The conversation on Song Jie's side wouldn't be resolved quickly, but the match was about to begin.
The anchor for this round was Senior Su Qian, the beautiful and powerful captain of the Mist City University team.
"My turn?"
Su Qian began her stretches. Her form-fitting athletic wear accentuated her figure, drawing focused attention from the camera-equipped Magnemite.
Many male spectators in the stands started pulling out their phones.
She glanced at Li Xiang with a brilliant smile. "Watch closely, junior. Your captain is about to put on a show."
"I will," Li Xiang replied with a smile.
"Good."
Su Qian exhaled, sweeping the stray hairs from her forehead back in a motion reminiscent of applying hair gel. Her demeanor instantly sharpened as she strode confidently onto the field.
It was a stark contrast to her usual lively, approachable self.
"Rare for Su Qian to get serious in a setting like this."
Chao's voice sounded beside Li Xiang.
Li Xiang blinked. "Vice-Captain..."
"I told you, just call me Chao." Chao patted his shoulder, paused, then continued, "You might not know this, but your presence has given Su Qian a renewed sense of urgency."
"Urgency?"
"Right. Before you arrived, Mist City U revolved around Su Qian. Even Abi, hailed as a rising star, couldn't shake her position. But after you showed up..."
Ah.
Li Xiang looked at Su Qian's confident figure on the field, momentarily at a loss for words.
"Ah, I hope you don't misunderstand," Chao added quickly, waving his hands. "I'm not trying to stir up trouble between you two."
His expression turned slightly awkward, realizing how his words might have sounded.
"Of course not," Li Xiang assured him.
Chao nodded. "I'm telling you this to be clear: before we graduate, we won't just hand our positions over to you."
"Huh?"
"If you want to become the leader of Mist City University, you'll need to prove you're stronger than us. And until then, we'll fight back with everything we've got."
He gave Li Xiang's shoulder another pat, then turned and sat back down beside the two supervising teachers, striking up a conversation.
He left Li Xiang alone, deep in thought.
Chao's meaning wasn't hard to grasp. Li Xiang's rapid progress was beginning to challenge the leading roles of both Chao and Su Qian within the team.
If Li Xiang wanted to take their place, he would have to defeat them fairly.
It reminded him of the dynamic in sports anime, where a talented newcomer threatens the established ace.
But the truth was, Li Xiang wasn't particularly fixated on titles or positions...
He watched Su Qian on the field, feeling a complex mix of emotions.
However, he wasn't the only one experiencing an inner monologue. The opponent Su Qian was facing—the vice-captain of Lingcheng University—felt his mind reeling.
It couldn't be helped.
The opponent was simply too strong. His second Pokémon, a Toxicroak, was no match for her Gardevoir. Not only was it easily controlled, but even its carefully laid poison trap was neutralized.
Finally, it fell to a single Psychic.
Being quadruple weak to Psychic-type moves left little room for argument.
His second, a Lucario, entered the field and immediately went for a Bullet Punch!
But Su Qian's Gardevoir was faster, using Protect to block the strike. While retreating, it set up a Psychic Terrain.
Lucario was instantly hampered. Unable to use its priority move, it lunged forward with a Meteor Mash.
A direct hit would have taken a severe toll on Gardevoir's defenses.
Unfortunately, Gardevoir, despite being a Special Attacker, moved with incredible grace. Like a ballet dancer, it evaded the Meteor Mash and retaliated with a Mystical Fire.
The Calm Mind boost it had set up earlier ensured the fragile Lucario was swiftly taken down.
Seizing the moment during the opponent's switch, Gardevoir used Calm Mind once more, further amplifying its power.
The newly sent-out Hawlucha, its face already pale, looked even greener but had no choice but to press on.
It was finally dispatched by a radiant Moonblast.
This was a classic demonstration of a sheer power gap that clever tactics couldn't bridge.
The defeat was decisive and smooth. There was no opening for a comeback, no dramatic flashback-powered surge.
When Su Qian was serious, she was on an entirely different level.
In a daze, the Lingcheng vice-captain remembered. He had lost to Su Qian last year, too.
Back then and now… There seemed to be no difference at all.
Lingcheng University, which had been jubilant moments before, gradually fell silent as their vice-captain was mercilessly swept aside.
Staring at the dominant Su Qian, they were forcibly reminded of the previous season.
Come to think of it, before Li Xiang's arrival, Su Qian had been the undisputed ruler of the South Summer (Xia-Nan) Division!
No school wanted to draw her because facing her meant almost guaranteed defeat!
Li Xiang's meteoric rise had been so overwhelming that they had nearly forgotten the era of Su Qian's dominance.
The captain of Lingcheng University understood this feeling all too well, as he had been one of those crushed under her heel the previous year.
"Go get them! We believe in you!"
"Captain, you can do it!"
"Defeat her! This is our chance to rise!"
Amidst his teammates' fervent encouragement, the Lingcheng captain stepped onto the field with the grim determination of a soldier heading into a hopeless battle.
