50: Chapter 50 The New King Joins the Team

As soon as the league bell rang, the matchups for the three white field stages were pressed down.

Lu Jin versus Qiao Ye.

If one lost, that door to the night field would be slammed shut on the spot.

The Black Well Outer Ring had not been quiet since before dawn.

The right wall had been patched last night, the cross-groove behind the gate had been reinforced with bone, and even the cracked edges outside the Brood Nursery Court had been smoothed over by the Nest-Paste Worker Rats.

Shi Jiukui and the others stood at the entrance, not a single one leaving; even Zhong Xiaoqi, who was usually the laziest about getting up early, was guarding the side while clutching her beehive.

Just as Lu Jin stepped out of the transfer room, Shi Jiukui spoke first.

"I've checked the fortress for you; everything that could be patched has been. Just go and fight with peace of mind today."

Lu Jin glanced at him.

"You're all blocking the way here early in the morning just to say this?"

Shi Jiukui grinned.

"Of course not. We're here to settle the accounts clearly."

"If you make it into the night field today, the Black Well Class's quota for next month will increase, the time in the stabilization room will jump up, and the priority rights for the Outer Ring resource corridor will change. If you manage to take the championship, the people from the main academy will have to change their tone whenever they mention the Black Well in the future."

Duan Chenzhou stood to the side, carrying his drag-snail, his voice still muffled.

"As you climb higher, the Black Well rises with you."

"Anyone can do that math."

Zhong Xiaoqi hugged her beehive tighter to her chest, her response more direct.

"We've already reaped the benefits you brought back from the previous times you snatched the weekly ranking, cut off transport lines, and opened the city walls. Today is the final step; who would pretend not to see it at a time like this?"

Zhu Qinghe squatted at the base of the wall, her fingertips still stained with pale green fungal powder.

"In the past, no one was willing to stand with the Black Well because they couldn't see a way forward."

"You carved out that path. Now, whoever helps you is helping their own future."

After listening, Lu Jin just nodded.

It wasn't just empty talk of loyalty that made the people of the Black Well Class willing to stand by him.

It was because he had fought tooth and nail to reclaim resources, time, work stations, and the instructors' attention every step of the way.

Everyone understood that if he could take another step forward today, the old reputation of the Black Well would be torn out by the roots.

Instructor Wu Heng finally walked out from behind, his black iron prosthetic finger tapping on the railing.

"Alright, that's enough talk for now."

"Instructor Gu has already released the rules and matchups for the white field."

The light screen above the Black Well lit up, and words fell line by line.

[Rules for the Final Battle]

[Dual Scoring for Victory/Defeat and Battle Damage]

[The winner receives base points, with floating points calculated based on net victory, battle damage, and the opponent's ranking]

[After the white field ends, the top two enter the night field championship battle]

[The night field determines: Top Freshman, first seat of the main academy team reserves, and viewing rights to the Military Court's sealed star map]

The next moment, the matchup list followed.

[Stage 1: Meng Huichao vs Ning Yanqiu]

[Stage 2: Wen Zhao vs Huo Beichuan]

[Stage 3: Lu Jin vs Qiao Ye]

Instructor Wu Heng looked at Lu Jin, making the meaning very clear.

"It's not just your match today. All three stages are active, and the top-ranked students are all making their moves."

"On Stage 1, Meng Huichao is defending the top spot, while Ning Yanqiu is fighting for the top two. On Stage 2, Wen Zhao needs to secure his position in the main reserves, and Huo Beichuan has to fight for his last chance to turn the tide. Stage 3 is the most direct: between you and Qiao Ye, whoever wins earns the qualification to look toward the night field."

Qiao Ye arrived quickly.

Three Black-horned Shield Bears followed behind him, their footsteps making the heavy stage resound.

He walked in the middle, his shoulders and back held straight; clearly, the joint training session last night only made him understand Lu Jin's fortress, it hadn't made him abandon his drive to fight for the position.

After standing still, he first glanced at the Furnace Cave Fortress, then looked at Lu Jin.

