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Sun Xiang was 15 and angry with the world when a talent scout saw potential buried within the flames.
He was about to add yet another win to his duel record when one of the spectators spoke up behind him.
"Kid, you've got amazing talent. Your skills are wasting away in an internet cafe. What do you think about becoming a professional player?"
Pleasantly surprised but wary, he turned around and eyed the man. "Fuck off if this is a scam.”
But the card that the man handed him looked legit enough.
Thunderclap
Talent Scout
Ning Kang
And his words stuck in his mind.
It had been a long time since anyone said such words to him.
"I'll think about it," he said even though he had already made up his mind.
His father called him stupid and told him that if he stepped one foot out of the door, he was no longer a son of his.
"Ungrateful little shit! Did I waste all this time raising you so that you can become a piece of trash like your mother?"
With a sneer quivering at the edges, Sun Xiang snarled, "It's a good thing you didn't raise me then."
The bottle smashed against the door as he slammed it shut. All his belongings fit in the duffel bag he clutched in his arms.
I'll show you. I'll show everyone.
His mother had been a beautiful foreigner, a woman who had shone so brightly that no one could tie her down, and even if it was for a moment, he wanted to shine so brightly that no one could tie him down either.
The training camp tied him down and he hated it. The supervisor noticed his impatience and sought to reassure him.
"It's only a matter of time before you debut. Let's give it a few more years."
"Why not now?"
Zhao Huilang shook his head. "No need to rush. You still have room to grow."
Just as Sun Xiang's face turned mutinous, Zhao Huilang patted him on the shoulder with an understanding smile. "Little Sun, your sight is still too narrow. Everyone here is clear on your skill and strength, but you need to ask yourself what you’re trying to prove.”
Sun Xiang's indignant response was caught in his throat.
“Remember that I’m not here to push you. I'm here to guide you to becoming the best player and person you can be. I’ve seen a lot of youths like you, but it’s alright, you’re not alone here.”
That was the dumbest thing he's ever heard, but he hated the training camp a little less after that. At least Zhao Huilang was alright for a guy who liked to spew bullshit.
Sun Xiang never thought a person could embody the sun until he met Dai Yanqi. She wasn't a genius like he was, but what she lacked in talent, she overcame with overwhelming effort.
"Hey, Sun Xiang, let's go out and grab some bubble tea!"
And for some reason, she kept talking to him even though he made a point of being a recluse.
"How many times do I have to tell you not to call me casually?"
She obligingly corrected her manner of speech. "Senior brother Sun Xiang, our sect's most esteemed disciple, would you be so kind as to grace us with your presence on our journey to procure some fine tapioca pearl tea?"
No one was more surprised than him when a soft chuckle slipped out. He slapped a hand against his mouth with wide eyes, almost guiltily so.
Dai Yanqi’s surprised look turned into a radiant grin, one that crinkled her eyes at the edges.
"So you do know how to smile after all."
That was the end of his days as a recluse.
Thunderclap was a mediocre team, but no one dared to underestimate them because of their strong teamwork and fluid tactics and strategies. They were relatively weak in the individual competitions and group arena, but they stood their ground in the team competitions with indomitable brilliance.
Captain Xiao Shiqin's style as a master tactician was careful, careful, and even more careful until he shocked everyone with risky decisions under huge pressure.
He'd announce a command like thunder and the team would scatter like lightning to strike in the most unexpected places. At the edges, vice-captain Fang Xuecai would swoop in on the divided, dual swords singing with the desire to end all with a life-risking strike.
Each and every time Sun Xiang watched their team's matches with the trainees, he'd witness the gap between him, his seniors, then the teams that stand above them.
I'm strong, but I'm not strong enough.
Thunderclap was a mediocre team. They never fought with overwhelming strength and when they faced against more powerful teams, thunder would only serve as a warning to dodge the lightning.
I have to win.
In another time, Sun Xiang would have been discovered at 17 by Conquering Clouds and tossed onto the stage as their hope and savior. He would have reigned king on a pedestal without the experience that allowed him to see that he was a frog in a well.
This time, he decided on one more year.
Sun Xiang’s decision shocked and confused his fellow trainees, but Zhao Huilang had nodded proudly in approval and Xiao Shiqin had eyed him speculatively, as if he was revising his previous judgments.
“Just as I expected.” Dai Yanqi was the only one who treated his decision as normal. "Hey, that means we can debut together!"
Together wasn't a word that Sun Xiang often thought about, but after continuously witnessing everyone pull astounding feats with coordinated maneuvers that didn't dim their individual talents in the slightest, he thought, Together isn’t bad.
Scowl on his face lightening into something softer, he said, "Let's see if you can keep up first."
Dai Yanqi stuck her tongue out at him. "Just watch. We got this. No one will know what hit them."
In the face of her we, the small child within him that cried out me grew ever quieter.
Sun Xiang alone would have been astonishing. Dai Yanqi alone would have been fascinating.
But together.
Together, they were incandescent.
Storm and Fire.
Where the warrior charged, nature followed.
