The warm-up match lasted for about 20 minutes and was finally nearing its end. Members of Group B and Group D were already cheering in advance because, with Group A only able to score at most two more points, they, being the first and second groups, were certain to become official team members. Meanwhile, Group E, looking at their team's lonely two points, fell into a deep self-doubt.

It didn't make sense. It was one thing for Group B to have Shang Yufei, but why was their gap with the other groups so significant? Suddenly, they all harbored a suspicion and turned their heads to look at the teacher simultaneously. Could it be that the weaker members were intentionally placed in Group E because E comes last in the sequence ABCDE?

Noticing the accusing glances from the team members, the teacher coughed lightly. "The teams were assigned randomly... You'll just have to do your best in the future."

On the other hand, members of Groups A and C were intently watching the proceedings on the field. The outcome mattered greatly to them, though their thoughts on the situation varied. Currently, Group B had two members left on the field, both of whom had scored the most points. Although Bai Yue of Group A was formidable, the rule of "no use of pheromones" undoubtedly limited him greatly. Relying solely on physical ability, he might not outperform the two from Group B.

Thus, while they continued to pay attention to the match, there were mixed feelings—some were happy, others worried. Members of Group C didn't see a big issue, but Group A felt uneasy.

Someone from Group A shouted, "Don't worry, junior! Just do your best; it's the seniors who haven't been competitive enough!" The match wasn't over yet, but people were already consoling Bai Yue, telling him not to take it to heart.

Xu Chengdong, however, felt differently. Having witnessed Bai Yue's numerous miracles, he still believed Bai Yue would not lose to those two formidable opponents this time. To avoid distracting Bai Yue, he dared not voice his encouragement but shouted in his heart.

The sun was particularly glaring that day. It was broad daylight, with a splendid sun hanging high in the clear sky. Bai Yue and the two opponents stood still, facing each other, without making a move.

The team members found this odd. Normally, the two from Group B would discuss taking Group A's headband together, swiftly ending the match. But now, there was no sign of coordination between them, not even eye contact.

Someone couldn't hold back and yelled, "What are you waiting for? Go on!" But the response was two fierce glares—one ice-cold, the other murderous. The person immediately fell silent.

Probably used to being in the same group as Shang Yufei, daring to shout at him like that was a mistake. Bai Yue understood why Shang Yufei didn't want to make a move. But what about Mu Sihan? He usually didn't care about minor matters. Based on his understanding of Mu Sihan, he should have charged forward already. What was he hesitating for?

Noticing the gaze, Mu Sihan paused for a moment. After a brief silence, he turned and walked away. "Wait, what is he doing?" "He's going out of bounds. Does he intend to give up?" "After all, Group B is the undeniable first place. Whether they take the headband or not doesn't really matter."

Mu Sihan turned a deaf ear.

He lifted his foot, intending to step out of the circle, when suddenly he felt a breeze behind him.

Mu Sihan, sensing something, instinctively dodged to the side. Just in time, he saw a hand sweep past his face, the fingertips grazing the headband on his forehead.

Then, Bai Yue's profile entered his field of view.

The pale grey pupils turned to the right, casting a glance his way. When their eyes met, Mu Sihan's pupils shrank, and he steadied himself on his back foot.

Bai Yue smiled, "That was close."

He saw that the other was about to voluntarily forfeit, so he planned to snatch the headband before that happened.

After all, only by securing two more points could Group A safely advance to the next round.

Mu Sihan's evasive action was entirely subconscious.

He first looked outside the circle—the elimination line was just a step away from him.

After his gaze swept over, it returned to Bai Yue.

Then, seeming to change his mind, he took a step forward again. However, this time, he launched an attack towards Bai Yue.

Bai Yue, seeing this, did not evade but instead met him head-on.

Honestly, it was nearly impossible to snatch the headband from both of them safely. So, his initial target was Mu Sihan.

Because he knew one thing, these two people couldn't peacefully cooperate.

Compared to Shang Yufei, he was more familiar with Mu Sihan's capabilities. In other words, the possibility of snatching the headband was higher.

Therefore, rather than confronting both from the start, it was better to deal with one first!

