Fated Enemies...

Lei Nuo, the Chief Commander of Situke, murmured, "Are we really going to fight it out right here?"

The sixteen commanders from the Empire and the Federation stood facing each other, the air crackling with so much hostility that one match could have ignited the whole room.

Xu Lingqu glanced at Lei Nuo, then stepped forward first to draw their group from the machine.

Once she moved, the other Imperial commanders followed suit, leaving the Federation commanders standing there awkwardly, waiting for the Imperials to finish before they took their turns.

Xu Lingqu returned to her spot after drawing, checking the number—it was Group Three, the final qualifier for the league.

Yun Yao quickly walked back to stand beside her, but this time they weren't in the same group. Yun Yao got a 1, meaning she'd be in the first group to compete.

When everyone had drawn, Sky Network immediately announced the group assignments:

Group One: Federation Qingjun, Empire Cimei Academy, Federation Lianda, Empire Situke, Federation Youfeng

Group Two: Empire Dolanston Academy, Federation Menze, Empire Longyuan, Empire Xiyue, Federation Kezhen

Group Three: Empire Moye, Empire Shaji, Empire Du'e, Federation Zhicheng, Federation Dongwen, Federation Xili

As soon as the draw was out, Yun Yao's face darkened. Being in this group meant Cimei Academy was bound to be double-teamed by Lianda and Qingjun. And the first group would start in just an hour, making this an extremely tough trial for them.

Meanwhile, the barrage of comments began:

[Does Sky Network have a death wish? Seriously?]

[They're making it a civil war to boost ratings—Qingjun vs Lianda, Longyuan vs Dolanston, just letting Empire and Federation fans watch each other's matches.]

[But the final qualifier in Group Three looks promising—Shaji clashes with Moye again. What's the saying? Fated enemies always meet.]

[Everyone's focused on Qingjun vs Lianda, Dolanston vs Longyuan, but who's thinking about Shaji's command center?]

[Ahhhh, someone save our little Cimei! Lianda and Qingjun are about to double-team them. Can Sky Network stop using our little Cimei as cannon fodder in their matchmaking!]

...

"If you can't fight, run—keep moving and running, and try to make Lianda and Qingjun fight each other first." Since they'd worked together before, Xu Lingqu offered Yun Yao a few thoughts she believed could ease Cimei's burden in this match.

Xu Lingqu knew she was being a bit abstract—the map would be chosen by the teams, and until the mechanics were revealed, any advice was just empty talk. Still, she figured this general idea was the most valuable thing she could offer Yun Yao right now.

Yun Yao nodded gratefully. No matter what, this was Xu Lingqu's goodwill. She'd already adjusted her mindset, deciding that holding third place would be a victory.

Xu Lingqu made her way to the VIP viewing area. The third qualifier would last a full day, and the first match was about to begin, running until noon the next day. This one was a Federation civil war, and the Empire viewers were enthusiastic, all commenting that they'd be happy whether Qingjun beat Lianda or Lianda beat Qingjun—it was just tough on Cimei.

Gu Tingzhi and Jia Xiangying hadn't shown up, probably preparing for tomorrow's matches.

Jinfang Taibai and Guan Chuanjun sat down behind Xu Lingqu with perfect synchronicity, exchanging a glance.

"How can you still be smiling?" Jinfang Taibai was full of resentment. Last time, being the filling in a Qingjun-Dolanston sandwich was bad enough, but now they had to run into Xu Lingqu again.

Du'e had at least made the top four last year, but this year they'd slipped in the qualifiers—losing to Cimei in the first match and scoring fourth in the second. Their points were hanging by a thread, and even making the top eight was questionable.

And this Guan Chuanjun, who got thrashed by Xu Lingqu last time, still had the nerve to smile.

"No, I just think it's kind of nice to run into Moye," Guan Chuanjun said with a casual laugh, thinking to himself that his cousin's Blazing Flames Church might really have something after all—it was that accurate!

"Come on, what's so nice about it? Xu Lingqu probably has a hundred ways to take us both down." Jinfang Taibai grumbled, then his eyes lit up as he looked up at Guan Chuanjun and extended his hand. "How about we team up? Together, we can't lose to Xu Lingqu, right?"

Guan Chuanjun wanted to shake his hand, but...

He gave an awkward smile and frantically signaled Jinfang Taibai with his eyes. Jinfang Taibai turned his head and saw Xu Lingqu staring right at them.

"Plotting out loud?" There was a hint of mockery in her eyes, and she turned away.

Being spotted by her wasn't the worst part. The worst was that after being spotted, she didn't even consider them a threat!

Jinfang Taibai froze, and Guan Chuanjun patted him on the shoulder. "It's fine. Look, there are two more people plotting out loud over there."

He pointed at the sky screen, where Jia Xianglan was in the middle of a conversation with Tansen Meilin.

To be fair, Jia Xianglan had a sharp grasp of emotions. Even though Tansen Meilin gave him the cold shoulder, he still smiled and kept talking.

"Right now, Cimei and Situke are all mixed up, running around and hiding. If we don't surround and eliminate them all at once, the longer we wait, the more trouble it'll be."

Tansen Meilin knew this well, but he couldn't bring himself to approach Jia Xianglan about it. The Merlin Family was the pride of the Federation, and as the family's representative in this year's league, he couldn't possibly go to Jia Xianglan, that Sky Network paparazzo, to discuss strategy.

Jia Xianglan had enough sense to take the initiative, Tansen Meilin thought, still wearing his arrogant expression. The two settled on a plan to hunt down Cimei and Situke.

The map they drew this time was an ice field—out in the snowy wilderness, a large force's tracks were easy to spot. Jia Xianglan had already found a burial ground for Cimei and Situke; they just needed to drive them there.

After ending the communication, Jia Xianglan's smiling face instantly turned cold. Tansen Meilin was an arrogant fool, worlds apart from Qike Meilin. Once he made a splash in this league and joined the Federation Military Department, he'd replace the Merlins as the new young voice in the Federation.

Qingjun and the Federation kept pressing forward, while Cimei and Situke fled relentlessly. The chase lasted about ten hours before they were cornered at the foot of a snow mountain, and then an avalanche swept down, burying them all.

Yun Yao hid behind a large rock but was still engulfed by the cascading snow. Using her last bit of strength, she asked in the communication channel about Ye Yu's condition but got no response. She closed her eyes.

In the first match, Cimei and Situke were eliminated one after the other.