33: Chapter 33 Zheng Chuan's Provocation

The draw ceremony for the semi-finals was scheduled for nine o'clock the next morning, still at the City Gymnasium.

Shen Ye arrived early, and quite a few people were already standing in the contestant passageway.

The sixty qualifiers, along with the team leaders from each school and the association staff, packed the spacious passageway to the brim.

Liu Yang followed beside him, muttering "Please don't let me draw Lu Chuan, please don't let me draw Lu Chuan" like a mantra.

Shen Ye wasn't as nervous as him.

The sixty people were re-divided into four groups of fifteen, with the top two from each group advancing to the quarterfinals.

No matter who he drew, he had to fight them one match at a time.

He saw Su Wanqing in the crowd.

The deep blue uniforms of City No. 1 High School were on the other side of the passageway, and she was looking down, writing something on her data pad.

The scar on the back of her hand had faded until it was almost invisible.

Preparations for the second evolution of the Thorn Queen were at a critical stage; for the past few days, she had been spending all her time outside of matches in the extraction room of the Spirit Plant Garden.

Shen Ye didn't go over to greet her, merely exchanging a brief glance with her across the crowd.

Su Wanqing nodded slightly, then continued writing.

Fang Yan stood in the line for City No. 3 High School, as silent as a true rock.

Beside him was Zheng Chuan.

Zheng Chuan was dressed exceptionally sharply today.

His dark red uniform was pressed crisp and straight, his hair had clearly been styled, and that signature smile hung at the corners of his lips.

He was talking to several teammates from City No. 3 High School, his voice loud enough for those around him to hear.

"With the re-draw for the semi-finals, there's no difference between first and second place in the group."

Whoever you draw, you just have to fight.

His gaze swept through the crowd, landing accurately on Shen Ye, pausing for a moment, then shifting away.

The smile at the corners of his lips deepened slightly.

Shen Ye shifted his gaze and looked toward the drawing platform.

The association staff brought out the drawing box.

It was the same sealed crystal box as the preliminary round, with law patterns flowing across the surface to ensure that no spiritual sense could penetrate it.

Sixty numbered balls had been placed in the box, each containing a spiritual power chip that recorded the contestant's name and number.

The draw was hosted by the association's referee panel, with admissions officers from the four top universities supervising on-site.

There were no issues with fairness—at least, not on the surface.

The draw proceeded in order by group.

The first group drew first, and Lu Chuan went up on stage first.

He was wearing the deep blue uniform of City No. 1 High School, hands in his pockets, as he walked to the drawing box, reached in, and took out a ball.

His movements were very casual, like pulling keys out of his pocket.

The referee took the ball, unscrewed it, took out the spiritual power chip, and read the name on the light screen.

"Lu Chuan, Group 1."

A cheer erupted from the City No. 1 High School cheering section in the stands.

With the top seed placed in Group 1, the remaining contestants in the same group could only compete for second place.

For the second group draw, Gu Changming was placed.

In the third group, an A-rank from City No. 2 High School was placed.

When it was the fourth group's turn, Shen Ye walked up to the drawing platform.

He reached into the box and felt a ball.

The law patterns on the surface of the ball were slightly hot; that was the spiritual power chip in operation.

He grabbed one at random and handed it to the referee.

The referee unscrewed the ball, took out the chip, and the name popped up on the light screen—Shen Ye, Group 4.

The Nanjiang No. 7 High School cheering section erupted in cheers.

Liu Yang punched the air forcefully below.

Shen Ye walked off the drawing platform, brushing shoulders with the remaining contestants.

Zheng Chuan was second for City No. 3 High School, going on stage a few people after Shen Ye.

When he reached into the box, the smile was still hanging at the corners of his lips as he pulled out a ball and handed it to the referee.

The referee unscrewed it, and the name popped up on the light screen—Zheng Chuan, Group 2.

Zheng Chuan's smile faltered for a moment.

Group 2 had Gu Changming.

Lava Giant City, defensive A-rank, mutated Lava Giant.

Zheng Chuan's Wind Elemental fast attacks were most afraid of opponents with thick skin and flesh, who could not be torn through no matter how fast he was.

When he walked off the stage with the numbered ball, the curve of his lips was flatter than when he went up.

Su Wanqing drew into Group 1, in the same group as Lu Chuan.

When she saw the group results on the light screen, her expression didn't change; she just looked down and made a note on her data pad.

Shen Ye knew what she was calculating—Group 1 had Lu Chuan, so there was no point in thinking about first place in the group.

She was competing with the others for second place in the group.

Fang Yan drew into Group 3.

