parentshiftbook Chapter 244 Opening, India, 1 person
Chapter 244 Opening, India, 1 person
Chapter 244 Opening, India, One Person
On that day, New York, a city known as the crossroads of the world, became the focus of martial arts geniuses from all over the globe.
In the heart of Manhattan, the World Martial Arts Arena, newly built specifically for this competition, stands majestically, its futuristic, streamlined design complementing the surrounding skyscrapers.
In the giant plaza in front of the arena, thirty-two flags representing the national teams of various countries fluttered high in the air carried by the Atlantic sea breeze.
Sunlight shines on the special alloy exterior of the arena, reflecting a cold luster.
The air was not filled with the excitement of a carnival, but rather with a sense of impending battle.
Thirty-two of the world's strongest martial arts teams have gathered here to kick off the highest-level global competition among young martial artists.
Although this is the first time the Global National Championship has been shown to the outside world, the rules for this competition among martial arts geniuses from around the world are already deeply ingrained in people's minds:
The entire global national team competition consists of three stages:
1. Team Competition (32 to 8): The teams are drawn by lot, and the winners are placed in the next level. This competition tests the overall strength and teamwork of the teams. The main purpose is to eliminate the weaker teams from the 32 teams through two rounds of team battles, leaving 80 warriors from the eight winning teams.
2. Individual Competition (80 to 40): This is another brutal single-elimination round, intended to weed out the weak players who rely on the strong teams and leave behind 40 geniuses who have gone through two rounds of selection.
3. Secret Realm Treasure Hunt (Forty to Four): This is both a reward for the forty geniuses and a highly dangerous free-for-all. The forty talented martial artists will be thrown into a specially opened "secret realm" brimming with opportunities. Scattered within are top-tier rare and precious materials, which the forty individuals can freely search and acquire.
But more importantly, these forty people will engage in a large-scale, unregulated melee and slaughter.
Ultimately, only four exceptionally strong individuals, possessing both skill and luck, will emerge to enter the final semi-finals and finals, vying for the supreme championship throne.
Moreover, ever since the Wood Saint achieved the Martial Saint title, all the arenas of the global martial arts competition, just like the Qingquan Chunhui Palace arena, have been imprinted with the [Law of Life] by the Wood Saint.
No matter the attack or the fatal injury, the martial arts geniuses are not worried about dying.
In this way, the rules of the Global National Tournament can be said to maximize the selection process, ensuring that the champion of each Global National Tournament is the strongest all-rounder in team battles, free battles, and one-on-one duels. Almost every champion of the Global National Tournament is the strongest genius without any controversy.
The opening ceremony of this year's competition was already being held in the main arena. The entire venue was brightly lit and bustling with people, but the atmosphere in the core contestant area was tense. The young martial artists from various countries stood in formation, their eyes sharp as knives, scrutinizing each other, as if invisible sparks were colliding in the air.
Li Xijun stood at the very front of the Great Xia Kingdom's army, his gaze calmly sweeping across the entire scene, where he saw many powerful figures.
In the Japanese team's formation, Yae Hiiro stood at the very front as the team leader.
She was still dressed in a shrine maiden's outfit, her expression aloof and solemn, holding a magatama, her body radiating pure yet powerful spiritual energy.
When her gaze met Li Xijun's, she paused slightly, a complex emotion that was extremely difficult to detect flashing deep in her clear and cold eyes. However, she quickly suppressed it, regaining the dignity and distance befitting a priestess and leader. She merely nodded slightly in acknowledgment before looking away.
Chaos was also seen in the French contingent.
His injuries seemed to have healed, but the arrogance that used to flare up on his face had subsided considerably, replaced by a solemn expression.
When Li Xijun's gaze swept over him, he subconsciously avoided eye contact, a clear hint of fear and lingering apprehension flashing in his eyes. It was obvious that the punch from the Feathered Serpent Temple had left him with a huge psychological shadow.
One of the most eye-catching figures was undoubtedly Diana of the Greek team. She wore a blouse and breastplate in the style of ancient Greek battle dress, revealing her healthy, tanned skin, her black hair cascading down her back, and her blue eyes as fiery as a sea of war.
At the same time, she stared at Li Xijun almost without any attempt to hide it, her eyes burning with excitement at discovering a powerful prey and an almost fanatical fighting spirit, as if she couldn't wait to grab the sword and shield and have a fierce battle with Li Xijun.
The demigod-like aura that unconsciously emanated from him made many contestants from other countries feel breathless.
In addition, teams from the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, Egypt, and other countries also included unfathomable genius martial artists, each like a drawn sword, their brilliance fully revealed.
The opening ceremony was personally presided over by the American president, who is known for his tough style and equally strong power.
He stood on the stage, dressed in a suit and red tie, his blond hair flowing in the wind, exuding a powerful aura. His voice, amplified by the loudspeakers, resonated throughout the entire venue, radiating strength.
Welcome! Welcome, young warriors from all over the world!
"This is the ultimate stage to prove your strength, will, and glory!"
