Chapter 1043: He’s Different Now
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Xu Xiaoyan heaved a sigh. “I didn’t want to stress you out at first, but I think that it’s better for you to come to terms with reality sooner. I’ve seen Big Brother’s battle recording from the competition’s final stage. You should take a look for yourself later. He’s different now.”
“What do you mean by different?” asked Yue Zhengyu curiously.
Xu Xiaoyan spoke, “I dare not claim to be dominant and outstanding anymore… Could it be that you think that only we can achieve breakthroughs? I can tell that Big Brother has made a breakthrough too. Moreover, it’s a quantum leap for him.”
Yue Zhengyu did not appear to be as gloomy as Xu Xiaoyan had imagined. His lips cracked into a smile. “That’s the way to do it! That’s why he is our captain. He’s always been skilled in creating miracles all along. On the other hand, he’s going to lead us to create even bigger miracles in the future, so how can he do that if he’s not powerful? I’m already feeling a little eager to try now. No matter how, we must devote every effort to elevating ourselves as the seeds of the academy.”
…
Almost all the soul televisions were beginning to broadcast competition recordings from the Federal Star Dou Battle Network Challenge. Countless people were waiting for the competition that was about to begin in front of their screens.
There was no age limit in the competition as it was only restricted to soul masters below a three-word battle armor cultivation base. It was said that after the imminent upgrade of the Star Dou Battle Network, even top-ranked soul masters could participate in the competition.
One had no choice but to say the Star Dou Battle Network had managed to use the contest to promote itself across the entire Federation this time.
The final sixteen contestants were only given numbers and also their odds of winning. The public was allowed to place their bets as to who would be the final champion.
Their odds were allocated according to the soul master’s performance during the earlier competitions. However, there was no doubt that the betting had raised the temperature of the competition. The Federation was earning a lucrative income from the gambling alone.
The odds for Number Thirty-three was one to four and ranked third on the odds ranking list.
Ability prediction: Skilled in strength.
Martial soul: Similar to a real dragon.
Cultivation base: unknown with the ability to conceal a soul ring.
Estimated cultivation base: seven-ringed Soul Sage or so. Capable of ending a battle by launching powerful and explosive attacking abilities within a short period of time, as seen through previous battle recordings. Irresistible force.
Nickname: Golden Dragon King. One of the hot topics in debates on the final champion.
Weakness: mainly as to whether this soul master is equipped with the ability to sustain a battle. Ordinary soul masters with explosive power are slightly weaker in continuous battle during actual combat. Once he has encountered an evenly matched opponent who can withstand his earlier explosion, then, he will very possibly lose the final competition.
Overall appraisal: Probability of becoming the champion is possibly over twenty percent. Powerful individual abilities with the possibility of hidden abilities. His battles always make one burn with righteous indignation. He is the perfect combination of strength and beauty. Highly popular in the eyes of audiences. Perhaps, he is not the most powerful amongst all the contestants but definitely the coolest one. He is reputed to be the contestant that can most easily touch the hearts of young maidens according to the Star Dou Battle Network’s ratings.
Tang Wulin could not help feeling speechless upon reading his appraisal. What did they mean by “the contestant that could most easily touch the hearts of young maidens”? The appraisal was really quite strange.
He removed his clothes and entered the Star Dou Cabin. He went online and completed numerous preparatory tasks. The Star Dou Cabin closed and he was connected…
There was a flash of shadow as he appeared within the world of the Star Dou Battle Network once again. Tang Wulin was astonished to discover that he was different from the other people. His body was coated with a misty golden radiance and attracted everyone’s attention in an instant.
Beyond that, the golden words ‘Number Thirty-three’ floated above his head rather than ‘Little Tang’.
‘Is this one of the benefits of entering the finals?’ He felt a tug in his heart while his lips could not help cracking into a smile.
The Star Dou Battle Network seemed to be getting more and more interesting. Even though overall it was still very crude and was not equipped with other functions, but at least, he had already used the competition as a platform to develop in the future. His future was bright!
“Golden Dragon King.” A gasp came from his side as a young maiden immediately arrived next to Tang Wulin after a few moments. She looked at him with curiosity.
Her facial features were not revealed to Tang Wulin as there seemed to be a translucent veil covering her face so that there was no way he could see through it clearly. This was done to protect the contestant’s privacy.