Liu Yang drew into Group 4, in the same group as Shen Ye.

When he came down from the drawing platform, his face was pale.

"I'm in the same group as you."

Shen Ye said, "Fight well."

Liu Yang nodded vigorously, his lips still trembling, but there was no flinching in his eyes.

The draw was completely finished, and the four group lists froze on the light screen.

The cameramen in the media area shouldered their equipment and rushed to the front of the stage, snapping pictures of the light screen.

Reporters began chasing down the seeded players for interviews.

Lu Chuan was surrounded by a few reporters, who asked him a few questions about the situation in Group 1; he only said "Fight one match at a time" and left.

Gu Changming was also surrounded, and his answer was even shorter: "Just fight."

Zheng Chuan came down from the drawing platform and was stopped by a reporter from the Nanjiang Awakening Daily.

The reporter held the microphone out to him: "Student Zheng Chuan, you have been placed in Group 2, which includes a defensive A-rank like Gu Changming."

"How do you view this grouping?"

The smile at the corners of Zheng Chuan's lips hung there once again.

"Gu Changming is a strong opponent, and I respect him."

"But on the stage of the City-level Competition, there is a gap even between A-ranks."

He paused, his gaze passing over the reporter and landing accurately on Shen Ye, who was walking out not far away. "The person I truly want to face is in Group 4."

The reporter followed his gaze and their eyes immediately lit up.

"You mean Shen Ye?"

"You had an exchange with him during the preliminary draw, and now you've been placed in different groups for the semi-finals."

"If you are to meet, it can only be in the knockout stage—"

"Yes."

Zheng Chuan's voice raised a few decibels, ensuring everyone around could hear. "I said in the preliminaries that S-rank talents don't have much of an advantage during their development phase; the City-level Competition relies on immediate combat power."

"I advanced from the group stage with a perfect record, and so did he."

"But the quality of the opponents in the group stage was different—in his group, Fang Yan is an A-rank, He Shuping is an A-rank, and both are specialized types."

"In my group, there are two balanced A-ranks, and I still won."

He looked at the camera. "I will continue to win in the semi-finals."

"If I meet him in the knockout stage, I will prove that A-rank does not lose to S-rank."

The reporter pressed: "In the last two matches of the group stage against Fang Yan and He Shuping, Shen Ye summoned three hundred clansmen and demonstrated a combined attack tactic integrating Metal, Water, and Wood elements."

"How do you evaluate his performance?"

Zheng Chuan laughed slightly.

"Three hundred clansmen fighting one A-rank—it's normal to win."

"My Wind Elemental Warriors number fewer than three hundred, yet my average match time in the group stage was shorter than his."

"When we meet in the knockout stage, I will let him know what a true fast attack is."

He enunciated the words "fast attack" very heavily, then turned and left.

Several teammates from City No. 3 High School followed him, surrounding him as they walked out of the interview area.

Shen Ye stood at the exit of the contestant passageway, hearing the entire interview from start to finish.

When Zheng Chuan passed by him, his footsteps faltered for a moment; he turned his head, the smile still hanging at the corners of his lips.

"Good luck."

Shen Ye said.

Zheng Chuan's smile stiffened for a second.

He stared into Shen Ye's eyes, trying to find anger, provocation, or any emotional fluctuation within them.

He found none.

The way Shen Ye looked at him was as calm as when looking at the law patterns on the drawing box.

"That's about all you're capable of—just talk."

Zheng Chuan lowered his voice. "See you in the knockout stage."

He left.

The people from City No. 3 High School followed behind him, their dark red uniforms forming a line in the passageway.

Shen Ye watched his back, saying nothing.

Liu Yang squeezed over from behind, his face still pale, but indignant.

"How can this guy be so arrogant?"

"Just because he won all his group stage matches, he's floating this high?"

"His group had two balanced A-ranks—balanced type means nothing is outstanding!"

"The people you fought, Fang Yan is defense-specialized, He Shuping is speed-specialized; both are top-tier in their respective fields."

"If a balanced A-rank came to Group 7, they wouldn't even be able to get past He Shuping."

Shen Ye didn't reply.

He was thinking about another matter.

Zheng Chuan said "Three hundred clansmen fighting one A-rank—it's normal to win."

This sentence was correct in itself, but Zheng Chuan had specifically emphasized the number "three hundred" in the interview.

He used only two or three clansmen in the first nine matches of the group stage, which Zheng Chuan didn't mention; he won against nine opponents with two or three clansmen, with an average match time shorter than Zheng Chuan's, which Zheng Chuan also didn't mention.

He specifically singled out the last two matches, emphasizing "three hundred clansmen fighting one A-rank."

