With the group stage nearing its end, the situation is becoming clearer. Long Sky is in eighth place, and Temple is in ninth, with a significant points gap. Temple needs a big win to surpass Long Sky. However, the next match is an internal battle between the two sides, meaning that regardless of who wins or loses, one side will definitely qualify by stepping on the other's shoulders, while the losing side will basically be out of the running.
Many Huaxia viewers were on tenterhooks, hoping that all three of their teams could make it to the quarterfinals. However, the situation was complicated. This internal battle was expected during the group stage, but it was still very tense when it actually happened. Group C was full of strong teams, making it difficult to gain points. Many teams with the potential to advance did not even make it into the top ten. Long Sky and Temple's results were quite good.
Some players calculated the points and came to a complicated result: Long Sky had a slightly higher score. If Changkong intentionally lost this match, allowing Temple to gain enough points, Temple could jump to seventh place, while Long Sky would be squeezed to ninth. However, the gap between Long Sky and the team in front is very small, and the remaining schedule is easier than that of the team in front. It is very likely that Changkong can overtake Temple and return to eighth place. In this case, both teams have a chance to qualify.
The worst outcome of the civil war would be a Pyrrhic victory for the Temple, resulting in only a few points, while Long Sky would suffer a defeat and receive no points. This would mean both sides would be severely damaged, and the entire round would be a waste, generating very few points. Not only would the Temple's situation remain unchanged, but Long Sky's ranking would also become unstable.
To achieve the best outcome, cooperation in secret is the only way.
However, this is just the audience's opinion. Hao Tian never engages in such underhanded tactics. His professionalism makes him give his all against any opponent, and it's impossible for him to throw a match. He has a pure and straightforward personality and doesn't think about anything else.
Long Sky had no intention of holding back. This civil war was fierce and brutal. Both sides were armored and their strengths were similar. The fighting was intense and passionate, with cannons roaring everywhere. In the end, Long Sky emerged victorious, defeating the Temple and solidifying his ranking.
But the Temple's hopes of advancing were crushed by Long Sky himself.
A small group of Temple fans immediately objected, angrily criticizing Long Sky and escalating the issue to the level of betrayal. However, most people, including some Temple fans, did not agree with this statement, feeling that Long Sky had done nothing wrong. This was a competition, and competitions are about giving your all. Fixing a match is unprofessional, and there's nothing to say if you're not as skilled as your opponent.
The Temple naturally took the right stance, advocating that fans not criticize Long Sky, saying that they hadn't played well this time, etc. But it was impossible not to be angry. Their international competition had come to an end, while their competitor Long Sky was continuing to fight over their corpses. However, the Temple was always very pragmatic. The situation was already set, and getting angry or venting was useless. The problem they were thinking about was minimizing losses, which was Li Ge's strength. He was proficient in shaping an image and guiding public opinion.
Under Li Ge's leadership, the team not only didn't hold back in the final group stage matches, but also changed their tactics, playing more aggressively than before. It was as if they knew they couldn't advance, so they played with flair. The bigger purpose was to make a show of force, preventing their opponents from taking too many points from them, indirectly helping Long Sky hold off their enemies, cultivating an image of never giving up, and demonstrating a spirit of unity. Then, they found some people to make these "speculations" on the forums, stirring up the atmosphere and making the Temple's image suddenly appear glorious and righteous, placing them on the high ground of public opinion. Everyone who talked about the Temple gave them a thumbs up and said "Well done!"
In this way, they not only gained fame and reputation, but also mitigated the negative impact of failing to qualify. Furthermore, by contrasting this method with Long Sky's victory over their compatriot team, they highlighted their own "noble character." The Temple's management was quite satisfied with the result. Among the four major powerhouses in Huaxia, Temple was the most commercialized club. If losing the game would be more profitable, Han Xiao had no doubt that they would do it.
With the conclusion of the final group stage match, the qualification results are in:
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1. Devil
2. Dynasty
3. Yamata
4. KEY
5. Tulip
6. Kangaroo Boxing
7. Rose Knight
8. Long Sky
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The most outstanding team in the group stage was Dynasty. They had overtaken Devil to become number one in the middle of the competition, but in the last few matches, they deliberately threw the game and fell to second place. Since the final round matches depended on the group stage rankings, if Dynasty were ranked first, their opponent would be Long Sky, who was ranked eighth, which would not be good. So after discussing it within the team, Dynasty decided to drop one place. But everyone knew that if Dynasty wanted to, they could have maintained a perfect record and entered the final round with great fanfare.
This ranking was completely different from what he remembered. Han Xiao's existence was like a butterfly flapping its wings, changing the situation of the league. He vaguely remembered that in his previous life, there was originally a top eight spot for South Korea Kimchi, but now Kimchi is ranked outside the top ten, and the spot has been taken away.
Many of these teams are strong, having shone brightly in every league in their previous lives. It's a pity that their novice planets are too far away; otherwise, Han Xiao would really like to attract these professional experts to join his camp, as their ability to get things done (and complete tasks) is very reliable.
Of the top eight, only Huaxia and the United States have two teams in the same competition. In the previous life, only the Dynasty made it into the top eight, but now Long Sky has joined the competition.
In the individual competition, Frenzied Saber qualified in fifteenth place, Kings and Generals qualified in sixth place. Both of them are from Huaxia. With strong teams and top players from various regions competing on the same stage, their performance is quite outstanding.
The Galaxy Times dedicated a special episode to explaining the performance of the qualifying teams and analyzing the upcoming finals. They concluded that three teams have the best chance of winning the championship: Devil, Dynasty, and KEY. With the best-of-five format, each team will undoubtedly pull out all the stops to fully counter their opponents.
The schedule for the final round has been released. The first match is KEY vs. Tulip.
The Huaxia team has made great progress in the league compared to its previous life. During the group stage, Han Xiao stayed in the Juberly Hub, temporarily refusing cooperation invitations from other mercenary groups to rest and reorganize the team. However, he was not idle. He focused on manufacturing more machines, teaching Aroshia, commanding Sunil Squad to carry out other missions, and accompanying Melos in combat training.
Now that the group stage is over and the ranking has met expectations, Han Xiao no longer focuses on the details of the matches. What results the team achieves next doesn't affect him much, and he continues to carry out the mercenary group's business.
Just then, Jenny, the head housekeeper of Floating Dragon Island, sent a supply mission. Logistics supervisor Haier applied for a new batch of parts and supplies. The seller's team was on a Goddora colony in the Garton Star System and needed Han Xiao to escort them.
Ames hardly gets involved in anything; Jenny is always in charge of everything. Compared to the other three Beyond Grade A bigwigs of the Shattered Star Ring, Ames is the least concerned about cultivating her own power. The other three have combat armies to varying degrees, Ames only has a group of guards. The Black Star Mercenary Group is her only external combat force. In reality, it's just for running errands. After all, compared to those large fleets, a medium-sized mercenary group is as insignificant as dust.
Dragon Calm's protection wasn't given lightly. His Black Star Mercenary Group was nominally Dragon Calm's Field Operations Department, tasked with escorting supplies, Pursuit enemies, Earth Movement, and gathering intelligence. They frequently performed errands, similar to daily faction quests, offering little experience but primarily increasing faction favorability. Currently, Han Xiao's favorability with Dragon Calm's faction had reached 2100 points, with the relationship being [Friendly].
Han Xiao led the group on their journey. Since the contestants entered the competition using a gathering crystal, their positions were not restricted, and they moved together.
The competition is important, but sticking close to Han Xiao is also crucial—otherwise, no one will repair the armor.