Both were very fast, and after colliding once, they brushed past each other.

A second later.

Bai Yue landed steadily, with a deep red headband now in his hand. Meanwhile, Mu Sihan stood behind him, his forehead bare.

Group A scored a point.

Xu Chengdong first froze for a second, then erupted in astonishing cheers, "A point! Captain, I knew you could do it!"

The other members of Group A also excitedly embraced each other.

Bai Yue glanced at the headband in his hand, then turned to look at Mu Sihan. The latter still showed no emotion, just glanced at him before walking out of the encirclement.

Was he letting it happen?

Bai Yue lowered his hand.

The headband, held in his hand, fluttered in the wind. He turned to look at Shang Yufei.

The latter had not taken advantage of the fight between him and Mu Sihan to attack but instead watched from a distance.

Bai Yue tilted his head and then rushed over.

He was very fast, closing the distance in just a few seconds while reaching out for the headband.

In an instant, his fingers touched it, pressing against the forehead—!

The other did not move.

Bai Yue stopped his motion.

Indeed, Shang Yufei had the same thought.

The crimson headband was within reach, just a movement away from easily scoring this point.

Bai Yue did not act as others expected.

After a half-second pause, he moved his hand away. During this motion, however, his wrist was caught.

Shang Yufei frowned, "You're not taking it?"

If up until that moment the act of "going easy" was done somewhat covertly, then with those words, everyone suddenly understood.

No wonder. They had thought that a confrontation between these three would result in a battle of the century, yet the struggle seemed too easy.

A member of Group C couldn't hold back, "Teacher, is this allowed?!"

The leading teacher hesitated, "Well..."

The rules didn't explicitly forbid it.

After all, it concerned the official membership, and it was unlikely anyone would willingly give up this opportunity. But he really hadn't anticipated this situation.

Bai Yue's wrist was held tightly.

He looked at Shang Yufei. After a short while, he spoke, "If it's about the qualifications for official members, you don't have to worry. Being an official member just means having the priority to play — in cases where the strength is similar."

In other words, once the competition involved the need for pheromones to increase the chance of winning, even if he was a reserve member, he could still have the opportunity to compete.

After saying this, he also addressed the teacher outside the field, "Right?"

The teacher, not expecting him to find such a loophole, coughed lightly. Indeed, to boost morale, they had exaggerated this power, but the reality was as Bai Yue had said.

The field required judging the situation appropriately, and they couldn't simply bench strong players because of a title. They were also waiting for this S+ grade alpha to bring the trophy back.

However, apart from Bai Yue's unique presence, the strength of Group A and other teams was indeed not much different. If this warm-up game did not end in the top three, it was highly likely that those aside from Bai Yue would be benched.

Bai Yue understood this as well.

Therefore, for the sake of the other members of Group A, he had to give it his all.

But likewise, if he easily took away the headband, it would be unfair to Group C.

"I've said it, right? We are not enemies, but comrades."

Bai Yue smiled, "Even though we are divided into different groups now, we must work together in the official competition."

Although he spoke to Shang Yufei, both Group A and C heard.

They exchanged glances.

"It doesn't matter whether we win or lose," Bai Yue pulled his wrist free.

"Show your real skills, senior."

Then what happened next left almost everyone dumbfounded on the spot.

The rules of the warm-up match were clear and straightforward—protect one's own headband while trying to snatch others'. Therefore, the number of headbands one could snatch was not a direct measure of their skill. Many times, some participants would lose their qualification and leave the field before they even had a chance to show their moves. Moreover, with fifty people on a field, the scene was utterly chaotic, making it impossible to tell who was more skilled.

But now, in the empty sandy ground, only two people remained, and every move they made was clear for all to see. The ground's fine sand was kicked up, creating a layer of dust. Their punches and kicks were so fierce that the onlookers could barely keep up with their movements.

They had underestimated Bai Yue's strength. They had not expected this newcomer to match Shang Yufei, a formidable opponent, so closely. Unfortunately, Bai Yue had a fatal flaw—his lack of strength.

Against ordinary opponents, he might cover up this weakness with speed and fighting techniques. But against someone with similar or far greater strength, this weakness became deadly.

