Three days of preparation time.
For the group that had deliberately relaxed, it felt like the blink of an eye.
During these three days, Li Xiang couldn't leave the hotel at all. At most, he could only wander around inside. There was no helping it—this was for their safety.
The crowd outside the Stellar Arena kept growing, with people from all walks of life mixing together, and more than a few had tried to force their way inside. It wouldn't be good if a conflict broke out with the students. This had been the case in previous years too, and it was precisely because accidents had happened before that these unspoken precautions were in place.
Even if some students didn't fully understand, they wouldn't ignore the warnings.
Truly rebellious students were rare. Everyone was more concerned about the matches themselves; how many would be so carefree as to wander off sightseeing?
Thanks to these precautions, Li Xiang had managed to get a good look at most of the noteworthy school team members.
He just hadn't had the chance to talk to any of them.
Last night, many people had called or sent messages to cheer him on.
Lin Feng and the others even said they would come to watch his matches in person. Lin Feng also mentioned that Lin Lan was looking forward to it and that he shouldn't disappoint her.
His tone carried a hint of something suggestive.
His head wasn't on straight. When you date too much, you start meddling where you shouldn't.
Li Xiang had scolded him over the phone. There was nothing going on, and he had made that perfectly clear before. He told Lin Feng to stop stirring up trouble, or things would get awkward for everyone.
Lin Feng, though unwilling, had apologized loudly, adding that Li Xiang could only act tough with him. If he had the guts, he should go tell Lin Lan himself—loud and clear—that Brother Li didn't like her and only saw her as a sister, and break her heart!
The only response was the dial tone of a hung-up call.
Refusing to argue with an idiot.
It made Lin Feng so angry that he decided right then to find a chance to tattle to Mrs. Yin.
Of course, it was just a thought. By then, he had fully understood Li Xiang's stance. It looked like they were destined to be brothers for life, not relatives.
On another call, Li Xiang told his senior sister that he would definitely make it to the global level. He hoped she would watch his performance from start to finish on TV.
Jiang Shangrou replied that she had always had confidence in him.
Mid-conversation, Qi Shenshen butted in, shouting something in the background. The second senior sister had recently won a Master Rank Beauty Contest Ribbon and was unbearably smug.
Li Xiang couldn't be bothered with her.
On Mrs. Yin's end, after cheering him on, she shared some good news of her own.
She was about to take over as director of the conservation base. Unless she moved up further, a director's position was usually held from youth to old age.
The Qingcheng Conservation Base's director was quite old, and Ms. Yin had just earned her Master Breeder license. Naturally, she met the conditions for succession.
Becoming a director at thirty-five—Mrs. Yin had really hit the jackpot in life.
Hearing this news made Li Xiang happier than if he had beaten everyone on the Mist City University team.
How could he not be happy that his parents were achieving career success?
In that moment, Li Xiang's desire to advance to the global level grew even stronger, and he went to sleep with that passion in his heart.
....
July 5th.
The Zhu Xia Region (Inter-Regional) phase of the Junior World Tournament — the Summer Tournament — officially began!
Twenty-seven school teams gathered in the main hall of the preparatory area.
Outside the hall, countless media outlets snapped photos.
An endless stream of staff guided spectators into the arena to avoid congestion.
Screams and noise were everywhere.
Li Xiang realized just how many people there were on each school team.
Mist City University's team of twenty-odd members was actually on the smaller side.
The Tiandu team, known as the backbone of Zhu Xia, had over forty members, including both starters and reserves. From a glance, they looked like a full classroom.
They were an impressive sight.
Shen Island and Shanghai's teams were no less formidable, with large numbers of members who all seemed strong, both male and female.
Compared to these three talent-rich schools, Mist City didn't seem like much at all.
Unlike the Spring Tournament's immediate matches, the regional level required each school team to march in front of nearly fifty thousand live spectators, similar to the Asian Games.
The champion, Xia Chunyu, would appear only after all teams had been introduced.
By now, the noise inside the arena was deafening, rising to the skies—a testament to just how many people were packed inside.
"I'm a little nervous."
Several senior sisters clutched their chests, breathing heavily, repeatedly asking others if there was anything on their faces or if their hair was a mess.
Nervousness was unavoidable. After all, they were making their debut under the eyes of tens of millions, if not over a hundred million, people across the entire Zhu Xia region!
That indescribable feeling and pressure was a bit much for high schoolers and college students to bear. To be blunt, this was just a notch below the Spring Festival Gala.
Li Xiang crossed his arms, deep in thought.
Song Jie, though outwardly composed, was quietly thrilled. Last night, his father had called, and even though he knew his son wouldn't be playing, he still cheered him on and said he'd watch the opening ceremony.
Song Jie hadn't said much at the time, but his involuntary little movements gave away his joy.
Gong Xu was the most carefree of all, holding a steamed bun in his hand, eating while looking around, completely unfazed by being photographed by the media.
