Chapter 206: 206 Mount Flower VS Temple of the Gods 1 Seven against several, an impossible victory?_1
[Three cards? How is that possible? Does she think she’s the Great Emperor?]
So far, playing three cards on the field had been rare. The most famous incident was when the Great Emperor turned the tides in an S Rank match with a three-card play. But that wasn’t a world-class competition. In world-class competitions, playing three cards was practically synonymous with seeking death. If the opposition merely dragged out the game until your three cards were exhausted, there would be no chance of a successful three-card play.
Little Goat knew his words were shocking and controversial, but he analyzed calmly, "If not this, then what? The members of Mount Flower aren’t suited for dual-card play. Temple of the Gods will definitely employ a dual-card strategy and won’t give Wen Jiang a chance to turn things around. Mount Flower’s only hope is for Wen Jiang to play three cards. Even if her teammates are lacking—effectively like being two cards down—Wen Jiang’s skills could compensate for that deficit if she plays three. Playing with only two cards herself wouldn’t be enough."
Three cards equated to having three more players. This kind of gap could only be filled by the number of cards.
"So that’s why I say, the only way to win is for Wen Jiang to play three cards. There’s no other way. I’ve said before, her teammates aren’t suitable for her."
At this point, Little Goat paused, then continued, "However, I’ve learned something recently. It’s only natural that she joined Mount Flower, given her relationship with the Jimo Family."
He left it at that. This was big news indeed, and the live comments quickly picked up on the implication.
[The Jimo Family? Holy shit, she couldn’t possibly be the heir that just returned to the Jimo Family, could she?]
[...GIAO, is this explosive news for real?]
[Impossible, right? If she really is the heir who returned to the Jimo Family, why wouldn’t such a big deal be made public?]
[The Jimo Family heir? No wonder her play is so incredible; suddenly, it all makes sense.]
[Impossible. If it was such a big deal, how could a minor streamer like you know about it?]
Little Goat shrugged. "Although it’s not public, no one has stopped this news from leaking. Just look at the recent news about Mount Flower: first, the new card set, then the factory’s mass production of new cards. Even if she isn’t the heir, her relationship with the actual heir of the Jimo Family is profound. Many things started happening after she appeared. I tend to believe they know each other."
Listeners found this plausible; many things had indeed started to happen after Wen Jiang appeared. Of course, excelling to such a degree in both card creation and competitive play seemed too incredible for one person; no one suspected it was a single individual. They merely felt that these recent advancements by the Jimo Family were likely connected to Wen Jiang. Now, they also suspected Wen Jiang was that heir and must have a powerful Card Maker backing her. This would explain how Mount Flower and the Card Factory were revived so quickly after her return to the Jimo Family.
[Didn’t they say she was expelled from the Nobility school before? Suddenly, she’s deeply connected with the Jimo Family. I’d love to know if her previous school is having an aneurysm now!]
[Stop guessing wildly, streamer. Continue with the analysis. What are Mount Flower’s odds against Temple of the Gods? What’s the breakdown?]
[If Mount Flower can beat Temple of the Gods, will Broken Heart take home the A-Level Group championship this year?]
[Are Broken Heart fans delusional? If Mount Flower can take down Temple of the Gods, do you think your Broken Heart can defeat Mount Flower?]
Seeing the argument in the live comments, Little Goat laughed. "I dare not predict the exact odds. But if Wen Jiang really plays three cards, their chances of victory are barely twenty percent. Without that, there’s no hope for this match. Of course," he added, "congratulations in advance to the Broken Heart Association for securing the runner-up spot."
It was very likely that Broken Heart wouldn’t falter. The runner-up spot in the A-Rank Group should be secure for them. After all, regardless of whether Temple of the Gods or Mount Flower won, it was highly probable that the Broken Heart Association—having released few new cards this year—wouldn’t be able to defeat the victor.
Naturally, the fans of the Broken Heart Association weren’t happy about this. Everyone who competes aims for the championship. So, Little Goat’s statement was tantamount to saying Broken Heart had no hope for the championship. This led to a barrage of insults directed at Little Goat, accusing him of cursing their team. The live comments section became a chaotic mess, buzzing with activity.
「On the eve of the competition」
Zero Egg shared this streamer’s video with Wen Jiang: "Hey, this guy guesses you might play three cards; he’s quite perceptive."
Wen Jiang glanced at it. Seeing Little Goat say that her chances of winning with three cards were just twenty percent, she chuckled lightly. "Then he’s certainly mistaken."
With three cards, her chances of winning were ninety percent.
「As everyone eagerly awaited, the match between Temple of the Gods and Mount Flower officially began.」
However, S-Rank matches were also scheduled for today. Consequently, not many people were watching the live broadcast of the A-Rank Group matches; most would likely watch the replay.
Today’s commentators were still Cyrus and Lillian. As commentators representing Sanctuary, Lillian was doing alright. She was inherently supportive of Wen Jiang and genuinely happy to see how far Mount Flower had progressed with her. Cyrus, on the other hand, was visibly displeased. After all, with the Sanctuary Association gone, a commentator from Sanctuary was undoubtedly unhappy.
Of course, Frost Moon was an old rival. During the match, Cyrus, as the commentator, continued to offer sharp predictions while simultaneously disparaging Yunxia.
"It’s a foregone conclusion that Temple of the Gods will employ a dual-card strategy. Mount Flower, whose members aren’t suited for dual-card play, have already reached their limit by getting this far."
Lillian chuckled, trying to smooth things over. "Cyrus, your predictions are usually accurate, but let’s not be so categorical about the final outcome. What if Mount Flower pulls off a surprise?"
"A surprise?" As a commentator, Cyrus tried his best to hide his contempt for Yunxia. "We’ve analyzed the players from Mount Flower. They basically aren’t equipped for dual-card play. Perhaps this Wen Jiang has a slight chance, but leading the entire team to victory single-handedly will be an incredibly tough fight."
Lillian said with a smile, "Let’s watch how the match unfolds. It’s about to start. Which cards do you think Temple of the Gods will ban from Mount Flower today?"
Cyrus replied, "They definitely won’t let Mount Flower have the Four Heavenly Kings system, but it’s not absolutely certain." Having watched so many matches, Cyrus had come to understand Mount Flower somewhat. "If they ban the Four Heavenly Kings system, Mount Flower definitely won’t ban the Moon Palace Card Set. Out of the seven high-strength cards, at least three will likely be available. It just depends on how many Mount Flower can secure."
Lillian once again expressed her admiration, "The Card Maker who created the Moon Palace Card Set is a genius, and so is Mount Flower’s Card Maker. Those exquisitely designed cards... I wonder how she creates them."
Cyrus made a sour comment, "Soon, our Sanctuary will also have such Multi-State Cards."
Lillian smiled without responding. Bringing personal emotions into commentary like this... if Cyrus weren’t such a veteran commentator, the International Association would have kicked him out long ago. Lillian couldn’t control what Cyrus might say. She just needed to focus on her own commentary.
On the field, players from both Mount Flower and Temple of the Gods had already arrived at the competition venue. Players from both teams were whispering amongst themselves. Before the match began, they had to submit their cards. The number of cards submitted would determine if it was a dual-card battle or a standard one.
The results were as expected: Temple of the Gods directly selected 9 cards, while Mount Flower chose 7.