So, even though he could keep up with Shang Yufei's speed at first, he began to fall behind gradually until he was pushed back to the elimination line.

Bai Yue quickly glanced back. The elimination line was just a step away. This brief distraction allowed Shang Yufei to find an opening and reach for the headband on Bai Yue's forehead.

Facing opponents of similar strength or far surpassing his own, this weakness became quite fatal. Thus, even though he initially kept up with Shang Yufei's speed, he eventually started to fall behind, until he was pushed back to the brink of elimination.

Bai Yue quickly glanced back. The elimination line was only a step away from him. This brief distraction allowed Shang Yufei to find an opening, reaching for the headband on Bai Yue's forehead. Bai Yue promptly reacted, grasping the other's arm. However, in the contest of strength, he was eventually overpowered and pushed down to the ground.

With a bang, dust rose around them. The ground was a sand pit, which cushioned the fall, so he didn't feel pain on his body. Yet, Bai Yue found no opportunity to strike back. Shang Yufei was pressing down on him, his knees firmly pinning Bai Yue's thighs, while Bai Yue firmly held onto Shang Yufei's arms. Close enough to breathe in each other's breaths, the onlookers stood around the edge of the area, watching this standoff with bated breath.

Bai Yue's movements had already been controlled, and sooner or later, he would be exhausted. Team A was in great danger. The members clasped their hands together, hoping to invoke a miracle. However, despite being at a disadvantage, Bai Yue's expression did not show any difficulty. His light gray eyes were staring directly at Shang Yufei.

"Thank you."

Shang Yufei was taken aback and before he could react, he felt his arms being pulled down suddenly. Then, Bai Yue straightened up his upper body. When Shang Yufei saw that clean and handsome face approaching, his breath hitched. The next second, he felt a pain on his forehead.

The sound was so loud that almost made the people outside the arena involuntarily rub their foreheads. Then, Shang Yufei felt a soft touch approaching his forehead. Following that, the headband was fiercely pulled off, the silky fabric brushing across his cheek, bringing a slight cool sensation.

Bai Yue spat out the headband he had pulled off and then laid back down, looking up at Shang Yufei with a smile, "I got it, senior."

Shang Yufei's heart skipped a beat.

Outside the arena, when they saw Bai Yue unexpectedly snatch the headband, Team A was initially stunned, then burst into cheers.

"We made it to the top three!"

This sound also reached Bai Yue's ears.

He turned his head to glance at them, wanting to get up. But Shang Yufei was still pressing down on him.

Bai Yue raised his hand and patted the other person's forearm. It was then that Shang Yufei seemed to come back to his senses, standing up. He even took the opportunity to pull Bai Yue up as well.

Bai Yue looked at the crowd outside cheering and jumping for joy, and took off the headband from his forehead. "Thank you for taking this game* seriously."

Shang Yufei, with his hands in his pockets, heard Bai Yue's words and clicked his tongue: "You say it like that, what else could I have done?"

Bai Yue lifted his hand, reaching towards Shang Yufei's forehead as if to touch it, but then hesitated halfway. "Your forehead is red. Are you okay?" After all, the other might not have been fully prepared for that hit.

Hearing this, Shang Yufei touched his own forehead and felt a bit of pain, but it was nothing serious. …And after all, it was brought by Bai Yue. He turned his head away: "Hmph, it's nothing."

At this moment, the winning members of Group A rushed over and surrounded Bai Yue, loudly expressing their excitement.

Xu Chengdong: "Team leader, I knew you could do it!" "Really, I thought we were surely going to lose just now." Despite facing freshmen, the senior team members still did not hold back in showing their praise.

Group C, having failed to achieve their goal, was indeed a bit disappointed. However, they were willing to accept the loss, especially after hearing what Bai Yue had said earlier. In the "battlefield" of the inter-school association the day after tomorrow, they must work together to win the championship! Not far away, Mu Sihan still stood alone in a corner. His surroundings seemed to be enveloped in frost, preventing anyone from approaching.

Watching Bai Yue and Shang Yufei talking, his gaze grew deeper and deeper.