"This fellow is truly beyond belief..."
"I wonder if I'll ever get the chance to face him myself."
Isaac, the doomsday bell of the Byzantine Empire, sighed.
Beside him, Margarita, the Scorpion from the Commonwealth of Australia, also chuckled:
"Honestly, after what he's done, I'm starting to get a little interested in Dragon Country, this mysterious land."
"What kind of country is it that can nurture such a terrifying individual..."
"If he were to be equipped with five powerful and well-coordinated teammates, they might just become the most promising contenders for the championship this year."
Isaac nodded:
"Indeed..."
"The main thing is, from a few days ago until now, Lin Ran has shown absolutely no weaknesses."
"That point is far more terrifying than any overwhelming power..."
"A person with no discernible flaws, how can you possibly find a way to defeat him?"
"Even setting aside everything else, just the boundless and surging qi and blood he erupted with earlier, it's enough to make countless people cower."
"Coupled with his seemingly inexhaustible array of techniques and skills, and even a continuous stream of powerful weapons, he's practically a Great Demon King!"
Margarita suddenly paused, hesitating:
"When you just mentioned the Great Demon King, it reminded me..."
"It seems many years ago, also from Dragon Country, there was another extremely dazzling genius!"
"That genius also swept through all competitions – both domestic and international – and he also only ever had one teammate named Yue Ji."
"And that dominance over all enemies, along with his brutal and bloody methods, earned him the title of Great Demon King..."
Isaac immediately became wary, sitting up straight in his seat:
"You're not talking about... Ye Yun, are you?"
Margarita gave a wry smile:
"Who else could it be?"
"The last man called the Great Demon King, wasn't it him?"
"At that time, his ambition was so rampant that it stirred up a great storm of bloodshed across the entire Blue Star!"
"Even to this day, the Ye Yun organization and countless cultists and fanatical followers he left behind continue to poison the world..."
"Ye Yun, he was truly terrifying!"
Isaac shook his head:
"But I feel that Lin Ran shouldn't become like Ye Yun..."
"That Ye Yun was notorious for being a loner, selfish, and would never have done what he did that day, risking his own life with a secret art to save us from the mouth of the Sea-Chasing Demon Whale."
"But Lin Ran did it... That's the difference in character and vision."
"That's why Ye Yun ended up betrayed by everyone and was blasted to pieces by countless experts attacking him..."
"As for Lin Ran, he has already become the synonym of a hero in the hearts of countless people."
Margarita wasn't as optimistic as Isaac, sighing:
"Let's hope so..."
"After all, people do change."
"I always have some vague worries, fearing that Lin Ran might become an unmanageable presence in the future..."
"Alas, you can laugh at me for worrying needlessly..."
"I can only say that perhaps the pain left by that Ye Yun incident was too deep, so I'm already seeing ghosts everywhere."
Isaac smiled understandingly:
"It's only natural, unavoidable..."
"What path Lin Ran will take in the future isn't up to us to decide, let's just watch honestly..."
"Right now, our concern is only the fight for the championship."
"Speaking of which, if we could make this future Great Demon King stumble or suffer a crushing defeat, it would be quite a tale!"
"When I'm old, it would be a perfect anecdote to tell my children!"
Margarita rolled her eyes:
"You say you're only considering the current competition, but you're already thinking about having children in your old age..."
Isaac burst into laughter, stretching leisurely.
...
Let alone them, almost everyone present shared a remarkably unified consensus.
That is, if Lin Ran were truly allowed to grow, he would be absolutely incredible!
After all, this fellow was nearly ten years younger than the contestants in this batch! He was simply overflowing with talent!
Through various channels of understanding, they also learned that Lin Ran and Luo Qingyan, who came to participate this year, were both young people no older than twenty.
When this news first broke out, it caused immense shock among the entire group of contestants and the event organizers.
Two individuals barely twenty years old, participating ten years ahead of schedule, to compete for the championship against seven old timers approaching thirty?!
Even they themselves found it bordering on the fantastical.
If Lin Ran hadn't put on a show with that so-called secret art during the Sea-Chasing Demon Whale incident, many would have couldn't help but mock him.
But as time progressed, with Lin Ran and Luo Qingyan sweeping through three rounds of matches in a nearly invincible manner, all doubts were virtually dispelled!
What if they are under twenty? What if there are only two of them? We have the strength!
So, facing Lin Ran and Luo Qingyan at this moment, they could no longer muster any psychological sense of superiority... Instead, they began to regard Lin Ran and Luo Qingyan as respected opponents of equal standing.
Although "equal standing" is perhaps a bit of self-aggrandizement...
But they couldn't doubt themselves before the match and ruin their own mental fortitude, could they?
Lin Ran, having won the match, accepted everyone's gaze and nimbly returned to Luo Qingyan's side, proudly flexing his muscular arms:
"How was it, hubby, am I fierce?"
Luo Qingyan had genuinely wanted to praise Lin Ran a few words, but as soon as Lin Ran spoke, she lost the mood, rolling her eyes:
"So-so..."
"About equivalent to a 120-watt electric motor."
Lin Ran's face contorted:
"Huh? Only 120 watts? You're clearly downplaying it..."
"A lot of times when I hold your leg, the frequency per minute is more than that!"
This time, Luo Qingyan was truly choked, coughing lightly and patting her trembling chest, glaring at Lin Ran:
"Hurry up and shut up... Every time you open your mouth, you have no sense of decency..."
"You can start in the next few matches yourself, I've decided to rest for a while!"