"Last night, we were cooperating on the joint training stage. Today, we are not."

"This white field match is just as critical for me. I'm currently fourth, and you're fifth. If I lose to you, the door to the night field will have nothing to do with me, and my position in the main reserves will have to be pushed back."

Lu Jin nodded.

"So, don't hold back in today's match."

Qiao Ye smiled.

"I was just hoping to hear you say that."

"Your fortress has turned around quite a few matches by relying on its system. Today, I want to see clearly whether it's really that tough when it takes on my Shield Bear line head-on."

The white field map was called Broken Hammer Stage.

In the middle was a heavy main stage, with a low slope on the left and a half-broken wall on the right. The terrain was very short, offering little room for maneuvering. The academy's decision to place Lu Jin and Qiao Ye on this map made their intentions very clear.

Let them decide the winner head-on.

The white light fell on all three stages simultaneously.

On Stage 1, Meng Huichao's gray-blue tide line had already surged, while Ning Yanqiu's Frost Crow was cutting back and forth against the high mirror screen.

On Stage 2, a patch of fiery red lit up as Wen Zhao's flowing-fire crossbow bee line collided with Huo Beichuan's heavy city-demolishing pressure.

The entire main academy had not been just a single competition since the bell rang.

Every stage today was determining the positions for the future.

On Stage 3, Qiao Ye raised his hand and pressed down his first command.

"Three bears take the center, short-hook hands stick to the flanks. No fancy tricks today; first, crush the momentum at his gate."

His line was the most standard, steady frontal push.

Among this year's freshmen, Qiao Ye was already in the most stable tier of Apprentice God Realm Controllers. Anyone who wanted to pierce through him head-on would have to bring their real skills to the table first.

Three Black-horned Shield Bears were at the front, with six short-hook hands following on both sides. Once the hooks were attached, they could twist the Shield Bears' force into a single line. Qiao Ye stood on the back of the middle bear, responsible for watching the gate gaps, the fire troughs, and determining where the next push should be made.

Lu Jin's setup was very clear.

War Nest Gate, a half-section of inner wall, two fire troughs, and a section of low slope wall on the right.

Behind the gate stood twelve Hard-Shelled Gatekeeper Rats, nine Burrowing Spear Rats were hidden in each of the left and right secret troughs, and behind them, four Nest-Paste Worker Rats and six Gray Fire Acolytes guarded the Priest Well. Wu Fu stood before the Brood Nursery Court with three strands of nest silk hanging into the secondary trough, while Grey Pupil guarded the well, his sacrificial staff already suppressing the first wave of fire.

As the referee's voice fell.

"The final battle, begin!"

Qiao Ye did not hold back at all.

"Push!"

The three Shield Bears charged forward together, their black hooves making the main stage tremble as they slammed head-on into the War Nest Gate.

Bang!

The gate frame shook violently.

The Gatekeeper Rats simultaneously sank their hind legs half an inch to absorb the force.

Lu Jin's voice was steady.

"Fire, press the joint between the forearms, don't chase the head."

Both fire troughs lit up simultaneously, and gray-red fire lines rolled out along the base of the gate, specifically targeting the soft flesh at the junction of the Shield Bears' forearms and chests. Qiao Ye saw this quickly and immediately raised his hand.

"Shoulders down, don't expose the joints to him. Short-hook hands, get up there and hook the corners of the gate for me."

The six short-hook hands immediately stuck to the gate, hooked the corners, and as the three Shield Bears surged forward again, a layer of gray shell exploded from the cross-groove behind the gate.

There was a collective gasp from the viewing stand.

"Qiao Ye has really brought out his heavy hand today…"

Someone nearby stopped mid-sentence and changed their words:

"He has truly brought out all his hidden frontal power today."

Instructor Wu Heng stared at the light screen and whispered:

"The white field is like this. Winning is just the first account, and how well you fight is the second. Whoever wants to stand up there tonight must bring out their real skills during the day."

Inside the fortress, Wu Fu had already moved first.

