Advancement

"How did you find me!" They ran to a clump of tall grass, Yunxiao carried Yu Sheng in, and found that it was a hidden cave.

"I was just passing by." Yun Xiao said simply, "I saw someone jumping off the rooftop through the telescope, and he looked like you."

So you came to find me?

Yu Sheng was placed on a soft grass ball, completely relaxed for the first time in many days. He rubbed it comfortably, as if he had no bones. "Hey, where did you get this grass ball from? You are worthy of being a master, you know how to enjoy yourself!"

Yunxiao patted Yusheng's head and said, "The grass ball of the original owner of the cave." Then he gestured with his eyes to Yusheng to look deep into the cave. There was a beast corpse as tall as a man thrown there, with half of its flesh shaved off.

"No wonder this cave smells fishy..." Yu Sheng exclaimed, "You killed it? You'll have both shelter and food, killing two birds with one stone!"

"Yeah." Yunxiao responded, took out the star stone from his pocket and handed it to Yusheng, "Here."

Yu Sheng scratched his head and said, "Why don't you take it first, and then we can work together to grab another star stone."

Yunxiao glanced at Yu Sheng as if he was an idiot, and reached into his pocket with his other hand, pulling out another glowing star stone. The two star stones illuminated a corner of the cave.

“…” That’s right, so many days have passed, how could a great player like Yunxiao not have obtained the Star Stone?

"This makes it much easier!" Yu Sheng was full of confidence. "As long as we guard the Star Stone until the last day, we can advance!"

Yunxiao nodded. "The cave is well hidden and generally won't be discovered."

On the sixth night, Yu Sheng and Yun Xiao sat back to back, feeling unprecedented peace of mind and warmth.

Days seven through nine went smoothly. This cave was the perfect hiding spot. It was unknown how Yunxiao had discovered it; it was a true test of his insight. Yusheng had heard countless gunshots and artillery fire around him. On one occasion, he even heard fighting within a few dozen meters of the cave, yet no one had noticed the two men hiding there.

However, on the tenth day, the two had to leave their home.

"It's over, now I can only make bone soup." Early in the morning, Yu Sheng took a knife and tried to find the remaining meat from the pile of shaved bones. Unfortunately, he failed. The bones were smooth and shiny, like processed works of art.

"Bone soup is no good," Yunxiao added, "and there's no water either."

“…” Yu Sheng felt tired.

Yunxiao thought Yu Sheng's frustrated look was a little cute, but he didn't show it. Instead, he took out a magnetic storm gun from his backpack and handed it to Yu Sheng. He then took off his coat and bulletproof vest, revealing his muscular upper body. "Put it on. We have to get out."

Yu Sheng waved his hand, "Put it on quickly. It's just one piece. It doesn't matter who wears it."

Yunxiao quickly put on his coat, then pulled Yusheng over to undress him, his tone unquestionable, "Be good, listen and wear it."

Hot air blew against Yu Sheng's ears, and Yu Sheng's face felt strangely hot. He thought to himself, damn, this guy has such an ordinary face, why is his hormones so rampant? Isn't it illegal to flirt with people?

Yunxiao stripped him of his clothes and put on a bulletproof vest while he was in a daze. Holding the magnetic storm gun that Yunxiao stuffed in his hand, the two of them left the cave and ran towards the nearest river along the route on the map.

Water sources are the most important at all times, not to mention that there are more creatures near the water, which makes it easier to find prey.

But one thing cannot be ignored. The number of rivers on this planet is limited, and the most indispensable thing for humans is water. Therefore, those players who are still alive but have not grabbed the Star Stone will definitely ambush around the river, waiting for those hiding players who already have the Star Stone to fall into their trap.

As they got closer and closer to the river, Yunxiao and Yusheng lowered their bodies, their facial features capturing any abnormalities around them, their whole bodies reaching maximum alert, ready to activate stress response at any time.

"Bang!"

A gunshot rang out, hitting Yu Sheng's foot and sending up several grains of dirt. Yu Sheng quickly raised his magnetic storm gun and was about to fire back at the spot where the shot had just been fired, but Yun Xiao grabbed his wrist. Yun Xiao held Yu Sheng and lay down, slowly moving a few meters through the tall grass. He whispered, "Don't shoot! That person is just testing the waters. He doesn't know if anyone is here. If you shoot, you'll only expose yourself."

The magnetic storm gun is more powerful, but its shortcomings are also obvious. The sound and light are too strong, making it easier to be exposed.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Another burst of gunfire came from all directions, but the target was not Yu Sheng or Yun Xiao, but the fool who had just rashly fired a shot. Yun Xiao opened the map and showed Yu Sheng the notification message:

"Player number 2553400497 has been eliminated. The current remaining survivor is 212359001."

Yu Sheng was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat. Fortunately, Yunxiao stopped him from shooting, otherwise he might have become a sitting duck.

"Qiuqiu." Yunxiao pressed down on Yusheng, his lips pressed tightly against Yusheng's ear. "There are at least fifty people around here, probably divided into four teams. There's one team on the hill over there, one team on the other side of the river, one team near that tree over there, and there should be another team near the person who just died. But because one of the team members exposed himself, they should have secretly moved away now."

Yu Sheng's forehead was covered with sweat, and he whispered, "How did you know?"

"We judged it based on the sound of gunfire," Yun Xiao said calmly, "We attacked from behind and took over the hill over there. It's a perfect place for an ambush."

"Okay." Since someone has issued the combat order, Yu Sheng will definitely do his best to carry it out.

The two men hid in the bushes and slowly retreated, reaching the back of the hillside, one on the left and one on the right, and then moved upwards. As they approached the top of the hill, Yu Sheng immediately saw a competitor lying relatively far behind him, with his back to him. In front of this competitor, there were at least three more people lying down.

Yu Sheng held his breath, moved lightly, and approached the contestant little by little.

A light "click" sound was heard in the wind, but it did not attract any attention. The person lying in front did not know that his teammate's head had drooped down limply and died silently.

"Bang!"

Shooting!

This was Yunxiao's signal to force his attack. Yusheng hunched over, the attention of the three men in front of him drawn to Yunxiao. This was his perfect opportunity. Yusheng drew his dagger and swiftly dispatched one of them. The remaining two men reacted, and Yusheng grabbed one by the neck. The other tried to shoot Yusheng, but was stabbed in the back and fell to the ground.

At the same time, Yu Sheng's men also died of suffocation.

"Beautiful!" Yu Sheng gave a thumbs up to Yunxiao who arrived in time. The two of them teamed up to kill three people and six people respectively. Their fighting power was simply off the charts.

Before Yunxiao could say anything, his expression suddenly became stern and he rushed towards Yusheng. "Bang, bang, bang!" After a series of gunshots, Yunxiao pressed Yusheng into the grass. The two held their breath and slowly retreated to the back of the hillside.

The fight must have caught the attention of the other teams, but fortunately, they were too far away to see anyone clearly, so they could only scan blindly and didn't dare to approach. Therefore, as long as they hid to the side, they would be fine. Of course, Yu Sheng and Yun Xiao also had to be wary of someone attacking them from behind like they had done.

"Yunxiao," Yu Sheng whispered to Yunxiao who was stacked with him, "What should we do next?" They still couldn't go to the river to get water!

"Those nine people we just killed must have some water." Yun Xiao's voice was a little breathless, perhaps due to the intense exercise. "Let's go find some."

"Okay." Yu Sheng agreed and reached out to roll Yunxiao off him. However, as soon as his hand touched the back of Yunxiao's shoulder, he felt a wet liquid.

"!" Yu Sheng's heart skipped a beat. He immediately pulled himself out and carefully let Yun Xiao lie on the ground. "You're injured!"

A large amount of blue blood flowed out from behind Yunxiao's shoulder, which made Yusheng's heart tighten. If he hadn't been too proud and forgotten the risks for other teams and stood on the hillside, Yunxiao would not have blocked the bullet for him.