It wasn't until an angry Xu He smacked him on the back of the head that the goofball quickly finished his bun.
Standing there, they carried more than just their own reputations on their faces.
Time ticked closer.
Less than five minutes to the opening ceremony.
The teams at the front began to line up.
Xu He and Miao Shuang went in ahead of them; they were the coaches and needed to be inside the arena.
Su Qian and Chao were in charge of the team on site.
Li Xiang looked down at his watch, his eyes following the ticking hands.
Three.
Two.
One.
"Woo—"
A resonant horn sounded, drowning out even the crowd's noise.
From the overhead speakers, a clear voice announced:
"Everyone, thank you for waiting."
"The opening ceremony of the Summer Tournament — the Zhu Xia Regional Championship of the Junior World Tournament — is about to begin."
As the words faded, the band struck up a tune.
"Please welcome the tournament champion flag. Following that, the representatives from the nine competition zones—a total of twenty-seven university teams—will enter one by one."
Accompanied by a solemn symphony, the first team marched in, led by a flag-bearer.
Everyone's expressions grew serious.
"Line up! Line up!"
Su Qian waved at everyone. "Two by two! Quick, get in formation!"
Other schools were lining up as well.
Li Xiang stood in the middle of the formation, next to Song Jie, who looked a bit stiff.
"No way, no way—is the great young master Song actually nervous? Didn't someone claim to have the strongest mental fortitude? Who was it that scolded me yesterday?"
He teased with a laugh.
"Eating junk food before a match is your fault. That 'three-second rule' is nonsense. What if you get sick from eating dirty stuff?"
Song Jie shot back immediately. The biggest disagreement between him and Li Xiang was whether food dropped on the floor was still edible.
Li Xiang scoffed. "I'm not talking to someone who doesn't know the meaning of 'every grain is precious.'"
"And I don't want to talk to someone who'll eat anything off the floor," Song Jie retorted.
Then, they both burst out laughing.
Their banter eased the tension of those around them.
Inside the Stellar Arena.
In the spectator stands.
Lin Feng carried a cute, cuddly Pikachu on his shoulder, holding a large bag of snacks.
Beside him, Lin Lan, wearing a sun hat and holding an Espeon, squinted down at the field.
"When's Brother Li coming out?"
At fourteen, Lin Lan had grown into a graceful young woman. Her fair skin alone drew the attention of many around her. For such a pretty girl, it was only natural to steal a few glances.
"Wait a bit longer, just a bit longer."
Yang Tianwang, lean-faced, responded. Beside him, Qu Sheng had been glued to his phone from the start.
On Lin Feng's other side, Xu Wan swept her gaze over the arena floor.
"I heard some school teams have improved a lot this year. Li Xiang and the others..."
"His performance? We're his classmates—don't we know better?"
Lin Feng cut off Xu Wan's potential jinx. When it came to whether Li Xiang would make it to the global level, he had always believed it wholeheartedly.
The only regret was that he wouldn't be there with Li Xiang. Though he himself had grown stronger, he still fell short at the regional level.
As they were talking, Lin Lan's excited cry rang out.
"They're here, they're here!"
From the entrance arch, under a wash of white light, a silver-and-black team slowly emerged.
The girl at the front held a wooden sign reading "Mist City," leading the way with radiant energy.
The broadcast announced:
"Southern Summer (Xia Nan) Region representative—Mist City University team, entering!"
The music swelled.
Lin Lan stood up excitedly, shouting and waving her arms wildly.
Her actions weren't out of place—there were plenty of people even more enthusiastic than her.
Cheers and shouts merged into one.
Down below, Li Xiang tilted his head up, taking in the semi-enclosed stadium and the countless screaming spectators.
He took a deep breath of the air, tinged with the faint scent of disinfectant.
A satisfied smile spread across his face.
This was the place he belonged—the dream destination for countless young trainers!
Applause, cheers, and glory.
No matter what others thought, no matter how many reasons they had, or how many flashbacks they might conjure—
Sorry. Your journey ends here.
Just as Li Xiang was silently declaring his intent—
Suddenly, the screams erupted into a frenzy.
The crowd in the stands roared as one, the noise coalescing into two syllables:
—"Champion!"
From scattered, disjointed shouts to a united roar like crashing waves—
The fifty thousand spectators took less than twenty seconds to sync.
The entire arena echoed with that single title.
"Champion! Champion! Champion!"
The roar shook the heavens!
Li Xiang looked toward the main entrance.
There, wrapped in a champion's cloak, a middle-aged man with a composed yet commanding presence strode forward slowly, holding a flame aloft.
His face radiated invincibility and unrestrained confidence.
He didn't speak a word—only waved to the crowds on all sides.
But the spectators' screams had already grown powerful enough to shatter glass.
Nearly everyone was shouting in abandon, raising their arms in celebration.
Welcoming—
The arrival of the Champion!