What It Means to Hide One's True Strength

Over the next two days, six more matches were played.

Unable to predict the opponents' order of play, Ningdong Team opted for a relatively safer order in the following matches, placing Ling Xin in the middle as the fourth player. This way, even if they lost the first three matches, Ling Xin would still have the ability to win one and avoid a humiliating defeat.

Luo Jun, on the other hand, was placed last.

The reason for doing this was to maintain Luo Jun's mystique. He had already gained considerable fame recently, and coupled with his memorization of the locations of over ten thousand patterns and his bloodless surrender of Xue Lan, these two achievements created a powerful and mysterious aura around him among all his opponents. The presence of such a man, whose strength was undeniable but whose strength lay in mystery, exerted invisible pressure on all his rivals.

Regardless of the previous scores, the opponents will always be wary of the mysterious powerhouse who hasn't even appeared yet. Even if Ningdong Team makes one or two small mistakes, it's a win for them.

However, this also resulted in Luo Jun not playing in the next three rounds. In two of the rounds, Ningdong won 4-2 in the sixth match. In the remaining round, Ningdong faced Puhua Mountain. Because the opponent was indeed strong and the order of appearance was countered by the opponent, Ning Dong lost 1-4 in the fifth match.

Lao Miao Miao even suspected that the other party had gotten hold of the order of appearance!

It just goes to show that Heavenly Dao is a cycle, and no one escapes the wrath of Heaven!

In the final individual competition, Ningdong and Capital achieved a record of three wins and one loss. However, Ningdong was slightly inferior in the score, and Tianjing Team ultimately won the championship in this stage.

In the combined Arena Stage and individual competition stages, the Tianjing team is currently ranked first, while Puhua Mountain and Ningdong are tied for second place. After another day of rest, the Exchange Meeting move on to the next stage, which is the team competition.

It's still a round-robin tournament with five teams, but it's changed from one-on-one matches to group battles. However, according to the announcement posted in the group chat, the rules for this year's team competition have been changed.

First, the number of players on the field has changed from all seven players in previous years to five players being selected from seven. Just like in the singles competition, the lineup is decided before the start of the match. As a result, players will have to make choices about who to field depending on the opponent.

Secondly, unlike previous years where the outcome was determined by one side's complete inability to fight or their surrender, this year's rules include an Mission Target.

Before each match, a random Mission Target is drawn. For example, each team is given an item, and the objective is to protect that item; if the item is destroyed, the team loses. Or, each team designates a leader; if the leader is defeated or captured, the team loses, and so on...

These randomized Mission Target add a lot of uncertainty to the competition, placing higher demands on the contestants' adaptability and task completion abilities.

Under these rules, the five teams engaged in fierce battles, and the different tasks produced a variety of unexpected effects, making the competition not only more intense but also greatly more entertaining.

Incidentally, due to the limited number of players, Luo Jun was also relegated to the bench. The five players on the court were occasionally changed, but he was always on the bench.

This wasn't just because everyone was taking care of him; it was also Luo Jun's own initiative. The stated reason was that he didn't want to hold everyone back, but in reality, he was afraid that his lack of ability would be exposed.

As for the gains from the Exchange Meeting? How much can you gain from playing house with a bunch of students who haven't graduated yet? If it weren't for the quota for the Heavenly Origin Tournament, Luo Jun wouldn't even have signed up for the Exchange Meeting!

In contrast, the other teams were also caught off guard by Ningdong's unpredictable moves. Each time, they prepared extensive contingency plans for Luo Jun, only to have him not play. Then the next team, thinking, "He missed it last time, surely he'll play this time?" would analyze even harder, hold meetings, train even more, expending a tremendous amount of energy. In the end, they found themselves still Intellectual Battle thin air...

And so, until the end of the team competition, no one had ever truly witnessed Luo Jun in actual combat, and his mystery only fueled the interest of more people.

After the team competition concluded, the rankings of the five teams changed again.

The first place remains Tianjing University, the second place is Ningdong, the third place is Puhua Mountain Academy, the fourth place is Guanxi University, and the fifth place is Dongchuan Academy.

Although the rankings vary, the scores of each delegation are very close. And since the final stage of the Otherworld Practice, which accounts for the largest share, has not yet begun, the final ranking could very well change dramatically.