An unprecedented duo of berserker and elementalist became one of the main contenders for best partners as soon as they debuted in Season 8.
Thunderclap adapted their newfound strength to their advantage and struck with the fluidity of ever-changing seasons, burning through the regular season. For the first time, Xiao Shiqin looked at Thunderclap not only with love and passion, but also with hope and ambition. His instincts as a professional player, a glory seeker, seized onto this advantage.
"We have a chance to reach the top," Xiao Shiqin announced one day with blazing eyes. Coming from someone who played risks but never let his guard down, his words were akin to a declaration of war.
"Then let's carve a path," Fang Xuecai followed with a matching gleam in his eyes.
Sun Xiang shared a determined look with Dai Yanqi.
Let’s win together.
It was with a strange sense of deja vu that Sun Xiang watched Tang Hao challenge Lin Jingyan. The resulting battle was intense and fierce…but distasteful.
From beginning.
"The junior succeeds the senior."
To end.
"The junior succeeds the senior."
Only these five words were spoken.
Tang Hao might have showcased his superiority, but he showed none of the dignity and respect worthy to be called the king of brawlers. Lin Jingyan wasn't just acknowledged for playing his class well and Fang Rui wasn't the only one with an unpleasant look on his face.
Arrogant bastard.
Sun Xiang wouldn't let that be his starting point. The audience watched him with anticipation as he calmly walked onto the stage.
At one point, Sun Xiang had dreamt of defeating Sun Zheping.
He had admired his dominating strength and his stunning mechanics, the way blood had flown through the air with each strike. He hadn't paid attention to the spitfire who covered his back with precise bullets and elegant flair, petals scattering through the air.
Now, he realized that alone, Sun Zhpeing was powerful, but with Zhang Jiale, they were nearly unconquerable.
It was a shame that Sun Zheping's hand injury dragged him away from Glory and Zhang Jiale's tragic tale ended with another runner-up. Sun Xiang could now only dream of testing their Storm and Fire against their Blood and Blossoms. Searching for something to fight for, he thought he could find an answer in challenging the most senior of players.
"Why did you challenge Han Wenqing?"
With neither humility nor arrogance, he replied "For Thunderclap, I want to know my current limits. I want to know how much farther I have to go."
His answer stunned the audience and professional players.
"Please advise me, senior."
"It's an honor." There was a touch of acknowledgement in Han Wenqing's eyes when he shook his hand.
King of Fighting.
His perseverance at the sunset of his career was terrifying and his strength didn’t lose to anyone. It would be a mistake to think he earned his title from continuing to fight long after everyone else had retired.
15 minutes.
Sun Xiang had been able to draw out the match for that long, but Storm Chaser still fell to Desert Dust's Ferocious Tiger Flurry, timed right when he was caught in the ending sequence of Crimson Storm.
Stunned silence broke into deafening applause.
"It seems like not all children this year are too green to realize that dynasties don't change with a single showing. Compared to us veterans, your experience is lacking, but your skills aren't bad. Keep playing. You'll find your answer along the way."
Sun Xiang could have burst with joy. Coming from Han Wenqing, that might as well have been glowing praise.
"Thank you for your guidance.”
"My stress levels have never been higher. I'm convinced my heart is about to beat out of my chest from anxiety. Who let me say let's crush them all?" Xiao Shiqin laid his head on Fang Xuecai's shoulder.
Unaware that he would abruptly find out that his team wasn’t filled with singles, Sun Xiang peered through the gap in the doorway out of concern.
"How about I take away some of that stress?" Fang Xuecai wrapped his arms around his waist and pulled him closer, brushing his lips against Xiao Shiqin’s ear.
Oh. Oh. Face burning, Sun Xiang quietly sped off and unfortunately ran into Dai Yanqi who poked the embarrassed splutters out of him.
“You dense idiot." Dai Yanqi pressed a hand against her face. "That makes so much sense. “
“Hey.”
“Everyone knew except you."
"...Well."
"You didn't even know my second favorite OTP.”
"What's OTP? Why is theirs second?"
"One true pairing." Dai Yanqi grabbed his shirt and pulled him down into a searing kiss, then whispered against his lips, "Ours the first."
Sun Xiang raised a hand to his mouth in astonishment, then chased after her. "D-dai Yanqi! You can't just leave me hanging like that!"
Samsara slammed them out of the ring in the quarter final, but the match was so close that the last second literally decided the outcome. For the first time, Thunderclap experienced what it was like to be on par with the powerhouse teams. Their excitement and pride outweighed the bitter taste of their loss.
When Zhou Zekai stood in front of Sun Xiang to shake his hand, he only had one word to say.
“Great.”
Great what? Great match? Great job?
Sun Xiang had no idea, but he wouldn’t forget how thrilling it had been to go toe-to-toe with the Gunner God and current #1 in the Alliance.
Great.
Sun Xiang declared Zhou Zekai his rival and vowed to dethrone him.
We’ll be ready in Season 9.
What the fuck was Ye Qiu doing in Void?