118: Chapter 117: The team seeded sixth?

That was when Zheng Yuanshan finished announcing the rules and everyone drew lots to assign opponents; he directly connected the Karma lines of his own draw with Instructor Liu Qiang's team.

Once Captain Ye Shuang's team received their draw, the five of them each collected their Silver Grade temporary Houseboat issued by the Revival Society.

The five Silver Grade Houseboats formed a loose column on the sea surface, the power cores of their auto-navigation systems emitting a low hum, their bows plowing through the azure seawater and leaving behind trails of white wake.

Two suns hung high. The sea breeze was salty and fishy.

Yang Yue stood on the gunwale of her Houseboat, half her body leaning out, and shouted at the top of her lungs toward Captain Ye Shuang's Houseboat in the front left.

"Sister Shuang! Who exactly is our first-round opponent? The slip just has a number on it, they didn't even give a name!"

Captain Ye Shuang stood on the aft deck of her Houseboat, her long hair coiled at the back of her head, the cuffs of her dark green slim-fit long gown billowing in the sea breeze. She shook her head with a smile: "You'll know when we get there."

"What if it's a super strong team?" Yang Yue braced her hands on the gunwale, her feet dangling in the air, "Like that Lin Zhaoyang, the one whose lightning punch can shatter the shell of a sea beast."

Captain Ye Shuang tilted her head and said seriously: "Then we'll poison him from a distance. If we can't poison him to death, we run."

Yang Yue froze for a second, then laughed so hard she nearly fell off the gunwale.

Chen Yong spoke up sullenly from behind Captain Ye Shuang: "Sister Ye, if you say that, Lin Zhaoyang is going to cry."

Fang Rui crossed his arms, the corners of his mouth twitching; he didn't speak, but there was amusement in his eyes.

Yang Hang sat in the center of the deck of his Houseboat, legs crossed, holding a cup of fresh water he had procured at some point, sipping it idly.

Yang Yue turned back and yelled at him: "Brother! Say something! What's your plan for when we fight later?"

Yang Hang raised the cup and took a sip, looking less like a warrior about to rush into the battlefield and more like a retired official going on a vacation.

"I'll be in the back cheering you all on."

"That's it?"

"That's it."

Yang Yue was dissatisfied with Yang Hang's response and hurriedly winked and made various hints to her brother, Yang Hang.

Yang Hang naturally understood what she meant and made an "OK" gesture with his fingers.

Captain Ye Shuang and the others saw this and covered their mouths, laughing: "Yue Yue, what kind of secret code are you and your brother using? Won't you let us hear it?"

Yang Yue giggled, blinked, pouted, and turned to chat with Captain Ye Shuang.

—— At the same moment. On another shipping lane.

Five Silver Grade Houseboats were sailing in an arrowhead formation, with Instructor Liu Qiang's boat in the center and slightly ahead, while the other four boats followed in a staggered formation behind.

Instructor Liu Qiang stood at the bow, arms crossed over his chest, his chin tilted at a forty-five-degree angle. The sea breeze poured into his open collar, causing his tactical suit to flap loudly.

He looked like he was posing for a cover shoot.

"Instructor Liu, do you know who our first-round opponent is?" Han Feng leaned in from behind, his words sweet enough to stretch like taffy.

"I don't know." Instructor Liu Qiang didn't turn back.

"Then aren't you curious?"

"What's there to be curious about?" Instructor Liu Qiang huffed, "In the first round, what kind of tough opponent could we run into? Even if we do, I'll solve it within fifty punches."

"That's true, that's true!" Han Feng slapped his thigh, "Instructor Liu, you're a fierce man who has solo-killed high-level sea beasts! What's there to be nervous about in this internal selection tournament? It's practically a dimensional reduction strike!"

Chen Yang chimed in from the side: "Instructor is right, the first round is just a warm-up."

Zhao Lei nodded and waved his iron arm: "Just a formality."

