabbit's fault!"
"Our Stage Battle are always broadcast live, and the edited footage is prominently displayed on various websites. They deliberately timed the announcement of the new rules at this point in time, and then intentionally gave all the contestants three hours to browse external information."
"Now that the phones are out today, our competitors have probably just finished watching those performances where we gave it our all, and they know the typical impact [Flow State] can have on stage. So... unless they've improved a lot, there's no way they'll agree."
The words had barely left his mouth.
Chu Wangshu and Kiriwake Yayoi suddenly realized that their minds were too pure. They had spent those three hours talking to their families or replying to fans' messages. Although they had seen some messages along the way, they hadn't thought of this matter at all.
Chu Yuanqing was somewhat worried; she had guessed this situation yesterday.
But in fact, Yayoi can't be blamed for this, because even without watching the live broadcast of the Stage Battle, her team's luxurious 3A1B lineup was still quite impressive.
It's fair to say that even if the PK invitation had been sent out a week earlier, those who wanted to refuse would still have refused. Knowing about it earlier would have only affected everyone's mood during training.
In theory, she shouldn't be worried about being eliminated.
After all, neither the audience nor Flash Dance itself would allow the six A-Class contestants, who were given artificial lanterns, to be eliminated for such a ridiculous reason.
In other words, their team actually has a get-out-of-jail-free card.
Even for Xiao Shu, who isn't on this list, from her own perspective, it's a good thing to leave the enigmatic <Flash Dance> sooner rather than later.
Chu Yuanqing's current predicament stems entirely from a promise he made with his daughter today: if they lose the Stage Battle, or if no one else takes on the challenge, causing his Little Cotton-padded Jacket, who lacks the ability to achieve "Flow State," to be prematurely eliminated and unable to perform in the second Public Performance...
She could hardly imagine how heartbroken and upset the child would be, how guilty he would feel, and how he would overthink things, such as Chu Yuanqing arriving at the Public Performance venue only to be disappointed by not seeing her, which would only make him break down and cry even more.
Chu Yuanqing dared not continue thinking. Her small face turned serious, and she said solemnly:
"Let's leave aside the teams that don't respond for now. We should prepare for both possibilities and look for teams in the same situation as us."
Kiriwake Yayoi understood the implication.
Although their 3A1B team configuration is so impressive that no other team dares to risk taking on the challenge, there are other equally strong teams in the A1 area that also struggle to find opponents to PK with.
The Green Eyed Cat knew them all like the back of its hand, counting them on its fingers as it recited:
"Xiaoxiao, Bao'er, Chen Yining, and Ruan Wutong, who was exposed for making a comeback through [Flow State]."
"This team is quite strong. I heard that the Young Lady's [Flow State] ability is very mysterious and has an extremely powerful effect on stage. If those teams are worried about the risk, they probably won't even accept the challenge, let alone a team with two [Flow State] abilities, or even any team with [Flow State] abilities at all."
"Therefore, they should be in the same situation as us, where there's no one to compete against."
Tang Liuli felt a little guilty as she read this.
There are so many familiar faces in this team!
Xiaoxiao is her roommate. To be fair, their relationship isn't exactly that of close friends, but to be fair, she's definitely much closer to Xiaoxiao than to Xie Qingxuan. Xiaoxiao is one of the few people she doesn't have social anxiety with, so she can be considered an ordinary friend.
As for Bao'er...
This outsider was really screwed over by her. He finally got to join a decent team, and now she's rushing over to try and crush the other team, resulting in their miserable elimination. That's so unfair.
After all, if they were to actually compete against this team, from a rational and self-interested perspective, the teammate they would ultimately choose would first exclude Liang Xiaoxiao, whose abilities are average, and then exclude Lin Bao'er, whose role overlaps with their own. They would then have to choose between Ruan Wutong and Chen Yining, both of whom are Flow State types.
Therefore, upon closer examination, this is a complete case of exploiting personal relationships.
Chu Wangshu suppressed her anxiety. She wasn't very familiar with the people in that team, and her relationship with Liang Xiaoxiao was only that of two people she had met a few times and had shared breakfast together. She hadn't considered that aspect at the moment, and calmly analyzed the situation:
"The risk is too great. This team should only be considered as a last resort."
Kiriwake Yayoi seconded:
"Yes, just like Xie Qingxuan's [Flow State] can have a preemptive and overwhelming effect, Liuli and my [Flow State] each have their own uses. None of us know what the effects of their [Flow State] are. It would be terrible if there were any counteracting relationships. The intelligence is very unstable."
"On the other hand, they were among the first to advance, and they had much more practice time than us."
"Stage Battle are all about handling details. The fewer points you lose in the early stages, the greater your advantage. We're not Xie Qingxuan or Ji Shuzhu, so we can't handle things perfectly in a short time, which will definitely put us at a disadvantage."
For a moment, the entire room fell silent.
Of the six A-Class players in the entire competition, three were from their side, one was Chen Yining, and the remaining two were from the same team.
Simply put, it's a classic process of elimination: if you can't challenge Chen Yining, you can only challenge Xie Qingxuan.
This competition format, which allows participants to avoid direct confrontation, is essentially forcing them into a fiercely competitive environment.
Just as everyone fell silent, brilliant light billowed from the Living room, followed by a spectacular display of fireworks and stage illusions. Like a whirlwind, an elegant yet antique black envelope drifted down from within – the very PK invitation they were currently agonizing over.
Chu Yuanqing's slender hand touched the sealing wax of the envelope, and like a fingerprint unlocking device, it opened itself, instantly revealing the corresponding team number, team member names, and challenge message to everyone.
--Team ID: 12.
--Team Name: Xie Qingxuan, Ji Shuzhu, Fan Qiuling, Chu Qiushuang.
Then, a passage was drawn in the void like an iron pen and silver hook:
"The battle is set for noon three days from now. Do you dare to accept the challenge?"
A strange feeling welled up in Chu Yuanqing's heart. The thought of possibly meeting him on stage made her feel somewhat dazed. She suddenly remembered Xie Qingxuan's whispered words in her ear when they parted: