The instant his consciousness connected, Chen Yan's world was swept away by an endless torrent of data.
The next second, he found himself in a personal space brimming with futuristic technology. A massive, floating light screen hung before him, and in its most prominent spot, an icon wreathed in golden flames pulsed slowly.
The Professional League.
Without the slightest hesitation, he raised a hand and tapped the icon in midair.
The surrounding scenery suddenly twisted and stretched before shattering completely.
When his vision cleared again, he found himself in the stands of an enormous circular Martial Arts Arena.
The domed ceiling displayed a simulated, dazzling starfield. Below it lay a vast arena, empty for now, yet charged with the grim tension of a storm about to break.
Quite a few people already filled the stands. Virtual avatars of all shapes and sizes gathered in small groups, their noisy chatter sweeping over him like a wave of heat.
Chen Yan realized that he could hear the conversations around him clearly. Apparently, public voice chat was enabled by default here.
"...Have you heard? All the players added this time are tough opponents. The officials personally tested them!"
"Of course. Otherwise, why would they be allowed to skip the line and go straight into the top 128?"
A small window floated before many players. In it, a sweet-faced woman with elegant makeup was enthusiastically warming up the crowd before the competition.
"Good evening, dear players of the East Continent. The Professional League's matches to determine the top 64 from the top 128 will begin in half an hour."
The commentator's voice came through the public channel clearly to everyone.
"Originally, the officials only planned to hold matches for the top 100. But a number of skilled players joined at the last minute, so