Less than ten days of training remained after the first test before the first match commenced.
Inside the training room, Ye Liangqiu found himself in a rare quiet environment. Usually, at Blue Lock, every training session was either plagued by various problems or Bachira would constantly pester him with questions.
But now, silence seemed to be the dominant theme here.
Coupled with the continuous improvement of his physical fitness through various facilities, this feeling was indeed refreshing.
The only drawback was that a camera was constantly watching him.
Ye Liangqiu knew that someone was always observing his training, as if trying to see through him. However, he was no longer the same person who had just entered Blue Lock. The destructive urges that occasionally arose in his mind had significantly diminished compared to before.
Or perhaps... only those who could bring him joy could pique his interest.
"Hoo…" With a puff of white mist escaping his lips, Ye Liangqiu wiped away his sweat and left the training ground. So far, his ranking remained firmly in first place; even with Kaiser's fierce pursuit, it was difficult to surpass him.
And it wasn't just him training; almost everyone was improving in all aspects under Noah's guidance.
In the bathroom, water streamed down Ye Liangqiu's face as he looked at himself in the mirror, contemplating how to find a breakthrough. As his strength reached a bottleneck, he had long anticipated this day would come.
Or perhaps… he finally understood that the Champion-level was not as simple to break through as he had imagined.
For example, the successful absorption of Loki's technique had advanced his speed to the Champion-level.
At that moment, he speculated whether reaching the Champion-level threshold for an ability required a special method. The system's offerings were ultimately just physical changes, or rather… talent, a baseline.
Thinking, Ye Liangqiu looked at himself in the mirror, as if seeing White-haired Qiu in the simulated training ground. It was his most perfect form, and it infinitely proved that he had the potential to become it.
He had not yet reached the end of his football career.
This was merely a starting point.
Returning to the lounge.
It was different from before. Apparently, Noah wanted their cooperation to be more perfect, so he deliberately divided the rooms into several, with five people in each.
As soon as he walked in, he heard Yoichi Isagi's voice.
"Their stats are so high…"
Ye Liangqiu's gaze followed, and he saw Kurona Ranze, Yoichi Isagi, and Hiori Yo sitting upright on the floor, discussing the statistics.
Hiori Yo seemed to notice Ye Liangqiu's entrance and called out, "Aren't you coming over to chat?"
Ye Liangqiu glanced at him, shook his head, "I'm not interested in these."
"You guys just chat."
And it was true. As the top-ranked player, he didn't need to understand players weaker than himself. His own data, on the other hand, was constantly being observed by these players. Compared to that… he'd rather enjoy a good nap.
After all, only robots like them could endure such repetitive training every day.
"Ding-dong."
Ye Liangqiu pulled his illuminated phone from the locker, seeing a message pop up.
It was that guy, Bachira.
He had sent an emoji ψ(*｀ー´)ψ.
"Qiu, I'm your opponent next match! Watch me defeat you!"
Looking at the message, Ye Liangqiu smiled helplessly, replied with "I'm waiting," and then prepared to watch some of the recent online controversy surrounding himself.
Compared to Ye Liangqiu's calm demeanor,
the three youngsters on this side were somewhat anxious, as their rankings were relatively low. Yoichi Isagi didn't even have a chance to play.
Kurona Ranze yawned and placed the tablet in the center, showing Ye Liangqiu's data on the list.
His overall rating even reached 93.
Kurona Ranze even compared this data with some star players, and the result was that some star players' overall data wasn't even as high as Ye Liangqiu's… This was a terrifying fact. The current Ye Liangqiu had already stepped into the realm of professional players.
And they… were just beginning.
Yoichi Isagi looked at his own data, feeling a bit embarrassed. He only had 76… The difference between the two was unimaginable. Although he had long known that his physical condition was quite poor, he hadn't expected the gap to be so wide.
Hiori Yo, on the other hand, wisely compared his data directly with others.
After all, comparing himself to Ye Liangqiu would just be asking for trouble, wouldn't it?
He wasn't that bored.
While they chatted, Ye Liangqiu had already fallen asleep.
....
As time passed, the day of the match arrived in a blink of an eye.
The first opening match was about to begin.
Germany Basta Munich VS Spain Fc Barcha.
Almost all the players on the field for Munich were club members. Apart from Ye Liangqiu and Kunigami, the two Blue Lock players, everyone else was firmly on the bench.
And the players for Fc Barcha were led by Bachira.
Among them was Otoya Eita from Blue Lock. Clearly, the message Ye Liangqiu received a few days ago was true; Bachira had fully adapted to the Spanish club and was even among the top players there.
At this moment, Bachira seemed completely different from before.
One could even sense a dangerous aura radiating from him.
Bachira looked at Ye Liangqiu, a smirk on his face as if to say he absolutely believed Ye Liangqiu could reach this playing field.
Their gazes met, and sparks flew.
Kaiser, on the other hand, had a clear, intense killing intent in his eyes when he looked at Ye Liangqiu after that test. If Ness hadn't been watching him closely, there would probably have been a yellow card on the spot.
At this moment, the broadcast was announcing the rules of the match.
Three points to win, and unlimited substitutions.
With a whistle, the match officially began.
Germany VS Spain.
Germany kicked off first. Kaiser, with the ball at his feet, had an arrogant and disdainful look in his eyes. Compared to off the field, his expression changed dramatically when he held possession of the ball. He lifted his right foot and passed the ball to Ness.
Ness easily received the ball with a small leap.
The two cooperated perfectly.
Just as Ness was about to stabilize himself, a figure rapidly approached him. Ye Liangqiu seemed to exude an intense pressure that made Ness gasp for air.
He looked at Ye Liangqiu in shock.
"What… are you doing?"