Caiyou went to the arena stage on behalf of Linjiang to draw their next opponent.
The first round of the tournament was limited to matchups within Xiangnan, which made it relatively fair.
Therefore, most people were very confident about this round.
Caiyou pulled a slip of paper from the lottery box and opened it, holding her breath.
When she saw who Linjiang would be facing in the first round, Caiyou couldn’t help but let out a huge sigh of relief. She flashed a V-sign at everyone in the distance.
She trotted over, a brilliant smile on her face from a distance. Her two sharp little canines glistened in the sunlight.
Seeing her expression, the others all sighed in relief too.
Smiles bloomed on their faces as well.
Su Ruobing couldn’t help but ask, "How is it? Who’s our first-round opponent? How were their results last year?"
Caiyou giggled. "Our first-round opponent is the neighboring Sanjiang Prefecture. They were at the bottom of the rankings in the last regional tournament!"
At the mention of "Sanjiang Prefecture,"
the smiles on everyone’s faces grew even wider.
The Xiangnan Province regional tournament encompassed twenty-eight prefectures and over five hundred eighty cities.
Sanjiang Prefecture had ranked twentieth in the last regional tournament, placing them among the worst-performing teams.
Caiyou clutched the slip of paper, her face a mask of smug satisfaction. "See? Was I wrong? My luck is incredible!"
It had to be said, Caiyou’s luck was indeed good.
While Li Chang’an’s strength was exceptional, the combat prowess of the other team members was still within the normal range.
If they had drawn a top-ranked prefecture, Li Chang’an might have been able to hold his own.
The other participants in the Tier Four and Tier Five brackets, however, would have definitely been in trouble.
Seeing the joy on everyone’s faces, a faint smile graced Su Ruobing’s lips as well.
But she still felt the need to give a serious reminder. "Don’t underestimate them, everyone. Just because Sanjiang Prefecture performed poorly in the last tournament doesn’t mean they will this time. On the contrary, their president was punished severely for it. They’re probably planning something big for this tournament, so we’d best be careful!"
Su Ruobing’s reminder brought everyone back to their senses, and they all nodded in agreement.
「Meanwhile, in the stands.」
The spectators from the Linjiang Reincarnator Association, who had been watching the team’s every move, let out a collective sigh of relief.
Regardless of how their opponents had prepared this year, drawing a historically weaker team was much better than drawing a historically strong one.
Deng Ankang, the Fire Lion City Lord, was the first to speak. "What rank do you all think Linjiang can achieve this time?"
At his question, everyone began to rack their brains.
—after all, the outcome of the regional tournament didn’t just affect Su Ruobing’s future. It also determined the subsidy funding for the entire Linjiang Reincarnator Association for the next three years.
Therefore, everyone took the tournament rankings very seriously.
Qian Zhong, the Blood Shadow City Lord, didn’t answer right away. Instead, he carefully scrutinized the lineup of Linjiang’s participants on the field.
As a veteran, Qian Zhong identified the contestants one by one. Suddenly, his pupils contracted, and a look of confusion spread across his face. "Shouldn’t the young man on the Tier Six Evolver team be Tian Lehua? His build doesn’t look quite right."
Su Ruobing’s decision to have Li Chang’an replace Tian Lehua had been a last-minute one.
Due to the limited time, Su Ruobing hadn’t informed anyone else.
So, when he spotted a strange yet somewhat familiar figure among the group, Qian Zhong was the first to notice.
At the sound of Qian Zhong’s voice, the others quickly caught on.
All eyes focused on Li Chang’an. When they saw how absurdly young he looked, a brief, baffled expression appeared on everyone’s faces.
Clearly, even after racking their brains, they still couldn’t figure out where Su Ruobing had found such a young Tier Six Reincarnator.
’This shouldn’t be possible!’
On their home turf of Linjiang Prefecture, a Tier Six Reincarnator was by no means an insignificant figure. If Linjiang truly had someone like that, it was impossible that the spectators present wouldn’t recognize them.
After a long moment, the unsettling, heart-pounding silence was finally broken by a listless voice. Ji Fulin of Donglin City spoke up. "Have you all developed amnesia? That guy looks like Li Chang’an, the one who sold the Super Electromagnetic Cannon and the Energy Particle Beam Cannon. Our Linjiang’s Champion Scholar!"
At Ji Fulin’s words, everyone unconsciously straightened in their seats. Their gazes shot back to the field, and only then did they realize that it really did seem to be Li Chang’an—the young Champion Scholar who had sold the Super Electromagnetic Cannon.
Upon this realization, many of them gasped, sucking in a sharp breath.
They were all clearly stunned.
Now everyone understood why the young man on the field had looked increasingly familiar. He was last year’s Champion Scholar of Linjiang, Li Chang’an?!
’But didn’t Li Chang’an just become a Reincarnator a year ago?’
’Why is he on the Tier Six Reincarnator team now?!’
’Could he have already become a Tier Six Evolver through continuous reincarnations in less than a year?’
’No, that’s impossible!’
At this thought, everyone fell silent for a moment, their faces blank with utter confusion.