Chapter 1128 TOP 16 MATChapter START!

THE top 16 matches of the final tournament would still be held at Lunaris Vale. At one o'clock in the afternoon, all 16 teams were transported at the same time to eight different areas. Yes, the top 16 matches would be held simultaneously. It was up to the audience to choose which one they wanted to watch.

The eight matches were being live-streamed on Moonlight Media's official Weibo account, as well as on the game's official website. And just as Shen Yi Mu had announced months ago, they were also being streamed on a famous international streaming site for foreign audiences to watch.

Of course, one could also watch the matches by logging into the game. The final tournament, just like the preliminaries, would be shown all over Arcadia. The only change from the preliminaries was that 100 players from each new server would be able to watch the matches in the final tournament on the domestic server.

They would have the option to watch the matches from different perspectives. They could choose to view the action from a bird's-eye view, follow a specific player, or switch between various in-game camera angles to get the best experience. Additionally, they could access commentary and analysis for deeper insights into the matches.

Just from that, it was obvious how hard Moonlight Media was promoting Arcadia internationally by using the final tournament of the Arcadia Cup. It was as if the tournament had now become a major advertisement for the game.

But that didn't mean that the tournament had now lost its essence. No, that would only be true if the competition itself became secondary to the promotion. As long as the focus remained on the skill and strategy of the teams, the integrity of the tournament would still be there.

And so, with the excitement of all the players and viewers watching here and abroad, the top 16 match finally began.

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Team Yunyue and team Siren were transported to what would one call a 'riverland'. Because a large river mainly dominated the area.

Both teams appeared on a raft-like structure, floating at what appeared to be the end of the river. The makeshift vessel swayed gently on the water's calm surface, with dense foliage and towering cliffs enclosing the river's last stretch.

Before long, several screens appeared in front of both teams.

[River Clash!]

[Objective: One team must transport the mysterious "Aqua Relic" downriver to safety while the other team attempts to intercept it. The intercepting team is unaware of the exact appearance of the Aqua Relic. All flying skills and items are temporarily prohibited, and all actions must occur exclusively on the river. Additionally, both teams must fend off aggressive river monsters that pose a threat to the relic's safe transport. If the transporting team successfully delivers the Aqua Relic to a designated safe zone or the intercepting team captures it within the time limit, they would win.]

[Time limit: 20 minutes.]

[Match will start in five minutes. Good luck!]

***

Luo Yan read that and felt a bit conflicted. This was because the captain of Team Siren was, well, literally a siren. She would undoubtedly have a significant advantage in such an environment. Even if the rest of Team Siren's main team didn't have a race related to water, having their captain as one provided enough of an advantage.

Especially since they could only move on the river, as what the objective said. They couldn't even use any flying skills or items. If their team were tasked to deliver the item, they would definitely be more disadvantaged.

As if taunting him, two notification screens appeared in front of them, one after another.

[Your team will deliver the <Aqua Relic> to the designated location.]

[Once the relic passes beyond the green light at the end of the downriver, it's your win.]

Then something appeared in front of them. It was an object with a smooth, elongated prism shape, its surface a deep, translucent azure that sparkled under light. Carved into its crystalline structure were delicate, swirling patterns that mimicked the ebb and flow of ocean currents, giving it an almost fluid appearance.

"I take it, this is our Aqua Relic," Bai Ze said in a dry tone. "Man, isn't this too disadvantageous to us?"

"Stop complaining. We only have five minutes to discuss. Don't waste it on pointless blabbering," Su Yuqi said.

Shen Ji Yun seemed to agree to that and turned to Dusk and Rowan. "Can you turn into your dragon form?"

The two dragons stopped and, as if checking within themselves if they could turn into their dragon forms, shook their heads at the same time, indicating that they couldn't.

Luo Yan had already expected that. Since anything flying was banned, there was no way they would allow anyone who could fly to, well, fly. "Is it the same for you, Brother Ji Yun and Sister Yuqi?"

Shen Ji Yun nodded with a serious expression. Which meant that if he transformed into his Qilin form, he wouldn't be able to fly. On the other hand, Su Yuqi tried to move her wings, and they didn't even budge.

"None of my skills related to flying can be used either," Su Yuqi added.

Luo Yan checked his [Shadow Walk] skill, just in case. When he discovered that he could still use it, he let out a sigh of relief. He quickly formulated a plan, thinking about how to leverage this ability to their advantage.

"So, what's the plan?" Luo Jin asked.

"We hide the item and then beat all the enemies!" Eclipse said with confidence.

Everyone stopped because of what the teenage fox said, not just because of the confidence with which it was said, but more because of how viable the idea was.

Luo Yan chuckled. "Well, that's a good plan."

Shen Ji Yun cleared his throat. "How about we build a plan around that?"

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On the other end of the river, Team Siren was also having a heated discussion about which plan they should do.