Han Feng took over the conversation, shaking his head and sighing: "Sigh, come to think of it, that little girl Yang Yue is a pity. Silver Grade Water Control is so useful in maritime team battles, but just because her brother insisted on tagging along, she missed out on our team for nothing."

"Just a moment of impulsiveness." Chen Yang spread his hands, "Young people don't know any better; they don't understand how strong Captain Liu is. Once they get eliminated in the first round, they'll regret it later."

Instructor Liu Qiang huffed.

He kept his mouth set, but the slight upward curve at the corners betrayed his mood.

"You guys are being small-minded."

The four of them looked over in unison.

Instructor Liu Qiang uncrossed his arms, braced one hand on the gunwale, and looked toward the boundless sea ahead.

"Does it matter who the first-round opponent is? It doesn't. Out of two hundred teams, except for General Zheng's team, there isn't any that makes me need to take it seriously. You guys are thinking about who you're fighting in the first round; your vision is too short-sighted."

He paused.

"What you should be thinking about is—whether we'll run into Lin Zhaoyang or Su Wanqing in the semi-finals, and what tactics to use to deal with them."

Han Feng slapped his thigh on the spot.

"Perspective! This is perspective! As expected of an instructor from the Revival Society's Defense Headquarters! We only know how to stare at what's right in front of us, while the Instructor is already looking at the fourth and fifth rounds!"

Newcomer Wu Kai nodded along: "Yes, yes, yes, our vision was too narrow."

Zhao Lei and Chen Yang naturally wouldn't have any thoughts of contradicting their captain, so they both nodded in agreement.

"As for that little girl Yang Yue."

Instructor Liu Qiang waved his hand, his tone indifferent.

"It wasn't meant to be. If she's gone, she's gone. The position has already been filled; we don't need her."

—— Fate Platform live broadcast room.

Online viewers: 1.347 billion.

The Revival Society's official broadcast was split into two hundred small split-screen windows. Each window corresponded to the progress footage of one team.

Survivors could click on the team window they were interested in to enlarge and watch.

Less than five minutes after the draw results were announced, a detailed matchup chart had been compiled and released in the Symphony Realm.

Post Title: "Yanhuang Civilization Top 1000 Selection · Complete Matchup Chart + Analysis of Favorites to Win"

Poster: Zhang Chengming, Vice President of the God-Seeing Society.

Click count: Surpassed 100 million in three seconds.

The post was thousands of words long, listing the matchups and core combat power of all two hundred teams in detail, and marking the win/loss probability predictions from various media—which were actually intelligence analysts from various organizations and folk experts.

The most highly anticipated were, of course, the top seven seeds.

[Seed No. 1 · Wall of Despair]

Core: Zheng Yuanshan (Gold Tier Renaissance + command of the Assembly Horn)

Members: President Shen Qing (Gold Tier Minor Life Technique), Zhang Haotian (Silver Grade Gravity Compression + borrowed Gold Tier incomplete sea gods horn), Guan Tiezhu (Silver Grade Rock Armor), Gu Qingyi (Silver Grade Wind Walker)

Folk Rating: Invincible. Stop looking; the championship is locked.

The comment section was instantly flooded.

"The name Wall of Despair is well chosen; the opponents will despair instantly upon seeing this lineup."

"Two Gold Tier as a base, three Silver Grade supports—this isn't a team, this is a military exercise."

"I suggest the other one hundred and ninety-nine teams join forces to fight them; maybe they can win."

"Maybe."

[Seed No. 2 · Thunder God Assault]

Core: Lin Zhaoyang (Silver Grade Grasp of Thunder)

Members: Qi Tieshan (Silver Grade Iron Arm), Song Yao (Silver Grade Tidal Arrow), Ma Yuanzheng (Silver Grade Wave-Treading Step), Li Xiaobei (Silver Grade Rapid Repair)

Folk Rating: A standard combat team with integrated offense and defense. With Rapid Repair hanging on them, their endurance is extremely strong.

"I've watched the video of Lin Zhaoyang shattering the shell of a mid-level sea beast with a single lightning punch eight times, and it feels satisfying every time."

"Who is Song Yao? Tidal Arrow? Sounds like a ranged damage dealer."

"The core archer of the Sea Hunt Alliance, the one who shot through the eyeball of a mid-level sea beast from a hundred meters away."

"This team can fight."

[Seed No. 3 · Frozen Verdict]

Core: Su Wanqing (Silver Grade Ice Crystal Domain)

Members: Cheng Mo (Silver Grade Undercurrent Pull), Xu Lan (Silver Grade Water Blade Weaving), He Guang (Silver Grade Iron Wall Repulsion), Shen Xiaoyu (Silver Grade Vitality Bloom)

Folk Rating: The pinnacle of control-style gameplay. Su Wanqing alone can freeze half the battlefield.

"Ice Goddess! I'm in!"

"Cheng Mo's Undercurrent Pull paired with Su Wanqing's Ice Crystal Domain—pulling people underwater + instant freezing, who can withstand that?"

"And there's a Vitality Bloom responsible for healing? This team is too dirty."

[Seed No. 4 · Iron Wall Fortress]

Core: Zhao Zheng (Silver Grade Iron Wall)

Members: Ye Hengzhou (Silver Grade Sea-Splitting Hammer), Tang Youran (Silver Grade Water Flow Barrier), Guo Sheng (Silver Grade Steel Cable Entanglement), Ji Xiaotang (Silver Grade Precision Sniping)

Folk Rating: Defensive counter-attack type; Zhao Zheng holds the line, Ji Xiaotang handles ranged reaping.

[Seed No. 5 · Fire Forge Team]

Core: Master Blacksmith Meng Haoran (Silver Grade Forging Intuition)

Members: Gao Ming (Silver Grade Twin Blade Whirlwind), Xu Anlan (Silver Grade Perception Amplification), Zhongli Chuan (Silver Grade Ocean Current Shield), Xue Ran (Silver Grade Burst Flame Punch)

Folk Rating: Equipment crushing type; Master Blacksmith Meng Haoran carries five Silver Grade weapons on him, and his teammates each have two pieces.

"Great Master Master Blacksmith Meng Haoran is awesome; the Iron Anchor Workshop is basically an armory."

"Others rely on talent to fight, he relies on armaments."

[Seed No. 6 · Iron Fist Vanguard]

Core: Instructor Liu Qiang (Silver Grade Continuous Strong Fist)

Members: Han Feng (Silver Grade Wind Blade Slash), Zhao Lei (Silver Grade Tempered Skin), Chen Yang (Silver Grade Earth-Quaking Rift Wave), Wu Kai (Silver Grade Amplification Light)

Folk Rating: Pure violent output team; Instructor Liu Qiang killing a high-level sea beast with fifty punches is no joke.

"Earth-Quaking Rift Wave, Wind Blade Slash? This team's ranged reaping ability is very strong."

"I know this Chen Yang with Earth-Quaking Rift Wave; I've seen his video demonstration. He can not only create shockwaves within a hundred meters but also assist in controlling the ship's direction and speed. He is definitely a Silver Grade powerhouse who integrates control and offense."

"Zhao Lei tanks damage, Han Feng and Chen Yang control the field, Instructor Liu Qiang reaps, and Wu Kai supports. They can fight, tank, and run; they are all top 100 powerhouses. The configuration is flawless."

[Seed No. 7 · Shadow Blade]

Core: Qin Lie (Silver Grade Shadow Stab)

Members: Liu Hanyan (Silver Grade Mist Stealth), Xiao Han (Silver Grade Viper Fist), Zhou Zijin (Silver Grade Sonar Positioning), Yu Fei (Silver Grade Flash Step Evasion)

Folk Rating: Assassin style; all members have high mobility. Qin Lie's ability to kill in one hit underwater is too bugged in naval warfare.