Otherworld Practice, as the name suggests, requires contestants to travel to another world to complete a certain task. This process is almost no different from the work of real explorers, and naturally there are not as many rules to bind them. In many situations, even the academy and the Yuan Cultivation Society cannot guarantee complete control. Therefore, the organizers of the Exchange Meeting told the students in advance that there might be life-threatening dangers, and if they were afraid, they could choose to withdraw.

Since everyone had chosen to attend the Exchange Meeting, they were naturally prepared for the potential dangers, and no one withdrew. Moreover, everyone was well aware that the option to withdraw was also a test. If a student withdrew simply out of fear without a legitimate reason, the school and even the Yuan Cultivation Society label them as useless, and their future prospects would be bleak.

With one day left before the opening of the [Paranormal] Gate, the organizers gathered the students from all teams together for a party in the academy's cafeteria.

"Tomorrow, the Gate of the Paranormal will open, and delegations from the five schools will pass through the Otherworld Gate Paranormal carry out their final mission." Before the banquet began, the representative of the Yuan Cultivation Society, who served as the judge, took the stage to give a speech.

"Many of you here have probably participated in Otherworld Internship and know the dangers of missions there. The competition is secondary to this final exchange mission; the main purpose is to help you adapt to the atmosphere of this otherworld. I can tell you in advance that this mission requires the cooperation of five teams. Therefore, today's banquet, besides helping you relax and relieve stress, is also a chance for you to interact and strengthen your bonds!"

"Although you are rivals now, starting tomorrow, and into the distant future, you will be fellow explorers fighting side by side, together for the peace and prosperity of the Main World!"

Although it was called a get-together, there weren't any actual performances prepared. The college simply provided plenty of food, drinks, board game props, entertainment facilities, etc., making it look more like a team-building party. All thirty-five contestants and team leaders from various colleges participated.

Since they were all young people, everyone was a little reserved at first, and even a bit hostile towards each other because of the competition in the previous two days. But after a few drinks, the atmosphere became lively. The boys toasted each other and chatted about everything under the sun; the girls discussed outfits and accessories and exchanged shopping links... and quite a few people took the opportunity to strike up conversations with girls from other schools who they liked.

Of course, as Cultivators, what they discussed most was the competition from a few days ago.

Through frank exchanges, many inexplicably lost matches were reviewed, and many seemingly baffling actions were analyzed. Everyone gained new insights and learned a great deal... The purpose of the Exchange Meeting seemed to be finally revealed at this moment.

As for Luo Jun, he naturally became the focus of the "interrogation." Students from other colleges were curious about his mystery. After two rounds of competition, apart from his amazing memory, they couldn't see any substantial abilities in him. They took this opportunity to find out more about him.

Luo Jun answered all the questions that came his way.

"My abilities? Let me tell you, right now no one needs to use their abilities more than me... If I were to use them, it would be earth-shattering and awe-inspiring!"

"What? You ask me why I don't use it? With just a few words from this genius, I made Xue Lan surrender without a fight. What need is there for any other ability?"

"Who said my abilities are incomplete and I dare not use them? Believe it or not, you guessed right. My abilities are not yet fully developed. I can only deal with ordinary experts. I'm afraid I might lose control and hurt you. If I were to fully develop them, I would be able to punch the Peak and kick the Feather Transformation. I wouldn't care about any Exchange Meeting!" After listening to Luo Jun's boastful talk, the contestants who came to inquire about information realized that this kid was very slippery. Getting useful information out of him would be extremely difficult, so they all lost interest in him.

Luo Jun was happy to have some peace and quiet, enjoying his food and scrolling through his phone in a corner, thoroughly enjoying himself.

The Five Schools Tournament is a major event in the Zhendan cultivation circle. Not only will the organizers broadcast it live and release exciting videos, but the audience at the scene will also record videos, take photos, and post them online. In the past few days, the Exchange Meeting has been the most discussed topic on the forum.

Among them, the most praiseworthy are undoubtedly the star players from each academy. In the world of Cultivators, everyone pays the most attention to the strength of an individual's martial arts. Those geniuses who possess great strength at a young age are naturally the objects of everyone's admiration and discussion.

For example, Ling Xin and Xue Lan, these super geniuses whose strength far surpasses that of their peers, are naturally the focus of netizens' attention. Then there are geniuses like Chen Fei, Lei Tianyang, Zhuge Lan, and Zhuge Zi, who come from the Great Family and also generate a great deal of discussion. As for the others, those who are already quite famous or have made a standout performance at the Exchange Meeting will also use this opportunity to make a name for themselves and gain countless fans.

