Chapter 1 The Beginning

Xia Country official livestream.

"There are so many people." Xu Jingming, Li Miaomiao, Wang Yi, Heng Fang, Yang Qingshuo, Liu Chongyuan, and the rest of their team were all assembled, along with family members and friends, gathering in the livestream room.

"The number of viewers in the livestream has already surpassed eight hundred million and is still rising. It's truly madness," Xu Jingming exclaimed.

"To all the viewers in the livestream, let me introduce you. These two beside me..." Host Liu Xin had just started speaking on the commentary platform when a deafening roar of cheers erupted from the stands.

Host Liu Xin laughed and continued, "I believe these two guests have already felt everyone's enthusiasm. Beside me is none other than Master Liu Hai, currently ranked number one in the Starry Sky Rankings! Today is Master Liu Hai's first time participating in a livestream!"

The burly Liu Hai, sitting on the commentary platform, appeared much more gentle and reserved, smiling at the audience.

"Hello, everyone," Liu Hai waved.

Another wave of deafening cheers erupted. Liu Hai now had countless fans among the people, and his popularity was extremely high. However, Liu Hai had never participated in livestreams or any other activities. This was his first time.

"Hahaha..." Yang Qingshuo couldn't help but say from the stands, "Master usually seems like a lion or tiger in front of us. Today, he feels like a big cat, waving so obediently."

"I've recorded your words. I'll show them to Master later," Heng Fang said. "Daring to say Master is like a big cat."

"It's kind of true," Li Miaomiao said, looking at Liu Hai on the commentary platform. Liu Hai's face was stern, his beard and hair thick, and when he glared, he truly resembled a lion or tiger, with terrifying deterrence! But now, smiling at the audience, he did indeed look like a big cat.

"Did you hear that? Sister-in-law also said it's true," Yang Qingshuo immediately said.

"Then forget it, I won't tell Master," Heng Fang said, looking closely. "Now that you mention it, Master sitting there and waving looks like a beckoning cat."

Xu Jingming said, "Master and Senior Lei Yunfang don't have to participate in the preliminary rounds, so they can be guests. Later, they will participate in the main competition... so they won't be able to sit on the commentary platform anymore."

"So this is likely their only time on the commentary platform for the entire Fire Seed Cup?" Wang Yi said.

"If they get eliminated early, they might be able to sit on the commentary platform again," Li Miaomiao said.

"Eliminated early?" Xu Jingming and the others all looked at Li Miaomiao.

"For example, if Senior Liu Hai and Senior Lei Yunfang meet early, wouldn't one of them be eliminated for sure?" Li Miaomiao said.

"You have a point," Wang Yi said. "But according to the competition system, the probability of them meeting before the finals is very low. We should encounter one of them earlier."

"Then we'll eliminate them!" Li Miaomiao clenched her fist. "As a substitute player, I believe in our team's strength."

On the commentary platform, Liu Xin introduced, "As for this one, he is Master Lei Yunfang, currently ranked fifth in the Starry Sky Rankings."

Lei Yunfang had a scar on his face, his expression cold, and his figure was rather thin. He usually didn't smile much either. But on the commentary platform, facing an audience that had now climbed to nine hundred million, he squeezed out a smile and waved.

"Senior Lei Yunfang's smile is so fake," Xu Jingming commented.

"It's really not easy to make him smile," Heng Fang nodded. "But at least he's trying to smile."

"Remember to screenshot his smiling face. It's a memorable moment," Yang Qingshuo said.

On the commentary platform, Liu Xin said enthusiastically, "It's very rare to have these two masters here, and it's also their first time in our livestream. Look, there are now nine hundred million viewers, how enthusiastic. Do the two masters have anything to say to us?"

"I'm really looking forward to it..." Master Liu Hai said with a smile, "I hope there is a team in this Fire Seed Cup that can defeat my team."

Another earth-shattering cheer erupted.

"I'm also looking forward to it," Lei Yunfang said. "To compete with Brother Liu Hai in the Fire Seed Cup."

Liu Hai also looked at Lei Yunfang, the blade art expert whose speed was unmatched in the world.

"Then we'll see each other in the competition," Liu Hai said.

"Wow... this Fire Seed Cup hasn't even started yet, and I'm already getting excited," host Liu Xin said excitedly. "It's almost midnight on September 1st, and all the teams that have signed up for the Fire Seed Cup will soon be heading to the preparation area."