Four Nest-Paste Worker Rats rushed to the cracks behind the gate, slapping white paste onto them to patch up the exploded gray shell. Grey Pupil pressed the fire from the Priest Well into the gate frame, and the entire gate soon sank back down.

Lu Jin watched outside the fortress, his voice still low.

"Raise the left wall by half a foot."

"Spear Rats, pierce the heels, don't be greedy for depth yet."

Both left and right secret troughs opened simultaneously, and eighteen Burrowing Spear Rats crawled out along the ground, aiming to stab at the hind heels and knee bends of the three Shield Bears. They weren't facing slow, heavy beasts like the Armored Mountain Rhinos today; the Black-horned Shield Bears were much more agile. The first round of spears only pierced two inches in, but that was enough to bite into the rhythm.

Qiao Ye understood immediately.

"Pull back the hind legs, don't let him grind down the rhythm."

After he finished speaking, he jumped down from the back of the middle bear.

He slammed his black bone heavy shield into the ground, and the three Shield Bears exerted force forward along this shield. The three separate streams of pressure instantly twisted into a single point, slamming into the gate once more.

Boom!

The gate actually cracked this time.

A white crack split open on the right gate frame, and even two of the Gatekeeper Rats were knocked over by the shock.

Shi Jiukui clenched his palms tightly as he watched from below the stage.

"If he can't take this hit, the gate will really loosen."

Lu Jin didn't look at the crack; he only looked at Qiao Ye's positioning.

Qiao Ye's shield placement was too precise.

He didn't want to dismantle the gate corners; he wanted to twist the three bears and his own command position into a single nail, piercing through the center line and crushing the fortress in one step.

Lu Jin finally spoke.

"Open the gate by half a foot."

"Don't patch the right slope, let him see inside."

Qiao Ye narrowed his eyes.

The gate gap had indeed loosened by half a foot.

The inner wall section behind the gate seemed unable to be raised in time, and the fire trough on the right slope was exposed. Anyone else, seeing this half-foot gap, would likely have tried another hit. Qiao Ye didn't stop.

His voice was deep, and it was clear he had made up his mind.

"I know you're waiting for me to enter."

"But in this white field match, what I want is to crush you head-on. The gate is already open; there's no reason for me to hold back."

Lu Jin looked at him.

"Then come in."

Qiao Ye waved his hand.

"Three bears, continue, give me everything to exploit this half-foot gap!"

The three Shield Bears lunged together toward the gate gap.

Just as half of their bodies probed into the gate line, Lu Jin pressed his palm down.

"Close the gate."

"Raise the inner wall."

The battering rams on both sides of the War Nest Gate snapped shut, first biting into the shoulder and arm of the leading Shield Bear. The half-projected inner wall on the right, which hadn't been revealed until now, rose from behind the slope, instantly cutting the three bears into a formation of one in front and two in back.

Qiao Ye's expression changed for the first time.

"This move of yours was aimed at my command position."

Lu Jin replied directly.

"Once you're in disarray, the match is over."

As soon as he finished speaking, the eighteen Spear Rats changed their targets simultaneously.

The nine in the front pinned the shoulder and leg joint of the trapped Shield Bear, while the nine in the back slipped through the gaps and stabbed fiercely at the hind heels of the other two bears. The two fire troughs stopped roasting the bears' heads, and the fire lines pressed down entirely on the small area of the main stage under Qiao Ye's feet, forcing him to lose his footing.

Qiao Ye reacted extremely quickly, raising his heavy shield and smashing away half of the fire lines beneath his feet.

"Rear bears, pull left!"

"Don't let the middle bear die at the gate!"

But even though the order was given, the rhythm was already half a beat slow.

That half-beat was very costly in the white field.

Wu Fu raised her hand, and six newly summoned Hard-Shelled Gatekeeper Rats immediately filled the first row behind the gate. Grey Pupil pressed the Priest Well down further, and the layer of gray fire inside the gate frame sank. The shoulder and arm of the trapped Shield Bear in the front let out a muffled sound, and its body finally tilted over.

