*
The lights focused, golden rain danced, and Wen Jing, who had just opened the door, followed the signs to the podium.
The podium is arranged in tiers, and only the top ten teams in the league are eligible to receive their awards at the on-site ceremony.
Moreover, those ranked lower are the ones who get to go on stage earlier.
Wen Jing, as the champion, was the last to arrive, and everyone else had to wait.
As he walked toward the podium, the other nine pairs of eyes all fell on Wen Jing.
The contestants following Helian had mixed expressions; most of them only learned of Wen Jing's existence after they were eliminated.
The most complex one, however, is Mo Lan, who ranks third...
Wen Jing casually glanced at everyone, his expression calm and matter-of-fact.
The group of people stared in disbelief... Yes, no matter how unwilling or conflicted they were, Wen Jing was the ultimate winner.
Looking back at the entire match, in terms of strength, she could eliminate Luosi was at the A-level, head-on; in terms of mentality, she used a clever deception to manipulate the entire arena, and no one on the scene had the right to say that they were better than Wen Jing.
If we're talking about who's better, then why aren't they the ones standing on the top podium now?
"Despair."
As Wen Jing stepped onto the highest podium, the three principals, dressed formally, floated over.
Dean Mystic Radiance personally presented the award, handing Wen Jing the champion's prize—a C-grade Empowerment Stone secured in a transparent box by a special device.
"My child, you have shown me the enormous potential of the new generation in Ocher Soil. I look forward to your future."
This year's champion was not a student of Mystic Radiance, but the highly respected senior showed no displeasure. Instead, he looked at Wen Jing with admiration and emotion.
Next was Dean of Azure Jade, who was taciturn, had a stern face, and looked unapproachable.
But at this moment, he also looked at Wen Jing and nodded to her. "You are very good."
Finally, it was Dean Bai's turn.
She had intended to say something serious and encouraging like the other two deans, but when the moment actually came, seeing Wen Jing Wen Jing at her, she could no longer suppress the smile spreading across her face.
Just like when Wen Jing broke the Trial Tower record, Dean Bai jumped up and put his arm around her shoulder.
I knew you were going to give me a big surprise!
*
Did you buy tickets for this year's Freshman League?
"What are you buying? That's none of our business."
"Didn't I hear that the Temple Group has an A-level player in this competition? Doesn't that mean they've got the championship in the bag?"
"That's not necessarily true. Otherwise, how could those betting platforms operate? It's a very complex business..."
"Pshaw, it has nothing to do with those of us who didn't buy. The result is that the rich get even richer."
Inside the bar, a group of people were drinking and chatting, while a large screen was showing a broadcast of the first day of the Freshman League.
This type of broadcast does not focus on individuals, but rather switches based on where the battle is taking place on the field.
In the world of ordinary people, not everyone has a smart device that allows them to access detailed, real-time information about extraterrestrials and Awakened.
When news of the Freshman League reached Ocher Soil, it naturally went to the academy first, and only then did it spread to the various cities on the planet.
In previous years, news of the Freshman League would spread on Red Earth Star with a delay, and various entertainment venues would only broadcast the delayed version.
However, just as the people in the tavern were chatting casually, the music stopped and the broadcast suddenly switched.
[ Extreme Speed News! Wen Jing, a student from the Red Earth Academy, has won the championship in the Freshman League!]
"What?"
The bar erupted in commotion. Some people quickly pulled out their communicators to check, while others who walked out of the bar and onto the street looked up and saw the same message playing on the large advertising screen with bullet holes still visible.
[This news is sponsored by Pin Hao Suan Service Company. It is understood that Wen Jing, the champion of this year's Freshman League, is also a senior member of Pin Hao Suan!]
The well-informed companies on Red Earth Star had already taken action, especially Pinhaosuan, which managed to ride the Pin Hao Suan of Wen Jing's popularity through a series of twists and turns. They quickly secured the rights to broadcast on the planet and used the opportunity to advertise themselves.
"The champion is from the Red Earth Academy? What level of Awakened is she?"
"F! She's an F-rank Awakened!"
"F-rank... is it possible to reach this level?"
Compared to ordinary people, the large number of low-level Awakened living on the Red Earth Star reacted even more strongly.
They were all graduates of the Ocher Soil, and they thought they had long accepted their perennial bottom-ranking situation and were willing to tank, even often making self-deprecating jokes while watching the league.
However, upon hearing the news, the surge of joy that made their blood boil reminded them that they were unwilling to accept this outcome!
"Aunt Xu! It's her! It's her!"
In the far suburbs of another city, Little Ye, having seen the news, ran to the basement of her apartment like a gust of wind.
