Early morning.
Kyushu Island.
Tanaka Family Residence.
Underground secret chamber.
"The opportunity has arrived... my children!"
Tanaka Kenkō, clad in a black robe and a ghost-faced mask, gazed deeply at the group of people gathered around the round table before him.
Summoned by Tanaka Kenkō, the secret chamber was now packed.
Even without counting him, there were nearly five hundred individuals.
These five hundred people were initially in a dazed state, their eyes vacant as they looked around at each other.
But upon hearing Tanaka Kenkō's words, they all shook off their weariness and let out excited shouts.
Tanaka Kenkō appeared quite confident in the soundproofing of his secret base, allowing them to howl and wail freely.
Only after their cheers subsided did Tanaka Kenkō nod with satisfaction.
"Alright, children, we can now begin the final preparations."
"Hundreds of years of waiting and dormancy will finally bear fruit today!"
"It has been about six hundred years since I individually sealed you in this dark, sunless chamber, freezing your life signs with Shen Yuan Xuan Bing to ensure your survival, all for this very day!"
"Even now, no one knows of your existence..."
"Our invincible army, hidden in the shadows, is about to make the entire Sakura country submit!"
As he spoke, Tanaka Kenkō's tone became increasingly impassioned and excited, his body trembling uncontrollably.
The five hundred young people before him then all knelt down with a thud.
"We respectfully obey Father's teachings!"
Tanaka Kenkō nodded with satisfaction.
"Excellent!"
"Our Ten-Eyed clan possesses superior talent and a powerful bloodline. Our only weakness is our relatively deficient physical fitness and generally shorter lifespans, unless you can reach the tenth tier..."
"This is why I chose to seal you all when you turned eighteen."
"Over the years, though you have been sealed in Shen Yuan Xuan Bing, I have never stopped supplying your bodies with energy."
"As of now, your general strength should be around the sixth, seventh, eighth, or ninth tier..."
"According to age, the earlier you were born, the stronger your cultivation."
After speaking, Tanaka Kenkō paused and continued.
"Now is the time of turmoil in Sakura country, with complex interweaving forces. This is our best opportunity to sweep across the land."
"I have already instigated several factions to join the war from the outside. They are almost certain to clash fiercely..."
As he spoke, Tanaka Kenkō revealed all that he had done previously, including assisting Kanna Gūji's ascension and recommending Lin Ran, to his children.
Upon hearing Tanaka Kenkō's words, his children all became excited.
"Father is wise and mighty! He will surely lead our Ten-Eyed clan to unify Sakura!"
"Yes! That pretentious and condescending Kanna family should have been overthrown long ago!"
"The great rivers and mountains of this land should belong to the capable. Father is entirely worthy of it!"
"Indeed, if Father had been in charge of Sakura country's destiny from the beginning, how could Sakura country have fallen into its current awkward and decadent state?"
"..."
Tanaka Kenkō's old face flushed with pride from his children's flattery. He waved his hand.
"This is merely our first objective..."
"In other words, the change of regime in Sakura country is just the beginning."
"Our ultimate goal should not be limited to this small island, but to encompass the entire world!"
"However, aiming too high too soon would be unwise. Therefore, gradually taking over the entire Sakura country is also an extremely important step!"
"During this period, there are only three individuals we need to pay attention to."
"They are the current Emperor of Sakura country, Kanna Gūji, the Lighthouse Commander MacArthur stationed on Kyushu Island, and the Dragon country man Lin Ran, whose heroic aura is extremely strong."
"Deceive Kanna Gūji, resist MacArthur, and use Lin Ran to work for us. Let these three restrain each other..."
"Then, while they are locked in conflict, we will reap the benefits!"
...
Early morning.
Kyushu Island.
Competition venue.
With the elimination of a large number of teams, the number of people on the scene today was significantly reduced.
However, there were still some individuals who had been eliminated in the arena matches but had come to watch.
Another noteworthy point was that the spectator stands on this day were completely packed.
Countless Sakura officials and family heads who had not attended before flocked to the venue, all appearing to be in a state of high alert.
This made Lin Ran initially think that some major political event had occurred within the competition grounds.
Turns out they were simply here to watch?
Were the civil and military officials and prominent families of Sakura country really that idle?
Lin Ran shook his head, unable to comprehend.
If that were the case, why didn't they come yesterday?
Or perhaps, they were so confident in their Shimada brothers that they specifically came to watch him win the championship?
But their gazes seemed to be more focused on him...
It couldn't be that his performance yesterday was so outstanding that it attracted these people, could it?
He truly couldn't understand the thought process of these Sakura country people.
But no matter what, he didn't need to worry.
At present, the competition had progressed to the top 32.
Those remaining on the field were almost all ace teams from various countries, and they were also their biggest contenders for the championship.
"What follows is the most anticipated draw phase!"
"Of course, the order of appearance will be the same as before..."
"So, we will first invite the number one representative team from the Dragon country to step forward and draw their opponents!"
Seeing that most people had arrived, Chizuru Ginbyaku's melodious voice rang out in the venue once more.
Seeing Chizuru Ginbyaku, dressed in a JK uniform with white stockings, smiling and waving energetically on stage, Lin Ran naturally stood up without hesitation, preparing to walk towards her.
Who could refuse such an energetic and cute young girl?
Unfortunately, Luo Qingyan beside him was a step ahead of him...
"You pervert, you actually want to take the opportunity to touch that little girl's hand, don't you?"
"Sit down properly, I'll go!"
Luo Qingyan huffed twice at Lin Ran and then walked towards Chizuru Ginbyaku.
Lin Ran, having been preempted, could only reluctantly sit back in his chair and idly look around.