No matter who Qi Xu turned his gaze toward, everyone quickly paired up with others, leaving him unsurprisingly alone.
The other person left solo was the baby-faced guy, whose isolation was equally predictable—he hadn’t actively invited anyone, remaining cold and silent the entire time, creating a stark contrast between his appearance and personality.
Once all groups were finalized, the roundtable meeting ended abruptly. Communication was cut off, and partitions were raised on both sides.
The matchups were announced from above:
[Zone 88, District 666 – Invincible Black Whirlwind VS Zone 122, District 273 – Wolf Warrior 006]
The winning district’s leader could arbitrarily replace two registered players from their opponent’s district.
Qi Xu’s eyes lit up. Perfect, perfect! 006 is here! Old Seven and Old Nine will be thrilled—another Wolf Warrior fragment secured!
Next, the rules for this cross-district challenge appeared:
[Players must quickly confirm their team roster by filling in the following form.]
This wasn’t a blank form but a battle lineup, and the format was no longer the simple 1v1 arena fights from last time.
There were solo matches, team battles, and coordination rounds: three 1v1s, two 2v2s, one 5v5, and one 8v8—seven battles in total.
Each player could only participate once, emphasizing teamwork far more than before. Relying on a single strong player was no longer viable.
And Qi Xu wasn’t just aiming to win—he wanted the highest score possible! At this thought, he suddenly remembered how everyone had been wary of him earlier...
He raised his voice and asked, "Respected and adorable Ball Ball, what if someone cheats?"
"Player, do not spout nonsense."
It had been a while since Qi Xu had been scolded by Ball Ball, so the retort caught him off guard.
After a pause, he pressed on, "For example, if District A’s leader deliberately holds back their team, letting District B win everything. Then, when District B’s leader gets to pick ten players, they take all of District A’s members and compensate them afterward.
This way, District B is guaranteed the highest score and the special prize. Your system has a bug, and I’m reporting it."
Back when he used to chat with his own Ball Ball, Qi Xu had sensed that Ball Ball feared complaints and reports—worried about not doing its job properly. So, he went straight for the threat!
It wasn’t his Ball anyway; offending it didn’t matter.
Ball Ball froze, calculating for a long moment before realizing Qi Xu—aka Invincible Black Whirlwind—was right.
It promptly added a new rule:
"If any district leader is found deliberately throwing matches or disrespecting the competition, their entire district will receive the honorable treatment of collective elimination.
As thanks to player Invincible Black Whirlwind for exposing this bug, a Vehicle Upgrade Card ×1 will be awarded."
Qi Xu’s lips twitched. This Ball was... something else. So generous!
Still, at least it corrected the mistake. Otherwise, he’d have worried about missing out on the vehicle core.
Team battles tested coordination and trust between members. The only wild cards were Crushed Ice Lamb and Happy Big Girl.
These two hadn’t worked with the others before, making them potential sources of conflict. So, Qi Xu paired them for a 2v2—teamwork would be crucial here.
This way, he could observe their skills and how they interacted, minimizing risks.
One was well-rounded, the other had explosive strength, and since they’d volunteered their stats, they’d likely perform well.
As for the three 1v1s, they had to win—these were the most predictable. With the right lineup, there’d be no surprises.
So, Qi Xu entered the three strongest solo fighters: "Invincible Black Whirlwind," "Watch Me Cut You Down," and "Song Peifeng."
For the other 2v2, he picked Wolf Warrior 009 and Wolf Warrior Old Seven—maximizing their chances. These two were longtime teammates and currently the strongest; losing wasn’t an option.
The group battles were more about coordination and experience, with less pressure.
After all, the three 1v1s and one 2v2 would carry most of the weight.
For the 5v5, he listed: "Old White Dragon in the Waves," "Golden Bell Armor Iron Shirt," "Swim & Fitness Coach Chen," "Bubbly Girl Guo Degang," and "Chinese Master Chef."
The other four would hold the line, while Chinese Master Chef secured their baseline.
If things went south, they could all retreat into Chinese Master Chef’s shell—a draw was better than a loss.
The 8v8 lineup was even easier: "Breaking Cocoon into Butterfly," "Fortune God’s Only Daughter," "Muzi Li," "Ballpoint Pen," "Spicy Beauty," "Blessed by Luck," "Retired Magical Boy," and "Broken Moonlit Promise."
They’d just fought together in the last team dungeon, so they knew each other’s styles and could sync up quickly.
"Broken Moonlit Promise" was Watch Me Cut You Down’s fan and Old Seven’s former teammate. Last cross-district challenge, Watch Me Cut You Down had kicked her off the stage instantly, leaving her skills a mystery.
But at a recent gathering, Qi Xu checked her stats—they were impressive, at least better than Blessed by Luck and Retired Magical Girl. She’d just faced an opponent way out of her league...
There was no deliberate gender-based grouping; it was purely about familiarity. The more comfortable teammates were with each other, the better they’d fight—that was a given.
Qi Xu’s thoughts raced, but the roster was submitted quickly.
Yet the system panel seemed to lag, taking forever to finalize the matchups.
"Dear Ball Ball, what’s going on?"
No response. Qi Xu clicked his tongue. This "foreign Ball" was nowhere near as considerate as his own.
He checked the time—6:20. The battles started at 8, and he still wanted to hunt down that C137 Mighty Bull before then. Time was tight.
After another ten minutes, the match was finally set.
Both team leaders immediately saw each other’s lineups.
Qi Xu was up against Wolf Warrior 006.
And Wolf Warrior 006—previously an icy doll-face—instantly transformed into a jubilant New Year’s painting!
Old Seven and Old Nine were together, and both in Invincible Black Whirlwind’s district! Worst of all, neither had been assigned a 1v1!
Now there was no chance to negotiate with Invincible Black Whirlwind. Otherwise, he’d have tried to strike a deal—win and pick him for transfer.
Wolf Warrior 006 was drowning in regret. His earlier aloofness had ruined his first impression. What now?!
He spun in frantic circles, unsure if communication would be possible mid-battle. Winning or losing didn’t matter anymore—he just wanted to reunite with Old Seven and Old Nine!
I just wonder how much influence Old Seven and Old Nine have in their district—can they get their Sixth Brother swapped back?
And what’s the deal with Old Seven? Why’d they write his name as "Eggie Seven"?
..........
