25: Chapter 25 Opening

On the day the City-level Competition opened, it drizzled in Nanjiang City.

It wasn't a downpour, but a fine, dense mist-like rain that landed on the face.

Shen Ye stood in the plaza of the City Gymnasium, the drizzle dampening the shoulders of his school uniform.

He didn't hold an umbrella.

Not many people around him were holding umbrellas either—three hundred Awakened were arranged in phalanxes according to their schools, rainwater streaming down their young cheeks, and no one moved.

The City Gymnasium was the largest indoor building in Nanjiang City, with a dome over a hundred meters high, and the names of all the Awakened who had died in battle at the border since the city's founding were carved on the outer walls.

When Shen Ye arrived in the morning, he stood in front of that wall for a while.

There were many names, densely packed, carved from the base of the dome up to several dozen meters above the ground.

The markings of the most recent names were still fresh, with sharp edges that hadn't been worn down by wind and rain.

The name of Fang Zhen was carved in a relatively forward position, the markings already somewhat blurred.

Gu Yan's name was slightly newer.

He Man's name was not on the wall—she was still alive.

"Shen Ye."

Liu Yang whispered to him from the side, "We're entering."

Shen Ye withdrew his gaze and followed the team into the gymnasium.

The interior was much larger than the outside.

The dome hung high, and light poured down from a huge screen in the center of the dome, illuminating the entire venue as bright as day.

The surrounding stands were full of people—students, parents, teachers from various schools, officials from the City Association, and media cameramen.

The center was the battle zone, paved with law-reinforced off-white stone slabs, engraved with buffering and isolation patterns.

Shen Ye stood in the phalanx of Nanjiang No. 7 High School, in the third row.

He looked left and right.

There were less than twenty people from Nanjiang No. 7 High School registered for the competition. Liu Yang stood to his right, and the rest were mostly C-rank and D-rank, their expressions either nervous or excited; some kept licking their lips, others wiped their hands repeatedly on their pant seams.

Three hundred Awakened from the whole city, the elites from all high schools in the three districts and six counties, were all standing under this dome at this moment.

The phalanx of City No. 1 High School was in the front row, their dark blue uniforms uniform and neat.

Lu Chuan stood at the very front of the queue, his hands hanging naturally at his sides, eyes fixed forward, without any unnecessary movements.

Su Wanqing stood a few rows behind him, exchanged a brief glance with Shen Ye across the crowd, and nodded slightly.

The dark green phalanx of City No. 2 High School was on the other side, with Gu Changming standing at the head of the team; his shoulders were broad, and he stood there like a wall.

In the dark red phalanx of City No. 3 High School, Zheng Chuan stood in the front row, arms crossed over his chest, his signature smile hanging on the corners of his mouth.

His gaze swept across the crowd, landed on Shen Ye, paused for a moment, and then shifted away.

Shen Ye didn't look at him.

His gaze swept across the entire venue.

Three hundred young faces, some seen in the recordings of the city-level mock exams, some read about in Su Wanqing's files, and more were unfamiliar faces.

D-rank, C-rank, B-rank, A-rank, and two S-ranks.

Some would be eliminated in the preliminary rounds, some would fight their way into the finals, some would represent Nanjiang City in the Provincial Tournament, some would be eliminated by stronger opponents in the Provincial Tournament, some would enter the National Competition, some would be admitted to the four top universities, some would graduate, be assigned to pioneer regiments, stand in front of the light curtain at the border, charge into the area occupied by the Void Race, come back alive, or not.

Shen Ye withdrew his gaze.

The opening ceremony began.

The president of the City Awakened Association stood up from the podium and walked to the microphone.

His name was Wei Mingyuan, a Ninth-Rank True God, with the Divine Kingdom attribute "Iron Wall."

He had been the president of the Nanjiang City Association for over twenty years, and during his tenure, Nanjiang City had sent over a hundred core students to the four top universities.

His hair was already completely white, but his back was straight, and he stood there like a tower.

He didn't have a speech script.

"Three hundred people."

His voice wasn't loud, but the blessing of laws made every word clearly pass through the entire gymnasium, "Over ten thousand graduating students Awakened in Nanjiang City this year."

After preliminary screening by various schools, the ones standing here are three hundred.

He paused.

"You are the three hundred most outstanding people of this generation in Nanjiang City."

Applause erupted from the stands.

Wei Mingyuan didn't wait for the applause to stop and continued.

"Among the three hundred, the top one hundred enter the city-level training team."

The top ten represent Nanjiang City in the Provincial Tournament.

The top ten in the Provincial Tournament enter the National Competition.

The top ten thousand in the National Competition enter the four top universities.

