"You don't know?" His Majesty Suomen paused, momentarily perplexed as the host of the competition. How could he not know?

"Almost all of these matches featured Angelisa and Judy; he only appeared on stage once..." the host explained.

"Oh, if he doesn't even dare step onto the stage, his cultivation must be too low," His Majesty Suomen said casually, already preparing to close the results sheet. But then the host quickly added, "Not exactly, this person named Iori Yagami only made one move. However, in that single move, he gravely injured a Rank Five Mental Magician, nearly killing him!"

"Injuring a Rank Five Mental Magician with one move?" His Majesty Suomen's expression immediately turned grave. Mental Magicians were formidable, far surpassing other magic disciplines at the same level.

Their power lay in the fact that mental attacks could bypass defenses. This meant that even if you were clad in a Mid-Grade Sacred Artifact Dragon Armor, you couldn't resist their assault in the slightest! Mental Magicians had always been the bane of Fighters; many Fighters would rather face a higher-leveled other-system Magician than a Mental Magician, illustrating just how abnormal their threat level was.

"If he can injure a Rank Five Mental Magician with his first move, it indicates that this Iori Yagami possesses at least the cultivation of a Rank Six Fighter. Speaking of which, what equipment did he use?" His Majesty Suomen pondered for a moment before inquiring.

"He... used no equipment at all. He simply leaped onto the platform, unleashed a burst of flame with his hand, and then turned to leave. Afterward, that Mental Magician was severely wounded. The entire process took less than two seconds; I couldn't see clearly either..."

"Less than two seconds?" His Majesty Suomen was truly shocked now. "From now on, inform me whenever this youth has a match scheduled. I want to watch personally!"

"Yes, Your Majesty," the host replied before respectfully withdrawing.

…………………………………………………………………………………………

Chen Feng woke up in the morning and practiced every move he knew, including variations like the fake Hachijotou (Eight Virgins), before finally stepping out of his room.

Having reached the Eighth Rank, his comprehension of the Hachijotou had deepened. He felt an imminent sensation of breaking through a membrane, yet for some unknown reason, this barrier refused to yield, leaving him occasionally frustrated.

Leaving his room, he walked toward the competition venue with Judy and Angelisa.

Today was the Top Sixteen advancement round, so the entire venue was packed, standing room only. However, the contestants had dedicated private rooms, saving them the trouble of fighting tooth and nail for seats.

Chen Feng and the other two arrived at their designated room only to find all thirty-two qualifiers already assembled.

A casual scan revealed the Seventh Prince and Alex, but Chen Feng also recognized two other familiar faces: Yani, the Dance Immortal he had met in Kuta Town, and the skinny youth he encountered right at the city gate upon arriving in Kuta Town (the one beaten by Brent for lacking the funds to enter).

Since they were on the opposite side of the room, Chen Feng chose not to approach them for a greeting.

The room was spacious and conveniently close to the main stage for easy entry and exit. One side featured a massive magical screen capable of projecting the entire arena, meaning that any match taking place on stage could be viewed in full detail from within the room—much like the live television broadcasts of his past life.

In the center of the room were various pieces of equipment for contestants to warm up before taking the stage, alongside some First-Grade Spirit Cores and Magic Cores to quickly restore stamina.

Chen Feng casually chose a comfortable spot and settled in, closing his eyes slightly.

< A red-haired youth flanked by two stunning beauties naturally drew the gaze of many, but Chen Feng seemed oblivious, utterly unconcerned by the envious stares.

On the competition grounds, the host ascended the high platform.

"Esteemed audience! The preliminary rounds of the exciting once-every-five-years Rookie Selection Tournament have concluded, yielding the sixteen teams that advance to the finals! They are: The Seventh Prince's team, Alex's team, Joseph's team, the 'Dance Immortal Yani' team, Dolores and Stacey's Beauty Squad... and finally, the mercenary team composed of Judy, Angelisa, and Iori Yagami!"

A wave of cheers erupted with every team name announced. Reaching the Top Sixteen meant every participant was a powerhouse, boasting a large fanbase. The Beauty Squad, led by Yani, even garnered popularity surpassing the Seventh Prince's powerhouse squad. Yet, everyone in the Imperial Capital knew Yani was an exceptional dancer but had never heard of her cultivation level, so the news of her reaching the Top Sixteen instantly triggered a frenzy.

"Why is Yani participating in the competition?" someone on the stands shouted.

"When the Beauty Squad takes the stage, who would dare fight them? Three gorgeous women! If I were their opponent, my legs would probably turn to jelly the moment I stepped out," replied the person beside him casually.

"Exactly! If it were me, I'd forfeit immediately. What man could bear to lay a hand on such beautiful women!" another person chimed in.

"Oh, right, the last team mentioned, the Mercenary Squad—they have two great beauties too, Judy and Angelisa. It's truly blissful to see so many beautiful fighters in this tournament..." the second speaker remarked.

"You call that bliss? I think the happiest one is that guy in the Mercenary Squad named Iori Yagami, having two peerless beauties with him... Tsk," this person finished with a lewd chuckle.

