In the rest area, Wu Mang looked at Zhou Rui and the others and laughed loudly.
He paused for a moment, then turned to Song Xialan:
"Your advancement this time was a pleasant surprise. Your chances of making it to the sixth round are slim, but you still have to give it your all."
"Clear."
Song Xialan, a girl with pigtails, nodded slightly, her braids swaying gently with her movements.
Indeed, if Xia Lan hadn't been seriously injured yesterday and absent today, she might not have been able to win that match.
" Jiang Churan, with your strength, making it to the sixth round shouldn't be a problem, provided you don't run into those tough opponents."
Wu Mang then looked at Jiang Churan, his tone calm and steady.
Despite having fought her way through the losers' bracket, Jiang Churan's strength is undeniable, making her a shoo-in for the fifth round.
Unfortunately, he was just unlucky and happened to run into Wei He.
"I just hope I get a good draw in the fifth round."
Jiang Churan a wry smile.
Although she came from the Jiang Family, a family with a deep-rooted history in Chuan Province, S-level resources weren't something that could be allocated casually.
If she can win the fifth round and advance to the sixth round, the S-level resource will be within her grasp, so she will definitely go all out.
" Zhou Rui, I have confidence in you. The singles Champion is yours."
Wu Mang looked at Zhou Rui one last time, his eyes full of certainty.
At the beginning of the semester, he defied public opinion and placed Zhou Rui at the top of the freshman priority list, which drew private questions from many teachers: Why should a heavy support character with a flat growth curve be ranked first?
However, he insisted that Zhou Rui's performance in the college entrance examination scenario was the most outstanding, and ranking first was well-deserved. As for future developments? They'll see how things go.
Moreover, in his eyes, Zhou Rui possessed explosive power, and there was no such thing as "lacking strength in the later stages".
As he expected,
In the freshman competition, Zhou Rui made a stunning debut and took first place; he was then personally accepted as a disciple by Principal Wang Hui, and his strength skyrocketed as he fused with the Frost Titan Bloodline!
Even today, Wu Mang firmly believes that few people in universities across the country can truly shake Zhou Rui's position.
He wasn't worried about Wei He, who was also considered a favorite to win the championship.
"Clear!"
Zhou Rui grinned, his smile carrying an undeniable sharpness.
Whether it's a legendary weapon or the system's generous rewards, he's determined to win first place in this solo competition!
"The fourth round of the individual competition has concluded today; tomorrow we'll move on to the team competition."
"Tomorrow we have two team matches, and our opponents are both from ordinary universities."
"You substitutes can now officially enter the game..."
Wu Mang paused for a moment, then continued to plan tomorrow's tactics.
Zhou Rui's strength has been fully revealed, and there is no need for him to hold back in the team competition.
With his current combat strength, he could single-handedly wipe out an ordinary college team without any pressure.
So he immediately made a decision: four key players, including Song Xialan and Liu Yang, would be rotated off the field and replaced by four substitutes, so that they could have a real match, feel the rhythm, and accumulate experience, which would be of great benefit to their future growth.
Of course, Zhou Rui and Jiang Churan, as the core of the team, will not be replaced.
The team competition began as scheduled the following day.
Under Zhou Rui's leadership, even though the substitute players were slightly weaker overall, the team still won both games cleanly and decisively.
"Phew, so this is what it feels like to compete in a team match on the ring!"
"Hearing the cheers from the entire stadium, my heart skipped a beat!"
"Haha, when ordinary universities meet us, it's a complete one-sided affair!"
After the match, the four substitutes couldn't hide their excitement.
They had previously participated in individual competitions, but mostly failed to advance beyond the first or second round, attracting almost no attention.
But today's two shows gave them their first real experience of what it feels like to be cheered for by ten thousand people.
"The team competition is over; we'll return to the individual competition tomorrow."
"Two rounds will be played tomorrow: the fifth round in the morning and the sixth round in the afternoon."
The fifth round consists of four matches, determining the final four.
"The two matches in the sixth round will determine the final two finalists."
The battle for the championship will officially begin the day after tomorrow.
"That was the day with the largest audience and the most exciting atmosphere."
In the rest area, Wu Mang's voice was calm and clear.
According to the regular schedule, the team competition was supposed to be held the day after tomorrow. However, since there is only one match left in the individual competition, in order to maintain the hype, the final will be held earlier, the day after tomorrow.
"Tomorrow, everyone should rely on their own abilities and do their best."
After Wu Mang finished speaking, he waved his hand to dismiss the troops.
Zhou Rui turned and left the floating mechanical island, returning to the villa on the ground.
"Two rounds tomorrow, and we don't even know who our opponents are yet."
"It doesn't matter, whoever comes, we'll crush them."
Inside the training room, he picked up the battle axe with one hand and resumed his training.
Each swing of the axe tore through the air, producing a dull, booming sound.
He repeats this action thousands of times every day!
That is why the battle axe was so natural and effortless in his hands.
The individual competition resumed the following day!
Zhou Rui!
Zhou Rui!
" Wei He!"
" Wei He!"
Even before the starting whistle blew, the entire stadium was already buzzing with excitement. Shouts and cheers rose and fell from the stands as people cheered for their favorite players.
Compared to the previous few days, the crowd at the venue has increased significantly, with the number of spectators approaching 200,000!
Fortunately, this venue is a mechanical structure, so expansion is easy, with seats extending in layers without feeling cramped.