On the other side, Xu Jingming, Wang Yi, Heng Fang, Yang Qingshuo, and Liu Chongyuan all received a prompt: "The preliminary round is about to begin. Please proceed to the combat space."

"Let's go," Xu Jingming said, getting up. The other four also rose.

"Son, good luck!" Xu's mother shouted.

"Dad, good luck!" Yang Qingshuo's son cheered.

"Husband, you're the most handsome!" Heng Fang's wife also shouted.

"Dad, good luck!" Three little girls looked at Liu Chongyuan with adoration.

"Mom, you're the best in the world!" A young girl looked at Wang Yi and cheered.

"Limu team, invincible!" Li Miaomiao cheered.

Amidst the cheers of their families and friends, Xu Jingming and the other four headed to the combat space.

******

Whoosh, the combat space, the preparation area for the Fire Seed Cup.

"There are so many people." Xu Jingming and the others appeared out of thin air and saw a dense crowd of people.

"A total of 821 teams have signed up this time. The vast majority of God-level experts are participating," Heng Fang said. "I heard that on the last day of registration, many God-level experts were livestreaming, recruiting teammates! As long as they were God-level, able to form a team, everyone was welcome."

"It's easy for us to invite teammates because we're strong enough and know many experts," Liu Chongyuan said. "Many folk experts don't have many friends, and some may have only broken through to the God-level in the last day or two! Their strength is at the bottom of the God-level, and they don't know many God-level experts... If they want to find teammates, they can only recruit publicly. Five unfamiliar God-levels barely form a team and come to join in the fun. It's very normal."

"Folk contestants do indeed have a difficult time in the early stages," Xu Jingming nodded. "But with a large population of over a billion, their numbers among the God-level will continue to increase."

"There are nearly five thousand God-levels now. There was a rough estimate before," Wang Yi said. "Those like you and me, who have had professional training, are less than two thousand. The rest are all folk contestants. In other words... folk contestants already make up more than half of the God-level experts!"

"There were always few professional martial arts contestants in the past," Xu Jingming said. "In the past thirty years, the national martial arts team, men's and women's teams combined, only had about three hundred people."

"Master, Master!" Suddenly, there was a shout in the distance, and a handsome young man ran over.

"Hmm?" Xu Jingming saw the other person and looked closely. "Little Fatty, you've lost weight?"

The handsome young man ran over, excitedly saying, "Master, I practiced the Shadow Leopard Evolution Method, and the weight loss effect is particularly good. Look, I'm much more handsome, right? Many of the girls in our class are now actively pursuing me, haha, let them dream on! Now, I, Pang Yun, have the qualifications to choose."

"Let me introduce you," Xu Jingming said to his teammates with a smile. "This is a disciple of mine from Bin Hai. This disciple of mine is a bit fat and lazy. He didn't want to train his body, holding a very light spear, only learning spearmanship from me. One-on-one private tutoring, learning from me for three years. He learned five or six tenths of my spearmanship."

"He chose the right thing," Wang Yi said. "Now there is the Evolution Method, and the body can naturally evolve to the limit. Only the foundation of spearmanship... now it's difficult to ask Xu Jingming to give you one-on-one spearmanship lessons."

"That's right, I made a big profit! I broke through to the God-level yesterday," Pang Yun said happily. "I immediately flaunted it in the high school class group and tried to pull in some God-levels to form a team. Anyway, I, Pang Yun, have participated in the first national cup competition in Xia Country."

"Pang Yun, good luck," Xu Jingming said.

"Master, I definitely won't pass the preliminary round. But Master, you must do your best," Pang Yun clenched his fist. "Even if you can't defeat Master Liu Hai and Lei Yunfang, you have to get third place."

"Just shut up. Congratulating me by wishing me third place? Is that a congratulation?" Xu Jingming kicked him on the butt. Pang Yun ran away with a smile: "Master, if I get eliminated, I'll definitely watch your livestream and give you gifts."

Pang Yun ran to the distance and joined up with his teammates.

"One-on-one private tutoring, and for three years?" Heng Fang said in surprise. "Your time is very precious, right? I remember you rarely spent time teaching disciples in the combat gym."

"This was personally requested by Senior Brother Fang Xinglong," Xu Jingming said. "And the private tutoring fee was seven figures per year."

As soon as he finished speaking, a voice began to sound in the preparation space—

"The preliminary round is about to begin. Countdown, 10, 9, 8..."

All the teams in the preparation space quieted down. At the moment the countdown ended, all the teams instantly disappeared, sent to the preliminary round combat area.