A few minutes ago, at Jiangnan University's player seats.

"You guys have no idea how terrifying Gangxin is! He can duel with a Lord for several rounds. Such a formidable person, it's better not to send someone up to be defeated. Let's just win the next three solo matches honestly, and then wait for the team battle."

Longxiang said seriously, "The team battle will definitely be a tough fight too. I suggest you all approach it with the mindset of fighting a Spirit Realm BOSS, face it seriously... Fortunately, the opponent has relatively few Combat Skills, probably due to Professional balance restrictions! We still have hope."

The so-called "Professional balance" refers to some special Professions having significant advantages in one aspect but obvious weaknesses in others.

For example, the Hero Profession "Wild Barbarian Warriors" have astonishingly high growth in Power and Endurance attributes, with thick blood bars, but very low Spirit growth, incredibly short Professional Energy Slots, and facing numerous difficulties in comprehending Combat Skills.

The other players from Jiangnan University were somewhat hesitant, but with the testimony of Fengxiang and Qilin, they had no choice but to believe Longxiang's words.

...

In the Xicheng University of Technology's player rest room.

Bai Pu returned victorious, and for a moment, the voices of doubt against him were silenced.

But the doubts still lingered in the hearts of some people, after all, Bai Pu had not shown any real strength. Some people felt it was just Bai Pu's good luck.

Perhaps the opponent's second competitor had a last-minute issue and couldn't make it...

"Put in extra effort for the next three solo matches, just win two more, and we can avoid a team battle." Teacher Cai Cai said with a joyful smile.

She didn't want to engage in a team battle with Jiangnan University just yet. Neither Blood Spider nor Gangxin had fully integrated with the team, so what kind of chemistry they could bring about was still unknown. In contrast, Jiangnan University was well-trained, everyone knew their role, with clear division of labor and seamless cooperation.

If it drags into a team battle, Xili Institute of Technology will be in danger. This is the consensus of everyone except Bai Pu.

However, Teacher Cai Cai's fantasy did not come true.

In the third match, the battle lasted only three minutes, and Xicheng University of Technology was defeated.

In the fourth match, the battle continued for five minutes, and Xicheng University of Technology was defeated again!

The two Intermediate Enhanced Elite team members did their best but unfortunately ran into two Hero Professions from Jiangnan University. With both hard (Attributes and Equipment) and soft strength (Specialties and Skills) inferior to their opponents, it was only natural that they were defeated.

Two clean and decisive victories immediately boosted Jiangnan University's morale, and rhythmic cheers erupted from the stands. The sound of empty mineral water bottles being knocked together added to the psychological pressure on Xili Institute of Technology, the visiting team.

"The first four solo matches ended in a tie, with both sides scoring 28 points each. According to the supplementary rules, the fifth solo match is automatically canceled, and both teams go straight into the team battle!"

The host announced loudly.

The so-called solo match is basically a one-on-one duel.

With the scores at 28:28, regardless of who wins the fifth solo match, the score can only be increased to 42 points, not enough to reach the 50-point threshold for an early victory.

Therefore, under such circumstances, the supplementary rules dictate that they move directly into a team battle.

"Oh, it still dragged into a team battle." Teacher Cai Cai sighed, but she quickly shook off the feeling of disappointment and encouraged everyone, "It's okay, you all saw it, our individual strength is still a cut above Jiangnan University! As long as we plan and execute our strategy correctly, we'll win the team battle!"

A substitute morale team member nodded in agreement: "The teacher is right, the fact that we didn't have a fifth solo match makes the solo competition seem evenly matched. Our competitor for the fifth round is 'Grand General' Senior Xuan Pin, while the opponent's fifth competitor is merely an Enhanced Elite. If we played the fifth solo match, we'd definitely win."

Teacher Cai Cai didn't expect her casual remark to be backed up so logically by her team member, and she immediately perked up:

"Well said, with the addition of the two Super rookies, Gangxin and Blood Spider, our strength has skyrocketed this year. We have the ability to compete with the strong teams in the national competition. By then, we'll play around Xuan Pin, with MT Gangxin protecting Xuan Pin, while others stall for time, allowing Xuan Pin to summon more Natural Partners and wipe out the opponent with a single sweep!"

In a team, the Summoner's position is very special.

They themselves lack direct combat abilities, spending most of their time seeking and Contracting Summoned Creatures, and developing closeness with them (for most Summoning Professions). Their main Attribute is Spirit, yet they lack the strong Magic Skills of a Caster—there are too few Skill Slots.

Once unprepared and caught off guard by the enemy, a Summoning Profession can only await their demise.

However, given enough time, a Summoner can send a constant stream of summoned creature armies onto the battlefield, possessing the ability to turn the tide!

After learning about his task, Bai Pu nodded, indicating no objection.

Soon, the team battle commenced.

Both teams entered and set up their formations.

"Gangxin, aren't you an MT? Where's your Shield?" a plain-faced male teammate asked.

"I can't use my Shield at the moment." Bai Pu was telling the truth, as his Spider Demon Dominator Shield was still evolving inside a Dark Gold cocoon, and the progress hadn't even reached 10%.

To the ears of other uninformed teammates, his words naturally deepened their distrust of Bai Pu.

Without showing any expression, Blood Spider tossed a blue Shield over. It was her spare Shield, in Sealed state, which Bai Pu could equip.

This blue Shield was a small Arm Shield with a relatively low block bonus. The damage reduction ratio after a successful block was not as good as a Tower Shield. However, the advantage was that the Basic Power requirement was low, allowing an Agility-type Warrior to equip it without suffering a speed penalty.

Bai Pu received the Shield but was reluctant to unseal it. To say he didn't need it felt like low emotional intelligence.

He hesitated for a moment, then stored the Shield in his Storage Space.

With a clang, the imposing Chainsaw Greatsword appeared, standing on the ground with the hilt reaching Bai Pu's chest.

"My goodness." Even Xuan Pin, who was gathering Natural Energy and summoning Natural Partners, was startled. He really wanted to ask Bai Pu, are you really an MT? Isn't it overkill to ask you to protect me? Won't you accidentally slash me too with that Greatsword?

The +8 Enhancement glow of the Chainsaw Greatsword was not something Bai Pu flaunted ostentatiously. This was a common choice among most Awakened with high-level Enhancement Equipment; a barking dog doesn't bite. Revealing prematurely to the enemy that this is a +8 weapon could prepare them mentally.

Only when Bai Pu entered battle and dealt damage with his Chainsaw Greatsword would the +8 glow be undeniable — this characteristic also applied to the Equipment's Illusion Mode, which would be disabled upon entering combat.

Since Bai Pu had not yet entered combat, he was still clad in Ordinary white sportswear.

Green light flickered, and a vine as thick as a barrel, shimmering with a bluish Glow, was summoned. It tunneled underground, emerging from the soil from time to time like a sentient python.

"This is a plant-type Natural Partner — the Poisonous Vine 'Lady Kirella'." Xuan Pin exhaled and introduced, "Lady Kirella, these are all my companions, please remember their aura!"

The Poisonous Vine Lady Kirella extended what seemed like a maw resembling an Abyssal Monster from underground and slightly nodded — that was presumably her head. Wisps of Natural Energy brushed against Bai Pu.

[You have received Kirella's Natural Mark. Until the mark is withdrawn, you will not be affected by the Poison of the Poisonous Vine Kirella.]

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