Lu Jin seized this moment.

"Left wall, push forward."

"Gatekeeper Rats, push out, don't give him a chance to reorganize his line."

The half-section of the left wall pushed forward, and the Hard-Shelled Gatekeeper Rats pressed outward against the tilted Shield Bear at the gate. Behind them, the Spear Rats refused to let go of the other two bears' heels; it was already too late for Qiao Ye to twist the three bears back into a straight line.

The white light on Stage 3 jumped first.

[Stage 3: Lu Jin, Win]

[White field score: 11]

[Real-time ranking: Second]

The crowd below the stage erupted.

"He's second!"

"He dismantled Qiao Ye head-on!"

Qiao Ye wiped the dust off his face, and only after catching his breath did he look up at Lu Jin.

"I lost this match clearly."

"You didn't win by snatching the gate gap. You saw through my plan to twist the three bears into a nail, and then you broke that nail from the middle."

Lu Jin withdrew the fire troughs behind the gate.

"Your line was steady enough."

"If I hadn't figured out your force-exertion point during the joint training round last night, I wouldn't have been able to take it today."

Qiao Ye smiled and nodded decisively.

"That sounds good."

"You won, so you should be on the night field."

As soon as he finished speaking, the results for Stage 1 and Stage 2 were also pressed down almost simultaneously.

[Stage 1: Meng Huichao, Win]

[Stage 2: Wen Zhao, Win]

The high-altitude light screen then scrolled the scores.

Although Ning Yanqiu lost, she dragged out the mirror screen and Frost Crow line for the entire match, keeping her battle damage extremely low and earning high line points. Wen Zhao beat Huo Beichuan, but his fire bee line consumption was too high, so his score was suppressed by a notch.

When the final ranking list dropped, the entire main academy fell silent for a moment.

[White field ranking]

[First: Meng Huichao, 152]

[Second: Lu Jin, 146]

[Third: Ning Yanqiu, 145]

[Fourth: Wen Zhao, 144]

[Fifth: Qiao Ye, 138]

The next line of text was pressed down even more slowly.

[Night field championship battle]

[Meng Huichao vs Lu Jin]

As soon as this line appeared, the viewing stand completely exploded.

"Rank one versus rank two, they're really facing off!"

"This night field match contains the championship, the first seat of the main reserves, and the sealed star map, all in one."

"Whoever takes it down will be the person truly standing at the very front of this year's Zhuixing freshmen."

The white field dispersed quickly.

But no one actually left.

Everyone knew that the three matches during the day were for ranking, while the match tonight was the true battle that would cement their names. Who gets resources first in the academy team, who gets command priority in the freshman segment, and who can claim the title of "Zhuixing New King" — all of that depends on the night field.

The night field was held in the main academy's core arena.

The four black-silver main mirrors were all fully activated, and even the instructor's high platform, the academy team seats, and the Merchant Alliance's viewing seats were lit up. A few dark gold flags that were usually unseen appeared high up; it was clear that even people from the outside were watching this match.

Meng Huichao arrived neither early nor late.

He wore a deep blue short armor, with only a gray-blue tide halberd on his back, yet the thin layer of water ripples at his feet spread outward on its own. Before he had even fully stood still, two of the tide eyes at the four corners of the stage had already lit up.

Someone below the stage lowered their voice.

"Apprentice Perfection."

"He is only one layer of paper away from being a Divinity User. He's the only one among the freshmen who can nurture the Tide Halberd Shark Rider line to this point."

The Tide Halberd Shark Rider line was easy to understand.

The Shark Riders were responsible for charging and cutting, the tide line was responsible for altering the terrain, and the Tide-Guiding Acolytes were responsible for lighting up the tide eyes. When these three things were connected, the entire map would follow his rhythm. What made Meng Huichao formidable wasn't just his fierce troop types. His own grasp of the ebb and flow of the tide line was already a cut above the average late-stage Apprentice God Realm Controller.

