Chapter 959 - 621: The First Round of the Competition

Chapter 959: Chapter 621: The First Round of the Competition

"It’s the Repeaters Adventurer Team, and the Forever Single Adventurer Team!"

Among the contestants, someone recognized who they were.

These two adventurer teams are fairly well-known in Central China.

After all, Liu Jisheng and Fu Dusheng are regulars at the Central China Cup—especially the Forever Single Adventurer Team, they’re the textbook example of Burst Soldier Style and leave a really deep impression.

"Why are people from the senior bracket coming over?"

"And it’s two teams at that."

"Could they be trying to form an alliance with us?"

Those who didn’t know them were full of doubt at this moment.

Then they saw Liu Jisheng and Fu Dusheng both walk up to Li Pu.

"?" xN

That made everyone even more confused. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ

Could it be the two senior teams are trying to recruit this crippled youngster?

No way, right?

"Junior, let’s form an alliance." x2

Sure enough, as soon as the two representatives opened their mouths, it was to invite Li Pu.

"Whoa! They really are inviting him!"

"They gave up allying within the senior bracket to ally with a newcomer, and it’s even a solo team!"

"What the hell is so special about this guy?"

Nobody was going to think just because they called him "junior" that the two teams were trying to do Li Pu a favor out of sentiment.

This is the qualification tournament, not a place where you can hand out favors.

If you’re too weak, you’re getting eliminated.

Only people with matching strength will invite each other to ally.

Yet they had no idea that Liu Jisheng and Fu Dusheng actually felt they were somewhat reaching up by asking Li Pu.

Never mind that whole team of weird summons—just Li Pu himself might very well be enough to go toe-to-toe with an entire summon team.

This alliance format for the tournament was practically tailor‑made for them.

With a monster of a contestant like this, how could they not pull him in and instead let him become an opponent?

"Alright, seniors."

Li Pu’s single nod made the two of them overjoyed.

Looks like they’d be solid all the way until the alliance broke up.

The 30 minutes for forming teams passed quickly.

As soon as it ended, several people in suits and sunglasses walked out.

One of them, a woman, seemed to be their leader.

"Hello, contestants."

"We’re the referee team for this tournament, in charge of all rulings for the qualification round."

"I’m the head referee for the team, you can call me Referee Wang."

Referee Wang had the team check over the alliance layout.

There were 114 teams in total present, exactly forming 38 alliances, with no team left out.

"Now, please follow me."

"We’re about to begin the real first match."

Referee Wang then gestured for everyone to follow and turned around.

That move sparked a wave of whispers.

"Already?"

"What’s the rush?"

"What did you expect, a vacation?"

"Works for me, the sooner it’s over, the sooner I can get this off my mind."

The referee group ignored all the chatter.

The base was an underground facility; after Referee Wang swiped a security card, a steel door opened, revealing a wide stairway leading down.

But the contestant walking at the very front had just stepped onto the stairs when his whole body suddenly shuddered.

A presence—an almost suffocatingly powerful monster aura—hit them in the face.

Most people immediately wore grim expressions.

Nobody would doubt the safety of the base, but this monster’s aura was just too oppressive. For them, it was the first time experiencing a strength level like this, and they couldn’t adapt right away.

It felt like someone was holding an invisible blade and gently tracing it over their skin, and with just a bit more pressure it could start cutting for real.

But some people still looked the same as usual.

Most of those were from the senior bracket.

"Damn, this intensity is high."

"I’d guess it’s an 8‑turn monster."

"No kidding it’s the qualification tournament, the setup is serious."

"Don’t tell me they’re going to make us survive while being hunted by an 8‑turn monster?"

Some people could even manage a wry smile.

The one who said that last line was none other than Liu Jisheng.

Because it reminded him of the scene, just over two months ago, when he faced the Master of Sacred Void.

Back then, that aura was way more terrifying than this.

Even now, the tiger‑skin‑clad man behind him couldn’t control his breathing, which had grown heavier; he felt like there was a blade pressed to his neck.

"Captain..."

The tiger‑skin man envied Liu Jisheng’s composure, and his gaze unintentionally slid over to Li Pu.

And he discovered that this crippled teenager wasn’t affected at all—still limping along like nothing had changed.

The same scene was also noticed by Yu Duoduo, the captain under Fu Dusheng.

Honestly, whether it was the tiger‑skin man or her, both of them had more or less been harboring doubts.

Doubts about why Liu Jisheng and Fu Dusheng had been treating Li Pu so seriously from start to finish.

"Interesting..."

Walking in the back, she studied that limping figure carefully, and now she’d more or less given him her preliminary approval.

Very soon, led by the referee team, everyone arrived at a gate covered in barrier runes.

Here, that monster aura was even thicker; the source felt like it was right behind the door.

"Everyone, once we open this door, you’ll be entering the venue for the first match."

"And the elimination rate for this round is—50%."

Referee Wang’s emotionless tone made a lot of hearts lurch.

50% elimination meant that 19 alliances, a total of 57 teams, would crash and burn in this first round.

"Senior, it’s really that brutal?"

It was Li Pu’s first time here, and he looked at Liu Jisheng.

"It’s the qualification tournament—when is it ever easy?"

"This is actually pretty decent. The year I passed the qualification, out of 100 teams, 63 got wiped in the first round."