Fortunately, it wasn’t a magnetic storm gun, otherwise Yunxiao would probably have been eliminated on the spot.

Yu Sheng quickly went to the backpack on Bala's body and gathered all the medicine and water. These nine people had plenty of resources, and one even had a Star Stone in his bag. It seemed like they had been working as a team from the beginning.

Yu Sheng swiftly treated Yun Xiao's wounds and fed him water and food. Yun Xiao had lost too much blood and was a little weak. "How many days will these resources last us?"

Yu Sheng estimated, "If we hold on tight, we can probably hold on for five days."

"We'll leave as soon as it gets dark," Yunxiao said. "Other teams might sneak up after nightfall, hoping to pick up some loose ends. It would be dangerous if they found out there were only two of us. Let's go back to the cave under cover of darkness. If we can hold on for five days, we'll be able to advance successfully."

Yu Sheng nodded and put all the supplies into his and Yun Xiao’s backpacks.

At dusk, the sun and stars slowly set, and the sunset glow in the sky was like a beautiful fairy dress, but no one had the heart to appreciate it.

When the last ray of light was covered by the earth, Yu Sheng packed his luggage and was about to carry Yunxiao on his back when he suddenly remembered something. He took out the extra star stone he had just obtained today and threw it down the hillside without hesitation. In the dark night, the star stone fell straight into the grass like a flame that attracted moths.

Yu Sheng carried Yunxiao on his back and ran in the opposite direction.

Behind him, countless chaotic noises, shouts and fighting sounds came from the other side of the hillside, but this had nothing to do with Yu Sheng. Yu Sheng ran all the way with Yunxiao on his back and finally returned to the cave where he had been before.

"Okay, it's safe." Yu Sheng carefully placed Yun Xiao on the grass ball. "Would you like something to eat?"

Despite being weak, Yunxiao was still amused by Yusheng. "We still have five days left. Are you planning to finish eating today?"

Yu Sheng scratched his head and said, "But you are injured. It's okay. I will eat less."

Yunxiao opened his mouth, but no sound came out. Yu Sheng quickly lowered his body and put his ear to Yunxiao's lips. "What did you say?"

"Stupid ball." Yunxiao chuckled.

“…”

"Contestant No. 6000000807, 'Tailless Ballmon', congratulations on advancing."

At the last moment of the last day, the star stone in Yu Sheng's hand burst into light, enveloping him. A white light flashed before Yu Sheng's eyes, and he gently closed them. When he opened them again, he was already in the hall where the semi-finals were about to begin. The Yunxiao who had been clinging to him just a moment before had vanished.

"All qualified contestants please come online on time in five days." The system's electronic voice echoed in the hall, and then listed some precautions, and officially ended the competition.

When Yu Sheng stepped out of the hall, he saw the light screen on the roadside building broadcasting the Star Channel's interview with Yunxiao, and occasionally interspersed with follow-up shots of Yunxiao during the semi-finals.

"Contestant Yunxiao, what are your thoughts on the changes to the semi-final format?" the sweet female reporter asked, holding up the microphone. "This format change gives the players an opportunity to work as a team, but I heard it's disadvantageous for players like you who are strong in individual play."

Yunxiao said coldly with that ordinary face, "Very good."

"..." The female reporter was not satisfied with only getting two answers after a long series of questions, so she pressed on, "What's the good thing about it?"

"It's very practical. If we really fight the Zerg on the battlefield in the future, we won't be able to win with just our own abilities." This time, Yun Xiao's sentence was a little longer. "Sorry, I have something else to do. I'll leave now."

Yunxiao turned and left. The female reporter from the Star Channel, with the dignity of an official station, didn't press her. But the reporters from the Entertainment Channel weren't so bothered. Several of them surrounded Yunxiao, microphones practically stabbing him in the face, and they started shouting and asking gossip questions.

"Contestant Yunxiao, may I ask why you specifically sought out the tailless Ballmon contestant in the semi-finals?"

