Opening Match, First Battle Against Japan! / Sweeping Momentum, A Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity

The whole world is watching this as a joke, thinking that a major threat has been eliminated, especially since they heard that the two members who were kicked out had very important tactical roles, which is tantamount to self-destruction.

"Let me tell you something. The China Team is very strong, but it's okay, they'll just give it to us!"

Domestic netizens also expressed their anger at their poor performance, commenting. "Hehehe, the National Team never disappoints when it comes to being disappointing."

"What are the National Academy instructors doing? And why isn't Mo Fan, that troublemaker, kicked out? Why isn't Mu Ningxue, that family member of Black Vatican Member, kicked out? I suspect she'll fix the match."

"Where is the National Mansion Captain? The team is eliminating dissidents, Lu Jun, where are you?"

Public opinion gradually shifted, seemingly manipulated by someone. If nothing unexpected happened, the Mu Clan and Nanrong families would be the next two powerful clans to be eliminated. They were unwilling to accept that their family members would be eliminated.

Feng Li was under immense pressure. Every day, countless important figures called him, some with threats, some with bribes, some offering well-intentioned advice from friends, and some offering kind words of comfort from benefactors.

The first two are okay, but the latter two are really tough.

Fortunately, he stood by his opinion and silently bore all the criticism, protecting the members of the National Team from the storm.

Time passed quickly, and three months went by in the blink of an eye. The ten members of the National Government devoted themselves to cultivation and all made progress. However, the storm of public opinion outside did not stop but instead intensified.

All the members who emerged from seclusion were indignant. Even Guan Yu harbored some resentment towards Mo Fan, feeling that things had gone too far. Couldn't they have been more forgiving? It would have been better to remove the two from the bench and prevent them from playing, thus downplaying the situation.

Rumble!

At the same time, the roar of surging tides came from Lu Jun's secluded cultivation place. The sky-blue glow surged above the cave, forming layers of Tide ocean, magnificent and powerful, with a strong aura of water element gathering.

With a "pop," the sound of some kind of constraint breaking rang out.

Within Lu Jun's Spiritual World, a vast, dark celestial river expanded, its light membrane shattered, and surging magical energy crashed into yet another wall of sighs.

He slowly opened his eyes, his body surging with water energy, surrounded by countless wisps of mist.

Water Element upgraded to Advanced Level 3, fully mastered!

Seeing this, Lu Jun was overjoyed. The third level of Water Glory Sky Curtain could transform defensive skills into offensive moves, called [Sky Curtain Dive], which was an upgraded version of the Intermediate Level Storm Wave, greatly increasing its destructive power.

"Brilliant! The [Tide] effect of my Water Element Soul Seed comes in handy again. At the high-level level three, casting seven or eight High-level Magic in succession would surely achieve the power of Super Rank spell, a weakened version of [Cataclysmic Water Roar]!"

Lu Jun thought to himself that when he first started cultivating, the Tide was tactically dispensable due to the constraints of Water Element magic. But now, with the High-level Magic transformation, he could use it again, and it was a killing move second only to the God Ascension State.

After consolidating his Water Element Cultivation a moment, he gracefully emerged from seclusion.

The National Mansion Competition has officially begun.

Lu Jun stood with his hands behind his back at the head of the hall, his face cold and stern. He glanced at the two rows of National Government members on his left and right and said in a low voice, "I've heard about what happened. Words are no proof; everything must be proven by strength. Now, let's silence the doubters of the world."

These words transformed the anger in the hearts of the Nationalist government members into high morale, and the entire team became united.

With the start of the National Mansion Competition, people from all over the world flocked to Venice, and the city saw nearly three times the number of tourists in just a few days, making the boat lanes, bridges, squares, and public transport boats quite crowded.

The venue was packed with people, tickets for the live magic show were extremely difficult to obtain, and scalpers were everywhere.

Due to technological limitations, videos of magical duels are extremely rare. Only two major competitions in the world allow the public to witness real national duels.

The first is the Hunter King Tournament, and the second is the National Mansion Competition.

Due to their scarcity and the common people's desire for the extraordinary, these two competitions naturally garnered the most attention without the need for promotion or marketing.

The former is better because the level of competition is too high for ordinary people to understand. The latter, on the other hand, is a competition among the younger generation of experts that combines entertainment value with professionalism and is linked to the honor of each country. Each edition is watched and broadcast by at least hundreds of millions of people.

