Chapter 1 Summer Country Official Live Stream

"There are so many people." Xu Jingming, Li Miaomiao, Wang Yi, Heng Fang, Yang Qingshuo, Liu Chongyuan and the rest of their team members were all gathered, along with their families and friends, who had also come to the live stream in twos and threes.

"The number of viewers in the live stream has already exceeded eight hundred million and is still rising. It's really crazy," Xu Jingming exclaimed.

"To all the viewers in the live stream, let me introduce you. These two beside me..." Host Liu Xin had just started speaking on the commentary台(tái) (platform), when a deafening roar of cheers erupted from the entire grandstand.

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

The burly Liu Hai, sitting on the commentary台(tái), seemed much more gentle and restrained, smiling at the audience.

"Hello, everyone," Liu Hai waved.

Another earth-shattering cheer erupted. Liu Hai now had countless fans among the people, and his popularity was extremely high. However, Liu Hai had never participated in any live streams or activities. This was his first time.

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

"I've recorded what you said. I'll show it to Master later," Heng Fang said. "Dare to say that Master looks like a big cat."

"He really does look a bit like one."

Li Miaomiao looked at Liu Hai on the commentary台(tái). Liu Hai's face was resolute, his beard and hair were thick, and when he glared, he really looked like 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 he looks like one," Yang Qingshuo immediately said.

"Then forget it, I won't tell Master," Heng Fang looked closely. "Now that you mention it, Master sitting there and waving looks like a fortune 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... and won't be able to sit on the commentary台(tái) anymore."

"So this is likely to be the only time they'll be on the commentary台(tái) for the entire Fireseed Cup?" Wang Yi said.

"If they are eliminated early, they might sit on the commentary台(tái) again," Li Miaomiao said.

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

"For example, if Senior Liu Hai and Lei Yunfang run into each other early, wouldn't one of them be eliminated?" Li Miaomiao said.

"What you said makes sense," Wang Yi said. "But according to the competition system, the probability of them running into each other before the finals is very low. We should encounter one of them earlier."

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

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

Lei Yunfang had a scar on his face, his expression was stern, and his physique was a bit thin. He usually didn't smile either. But on the commentary台(tái), facing the audience that had now climbed to nine hundred million, he forced 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 also nodded. "But at least he's trying to smile."

"Remember to take a screenshot of him smiling. This is an iconic moment," Yang Qingshuo said.

On the commentary台(tái), Liu Xin said enthusiastically, "It's very rare to have these two masters here. This is also their first time coming to our live stream. Look, there are now nine hundred million viewers, how enthusiastic. Do the two masters have anything to say to us?"

"I'm looking forward to..." Master Liu Hai said with a smile, "to seeing a team defeat my team in this Fireseed Cup competition."

Another earth-shattering cheer erupted.

"I'm really looking forward to it," Lei Yunfang said, "to fighting Brother Liu Hai in the Fireseed Cup."

Liu Hai also looked at Lei Yunfang, the swordsman who was globally renowned for his speed.

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

"Wow... the Fireseed Cup competition 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 Fireseed Cup competition will soon be heading to the preparation area."

On the other side, Xu Jingming, Wang Yi, Heng Fang, Yang Qingshuo, and Liu Chongyuan also received a notification—"The preliminary round is about to begin, please proceed to the battle space."

"Let's go," Xu Jingming stood up, and the other four also stood up.

"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 was also shouting.

"Daddy, good luck!" Three little girls looked at Liu Chongyuan adoringly.

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

"Pearwood Team, invincible!" Li Miaomiao cheered.

Amidst the cheers of their relatives and friends, Xu Jingming and the other five all headed to the battle space.

******

Whoosh, battle space, the preparation area for the Fireseed Cup competition.

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

"This time, a total of 821 teams have signed up, and 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 live streaming to recruit teammates! As long as they were God-level, and they could put together a team, no one was picky."

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

"Folk players are indeed struggling in the early stages," Xu Jingming nodded. "But with a large population of over a billion, their scale in the God-level rankings will continue to increase."

"There are now nearly five thousand God-level experts. There was a rough statistic before," Wang Yi said. "Those like you, and those like me who have had professional training, are less than two thousand people. The rest are all folk players, which means... folk players already account for more than half of the God-level experts!"

"There were already few professional martial arts players in the past," Xu Jingming said. "In the past thirty years, the national martial arts team members, both male and female, add up to only about three hundred people."

"Master, Master!" A shout suddenly came from afar, and a handsome young man ran over.

"Hmm?" Xu Jingming looked at the other party and examined him carefully. "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 female classmates in our class are now taking the initiative to pursue me, haha, they can dream on! Now, I, Pang Yun, have the right to choose."

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

"He made the right choice," Wang Yi said. "Now there are evolution methods, and the body can naturally evolve to its limit. Only the basic spear techniques... now it's difficult to ask Xu Jingming to give you one-on-one instruction in spear techniques."

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

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

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

"Just shut up. Congratulating me on getting third place, is that what you call congratulations?" Xu Jingming kicked him in the butt, and Pang Yun ran away with a smile, "Master, if I get eliminated, I will definitely watch your live stream and give you rewards."

Pang Yun ran to a distance and joined his teammates.

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

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

As soon as the words fell.

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 instant the countdown ended, all the teams instantly disappeared and were sent to the preliminary round battle area.