The surrounding crowd understood and burst into laughter.

"But I heard that guy, Iori Yagami, is quite arrogant. He publicly challenged the Seventh Prince and even boasted that he would certainly win this tournament," mentioned someone who seemed well-informed.

"Challenged the Seventh Prince? Is he tired of living! And claiming the championship? That's definitely just wishful thinking," another retorted casually.

"That's absolutely true. With the powerful combination of the Seventh Prince and Alex, the championship is surely theirs. It's impossible for anyone else to contend for it..."

The crowd erupted in chatter, mostly mocking Iori Yagami for being presumptuous, ignorant, conceited, and shallow.

The host then spoke through a voice-amplifying magic item: "May one representative from each of the sixteen qualified teams step forward to draw lots and determine the match order!"

The lot-drawing vessel was crafted from specialized magical artifacts, completely eliminating any possibility of cheating. One representative from each of the sixteen teams stepped up. Judy went forward to draw, securing the ninth position. Meanwhile, the highly anticipated powerhouse squad drew the fourth position.

The tournament operated on an elimination system: sixteen teams would pair off, continuing until one team was defeated. The losing team was automatically out. Following the draw order, teams 1 and 2 would compete in the first match, then 3 and 4 for the second, and so on. Positions nine and four belonged to entirely different brackets; if Chen Feng's trio advanced smoothly, they would only meet the Seventh Prince's powerhouse squad in the final match.

Chen Feng was very satisfied with the result Judy drew. Facing the Seventh Prince's team wasn't a problem, but it would certainly be a grueling battle, so encountering them at the very end for the championship was preferable.

After the draw, the Seventh Prince approached Chen Feng with a smile. "It's a pity we won't be fighting in the first round together..."

Chen Feng remained seated, not even bothering to rise, and replied casually, "If you can hold on until the very end, you'll still get your chance to fight me!"

This statement carried a distinctly sarcastic undertone. The Seventh Prince, seeming familiar with Chen Feng's temperament, didn't take offense and retorted, "I'm afraid it's you who won't last until the end!"

"'We won't last until the end?' Haha..." Chen Feng laughed loudly. "Your joke isn't even remotely funny!"

Aware of the other's personality, the Seventh Prince smiled faintly, shook his head, and walked away.

Angelisa, however, watched Chen Feng with surprised eyes. She had no idea how the Seventh Prince knew this red-haired youth, nor why he seemed somewhat wary of him. Angelisa had never truly experienced Chen Feng's actual strength; Judy had only spoken vaguely about him being very powerful.

She didn't know Chen Feng's strength, but she certainly knew the Seventh Prince's reputation. If even the Seventh Prince, equipped with a Talisman Sword and Dragon Armor, showed apprehension toward him, just how strong was this... Iori Yagami? She fell into deep thought.

"Perhaps we can actually win the championship," Angelisa murmured softly.

The first match pitted the teams that drew positions one and two against each other. One team was a strange combination of a Hermit, a Swordsman, and a Magician, while the other consisted of a Knight, a Fighter, and a Magician.

Initially, the team with the Hermit gained the upper hand; after all, an invisible enemy is the most terrifying. However, it wasn't long before the Knight summoned his mount—a peak Second-Rank Magical Beast whose greatest ability was its sense of smell. No matter how well the Hermit concealed himself, he couldn't hide from the beast's nose. The outcome was inevitable: the unfortunate Hermit was impaled mid-air by the Knight's lance, suffering a severe injury and losing the match.

The second match was between teams three and four. The Seventh Prince and Alex's powerhouse squad was team number four.

The moment the powerhouse squad appeared, it caused an uproar. Those on the high platform seemed to fall into a state of frenzy.

"A bunch of idiots!" Chen Feng muttered coldly, watching the crowd's madness through the magic screen.

The powerhouse squad's opponents were the Iron Tower Team, composed of three burly men. Two of them possessed Seventh-Rank Fighter cultivation, and one was a Seventh-Rank Magician who happened to be a master scroll maker, capable of crafting pseudo-Third-Rank Magic Scrolls single-handedly.

Upon learning their opponents were the Seventh Prince's group, the Iron Tower Team immediately adopted a defensive posture. The three huddled together, first casting two pseudo-Third-Rank magical Shields of Protection, waiting for the opposing team's offense.

However, to their surprise, the powerhouse squad didn't send all its members out. Only the Seventh Prince walked slowly onto the stage, hands clasped behind his back.

He intended to challenge an entire team alone!

ps: Ugh, I'm disappointed that 30 monthly tickets haven't been reached in three full days. The upcoming chapters are even more exciting. Starting today, for every 15 new monthly tickets received, Old Ya will add an extra chapter. We are currently at 200 tickets. If we reach 215, Old Ya will release 5 chapters!

Haha. (The 203 tickets commitment was previously promised, so today already includes 4 chapters, provided the monthly tickets reach 203 by the end of the day.) (To be continued. For future updates, please visit www**com for more chapters, supporting the author and genuine reading!)