It is truly the focus of everyone's attention.

For such an important matter, Jiuzhou not only sent its second-in-command, Shao Zheng, to lead the team, but also Han Ji from the Ancient Capital Magic Association, Secretary-General Zu Huixian, and Pang Lai, the chief mage of the Forbidden City.

In Venice, the capital city, thirty-two national flags fluttered high in the wind. These were the top thirty-two individuals from the countries selected to enter Venice, having excelled in their training and challenges within the national capital. These countries were all powerful magical nations worldwide.

Lu Jun and his entourage entered the venue led by volunteers. Media outlets had already set up shop on both sides of the aisle, taking photos like crazy.

Suddenly, he saw two people appear beside him, and a number of media people surrounded them, asking them all sorts of questions.

Upon seeing this scene, Lu Jun couldn't help but frown, because Mu Tingying and Nan Rongni, whose membership in the National Government had been revoked, were the two people involved.

They seemed to sense something, looked up and saw Lu Jun looking over, gave a cold smile, then spoke softly to the reporter in front of them, appearing as innocent and aggrieved as they were being interviewed.

Soon, Lu Jun was surrounded by a group of international media outlets. A blonde, blue-eyed European and American female reporter handed him a microphone and politely asked in fluent Chinese, "Mr. Lu Jun, may I interview you as a representative of the China Team?"

She spoke very quickly, giving Lu Jun no time to react, "Before the match, I heard some bad news about your team. Is that true?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Jun remained silent, then gave a cold laugh. He knew that someone was trying to set a trap and exert pressure. It wouldn't be taking things out of context, but some bias was inevitable. At this point, it was best not to say a word.

But who is he? If you don't occupy the public opinion battleground, someone else will. Besides, he wants to put on a big show to advertise and attract traffic to his own businesses.

Lu Jun stated bluntly, "I don't know what you mean by those situations. If you're referring to infighting among team members, that's for sure. Nan Rongni and Mu Tingying used their family connections to frame Mu Ningxue off the field."

"They intend to abolish her cultivation, thereby forcing her to withdraw from the National Mansion Competition."

As soon as she finished speaking, the crowd erupted in uproar. The female reporter's eyes lit up, and she frantically jotted down notes. She didn't care which version was the truth; conflicting accounts from both sides were more likely to generate explosive news.

Immediately, Lu Jun unleashed a torrent of words like a machine gun, spitting as he spoke, and everyone's eyes grew brighter and brighter—this was big news!

"What? You're saying that Nan Rongni and Mu Tingying's withdrawal from the competition will affect the team's strength? I can only say this—absolutely not!"

"The National Team is the same whether they're there or not... Oh, no, their fighting strength and cohesion are actually stronger without them."

"Oh, you're saying that the major sports betting companies raised our odds overnight, thinking that even making it to the Top Eight is a stretch? Hahaha, I just want to say to the other National Team, are you here to compete for second place?"

Chapter 390 Opening Match, First Battle Against Japan!

At the entrance to the National Government Building, numerous reporters left satisfied after witnessing Lu Jun's major revelation.

Mu Tingying and Nan Rongni, who were not far away, looked grim. They had heard everything, so when the reporter asked their final question, "What ranking do you predict the China Team will achieve without the two of you?"

They sneered and feigned humility, saying, "While the captain and Mo Fan are undoubtedly strong, given the national team's rankings over the years, making it to the top four would be a success."

These words were both a veiled mockery and a way to put the China Team in a very difficult position. The three giants of the Chinese team had boasted so much before the competition, it would be a joke if they didn't even make it to the top four.

With results like these, they call it internal strife? They've nailed the labels of self-destruction and eliminating dissidents to the pillar of historical shame.

Having witnessed Lu Jun's capabilities, Nan Rongni deliberately raised the standards just in case. Since the matter had nothing to do with her, she figured she could avoid getting involved and remain in an invincible position.

Guan Yu, Dongfang Lie, and others from the National Team hesitated to speak, their faces heavy, feeling immense pressure.

Soon, Feng Li appeared at the entrance. Seeing that Lu Jun had already exposed everything, he couldn't help but smile bitterly. He was too late and could only lead everyone back to the special competition lounge.