The top one hundred enter the core cultivation plan.

His gaze swept across the venue.

"You have heard this path since you were young."

Parents say it, teachers say it, media say it, every Awakened says it.

College entrance exam, ranking, university, core cultivation plan.

It seems like this is the end.

He shook his head.

"It is not."

The gymnasium quieted down.

Even the whispering in the stands stopped.

"The college entrance exam is not the end."

The college entrance exam is the starting point.

Wei Mingyuan's voice sank, like a stone sinking into water, "Every one of you, no matter what rank you are today, no matter which university you eventually get into, will have to go to one place in the future."

He raised his hand and pointed to the east.

"The border."

The two words echoed under the dome.

"The war between humanity and the Void Race has been fought for many years."

Not years, not decades, but many years.

Your ancestors fought, your parents fought, and now it is your turn.

Wei Mingyuan lowered his hand, "Fang Zhen, the first S-rank of Nanjiang No. 7 High School, Magma Hell, War Frenzy."

He guarded the border for many years, ranking in the top ten among contemporary pathfinders in terms of kills.

Many people remember his kill count, remember his war exploits, remember that he was the first S-rank in sixty years for Nanjiang No. 7 High School.

But few people remember how old he was when he died.

He paused.

"Thirty-one years old."

Shen Ye stood in the formation, motionless.

"Gu Yan, the second S-rank of Nanjiang No. 7 High School, Eye of the Storm, Elemental Resonance."

Highest ranking in the National Competition was eighty-seventh, entered the core cultivation plan of Cangqiong University.

Independent Pioneer Sequence, number 0031.

He went missing in the gray zone and has not been found to this day.

Wei Mingyuan's voice had no ups and downs, as if stating a file, "When he went missing, he was not yet forty."

"He Man, the third S-rank of Nanjiang No. 7 High School, Frost Throne, Absolute Zero."

She retired alive.

Now she is an instructor in the provincial capital.

Wei Mingyuan's tone finally changed slightly when he reached this point, not sadness, but something deeper, like iron quenched in fire, "She retired because in a mission, to cover her teammates, she stayed behind alone."

Her Divine Kingdom suffered heavy damage, and her kin were lost.

She came back alive, but could never fight again.

The gymnasium was so quiet that one could hear the sound of rain.

"Fang Zhen, Gu Yan, He Man."

Three S-ranks, three endings.

None of them truly reached the place they wanted to go.

Wei Mingyuan's gaze swept across the venue, lingering for a moment on the phalanx of Nanjiang No. 7 High School, "But they held onto what they were supposed to hold."

Behind the defense line Fang Zhen guarded were three cities and tens of millions of people.

The day he died, not a single Void Race creature crossed his defense line.

Before Gu Yan went missing, his pioneer team opened up a Divine Kingdom space equivalent to half the area of Nanjiang City for humanity.

That space has now built three border outposts, stationed with over a hundred pathfinders.

In the battle where He Man stayed behind, all her teammates retreated safely.

Among those people, one Main God and three True Gods emerged later.

He paused.

"That Main God is still serving at the border."

Every year on the day He Man retired, he sends her a letter.

There are only two words on the letter.

Wei Mingyuan did not say what those two words were.

"Awakening is not a gift, it is a conscription."

He repeated what Qin Shu had said, "You are standing here, not because you are luckier than others, but because you are stronger than others."

Strong means responsibility.

It means that one day in the future, your teammates, your defense line, the people behind you, will need you to use your Divine Kingdom, your kin, and your life to hold onto certain things.

His gaze swept across the venue again, this time, everyone felt they had been seen by those eyes.

"The City-level Competition is the first step for you to shoulder your responsibilities."

Not the last step.

He took a step back, leaving the podium.

"The competition begins."

There was no applause.

The gymnasium was silent for a moment, and then late, uneven applause sounded.

It was not out of disrespect, but everyone was digesting those words just now.

Shen Ye stood in the formation, rainwater dripping from his hair, sliding down his cheek into his collar.

It was cold.

Fang Zhen, Gu Yan, He Man.

Three names, three endings.

Principal Zhou Wenyin had said it, Qin Shu had said it, and now Wei Mingyuan had said it again in front of three hundred Awakened in the city.

It was no coincidence.

It was the Nanjiang City Association telling everyone in this way—S-rank is not a halo, it is a responsibility.

The path of the predecessors has not been finished, and those who follow must continue.

After the opening ceremony, the three hundred people left the venue in groups according to their groupings.

When Shen Ye walked out of the gymnasium, the rain had stopped.

Sunlight leaked through the clouds, casting bright spots on the wet plaza.

He stood in front of the wall full of names for a while longer.