However, some people do the opposite, such as Luo Jun.

When the list of Exchange Meeting was released, many people noticed Luo Jun's name. This guy had recently made headlines by appearing out of nowhere as the world's first person to complete an unsolvable mission. Many people were eagerly anticipating his performance at the Exchange Meeting, wanting to see what tricks this newly emerging super genius had up his sleeve.

But what was the result? In the eight-day competition, this guy only appeared twice. The first time, he only displayed his extraordinary memory, which was breathtaking, but ultimately not very satisfying. As for the second time, it was even worse. In a one-on-one battle between Cultivators, this guy actually won with just talk? As a result, the forum was abuzz with arguments about Luo Jun's true strength. Some thought he was hiding his true abilities, while others thought he was just putting on an act and had no real skills whatsoever...

Meanwhile, Luo Jun himself was munching on sunflower seeds, enjoying the gossip online, and having a great time scrolling through the pages.

At this moment, two glasses of juice were placed on the table in front of him. Luo Jun looked up and saw that it was Zhuge Zi and Sun Xiaowei.

"Oh, you two beauties have so much free time?" Luo Jun Outer Dao.

Sun Xiaowei and Zhuge Zi are both top-notch in terms of both ability and appearance, so they are naturally very popular. Several boys have come to chat them up and ask for their contact information, keeping the two girls very busy.

"You don't need to mock us," Sun Xiaowei laughed. "Your popularity far surpasses ours." "How can that be the same!" Luo Jun laughed. "Those who are bothering you are attracted by your charm, while those who are bothering me are just asking for information... There are even several people who, after being rejected by you, came to me to inquire about you indirectly."

"Stop being so cheeky," Sun Xiaowei said irritably. "What are you thinking? You've been so quiet in the previous rounds, are you saving your Ultimate Move to shine in the otherworld mission?"

"Then you'd better be careful," Zhuge Zi warned. "[The Paranormal] may seem much more normal than the [Martial World] on the surface, but in reality, the hidden dangers are no less, and may even be more deadly."

"You're overthinking it," Luo Jun explained with a laugh. "What do I have to show off? You've been in the maze with me for so long, don't you know me? I'm good at giving advice, but when it comes to fighting, I always end up hiding in the back."

"We all saw what happened in the first few dozen days," Sun Xiaowei said, pursing her lips. "But who knows how you survived the next three hundred days?"

"Don't worry," Luo Jun laughed, "I'm not as brave as you think. If there's real danger, I'll be the first to run away. There are so many experts here, it's not my turn to make a move."

"Speaking of experts, that girl from the Ling Family in your team seems to care about you a lot," Zhuge Zi said. "She went to Yuandu from afar to rescue you before. ' Ling Xin?'" Luo Jun smiled and said, "She and I were high school classmates."

"Just classmates?" Zhuge Zi looked at Luo Jun. "I don't think so. She's already gone to Xue Lan." As she spoke, she pointed to another table in the distance.

Luo Jun followed her finger and saw that Xue Lan and Ling Xin were sitting at the same table. No one else was sitting at that table; everyone instinctively kept their distance, even those just watching the commotion, keeping at least two meters away.

"It seems like the Golden Edge Witch and the Ice and Snow Princess are at odds," Sun Xiaowei whispered. "When you played the team match against Tianjing, it was practically a one-on-one battle between these two. It was incredibly intense... I felt there was some personal bias involved."

As she spoke, Sun Xiaowei glanced at Luo Jun and asked, "What exactly is your relationship with those two? Is it really a romantic entanglement?"

"Uh..." Luo Jun glanced at Zhuge Zi and Sun Xiaowei, who were both looking on with gossip, and snorted coldly, "Then you two had better stay away from me." "We're different..." Sun Xiaowei waved her hand, "We've been through life and death together..."

Before she could finish speaking, Sun Xiaowei suddenly felt a jolt. She sensed two tangible Killing Intent coming from her. Turning her head, she found Ling Xin and Xue Lan staring at her with unfriendly eyes.

As for Zhuge Zi, that guy had already dodged ahead of time...

"That's not loyal enough! What happened to our sisterhood?!" Sun Xiaowei cursed, then obediently stepped aside...