Not too long after, all five thousand universities, totaling fifty thousand participants, had arrived inside the venue.
As for the accompanying teachers like Lü Qiufeng and Lin Miao, they were given the title of coaches and arranged in a prime viewing area.
"Oh, oh, oh!"
The ordinary spectators in the stands cheered, enthusiastically rooting for their supported teams.
Xiang Chu University, enjoying home-field advantage, received the loudest cheers.
"It's so lively..."
"I feel like this year's Freshman Challenge is getting more attention than ever before."
Huang Chong followed behind Lin Ran, sighing.
Guo Yu, still flamboyantly fanning himself, chuckled:
"That's a given..."
"The sensation caused by Brother Ran's words was huge, making the Freshman Challenge go viral."
"Many people who don't usually watch this competition are paying attention now!"
Huang Chong nodded.
Despite possessing the SSS-rank talent Sky-Piercing Divine Bow, he appeared remarkably mature for his young age.
At first glance, one might mistake him for someone in his late forties or early fifties.
Coupled with his signature prematurely graying hair and kind, amiable face, he was truly unforgettable.
Xu Sheng moved closer to Xiong Yuan:
"Brother Xiong, your talent, the Tiger Guard Armor, is at a slight disadvantage in individual matches, making you susceptible to crowd-control talents..."
"Against such talents, you need to finish the fight quickly!"
Xiong Yuan nodded and smiled:
"Your talent is far superior, Brother Xu! The top offensive talent of Breaking Army Sword Dance, combined with the top defensive bloodline of Jiangdong Iron Wall..."
"It's just two words: invincible!"
Xu Sheng quickly waved his hand:
"With our Brother Ran here, who dares to claim invincibility!"
"I feel like Brother Ran, let alone in one-on-one battles, could dominate many teams even in a 1v10 team match."
Hearing their discussion, Lin Ran, who had been contemplating his bloodline, turned around and smiled at everyone:
"For the individual competition, the school's total score will be calculated based on the rankings of all ten of us, so please do your best."
"However, if we can secure the top two spots, there will be no problem at all..."
"I'll be waiting for you in the finals!"
As expected, before the competition even began, Lin Ran had already implicitly declared himself first place...
Even Guo Yu, who usually enjoyed boasting, could only give a silent thumbs-up in the face of Lin Ran's supremely confident declaration.
Brother Ran is amazing!
Above the arena.
Seeing that all fifty thousand participants were in position, the host, Niya, revealed a brilliant smile.
"All contestants are ready, and the individual matches will begin shortly!"
"Before that, please allow me to read out the competition rules."
"The first stage of the individual competition is the preliminary round, which will consist of ten consecutive random matches."
"A victory is worth two points, and a loss deducts one point. The top ten thousand participants with the highest scores will advance!"
"In case of a tie in scores, the win-loss relationship will be considered first, followed by the match duration."
"Before entering the finals, participants from the same school will be matched separately and will not be randomly paired against each other."
"On the stage, no disposable items are allowed, and participants cannot set up their own formations or apply buffs before the official start."
"Anyone deemed to have sustained fatal damage by the arena, or who violates the rules, will be considered defeated."
"I presume I don't need to elaborate on the other general arena rules."
"Due to the large number of participants, the arenas are suspended virtual stages..."
"However, do not worry, the edges of the stages are equipped with protective barriers to prevent falls and ejection, so you will absolutely not encounter any life-threatening danger."
"Alright, the random number assignment is now complete. You can check your number on your biochip."
"Please contestants relax, do not resist the spatial transition from the arena, as it will automatically transport you to your designated competition area..."
"Otherwise, you will have to make your own way there!"
"And so, I declare, the individual matches of the 1145th Freshman Challenge of Longguo officially begin!"
Niya, having activated her elven bloodline, had a remarkably melodious and pleasant voice.
This was likely a significant reason for her selection as the event host.
At her final command, Lin Ran distinctly felt himself being enveloped by a force of space-time.
With Lin Ran's mastery of space-time, reversing or subverting such a force would have been effortless.
However, as this was a pointless endeavor, Lin Ran, like everyone else, allowed the space-time force to transport him to a stage.
Stepping onto this suspended virtual stage, Lin Ran finally had a moment to check his number.
00250?!
Lin Ran's face immediately contorted.
He would never believe that Xiang Chu University hadn't manipulated the system behind the scenes.
How could such a coincidence occur? One in fifty thousand odds?
Clearly, Xiang Chu University was displeased with his boast of defeating all their participants in three minutes and had secretly added this to annoy him.
Lin Ran chuckled dismissively.
Such petty tactics were not worthy of his concern.
However, if Xiang Chu University was going to play this game, it would be impolite of him not to retaliate properly...
Quick! Match me with a Xiang Chu contestant to practice on!
Lin Ran's gaze, deep and thoughtful, fixed on the opposite teleportation point.
With a flash of white light, his opponent appeared there.
Unfortunately...
Although Lin Ran couldn't identify the opponent's school by their uniform, it was clearly not the Maple Leaf Yellow from Xiang Chu University.
A student from an ordinary university...
While those who could participate in this Freshman Exchange Competition were already renowned universities in Longguo, from Lin Ran's perspective at a top-ten university, they could only be classified as ordinary students.
Upon seeing Lin Ran, the student's face instantly changed.
He wailed inwardly, lamenting his terrible start, facing a monster right from the beginning!
Although he couldn't recognize Lin Ran, the green and white uniform Lin Ran wore was extremely famous.
Qing Jing Yan Yun University, ranked first in Longguo...
The student, gripping his greatsword, began to sweat, his sword-wielding hand trembling slightly.
Clearly, given the vast disparity between their schools, he had accepted his inevitable defeat.
However, the arena's countdown did not slow for his nervousness, ticking away second by second.
As the countdown approached its end, Lin Ran smiled kindly:
"Don't be nervous, it will be over soon, my little one..."
"Close your eyes and open them, and this match will be over... It will only take a second to kill you..."
Saying this, Lin Ran drew an alloy revolver from his soul ring.