This wasn't a slip of the tongue; it was carefully selected rhetoric.

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Zheng Chuan was crafting a narrative—Shen Ye relied on overwhelming numbers, while he won through speed.

"He's manipulating public opinion."

Su Wanqing had walked over at some point.

She tucked her data pad under her arm and watched Zheng Chuan's receding back as he disappeared at the end of the corridor.

"The Zheng family has people in the Association's Resources Department, but they can't pull any major stunts during the drawing phase under everyone's watchful eyes."

He could only exert effort through public opinion.

By framing you as the one who 'relies on numbers to beat Rank A' and himself as the one who 'uses speed and tactics to win with fewer numbers.'

When you meet in the knockout stage, the pressure of public opinion will be on your side—if you win, it's expected; if you lose, it's a Rank S being defeated by a Rank A with fewer numbers.

Shen Ye looked at her.

"When did he start preparing this?"

"After the preliminary draw."

Su Wanqing said, "When he posted that 'Rank S doesn't have much of an advantage in the growth phase' update on social media, this narrative had already begun."

The subsequent interviews and social media updates during the group stage were all part of the same strategy—packaging himself as the challenger and putting you in the position of the 'challenged Rank S'.

Shen Ye thought for a moment.

"His uncle Fang Yan didn't say a word after I beat him in the group stage."

"Fang Yan is Fang Yan, and Zheng Chuan is Zheng Chuan."

Su Wanqing said, "When Fang Yan lost to you, he accepted it."

He went back to adjust the Rock Giant's structure and prepare for the next time.

Zheng Chuan can't afford to lose—he hasn't even lost yet, but he's already paving a way out for himself.

Liu Yang listened from the side, completely stunned.

"So what do we do?"

Just let him build up momentum like this?

Shen Ye didn't answer.

He looked toward the end of the corridor where Zheng Chuan had disappeared.

In the interview, Zheng Chuan said, 'If we meet in the knockout stage, I'll let him know what real fast-break offense is.'

In Qin Shu's projection training, Shen Ye had fought countless Void Race Wind Elemental variants.

Five hundred Wind Elementals charging simultaneously, S-shaped trajectories, directional lag, core locking.

Those variants were faster than Zheng Chuan's Wind Elementals, and their trajectories were even more tricky.

Qin Shu had adjusted the projection parameters to military grade, and Shen Ye had withstood it using Mu Sheng's Luo Tian Net and Elder Quan's Spiral Water Curtain.

"Don't worry about him."

Shen Ye said, "Let him talk."

Su Wanqing looked at him.

"You don't plan to respond?"

"When we meet in the knockout stage, I'll respond with my vassals."

Su Wanqing was silent for a moment, then the corner of her mouth curled slightly.

It wasn't a smile, but rather a 'just as I thought' expression.

She pulled the data pad from under her arm and brought up a file.

"I asked someone to look into the Zheng family's network in the city-level association."

Zheng Chuan's father, Zheng Mingyuan, is the Director of the Resources Department, True God Rank 3.

He does have a say in the Association's drawing and grouping phase, but the semi-final draw is supervised by admissions officers from four top universities, so he can't touch the grouping.

What he can influence is the match scheduling—for example, the order of matches in the knockout stage, who plays first and who plays later, whose matches are scheduled for prime time, and whose are scheduled for the lunch break.

"Is that useful?"

"It's useless for most people."

But it's useful for Zheng Chuan.

Su Wanqing said, "Zheng Chuan's fast-break tactics are extremely dependent on his state of mind."

When he's in a good state, the S-shaped trajectory changes of the Wind Elementals are smoother, and the core lag time is shorter.

When he's in a bad state, the direction changes will stutter, and the lag time will increase.

The scheduling can affect his state—during prime time, there are many spectators and a heated atmosphere, so he gets excited easily, and his state is good.

During the lunch break, there are few spectators and the atmosphere is cold, so he can't get excited, and his state is poor.

Shen Ye remembered Qin Shu saying that Zheng Chuan had a poor mindset.

When he's winning, he plays smoother and smoother, but when he's losing, he's prone to collapsing.

Large fluctuations in state are a typical characteristic of a poor mindset.

"To what extent can the Zheng family influence the knockout match order?"

"At most, they can schedule all of Zheng Chuan's matches for prime time and all his opponents' matches for the lunch break—but only if those opponents have no background."

Su Wanqing said, "You're an exception."

You're a Rank S, and admissions officers from four universities are watching, so the Association wouldn't dare pull any tricks on you.

What the Zheng family can move are those Rank A and Rank B students with no background.

