Chapter 44

"Here's the situation..." Li Miaomiao recounted the events, "So your senior brother and his team are now short of a teammate."

"Is Sun Li so petty?" Dai Xiaqing said angrily, "Your senior brother and his team have been training with him for 20 days, 20 days in the virtual world! Suddenly quitting the team? Can't he wait until after the Fire Seed Cup and then sign with another team?"

"That's just what he did, what can we do?" Li Miaomiao shook her head, "Your senior brother and his team are now looking for a marksman as a teammate. If that doesn't work out, they'll have to find another warrior. Then they'll have to go into the tournament with five warriors."

"Still, a marksman is necessary. With an enemy marksman watching from the shadows, close combat skills can only be used to 70% of their potential, and there can't be any mistakes," Dai Xiaqing thought aloud, "Is your sister-in-law thinking of asking Wang Yi's situation?"

"I heard she hasn't decided on a team yet," Li Miaomiao said, "Do you know what she's thinking? Why hasn't she decided on a team?"

"Wang Yi... well..."

Dai Xiaqing thought for a moment, "You know, she was a three-time Olympic archery champion. Now, on the spectator platform, she's one of the top three most popular streamers! Her income from donations alone is very high, so she doesn't lack money."

Li Miaomiao listened, needing to understand Wang Yi's thoughts to decide how to invite her.

"Wang Yi still has some dreams," Dai Xiaqing said, "She's always pursuing the strongest archery skills! I often spar with her, and I'm an assassin! I train my assassination skills, and she trains her close-range archery skills. In terms of archery training, she's quite obsessed."

"Your senior brother is the same..." Li Miaomiao glanced at her friend's situation, "Look, your senior brother is now training hard at the Star Tower again, and he doesn't even want to stream."

"Wang Yi is quite willing to stream."

Dai Xiaqing smiled, "Wang Yi said that when streaming, with everyone watching, her mental state becomes more focused and passionate, and her performance is better."

"She doesn't care about money, she's pursuing the strongest archery skills?" Li Miaomiao pondered, "Then why hasn't she decided on a team?"

"Maybe she hasn't found suitable teammates," Dai Xiaqing said, "I'm not entirely clear on her detailed thoughts. Let me go and find out. Once I know, I'll tell you immediately."

"Xiaqing, thanks for the trouble," Li Miaomiao said.

"Your senior brother's affairs are my affairs. You can count on me," Dai Xiaqing joked, "I'll go and spar with Wang Yi now."

...

In the third level of the Star Tower, amidst the tropical rainforest.

Xu Jingming, as usual, was once again battling a pack of tigers.

"Roar~~~" Six large tigers surrounded Xu Jingming. Xu Jingming's movements were now more perfect and agile, his spear techniques faster and more swift, and his defensive skills were much better. However, under the attack of six tigers, he still looked somewhat disheveled.

In the instant his movements changed, he thrust his spear backward, lightning-fast, piercing the neck of one of the tigers. He immediately pulled the spear out and dodged the attack of another tiger.

The tiger with a bloody hole in its neck turned into an illusion and disappeared.

After one tiger died, three more tigers from a distance slowly approached, and they were even larger.

Xu Jingming fought with all his might.

After a long battle.

"Thud." A mistake, and a tiger's claw slashed across Xu Jingming's back.

"This time, I killed six tigers, but I didn't even qualify for the Tiger King to appear," Xu Jingming's body turned into a shadow and disappeared from the third level of the Star Tower.

At the base of the Star Tower.

Xu Jingming appeared here, looking up at the huge leaderboard in the night sky.

The huge leaderboard had only six names!

"The virtual world has been open for a month, and worldwide, only six people are on the leaderboard," Xu Jingming said to himself, "The third level of the Star Tower is really too difficult. No wonder the Blue Star Alliance didn't set a time limit, and the top 100 all receive rewards."

Looking at those six names, Xu Jingming was filled with longing.

Global First: Liu Hai (Xia Country)

Global Second: Tiger Forsen (White Eagle Federation)

Global Third: Alan Emelyanenko (Ruscha Country)

Global Fourth: Diano Sire (Bovana)

Global Fifth: Lei Yunfang (Xia Country)

Global Sixth: Quai Saint Mills (White Eagle Federation)

"These six people, the oldest is my master Liu Hai, who is 74 years old," Xu Jingming said to himself, "Except for Diano, the other five are all over 40, and they have long been accomplished."

"Only Diano Sire is 20 years old?" Xu Jingming had read a lot about him.

Since climbing the Star Tower leaderboard, Diano Sire has become a celebrity, with various interviews and news reports spreading in Xia Country.

"Diano Sire, born in the small African country of Bovana, was discovered to have boxing talent at 18 and was brought to the White Eagle Federation. After a year of training, he was recognized as having higher mixed martial arts talent and switched to mixed martial arts... After a year of mixed martial arts training, before he even made his official debut, the virtual world opened. This martial arts genius has completely blossomed in the virtual world, growing at an incredible rate."

"At 20, he has passed the third level of the Star Tower and is ranked fourth globally," Xu Jingming sighed.

If the other five people were all older,

But this monstrous genius is only 20 years old, with no professional combat experience, while I am 29 and have had many tournament experiences. Yet he is already ranked fourth globally!

This made Xu Jingming realize that there are always greater heights and more capable people in the world! The world is indeed full of hidden dragons and tigers!

"My master and others have publicly stated that the gene evolution method must reach the advanced stage, and combat skills must reach the third stage. After further training, one must form their own combat system to pass the third level," Xu Jingming lightly opened his personal combat stats panel.

Gene Evolution Method: *Tian Python Evolution Method* (Intermediate 99%) (Practice Time 703 days, Cannot Upgrade)

Body: 135

Skills: Spear Technique (Stage 2 99%), Footwork (Stage 2 93%), Shield Technique (Stage 2 99%)

Base Combat Power: 2025

Practical Bonus: 26%

Combat Power: 2551

"My evolution method is stuck at Intermediate 99%, and my spear and shield techniques are stuck at Stage 2 99%," Xu Jingming said to himself, "I've been stagnant for over a week."

"From what I understand, in the country, only my master Liu Hai, Lei Yunfang, and Zhou Yi have reached the third stage in combat skills. Everyone else is stuck at the second stage."

The leaderboard set by Wang Xiangu.

Whether it's the second tier or the third tier, combat skills have all reached the second stage limit, even if they haven't reached 99%, they are at 90%.

The second tier is strong because they have a complete system of advanced techniques, which allows them to suppress the later experts.

"There are many people in the country stuck at the bottleneck. Worldwide, even more are stuck at the second stage limit," Xu Jingming said to himself, "From a global perspective, the step from the second stage limit to the third stage is very difficult."

"I've also asked my master!"

"According to my master, one must reach the third stage for the gene evolution method to have a chance of breaking through to the advanced stage," Xu Jingming was also very troubled.

Being stuck at the bottleneck, watching those weaker than him catch up, and being unable to make progress.

"Body like water, mind integrated into every part of the body, a single thought, and the move is already there," Xu Jingming said softly, "But why can't I do it?"

This bottleneck has trapped Xu Jingming, as well as many top experts worldwide.

Only by breaking through this bottleneck can one see a vast sky and have the qualifications to enter the ranks of the world's top experts!