In turn, the maiden was hindered by the golden radiance when she came within three meters of Tang Wulin. There was no way she could get any closer. Tang Wulin did not utter a word, taking great strides toward the competition arena.
All around him, there were gasps and roars, but perhaps due to the system’s settings, nobody was able to get closer than three meters from him. As he swiftly passed through, the people dissipated naturally soon after.
The finals were about to begin so in order to become the final champion, he would still need to participate in four competitions. There was no doubt that the four competitions would be extremely tough for him. The opponents that he was about to face would be more powerful than the previous one.
He had already seen the odds for Yuanen Yehui and Ye Xinglan earlier. Their odds were second and third from last respectively.
At the same time, he took a look at the competition recordings of other contestants from earlier as well. He was well aware that the following competitions would be exceedingly tough for him.
His odds were ranked third mostly because he was quick enough to end the competitions earlier so he felt even more mysterious to the audiences. No one could see what was his soul power and cultivation base so they had many speculations about him. The audiences could not judge his rank based on the abilities which he had displayed.
Without a doubt, the odds provided the most precise estimation. The opponents were more powerful but this had actually increased the will to fight in Tang Wulin’s heart even more.
What a waste that there were no two-on-two or group matches in the Star Dou Battle Network’s competition this year. He truly wished that he could participate in the tournament with his companions!
He recalled their experience when taking part in the competition back in the Star Luo Empire and he still felt like he was burning with righteous indignation now. It could be said that his cultivation had truly begun to improve dramatically immediately after he defeated Long Yue. Every fiber of his being was triggered from that point whether it was his confidence or his potential.
“Dear respected contestant Number Thirty-three, please follow me.” He was not directly transferred out as before, but instead, a beautiful female attendant came walking over and made a gesture of invitation toward him.
According to his knowledge of the Star Dou Battle Network, every participant in the Battle Network was formed by entering a real human being into the system through a Star Dou Cabin.
The situation seemed to have changed at the final stage of the competition!
Tang Wulin was brought to a separate room. The room was decorated luxuriously and it felt comfortable.
“This is your personal resting room. I’ll be coming here to guide you to the competition arena later when the contest is about to begin. You can call me at any time to provide whatever you desire.” The attendant smiled in a very friendly manner while she cast an inquisitive look at Tang Wulin.
Even though Tang Wulin could not see her face, he could tell from her figure and complexion that she was around his own age.
The Golden Dragon King had already gained an awe-inspiring reputation in this competition, so how could she not focus her attention upon him?
Tang Wulin nodded to her and expressed his gratitude.
The attendant walked out soundlessly and left the comfortable room all to him. There were some delicately prepared desserts, fruits, and drinks in the room. A bed was placed on the side with a rush cushion specially used for meditation. Everything was arranged with careful consideration.
Tang Wulin took a seat on the cushion and placed his hands on his knees. He closed his eyes and sat in repose.
It was the first round of sixteen into eight for the finals today. Each round was an elimination tournament so every contestant had only one chance. As for the result of the draw, the announcement would only be made just as the competition had begun. Thus, none of them had any idea who their opponent would be.
Tang Wulin did not mind encountering anyone, but he did not wish to fight against his companions. At the same time, he felt confident for Yuanen and Ye Xinglan because the touts did not have all the details about everything. They had so much experience and that was not something ordinary soul masters could compare to, especially when it came to their psychological profile. With the training from the Demon Island, they would certainly become many times more powerful than the average person.
A faint glow emerged on Tang Wulin’s face. It dissipated and transformed into a golden color that made his skin appear to be translucent.
Even though he was not meditating, Tang Wulin discovered through his quiet sensing process that no other elements existed in the Battle Network, only some mild spatial fluctuations. Thus, even though the Star Dou Battle Network could simulate the real world to a high degree of accuracy, it was still different from reality. After all, everything here was make-believe.
The reason that the network could not withstand battles between three-word battle armor masters and above was not due to the energy impact, but mainly because their spiritual power was so great that it would put the entire system in danger and throw it into chaos.
The Star Dou Battle Network was awesome! The Star Dou Battle Network developed by the Federation could be utilized widely in order to increase the battle skills of any user. It was especially helpful and vital for the army.