55: Don't you have a single normal person among you?

Arriving at the Arena and seeing this venue, which was many times larger than the one at Yunxiao Martial Arts School.

He thought to himself:

"As expected of Shenzhou Martial Arts School, which has hosted the 'Global Martial Arts School League' multiple times. This can probably accommodate hundreds of thousands of people!"

If it weren't for the many projection Light Screens, the audience in the back probably wouldn't be able to see anything! They'd have to rely on their bracelets to watch.

After entering the venue, he found that less than a quarter of the new students had arrived.

It was said that this year's freshman class had enrolled over eight thousand people in total.

Among them, the Weapon Combat Department had over five thousand new students.

The Sorcery Academy had just over two thousand.

The Support Institute had one thousand.

The new students specifically recruited for the final Hundred Skills Institute were counted separately from the three major institutes.

Their teaching buildings and training bases were all located in remote areas of the campus.

Furthermore, they did not participate in school competitions and similar activities and were not counted in the total number of new students.

While waiting.

Jiang Hao idly browsed the school website, looking for any interesting gossip.

As the time reached exactly ten o'clock, over eight thousand new students were seated in the massive venue.

There were also several thousand senior students from various grades who had come to see just how Heaven-Defying this year's juniors were.

The Ranking Battle officially began!

First, the Vice Deans of the Weapon Combat Department and the Sorcery Academy gave speeches.

They introduced the mechanics of the Ranking Battle, the benefits for the top hundred contestants, and so on.

Although they weren't long-winded, the students below clearly weren't interested in listening to this.

Principal Xia, holding a grilled fish, sauntered onto the stage, took a bite of the fish, and then directly announced:

"Now, let's begin the Eight Prodigies Ranking Battle segment!"

"Woo!!!"

Cheers and the sound of celebratory cannons erupted in the venue.

The hosts in the live stream also seized the moment to introduce:

"This is the 233rd freshman class of Shenzhou Martial Arts School!"

"It is also an unprecedentedly powerful generation, gathering a full Eight Prodigies who achieved perfect scores on the Martial Exam!"

Another host chimed in:

"The last time a generation was called the strongest was when Xia Wanjun and Xing Yingyu were hailed as the Twin Monarchs."

"Thirteen years ago, they crushed the Prodigies of the entire nation with an invincible posture, and then went on to crush the Prodigies of the entire world!"

"Simultaneously, they are now the Deans of Shenzhou Martial Arts School's Weapon Combat Department and Sorcery Academy!"

"Let us look forward to what kind of spectacular battles this strongest generation of Prodigies will bring us!"

Good! Good! Good!

Senior Zhou Weifeng, who won the 'Global Martial Arts School League' championship twice in a row, is just completely ignored by you guys, right?

Wasn't he hailed as a Prodigy surpassing the Twin Monarchs four years ago?

And you still dare to claim you weren't hired by the Xia family?

Jiang Hao listened speechlessly to this blatantly biased commentary.

This year.

Among the nine prefectures of Xia Country, eight had perfect-scoring Prodigies; only Jinsha Prefecture lacked a presentable Prodigy.

Truly the weakest major prefecture in Xia Country!

Principal Xia walked down from the stage, then waved his left hand, the one not holding the grilled fish.

Eight enormous 'Thrones' immediately rose from the center of the venue.

They were entirely golden, with black Dragon patterns coiling around them.

A burst of intense, though somewhat nonsensical, music began to play.

In the sky, flying exotic beasts radiating seventh-tier Yuan Power fluctuations, adorned with flashy decorations, swooped down carrying eight Crowns in their beaks.

Light Screens appeared above the 'Thrones'.

They displayed the names of their owners according to the school's official ranking.

First Place: Jiang Hao, Second Place: Feng Qiluo, Third Place: Yan Yanyi.

Fourth Place: Xia Pengcheng, Fifth Place: Yu Xiyao, Sixth Place: Ye Lingxi.

Seventh Place: Xing Yingyue, Eighth Place: Gu Siyuan.

Instantly, the venue and the live stream exploded. Everyone cheered and roared, and the barrage of comments refreshed constantly, densely covering the screens.

Clearly, everyone was stunned by this flashy 'show'.

???

