119: Chapter 120 Shocks the Entire Audience

Facing Senior Li Yun's well-intentioned offer of protection, Lin Muyang felt a bit conflicted. The other party's intentions were purely kind, and his attitude was sincere and polite, so naturally, it wouldn't be right to argue or seem ungrateful. He could only smile, nod, and give a simple "okay" in response, accepting the favor for now.

Anyway... there were over four hundred Summoners participating, and the first round of the melee was randomly assigned. The probability of being grouped with Senior Li Yun out of so many people was actually quite low. Most likely, they wouldn't meet. Therefore, Lin Muyang didn't take the matter to heart. After his casual response, he found an excuse to temporarily part ways with Senior Li Yun and led the four young ladies toward the other side of the preparation area.

He had just sent Seraphina and Feng Ling to handle a small trouble under invisibility. Now that the matter was settled, there was no need for them to stay hidden. With a slight thought, Lin Muyang deactivated the extra invisibility effect on the two girls. Without anyone nearby noticing, the figures of Seraphina and Feng Ling quietly became visible again, as if they had been following Lin Muyang all along.

Usually, the young ladies spent most of their time at the villa or following Lin Muyang to level up in remote Dungeon areas, rarely visiting such crowded public places.

Today's Summoner Tournament was a good opportunity for them to experience the social atmosphere of ordinary people and feel the lively air. If they were in a regular mall or street, their peerless beauty would have likely caused a crowd and a commotion long ago. But here, everyone's attention was focused on the upcoming match and various famous Summoners, allowing them to observe and feel their surroundings more freely.

Before long, stirring background music echoed through the venue, signaling the official start of the competition. First was the entrance ceremony for the contestants.

Surrounding the massive central arena, besides tiers of spectator seats, there was a relatively independent viewing section for the contestants. All participating Summoners would enter one by one, take their seats in the contestant area, and complete the draw to determine the groupings for the first round of the melee.

As each contestant walked toward the seats under the spotlight, four giant magic screens hanging above the arena would simultaneously display their image and basic profile. Meanwhile, the live commentator would give a brief introduction. The order of entry was arranged according to the time of registration.

“Next to enter is—Mr. Long Aotian!” The commentator's passionate voice spread throughout the venue via the amplification arrays.

Under the spotlight, Long Aotian, dressed in a white slim-fit suit with his hair meticulously styled, wore a perfect smile and waved elegantly to the spectators in all directions. Behind him followed four silent and lethal Frost Warriors clad in ice-crystal armor and wielding frozen weapons. The biting cold seemed to emanate even from a distance, creating a stunning visual effect.

“This isn't Mr. Long Aotian's first time participating in our Summoner Tournament! Compared to four years ago, his level has now reached Level 95! The power of his SS-Rank Talent, ‘King of the Ice Kingdom,’ must have also been further developed! Can he achieve even better results in this tournament? Let's wait and see!”

Following the commentator's introduction, the section of the stands belonging to Long Aotian's fans instantly erupted in deafening screams and cheers. Many young girls excitedly waved support signs, their voices almost lifting the roof. Long Aotian maintained his smile, walking gracefully toward the contestant seats, enjoying this moment in the spotlight.

Not far from Lin Muyang, a female Summoner in her twenties, also preparing to compete, looked at Long Aotian's figure with stars in her eyes, appearing completely infatuated.

This scene caused many male Summoners nearby to curl their lips in secret, whispering complaints to each other.

“Tsk, what a poser... Just because he's a bit fair-skinned, is that really necessary?”

“Can't help it. Nowadays, many women just fall for that kind of look. Strength? They don't care at all.”

“Honestly, with his strength, where would he rank in our city? Even Top 3 is doubtful, right?”

“He definitely won't make the Top 3; Senior Li Yun firmly suppresses him. There's a level difference of nearly twenty levels, and the advantage of an SS-Rank over an s-rank talent isn't that large.”

Indeed, Senior Li Yun was Level 115 while Long Aotian was Level 95, a gap of exactly 20 levels. A Summoner's strength isn't just about their own talent; the cultivation of their summons, equipment, skill combinations, and combat experience are all crucial.

Although Senior Li Yun's own talent was s-rank talent, he possessed more than one powerful summon with excellent talent. The foundation he had built over decades was far beyond what Long Aotian could compare to. In previous City Tournaments, it was basically Senior Li Yun who represented Zhongnan City in the Provincial Tournament.

Of course, at the level of the Provincial Tournament, the intensity of competition was entirely different. Any slight weakness could be infinitely magnified. Senior Li Yun's s-rank talent would seem inadequate when facing the true monsters of the entire province, which was also the main reason he always found it difficult to achieve a breakthrough in the Provincial Tournament.

After Long Aotian, most of those who entered were Summoners from the “Hua Yun Pavilion.” Soon, it was the turn of “Tianqi Tower.”

As a perennial figure and benchmark in the Zhongnan City Summoner community, Senior Li Yun also received warm applause and cheers when he appeared. He nodded to the audience with a steady smile, followed by his signature, imposing Centaur Warrior, “Iron Hoof.”

Immediately after, the commentator's voice paused slightly, seemingly having received new information. His tone took on a hint of surprise and a higher pitch:

“The next contestant to enter is very special! He is the youngest contestant in the history of the Summoner Tournament in our Zhongnan City, and perhaps even the entire country—Lin Muyang!”

Shua!

An exceptionally bright spotlight instantly hit Lin Muyang as he stepped out of the tunnel, clearly presenting him and the four breathtakingly beautiful young ladies of various styles beside him to everyone. On the giant magic screens, Lin Muyang's somewhat delicate but calm face appeared, along with a simple profile listed next to it.