He sighed, "By doing this, you've put yourself in a disadvantageous position."

Upon hearing this, Lu Jun was unimpressed. Winning the championship wasn't like hosting a dinner party. Sooner or later, he would sweep all the National Team, overcome all obstacles and hardships, and reach the pinnacle. Public opinion was like a gentle breeze.

Conversely, if he keeps his word, these words will elevate his reputation to its highest level.

Afterwards, numerous reports emerged, and many netizens read and ridiculed them, commenting. "Now it's simple, regardless of who's right or wrong, they'll be dragged out and settled one by one after the competition ends!"

When it was time for the draw, the 32 strong nations gradually entered the arena. The live broadcast attracted worldwide attention. As the team captain, going on stage to draw lots was a rare opportunity to gain exposure. Many national stars became widely known as a result and were discussed by the public for several years.

The Venice Competition is divided into three stages, each with a different format.

The first stage, the knockout stage, selects sixteen teams to advance to the next stage, the top sixteen. The second stage, the Treasure Hunt Competition, selects eight teams to advance to the final stage, the Top Eight. The third stage, the grand finale, determines the champion.

The draw is the group selection for the knockout stage, dividing the 32 teams into eight groups of four teams each. The teams will play two rounds of six matches in total, and the top two teams from each group will advance to the second stage.

It's somewhat similar to the group stage format of the League of Legends World Championship, and it also borrows from the system of traditional sports events. (Uncle Luan wrote a League of Legends novel, and I suspect it was based on that.)

Lu Jun stepped onto the stage with a calm expression. In his memory, the China Team was not very lucky this time. They were placed in the group of death, in the same group as traditional powerhouses Japan and Spain. According to the rule that each group selects two teams, it meant that at least one team would be eliminated in the first round of the round of 32.

This is intolerable for China, Japan, and Spain, who either have historical baggage or have a history of upsets.

However, with him in this world, who knows if he will trigger a butterfly effect?

Soon after, Lu Jun found out the answer. He drew number one and was assigned to the first group, which was the same group as Japan and Spain.

"Uh-huh?"

Lu Jun was surprised; this was quite interesting. Excluding the possibility of a one-in-a-million coincidence, it indicated that the Venice selection process was being manipulated.

This is not uncommon in sports events. While the organizers may not openly interfere with the course of the competition (except in South Korea), there are things worth noting in the draw and grouping process.

Take the Olympics in Lu Jun's previous life as an example. As the host country, it usually arranges its own team into a slightly better group. The only exception was the 2008 Olympics, which fully demonstrated the grandeur and fairness of a major power.

Furthermore, even without human intervention, it might not work. If the United States, Greece, and the UK were grouped together, and each of them had championship potential, wouldn't there inevitably be a round of 32 eliminations? Would someone who only looks at the Excel data think that team was weak?

Furthermore, a clash between two strong teams would leave them severely weakened, and if another team were to seize the championship, it would draw criticism from the organizers, who would consider it the least prestigious title.

He narrowed his eyes and glanced at the fourth team, Türkiye, which had barely squeezed into the top 32 and was considered a reliable mascot for easy points for the weak teams.

When Lu Jun returned to the exclusive lounge for the Chinese people, he saw the worry on the faces of the other members of the National Government, but Mo Fan remained carefree and nonchalant.

"What are you worried about? Is it the public opinion?"

Seeing this, Lu Jun said earnestly, "Japan and Spain are nothing to me. We'll crush them sooner or later on the road to the championship. It's just a matter of time. I hope you can let go of your burdens and do your best."

"Our gathering together is a rare occurrence; we may never encounter teammates like this again in the future. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

"I understand." Guan Yu shook his head with a wry smile and said tactfully, "I'm not afraid of battle, but the long competition, encountering powerful nations early on, and suffering more wear and tear, coupled with our lack of Healing System mages, will put us at a great disadvantage."

Lu Jun said decisively, "Then let's win swiftly with an overwhelming force."

Time flies, China Team is about to face their first battle, which is also the first match of the National Mansion Competition. It is the opening match, which is of great significance.

The arena for the National Academy competition is a large arena spanning a kilometer in diameter. Earth Element magicians cast spells, freely shaping mud to create undulating hilly terrain, while Plant Element magic masters also contribute, erecting towering ancient trees.