When Lu Jin walked onto the stage, the projection of the Furnace Cave Fortress hadn't fully unfolded yet.

Meng Huichao spoke first, his tone very flat, yet very upright.

"I watched all the white field matches."

"Qiao Ye's line is very tough. The fact that you managed to break him apart from the middle shows that your condition today is even better than in the previous rounds."

He paused for half a breath, then added:

"I've defended the top spot for the entire season. If you want to take this position tonight, you'll have to take it from right in front of me."

Lu Jin looked at him.

"That is exactly what I came here for."

Meng Huichao smiled.

"Fine. Then let's not hold anything back."

The referee's voice rang out.

"Champion match, begin!"

The map is called the Four-Tide King Platform.

There is a main platform in the center, with a Tide Eye at each of the four corners. Every nine breaths, the Tide Eyes send a wave of water onto the platform. Whoever positions their Tide-Guiding Disciple into a Tide Eye gains control of the water at that corner. Connecting two corners forms a line, allowing the water to cut off paths. Connecting three corners changes the terrain of the entire map.

This map is naturally suited for Tide Lines.

For Meng Huichao, it is a familiar field.

For Lu Jin, it is a tough test.

As soon as the white light fell, Meng Huichao lit up the East and North Tide Eyes.

Twelve Tide-Halberd Shark Riders split into three squads and charged out along two gray-blue water lines. The first two squads hugged the edge of the platform to cut the corners, while the last squad, led personally by Meng Huichao, pressed down the middle path. Clearly, the plan was to "dismantle the city corners first, then cut off the central platform."

Lu Jin's side didn't hold back either.

The entire Furnace Cave Fortress landed.

The outer wall, War Nest Gate, Gray-Vein Smelting Well, Priest Well, and Brood Nursery Court were all compacted in the center of the main platform. Behind the gate, twelve Hard-Shelled Gatekeeper Rats, eighteen Burrowing Spear Rats, six Gray Fire Priests, and six Fire Oil Throwers were all in position. Wu Fu stood in front of the Brood Nursery Court, while Grey Pupil guarded the Priest Well. As soon as the city landed, the fire and nest silk lit up along the ridge of the walls.

Someone in the stands stood up abruptly.

"He's brought out the whole set."

"This is no longer the temporary city from before. This is a Furnace Cave Fortress capable of replenishing troops and sustaining fire on its own."

Meng Huichao moved extremely fast.

"East line, cut the right corner; North line, test the gate. Main squad, don't rush to ram; first, soak his city base until it softens."

Two squads of Shark Riders glided along the Tide Line, their long halberds striking the right wall and the gate corner first. The sharks' backs skimmed across the water, moving as fast as a gray-blue shadow, reaching the city edge in a flash.

Lu Jin did not reinforce the right wall.

"Leave a three-zhang opening on the right side."

"Keep the fire trough at half-heat; don't burn it fully yet."

Shi Jiukui, off the platform, was stunned for a moment.

"Why is he voluntarily leaving an opening on the right?"

Instructor Wu Heng glanced at the empty water path on the main platform, his eyes slowly darkening.

"He is waiting for the tide to deliver itself in."

The next breath, the tide from the East line indeed poured in through that three-zhang opening.

Lu Jin dropped his hand.

"Smelting Well, ignite."

The Gray-Vein Smelting Well lit up with a boom.

The right trough, which had only been at half-heat, instantly heated up, and the water pouring in was immediately boiled into a scalding shallow stream. The East line Shark Rider squad hadn't fully controlled their speed, and the two riders in the front row rushed into the hot current; the shark bellies and the riders' calves recoiled from the heat simultaneously.

"Spear Rats, rise!"

The hidden trench beneath the right wall suddenly cracked open, and nine Burrowing Spear Rats emerged from the Tide-Guiding Trench, stabbing directly at the sharks' bellies and the riders' legs. Two riders from the first Shark Rider squad were overturned on the spot, and those behind were forced to slow down.

A commotion broke out in front of the stands.

"He's using the Smelting Well to boil the tide?"