“Contestant Lin Muyang's Summoner constitution is—Friend of Beautiful Girls!” When the commentator read out this constitution, his tone was inevitably a bit subtle, and a wave of low, ambiguous laughter and discussion rippled through the audience.

“And his registered level is—” The commentator deliberately drew out his voice to create suspense, then clearly said word by word: “Lev-el! Fif-ty! Six!”

“According to the records, it has been... less than a month since Contestant Lin Muyang awakened as a Summoner!”

Boom—!

This last sentence was like a clap of thunder, exploding within the originally noisy venue!

A brief moment of dead silence.

Then, a wave of sound far more intense and mixed than any before erupted! Gasps, doubts, the sound of sharp intakes of breath, unbelievable shouts... various noises intertwined, almost threatening to burst through the venue's ceiling!

Every spectator, whether they had heard the name “Lin Muyang” before or not, now had their eyes wide open, staring fixedly at the excessively young face on the magic screen and the glaring “Level 56” next to it!

“How... how much? Level 56? In one month? Did I hear that wrong?”

“What kind of international joke is this?! I worked hard grinding in Dungeons for three years just to reach Level 55!”

“It's fake, right? The registration must be wrong! Or did he use some item to hide his true level?”

“Level 56 in one month... this isn't a genius anymore, it's a monster, right?!”

Tens of thousands of gazes focused on Lin Muyang like searchlights, filled with shock, horror, inquiry, jealousy, and deep disbelief. The area where only a few people had been cheering for him was now completely submerged by this tsunami of sound.

Somewhere in the stands, Su Qingyue's short-haired best friend excitedly grabbed her companion's arm, her eyes wide as saucers: “Sister Qingyue! Did you hear that? Level 56! My god! How long has it been? Is the handsome Lin Muyang leveling up on a rocket?”

Although Su Qingyue was mentally prepared and knew Lin Muyang's level wouldn't be low, hearing the number “Level 56” with her own ears still sent waves of shock through her heart. She had cultivated bitterly for many years with constant resources and was only in her seventies now. Lin Muyang's speed simply overturned her understanding.

“High output inevitably requires high levels for support; otherwise, attributes, skills, and equipment won't keep up.” Behind Su Qingyue, a steady and burly teammate analyzed, his face also full of admiration. “I just didn't expect it to be this high... This talent is too terrifying.”

The entire Su Qingyue team's admiration for Lin Muyang reached a new height. Before, it was more about awe of his strength and gratitude for his help; now, it was mixed with a sense of shock and reverence as they witnessed a legend being born before their eyes.

After the initial explosive clamor, the entire venue soon erupted into a more enthusiastic, spontaneous round of applause and cheers! This applause wasn't for a star player, but for an incredible “miracle”!

Admittedly, Level 56 in today's arena, facing those veteran Summoners at Level 80 or 90, or even over Level 100, still seemed low, and he would likely be at a disadvantage in actual combat.

But the fact of “Level 56 in one month” itself, representing terrifying potential and future, was enough to move any rational person! This meant that as long as he was given time to grow, the young man before them was highly likely to become a top Summoner looking down on the whole country in the future, perhaps even starting an era!

Of course, not everyone was happy to see this. Long Aotian's fanatical fans, seeing their idol's spotlight and buzz completely overshadowed by a newcomer who was “only” Level 56, were naturally very displeased, their faces showing dismissal or even hidden jealousy.

“So what if he levels up a bit faster, what's he so proud of...”

“Only Level 56, he's just going up there to be a sacrificial lamb, just seeking attention.”

“Exactly, wait until the match starts and see if he can still be so arrogant.”

Such sour remarks circulated in low voices within the small fan circles, but they didn't dare say them out loud. After all, the achievement of “Level 56 in one month” was too shocking, and any belittlement seemed pale in the face of facts.

Meanwhile, in different corners of the audience, some of Lin Muyang's acquaintances were also feeling overwhelmed.

Shen Muyao sat alone in a front seat, her cold eyes fixed on the youth on the field who calmly accepted the attention of the masses as if he were an outsider. Her heart couldn't help but beat faster. She remembered the unbelievable “flying” scene from the morning and heard the declaration of “Level 56.” A clear realization surfaced in her mind: the distance between her and him was far greater than she had imagined, and it was widening at an unimaginable speed.

Elsewhere, Lin Muyang's high school classmate was sitting with his father. Upon hearing the introduction, his father was filled with respect and patted his son's shoulder hard: “Good lad! This classmate of yours is extraordinary! His future is limitless! You must keep in touch with him; even if you can't keep up, this schoolmate friendship is precious!”

Zhou Shuchuan nodded heavily, feeling both immense pride for his old classmate and a faint sense of melancholy. He knew that from the day of the awakening, their life trajectories had become completely different. But this friendship, and being able to witness the rise of a future legend with his own eyes, was already a blessing.

The slight mockery brought by the name of the “Friend of Beautiful Girls” constitution had already become insignificant in the face of the shocking fact of “Level 56 in one month.” In this world, strength is the foundation and the ultimate say in everything.

However, including all the spectators, commentators, and contestants on-site, even acquaintances like Su Qingyue, Shen Muyao, and Zhou Shuchuan—no one knew that the “Level 56” displayed on the screen was only Lin Muyang's level when he registered.

At this very moment, standing at the entrance of the contestant tunnel, facing countless shocked, fanatical, and scrutinizing gazes, Lin Muyang's real level was already... Level 68!

This gap of just over ten levels might only seem like a quantitative increase to others, but for Lin Muyang and his summoned young ladies, who possessed numerous God-Tier Auras and had just undergone a wave of “Yamas Fate Alteration” enhancement, it represented a qualitative, earth-shattering change in strength! It's just that the time to reveal this truth had not yet arrived.