Fang Zhen's name was in a relatively forward position, the markings blurred.

Gu Yan's name was slightly newer.

He Man's name was not on the wall.

"Every time you look at this wall, you look at the same three names."

Su Wanqing stood beside him at some point.

She wasn't wearing the Nanjiang No. 1 High School uniform, but had changed into light gray casual clothes, holding a data pad in her hand.

"Fang Zhen, Gu Yan, He Man."

Shen Ye said.

"The three former S-ranks of Nanjiang No. 7 High School."

Su Wanqing looked in the direction of his gaze, "The words President Wei said today were not impromptu."

He says them every year at the opening of the City-level Competition.

Talking about Fang Zhen, talking about Gu Yan, talking about He Man.

Some years he talks more, some years he talks less.

This year he talked a lot.

Shen Ye looked at her.

"Because there are two S-ranks in Nanjiang City this year."

Su Wanqing said, "You and Lu Chuan."

President Wei has been waiting for many years.

Shen Ye didn't respond.

Su Wanqing handed over the data pad.

"The first round matchups are out."

You are in the seventh group, and your first opponent is Fang Yan.

Zheng Chuan's uncle.

Shen Ye took the data pad.

On the matchup table for the seventh group, his name was ranked first, opponent Fang Yan, City No. 3 High School, A-rank, Granite Fortress.

Competition time: Tomorrow morning.

"Fang Yan's Rock Giant has higher defense than Zhao Duo's Lava Giant."

But the weakness is the same—the internal structure is dense and lacks resilience; water-type infiltration followed by freezing can crack the rock body, and wood-type root infiltration can disintegrate it from within.

Su Wanqing repeated the content from the previous file, "Your Elder Quan and Mu Sheng happen to counter him."

This match is secure.

Shen Ye returned the data pad to her.

"What about Zheng Chuan?"

"Third group."

His first opponent is a B-rank from City No. 2 High School, which should also be secure.

Su Wanqing paused, "The Zheng family put Fang Yan in the seventh group, probably wanting him to intercept you."

But they underestimated your kin configuration.

Fang Yan's Granite Fortress is most afraid of water and wood types.

Your Elder Quan and Mu Sheng happen to be the strongest water and wood type kin in this City-level Competition.

Shen Ye didn't say "coincidence."

In his Divine Kingdom, Jin Lin, Mu Sheng, and Elder Quan, three people, three paths.

It wasn't something he specifically configured; they grew out of it themselves in the Divine Kingdom.

Jin Lin chose the sword, Mu Sheng chose the vine, and Elder Quan chose the water.

The three of them happened to form the perfect combination to counter high-defense units.

It wasn't his credit; it was their choice.

"First match tomorrow."

Su Wanqing said, "Fight well."

Let the Zheng family see that the fourth S-rank of Nanjiang No. 7 High School, just like the previous three, is not here to accompany the run.

Shen Ye nodded.

Su Wanqing turned and walked a few steps, then stopped.

"By the way."

Lu Chuan asked me to tell you that he is also in the first round tomorrow.

His opponent is a B-rank from City No. 4 High School.

He said he would wait for you in the finals.

Shen Ye watched Su Wanqing's back disappear into the crowd.

Lu Chuan.

Finals.

From the day of the drawing ceremony when Su Wanqing first passed on Lu Chuan's words, the three words "See you in the finals" were like a thin thread, passing through all the group stage, playoffs, and semi-final brackets, connecting the two S-ranks from afar.

Shen Ye turned around and took one last look at the wall full of names.

Fang Zhen.

Gu Yan.

He Man.

Three names, three endings.

Fang Zhen guarded for twelve years and died on the defense line.

Gu Yan pioneered a Divine Kingdom space half the size of Nanjiang City and disappeared in the gray zone.

He Man came back alive, but could never fight again.

Three people, none of them truly reached the place they wanted to go.

Shen Ye withdrew his gaze and walked towards the contestant passage.

There was less than a day until his first City-level Competition.

In the Divine Kingdom, Jin Lin was practicing swordsmanship in front of the sword stele, the small golden dragon swimming slowly on his shoulder, adjusting the angle of his grip before every strike.

Mu Sheng was weaving a vine net by the spiritual field, twenty-one vines flying in the sun, the tips of the vines lightly touching the ground to sense the temperature of the spiritual soil.

Elder Quan sat cross-legged by the spiritual spring, three spiral spiritual springs rotating slowly in his palms, closing his palms and then slowly separating them before unfolding the water curtain each time.

They had practiced for countless days and nights in the Divine Kingdom.

Tomorrow is the day they unsheathe their swords in front of everyone.