Chapter 193: 193 She’s gone, Mount Flower is going to have a big problem_1
"You’re saying she has the strength to rival that person? Impossible. At least for now, she is only an A-Level," the Temple of the Gods coach disagreed with Alva’s comment.
To them, that person had become a mythical belief, just like his master.
Alva immediately said, "Of course, it’s impossible. I’m just saying she’s very strong."
At this point, one would have to be incredibly arrogant not to acknowledge certain facts. After all, strength isn’t something that can be diminished by slander; losing the match later would only be more humiliating.
The coach felt somewhat troubled. "It seems I need to think carefully about our Ban/Pick strategy against Mount Flower if we really do meet them. This is going to be a real headache."
Alva, however, didn’t have high hopes for the other Mount Flower members. "She’s too strong, so strong that it doesn’t align with Mount Flower’s characteristics. I don’t know why she’s willing to stay with Mount Flower. I believe other domestic associations should be doing everything they can to poach her. Even our association, and the Sanctuary, could give it a try."
The coach was taken aback by this. After all, he knew that while Yunxia’s players might be strong, they were still no match for the Sanctuary and Frost Moon. In the current card game world, the Sanctuary and Frost Moon are undoubtedly T0 Rank, with Yunxia barely making it into T1. Players from Yunxia are usually poached by smaller countries in Dongzhou or Xi Zhou. However, the Sanctuary and Frost Moon never bother to poach from Yunxia, simply out of disdain. If they were to poach, it must mean that this Yunxia player is extraordinarily strong. Although Wen Jiang fit this profile, the fact that Alva would suggest this meant he believed her strength was on par with the members of the Temple of the Gods.
The stronger the team, the less power a coach has. He couldn’t help but laugh. "Do you think the Temple of the Gods needs her? Your substitutes are quite competent as is."
In a major association like the Temple of the Gods, every position was held by a star player. Alva was a damage dealer, and although he didn’t have much interaction with the substitutes, their strength was indisputable.
Alva snorted coldly. "As long as my teammates are strong enough, I don’t care about the rest."
Teammates are just tools for forming a team. If you’re strong, I’ll acknowledge you; if there’s someone stronger, all the better. As for so-called team spirit, in the high-pressure environments of Empire teams like Frost Moon and the Sanctuary, it simply doesn’t exist.
「 」
Mount Flower’s victory over Shaliye was a major upset, at least for the domestic audience prior to the match.
In today’s card game competitions, many related professions have sprung up, such as commentators, celebrity hosts, and even live streamers.
However, Spirit Card Masters skilled in combat are typically recruited by associations. Aside from competitions and training venues, there’s a lack of convenient conditions for Spirit Card Masters to battle. Consequently, these broadcasters do not stream their own fights but rather those of others, adding their analysis and commentary.
Compared to official commentators, they are more sharp-tongued and bold, more willing to speak their minds. Some viewers, uninterested in the official commentators’ barrage of jargon, prefer watching these platform broadcasters’ commentaries and analyses.
Little Goat is a well-known broadcaster who often streams matches. Live streaming platforms purchase broadcasting rights, so it isn’t illegal for broadcasters to commentate on these matches.
Little Goat’s commentary is bold. He became famous among broadcasters not only for his sharp analysis but also for being an outright admirer of the strong.
He wholeheartedly endorsed the overpowering presence of Frost Moon and the Sanctuary in world card game competitions and would often demean Yunxia’s players during his commentary.
His fans believed he dared to say anything and didn’t pander to the domestic audience. Conversely, those who disliked him thought he was biased, kowtowing to the two other Empires simply because he looked down on those with weaker strength.
But when it comes to competition, strength speaks for itself, and dissatisfaction cannot lead to much objection. It’s not as if one can argue, "Since we’re weaker, we need to be handled with extra care," right?
Unlike other broadcasters who, being tactful, refrained from offending players, Little Goat often ruthlessly criticized contestants, which consistently maintained high popularity for his stream.
Mount Flower’s upset victory over Shaliye was widely praised in other streams. After all, being able to overwhelm Shaliye through sheer skill and achieve such results was not only Mount Flower’s glory but also Shaliye’s glory.
Only Little Goat expressed a different opinion, even criticizing a few of Mount Flower’s players.
"Mount Flower’s win isn’t a fluke or a coincidence; it’s purely down to Wen Jiang. Without her, such a team will face major problems."
Little Goat was an average-looking young man, but he truly shined once he started analyzing matches. Although his words weren’t very polite, he did identify professional issues: "Don’t be fooled by the strength of the Four Heavenly Kings card that Mount Flower played. Didn’t you notice that the turning points in both instances were when Hou Yi’s damage skills were absorbed by Wen Jiang? That level of control over the cards isn’t something other players possess."
"Why am I so certain?" Little Goat sneered. "I myself am an A-Level Spirit Card Master. I bought a Moon Palace Card Set as soon as it was available. I’ve tested it with friends. Once you use the Hou Yi card, unless you use several cards stacked up to block it or suppress Hou Yi with speed from the start, his arrows are almost unstoppable once he activates his ability. At least, my broadcaster friends and I have never succeeded in stopping them."
"The problem is that Wen Jiang is too strong. I’ve been wanting to say this for a while: in several of Mount Flower’s games, all the crucial turning points were solely due to Wen Jiang’s efforts. She possesses a terrifying ability to control the game. Her strength is so overwhelming that it completely masks these underlying issues. The other professional players on Mount Flower are, frankly, just average. If Wen Jiang weren’t competing, I can hardly imagine what situation Mount Flower would face."
The live chat, however, couldn’t see the problem.
[You’re talking nonsense! The game isn’t about one person. You make it sound like Wen Jiang is controlling the entire game.]
[It’s a team game! Shouldn’t everyone’s contributions be acknowledged rather than attributing it all to Wen Jiang?]
[...Actually, I also have that feeling. In every game I watch, it feels like Wen Jiang can pull off unexpected effects with whatever cards she uses. If you remove Wen Jiang, it’s hard to say where Mount Flower would stand.]
[Shi Qi, Ruan Chunen, and Gong Yuan are veterans; only Wen Jiang and Chen Runyu are new players. Their previous games were indeed mediocre.]
[Beating Shaliye and achieving such results must mean the team worked together perfectly! Don’t deny everyone else their contributions, broadcaster. Are you a Wen Jiang hater or something?]
Little Goat glanced at the live chat. He didn’t refute the comments, merely curled his lip and said, "I’m genuinely happy from the bottom of my heart that our country could produce such a player. But just you watch: once she advances to S Rank, or if she stops participating in competitions later on, Mount Flower will definitely face major problems."