They had agreed to meet again in a few days, at the Canaan Newcomer Cup arena.
A few days passed in the blink of an eye.
When the bell signaling the official start of the Canaan Newcomer Cup rang out across the entire Canaan Star Martial Arts University, a wave of fervor instantly swept through every corner of the esteemed institution.
Qin Feng followed the surging crowd to the main arena of the Newcomer Cup—a colossal, open-air stadium of extreme magnificence, capable of holding millions of spectators.
In the center of the arena were over a hundred floating battle platforms of various sizes.
At this moment, the platforms were all shrouded in a faint blue Energy Shield, awaiting the arrival of the competitors.
Meanwhile, the surrounding spectator stands were already packed to capacity.
Looking down from the sky, the dense sea of heads resembled swarms of ants, coalescing into an ocean of sound.
Cheers, shouts, whistles, and massive holographic projections supporting various contestants all intermingled, soaring into the sky and nearly drowning out the light of the artificial sun.
This was a carnival-like celebration for the entire Canaan Star Martial Arts University.
Qin Feng found an inconspicuous spot in the stands and sat down, quietly soaking in the long-absent liveliness.
His gaze swept across the crowd, and he soon spotted several familiar faces.
Not far away, Qin Lan and Zou Yun were gathered together, excitedly discussing something.
When they saw Qin Feng, they both smiled, waved, and called out a greeting.
Qin Feng smiled and nodded in return.
Elsewhere, he saw Carlo, Linzhou, and Yu Lin—three teammates with whom he had once fought side by side.
They were sitting with a group of equally formidable members of the Fearless Warband. Sensing Qin Feng’s gaze, they all raised a hand and gave him an Imperial Army salute.
He even saw the senior student, Ba Yan.
The Martial Artist who had once offered him guidance during the elite disciple assessment was now sitting in the front row with a solemn expression, as if awaiting the arrival of an important figure.
The entire stadium was a massive social stage, connecting every "part" of the vast machine that was the Canaan Star Martial Arts University.
「Meanwhile.」 On the Subspace Network, the Canaan Star Martial Arts Private Domain Forum had already exploded with activity.
New posts were popping up like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, the refresh rate so fast it almost left afterimages.
[#CanaanNewcomerCupOpeningCeremony #StrongestLineupInHistory! ClickToWatch!]
[#ChampionshipPrediction #FourthLevelDivision Zhou Run’s odds have dropped below 1.05, bookies are crying as they close the betting!]
[#DarkHorseWatch #FifthLevelDivision A mysterious newcomer has appeared, 100% mission completion rate. Could they challenge Shi Dang’s dominance?]
[#LiveReport #I’mHereLive! The atmosphere is insane! [Video]]
...
Every post had thousands, even tens of thousands, of replies.
The number of online users on the entire forum broke an all-time record.
At this moment, every student’s attention was focused on this once-a-decade grand event.
This frenzied excitement reached its absolute peak when the "Guest Master List" for this year’s Newcomer Cup was displayed on the massive holographic screen in the center of the arena!
"Oh my god! Look at the master list!"
"Master Lv Lan! Master Yue Hong! Master Mu Lin! Heavens, they... they’re all long-famous Constant Star-level Powerhouses! They actually all came!"
"That’s not all! Look further down! Master Yu Han! Master Zai Jing! Those are Star System-level beings! They’re interested in the Newcomer Cup too?"
Gasps of disbelief erupted from the crowd.
On the screen, name after legendary name from the Canaan Star Martial Arts University scrolled slowly by.
There weren’t just dozens of Constant Star-level masters whom students rarely got to see, such as Master Lv Lan, who looked like a middle-aged scholar but had once shattered a star with a single Slash of his sword;
the fiery-tempered and stunningly beautiful red-haired Master Yue Hong, who specialized in techniques of extreme cold;
and Master Mu Lin, who carried a wine gourd all day and had perpetually drowsy, drunken eyes, yet was hailed as the "number one in Swordsmanship."
What shocked everyone even more were the names in the latter half of the list: seven or eight Star System-level masters, each powerful enough to suppress an entire star system!
Qin Feng’s own master, Yu Han, was on the list!
In addition, there was Master Zai Jing, famous for his rigorous and impartial nature, who presided over the academy’s Disciplinary Hall!
Star System-level Powerhouses were already beings of immense stature.
They were usually as elusive as divine dragons. The stomp of any one of them could make an entire star system tremble.
’And now, they’ve all gathered here just to watch a competition for new students?’
That in itself was unbelievable.
However, when the list scrolled to its end and the final name appeared, the entire stadium—all several million people—along with the tens of millions of followers on the Subspace Network, fell into a deathly silence.
Then, in the next instant, a roar like a landslide and a tsunami erupted, powerful enough to tear the dome off the entire stadium!
"Zhou... Lord Zhou Xiong!!!"
"The Ultramarines Chapter! Squad Leader of the Seventh Combat Company!!"
"A Black Hole-level Martial Artist!!!"
"I’m not dreaming, am I?! Squad Leader Zhou Xiong is actually here in person!!!"
That name seemed to possess an infinite Magic Power.
Guest Master: Zhou Xiong!
The significance behind this name had already transcended the category of "powerhouse."
The Ultramarines Chapter—the most elite, most central, and most loyal armed force of the human Empire!
They were the sharpest Battle Blade in the Emperor’s hands!