At worst, it's just a loss!
But what if we win?
He slapped his cheeks sharply, psyching himself up.
Ten minutes later, the Lingcheng captain walked off the field, crestfallen, clutching three spent PokéBalls.
Three to zero.
A clean sweep. His pride was thoroughly shattered. There was nothing more to say.
His teammates rushed over to console him.
"Captain, it's not your fault. She was just too strong."
"That's right! We still earned four points. There's still hope."
"If we can't beat Mist City, we'll focus on Yunnan and Hebei! We believe in you!"
His team was practiced in this—maintaining optimism even in defeat.
They had lost the battle, but not their spirit.
The Lingcheng captain forced a smile, and he did feel slightly better. At least he had lost to Su Qian, and not to Li Xiang.
Some semblance of Lingcheng's dignity remained intact.
On the other side, Su Qian descended from the stage with a model-like sway in her step, her expression one of triumphant arrogance.
Yet, under her deliberate control, it came across as more playful than haughty, highlighting her vibrant energy.
The senior girls swarmed around her, chattering and laughing excitedly.
Su Qian laughed and joked along with them.
This captain had never put on airs. While informal and easygoing, she was remarkably dependable.
Approachable, lively, beautiful, and steady—these qualities coexisted seamlessly within her. It was no wonder she was so beloved.
Li Xiang himself held a great fondness for Su Qian—a purely platonic respect. Since the semester began, she had consistently looked out for him, never once complaining.
Who wouldn't admire such a person?
Even if Li Xiang were in the same year, he would have wholeheartedly supported Su Qian as captain.
She deserved the title.
Thus, the second match of the Spring Tournament concluded.
Cheers and praise for Su Qian echoed from the stands. She smiled and waved back, radiant and proud like a goddess of victory.
Of course, to the other schools in the South Summer Division, she was more akin to a goddess of demise.
The fifth group took to the field.
Everyone returned to the team rest area.
Meanwhile, Song Jie's family issue found a resolution.
As Li Xiang had suspected, it was a simple lack of communication between father and son, not some deep-seated, dramatic feud.
Song Cheng hadn't called because he believed his son was still upset, and calling might only make things worse. Combined with his demanding schedule, he had little time to dwell on whether to call or not. He planned to have a proper face-to-face talk once his busy period ended.
Song Jie, on the other hand, had interpreted the lack of calls as his father's continued anger, to the point of indifference about his participation in a major tournament.
This misunderstanding had festered between them.
Fortunately, the misunderstanding was cleared up, leading to a relatively happy resolution.
Li Xiang let out a quiet sigh of relief. Meddling in other people's family affairs always left him feeling uneasy.
"I'm never getting involved in something like this again," he vowed to himself.
As for Song Jie, after reconciling with his father, his expression was positively sunny, beaming with joy.
"Thank you."
The white-haired youth sat down beside Li Xiang, his voice low but filled with genuine sincerity.
Li Xiang frowned. "We're growing distant."
"What's distant?" Song Jie was confused.
"Our bond is fading!"
Li Xiang poked his friend's forehead. "If you say 'thank you' like that again, I'm throwing you into the Misty Lake!"
Song Jie: "..."
Why was he always one step behind Li Xiang's unpredictable train of thought?
...
Noon.
The match schedule for the third round was released.
Their match was set for tomorrow noon against Meicheng University.
That school had managed to secure a full five points in the previous round.
"Just like every other year," someone commented, sounding bored.
In past tournaments, Mist City U's final two opponents were invariably Yunnan University and Hebei University. This pattern hadn't changed for years.
The organizers' tactic of giving other schools a chance felt stale and predictable.
Everyone knew that in the last two rounds, every school would field their strongest lineup, holding nothing back.
The organizers weren't even trying to be subtle.
Li Xiang shrugged inwardly. It didn't matter to him, as he likely wouldn't be playing in the final two rounds anyway, unless Coach Xu He had a sudden change of heart.
For the upcoming regional tournament and the uncertain possibility of reaching the global stage, he would probably be watching from the sidelines.
It wasn't that he lacked the skill to compete.
The university was strategically saving him for the next year, or even the one after.
Revealing all his strategies and information now might not guarantee Mist City U a top spot in the current global rankings… but next year or the year after?
The university believed Li Xiang could lead them to glory.
Most of Mist City's core team members were still young, with one or two years of eligibility left.
There was no urgent need to field Li Xiang just yet.
However, with all the current hype and attention, having Li Xiang disappear from the stage entirely was not something the university board wanted.
News about Li Xiang was already trending online and in the media, bringing significant publicity to Mist City U.
If they could fan the flames a little more...
"Li Xiang, come with me for a moment."
After finishing a phone call, Coach Xu He summoned him.
Outside the rest area.
The coach asked in a hushed tone, "How confident are you... in taking on all five members of the Meicheng University team by yourself?"
"Huh?"
Li Xiang stood frozen, completely stunned.