110: Chapter 110, Round Two: The Defending Match
When Lin Fan and the other two walked out of the device area, there were still few people in the square.
They were the first group to come out; the other groups were still fighting fiercely inside the devices.
The three of them found a shady spot to sit down and wait for the other teams' battles to end.
"How do you think we'll rank?" Ye Qing asked.
Lin Fan thought for a moment. "Top three, probably. 98 points isn't low."
Ye Wushuang didn't say anything, only looking at the row of gray buildings in the distance.
Before long, people began to come out one after another.
After waiting for about half an hour, all the groups had emerged.
The square became lively again, with some people already inquiring about the rankings of other groups.
...
In the Chairman's Office on the second floor, President Ye Wenyuan sat at one end of a long table, with a row of screens in front of him scrolling through the combat data and real-time scores of the 128 groups of contestants.
He picked up his teacup, blew on the foam, and took a sip.
Sitting opposite him was Vice President Zhou Liangzhu, the Vice President of the Dongyun City Armor Beast Master Association and Zhou Yuan's father.
He wore a dark gray robe, his hair was combed meticulously, and a standard smile was plastered on his face.
"Ye Qing is truly the President's daughter; her talent is indeed extraordinary."
Vice President Zhou Liangzhu spoke with a smile, his gaze landing on one of the screens showing the replay of Ye Qing's team's battle.
"A level forty Armor Spirit, and she uses the Rift Jellyfish with such mastery. The timing and landing point of the Spatial Jump were both perfect. A tiger father does not have a canine daughter."
President Ye Wenyuan put down his teacup and smiled.
"You flatter her. Your Zhou Yuan isn't bad either. I watched his match just now; he fought cleanly and efficiently."
Vice President Zhou Liangzhu's smile deepened.
"Not at all, not at all. He still has a long way to go."
He changed the subject.
"And that disciple you took in is also quite impressive. Not only is his Nurturing Talent amazing, but his Combat Talent is also not to be underestimated."
President Ye Wenyuan didn't speak, only looking at the screen.
Vice President Zhou Liangzhu picked up his teacup, took a slow sip, and then sighed.
"It's just a pity that he has too few armor apertures. It will be hard for him to achieve great things in the future..."
President Ye Wenyuan's fingers tapped lightly on the tabletop twice, a flash of disdain crossing his eyes.
"Indeed, if Lin Fan's talent as a Beast Armor Master were a bit higher, it would be even more perfect."
He paused and picked up his teacup.
"However, it's still not bad. At least his Nurturing Talent is top-tier. It's much better than some people who are mediocre in both Nurturing Talent and Beast Armor Master talent."
Vice President Zhou Liangzhu's smile stiffened for a moment before returning to normal.
He laughed twice.
"The President is right, quite right."
The two looked at each other, picked up their teacups at the same time, and drank their tea.
...
On the square, the giant electronic screen lit up. The rankings and scores of the 128 groups of contestants were scrolling on it, from high to low, clear at a glance.
1st Place: Lin Fan, Ye Wushuang, and Ye Qing's team. Score: 98 points. Time: 3 minutes 18 seconds.
2nd Place: Zhao Tianyu, Lin Xueer, and Feng Ji's team. Score: 95 points. Time: 2 minutes 47 seconds.
3rd Place: ...
Ye Qing glanced at the rankings and curled her lip.
"Fifth place? Zhou Yuan is here too?"
Lin Fan followed her gaze; the name Zhou Yuan was prominently written in fifth place.
He raised an eyebrow and didn't say anything.
"Lin Fan!" a voice came from behind.
Lin Fan turned around to see Zhou Yuan walking over with his two teammates.
He was wearing a black martial arts suit, with a smirk on his face.
He walked up to Lin Fan and sized him up.
"98 points, not bad."
Zhou Yuan smiled. "It seems you've put in quite a bit of effort lately."
Lin Fan glanced at him. "Something on your mind?"
Zhou Yuan leaned in a step closer and lowered his voice, speaking in a volume only the two of them could hear.
"You were lucky last time in the Secret Realm."
Lin Fan was stunned for a moment.
Secret Realm?
What Secret Realm?
He quickly ran through the Secret Realms he had visited recently in his mind—the Misty Secret Realm and the Canglan Secret Realm.
What did Zhou Yuan mean by that?
He thought about it but had no clue at all.
But Lin Fan had a trait: if he couldn't figure something out, he'd set it aside for now. He couldn't lose in a war of words.
He blinked, looking completely innocent.
"Secret Realm? What Secret Realm? Oh, how did you know I accidentally entered a Mirage Realm and even obtained an extreme spirit fruit..."
Listening to Lin Fan's bragging tone, Zhou Yuan's expression changed slightly.
Damn it, this bastard actually has such luck.
Zhou Yuan gritted his teeth and sneered.
"Keep pretending. We'll see."
After saying that, he turned and left.
Lin Fan shouted from behind.
"See what? See your mother!"
Zhou Yuan's steps faltered, and he turned back fiercely, only to meet Lin Fan's cheeky expression.
Ye Wushuang and Ye Qing stepped forward simultaneously, shielding Lin Fan behind them.
Seeing Ye Qing's protective behavior, Zhou Yuan's expression became even uglier.
He had been sucking up to her for so long without getting a single kind look, yet she was so good to Lin Fan.
The most infuriating thing was that Lin Fan was now behind Ye Qing, triumphantly flipping him the middle finger.
"Lin Fan, Ye Qing, I definitely won't let you off!"
...
Soon, all the contestants gathered in the square.
President Ye Wenyuan stood on the rostrum on the second floor, a microphone in front of him.
He glanced at the dense crowd below and cleared his throat.
"The first round of the competition is over. Congratulations to the 64 groups of contestants who advanced."
His voice spread throughout the square via the loudspeaker.
"The second round of the competition—the Arena Challenge."
The square fell silent as everyone looked up at him.
"The rules are as follows."
President Ye Wenyuan held up one finger.
"The top ten teams from the first round will each defend an arena. The other teams can choose any arena to challenge. Each team has only one chance to challenge; if the challenge is successful, they become the new defenders."
He paused and held up a second finger.
"After each challenge ends, the defending side has a ten-minute break."
He held up a third finger.
"Finally, the teams standing on the ten arenas will advance to the third round."
The square erupted in a commotion.
"64 down to 10? This is too brutal!"
"The top ten teams are already strong; how are we supposed to fight them?"
"There's only one challenge opportunity; if we choose wrong, it's over."
Ye Qing glanced at Lin Fan and Ye Wushuang.
"We were first in the first round, so we'll definitely be defending an arena. I wonder who will come to challenge us."
Lin Fan ruffled Little Rabbit's head and smiled.
"Since we're here, we might as well make the best of it."