"The rules have already been stated, so I won't repeat them. I'll just emphasize one point:"
"Give it your all, respect your opponent, but above all, have awe for strength!"
"Now, I declare the Global National Team Competition officially open!"
Without any unnecessary words, he immediately ignited the atmosphere.
Next came the moment that would decide the fate of the first round: the team draw.
Each team captain took turns going up on stage to draw their opponent from a specially made alloy box that could block all mental detection.
Li Xijun, as the captain of the Great Xia team, slowly walked onto the stage. As the leader of the team that was a favorite to win the championship, his appearance naturally attracted countless eyes from the audience.
At this very moment, countless martial artists and genius students from martial arts universities around the world are watching his every move intently through the light screen.
"The British government! It must be those British guys!"
"Damn it, we got screwed over by the British and Western Allies last time, let's eliminate them first this time!"
"Let's play it safe and test the waters with a weaker team first!"
"That's right, start by crushing the weaker opponents and conserve your strength. Don't repeat the mistake of last year, revealing too much!"
At this moment, in the canteens, dormitories, and even under the huge light screens in the various squares of the thirty-three martial arts universities in the Great Xia Dynasty, countless people were praying and looking forward to the team that Li Xijun would draw.
Soon after, he casually reached into the box and pulled out a specially made metal plaque engraved with the country's code and emblem.
The chief referee took the metal plaque and announced loudly:
"The Great Xia National Government Team's first-round opponent is the Indian National Government Team!"
When the results were announced, a murmur of discussion immediately arose from the audience.
The Indian national team, despite having a poor reputation in terms of character and other moral qualities, has left a very bad impression on various countries.
However, from a martial arts perspective, the Indian National Team is definitely a formidable force!
They have always practiced extremely ancient yoga asceticism, and after the Great Cataclysm, they quickly and successfully developed the secret methods of the three channels and seven chakras, as well as various mysterious and powerful ancient Indian physical techniques.
Their team members often possess incredible physical strength, endurance, and exquisite control over their own spiritual power. They have a wide variety of methods and are extremely difficult to deal with, making them a recognized top-eight level team.
Following this result, sighs and lamentations were heard throughout the major cities of Daxia, in open-air plazas, and university canteens. Many felt that playing against such a team right from the start would easily expose their true strength, which would be detrimental to the subsequent individual matches.
Unleash your power in chaotic battles within secret realms.
Meanwhile, in countless taverns in Western countries and the Americas, burly men with Western faces laughed gleefully and raised their large glasses of beer in celebration.
Li Xijun calmly walked off the stage.
In his view, the so-called draw and the teams he plays against are irrelevant.
For an absolute powerhouse like him, who is aiming straight for the championship, they are all just stepping stones on the road; it's just a matter of who gets stepped on first and who gets stepped on later.
However, as he passed through the area where the Indian National Army was located, these Indians immediately used their traditional skill and cast several hostile and mocking glances at him.
One of the young men, with bronze skin, a bright red cinnabar mark between his eyebrows, and a lean physique that seemed to contain explosive power in every muscle, crossed his arms and a sardonic smirk playing on his lips. He spoke in heavily accented English:
"Hmph, Great Xia? It seems they were eliminated quite early last time?"
"What poor luck, running into us in the first round. Well, at least we can send you back to rest early so you don't embarrass yourselves later."
Several of his teammates joined in with laughter, and some even started gesturing wildly, as if they could already envision an easy victory.
Although it was unclear whether the other side was deliberately standing up to mock them or if it was a traditional tactic, none of the members of the Great Xia National Government team reacted. With their experience from previous years, they all knew that the Indian team could not be viewed with normal thinking, so they did not even give a response.
Instead, when Li Xijun returned to the group, she seemed to be discussing what to eat today, and made a suggestion:
"For you, the individual competition is crucial. As long as you break into the top forty, you will reap considerable rewards, whether from the benefits of the secret realm or from the official rewards of the Great Xia Dynasty."
"Therefore, you don't need to play in the first two rounds of the team competition. I will crush them. You should observe the winning team's skills and strength and prepare accordingly."
Li Xijun's words immediately moved many people in the team.
Especially people like Zhou Jiming, Jiang Qiyue, Luo Xu, and Cai Meier, all showed their gratitude.
The former two are simply too weak. If they were to reveal even one of their outdoor killing moves and it became known to others, they would basically have no hope for the future.
The latter two are different. One is good at lurking and hiding, and is best at battlefields like the third round. The other is good at one-on-one combat. Once the charm and illusion techniques are used, they can be easily guarded against in advance.
If Li Xijun can single-handedly dominate the team competition, it will be a significant benefit for everyone on the Great Xia National Team. However, as for whether he will expose too much of his strength and become a target like in the previous competition...:
At this moment, the crowd, who already blindly worshipped Li Xijun, had absolutely no scruples.
Their captain's strength was simply too great. Unless Yae Hiiro, Chaos, and Diana joined forces, they couldn't think of anyone who could surround and kill Li Xijun.
Thus, after rounds of lottery draws, the first round of the Global National Government Tournament, the Great Xia National Government vs. the Indian National Government Team, officially began!