"This team looks unremarkable on average, but you'll only know how disgusting they are once you run into them."

"Qin Lie's Shadow Stab ability—silent, one-hit kill throughout. In a 5v5, he alone can pick off two from the opposing side."

Below the analysis post for the seven seed teams, the discussion in the comment section had different focuses. Some were analyzing tactics, some were praising handsome men and beautiful women, and some were setting up betting pools.

"Sister Su Wanqing is the Ice Goddess! I want the same Ice Crystal Domain!"

"Gu Qingyi's looks alone pull the team two grades ahead of the others."

"Can you guys stop just looking at faces? Analyze the tactics!"

"Looking at faces is also part of the tactics; being pleasing to the eye can boost morale."

"I give up."

Some people even secretly opened betting pools.

"The championship odds for Seed No. 1 are 1 to 1.2; it's basically free money."

"No. 2 and No. 3 are 1 to 5, No. 4 and No. 5 are 1 to 8."

"No. 6 Instructor Liu Qiang is 1 to 10, No. 7 Qin Lie is 1 to 12."

"There are people buying at 1 to 10?"

"Just for fun."

And just as the analysis post for the seed teams dominated the hot search—

The survivors watching the small live broadcast window of Seed No. 6 Instructor Liu Qiang's team dug up their first-round opponent.

"Who is Iron Fist Vanguard facing in the first round?"

"Let me see... Number 117, core Captain Ye Shuang, Poison Mist Spread Silver Grade."

"Captain Ye Shuang? The one who is the Deputy Director of the Development Department of the Little Life Society?"

"Yes, that's her. Running into the sixth seed in the very first round, her luck is bad enough."

"Captain Ye Shuang is quite strong herself, Poison Mist Spread is invincible in group attacks, but 5v5 is not a group battle, it's an elite confrontation. Her poison is too inefficient in single-target duels."

"What about her teammates?"

"Chen Yong, Silver Grade Steel Bone, pure tank. Fang Rui, Silver Grade Burst Arrow, main attacker. Yang Yue, Silver Grade Water Control. Yang Hang, whose talent is the Gold Tier Little Luck Technique."

"Yang Yue!!! The one with Water Control Water Tornado!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know her! The pretty young lady with ten water tornadoes!"

"Water Control does indeed have a geographical advantage at sea, but she's only eighteen; her actual combat experience is definitely not as good as that bunch of old hands around Instructor Liu Qiang."

"Yang Hang... the one who is Yang Yue's biological brother? Little Luck Technique support type?"

"Yes, the one with a merit ranking of over three thousand."

"Little Luck Technique sounds related to luck; its manifestation in combat isn't clear yet. It doesn't feel particularly suitable."

"To be honest, Captain Ye Shuang's team isn't weak, but against Instructor Liu Qiang... Instructor Liu Qiang is someone who has solo-killed high-level sea beasts; as long as he finds an opportunity and throws a punch, who can withstand it?"

"In terms of high-level combat power, Instructor Liu Qiang's team still has too much of an advantage. They are all top 100 on average, and the fifteen-minute time limit makes it impossible to drag it into a prolonged battle. I favor Instructor Liu Qiang's team."

"Sigh, Goddess Yang Yue's luck is a bit bad, why did she run into the sixth seed team in the first round."

The comments were overwhelmingly pessimistic about Captain Ye Shuang's team.

Just like Instructor Liu Qiang, Yang Hang and his Little Luck Technique were still seen as a relatively ordinary image in the eyes of the survivors in the live broadcast room, or rather, it would be more appropriate to describe him as a passerby.

When they discussed and analyzed the subjects, they almost rarely mentioned Yang Hang.

The Revival Society's broadcast schedule was very savvy about popularity, quietly raising the ranking of some highly discussed live broadcast rooms.

The viewership for the small live broadcast window of Yang Hang and his team quickly broke forty million.