At the entrance of the Venue, the crowd of reporters, satisfied after Lu Jun's explosive revelations, finally dispersed.
Not far away, Mu Tingying and Nanrong Ni's faces turned grim. They had heard every single word. When the reporters asked them one final question—"What do you predict the Chinese team can achieve now that you two are no longer part of it?"—
They sneered coldly, pretending to be humble. "I think Captain Lu Jun and Mo Fan are indeed very strong. But given the rankings of the past National Institute competitions, reaching the semifinals would already count as a success."
As soon as those words came out, the implication was obvious—it was a veiled mockery, putting the Chinese team right on the fire. The Chinese team had been hyped to the heavens by the media before the match; if they didn't even reach the top four, it would be laughable.
Such results, combined with internal strife? They'd be remembered in history as the team that tore itself apart and destroyed its own Great Wall.
Having witnessed some of Lu Jun's strength firsthand, Nanrong Ni deliberately raised the standard just to be safe. Either way, it had nothing to do with her anymore—she was out of the mess and standing firmly on neutral ground.
The National Institute members Guan Yu, Dongfang Lie, and the others looked like they wanted to speak but couldn't. Their expressions were heavy; the pressure was immense.
Soon, Feng Li hurried to the entrance. Seeing that Lu Jun had already said everything openly, he could only give a bitter smile—he had arrived one step too late. With no choice, he led everyone back to the team's exclusive resting chamber.
He sighed softly, saying, "By doing this, you've put yourself in a difficult position."
Lu Jun, however, didn't care. Winning the championship wasn't a dinner invitation—it was a battle to sweep through every national team, to overcome every obstacle and hardship, to stand at the pinnacle. Public opinion was just a passing breeze to him.
On the contrary, if his words turned out true, his reputation would soar to unimaginable heights.
Soon after, numerous reports were released, and netizens flooded the comments with sneers: "Well, that makes things simple. No matter who's right or wrong, once the tournament ends, we'll see who gets dragged out for judgment!"
When the time came for the drawing ceremony, the thirty-two strongest nations gradually entered the arena. The event was broadcast live, drawing the attention of the entire world. As captains were required to draw lots on stage, it was a rare opportunity for public exposure—many national stars became famous through this, staying in the public eye for years afterward.
The Venice Tournament was divided into three stages, each with different rules.
The first stage was the Elimination Round, selecting sixteen teams to advance to the next phase.
The second stage was the Treasure Hunt, deciding the top eight.
The third stage was the Grand Duel, determining the ultimate champion.
The drawing ceremony was for the Elimination Round, dividing the thirty-two teams into eight groups, each with four teams. Every group would fight two rounds, six matches in total, and the top two teams from each group would advance to the second stage.
It was somewhat like the group stage format from the League of Legends World Championship, also borrowing from certain sports tournament systems.
Lu Jun stepped onto the stage calmly. In his memory, the Chinese team wasn't lucky this time—they'd been placed into the Group of Death, alongside traditional powerhouses Japan and Spain.
Given that only two teams from each group could advance, it meant at least one of these three would face elimination in the first round.
For China, Japan, and Spain, none of them could afford that outcome—their histories and reputations wouldn't allow it.
However, in this world, with his presence… would the butterfly effect stir things differently?
Before long, Lu Jun found out his answer. He drew the first lot, placing them in Group One—together with Japan and Spain once again.
"Hm?"
Lu Jun raised an eyebrow. Now that was interesting. Eliminating the possibility of pure coincidence, this clearly suggested that the Venice tournament's group placements were being manipulated.
This wasn't uncommon in sporting events. The organizers might not overtly interfere with the matches themselves (except perhaps in Korea's case), but when it came to the drawing and grouping, there was always something worth discussing.
Take the Olympics from his previous life as an example—as the host nation, the home team was often placed in a relatively easier group. The one major exception was the 2008 Olympics, where the nation showed the confidence of a true great power—fair and just.
Still, without a little manipulation, things could get messy. Imagine if the U.S., Greece, and the U.K. all ended up in the same group—each a championship contender. One of them would be eliminated right away, and by pure numbers on a spreadsheet, people might think that team was weak.
And if two powerhouses clashed early and exhausted themselves, letting another team snatch the title, it would draw criticism—people would call it the most undeserved championship ever.
Lu Jun narrowed his eyes, glancing at the fourth team in their group—Turkey, which had barely made it into the top thirty-two. A small fry, practically a guaranteed win, a "good-luck mascot" that gave out free points.
When Lu Jun returned to the Chinese team's rest area, he saw the worried faces of his teammates. Only Mo Fan still looked carefree, as nonchalant as ever.
"What are you all so worried about? Those rumors?"
Seeing this, Lu Jun said earnestly, "Japan and Spain are nothing more than stepping stones on the road to the championship. Whether it's now or later, we'd have to crush them eventually. I hope you all can let go of your burdens and fight with everything you have."
"Our gathering here is a rare coincidence. In the future, we might never meet such teammates again—so cherish this opportunity."
"I understand." Guan Yu gave a bitter smile and shook his head. "I'm not afraid of the fights. It's just that with such a long tournament, if we face strong teams early, we'll take heavy damage. Without a Healing Element mage, we'll be at a big disadvantage."
Lu Jun replied firmly, "Then we'll win by absolute domination."
Time passed in a flash, and the Chinese team finally welcomed their first battle. It was not only their debut match in the World Institute Tournament but also the opening match of the entire event—a moment of great significance.
The tournament arena was an enormous platform spanning nearly a kilometer in diameter. With the Earth Element mages casting their spells, massive chunks of soil reshaped freely, sculpting undulating hills and ridges. Then, with the aid of Plant Element masters, towering ancient trees rose one after another, standing tall and dense.
In the blink of an eye, the arena had been transformed into a wilderness battlefield, perfectly simulating the most realistic combat environment.
Lu Jun led his team onto the stage. Since the team had lost their Support mage, Nanrong Ni, Feng Li decided to abandon formation balance altogether and simply sent out the strongest fighters.
Thus, the lineup consisted of Lu Jun, Ai Jiangtu, Mo Fan, Zhao Manyan, and Jiang Shaoxu.
The last two provided strong defenses—one specializing in physical and magical protection, the other in spiritual defense and enemy tracking. Everything else relied on Lu Jun and the other three core members to fight freely.
As soon as the match began, countless netizens across the Nine Provinces flooded into the live broadcast room. After all, this was their national team's match—no one could miss it.
Many viewers joked, "Oh look, all three main powerhouses are out together. Hahaha, if they lose now, it'll prove they're nothing but paper tigers—just overhyped gods!"
On the opposite side stood the Japanese team, consisting of five members: their captain Sho Kadotani, Shadow Element mage Akira Akimatsu, rising Poison Wind Element mage Yoji, and two others—a short female Psychic mage and a chubby male teammate.
Captain Sho Kadotani wore a serious expression. Unlike the clueless audience, he knew very well just how terrifying Lu Jun, the number one mage of the Chinese National Institute, truly was.
This time, their strategy was to test the waters first and conserve energy. If they could fight, they'd fight; if not, they'd retreat immediately without hesitation.
The referee stepped into the center of the arena and announced the start of the match.
Because the field simulated an outdoor landscape, the two teams were separated by a great distance. Everyone assumed there wouldn't be any intense clashes right at the start—that it would begin with scouts probing and small-scale long-range skirmishes.
But to everyone's shock—Lu Jun moved first!
For additional chapters
Versatile mage {40 chapters}
Douluo Dalu:This Soul Master is to Weird {30 Chapters}
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