And the squad leader of a Combat Company was the elite of the elite, a legend among legends!
A Black Hole-level Martial Artist!
This was a god-like existence, a dimension higher than even the Galaxy-level!
A living legend like that was actually appearing as a "guest mentor" to watch a... Newcomer Cup match?!
This was more bizarre than a planet suddenly sprouting legs and running off!
Alright, some planets *were* actually formed by interstellar dust accumulating on some kind of sleeping cosmic being, and it wasn’t unheard of for them to sprout legs and run off.
But for Squad Leader Zhou Xiong, a truly elusive figure, to actually deign to watch the Canaan Newcomer Cup!
Never mind the Newcomer Cup; even the All-Stars Cup was like child’s play to a Black Hole Level Powerhouse like him.
"Why? Why would Squad Leader Zhou Xiong come?"
"Could it be... among this year’s batch of newcomers, there’s a peerless Demon worthy of his personal attention?"
"My heavens, the caliber of this year’s Newcomer Cup has reached an unimaginable height!"
Everyone went crazy.
This news was like a supernova detonating in everyone’s minds.
The already fanatical atmosphere was utterly ignited at that moment, transforming into pure, seething worship and awe!
Meanwhile, Qin Feng, who was sitting in a corner of the stands, looked at the familiar name as a complex, unreadable expression flickered across his face.
Zhou Xiong.
The powerhouse who had once used the Ten-Complete Hand to clear his meridians so he could absorb the Type-II Starry Sky Giant Beast gene potion... he was here too!
The silence lasted for less than three seconds.
When the name "Zhou Xiong" was seared onto the central holographic screen like a brand, the entire arena instantly erupted with unprecedented energy, as if it were a star struck by an antimatter bomb.
"WAAAGH!!!"
It was unclear who, but someone subconsciously let out a greenskin’s war cry. Yet, this cry was filled with the utmost human fanaticism and adoration.
Immediately after, a tsunami of sound erupted from the throats of millions. It converged into a visible torrent of sonic energy, powerful enough to tear the heavens asunder. This torrent furiously battered the Energy Shield above the arena, causing the pale blue barrier to ripple violently.
Frenzy. Pure, unadulterated frenzy.
This news was like a Category 12 cosmic storm, instantly sweeping through the entire Canaan Star Martial Arts University.
Upper-year students who had previously shown little interest in the Newcomer Cup—those in seclusion, on missions, or conducting personal research—all dropped what they were doing upon hearing the news, drawn like iron filings to a magnet.
Streaks of light shot up from every corner of the Academy Island, tearing across the sky as they converged on the main arena for the Newcomer Cup.
"Quick! To the main arena! Squad Leader Zhou Xiong is there in person!"
"What? Which Zhou Xiong?"
"Are you kidding me? Is there any other Zhou Xiong in the Empire?! The Squad Leader of the Ultramarines Chapter’s Seventh Combat Company!"
"My god!"
For a time, the shimmering lights of Subspace Teleportation flashed everywhere, all surging toward the already-roaring arena like a hundred rivers returning to the sea.
Many alumni who had graduated years ago and stayed on as teaching assistants or researchers also emerged from their labs and offices, rushing toward the arena with excited expressions.
The reason was simple: Zhou Xiong was here.
For these powerhouses who had already touched the threshold of a higher Martial Dao, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. To see a Black Hole-level being in person, even just a glance from afar, would allow them to feel the faint, almost imperceptible aura that emanated from a higher dimension of life. It might be just what they needed to break through a bottleneck that had plagued them for years.
In no time, the Newcomer Cup arena at Canaan Star Martial Arts University was completely mobbed.
The stands, which were already filled to capacity, were now packed shoulder-to-shoulder.
Those who arrived late couldn’t find seats at all. They had no choice but to hover in mid-air, a dense, swarming mass like a hive of bees that blotted out the sky above the arena.
A single glance across the stands revealed countless powerhouses with terrifying auras.
The renowned seventh-level powerhouses of the academy, who normally walked around with their noses in the air, were now forced to squeeze into the crowd like everyone else, their expressions solemn.
There were even a good number of top experts at the ninth level, on the verge of graduation.
They restrained their terrifying auras—powerful enough to distort space itself—and sat quietly like the most devout believers. Their gazes burned as they stared at the empty mentor’s seat, awaiting the arrival of the legend.
The sight was nothing short of a spectacle.
It was incredible that a freshman tournament, consisting only of Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Level Divisions, could attract such an enormous number of top-tier spectators, whose power levels vastly outstripped those of the contestants.
This was an absolutely rare occurrence in the history of Canaan Star Martial Arts University.
Meanwhile, on the Canaan Star Martial Arts Private Domain Forum in Subspace, related discussions had already reached a fever pitch.
Posts were refreshing at an incredible speed.
[Pinned & Featured]: #DeepDive# What’s the Real Meaning Behind Squad Leader Zhou Xiong’s Personal Appearance at the Newcomer Cup?
[OP]: Listen up, everyone, this is a huge deal! For a Black Hole-level Martial Artist, time is priceless. A single second of their thought could change the course of a galactic-scale battle. There’s no way he’d show up to watch a freshman tournament for no reason! My guess is, hidden among this year’s newcomers is a peerless Demon, someone with enough talent to alarm the highest echelons of the Empire! Their potential might have even gotten them earmarked for the Ultramarines Chapter’s future "seed" development program!
...
[Popular Thread]: #RationalAnalysis# Is Everyone Overthinking Squad Leader Zhou Xiong’s Visit?
[OP]: The OP in that other thread is letting their imagination run wild. Everyone, just calm down and think about it. Isn’t it possible that things aren’t that complicated? Squad Leader Zhou Xiong is a Qingtian pillar of the Empire who spends all year fighting on the dangerous Chaos Border. Maybe he’s just on leave and came back to Canaan Star Martial Arts University, one of his alma maters, to rest and recuperate. And it just so happens to coincide with the opening of the decennial Newcomer Cup.
Isn’t it perfectly normal for him to make an appearance as a guest mentor to encourage the next generation?
[1L]: That sounds plausible to me! We can’t comprehend the world of these titans. Maybe it’s a huge deal to us, but for Squad Leader Zhou Xiong, it’s probably as simple as going for a walk after a meal.
[2L]: Yeah, yeah, I lean toward this explanation too. After all, what kind of genius would warrant a personal visit from a Black Hole-level powerhouse? I can’t even imagine it.
[3L]: Agreed. Let’s all stop with the wild speculation and just enjoy the matches. It’s already a huge honor just to be in the same space as Squad Leader Zhou Xiong, breathing the same air.
...
The forums were abuzz with discussion.
Speculative threads popped up one after another, each one drawing thousands upon thousands of replies.
Conspiracy theorists and proponents of the coincidence theory were at each other’s throats, pushing the hype for the Newcomer Cup to an all-time high.
However, 99.99% of the students leaned towards the second theory.
—Squad Leader Zhou Xiong was, in all likelihood, just passing by.
After all, this explanation was the most logical.
As for Qin Feng, he wasn’t overthinking it. If he got the chance, he wanted to thank Squad Leader Zhou Xiong in person.
Of course, that was highly unlikely.
Therefore, Qin Feng was more focused on snatching first place in the Fourth Level Division from the old fleece-master, Zhou Run, and winning enough start-up capital to break through to the Fifth-level Qi Meridian Realm.