The fifth round of the individual competition kicked off on time this morning!
Zhou Rui's opponent is Mu You from Modu University, an 18th-level mage.
" Zhou Rui, I know I can't beat you, but I have to fight this match!"
Mu You is a petite girl who is about 1.6 meters tall. She walked onto the arena holding her staff, her tone frank and without any fear.
Facing the ranged mage, Zhou Rui did not rush the attack. Instead, he raised his hand and cast Punishment of Light, which summoned thunderclouds. A silver-white bolt of lightning descended from the sky and struck down precisely.
Mu You left the stage in response.
In the fifth round, Zhou Rui easily passed and secured a spot in the sixth round.
Jiang Churan also advanced.
The final four for the sixth round are: Zhou Rui, Jiang Churan, Wei He, and Wang Xuan.
It is worth mentioning that after more than two days of recuperation, Wang Xuan, the mechanic, has basically recovered.
Although most of his structural components had long been completely destroyed by Zhou Rui's Hand of God.
However, relying on the extraordinary mechanical perception granted by his S+ level talent " Heart of Machinery," coupled with the all-out resource support from Qingjing University, he managed to create over a hundred combat machines in just two days.
That's why he was able to defeat his opponent and advance to the sixth round of the singles competition.
At 2:00 PM sharp, the sixth round of the individual competition began on time.
Wei He's opponent is Wang Xuan, while Zhou Rui will face Jiang Churan...
Although the early encounter between students from the same school was a great pity for the faculty and students of Suhang University, the competition rules were non-negotiable, and the competition was the top priority.
In this match, both Zhou Rui and Jiang Churan played with exceptional focus and gave it their all.
In fact, this was the second time the two had faced off without holding back, following their first freshman competition.
Compared to before, Jiang Churan, who has awakened her Succubus Bloodline, has seen a significant increase in strength, but she is still inferior to Zhou Rui.
In the end, Zhou Rui secured a clean and decisive victory in just about five minutes.
Thus, from the fourth to the sixth round, he won all three matches without losing a single game!
Zhou Rui!
Zhou Rui!
"The strongest!"
"The strongest!"
The moment Jiang Churan defeated, the entire stadium erupted in a deafening roar, with waving arms and flushed faces filling the stands.
Zhou Rui's performance was absolutely outstanding!
Since their true combat strength was fully revealed, these three duels have all been dominated by an overwhelming advantage, leaving no suspense whatsoever!
"Let's warmly congratulate Zhou Rui on successfully advancing to the seventh round of the singles competition, which is the final!"
The host's voice was passionate and each word was forceful.
Inside the venue, waves of cheers rose and fell, repeatedly echoing the same name.
On the stage,
Jiang Churan was exhausted from fully activating the succubus's power and engaging in a high-intensity battle. She could only lean on her longsword and catch her breath.
Can you still hold on?
Zhou Rui put away the Weeping Blood Battleaxe and slowly walked up to her.
"It's okay... just a little weak..."
Jiang Churan's cheeks flushed slightly, and her voice was so soft it was almost inaudible.
As her level increases, the backlash from each use of her succubus power gradually weakens.
It has now reached level 19. Although it still causes a period of weakness lasting several hours after use, it is much better than the previous period of weakness that would last for one or two days.
Feeling weak? Let me help you recover.
Zhou Rui was aware of this side effect; he himself would also experience a brief period of depletion when using the Frost Titan Bloodline Secret Technique.
Holy Light!
He gently pressed his left hand to his brow, and a warm yet vibrant golden light immediately shone down, enveloping Jiang Churan firmly.
[ Holy Light LV6: Gathers holy light to restore health to allies and dispel some negative status effects.]
He learned this skill at the Suhang University Skills Library before leaving school.
Compared to " Slow Healing," it not only heals faster but also removes some of the negative effects.
Bathed in holy light, Jiang Churan's previously pale face gradually regained color, and her limbs regained strength.
"Brother Zhou Rui... let's go downstairs."
"Walk."
Zhou Rui nodded in agreement, and amidst the deafening cheers, he and she returned to the rest area.
"Well done! Tomorrow we'll be waiting for the finals."
Wu Mang smiled and patted Zhou Rui on the shoulder.
Turning to look at Jiang Churan, his tone carried a hint of regret:
"What a pity. If you hadn't run into Zhou Rui, you would have had a real chance to make it to the seventh round."
The National University Freshman Exchange Tournament uses advanced intelligent random matching, ensuring zero intervention and zero bias throughout the entire process.
Jiang Churan and Zhou Rui's chance encounter was purely by chance.
Otherwise, she would most likely have made it to the final battle based on her performance in the sixth round.
It would be quite a story if the champion and runner-up both came from Suhang University.
Even if it were someone else, my chances of winning wouldn't be great.
Jiang Churan gently shook her head.
She knew what was going on.
In the previous battle, the strength displayed by Mechanic Wang Xuan and Warrior Wei He far exceeded expectations.
She has already lost to Wei He once; if she faces him again, the outcome will most likely be the same.
As for Wang Xuan's mixed Gold and Silver Rank Hundred Machine Legion, it was something she couldn't currently contend with.
"Haha, you're right."
Wu Mang laughed loudly, then realized what was happening.
At this moment, the host's voice rang out again:
"Next up, please welcome Wei He from Modu University!"