"That's too ruthless. Once the Tide Line slows down, the Shark Riders' advantage is halved!"

Meng Huichao, however, did not panic.

He raised his halberd and slashed; the North line Shark Rider squad immediately turned, feinting in front of the gate before heading straight to tap the third Tide Eye at the South corner. Turning two paths within three breaths—the movement was so fast that many people didn't even react.

Someone off the platform couldn't help but whisper:

"This is the hand of an Apprentice Perfection."

"If a normal late-stage student encountered such a line change, they would be thrown into chaos at the first turn."

Meng Huichao looked at Lu Jin, his voice remaining steady.

"You want to drag my Tide Riders down, fine."

"But as long as the Tide Eyes are in my hands, the terrain of this map is still decided by me."

Lu Jin glanced at the four Tide-Guiding Disciples in his backfield and replied calmly.

"Then don't be so quick to claim that."

The third Tide Eye lit up, and the water level on the left side of the main platform instantly rose.

Meng Huichao personally led the central squad in a charge, his gray-blue Tide Halberd pressing forward, and the entire wave crashed down against the base of the left wall. The force was fast and accurate; the outer shell of the left wall collapsed by half a layer on the spot, and even the corner of the wall was lifted by the tide.

A squad of Shark Riders dove in through the crack.

This time, they weren't testing; they were heading straight for the Brood Nursery Court.

Wu Fu had not moved, but only now did she raise her head.

There was no panic in her milky-white eyes; she just looked at Lu Jin.

"There isn't enough clean material in the pool."

"I'll burn the dirty crystals we processed last night as well. We can hold this round, but there will be side effects later."

Lu Jin certainly knew the consequences of high-pollution resources.

But there was no other choice right now.

"Hold it first."

Wu Fu nodded gently, and three strands of nest silk sank into the pool simultaneously.

The white light in the Brood Nursery Court flared up violently.

Six Nest-Guarding Rats covered in gray bone plates vaulted directly from the pool edge, their chests still covered in undried white paste, yet their movements were terrifyingly fast. They didn't go to the gate but rushed straight to the left crack, physically blocking the squad of Shark Riders that had broken in outside the Brood Nursery Court.

Many people off the platform were seeing how Wu Fu replenished troops for the first time.

"Those aren't ordinary unit types, are they?"

"How could ordinary breeding units have such a fast exit speed from the pool?"

Instructor Gu sat on the high platform, and only then did he raise his eyes for the first time.

Wu Fu's level clearly already exceeded that of standard logistical units.

Just as the left side of the city stabilized, Meng Huichao's fourth strike arrived.

He gave Lu Jin absolutely no chance to catch his breath.

"Three lines, simultaneous pressure."

The East, North, and South Tide Lines converged on the central platform simultaneously.

With this, the entire Four-Tide King Platform moved along with it.

The left crack continued to take in water, the water level in front of the gate rose, and even the shallow stream on the right that had been heated by the Smelting Well was flattened again. The three squads of Shark Riders closed in, leveraging the water flow; long halberds poked walls, cut gates, and swept hidden trenches, creating a sea of gray-blue waves outside the city.

Lu Jin's side also began to lose units.

Two Nest-Guarding Rats at the left crack fell on the spot, three Gatekeeper Rats behind the gate were lost, two Fire Oil Throwers on the right were swept over by Tide Halberds, and even a Nest-Paste Worker Rat was injured.

Grey Pupil looked up at the water flow, his voice very low.

"If he gets to charge two more times in a row, the outer wall will collapse first."

Lu Jin did not reinforce the outer wall.

He stared at the hidden seams beneath the main platform, which were masked by the sound of the water, and his orders came extremely fast.

"Second squad of Spear Rats, take the Tide-Guiding Trench under the platform."

"Don't look up; sneak to the backfield Tide Eyes first."

There were originally old Tide-Guiding Trenches beneath the Four-Tide King Platform.

The path wasn't deep, and the Burrowing Spear Rats couldn't dig tunnels like they could in a mining area, but crawling half a layer along the bottom of the trench was enough for them to sneak past from the side.