In the blink of an eye, the arena transformed into a wild landscape, simulating the most realistic battlefield.

Lu Jun led his team onto the field. Because of the lack of Nan Rongni, the support mage, Feng Li simply disregarded the rationality of the lineup and sent out the strongest player on the team.

That is, Lu Jun, Ai Jiangtu, Mo Fan, Zhao Manyan, and Jiang Shaoxu. The latter two are physical and magical defense, and the latter are soul defense, and can also track enemies. The rest rely on Lu Jun's three core abilities to play freely.

As soon as the competition started, countless netizens from all over China flocked to the live stream, drawn by the news. After all, it was a competition in their own country, and they had to pay close attention.

Many people joked, "Wow, all three giants are on the field! Hahaha, if they lose, they're just a paper tiger, what a boastful god!"

On the other side was the Japanese team, whose five members were captain Shao He Gu, Ming Busong from the Shadow Element, the rising star Yang Jie from the Poison Wind Element, a short woman from the Mind Element, and a chubby man.

Captain Shao He Gu's expression was solemn. Unlike those outsiders, he knew all too well the terror of the number one expert in Lu Jun's mansion.

The team's plan this time is mainly to test the waters and conserve energy. If they can win, they'll give it a shot; if not, they'll give up decisively.

The referee, standing in the center of the ring, announced the start of the match.

Since the venue simulates the wilderness and the two teams are far apart, everyone believes that there will not be any fierce clashes at the beginning. Instead, the focus will be on scouts and small-scale Ranged Combat engagements.

Who would have thought that Lu Jun would make a move!

Chapter 391 A Sweeping Force, The Only Chance in This Life

Buzz buzz buzz!

On the field, Lu Jun stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes flashing with cursed light, and terrifying and vast Mental Power overflowed, depicting the Primary Magic [Fearful Haze - Thousand Mile Soul Lock]. The grotesque cursed face descended from afar to the Japanese team opposite him.

Ah! A piercing scream erupted from one of the five Japanese contestants.

Everyone was startled and quickly looked back, only to find that it was the short-haired girl in the team who had used her Mind Element that had made the move. She had been carefully casting Mind Wall on the team.

At that moment, the short woman was filled with fear, her head throbbing, and her vision blurred. She saw a pair of haughty, Evil God- like eyes staring at her, like two dark vortexes, empty and seemingly trying to suck her soul in.

"How is this possible?! Sixth-level Mental Power, High-level Completion curse, and what kind of curse technique power is this?"

The Japanese female sorceress, a practitioner of the Mind Element, tried her best to activate the Mind Galaxy, but still couldn't escape it.

She had figured out some of the tricks of the trade, and her heart was filled with despair. She had only barely broken through the barrier of the third realm and made it to the fourth realm after consuming Thought Stone given to her by her family Fourth Realm. Yet this monster had already reached the peak of the sixth realm.

The next second, her consciousness completely sank into darkness. A figure appeared beside the woman, and the referee carried her away for treatment.

"Toyota Miyuki of the Japanese team has been eliminated!"

One move and he's done for! What else is there to say? Besides the three major advantages mentioned above, Lu Jun's low-level Curse Element Primary Magic, Fearful Haze, is not just a simple one; it's a level 5 spell, comparable to Intermediate Magic.

Japanese captain Shao He Gu broke out in a cold sweat, his heart filled with fear. Damn it, High-Order Mage was instantly killed by Primary Magic?

He knew Lu Jun's Curse Element magic was powerful, but he hadn't expected it to be this outrageous. Even Mind Element mage was defeated in a single blow in a battle of soul domains—what could they do?

"Retreat immediately!"

Shao He Gu hurriedly gave the order, but before he could finish speaking, a roar went through his mind, and a bright blue pendant on his body suddenly flashed with light, trying to raise a layer of mental light shield. However, before it could form, it exploded into a ball of glowing light and disappeared with a 'bang'.

In that instant, he felt his vision spinning, his body staggering and falling to the ground, even worse off than the Mind Mage.

Having eliminated two opponents in a row, Yosuke, who Wind Element Yosuke, finally realized what was happening. His face contorted with rage, and he roared, "Even if I lose, I'll tear your flesh and blood off!"

Poisonous Lair - Vengeful Poison Flies!