"I already know." Sitting at her desk, Xu Yin waved to Little Ye, her eyes shining brightly, and murmured to herself, "Her ' Wilderness Body '... could it be an insect?"
Xinpu City, within the Jackal Gang.
"Do you know the champion of the Freshman League? Wen Jing! He defeated the Mystic Radiance Azure Jade prodigy, and there was even an A-level among them! What does A-level mean?"
The Jackal, full of pride and excitement, introduced himself to his surrounding underlings.
"Your boss here! I fought Wen Jing to a Wen Jing before, and we were even chatting and laughing afterwards! I'm not bragging, A Wei and Xiao Wu were there and saw it..."
In a secluded underground base at the Red Earth Star, a middle-aged man looked at Wen Jing, whom he had met once before, on the podium and sighed.
" The Freshman League champion, she's actually this strong! If only I had known..."
"Such a result at F-rank... Insectoid Wilderness Body, abnormal development, could Bai Xiao and Xie Ming really be able to challenge the talent ranking system?"
As the words were spoken, a figure appeared out of thin air.
The middle-aged man immediately stood up. "You're here, how are you?"
Without a word, the visitor opened the special metal box in his hand, and the strange minerals inside emitted a flowing light that illuminated the dim room.
If a comparison is made, it will be found that, apart from not being a regular dodecahedron, the texture and shape of these oval-shaped minerals are almost identical to those of the crystals used for newborn awakening.
*
After the award ceremony, as Wen Jing entered the audience area, the students from Ocher Soil swarmed around her, creating a sea of joy.
If the venue at Mystic Radiance hadn't been so spacious, congestion would have been inevitable.
" Wen Jing! Champion! Wen Jing! Champion!"
The students from Ocher Soil who came were not only freshmen who benefited from this competition, but also seniors who were preparing to participate in the official league.
Even though Wen Jing wasn't in the same year as them, there was no doubt that Ocher Soil's first league championship greatly inspired everyone.
After saying goodbye to the deans of Dean Bai and Mystic Radiance, Dean Azure Jade turned around and saw this scene, his eyes widening in surprise.
She had always thought that Wen Jing would mature later and achieve outstanding results in the official league, but she never expected that in just half a year, he would have grown to a level that amazed her.
However, gaining immense attention often comes with immense pressure and potential threats...
Various thoughts flooded Dean Bai's mind, but she quickly shook them off.
She blinked her golden eyes, spread her hands, and happily joined the celebration.
Let's worry about tomorrow tomorrow; tonight belongs to the champion.
Chapter 106
Mystic Radiance Academy has a dedicated reception area. The area is spacious and sparsely populated, so there is no shortage of space. The facilities inside are complete, making it a large-scale community complex.
The celebration at the Red Earth Academy didn't end until late at night. Back in his room, Dean Bai looked up at the night sky, which was different from that on Red Earth Star, on the terrace and connected to holographic communication.
The next moment, Xie Ming appeared beside her.
After exchanging words for a while, the topic inevitably turned to Wen Jing.
"You haven't seen it, the insect project's papers have been downloaded over 10,000 times... Now a lot of people are contacting her! She's the Freshman League champion; even the top ten conglomerates are taking notice."
"Of course!" Dean Bai, sipping his drink with a hint of pride.
So what did Wen Jing say?
Dean Bai tilted his head. "She didn't say much, she has her own ideas."
"No, what about you?" Xie Ming paused, then looked at her with a strange expression. "You didn't tell her, did you?"
"Well..."
Seeing that he couldn't fool them, Dean Bai tactfully lowered his head and drank his beverage, trying to get away with it.
However, Xie Ming wasn't buying it. "Didn't you just tell me before you left that you planned to officially take Wen Jing as your student after the league? How come you've changed your mind now that she's won the championship?"
Dean Bai shrugged. "It's because she won the championship!"
"Tsk tsk tsk... Weren't you a champion back in the day? A double champion in both the Freshman League and the official league! Your legend still circulates on the Mystic Radiance Forum!" Xie Ming laughed, "So you actually have a day when you're insecure!"
"You don't understand!" Dean Bai glared at him, her brows furrowing in frustration. "This isn't a matter of confidence..."
"Then what are you hesitating about?" Xie Ming pressed. "I thought you at least told her to think about it herself, but you didn't say anything at all!"
"You don't understand. If I told her, she would most likely agree, but..."
At this point, Dean Bai's expression changed. "I originally thought she would make it into the top 100, but she won the championship. The attention the champion receives is completely different from that of the top 100, or even the second place."
"She's just my student, and my name can protect her, but the champion... 'they' will definitely target her. Why should I drag her into this vortex?"
"Moreover, ever since she learned the secret techniques of mental power, Fu Yuan came to me to convey his intention to take Wen Jing as his student."