Nine Spear Rats immediately retreated into the hidden trench.

Meng Huichao was still pressing the city in the front, clearly intending to use the control rhythm of an Apprentice Perfection to press the entire Furnace Cave Fortress until it couldn't breathe. His line of thinking was correct. If it were anyone else, they would likely have been thrown into chaos by the three-line tide pressure.

But what Lu Jin was waiting for was precisely the moment he committed all his focus to the front.

Another wave of tide rose.

Meng Huichao pointed his halberd at the gate.

"Central squad, follow me."

"This city has been soaked open by me; give me one more round, and its gate will loosen."

Lu Jin looked at him and suddenly gave an order.

"Open the gate a crack."

"Don't reinforce the left side; let him see inside."

Even Grey Pupil glanced at him at this.

But he didn't ask a single question; his ritual staff was already pressing down on the Priest Well.

Meng Huichao's eyes flickered.

He clearly knew there was a trap inside.

But in a champion match at this stage, whoever feared that crack would be a beat slower. Moreover, the previous rounds of continuous pressure had cracked the outer wall, and the gate really had loosened by half a line; the opportunity looked too real.

Meng Huichao did not retreat.

"Central squad, follow me in."

"Left and right squads, continue to press the outer edge; don't give him any room to close the gate."

The remaining six most elite Tide-Halberd Shark Riders charged in along the gate line together.

Just at the moment when half their bodies crossed the threshold, the two Tide Eyes at the back of the platform suddenly exploded with a muffled sound simultaneously.

The nine Spear Rats buried in the Tide-Guiding Trench had finally arrived.

They emerged in one breath from beneath the East and South Tide Eyes, rushing straight at the four Tide-Guiding Disciples. Tide-Guiding Disciples were not heavily armored and were specifically responsible for tapping Tide Eyes; if they were truly engaged in close combat, they couldn't hold out at all. Three fell on the spot, and the remaining one was bitten and forced to retreat from the Tide Eye.

The Southeast Tide Lines instantly dimmed by half.

The water flow of the entire King Platform went into chaos.

Meng Huichao's expression finally changed.

"You were calculating my backfield from the beginning."

Lu Jin looked at him.

"You were watching my city the whole way."

"And I was watching your tide the whole way."

Once the Tide Line went into chaos, the speed of the two squads of Shark Riders outside immediately dropped.

But the six riders inside the gate had already charged too deep.

What Lu Jin was waiting for was this very moment.

"Close the gate."

"Inner walls, close."

"Fire oil, smash the gills and leg buckles."

The ramming horns on both sides of the War Nest Gate snapped shut, and segments of the inner wall rose from both left and right, directly trapping the six riders who had charged in within a narrow gate throat. Above, the Fire Oil Throwers raised their hands, and black-red fire sacs smashed onto the shark gills and the riders' leg buckles. Below, the Spear Rats stabbed upward from the gaps in the gate throat, while the Nest-Guarding Rats and Gatekeeper Rats held the front row, biting down firmly.

Grey Pupil only then pressed the Priest Well to its deepest.

Sacrificial Fire lit up section by section along the gate frame and inner walls, and the entire gate throat seemed to instantly turn into a scorching furnace.

The Shark Rider in the lead overturned first, followed immediately by the second, which was knocked off halfway. Meng Huichao himself stood the firmest, sweeping his Tide Halberd horizontally, forcefully cleaving two Gatekeeper Rats, and nearly cracking the right inner wall as well.

But he was just that little bit short.

Wu Fu's nest silk fell from above at that moment.

Three strands of white nest silk directly entangled the dorsal fin and front neck of the main shark in the middle, yanking it backward. The movement was fast and accurate; it didn't look like a reaction a normal logistical unit could make.

Just as Meng Huichao was about to turn his halberd to slash the nest silk, Grey Pupil's Sacrificial Fire had already pressed to his feet from the left.

Lu Jin's final order followed.

"Full line, press forward."