Shen Ye nodded.

"That's enough then."

No matter how good his state is or how fast his fast-break is, he can't beat me.

Su Wanqing looked at him.

When Shen Ye said 'he can't beat me', his tone was exactly the same as when he said 'see you at the match' or 'wish him luck'.

It wasn't arrogance; it was having calculated everything clearly.

He had experienced even stronger speeds than Zheng Chuan's Wind Elementals in the projection training.

He had experienced similar core lag with He Shuping's Lightning Spirits.

Zheng Chuan's mindset fluctuations had been analyzed by both Qin Shu and Gu Qinghan.

He had counted all of Zheng Chuan's chips and reached the conclusion: he could win.

"In the first round of the knockout stage, you won't meet him."

Su Wanqing said, "You're in different groups."

The earliest would be the quarter-finals.

"Then we'll wait for him to fight his way to the quarter-finals."

Su Wanqing put away her data pad.

"Watch out for off-field tactics."

The Zheng family's influence in the Association's Resources Department isn't just about match scheduling.

Resource replenishment during the competition—spiritual power supplements, Law Tablet maintenance, and the distribution of spiritual liquids for vassal recovery after battle—these are all under the jurisdiction of the Resources Department.

He wouldn't be stupid enough to tamper with your supplies; with admissions officers from four universities watching, he wouldn't be able to escape if something happened.

But he can make your supplies 'just enough' within a reasonable range, making your vassals' recovery speed just a beat slower.

Shen Ye thought for a moment.

"My vassal recovery mainly relies on the Spirit Spring and Spirit Fields in my Divine Kingdom."

The Association's supplies are just supplementary.

"That's good then."

Su Wanqing breathed a sigh of relief, "The Thorn Queen's second evolution will still take a few days."

She should make it in time for the first round of the semi-finals.

If we meet in the knockout stage, I'll let you see the evolved Sea of Thorns.

Shen Ye said okay.

Su Wanqing turned and left.

The people in the corridor gradually dispersed, and staff members began dismantling the equipment on the drawing stage.

Shen Ye stood at the exit of the corridor, looking at the empty battle zone in the center of the gymnasium.

The grayish-white Law Tablets shimmered under the lights, still bearing traces of the last group stage match—the scorch marks left by He Shuping's Lightning Spirits on the ground had been cleaned by the staff, but the Law Tablets' self-repair hadn't completely covered them, and the edges of the scorch marks were still faintly visible.

Zheng Chuan said it was normal to win against a Rank A with three hundred vassals.

He didn't mention that Fang Yan's Rock Giant core had shifted by a palm's width, and Elder Quan had to use a reverse spiral to find it.

He didn't mention that He Shuping's Lightning Spirits had S-shaped trajectory lag, and Jin Lin's hundred-man sword cultivator squad had practiced eye-socket assassinations for countless days and nights just to strike the core in that instant.

He certainly wouldn't mention that the Wind Elemental fast-break he was so proud of had been simulated countless times by Qin Shu using military-grade parameters in projection training, and Shen Ye had withstood it countless times with Mu Sheng's Luo Tian Net and Elder Quan's Spiral Water Curtain.

Zheng Chuan was crafting a narrative, while Shen Ye was doing the math.

In the Divine Kingdom, Jin Lin was teaching the sword cultivators a new course on adapting to enemies in front of the sword stele.

Today's topic was—how to find the moment when the opponent's mindset is most fragile while they are in their best state.

The sword cultivators were blindfolded, and Jin Lin used sword intent to simulate Zheng Chuan's Wind Elemental S-shaped trajectory, intentionally inserting several irregular stutters into the path.

The timing, frequency, and magnitude of the stutters perfectly simulated the fluctuations in state when Zheng Chuan's mindset wavered.

The sword cultivators had to find the true moment of core lag within these irregular stutters.

By the Spirit Fields, Mu Sheng was leading the array masters to deduce a new trapping array structure specifically targeting speed-type enemies—the mesh size was no longer fixed but could contract and expand in real-time.

When the Wind Elementals drilled in, the mesh would enlarge, making them think they could pass through; the moment they passed, the mesh would rapidly contract, trapping the core.

Elder Quan was by the Spirit Spring teaching the dharma cultivators another use for the Spiral Water Curtain—not for lagging, but for guiding.

The water flow would no longer intercept the Wind Elementals' charge path head-on but would wrap around along their direction of movement, like a river guiding a fallen leaf, gradually steering their charge trajectory off course.

They were preparing.

Not to respond to Zheng Chuan's provocation, but for the day they met in the knockout stage, to let Zheng Chuan know what real preparation was.