"Contestant Yunxiao, you risked elimination to take the blame for Contestant Qiuqiumon. Does this prove that you have deep feelings for Qiuqiumon?"

"Contestant Yunxiao, what is your relationship with Contestant Qiuqiumon? Did you contribute to his becoming the dark horse of this year's fighting competition?"

“…”

Standing on the street, Yu Sheng froze. How had he been dragged into these gossip shows? And they were hinting that he and Yunxiao were having an affair! Were all interstellar people so imaginative?

Fortunately, Yunxiao said nothing. He glanced at the reporters with a cold look and said, "This has nothing to do with you."

“…”

No matter what Yunxiao’s answer was, it could not stop the trend of Star Internet netizens becoming fanatical CP fans.

"Wow! After watching the entire rematch broadcast by Master Yunxiao, I just want to say, Yunqiu's true love will last for ten thousand years!"

"Ah ...

"I bet you a hundred chicken legs that Master Yunxiao and Qiuqiu Beast know each other in real life!"

"I really want to see them hand out candy again!"

“…”

At the Free Alliance base, Yu Sheng watched with a somewhat dejected look as everyone commented on the entertainment channel's video. Randy, standing next to him, patted him with a smile, "Don't take it too seriously. Netizens just love this kind of gossip. We all know you're innocent."

"...That makes it even weirder, doesn't it?" Yu Sheng glanced at him and changed the subject, "How are everyone's grades?"

"Gary and I advanced!" Phil came over and said, "Gary is already very powerful. He got a Star Stone on his own. Mine was obtained through cooperation. Luckily, our placements were very close."

In previous fighting competitions, only Boss Azure and Gary could reach the finals. I thought that Boss Azure would not be able to participate this time, and the prize money this year must be very low, but I didn’t expect that three people would advance this year.

Everyone in the Freedom Alliance was very happy, anticipating the amount of prize money they would receive after the competition, which would also expand the strength of the Freedom Alliance.

After leaving the Free Alliance base, Yu Sheng reconnected with the anxious Haidun. Haidun excitedly hugged Yu Sheng and rocked him around, "Ball! Ball! Such great news!"

Yu Sheng was dizzy from being shaken by him, "Wait a moment!"

The Sea Shield stopped.

Yu Sheng slapped his hand that was grabbing his shoulder away and said, "Tell me, what's the matter?"

"Our school is recruiting!" Haidun's eyes sparkled. "As long as you can make it into the top 100,000 in this interstellar fighting competition and are under 35 years old, you'll have a chance to be admitted to the Mousse Military Academy as an exception, without having to pay tuition!"

"So?" Yu Sheng asked doubtfully, "Aren't you already a student at the Mousse Military Academy? This isn't such great news."

Haidun looked at Yu Sheng with dismay, "I'm talking about you! If you could come to the Mousse Military Academy, you'd get the best education and the most comprehensive communication in the entire galaxy, as well as professional equipment and training facilities. So, come on!"

“…” Yu Sheng was silent.

As Yu Sheng fell silent, Haidun's expression grew increasingly terrified. He took a step back and said, "Qiuqiu, you're not over thirty-five, are you? I'm sorry, uncle. I was a little impertinent with you before. Please don't take it to heart."

"..." Yu Sheng was speechless, "What's going on in your head?"

"Phew, I'm relieved then." Haidun let out an exaggerated sigh of relief. "Then what are you hesitating about? It's free! This is the Mousse Military Academy! And with me as your senior, you're still afraid of strangers?"

Thinking about what Xi Ze had said before, the day when the escape plan would be implemented, Yu Sheng nodded.

"I will." Yu Sheng said, "Just wait, I will go to the Mousse Military Academy to find you, and then I will rely on your help."

"Leave it all to me!" Haidun was delighted. "Let's go have a nice meal! Oh, by the way, how about exchanging real names and contact information? We're already so familiar with each other..."

The two figures walked arm in arm towards the famous snack street of Star Network.