Jiang Hao stared at the eight 'Thrones' with a face full of question marks.

What the heck, where are the Battle Pods? We fight directly? There wasn't this procedure before either!

And these 'Thrones' are way too chuunibyou!

Looking at the 'Thrones' with disdain.

Jiang Hao didn't even dare to imagine how embarrassing it would be if he sat on one and his old acquaintances found out.

Below the stage, Principal Xia patted his pocket with satisfaction:

"The Yu family sponsored so many resources!"

Just as Jiang Hao was convinced that surely no one would go down and sit on these chuunibyou god seats.

A loli with green twin-tails, dressed in a Gothic Lolita style.

Carrying a spear about three meters long, strode towards the Thrones in the center of the venue, laughing heartily.

She displayed a Yuan Power fluctuation of the third-tier, sixth-layer!

"Hahaha!"

"I, Yu Xiyao, am the strongest!!!"

Damn, there really is a chuunibyou!

At this moment.

Xia Pengcheng stood up, revealing his own third-tier, seventh-layer fluctuation. With a great leap, he landed directly in front of a Throne.

Then he raised his right fist high, closing his eyes, waiting for the crowd's cheers.

Silence fell... To be precise, no one paid him any attention.

Whispers spread through the venue:

"So that's the Xia family's Prodigy of this generation! I heard he got beaten up and sent to the infirmary yesterday!"

"Huh? Senior Jiang Hao didn't even make a move; he fainted from fear himself! A pure straw bag!"

"Hmph! I heard there's already a public online vote to kick him out of the Eight Prodigies! Even if he's the principal's grandson, the principal can't silence so many voices!"

The hosts in the live stream were still strenuously hyping up Xia Pengcheng's past achievements, urging everyone not to be swayed by online rumors.

Xia Pengcheng's face flushed red, and he silently sat down on his Throne.

With that, the prologue began.

Yan Yanyi stepped onto a carpet paved with flames, walking step by step towards his Throne. The temperature in the venue immediately skyrocketed, and the audience began to sweat profusely.

Ye Lingxi's ancient zither floated in the air, continuously emitting beautiful melodies on its own.

The closer he got to the Throne, the louder the music became, until finally, his zither music reverberated throughout the entire venue.

As if moonlight pierced through the clouds to shine down, starlight erupted around Xing Yingyue, forming patches of silvery nebulae—special effects maxed out.

Gu Siyuan, squinting his eyes, had somehow already seated himself on a Throne. No one had noticed his trajectory.

However, wisps of golden clouds gradually dissipated.

Only Jiang Hao remained standing in place, dumbfounded.

Watching the six of them make their grand, special-effects-laden entrances, heads held high.

Jiang Hao genuinely wondered if he had come to the wrong place.

No wonder people on the Blue Star Net kept complaining that Prodigies' brains were a bit messed up!

"Good thing I'm the most normal! No chuunibyou!" Jiang Hao comforted himself.

In front of the entire venue, the entire nation's live broadcast.

He looked at the several people on the Thrones, wantonly releasing their Yuan Power fluctuations.

Then he looked at Feng Qiluo's empty seat.

"Could it be she's afraid of being utterly defeated by me, so she didn't dare to come?"

He shook his head and stood up from the spectator seats.

Under the challenging gazes of the six.

He took a normal step forward.

No special effects at all, but!

Jiang Hao was walking in mid-air! As if there were invisible glass supporting him under his feet.

"Tap! Tap!" the sound rang out.

He sheathed his beloved blade.

The Yuan Power fluctuation of the fourth-tier, fourth-layer erupted from his body instantly!

Powerful spirit distorted the light, and a spiritual storm ravaged the entire venue.

The air continuously cracked with explosive sounds, perfectly synchronized with Jiang Hao's footsteps.

All the new and senior students in the venue felt their heads buzz as if struck.

Then, everyone seemed to see Star Domains being annihilated, witnessing worlds dying within Chaos and nothingness.

As Jiang Hao sat down.

Those illusions and sounds immediately vanished.

The entire venue fell so quiet no one dared to breathe. Everyone stared at Jiang Hao as if looking at a monster.

Everyone had only one thought in their hearts, wanting to roar it out:

"This is a freshman? I want to report someone for cheating!!!"