"The squad at the gate, eat them up."

The Gatekeeper Rats, Nest-Guarding Rats, and Spear Rats all lunged forward simultaneously.

The two Shark Rider squads outside the city wanted to turn back to support, but the Southeast Tide Lines were already broken, and the remaining North line couldn't lift the water level of the entire platform for the moment. Without the support of the Tide Eyes, the Shark Riders' fiercest mobility was instantly cut short.

That shortening was enough.

The last two riders in the gate throat were also forcefully overturned from below by the Spear Rats.

The high-altitude adjudication white light crashed down.

[Champion Match: Lu Jin, Win]

[Freshman First Place: Lu Jin]

[Academy Team Main Reserve First Seat: Lu Jin]

The entire Core Arena fell silent for a moment.

Then, voices rolled out in all directions like an explosion.

"He won!"

"He really pulled Meng Huichao down!"

"This match was won fair and square. It was just an entire city forcefully catching the Tide-Halberd Shark Riders!"

The stands in the Black Well Outer Ring exploded first.

Shi Jiukui opened his mouth to curse, but the words turned into a laugh.

"Whoever dares to call Black Well a scrap heap in the future, come and dismantle this city with us first before you open your mouth!"

Zhong Xiaoqi hugged the beehive, her eyes bright.

"After today, Black Well will definitely be packed with people."

Duan Chenzhou didn't say much, just muttered a single sentence.

"He has solidified this step."

On the platform, Meng Huichao retracted his broken Tide Halberd, his chest still heaving.

He looked at the gray-fire gate throat at the entrance, which was still steaming, was silent for two breaths, then looked back at Lu Jin.

"I lost."

"Today, you caught my Tide Lines, my charges, and my final central pressure, all of them. This year's freshmen at Zhuixing Divine Academy should put your name at the very front tonight."

Lu Jin didn't say empty words either.

"You pushed me very hard."

"If you hadn't brought out all three Tide Lines at once, I wouldn't have forced the entire city line into practical combat so quickly."

Meng Huichao nodded, then actually smiled.

"Then see you in the zone."

Instructor Gu stood up at this moment, his black-silver robe falling at the edge of the high platform, and the entire arena immediately quieted down.

He raised his hand, and a new announcement spread across the main mirror.

[Zhuixing Divine Academy Team Sequence]

[Freshman Main Reserve First Seat: Lu Jin]

[Freshman Main Reserve Second Seat: Meng Huichao]

[Freshman Main Reserve Third Seat: Ning Yanqiu]

[Freshman Main Reserve Fourth Seat: Wen Zhao]

[Freshman Main Reserve Fifth Seat: Qiao Ye]

Instructor Gu's voice was not loud, but it was heavy enough for the entire arena to hear.

"The list is effective starting tonight."

"Three days later, the academy team will assemble."

"The Military Court's viewing permissions for the sealed Star Map will be opened with priority for the champion sequence. Main Reserve First Seat, come collect the team order first."

A black-silver token fell from the high platform and hovered steadily in front of Lu Jin.

Lu Jin reached out and caught it.

The token was cold, but its edges were hot.

This was not the end of a champion match.

It was the gate to the academy team, truly opening.

In the higher-level viewing stands, a silver-gold family crest lit up at this moment, then quickly retracted. The gaze from the Pei family side had clearly already landed here.

But before the people in the arena could catch their breath, the main mirror lit up once more.

[Inter-Academy Zone Grouping Announcement]

[Zone E-7: Zhuixing Divine Academy, Cangting Divine Academy, Xuan He Divine Academy, Beiyue Academy]

As soon as the second line of text fell, Ning Yanqiu narrowed her eyes first.

"Cangting Divine Academy."

Her voice was not loud, but Lu Jin had already looked up.

Behind that line of academy names, in the team leader seed column, there were only three characters.

Ji Mingxiao.

The light of the black-silver main mirror reflected in Lu Jin's eyes.

The new king of Zhuixing had just solidified his position.

The first tough battle of the zone had already arrived right in his face.