131: Chapter 131 Data Storm, Laughingstock, Sky-High Odds

One week later.

Tianhai City, Tianqiong Arena.

The Five-Academy League officially opened.

The team from Longya Academy, pursued by countless spotlights, slowly walked into the exclusive passage for contestants.

Leading the team was Li Qingxuan.

He was wearing a silver-white combat suit, his posture upright, a calm smile on his face, handling the surrounding camera flashes with ease, fully displaying the demeanor of an S-Rank Genius.

At the very back of the team followed a teenager wearing a black casual jacket, hands in his pockets, looking like he was here for a vacation.

It was exactly Lin Qi.

He had become a substitute.

This arrangement was a decision made by the school's high-level executives after an emergency meeting.

The commotion Lin Qi caused at the awards ceremony was too big; it had directly scared a school leader into paralysis. Such a monster, whose power could not be explained by data, made them want to utilize him while also feeling deep apprehension.

Making him a substitute could serve as a surprise trump card, while also placating the Li family, preventing things from becoming too ugly.

A delicate balance.

Lin Qi had no opinion on this.

A substitute?

Perfect, it saved him the effort.

He had only one purpose in coming this time.

To make money.

Entering the spacious and bright contestant lounge, the teams from various academies had basically arrived.

The atmosphere was enthusiastic and tense.

In the center of the hall, on a huge holographic projection screen, the personal data of all the contestants was scrolling by.

"Look! Zhao Lei from Starry Sky Academy! My god, a Lv.28 Elementalist!"

"An S-Rank talent [Heart of Thunder and Fire]! It is said that he can control two violent elements simultaneously; he is a hot favorite to win this time!"

"That tank from Linhai University is also fierce, [Immovable King] talent, his defense is ridiculously high!"

Exclamations rose and fell in the crowd.

The data on the screen was stunningly impressive for everyone.

Even the lowest Rank was an Lv.23 second-turn elite.

Just then, the data on the screen switched to the team list of Longya Academy.

Li Qingxuan's data also caused a small commotion.

[Name: Li Qingxuan]

[Academy: Longya Academy]

[Rank: Lv.25]

[Class: Sword Master (Hidden)]

[Talent: Hand of the Void (S-Rank)]

"An S-Rank hidden class! Longya Academy has produced a ruthless character this year too!"

"The Li family, they truly live up to their reputation."

Li Qingxuan listened to the surrounding discussions, his chin slightly raised, a hint of arrogance curling the corners of his mouth.

However, when the list scrolled to the last name.

The entire hall, previously noisy with discussion, suddenly went silent, as if someone had grabbed them by the throat.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on the line of data on the screen that was so small it could almost be ignored.

The data was as simple as a joke.

[Name: Lin Qi]

[Academy: Longya Academy (Substitute)]

[Rank: Lv.1]

[Class: None]

[Talent: None]

[Strength: 5]

[Agility: 5]

[Physique: 5]

[Spirit: 5]

[Perception: 5]

Dead silence.

Three seconds of dead silence.

Then.

Pfft—

No one knew who couldn't hold it in first, but a burst of laughter was like igniting a powder keg.

"Hahahaha!"

"Did I see that right? Rank 1? All attributes 5? What kind of ghost is this!"

"Has Longya Academy gone crazy? They brought a rookie who just came out of the Awakening ceremony to make up the numbers?"

"No, no, no, look closely, he's a substitute! I get it, he's a mascot! Specifically used to liven up the atmosphere!"

The overwhelming mockery, like a tsunami, instantly drowned the entire hall.

Everyone looked at the Longya Academy team with eyes like they were looking at fools, searching for that unlucky guy named Lin Qi.

Li Qingxuan's expression instantly turned somewhat ugly.

Although he was happy to see Lin Qi make a fool of himself, right now, Lin Qi represented the face of the entire Longya Academy.

Just then, a young man wearing a gorgeous mage robe, full of arrogance, walked out from the Starry Sky Academy team.

He pointed at Lin Qi's data on the screen, laughing until he was bent over.

"Hey, friends from Longya Academy."

His voice was loud, enough for half the hall to hear.

"Are you really so short on people? You actually brought a mascot to participate in the Five-Academy League? Are you planning to have him perform a somersault on stage for us?"

This undisguised mockery made the faces of the other members of Longya Academy turn the color of liver.

But they couldn't refute it.

Those panel stats were simply too outrageous, too embarrassing!

"Betting is open! Betting is open!"

A loud-voiced guy moved a table from somewhere and shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Bet on whether this mascot named Lin Qi will pee his pants in the first round! Odds are one to three!"

"I bet he can't last a minute! One to five!"

"I bet he'll be shaken to death by the aftermath of the battle! One to ten!"

The scene instantly turned into a joyous casino.

Almost all the students from other schools ran over to place bets happily, and the whole lounge was filled with a lively atmosphere.

Just in the midst of this chaos.

A chubby figure squeezed in, panting; it was Zhang Wei, who had rushed over in a hurry.

He saw the betting table at a glance.

Without a word, he pulled a golden-glowing bank card out of his Storage Ring.

With a "slap," he slammed it on the table.

"I forgot how much money is in this card, probably a few hundred million."

Zhang Wei pointed to the lonely option on the betting board and said to the stunned dealer.

"I'm betting it all."

"Buying Brother Qi, for the championship."

The dealer looked at the odds behind that option.

[Lin Qi for championship, odds: 1:10000]

His hands started to shake.

Where did this crazy fatty come from?

The noise in the entire hall seemed unable to affect the person in the corner.

Lin Qi was leaning on the sofa in the lounge, holding a tattered animal hide book he had dug up from somewhere, reading it with great interest.

As for the mocking gazes around him that could pierce through human bones, he acted as if he hadn't heard them.

It was as if that "Lin Qi" nailed to the pillar of shame had nothing to do with him.

His calm appearance had a different interpretation in the eyes of others.

"Look at him, he's already scared stupid."

"Probably gave up on himself; knowing he's a waste, he just decided to rot."

"What a pitiful person."

Amidst the discussions, the holographic screen in the center of the hall changed again.

The draw list for the first round began to scroll rapidly.

Everyone's heart was in their throat.

Finally, the scrolling stopped.

The match list was clearly presented in front of everyone.

When the mage from Starry Sky Academy saw his opponent, the smile on his face could no longer be suppressed.

[Starry Sky Academy · Zhao Lei VS Longya Academy · Lin Qi]

"Hahahaha! My luck is too good!"

Zhao Lei laughed until tears almost came out; he turned around and held up a finger to the media cameras behind him.

"Everyone, please get your cameras ready."

He pointed to his own name, then pointed to Lin Qi's pathetic Lv.1.

"One minute."

"I will end this ridiculous match within one minute!"

...

The huge arena floated in the very center of Tianqiong Arena.

The surrounding stands, with one hundred thousand seats, were packed.

When Lin Qi and Zhao Lei stood at opposite ends of the arena.

The mountain-shaking boos almost overturned the dome of the entire venue.

Zhao Lei enjoyed this feeling of being in the spotlight; he raised the staff inlaid with a huge blue gem in his hand and pointed it at the guy in casual clothes on the opposite side, who was still holding a tattered book.

"Kid, kneel down and admit defeat now, and you might suffer less physical pain."

"Otherwise, I'm afraid my Thunder and Fire won't have eyes."

Lin Qi ignored him.

He just went his own way, flipped to the last page of the book, and then gently closed it.

"The match, begins!"

With the referee's order.

The smile on Zhao Lei's face instantly became ferocious.

He raised his staff high, chanting obscure spells in his mouth!

Boom!

The sky above the entire arena changed color!

Half of the sky was dyed crimson by scorching flames!

The other half of the sky was covered with violent blue electric snakes!

Thunder and fire, the two most violent elements, were fused together perfectly under his control, turning into a world-destroying Thunder and Fire storm, smashing down overwhelmingly towards the tiny figure at the other end of the arena!

"My god!"

Screams of terror erupted from the auditorium.

Everyone felt that the Blank Slate named Lin Qi was doomed.

Lin Qi raised his head.

There was no fear in his eyes, only a trace of playfulness: "Dual Cultivation of Thunder and Fire? Just right to help me test the quality of my bones."