Crossfire Ascension

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🔟 Remaining Rounds (5 Matches per)

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Round Fan Yumei (vs.) Score Highlight

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1 Xu Meilan (Razorkite) 34/40 Perfect Sky Cloud Domain setup, forced retreat.

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2 Taro Wen (Fang Raptor) 37/40 Thunderclap Surge + Wind Blade combo KO.

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3 Qu Yanan (Scythe Falcon) 35/40 Mid-air Call of the Whale stunned opponent.

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4 Liang Chenwu (Elemental) 36/40 Parried Rune-Lock Burst, countered with Qi Lance.

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5 Li Yao (Stonehorn Ox) 38/40 Flank ambush with Split Wind Clone + Storm of the Fallen.

Maxius spent most of these rounds shouting strategic suggestions and loudly claiming credit for Lufei's evasion maneuvers, while Lufei rolled her eyes and pounced through air-lattices with practiced grace.

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Round Jin Minhe (vs.) Score Highlight

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1 Wu Bao (Fireback Boar) 29/40 Healed mid-match, turned tide with Panda's Embrace.

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2 Sun Xi (Crystal Jackal) 31/40 Nutrient Burst sealed a surprise follow-up strike.

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3 Gao Lin (Shadow Panther) 33/40 Healing Overload mutation + counter-coil knockout.

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4 Mei Rong (Mud Turtle) 30/40 Slow-burn defense, final Qi Snare finish.

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5 Chen Rui (Blaze Spider) 32/40 Stamina capsules + Refiner's Aura to outlast.

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Round Zhou Qian (vs.) Score Highlight

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1 Lei Huo (Thunder Viper) 28/40 Disrupted with Terrain Lock Rune, secured break.

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2 Yu Fan (Wind Peck Duck) 29/40 Dual-Step Gust evasion, counter-lash victory.

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3 Zhao Xin (Ironback Tortoise) 30/40 Baited forward, then freed with Support Pulse.

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4 Li Na (Toxic Mantis) 27/40 Narrow loss, but held ground on Aether Barrier.

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5 Han Li (Mirror Hare) 31/40 Reflective Glyph deflected all five mirror strikes.

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Round Min Zhao (vs.) Score Highlight

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1 Wu Lei (Frost Boar) 26/40 Early Frost Trap, then overwhelmed by counter.

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2 Sun Qiao (Firefly Moth) 28/40 Used Elemental Overdrive to outshine flight ops.

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3 Chen Ming (Stone Ram) 29/40 Flash Freeze opening, but stamina faded late.

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4 Zhang Hui (Sand Scorpion) 27/40 Tactical draw—both sides exhausted.

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5 Liu Wen (Acid Beetle) 30/40 Clean Stormbreak Slash breakthrough.

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⚔ Su Cheng & Semifinal

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Having swept the slate, I stepped into the ring against SS-Class prodigy Su Cheng and her Jade-Flute Serpent.

Maxius whispered, "Try not to get turned into a noodle," and promptly pretended to nap on my shoulder.

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• Round 1 (Master + Beast): Su's Soulbind Coil trapped Lufei; I barely freed her in time.

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• Round 2 (Command-Only): Venomous Wind Slash forced Mystic into a backward phase. I couldn't recover our rhythm.

📊 Final Score:

• Su Cheng — 39/40

• Fan Yumei — 36/40

My tournament run ended there.

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🏅 Division 6–7 Beast Combat Awards

1. 🥇 Su Cheng – Rogue-Class Champion

2. 🥈 Jin Minhe – Refiner-Support Runner-Up

3. 🥉 Kai Shi – First-Year Champion

I earned a Tier II Cultivation Pack, 15,000 Federation Coins, and a Bronze Secret Realm Pass.

—

Maxius gave me a "not bad for second place" nod before biting into a stolen energy bar.

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🎉 After the Awards

The stadium lights dimmed. Voices lowered as students and instructors began to disperse. I remained on the podium, holding my bronze pass.

Jin Minhe, Zhou Qian, Kai Shi, and Min Zhao joined me. Zhou passed out Federation-grade energy bars.

Maxius snatched one and whispered, "Victory tastes like cherry protein." Lufei leapt up to slap it from his beak.

—-

📱 Ping!

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🧢papa_wasOwl_there: "Congratulations, Yumei. Celebration dinner at home tonight. Can you come?"

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📱 🌸Tiny-Tornado_Soldier: "Thanks, Papa. Mind if I bring friends?"

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📱🧢papa_wasOwl_there: "Of course. The more the merrier. See you soon."

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Me: "Family dinner. My place. You all in?"

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• Kai: "Wouldn't miss it."

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• Zhou: "Sounds great."

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• Min Zhao: "I'll thank your mum personally."

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• Jin: "Lead on, Champion."

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Outside, Mystic had shifted into her full adult form—sleek, storm-veined, massive. The harness strained visibly.

Me: "Harness off, big girl."

She lowered herself. Zhou and Kai freed the buckles. Maxius squawked about needing a royal saddle. Lufei nuzzled Mystic's side and climbed aboard.

Mystic unbound her clouds first—gently laying a secure mist platform across her back for us all to mount.

I pulled the teleport scroll from my satchel.

Me (softly): "Home. I missed her cooking… and Papa's late-night rambles."

I tore the scroll.

Mystic's fins glowed golden. One mighty wingbeat—and we were gone.

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📍 Qinghe Village – Fan Yumei's Cottage

Mystic descended into the dirt road, settling just past the garden gate. Villagers stopped to stare. Some bowed. Others gasped at the sight of the massive sky-whale.

Rune lanterns flickered warm light across wooden beams and cobblestone paths.

My father, Fan Yangwei, limped down the porch steps.

Fan Yangwei: "My brave girl…"

I jumped into his arms. He held on tightly.

Behind me, the others stepped down. Lufei darted into the flowerbeds with a happy chirp. Maxius puffed up proudly, sniffing the air like he owned the sky.

"Smells like dumplings. I'm staying forever."

Ka Sanni (calling from the house): "Inside, all of you! You think I'm feeding wolves?"

We laughed.

Inside, warmth and the scent of simmering broth welcomed us home. The wooden interior glowed with quiet strength—no high-tech lights, just rune fire and hearth-heat.

I had fought. I had lost. I had grown.

And now, surrounded by family and the friends who'd bled beside me, I felt it clearly:

This second chance?

It was mine to claim.